Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms Research Articles

AgO Nanowires: Synthesis, Characterization and Bioactivity

This study is focused on Nanostructured AgO due to its novel properties. Here AgO-NWs manufactured bylow-cost, fast green synthesis using curcumin extract. AgO-NWs structures were characterized by FESEMfield emission electron microscope scanning. Uniform distribution can be seen for the AgO -NWs. TheAgO -NWs thin film exhibits a promising giant third-order nonlinearity and ultrafast character. It behavesas a tunable refraction and absorption character the exciting energy is varied in the range of 80–120 mJ.Silver is a wide-spectrum natural antimicrobial agent that applies to patented wound dressings with broadapplications. Today, AgO -NWs have attracted attention in Biophotonic Sensor. Here, AgO-NWs used to asantimicrobial agent against common infecting pathogenic microbes E-coli. The results demonstrated that theAgO-NWs against pathogenic bacterial organisms, they have possible antimicrobial activity and could beregarded as an alternative antibacterial agent.

A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF FECAL BACTERIAL ENTERIC PATHOGEN CULTURES IN MAMMALS WITHIN A ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION AND THE USE OF FECAL CYTOLOGY FOR OPTIMIZATION OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTING.

To determine the diagnostic value of fecal bacterial enteric pathogen cultures (FBEPC) as part of routine preventive medicine protocols in terrestrial mammals housed in a zoological collection, this study investigated the clinical utility of FBEPC results in context of subsequent clinical actions and how its use was rationalized after adjunct use of fecal cytology as a first-line diagnostic tool. Retrospective results (n = 692) that included a routine FBEPC panel of a commercial diagnostic laboratory, including Aeromonas, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Plesiomonas, Shigella, Yersinia, and Edwardsiella, of 417 mammals were organized into preventive (P; n = 485), diagnostic (D; n = 177), or recheck (R; n = 30) samples; for P and D samples, findings were assigned a "clinical significance factor" of 1 to 5 according to culture results and subsequent clinical actions. A score of 3 or higher indicated positive growth of potentially pathogenic bacterial organisms, of which there were 50 FBEPC (P n = 27, D n = 20, R n = 3). The difference in mean clinical significance factor for P versus D samples was significant. Aeromonas spp. were most frequently isolated (n = 32), followed by Salmonella spp. (n = 8) and Plesiomonas shigelloides (n = 8), then Campylobacter spp. (n = 5). There was no growth of Yersinia enterocolitica, Shigella spp., or Edwardsiella spp. In the absence of clinical evidence of gastrointestinal disease, treatment was initiated in only two cases with isolated Campylobacter spp. Implementation of fecal cytology as an initial step in fecal evaluation resulted in a prompt, substantial reduction in number of ordered FBEPC (mean n = 12/month before and n = 5/month after implementation). The findings in this study suggest that FBEPC for these bacterial species has limited value as a screening tool in preventive medicine protocols for the mammalian orders best represented in this study. The use of fecal cytology led to a more targeted and cost-effective use of FBEPC. Fecal cytology as an initial step in preventative and diagnostic testing protocols is recommended.

Simultaneous photoablative and photodynamic 810-nm diode laser therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment: an in-vitro study.

The use of lasers at different wavelengths has been proposed in combination with conventional non-surgical periodontal treatment in order to improve the clinical outcome of periodontal disease. However, the clinical use of laser photonic energy is still the subject of research and debate because the antibacterial activity of the laser is dependent upon method, laser parameters, quantity of bacteria, species selected and photosensitizers used. We evaluated the in-vitro bactericidal activity of 810 nm diode-laser irradiation in simultaneous photoablative and photodynamic mode against the major pathogenic bacterial organisms associated with periodontal inflammation and disease. We used indocyanine green as photosensitizer and the high-energy density of 161.7 J/cm2 or 215.0 J/cm2 for the photoablative-photodynamic irradiation. The bacteria were drastically affected by the 215.0 J/cm2 irradiation in the presence of indocyanine green. In fact, the number of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia was reduced by 99.9% (P<0.001), while the number of Fusobacterium nucleatum, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Tannerella forsythia and Actinomyces viscosus decremented by 83.3% (P<0.01), 86.8% (P<0.05), 75% (P<0.01) and 78.7% (P<0.001), respectively. P. gingivalis and P. intermedia were the only bacteria that were sensitive to the treatment with indocyanine green dye and 161.7 J/cm2 of laser irradiation (P<0.001). Our preliminary in-vitro data suggest that simultaneous photoablative-photodynamic irradiation could be a promising therapy against a wide range of bacteria involved in periodontal disease. We believe that further additional in-vivo investigation is necessary, to enable a more complete picture of effectiveness within a clinical setting to be established. In addition, the use of a simultaneous photoablative-photodynamic therapy is suggested to reduce treatment time, without compromising the efficacy against the periodontal pathogens.

