The effect of Cissus quadrangularis Salisb. extract on maturation of rat mesenchymal stem cells.

Degenerative diseases, such as osteoporosis, could be treated by stem cells. The aim of this study was to identify the gene expression of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) derived from Sprague Dawley rats and to assess the effect of Cissus quadrangularis Salisb. extract on their maturation into bone cells. The BM-MSC were divided into three groups: (a) BM-MSCs + osteoblast cell growth basal medium as the positive control; (b) BM-MSCs + Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium (DMEM) + 0.3 mg/mL methanol extract of C. quadrangularis as methanol group; and (c) BM-MSC + DMEM + 0.3 mg/mL ethyl acetate extract of C. quadrangularis as ethyl acetate group. A relative quantification approach using was used to analyze the expression of the alp (alkaline phosphatase) gene, with the beta-actin gene was used to normalize the expression of the alp gene. The intra-assay variation was calculated to validate the RT-qPCR data. Our study found that the intra-assay variation value was acceptable, with most of the coefficients of variability (CV) value <5. Ethyl acetate solvent outperformed methanol solvent in extracting the active compound C. quadrangularis. In the ethyl acetate extract group, the expression of the alp gene increased three times compared to the positive control. In methanol extract group, the expression of alp gene was lower six times compared to positive control. This study suggests that C. quadrangularis extracts using ethyl acetate could induce the maturation of BM-MSCs. However, further studies are warrant to confirm this effect using different indicators.

Design of Nanohydroxyapatite/Pectin Composite from Opuntia Ficus-Indica Cladodes for the Management of Microbial Infections.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) attracts interest as a biomaterial for use in bone substitution or allografts. In the current work, biomaterial nanocomposites based on HAp and pectin were synthesized by using the double decomposition method, which involved using pectin extracted from fresh cladodes of the prickly pear, Opuntia ficus-indica. The crystallinity, purity, and several analytical techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy were used to understand the surface's shape. The results revealed that the produced HAp/pectin nanoparticles are pure, spherical, and amorphous. The spectroscopic data indicated a substantial interaction between HAp and pectin, specifically between Ca (II) and pectin hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. The presence of pectin showed a noticeable influence on the prepared nanocomposite texture and porosity. We further assess the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the developed nanocomposite against a number of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, evaluated by the well diffusion method. In the absence of pectin, the XRD analysis revealed that the HAp nanoparticles had 10.93% crystallinity. When the pectin concentration reached 10 wt.%, it was reduced to approximately 7.29%. All synthesized nanocomposites demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria in addition to various fungi (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium funiculosum, and Trichoderma viride). This study endorses the HAp/Pectin nanocomposite as an efficient antimicrobial material for biomedical advanced applications.

Congenital dengue in a Saudi neonate: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness with 100 million new cases occurring worldwide. The vectors involved are mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Dengue infection is associated with maternal as well as fetal morbidities, like stillbirth, preterm birth, and low birth weight. THE CASE: We report a case of dengue fever occurring during early pregnancy and subsequent congenital neurologic malformation in the neonate as a result of vertical transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first case of confirmed congenital dengue in Saudi Arabia. DISCUSSION: Dengue infection is not commonly associated with congenital anomalies and no biologic mechanism has yet been established for its teratogenicity. Congenital dengue in neonates can be confirmed by identification of the dengue virus in cord blood samples. The positive dengue serology within the first week of life, together with the confirmed maternal dengue infection during pregnancy, supports the diagnosis of vertical transmission in the presence of clinical manifestations. A high index of suspicion, early diagnosis, and close monitoring is needed in these cases.

Effect of bioformulations on the biocontrol efficacy, microbial viability and storage stability of a consortium of biocontrol agents against Fusarium wilt of banana.

AIMS: This study sought to investigate the effect of bioformulation on the biocontrol efficacy, microbial viability and storage stability of a consortium of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DRB1 and Trichoderma harzianum CBF2 against Foc Tropical Race 4 (Foc-TR4). MATERIALS AND RESULTS: Four bioformulations consisting of dry (pesta granules, talc powder and alginate beads) and liquid formulations were evaluated for their ability to control Foc-TR4, sustain microbial populations after application and maintain microbial stability during storage. All tested bioformulations reduced disease severity (DS) by more than 43·00% with pesta granules producing the highest reduction in DS by 66·67% and the lowest area under the disease progress curve value (468·75) in a glasshouse trial. Microbial populations of DRB1 and CBF2 were abundant in the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and within the roots of bananas after pesta granules application as compared to talc powder, alginate beads and liquid formulations 84 days after inoculation (DAI). The stability of both microbial populations after 180 days of storage at 4°C was the greatest in the pesta granule formulation. CONCLUSION: The pesta granule formulation was a suitable carrier of biological control agents (BCA) without compromising biocontrol efficacy, microbial population and storage stability as compared to other bioformulations used in this study. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Pesta granules could be utilized to formulate BCA consortia into biofertilizers. This formulation could be further investigated for possible applications under agricultural field settings.

