Effect of L. plantarum cell-free extract and co-trimoxazole against Salmonella Typhimurium: a possible adjunct therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Frequent and indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the development of multi-drug resistant bacterial strains. It necessitates the exploitation of alternative therapeutic strategies. In order to reduce the dose of antibiotic required and to decrease the associated side effects, the present study was aimed at evaluating the synergism, if any, between a conventional antibiotic, co-trimoxazole (CTZ)) and cell free supernatant (CFS) of a probiotic (<it>L. plantarum) </it>against <it>S. </it>Typhimurium NCTC 74. This antimicrobial combination was selected on the basis of antibiotic susceptibility pattern of <it>Salmonella </it>and <it>L. plantarum</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The synergy was evaluated in terms of size of zone of inhibition, fractional inhibitory concentration index, time-kill assay (<it>in-vitro) </it>as well as macrophage functions (<it>ex-vivo</it>).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The concentration producing the same or higher antibacterial effect (size of zone of inhibition) was reduced to half when both the agents were used in combination with respect to the concentrations required when used separately. CTZ and CFS exhibited synergetic activity against <it>Salmonella </it>by checkerboard microtitre test and the time-kill test. <it>Ex-vivo </it>studies demonstrated a significantly higher intracellular killing of bacteria by macrophages treated with CFS (80 AU/ml) + (CTZ) (2 μg/ml) as compared to when treated with both separately at higher concentrations. Significant reduction in the extent of lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels generated by macrophages in presence of CFS and CTZ, in conjunction, further substantiated the synergistic efficacy of the combination.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The antimicrobial efficacy of this combination indicates that it may serve as the basis in developing alternative strategies to combat <it>Salmonella </it>infections.</p

A survey on scheduling and mapping techniques in 3D Network-on-chip

Network-on-Chips (NoCs) have been widely employed in the design of multiprocessor system-on-chips (MPSoCs) as a scalable communication solution. NoCs enable communications between on-chip Intellectual Property (IP) cores and allow those cores to achieve higher performance by outsourcing their communication tasks. Mapping and Scheduling methodologies are key elements in assigning application tasks, allocating the tasks to the IPs, and organising communication among them to achieve some specified objectives. The goal of this paper is to present a detailed state-of-the-art of research in the field of mapping and scheduling of applications on 3D NoC, classifying the works based on several dimensions and giving some potential research directions

Modern times, modern laws: A study regarding the Philippine regulation on same-sex marriages in compliance with international treaties to which the state is a signatory

Amidst the intensifying pressure for the acceptance and recognition of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and queers (LGBTQ) in the conservative Philippine society, the issue as to their right to marry-whether or not to allow same-sex marriages in the country-comes into view. Under the Philippine laws, as expressly provided by the Family Code, for a marriage to be considered valid, one requisite is that it has to be between a man and a woman. Also, marriage is for the establishment of conjugal and family life. Through common knowledge, it can already be inferred that persons of the same sex may portray family roles of the other gender, but never will they be able to found a family the natural way. It is only by adoption that they can form their family. As time passed by, the issue on homosexuality has reached the surface and became more apparent. Despite the separation of Church and the State, the Church still has a very influential power over the majority. And with this, many people believe that only couples of the opposite sex should be allowed to celebrate the sacrament of marriage. The rejection to recognize homosexuality gave rise to an increasing number of problems. Because of this rejection, many homosexuals are deprived of their rights. All humans are equally entitled to exercise their rights without any form of discrimination. These rights are protected by international laws and treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The Philippines, as a state-party to these covenants, is expected to comply with the agreement and to uphold its principles

Karyotypic findings in chronic myeloid leukemia cases undergoing treatment

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative expansion of primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. Materials and Methods: In the present study, CML samples were collected from various hospitals in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Results: Chromosomal alterations seen in peripheral blood lymphocytes of these treated and untreated cases of CML were satellite associations, double minutes, random loss, gain of C group chromosomes and presence of marker chromosome. No aberrations were observed in control samples. Karyotypic abnormalities have also been noted in the Ph-negative cells of some patients in disease remission. Conclusion: This is a novel phenomenon whose prognostic implications require thorough and systematic evaluation

Karyotypic findings in chronic myeloid leukemia cases undergoing treatment

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative expansion of primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. Materials and Methods: In the present study, CML samples were collected from various hospitals in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Results: Chromosomal alterations seen in peripheral blood lymphocytes of these treated and untreated cases of CML were satellite associations, double minutes, random loss, gain of C group chromosomes and presence of marker chromosome. No aberrations were observed in control samples. Karyotypic abnormalities have also been noted in the Ph-negative cells of some patients in disease remission. Conclusion: This is a novel phenomenon whose prognostic implications require thorough and systematic evaluation

L’impact des subventions locales pour l’éducation des professions de la santé : l’investissement en vaut-il la peine?