The Bacteriological Index of Bioslurry and the Fate of Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms during Anaerobic Digestion of Domestic Waste in a Biogas Plant

The Bacteriological Index of Bioslurry and the Fate of Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms during Anaerobic Digestion of Domestic Waste in a Biogas Plant

Green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and its effective applications in Biginelli reaction, BTB photodegradation and antibacterial activity

Metal/metal oxide nanoparticles have gained much attention in the field of organic catalysis and photocatalysis reactions for development of greener methodology. In the present work, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized by a greener route using Cordia sebestena (C. sebestena) flower aqueous extract. The nanoparticles were evaluated for their catalytic efficiency. The green synthesized CuO NPs were characterized using various analytical studies. A UV–Visible spectrum with peak at 267 nm and the peaks in their FT-IR spectrum at 431 and 542 cm−1 showed reduction by the plant metabolites. FESEM-EDX analysis of CuO NPs shows an agglomerated spherical shape with signatures of Cu and O and XRD reveals characteristic crystallinity. TEM and DLS analyses showed particle size between 20 and 35 nm and TEM-SAED pattern ensured crystallinity. A Zeta potential of −26 mV demonstrates moderate stability. The CuO NPs acted as a catalyst in the Biginelli reaction to produce 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones rapidly and at high yield. The NPs also degraded bromothymol blue (BTB) by photocatalysis with hydrogen peroxide. 100% dye removal efficiency was achieved by 3 h exposure of BTB to natural sunlight inferring it as economy, ecofriendly and effective catalyst. This finding illustrates that the NPs could be used in photolysis to remove water pollutants. Moreover, the biological significance of green synthesized CuO NPs was assessed by antibacterial activity against selected pathogenic bacterial organisms.

Non-Chlamydial Bacterial Infection and Progression of Conjunctival Scarring in Trachoma.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess whether non-chlamydial bacterial infection is associated with progression of trachomatous scarring in adults.MethodsThis was a cohort study involving 800 participants in northern Tanzania who underwent clinical examination, photography, and conjunctival swab collection for microbiology over a 24-month period. Samples for microbiology were inoculated onto blood and chocolate agar, and Chlamydia trachomatis was detected by PCR. Progression was determined by comparison of baseline to 24-month photographs.ResultsC. trachomatis was detected in only four participants at baseline. At 24 months, 617 participants (77.1%) were followed up. Of those seen at 24 months, 452 could be reliably assessed. Definite scarring progression (progressors) was seen in 345 (55.9%); there was no progression (nonprogressors) in 107 (17.3%). Using combined baseline and 12-month microbiology results, progressors had significantly higher levels of commensal and pathogenic bacterial organisms detected compared with nonprogressors. After adjusting for age, baseline scarring, and ethnicity, there was weak evidence (P = 0.07) that the bacteria category was associated with scarring progression (commensal organisms only: odds ratio [OR] = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 2.89; pathogenic organisms either with or without commensal: OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.10 to 5.16).ConclusionThe findings were consistent with the possibility that trachomatous scarring in adults is associated with the presence of non-chlamydial bacterial organisms, particularly pathogenic organisms. C. trachomatis was detected very infrequently and may not be an important factor in the pathogenesis of scarring progression in adults. This has implications for trachoma control programs, which largely concentrate on reducing C. trachomatis levels and transmission.

