Oxidative stress generated at nickel oxide nanoparticle interface results in bacterial membrane damage leading to cell death

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have shown enhanced antibacterial effects against many bacteria. Thus, understanding the potential antibacterial effects of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria is an urgent need to enable the exploration of NiO NP use in biomedical sciences. To this end, NiO NPs were synthesized by microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis method. The synthesized NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transfer Infrared (FT-IR) and UV-visible spectroscopy. The morphological features of the synthesized NiO NPs were analysed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and FE-SEM analysis. The antibacterial activity of NiO NP was explored using different antimicrobial and biophysical studies. The obtained data reveals that the NiO NP has stronger antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria compared to Gram-negative bacteria. The mechanism behind the antibacterial activity of the NiO NP was explored by evaluating the amount of ROS generation at the NiO NP interface. The effect of ROS generation on the bacterial membrane was evaluated by BacLight assay and morphological analysis of the bacterial membrane using FE-SEM. The data altogether suggested that the oxidative stress generated at the NiO NP interface resulted in membrane damage leading to bacterial cell death.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have shown enhanced antibacterial effects against many bacteria.     

Primary Malignant Melanoma of Maxillary Gingiva

Malignant melanoma of maxillary gingiva is a rare clinical entity. Mucosal melanoma is more aggressive than cutaneous form and carries comparatively poorer prognosis. High index of suspicion is required for diagnosing malignant melanoma of oral cavity. Any pigmented lesion in the oral cavity should be taken seriously by the clinician.     

Ultrasound biomicroscopic characteristics of the anterior segment in primary congenital glaucoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively ultrasound biomicroscopic (UBM) features of the anterior segment in eyes with primary congenital glaucoma. METHODS: UBM of 45 eyes of patients with primary congenital glaucoma (39 previously operated and 6 unoperated eyes) and 28 control eyes were included in this study. UBM parameters were correlated with ocular biometry. Iris thickness, ciliary body thickness, ciliary body-lens distance, posterior chamber depth, and anterior chamber angle were measured and compared with control eyes. Other features of the anterior segment were qualitatively evaluated. RESULTS: A thin, stretched-out ciliary body and abnormal tissue at the iridocorneal angle were features seen in 90% of UBM scans. Iris thickness and stretched zonules correlated with the axial length (r = -0.6 and 0.58, respectively; p = 0.04) but not with the mean corneal diameter. Abnormal insertion of the ciliary body to the posterior surface of the iris was noted in eight eyes (17%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study documents characteristic anterior segment dysplasia and ciliary body anomalies in patients with primary congenital glaucoma.     

Adverse drug event detection in a community hospital utilising computerised medication and laboratory data.

OBJECTIVE: Computerised monitors can detect and, with clinical intervention, often prevent or ameliorate adverse drug events (ADEs). We evaluated whether a computer-based alerting system was useful in a community hospital setting. METHODS: We evaluated 6 months of retrospectively collected medication and laboratory data from a 140-bed community hospital, and applied the rules from a computerised knowledge base to determine if the resulting alerts might have allowed a clinician to prevent or lessen harm related to medication toxicity. We randomly selected 11% (n = 58, of which 56 were available) of charts deemed to be high- or critical-priority alerts, based on the likelihood of the alerts being associated with injury, to determine the frequencies of ADEs and preventable ADEs. RESULTS: In 6 months, there were 8829 activations of the rule set, generating a total of 3547 alerts. Of these, 528 were of high or critical priority, 664 were of medium priority and 2355 were of low priority. Chart review among the sample (56 charts) of high- or critical-priority alerts found five non-preventable and two preventable ADEs, suggesting that among the total high- or critical-priority alerts alone, there would be approximately 94 non-preventable ADEs and 37 preventable ADEs annually in this hospital that could be detected using this method. CONCLUSIONS: Computer-based rules engines have the potential to identify and, with clinical intervention, mitigate preventable ADEs, and implementation is feasible in community hospitals without an advanced information technology application.     

Variation in content of taxol and related taxanes in Eastern Himalayan populations of Taxus wallichiana

Extraction and analysis of paclitaxel and other taxanes in bark, needle leaves and stem segments of male and female plants of Taxus wallichiana, representing several populations, indicate that significant variation in taxane content exists within the population. Bark accumulated maximum amount of paclitaxel in almost all plants. Populations located at higher altitude tended to accumulate more paclitaxel than lower altitude plants. Seasons in which samples were collected and plant age have also been shown to affect paclitaxel accumulation. No effects of plant sex on paclitaxel content of the plants analyzed were observed. Significant differences in baccatin-III and 10-deacetylbaccatin III content were found to exist in the trees analyzed in this study.     

Development of transferable skills during short special study modules: students' self-appraisal

Special study modules (SSMs) were introduced into the Leeds undergraduate medical curriculum following recommendations by the General Medical Council (GMC). The main rationale behind such project work is to enable students to develop the skills and attitudes necessary for future self-directed learning along with the knowledge required to practise as competent doctors. At the University of Leeds, the students complete SSM monitoring forms for each SSM in the fourth year, aimed at allowing students to self-evaluate the SSMs. In addition, it provides useful feedback from the students on the themes of the projects as well as on the transferable skills developed by the students during their individual SSMs. The aim of the study was to identify the themes pursued in each project, look at the transferable skills developed and evaluate the differences or similarities between the type of project pursued and the themes and skills identified in the different specialities. A total of 181 monitoring forms of fourth-year students were analysed for the themes and the transferable skills identified. There were 55 students each in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics and 50 students each in Psychiatry and General Practice/Public Health. The results from the four specialities were compared for themes and skills identified. Overall, health and prevention was the commonest theme identified followed by communication skills (64.4% and 62.7% respectively). All transferable skills were well represented in the different specialities with information gathering and learning/organizational skills identified by most students as the major component. The feedback from the students is positive in terms of a wide range of transferable skills developed and most of the themes identified by the GMC are being pursued.