A preliminary study of in vitro and in vivo synergistic effects of ciprofloxacin and D-tyrosine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates

Purpose: To investigate the synergistic antimicrobial effects of ciprofloxacin and D-tyrosine against drug-resistant bacteria.Method: The antimicrobial effects of ciprofloxacin and D-tyrosine on clinical isolates of multidrugresistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) no. 3556 were determined in vitro based on time-kill curve, and in vivo in P. aeruginosa-zebrafish infection model. Furthermore, 30 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa were used in vitro to ascertain the synergistic effect of the two agents.Results: Combined use of ciprofloxacin and D-tyrosine produced synergistic effects against the clinical isolate of P. aeruginosa no. 3556 in vitro and in vivo. Synergism occurred in 96.67 % (95 % CI, range 83.33 - 99.41 %) of the clinical isolates, and ciprofloxacin dose was reduced in 90 % (95 % CI, range 74.38 - 96.54 %) of the clinical isolates in vitro.Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that the combination of ciprofloxacin and D-tyrosine is a promising therapeutic strategy against MDR P. aeruginosa infections. Keywords: Ciprofloxacin, D-tyrosine, Synergistic, P. aeruginosa, Zebrafish infection model, Time-killing curv

Severe retinal hemorrhages at various levels with a serous retinal detachment in a pediatric patient with aplastic anemia–A case report

BackgroundAplastic anemia can cause ophthalmic abnormalities in patients. Vision loss in a child with aplastic anemia due to massive retinal hemorrhages at various levels is rare.Case presentationA pediatric patient with aplastic anemia presented with retinal hemorrhages at multiple levels along with a serous retinal detachment in both eyes and subsequent retinal changes after pars plana vitrectomy.ConclusionAnemia and thrombocytopenia in aplastic anemia could cause severe retinal hemorrhages and result in retinal atrophy and retinal edema. Vitrectomy can be performed to remove vitreous hemorrhage, but risk factors for retinal atrophy and edema need further investigation

Evaluation of Suitable Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Various Tissues of <i>Apocynum venetum</i>

Apocynum venetum L. is an economically valuable plant with tolerance to drought and salinity. Its leaves are utilized in tea production and pharmaceuticals, while the stem bark serves as a high-quality fiber material. To gain insights into the gene expression patterns of A. venetum using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), it is crucial to identify appropriate reference genes. This study selected nine candidate genes, including α-tubulin (TUA), β-tubulin (TUB), actin (ACT), cyclophilin (CYP), elongation factor-1α (EF-1α), the B family of regulatory subunits of protein phosphatase (PPP2R2, PPP2R3, and PPP2R5), and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), to determine the most appropriate reference genes in the leaf, stem, and root tissues of A. venetum. A comprehensive ranking by geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder software and Venn diagrams was used to screen more stable reference genes in different tissues. The two most stable reference genes were CYP and TUA in leaves, PGK and PPP2R3 in stems, and TUA and EF-1α in roots, respectively. The relative expression values of the four genes involved in proline metabolism under polyethylene glycol treatment were used to validate the screened reference genes, and they exhibited highly stable expression levels. These findings represent the first set of stable reference genes for future gene expression studies in A. venetum. They significantly contribute to enhancing the accuracy and reliability of gene expression analyses in this economically important plant species

Linking employee boundary spanning behavior to task performance: The influence of informal leader emergence and group power distance

Driven by fierce global competition, flatter organizational structures and the growing complexity of tasks, boundary spanning behavior (BSB) in externally dependent work teams has increasingly been emphasized in both theory and practice. The current study aims to answer the questions of whether, when and how an individual’s BSB impacts his or her task performance within a team. Based on a sample of 272 employees from 57 new product development teams in China, we found that informal leader emergence mediated the relationship between an individual’s BSB and his or her performance within a team. Moreover, group-level power distance positively moderated the association between BSB and informal leader emergence. An overall mediated moderation model of the effect of the interaction between BSB and group power distance (PD) on task performance via informal leadership emergence was also confirmed. In particular, the relationship between BSB and task performance via informal leadership emergence was stronger for teams with less PD than for those with more PD. The implications of the research are discussed

A Comprehensive Review on Upconversion Nanomaterials-Based Fluorescent Sensor for Environment, Biology, Food and Medicine Applications

Near-infrared-excited upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have multicolor emissions, a low auto-fluorescence background, a high chemical stability, and a long fluorescence lifetime. The fluorescent probes based on UCNPs have achieved great success in the analysis of different samples. Here, we presented the research results of UCNPs probes utilized in analytical applications including environment, biology, food and medicine in the last five years; we also introduced the design and construction of upconversion optical sensing platforms. Future trends and challenges of the UCNPs used in the analytical field have also been discussed with particular emphasis

Effect of edge passivation on electronic and transport properties of carbon nanotube-based molecular devices

The electronic and transport properties of the molecular devices of finite-sized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied by combining the density-functional theory and Green's function method. Different edge-passivated types are considered for the edge carbon atoms at the two open ends. It is shown that the electronic and transport properties of the finite-size CNTs are sensitive to the passivation types of edge atoms. An asymmetry passivation method which can tune the spin density of states of CNTs has been proposed. The electron transmission can be manipulated by modifying the CNTs, such as edge passivation types and concentrations