Prospective validation of a new airway management algorithm and predictive features of intubation difficulty.

BACKGROUND: Some patients have features that indicate possible difficulty with direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation. Prediction of the likely outcome and selection of patients for an enhanced management algorithm would reduce the possible harm from failed intubation attempts. METHODS: Adult elective patients were assessed for seven features associated with difficult direct laryngoscopy, ranked in difficulty from 0 to 3. For a patient with at least one Class 3 feature, or two or more features of class 1 or higher, the enhanced management used a channelled videolaryngoscope Airtraq™ instead of a Macintosh laryngoscope. A long flexible angulated stylet and a flexible fibrescope would be used as the second and third steps. For patients with lesser difficulty scores, a Macintosh laryngoscope was used. Outcomes of enhanced management were analysed. Logistic regression and Random Forest algorithm, using the ranks of the predictive features, were used to predict difficulty during enhanced management. RESULTS: We prospectively studied 16 695 patients. We selected 1501 (9%) for enhanced management, and tracheal intubation was successful in all of them. Of these, 73% were intubated in less than 30 s, and only 4.5% required more than 4 min for intubation. Progression to the second and third steps of enhanced management was predicted by restriction of mouth opening and reduced cervical spine mobility. CONCLUSIONS: An enhanced management algorithm allowed successful tracheal intubation of all patients with anticipated difficult laryngoscopy. The need to combine the use of a stylet and a fibrescope with the Airtraq™ could be predicted with a high degree of certainty.

Prospecting metal-tolerant rhizobia for phytoremediation of mining soils from Morocco using Anthyllis vulneraria L.

The aim of this work was using the legume plant Anthyllis vulneraria L. (ecotype metallicolous) as a trap plant, in order to isolate metal-tolerant rhizobial strains from metal-contaminated soils from Morocco, with pollution indexes spanning three orders of magnitude. As bioindicator, soil bacterial density was inversely correlated to the pollution index. Forty-three bulk soil bacteria and sixty two bacteria from nodules were isolated. The resistance of bacteria from nodules to heavy metals was four to ten times higher than that of bulk soil bacteria, reaching high maximum tolerable concentrations for Cd (2 mM), Cu (2 mM), Pb (7 mM), and Zn (3 mM). Besides, some strains show multiple metal-tolerant abilities and great metal biosorption onto the bacterial surface. Amplification and restriction analysis of ribosomal 16S rDNA (ARDRA) and 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing were used to assess biodiversity and phylogenetic position among bacteria present in nodules. Our results suggest that a great diversity of non-rhizobial bacteria (alpha- and gamma-proteobacteria) colonize nodules of Anthyllis plants in contaminated soils. Taking together, our results evidence that, in polluted soils, rhizobia can be displaced by non-rhizobial (and hence, non-fixing) strains from nodules. Thus, the selection of metal-resistant rhizobia is a key step for using A. vulneraria symbioses for in situ phytoremediation.

[Risk factor for deep venous thrombosis in internal medicine: A retrospective study of 318 cases]. / Profil étiologiques des thromboses veineuses profondes en milieu de médecine interne : une étude rétrospective de 318 cas.

OBJECTIVE: Venous thromboembolic disease is a common condition. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism are the most common manifestation but other locations may also occur. The objectives of the study were to estimate the incidence and determine the epidemiologic, topographic and associated conditions of venous thromboembolic disease in a department of internal medicine. METHODS: A retrospective study of a series of 318 cases of DVT was conducted in Internal Medicine CHU Hedi Chaker, Sfax, during a period of 15 years (1996-2010). RESULTS: DVT of the lower limbs was the most common location (87%). Other sites of DVT was noted in 16.35% of cases including upper limbs (19 cases), vena cava (16 cases), cerebral veins (10 cases), portal vein (10 cases) and hepatic vein (3 cases). A risk factor of VTE was found in 274 patients (86.1%). A state of thrombophilia was retained in 203 patients (63.5%). It was a hereditary thrombophilia (22.6%), an antiphospholipids syndrome (19.1%), Behçet's disease (16.4%) and neoplasia (7.2%). The study of the distribution of venous thrombosis as the seat and etiology showed that: the antiphospholipid syndrome was the most associated conditions with the upper extremity DVT (31.7%) whereas Behçet's disease was the most frequent etiology of vena cava thrombosis (7 cases) and the cerebral vein thrombosis especially in young males.