Background: Local grants programs are important since funding for medical education research is limited. Understanding which factors predict successful outcomes is highly relevant to administrators. The purpose of this project was to identify factors that contribute to the publication of local medical education grants in a Canadian context. Methods: Surveys were distributed to previous Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) and Department of Medicine (DOM) grant recipients (n = 115) to gather information pertaining to PI demographics and research outcomes. A backward logistic regression was used to determine the effects several variables on publication success.&nbsp; Results: The overall publication rate was 64/115 (56%). Due to missing data, 91 grants were included in the logistic regression. Variables associated with a higher rate of publication; cross departmental compared to single department OR = 2.82 (p = 0.04), being presented OR = 3.30 (p = 0.01), and multiple grant acquisition OR = 3.85 (p = 0.005)&nbsp; Conclusion: Although preliminary, our data suggest that increasing research publications from local grants may be facilitated by pooling funds across departments, making research presentations mandatory, and allowing successful researchers to re-apply.Objectif&nbsp;: Les programmes de subventions locales sont importants car le financement de la recherche en éducation médicale est limité. Il est très important pour les administrateurs de comprendre quels sont les facteurs de réussite. Le but de ce projet était d’identifier les facteurs qui, dans le contexte canadien, contribuent à la publication d’articles à l’aide de subventions locales pour l’éducation médicale. Méthodes&nbsp;: Un sondage a été réalisé auprès des anciens récipidendaires de subventions du Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) et du Department of Medicine (DOM) (n=115) afin de recueillir des informations relatives à la démographie des chercheurs principaux et aux résultats de la recherche. Une régression logistique descendante a été utilisée pour déterminer les effets de plusieurs variables sur le succès des publications. Résultats&nbsp;: Le taux de publication global était de 64/115 (56&nbsp;%). En raison de données manquantes, 91&nbsp;subventions ont été incluses dans la régression logistique. Variables associées à un taux de publication plus élevé; OR inter-départements comparé à un seul département = 2,82 (p = 0,04), soumis OR = 3,30 (p = 0,01) et OR l’’obtention de plusieurs subventions = 3,85 (p = 0,005). Conclusion&nbsp;: Bien que préliminaires, nos données suggèrent que la publication de recherches à l’aide de subventions locales pourrait être facilitée en regroupant les fonds des divers départements, en rendant la présentation de recherches obligatoire et en permettant aux chercheurs dont l’article a été retenu de faire une nouvelle soumission

The impact of local health professions education grants: is it worth the investment?

Background: Local grants programs are important since funding for medical education research is limited. Understanding which factors predict successful outcomes is highly relevant to administrators. The purpose of this project was to identify factors that contribute to the publication of local medical education grants in a Canadian context.Methods: Surveys were distributed to previous Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) and Department of Medicine (DOM) grant recipients (n = 115) to gather information pertaining to PI demographics and research outcomes. A backward logistic regression was used to determine the effects several variables on publication success. Results: The overall publication rate was 64/115 (56%). Due to missing data, 91 grants were included in the logistic regression. Variables associated with a higher rate of publication; cross departmental compared to single department OR = 2.82 (p = 0.04), being presented OR = 3.30 (p = 0.01), and multiple grant acquisition OR = 3.85 (p = 0.005) Conclusion: Although preliminary, our data suggest that increasing research publications from local grants may be facilitated by pooling funds across departments, making research presentations mandatory, and allowing successful researchers to re-apply.Objectif : Les programmes de subventions locales sont importants car le financement de la recherche en éducation médicale est limité. Il est très important pour les administrateurs de comprendre quels sont les facteurs de réussite. Le but de ce projet était d’identifier les facteurs qui, dans le contexte canadien, contribuent à la publication d’articles à l’aide de subventions locales pour l’éducation médicale.Méthodes : Un sondage a été réalisé auprès des anciens récipidendaires de subventions du Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) et du Department of Medicine (DOM) (n=115) afin de recueillir des informations relatives à la démographie des chercheurs principaux et aux résultats de la recherche. Une régression logistique descendante a été utilisée pour déterminer les effets de plusieurs variables sur le succès des publications.Résultats : Le taux de publication global était de 64/115 (56 %). En raison de données manquantes, 91 subventions ont été incluses dans la régression logistique. Variables associées à un taux de publication plus élevé; OR inter-départements comparé à un seul département = 2,82 (p = 0,04), soumis OR = 3,30 (p = 0,01) et OR l’’obtention de plusieurs subventions = 3,85 (p = 0,005).Conclusion : Bien que préliminaires, nos données suggèrent que la publication de recherches à l’aide de subventions locales pourrait être facilitée en regroupant les fonds des divers départements, en rendant la présentation de recherches obligatoire et en permettant aux chercheurs dont l’article a été retenu de faire une nouvelle soumission