Shifting the Paradigm for Promoting Appropriate Antibiotic Use

Shifting the Paradigm for Promoting Appropriate Antibiotic Use

In vitrocallus induction and comparative antimicrobial activity of wild plant and callus of a medicinal plantMukia maderaspatana(L.) Cogn.

The study was carried to promote the synthesis of callus production from different explants such as leaf, node and internode from a traditional medicinal plant, Mukia maderaspatana (L.) Cogn. on MS medium supplemented with different combinations of hormone concentrations such as 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4 D), Benzyl aminopurine (BAP), 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L). Organogenic callus obtained from leaf explants were used for further study. Different solvent extracts obtained from wild aerial parts along with methanolic callus extract were treated against nine human pathogenic bacterial organisms, such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Serratia marcescens and Vibrio cholerae. Among the extracts used, crude methanolic extract showed maximum inhibition at 100 μg/mL, moderate and minimum activity in 75 and 50 μg/mL concentrations. Standard antibiotic (Tetracycline) was used as positive control and compared with that of the extracts used.

Comparative Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamic Modeling on Three Brands of 10% Enrofloxacin Oral Formulations in Broiler Chickens

A comparative plasma pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamic modeling of enrofloxacin following administration of three brands of 10% enrofloxacin was studied in healthy broiler chickens using a randomized and parallel design. Pre-treatment and post-treatment samples were obtained from brachial or right jugular veins after having administered 20 mg/kg b.w of enrofloxacin at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h. Plasma samples were analyzed for enrofloxacin concentration by a simple agar disk diffusion microbiological assay. Selected pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated using a non-compartmental model. There was a significant difference in the plasma concentration-time and pharmacokinetics profiles (p<0.05) of the three brands. But the plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin exceeded the MIC for most 90 pathogenicbacterial organisms in poultry in all the groups. The PK/PD integration (C /MIC ) values, 16.67, max 90 15.17 and 10.5 h were obtained in animals administered conflox -vet, kenflox and pulmotryl formulations ® ® ® respectively. This correlates with high efficacy and reduced chances for the development of resistant pathogenic bacterial organisms following oral administration of these brands of enrofloxacin oral formulations in broiler chickens.

Focus on 14 sewage treatment plants in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa in order to gauge the efficiency of wastewater treatment

In order to identify the treatment methods used in different sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the Mpumalanga Province and to determine the efficiency of wastewater treatment by these plants, municipal STPs were surveyed, and raw and treated wastewater samples collected. A total of 14 STPs were visited and the collected samples were analysed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters using standard methods. The treatment methods identified included ponds, activated sludge and trickling filters. The reduction of turbidity by the plants varied between 6.2 and 99.6% while conductivity, pH and temperature varied slightly between the influent and the effluent wastewater. Thirteen (92.8%) of the plants used chlorine for disinfection of the final effluent, however only 2 (14.2%) of the plants managed to produce effluent with 0 (zero) faecal coliforms per 100 mâ„“. Common pathogenic bacteria isolated from the final effluent included Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp. and Enterococcus spp. The final effluent was used for irrigation and recycling purposes in 4 plants, all the other treatment plants discharged the effluent into the river or to the environment. The present study indicated that there is a move toward the renovation of wastewater treatment by the municipalities in the Mpumalanga Province with the adoption of biological treatment. All the STPs reduced the turbidity of wastewater as well as the different microbial indicators counts; however, several pathogenic bacterial organisms could still be detected in the final effluent. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of the treatment procedures on nutrient reduction and elimination of other viral and parasitic pathogens by the sewage treatment plants. Key words: Public health, diarrhoea, environment, microbial indicators, bacteria, sanitation, sewage treatment plants, water contamination, wastewater

Focus on 14 sewage treatment plants in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa in order to gauge the efficiency of wastewater treatment

