Antibacterial activity of Calathea anulque

No abstrac

The Azithromycin to Prevent Wheezing following severe RSV bronchiolitis-II clinical trial: Rationale, study design, methods, and characteristics of study population

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in early life is a significant risk factor for future recurrent wheeze (RW) and asthma. The goal of the Azithromycin to Prevent Wheezing following severe RSV bronchiolitis II (APW-RSV II) clinical trial is to evaluate if azithromycin treatment in infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis reduces the occurrence of RW during the preschool years. The APW-RSV II clinical trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized trial, including otherwise healthy participants, ages 30 days-18 months, who are hospitalized due to RSV bronchiolitis. The study includes an active randomized treatment phase with azithromycin or placebo for 2 weeks, and an observational phase of 18-48 months. Two hundred participants were enrolled during three consecutive RSV seasons beginning in the fall of 2016 and were randomized to receive oral azithromycin 10 mg/kg/day for 7 days followed by 5 mg/kg/day for an additional 7 days, or matched placebo. The study hypothesis is that in infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis, the addition of azithromycin therapy to routine bronchiolitis care would reduce the likelihood of developing post-RSV recurrent wheeze (≥3 episodes). The primary clinical outcome is the occurrence of a third episode of wheezing, which is evaluated every other month by phone questionnaires and during yearly in-person visits. A secondary objective of the APW-RSV II clinical trial is to examine how azithromycin therapy changes the upper airway microbiome composition, and to determine if these changes are related to the occurrence of post-RSV RW. Microbiome composition is characterized in nasal wash samples obtained before and after the study treatments. This clinical trial may identify the first effective intervention applied during severe RSV bronchiolitis to reduce the risk of post-RSV RW and ultimately asthma

The use of plants in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria: Pharmacological and toxicological considerations

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The prevalence of diabetes is on a steady increase worldwide and it is now identified as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. In Nigeria, the use of herbal medicine alone or alongside prescription drugs for its management is quite common. We hereby carry out a review of medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes management in Nigeria. Based on the available evidence on the species׳ pharmacology and safety, we highlight ways in which their therapeutic potential can be properly harnessed for possible integration into the country׳s healthcare system. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical information was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus up to 2013 for publications on medicinal plants used in diabetes management, in which the place of use and/or sample collection was identified as Nigeria. ‘Diabetes’ and ‘Nigeria’ were used as keywords for the primary searches; and then ‘Plant name – accepted or synonyms’, ‘Constituents’, ‘Drug interaction’ and/or ‘Toxicity’ for the secondary searches. Results: The hypoglycemic effect of over a hundred out of the 115 plants reviewed in this paper is backed by preclinical experimental evidence, either in vivo or in vitro. One-third of the plants have been studied for their mechanism of action, while isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) has been accomplished for twenty three plants. Some plants showed specific organ toxicity, mostly nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic, with direct effects on the levels of some liver function enzymes. Twenty eight plants have been identified as in vitro modulators of P-glycoprotein and/or one or more of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, while eleven plants altered the levels of phase 2 metabolic enzymes, chiefly glutathione, with the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Conclusion: This review, therefore, provides a useful resource to enable a thorough assessment of the profile of plants used in diabetes management so as to ensure a more rational use. By anticipating potential toxicities or possible herb–drug interactions, significant risks which would otherwise represent a burden on the country׳s healthcare system can be avoided

A Brucella abortus S19 Glyco-conjugate Vaccine Consisting of Lipopolysaccharide and outer Membrane Protein Protects Mice against Challenge with Brucella abortus

A glyco-conjugate vaccine using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the outer membrane protein (OMP) of Brucella abortus S19 strain was prepared. The vaccine was administered in mice subcutaneously (25 µg LPS per dose). Separate groups of mice were also vaccinated with LPS, OMP or live, attenuated S19 vaccine. Mice were challenged 30 days post vaccination with B. abortus 544 strain. The LPS, OMP and LPS-OMP glyco-conjugate vaccinated mice were protected against the challenge. The percentage of animals protected with the sub-unit vaccines and the glyco-conjugate vaccine were comparable with the live, attenuated vaccine. The glyco-conjugate vaccine was able to induce strong immune response against both the components. The prominent isotypes were IgG1, IgG2a and IgG3. In addition, the glyco-conjugate vaccine was able to induce a cell mediated immune response as indicated by the expression of IFN γ by splenocytes. The study indicated that the glyco-conjugate vaccine may be a useful candidate for prophylactic use

Enterovirus D68 Surveillance, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 2016

A fall 2016 outbreak of enterovirus D68 infection in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, had less effect than a fall 2014 outbreak on hospital census, intensive care unit census, and hospitalization for a diagnosis of respiratory illness. Without ongoing surveillance and specific testing, these cases might have been missed

Synthesis, crystal growth and characterization of organic material: N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) for NLO applications

The organic nonlinear optical crystal of N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) was grown by slow cooling solution growth technique using methanol as solvent. Single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analyses were carried out to confirm the NBS crystals. The ultra violet (UV)–Visible and photoluminescence spectral studies were carried out, the green band at 2.02 eV can be attributed to radiative recombination between deep donors and shallow acceptors. The second harmonic generation (SHG) behaviour of NBS was tested by Kurtz–Perry powder technique. The hardness behaviour, laser damage threshold and dielectric characteristics of NBS crystals were studied

On the observation of physical, chemical, optical and thermal changes induced by 50 MeV silicon ion in benzimidazole single crystals

The 50 MeV Si ion irradiation-induced modifications on structural, chemical, optical and thermal properties of Vertical Bridgman grown benzimidazole (BMZ) crystals have been studied. The FTIR studies have been used to analyze the variation in various bonds that are associated with the functional groups in the native and the irradiated sample. X-ray diffraction studies reveal the compressive strains that are generated due to irradiation. The effect of irradiation on the conductivity of BMZ crystals has been studied. The fluorescence spectrum shows the existence of some energy levels, which remains unaffected after irradiation. The thermal analysis reveals that the melting point remains unaffected and the sample does not decompose as a result of irradiation