[Antisynthetase syndrome: a report of four cases and literature review]. / Le syndrome des antisynthétases : à propos de quatre observations et revue de la littérature.

The antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) includes inflammatory myopathy (polymyositis or dermatomyositis), interstitial lung disease (ILD), arthritis, Raynaud's phenomenon, and mechanic's hands, associated with antibodies against aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases, the most well-recognized being the anti-Jo1 antibody (anti-histidyl-tRNAsynthetase). We report four cases of antisynthetase syndrome and review the clinical characteristics and prognosis factors dominated by ILD. We report the cases of four women with a mean age of 42 years (28-62 years). The interstitial lung disease was found in four cases and was objectified by CT-scan in all cases. The pulmonary symptoms were consisted of dyspnea (one case) and respiratory distress (one case). The anti-Jo1 antibodies were present in the four patients. The myopathy was concomitant with pulmonary involvement (two cases), preceded it in 6 months (one case) and in the course of evolution and after 1 month (one case). All patients received corticosteroid treatment. The immunosuppressive treatment was necessary for two patients because of the severity of the pulmonary involvement. The outcome was favorable in two patients, partially favorable in a patient who presented pulmonary fibrosis. However, one patient died after developing brain abscesses.

Biofilm and siderophore effects on secondary waste water disinfection.

The efficiency of ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection of wastewater effluent using a large-scale pilot system was studied. The relationship between biofilm and siderophore production and UV doses received by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ATCC 15442 was determined. UV decreased pyoverdine production and enhanced biofilm production. Consequently external factors conditioned by both pyoverdine and biofilm may affect the UV effect on bacterial disinfection.

Microbial and copper adsorption by smectitic clay--an experimental study.

The objective of this study was to quantify copper-, bacteria- and bacteriophage-binding capacities of natural clay with the aim of predicting the adsorption of heavy metals, human pathogenic bacteria and viruses by a clayey landfill liner. X-ray diffraction analysis of six natural clays showed that the dominant phase in all deposits consists of smectites together with illite, kaolin and, sometimes, palygorskite and sepiolite. The specific surface areas of different clay substrates were very high ranging from 293 to 351 m2 g(-1), and indicating a high proportion of phyllosilicates, consisting especially of smectites. The physico-chemical identification of separated smectites showed a high potential adsorbent character indicative of a large industrial use. The Kb12 smectite substrate chosen arbitrarily among six separated substrates, appeared as an excellent copper adsorbent. Copper was adsorbed to clay in a proportion ranging from 94.6 to 96.0% with an average of 95.1% and its adsorption occurred rapidly in less than 30 min. Organic contents of the clay substrate, evaluated as 17% of dry mass, may contribute and enhance copper adsorption. Different elution protocols using distilled water, 2 and/or 5% nitric acid revealed that while nitric acid resulted in the removal of more than 59% of the metal at the lower concentration and its complete depletion with a further elution at the higher concentration, distilled water alone was unable to remove more than 1% of adsorbed copper. This finding suggested that copper ions form high-energy bonds with layer-silicate surfaces. Interestingly, the use of a regenerated substrate as copper adsorbent subsequent to abundant washings of the used substrate consecutively, with 0.1 N HNO3 and distilled water, reduced copper adsorption by approximately 14%, suggesting a slight disturbance of clay initial structure. Batch adsorption experiments with phage T7 and raw clay Kb12 showed that the tested clay substrate appeared as a relatively moderate phage adsorbent since the quantity of adsorbed phage averaged 98.2 +/- 0.88% (2 log10 retention) as measured by infectivity for Escherichia coli ATCC 11303. As shown by two types of separating procedures, natural sedimentation and a low speed centrifugation, bacteriophage particles were bound essentially to fine and not to relatively coarse particles of the clay suspension. The retention capacity of purified clay Kb12 appeared low, with average values lower than 60 and 50%, for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 1135, respectively. A significant increase of retention, in the order of 30%, was found for both bacteria when the mixture clay-bacteria was incubated at laboratory temperature for 6 hours.

