Enhancement and Identification of Microbial Secondary Metabolites

Screening for microbial secondary metabolites (SMs) has attracted the attention of the scientific community since 1940s. In fact, since the discovery of penicillin, intensive researches have been conducted worldwide in order to detect and identify novel microbial secondary metabolites. As a result, the discovery of novel SMs has been decreased significantly by using traditional experiments. Therefore, searching for new techniques to discover novel SMs was one of the most priority objectives. However, the development and advances of omics-based techniques such as metabolomics and genomics have revealed the potential of discovering novel SMs which were coded in the microorganisms’ DNA but not expressed in the lab media or might be produced in undetectable amount by detecting the biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs) that are associated with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Nowadays, the development and integration of gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 in metabolomics provide a successful platform for the identification and detection of known and novel SMs and also to increase the production of SMs

Effect of General Anesthesia on Postoperative Cognitive Function in Elderly Patients

The prevalence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction continues to be significant following surgical procedures. It has been posited that external factors, among which the type of anesthesia plays a vital role, are significant contributors to POCD. In older adults, cognitive decline post-surgery can lead to devastating physical, psychological, and societal impacts. Advancing our comprehension of cognitive deterioration postoperatively is critical for eradicating this potentially avoidable contributor to cognitive decline. Therefore, a thorough grasp of the cognitive repercussions of various anesthetic agents used intraoperatively has become crucial. This surge of interest has propelled research focusing on the repercussions of general anesthesia on post-surgical cognitive abilities. The objective of this literature review is to enrich readers\u27 insights into POCD among the geriatric demographic and to scrutinize the evidence of how various anesthetic components—mainstay anesthetics, supplemental agents, and sedatives—influence postoperative cognition. Prior to the 1950s assumptions, it was surmised that anesthesia merely rendered cerebral functions dormant during surgery, with normalcy resuming upon awakening. Contemporary understanding now acknowledges the nuanced impact of anesthetics, which instigate distinctive alterations in specific cerebral activities and memory capacities. Concerns about post-surgical cognitive deficit burgeoned with the advent of inhalational anesthetic pharmacology, paralleled by heightened life expectancy and health service utilization in the aging population. While minor surgical interventions like dental extractions, often under local anesthesia, were thought to yield better cognitive outcomes, this notion was upended by Bedford\u27s revelation in 1960 that major surgical procedures such as coronary bypass, involving cardiopulmonary bypass and extended hypothermia, markedly disrupted cognitive faculties. This link between significant surgical interventions and cognitive impairment fueled further inquiry into the influence of surgery and anesthetic agents on postoperative brain function. The late 1970s witnessed heightened awareness of postoperative "forgetfulness" in the aged, evolving into substantial focus in the late 1990s. At that point, profound documentation surfaced indicating cognitive decline post-surgery was pervasive across all ages but was especially pronounced in elderly individuals—representing a critical public health concern. The era following this revelation has witnessed an avalanche of studies probing into POCD

Bactericidal activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles against human pathogenic bacteria

Green synthesis is an attractive and eco-friendly approach to generate potent antibacterial silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). Such particles have long been used to fight bacteria and represent a promising tool to overcome the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, green synthesis of Ag-NPs was attempted using plant extracts of Aloe vera, Portulaca oleracea and Cynodon dactylon. The identity and size of Ag-NPs was characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscopy. Monodispersed Ag-NPs were produced with a range of different sizes based on the plant extract used. The bactericidal activity of Ag-NPs against a number of human pathogenic bacteria was determined using the disc diffusion method. The results showed that Gram positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram negative ones to these antibacterial agents. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined using the 96-well plate method. Finally, the mechanism by which Ag-NPs affect bacteria was investigated by SEM analysis. Bacteria treated with Ag-NPs were seen to undergo shrinkage and to lose their viability. This study provides evidence for a cheap and effective method for synthesizing potent bactericidal Ag-NPs and demonstrates their effectiveness against human pathogenic bacteria

Pediatric Dermatology In Family Medicine: Common Conditions And Management Strategies

Among the most prevalent disorders are those related to the skin.  However, in medical education and training, this class of illnesses is frequently disregarded. The first line of defence for the treatment of common dermatological diseases is a family physician. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the particular identification, management, encountering, and referral practices related to dermatological illnesses in family care. We also looked into the challenges and opportunities that family doctors experience in family medicine and saw a few of the paediatric dermatological diseases that family doctors may encounter.  Finding areas of weakness in the clinical therapy of certain dermatological disorders, however, will be aided by assessing how family doctors treat particular ailments. Thus, this needs assessment might serve as a foundation for future research on the efficacy of family medicine in treating common paediatric dermatological problems as well as aid in the development of evidence-based training for family physicians in the area

Vitamin D serum level predicts stroke clinical severity, functional independence, and disability—A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundStroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability and one of the most common neurological conditions globally. Many studies focused on vitamin D as a stroke risk factor, but only a few focused on its serum level as a predictor of stroke initial clinical severity and recovery with inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and stroke clinical severity at admission and functional independence and disability at discharge in Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA retrospective cohort study of adult ischemic stroke patients who had their vitamin D tested and admitted within 7 days of exhibiting stroke symptoms at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Based on vitamin D level, the patients were categorized into normal [25(OH)D serum level ≥ 75 nmol/L], insufficient [25(OH)D serum level is 50–75 nmol/L], and deficient [25(OH)D serum level ≤ 50 nmol/L]. The primary outcome was to assess the vitamin D serum level of ischemic stroke patients’ clinical severity at admission and functional independence at discharge. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess the clinical severity, whereas the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess functional independence and disability.ResultsThe study included 294 stroke patients, out of 774, who were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean age of the participants was 68.2 ± 13.4 years, and 49.3% were male. The patients’ distribution among the three groups based on their vitamin D levels is: normal (n = 35, 11.9%), insufficient (n = 66, 22.5%), and deficient (n = 196, 65.6%). After adjusting for potential covariates, regression analysis found a significant inverse relationship of NIHSS based on 25(OH)D serum level (beta coefficient: −0.04, SE: 0.01, p = 0.003). Patients with deficient serum vitamin D level also had significantly higher odds of worse functional independence in mRS score [OR: 2.41, 95%CI: (1.13–5.16), p = 0.023] when compared to participants with normal vitamin D level.ConclusionLow vitamin D levels were associated with higher severity of stroke at admission and poor functional independence and disability at discharge in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Further randomized clinical and interventional studies are required to confirm our findings

Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

(1) Background: COVID-19 has become a worldwide public health problem. No previous study has investigated factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) after completely lifting the curfew in all Saudi Arabia regions and cities. Therefore, adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and correct control of COVID-19 are essential to eradicate the disease. Hence, this study aims to assess factors associated with KAP of COVID-19; (2) Methods: This cross-sectional web-based survey was performed with the participation of 4305 individuals aged over 15 years living in Saudi Arabia from 11 to 19 August 2020. They were included using the snowball sampling method; (3) Results: Of the 4305 participants, 94.9% were Saudis, 60% females, and 45.4% were in the age group of 20–34 years, 61.7% married, and 49.3% from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Most of the participants demonstrated good KAP levels (89.6%, 87.2%, and 87.2%) towards the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. In addition, most of the participants (85.8%) used the internet and social media as a source for COVID-19 information (4) Conclusions: The finding showed that most of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, positive attitudes, and demonstrated good practices for preventing the spread of disease infection

Survival implications vs. complications: unraveling the impact of vitamin D adjunctive use in critically ill patients with COVID-19—A multicenter cohort study

BackgroundDespite insufficient evidence, vitamin D has been used as adjunctive therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of vitamin D as an adjunctive therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsA multicenter retrospective cohort study that included all adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and July 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on their vitamin D use throughout their ICU stay (control vs. vitamin D). The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the length of stay (LOS), mechanical ventilation (MV) duration, and ICU-acquired complications. Propensity score (PS) matching (1:1) was used based on the predefined criteria. Multivariable logistic, Cox proportional hazards, and negative binomial regression analyses were employed as appropriate.ResultsA total of 1,435 patients were included in the study. Vitamin D was initiated in 177 patients (12.3%), whereas 1,258 patients did not receive it. A total of 288 patients were matched (1:1) using PS. The in-hospital mortality showed no difference between patients who received vitamin D and the control group (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.87–1.71; p = 0.26). However, MV duration and ICU LOS were longer in the vitamin D group (beta coefficient 0.24 (95% CI 0.00–0.47), p = 0.05 and beta coefficient 0.16 (95% CI −0.01 to 0.33), p = 0.07, respectively). As an exploratory outcome, patients who received vitamin D were more likely to develop major bleeding than those who did not [OR 3.48 (95% CI 1.10, 10.94), p = 0.03].ConclusionThe use of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy in COVID-19 critically ill patients was not associated with survival benefits but was linked with longer MV duration, ICU LOS, and higher odds of major bleeding

The effects of salinity stress on Amorpha fruticosa Linn. seed germination, physiological and biochemical mechanisms

Salinity stress is serious threat to crop productivity and globe food security. This study investigated the impact of NaCl (neutral salt) and basic salt (basic salt) on seed germination physiological and biochemical traits of Amorpha fruticosa. Salt stress had no significant effect on seed germination rate, however, alkali stress significantly decreased (p≤0.05) rate of germination. Both stresses also negatively affected the growth of radicle and germination (P <0.05), and the effect of alkali stress was greater than that of salt stress. The concentration of K+, Mg2+ and Na+/K+ in radicle and germ remained relatively stable, which was conducive to adapting to salt and alkali stress, but the concentration of K+, Mg2+, NO3-, H2PO4- and SO42- changed differently under salt and alkali stress. Tartaric acid was the main component of the 8 organic acids, and the accumulation changes of each component were different under salt stress and base stress. Tartaric acid was accumulated in large quantities under salt stress, and the accumulation of other acids (citric, malic, acetic, oxalic, formic and lactic acids) were markedly enhanced under alkali stress (P <0.05). Among the 16 free amino acids, arginine, alanine and threonine are the response solutes under salt stress, and glutamic acid and threonine are the response solutes under base stress. In In conclusion, proper concentration of salts can promote seed germination and radicle growth. Therefore, plant performance can be improved by soaking seeds in appropriate concentration of salts

Antibacterial susceptibility of bacteria isolated from burns and wounds of cancer patients

In this study 540 burns and wound swabs were collected from cancer patients of some Egyptian hospitals. The single infection was detected from 210, and 70 cases among wounded and burned patients, while mixed infection was 30 and 45, respectively. We recovered where 60 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 60 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 7 isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis, 4 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, 25 isolates of Escherichia coli, 23 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 27 isolates of Proteus vulgaris from 355 burn and surgical wound infections . All bacterial isolates showed high resistance to the commonly used β-lactams (amoxycillin, cefaclor, ampicillin, vancomycin, amoxicillin/clavulonic), and low resistance to imepenim and ciprofloxacin. Plasmid analysis of six multidrug resistant and two susceptible bacterial isolates revealed the same plasmid pattern. This indicated that R-factor is not responsible for the resistance phenomenon among the isolated opportunistic bacteria. The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the isolated bacteria was studied