Identification of Comamonas species using 16S rRNA gene sequence

A bacterial strain Bz02 was isolated from a water sample collected from river Gomti at the Indian city of Lucknow. We characterized the strain using 16S rRNA sequence. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strain formed a monophyletic clade with members of the genus Comamonas. The closest phylogenetic relative was Comamonas testosteroni with 95% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. It is proposed that the identified strain Bz02 be assigned as the type strain of a species of the genus Comamonas (Comamonas sp Bz02) based on 16S rRNA gene sequence search in Ribosomal Database Project, small subunit rRNA and large subunit rRNA databases together with the phylogenetic tree analysis. The sequence is deposted in GenBank with the accession number FJ211417

Off-pump coronary artery bypass in poland syndrome with dextrocardia: case report

Poland Syndrome is a congenital disorder characterised by hypoplasia of the pectoral muscles along with upper extremity deformities. We encountered a patient with Poland syndrome associated with dextrocardia and also failed pectus excavatum repairs who presented to us with symptomatic ischaemic heart disease requiring intervention. He underwent successful off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCABG). As far as we are aware, this is the first case report of OPCABG in a case of Poland syndrome with dextrocardia. We describe here the management of this complex patient and wish to emphasise that the off-pump option is feasible in dextrocardia with some technical modifications

A delayed diagnosis: stridor secondary to hypocalcemia

Hypocalcemia with stridor is a well-known condition in the pediatric age group but has rarely been reported in the elderly. We report an elderly patient who presented with dyspnea and laryngeal stridor attack caused by hypocalcemia. The patient had been suffering from stridor and dyspnea episodes for 2 years, and the etiology had not been determined until the evaluation in our department. The cause of stridor was hypocalcemia secondary to thyroidectomy. Complete resolution of stridor was achieved by calcium replacement therapy

Synergistic effect of intrathecal fentanyl and bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia for cesarean section

BACKGROUND: Potentiating the effect of intrathecal local anesthetics by addition of intrathecal opiods for intra-abdominal surgeries is known. In this study by addition of fentanyl we tried to minimize the dose of bupivacaine, thereby reducing the side effects caused by higher doses of intrathecal bupivacaine in cesarean section. METHODS: Study was performed on 120 cesarean section parturients divided into six groups, identified as B(8), B(10 )and B (12.5 )8.10 and 12.5 mg of bupivacaine mg and FB(8), FB(10 )and FB (12.5 )received a combination of 12.5 μg intrathecal fentanyl respectively. The parameters taken into consideration were visceral pain, hemodynamic stability, intraoperative sedation, intraoperative and postoperative shivering, and postoperative pain. RESULTS: Onset of sensory block to T6 occurred faster with increasing bupivacaine doses in bupivacaine only groups and bupivacaine -fentanyl combination groups. Alone lower concentrations of bupivacaine could not complete removed the visceral pain. Blood pressure declined with the increasing concentration of Bupivacaine and Fentanyl. Incidence of nausea and shivering reduces significantly whereas, the postoperative pain relief and hemodynamics increased by adding fentanyl. Pruritis, maternal respiratory depression and changes in Apgar score of babies do not occur with fentanyl. CONCLUSION: Spinal anesthesia among the neuraxial blocks in obstetric patients needs strict dose calculations because minimal dose changes, complications and side effects arise, providing impetus for this study. Here the synergistic, potentiating effect of fentanyl (an opiod) on bupivacaine (a local anesthetic) in spinal anesthesia for cesarian section is presented, fentanyl is able to reduce the dose of bupivacaine and therefore its harmful effects

Cross-protection against European swine influenza viruses in the context of infection immunity against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus : studies in the pig model of influenza