Impact of Heavy Metals on the Selective Phenotypical Markers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of heavy metals on phenotypical markers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Twenty-two isolates of P. aeruginosa, either clinical (20) or secondary treated wastewater (2), were used to inoculate micro-ecosystems of sterile distilled water or secondary waste effluent in the presence of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of a variety of heavy metals commonly encountered in the aquatic naturally habitat (Ca2+, Co2+, Cr3+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Zn2+). Micro-ecosystems were exposed to visible light at laboratory temperature and individual strains were reisolated after a 1-, 3-, or 6-month period. The re-isolates (129) were characterized using hierarchical classification analysis in order to define affinities among variants of P. aeruginosa. Subsequently, discriminant analysis was used to detect eventual relationships among the different phenotypical markers studied. Results of the hierarchical classification, based on qualitative or quantitative approaches, showed clearly that incubation of P. aeruginosa in the presence of heavy metals altered the studied phenotypical markers, namely serotype, phage type, MIC of metals, and pyocin type. Discriminant analysis showed that the studied phenotypical markers could be classified into four clusters: C1 (L1 and L2 phage types, Hg tolerance and/or resistance, S2 serotype), C2 (P2 pyocin type, Cd tolerance and/or resistance, S1 serotype), C3 (Co and Cr tolerance and/or resistance) and C4 (P1 pyocin type, Ni, Zn, and Cu tolerance and/or resistance).

Donnees sur l'incidence et la survie du registre du cancer de Setif

Les registres des cancers constituent de plus en plus une source majeure d'information sur le profil de cette maladie dans une localite donnee. Ici a ete appliquee la technique; qui est d'ailleurs clairement expliquee; de recolte des informations pour editer le registre des cancers de Serif en Algerie. Les auteurs ont principalement insiste sur l'incidence et la survie. Chez l'homme le taux le plus eleve concerne les cancers bronchopulmonaires (18;3) et chez les femmes les cancers du sein avec 18;8

Lebetase, an alpha(beta)-fibrin(ogen)olytic metalloproteinase of Vipera lebetina snake venom, is inhibited by human alpha-macroglobulins.

The effects of the plasma proteinase inhibitors alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M) and the alpha(2)M-related pregnancy zone protein (PZP) were evaluated towards the metalloproteinase lebetase, isolated from Vipera lebetina venom. We demonstrate that lebetase interacts with both inhibitors. Cleavage of alpha(2)M by lebetase resulted in the formation of 90-kDa fragments, and covalent complexes of alpha(2)M with lebetase were observed. The proteolytic activity of lebetase against fibrinogen and azocasein could be inhibited by alpha(2)M. Cleavage of PZP also resulted in the formation of 90-kDa fragments, and complexes of both dimer and tetramer forms of PZP with lebetase were detected. The amino acid sequence identification of the sites of specific proteolysis of alpha(2)M and PZP demonstrate that the cleavage sites are within the bait regions of both proteins. Lebetase I cleaves between Arg(696)-Leu(697), which is one of the most common cleavage sites in alpha(2)M by proteinases. The other two cleavage sites in alpha(2)M by lebetase are Gly(679)-Leu(680) and His(694)-Ala(695). The cleavage between Pro(689)-Gln(690) is the only cleavage site identified in PZP. In that lebetase is an anticoagulation agent in vivo, we propose that the interaction of lebetase with alpha(2)M may suggest a reduced fibrin(ogen)olytic activity of lebetase in human.

Nitrous oxide increases endotracheal cuff pressure and the incidence of tracheal lesions in anesthetized patients.

UNLABELLED: The pressure in air-filled endotracheal cuffs increases steadily throughout general anesthesia with nitrous oxide (N2O). High cuff pressures can be responsible for local ischemia, which may induce tracheal mucosal injury. In this study, cuff pressure was monitored in anesthetized patients, and postanesthesia endotracheal lesions were assessed by endoscopy. Sixty-five patients undergoing general anesthesia with tracheal intubation >1 h in duration were randomized into two groups. The endotracheal tube cuff was inflated to 30-40 cm H2O with air in Group 1 (n = 33) and with a gas mixture (N2O 50% in oxygen) in Group 2 (n = 32). At the time of tracheal extubation, a fiberoptic examination via the endotracheal tube was performed by an independent observer. Aspects of trachea at the level of cuff contact area were scored as 0 = normal, 1 = mucosal erythema or edema, 2 = mucosal erosion or hemorrhage, 3 = mucosal erosion or hemorrhage on both anterior and posterior tracheal walls. Cuff pressure increased throughout the procedure (P<0.01) in Group 1 and remained stable in Group 2. In Group 1, tracheal lesions in the area of the cuff were more frequent than they were in Group 2 (79% vs. 37%; P<0.001). Tracheal injury was correlated to cuff pressure (r = 0.62, P<0.001). No postoperative respiratory complication was observed in any patient. In patients anesthetized with N2O, the inflation of the tracheal tube cuff with a gas mixture of the same composition as the inhaled mixture can prevent excessive cuff pressure and reduce the incidence of tracheal injury. IMPLICATIONS: In patients anesthetized with nitrous oxide, the inflation of the tracheal tube cuff with a gas mixture of the same composition as the inhaled mixture can prevent excessive cuff pressure and reduce the incidence of tracheal injury.