In order to identify the treatment methods used in different sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the Mpumalanga Province and to determine the efficiency of wastewater treatment by these plants, municipal STPs were surveyed, and raw and treated wastewater samples collected. A total of 14 STPs were visited and the collected samples were analysed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters using standard methods. The treatment methods identified included ponds, activated sludge and trickling filters. The reduction of turbidity by the plants varied between 6.2 and 99.6% while conductivity, pH and temperature varied slightly between the influent and the effluent wastewater. Thirteen (92.8%) of the plants used chlorine for disinfection of the final effluent, however only 2 (14.2%) of the plants managed to produce effluent with 0 (zero) faecal coliforms per 100 m
. Common pathogenic bacteria isolated from the final effluent included Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp. and Enterococcus spp. The final effluent was used for irrigation and recycling purposes in 4 plants, all the other treatment plants discharged the effluent into the river or to the environment. The present study indicated that there is a move toward the renovation of wastewater treatment by the municipalities in the Mpumalanga Province with the adoption of biological treatment. All the STPs reduced the turbidity of wastewater as well as the different microbial indicators counts; however, several pathogenic bacterial organisms could still be detected in the final effluent. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of the treatment procedures on nutrient reduction and elimination of other viral and parasitic pathogens by the sewage treatment plants.

Transmission of Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms in the Anesthesia Work Area

Transmission of Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms in the Anesthesia Work Area

Transmission of Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms in the Anesthesia Work Area

The current prevalence of hospital-acquired infections and evolving amplification of bacterial resistance are major public health concerns. A heightened awareness of intraoperative transmission of potentially pathogenic bacterial organisms may lead to implementation of effective preventative measures. Sixty-one operative suites were randomly selected for analysis. Sterile intravenous stopcock sets and two sites on the anesthesia machine were decontaminated and cultured aseptically at baseline and at case completion. The primary outcome was the presence of a positive culture on the previously sterile patient stopcock set. Secondary outcomes were the number of colonies per surface area sampled on the anesthesia machine, species identification, and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated organisms. Bacterial contamination of the anesthesia work area increased significantly at the case conclusion, with a mean difference of 115 colonies per surface area sampled (95% confidence interval [CI], 62-169; P < 0.001). Transmission of bacterial organisms, including vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, to intravenous stopcock sets occurred in 32% (95% CI, 20.6-44.9%) of cases. Highly contaminated work areas increased the odds of stopcock contamination by 4.7 (95% CI, 1.42-15.42; P = 0.011). Contaminated intravenous tubing was associated with a trend toward increased nosocomial infection rates (odds ratio, 3.08; 95% CI, 0.56-17.5; P = 0.11) and with an increase in mortality (95% CI odds ratio, 1.11-infinity; P = 0.0395). Potentially pathogenic, multidrug-resistant bacterial organisms are transmitted during the practice of general anesthesia to both the anesthesia work area and intravenous stopcock sets. Implementation of infection control measures in this area may help to reduce both the evolving problem of increasing bacterial resistance and the development of life-threatening infectious complications.