Pigs are natural hosts for the same influenza virus subtypes as humans and are a valuable model for cross-protection studies with influenza. In this study, we have used the pig model to examine the extent of virological protection between a) the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus and three different European H1 swine influenza virus (SIV) lineages, and b) these H1 viruses and a European H3N2 SIV. Pigs were inoculated intranasally with representative strains of each virus lineage with 6- and 17-week intervals between H1 inoculations and between H1 and H3 inoculations, respectively. Virus titers in nasal swabs and/or tissues of the respiratory tract were determined after each inoculation. There was substantial though differing cross-protection between pH1N1 and other H1 viruses, which was directly correlated with the relatedness in the viral hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins. Cross-protection against H3N2 was almost complete in pigs with immunity against H1N2, but was weak in H1N1/pH1N1-immune pigs. In conclusion, infection with a live, wild type influenza virus may offer substantial cross-lineage protection against viruses of the same HA and/or NA subtype. True heterosubtypic protection, in contrast, appears to be minimal in natural influenza virus hosts. We discuss our findings in the light of the zoonotic and pandemic risks of SIVs

Molecular Modeling of the Interaction Between Stem Cell Peptide and Immune Receptor in Plants

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020. Molecular docking enables comprehensive exploration of interactions between chemical moieties and proteins. Modeling and docking approaches are useful to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of experimentally uncrystallized proteins and subsequently their interactions with various inhibitors and activators or peptides. Here, we describe a protocol for carrying out molecular modeling and docking of stem cell peptide CLV3p on plant innate immune receptor FLS2

Propagation of an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection in three dimensions

Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most significant drivers of adverse space weather at Earth, but the physics governing their propagation through the heliosphere is not well understood. While stereoscopic imaging of CMEs with the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) has provided some insight into their three-dimensional (3D) propagation, the mechanisms governing their evolution remain unclear due to difficulties in reconstructing their true 3D structure. Here we use a new elliptical tie-pointing technique to reconstruct a full CME front in 3D, enabling us to quantify its deflected trajectory from high latitudes along the ecliptic, and measure its increasing angular width and propagation from 2-46 solar radii (approximately 0.2 AU). Beyond 7 solar radii, we show that its motion is determined by an aerodynamic drag in the solar wind and, using our reconstruction as input for a 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation, we determine an accurate arrival time at the Lagrangian L1 point near Earth.Comment: 5 figures, 2 supplementary movie

Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi malaria parasites can develop stable resistance to atovaquone with a mutation in the cytochrome b gene

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>, has developed resistance to many of the drugs in use. The recommended treatment policy is now to use drug combinations. The atovaquone-proguanil (AP) drug combination, is one of the treatment and prophylaxis options. Atovaquone (ATQ) exerts its action by inhibiting plasmodial mitochondria electron transport at the level of the cytochrome bc1 complex. <it>Plasmodium falciparum in vitro </it>resistance to ATQ has been associated with specific point mutations in the region spanning codons 271-284 of the <it>cytochrome b </it>gene. ATQ -resistant <it>Plasmodium yoelii </it>and <it>Plasmodium berghei </it>lines have been obtained and resistant lines have amino acid mutations in their CYT <it>b </it>protein sequences. <it>Plasmodium chabaudi </it>model for studying drug-responses and drug-resistance selection is a very useful rodent malaria model but no ATQ resistant parasites have been reported so far. The aim of this study was to determine the ATQ sensitivity of the <it>P. chabaudi </it>clones, to select a resistant parasite line and to perform genotypic characterization of the <it>cytb </it>gene of these clones.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To select for ATQ resistance, <it>Plasmodium. chabaudi chabaudi </it>clones were exposed to gradually increasing concentrations of ATQ during several consecutive passages in mice. <it>Plasmodium chabaudi cytb </it>gene was amplified and sequenced.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ATQ resistance was selected from the clone AS-3CQ. In order to confirm whether an heritable genetic mutation underlies the response of AS-ATQ to ATQ, the stability of the drug resistance phenotype in this clone was evaluated by measuring drug responses after (i) multiple blood passages in the absence of the drug, (ii) freeze/thawing of parasites in liquid nitrogen and (iii) transmission through a mosquito host, <it>Anopheles stephensi</it>. ATQ resistance phenotype of the drug-selected parasite clone kept unaltered. Therefore, ATQ resistance in clone AS-ATQ is genetically encoded. The Minimum Curative Dose of AS-ATQ showed a six-fold increase in MCD to ATQ relative to AS-3CQ.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A mutation was found on the <it>P. chabaudi cytb </it>gene from the AS-ATQ sample a substitution at the residue Tyr268 for an Asn, this mutation is homologous to the one found in <it>P. falciparum </it>isolates resistant to ATQ.</p