Halothane and isoflurane decrease alveolar epithelial fluid clearance in rats.

BACKGROUND: Active sodium transport is the primary mechanism that drives alveolar fluid clearance. In the current study, the effects of exposure to halothane and isoflurane on alveolar fluid clearance in rats were evaluated. METHODS: Rats were exposed to either halothane (0.4% for 6 h or 2% for 2 h) or isoflurane (0.6% for 6 h or 2.8% for 2 h). Reversibility of halothane effects was assessed after 2 h of exposure to 2% halothane. Alveolar and lung liquid clearance were measured by intratracheal instillation of a 5% albumin solution with 1.5 microCi of 125I-albumin, during mechanical ventilation with 100% FiO2 and the halogenated agent. The effect of terbutaline (10(-4) M) added to the albumin solution was tested after 2 h of exposure to 2% halothane. The increase in protein concentration in the airspaces over 1 h was used to evaluate alveolar liquid clearance. Lung liquid clearance was calculated gravimetrically. RESULTS: Alveolar liquid clearance rates were decreased by 24%, 30% and 40% compared with controls (P < 0.05) after 2 h of exposure to halothane, 6 h of exposure to halothane, and 6 h of exposure to isoflurane, respectively. After 2 h of exposure to isoflurane, alveolar liquid clearance did not change. In the 2-h halothane exposure group, alveolar liquid clearance returned to the control value 2 h after withdrawal of halothane. Terbutaline increased alveolar liquid clearance by 50% and 89% in the control and 2-h halothane exposure groups, respectively. In all experiments, the same results were obtained for alveolar and lung liquid clearance. CONCLUSIONS: Halothane and isoflurane caused a reversible decrease in alveolar epithelial fluid clearance. Two hours of exposure to halothane did not alter the stimulatory effect of terbutaline on alveolar liquid clearance.

[Isolation of salmonella in wastewaters and study of indicator bacteria survival in soils]. / Isolement des salmonelles des eaux usées et étude de la survie des bactéries indicatrices de pollution dans les sols.

Detection of salmonella in wastewaters was done in semi-industrial pilot plant. In parallel, survival of indicator bacteria (feacal coliforms and feacal streptococci) in the soil was evaluated into a laboratory incubation device. Results revealed the isolation of 21 strains of salmonella in 7 campaigns of analysis on DCLS media, and 6 strains on lactose-green-brilliant and phenol red media in 2 campaigns. Salmonella were recovered in all the lines of wastewater treatment. The study led on the survival of coliforms and streptococci bacteria allowed the conclusion that feacal streptococci introduced by wastewaters were more qualified to survive in the soil than feacal coliforms. On the other hand, feacal coliforms appeared more sensitive to the biological factors of the soil than feacal streptococci. The ambient temperature of incubation situated between 12 and 24 degrees C seemed suitable for bacteria survival in the soils.

The role of the glycoconjugates in the migration of anuran amphibian germ cells.

The presence of a large amount of glycoconjugates on the anuran amphibian germ cells was demonstrated using fluorescein isothiocyanate lectins binding specifically to D-galactose and at a lower level, by other lectins binding specifically to N-acetyl-galactosamine. Glycoconjugates including D-galactose were found near the pseudopodial expansions and in the extracellular space, between germ cells and follicular cells. They were also disseminated in the cytoplasm. The injection of PNA lectin (from Arachis hypogea) into the endoderm inhibited the migration of 90% of the germ cells. This inhibition was lectin-concentration dependent. Ultrastructural study of germ cells, the migration of which was inhibited, showed that they were degenerating. These results suggest that glycoconjugates are related to the migratory activity of germ cells.

[Inhibitory effect of lectins extracted from Arachis hypogea and soybeans on germ cell migration in the embryo of Xenopus laevis (Amphibia, Anura)]. / Effet inhibiteur des lectines extraites de Arachis hypogea et du soja sur la migration des cellules germinales chez l'embryon de Xenopus laevis (Amphibien Anoure).

Effect of injection of Arachis hypogea (PNA) and Soybean (SBA) lectins on the migration of Xenopus primordial germ cells (PGCs) were investigated. PNA inhibited almost entirely the PGCs migration, more than SBA. Our results indicated that the inhibition of the migration could be a consequence of the lectin-induced alterations of cell surface properties.