This Month in Anesthesiology

The 2007 Rovenstine Lecture presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.Dexmedetomidine did not affect the latency or amplitude of sensory evoked potentials.A potential link between a new variant and susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia is investigated.Literature on pain relief from radiofrequency currents to dorsal root ganglia is reviewed.This study investigated if polymorphisms at position 118 of the human μ-opioid receptor gene contribute to the variability in response to morphine for postcesarean analgesia. Five hundred eighty-eight women received 0.1 mg intrathecal morphine for postcesarean analgesia. They were genotyped for the A118G polymorphism—either A118 homozygous (AA), heterozygous (AG), or homozygous for the G allele (GG). The 24-h self-administered intravenous morphine consumption was lowest in AA group (5.9 mg) versus AG group (8.0 mg) and GG group (9.4 mg). Pain scores were lowest in AA group and highest in the GG group. The AA group was associated with the highest incidence of nausea.Incomplete recovery from neuromuscular blockade in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) may contribute to adverse postoperative respiratory events. This study determined the incidence and degree of residual neuromuscular blockade and adverse respiratory events in patients randomized to conventional qualitative train-of-four (TOF) monitoring or quantitative acceleromyographic monitoring. One hundred eighty-five patients were studied. Anesthetic management was standardized. A lower frequency of residual neuromuscular blockade in the PACU (TOF ratio ≤0.9) was observed in the acceleromyography group (4%) compared with the conventional TOF group (30%). The risk of adverse respiratory events during early recovery from anesthesia was also reduced by intraoperative acceleromyography use. See the accompanying Editorial View on page 363 Hospital-acquired infections and increasing prevalence of bacterial resistance are major public health concerns. A heightened awareness of intraoperative transmission of potentially pathogenic bacterial organisms may lead to effective preventative measures. Sixty-one operative suites were randomly selected for analyses. The primary outcome was the presence of a positive culture on a previously sterile patient stopcock set. Secondary outcomes were the number of colonies per surface area sampled on the anesthesia machine, species identification, and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated organisms. Transmission of bacterial organisms to intravenous stopcock sets occurred in 32% of cases. Highly contaminated work areas increased the odds of stopcock contamination by 4.7.Rigaud et al. examined whether lower intensity stimulation results in injection closer to the sciatic nerve than higher threshold stimulation in both normal and hyperglycemic dogs. During anesthesia, the sciatic nerve was approached with an insulated nerve block needle emitting either 1 mA (high-current group) or 0.5 mA (low-current group). After optimizing the positioning, the lowest current producing a response was identified, and ink (0.5 ml) was injected. Frozen sections of the tissue were evaluated. In normal dogs, the patterns of distribution using high-threshold (final current 0.99 mA) and low-threshold (final current 0.33 mA) stimulation showed ink that was in contact with the epineurium or distant to it. One location was intraneural. In hyperglycemic dogs, all needle insertions used a low-threshold technique (final threshold 0.35 mA) and all resulted in intraneural injections. Low-threshold electrical stimulation does not offer satisfactory protection against intraneural injection in the presence of hyperglycemia. See the accompanying Editorial View on page 361

Seminal immune response in infertile men with leukocytospermia: effect on antioxidant activity

Objective: To investigate the incidence of leukocytospermia and relation to T helper cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), antisperm antibodies and antioxidant activity. Design: Semen samples from 176 infertile men and 24 fertile controls were investigated. Methodology: The protocol included tubal patency test, hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy and dye test and ovulation through mid-luteal phase progesterone for the wives. The husbands had semen analysis, cytomorphology evaluation and semen culture. Seminal TNFα and IL-4, antisperm antibodies, total antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase and zinc were determined. Results: Leukocytospermia occurred in 44.3% of the infertile men compared to 12.5% of the fertile men (P<0.01). Thirty-six (20.5%) men had pathogenic bacterial organisms which constituted 46.2% of those with leukocytospermia. Sperm parameters were worse with leukocytospermia in terms of sperm count (P<0.01), total motility progressive motility (P<0.01), morphology, asthenozoospermia, sperm membrane integrity and antisperm antibodies. TNFα and IL-4 had an inverse relationship; the expression of TNFα was higher with leukocytospermia and bacteriospermia (P<0.001), while IL-4 was higher in fertile controls (P<0.005). Incidence of antisperm antibodies was higher with leukocytospermia. Total antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase and zinc were lower with leukocytospermia. Conclusion: Leukocytospermia impairs sperm function through reduced antioxidant activity and enhanced T helper 1 modulation.

Spontaneous ischemic colitis.

Eighteen cases of spontaneous ischemic colitis are reviewed. The diagnosis was established according to the following criteria: 1) clinical background, 2) clinical characteristics, 3) morphologic characteristics, and 4) clinical and morphologic course. The last three constituted the diagnostic criteria. The cases were divided into mild-to-moderate, moderate-to-severe, and gangrenous categories. Although data on clinical background did not establish the diagnosis of spontaneous ischemic colitis, they were essential in strict diagnosis. Patients who had histories of Crohn's disease, chronic ulcerative colitis, and recent antibiotic administration were excluded from consideration. Appropriate stool examinations obtained in all of the mild-to-moderate and all except two of the moderate-to-severe cases excluded colitis due to pathogenic bacterial organisms or parasites. Spontaneous ischemic colitis generally occurs in older individuals; the average age in our patients was 60 years. Twelve of the 18 patients had at least some evidence of major cardiovascular disease.