Biocidal activity of Ba2+-doped CeO2 NPs against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains

Mishandling of antibiotics often leads to the development of multiple drug resistance (MDR) among microbes, resulting in the failure of infection treatments and putting human health at great risk. As a response, unique nanomaterials with superior bioactivity must be developed to combat bacterial infections. Herein, CeO₂-based nanomaterials (NMs) were synthesized by employing cerium(iii) nitrate and selective alkaline ions. Moreover, the influence of alkaline ions on CeO₂ was investigated, and their characteristics, viz.: biochemical, structural, and optical properties, were altered. The size of nano Ba-doped CeO₂ (BCO) was ∼2.3 nm, relatively smaller than other NMs and the antibacterial potential of CeO₂, Mg-doped CeO₂ (MCO), Ca-doped CeO₂ (CCO), Sr-doped CeO₂ (SCO), and Ba-doped CeO₂ (BCO) NMs against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains was assessed. BCO outperformed all NMs in terms of antibacterial efficacy. In addition, achieving the enhanced bioactivity of BCO due to reduced particle size facilitated the easy penetration into the bacterial membrane and the presence of a sizeable interfacial surface. In this study, the minimum quantity of BCO required to achieve the complete inhibition of bacteria was determined to be 1000 μg mL⁻¹ and 1500 μg mL⁻¹ for S. mutans and S. aureus, respectively. The cytotoxicity test with L929 fibroblast cells demonstrated that BCO was less toxic to healthy cells. Furthermore, BCO did not show any toxicity and cell morphological changes in the L929 fibroblast cells, which is similar to the control cell morphology. Overall, the results suggest that nano BCO can be used in biomedical applications, which can potentially help improve human health conditions.

The highest antibacterial activity was achieved for Ba-doped CeO₂ (BCO) NMs and is suitable for healthcare applications.     

A novel treatment for plantar ulcers in leprosy: local superficial flaps

Plantar ulceration is the most common serious disability occurring in patients of leprosy. Growth and emergence of innovative procedures in plastic surgery has greatly revolutionized the treatment of this highly frustrating problem. In the present study, a total of 40 leprosy patients were included. These ulcers were managed using different types of local superficial flaps (advancement, rotation, transposition and first toe web flap). Majority of ulcers healed within 4 weeks and patients were discharged within 6-8 weeks postoperatively. Patients were followed up for a period of 6 months to 3 years. Ulcers recurred in only 25% of all the ulcers operated upon and we observed that management of plantar ulcers by using appropriate local superficial plantar flaps is a viable option and worth trying in view of low incidence of recurrence and relatively shorter duration of hospital stay.     

Bactericidal activity of different types of honey against clinical and environmental isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

OBJECTIVES: Honey has had a valued place in traditional medicine for centuries. Renewed interest in honey for various therapeutic purposes, including treatment of infected wounds, has led to the search for different types of honey with antibacterial activity. In this study, we have assessed the antibacterial activity of different types of honey (manuka honey from Australia, heather honey from the United Kingdom, and locally marketed Indian honey). METHODS: The agar dilution method was used to assess the antibacterial activity of honey against 152 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The locally available (khadikraft) honey produced the best activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and was found to be better than all of the imported varieties of therapeutic honey.     

A bioinformatics search for selective histamine h4 receptor antagonists through structure-based virtual screening strategies

The prevalence of allergic disease is increasing dramatically in the developed world. Studies of allergic diseases have clearly demonstrated that histamine plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the early-phase allergic response. Histamine effects are mediated by H1, H2, H3, and H4 receptors. The presence of the histamine H4 receptors on leukocytes and mast cells suggests that the new histamine receptor H4 plays an important role in the modulation of the immune system. Thus, histamine H4 receptor is an attractive target for anti-allergic therapy. In our present study, we have generated a histamine H4 receptor model using I-TASSER based on human B2-adrenergic G-protein-coupled receptor. Structurally similar compounds of the three known antagonists JNJ777120, thioperamide, and Vuf6002 were retrieved from PubChem, and database was prepared. Virtual screening of those databases was performed, and six compounds with high docking score were identified. Also the binding mode revealed that all the six compounds had interaction with Asp94 of the receptor. Our results serve as a starting point in the development of novel lead compounds in anti-allergic therapy.     

Isolation, distribution and prevalence of various species of enterococci isolated from clinical specimens in a tertiary care hospital

Various clinical specimens were processed to find the prevalence rate of enterococci and to identify the species of clinical isolates of enterococci. Screening of various clinical specimens revealed that enterococci were prevalent in 2% of the total specimens, with urine and wound to be the major site of isolation. Conventional test scheme proposed by Facklam and Collins and commercially available systems Rapid ID 32 Strep (biomereiux) were successfully used to speciate enterococcal strains. Five species of enterococci were identified in the study from a set of 396 cultures, with E. faecalis (79.79%), and E. faecium (11.11%) predominating. E. hirae (3.03%), E. gallinarum (3.03%), and E. casseliflavus (3.03%), were the other members of Enterococcus species identified.     

Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Midwestern Community-Based Residents: Indicators Of Success

Screening reduces the rate of death and morbidity resulting from CRC. Although CRC screening rates are low relative to other cancer screening tests, rates appear to be increasing: In 2004, 57% of adults ≥ 50 years reported up-to-date CRC screening test use; 14 states and Washington DC showed rates in excess of 60%. Identification of indicators of success and challenges remaining are important for universal goal achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify system and individual-level indicators of up-to-date CRC screening in a geographic area that reports higher uptake rates. Random-digit-dialing methods were used to survey a population-based community sample (N = 1033) of Midwestern adults ages 50 to 79 for CRC screening uptake in spring 2005. Adjusted odds ratio estimates were obtained using multivariate logistic regression. In total, about 62.6% of the sample reported up-to-date CRC screening. Compliant attitudes toward physicians’ screening recommendations were important indicators for up-to-date CRC screening; other individual-level psychosocial factors included beliefs about testing responsibility and testing safety. Non-current CRC screening was linked with testing anxiety and lack of perceived need for healthy people to test. System-level indicators associated with up-to-date CRC screening included reliance on physicians as the primary source for health information, family/personal history of bowel disease, regular physician visits, and participation in other cancer screening tests, controlling for age. Although population-based studies generally emphasize health system-level factors, individual-level attitudes such as feelings of responsibility to screen and adherence to physicians’ screening recommendations are important contributors to up-to-date CRC screening patterns.