Assessment of Prevalence, Associations ,Knowledge, and Practices about Diabetic Foot Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: One in five adults in Sri Lanka has either diabetes or prediabetes, and one-third of those with diabetes are undiagnosed. Diabetic foot is a debilitating condition affecting up to 50% of patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The risk of nontraumatic lower limb amputations is 15 times higher in diabetic patients when compared with nondiabetics. Patient education about correct foot care practices is the cornerstone of prevention of diabetic foot disease. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of diabetic foot disease, knowledge, and practices about diabetic foot care among diabetic patients. METHODS: 334 patients attending the diabetic clinic in Colombo South Teaching Hospital were recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using 3 questionnaires, and they were filled using the foot examination findings, patients' medical records, and direct interviewing of the patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 58.23 ± 10.65 years while the median duration of diabetes was 10.54 ± 7.32 years. 34.1% patients had peripheral neuropathy, and 29.5% had peripheral vascular disease. Diabetic foot disease according to the WHO definition was present only in 23 (6.9%) patients. There was a significant association between peripheral neuropathy and current or past foot ulcer which took more than 2 weeks to heal (p < 0.05). Knowledge about foot care was less among the studied population, and it was associated with poor foot care practices. Presence of diabetic foot and current or past foot ulcer which took more than 2 weeks to heal were significantly associated with the foot care knowledge and practices (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Improvement of patients' knowledge about foot care and their practices have a significant impact on the reduction of diabetic foot disease.

Chemometric methods in antimalarial drug design from 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes analogues.

A set of 23 steroidal 1,2,4,5-tetraoxane analogues were studied using quantum-chemical method (B3LYP/6-31 G*) and multivariate analyses (PCA, HCA, KNN and SIMCA) in order to calculate the properties and correlate them with antimalarial activity (log RA) against Plasmodium falciparum clone D-6 from Sierra Leone. PCA results indicated 99.94% of the total variance and it was possible to divide the compounds into two classes: less and more active. Descriptors responsible for separating were: highest occupied molecular orbital energy (HOMO), bond length (O1-O2), Mulliken electronegativity (χ) and Bond information content (BIC0). We use HCA, KNN and SIMCA to explain relationships between molecular properties and biological activity of a training set and to predict antimalarial activity (log RA) of 13 compounds (#24-36) with unknown biological activity. We apply molecular docking simulations to identify intermolecular interactions with a selected biological target. The results obtained in multivariate analysis aided in the understanding of the activity of the new compound's design (#24-36). Thus, through chemometric analyses and docking molecular study, we propose theoretical synthetic routes for the most promising compounds 28, 30, 32 and 36 that can proceed to synthesis steps and in vitro and in vivo assays.

Diagnostic performance of a commercial ELISA used as a complementary test for bovine tuberculosis in two bovine herds with different disease status / Desempenho diagnóstico de um ELISA comercial usado como teste complementar para tuberculose bovina em dois rebanhos bovinos com diferentes estágios de controle da doença

Bovine tuberculosis is a worldwide spread zoonotic disease. Intradermal tuberculinizations are the most used diagnostic tests in the world. Serological tests can be an ancillary diagnosis for bovine tuberculosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the ELISA Mycobacterium Bovis Antibody Test Kit IDEXX ™ in infected herds, which were in different disease control stages. One hundred and twenty animals from two dairy herds of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, were subjected to the ELISA serological test and the comparative cervical tuberculin test (CCT). Diagnostic test parameters were estimated using Bayesian latent class models and concordance between tests estimated by the frequentist approach. The ELISA test presented lower sensitivity than CCT in both herds. Its sensitivity was higher in the herd in sanitation process. Specificity estimates were above 95% in both herds. Kappa index indicated low concordance or even disagreement between tests. According to the results, the ELISA IDEXX should not be used as substitution for CCT. The tests must not be associated in series. Parallel association increased diagnostic sensitivity in the herd which was in the process of sanitation.(AU)

A tuberculose bovina é uma zoonose de distribuição mundial cujos testes mais utilizados para o diagnóstico são as tuberculinizações intradérmicas, simples e compartivas. Contudo, testes sorológicos podem constituir diagnósticos auxiliares. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o desempenho diagnóstico do teste ELISA Mycobacterium Bovis Antibody Test Kit IDEXX ® em rebanhos bovinos infectados, que se encontravam em diferentes estágios de controle da doença. Cento e vinte animais de dois rebanhos leiteiros provenientes do estado de Minas Geais-Brasil foram submetidos ao ELISA e à tuberculinização cervical compartiva (TCC). Avaliou-se o desempenho dos testes por meio de modelos Bayesianos de classe latente e a concordância entre os eles, por meio de estatística frequentista. Uma maior sensibilidade do teste foi observada no rebanho previamente tuberculinizado. Em ambos os rebanhos o TCC foi mais sensível que o ELISA. Especificidade acima de 95% foi encontrada em ambos os rebanhos. Foram observadas baixa concordância ou mesmo discordância entre os testes. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, o teste ELISA-IDEXX não deve ser utilizado em substituição à TCC, tampouco devem ser associados em série. Houve aumento da sensibilidade quando os testes foram associados em paralelo no rebanho que já se encontrava em processo de saneamento.(AU)

Determinação do caseinomacropeptídeo em leite UAT por espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo e regressão por mínimos quadrados parciais / Determination of caseinomacropeptide in uht milk using near infrared spectroscopy and pls regression

O presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de desenvolver um método para a determinação de CMP em leite UAT por meio da aplicação da espectroscopia de infravermelho próximo. Leites UAT de oito marcas diferentes foram utilizados para a construção dos modelos de calibração. Os resultados demonstram que, para o desenvolvimento de um modelo de calibração adequado para a determinação de CMP em leite UAT, deve-se utilizar, juntamente com o método de regressão PLS, o método de seleção de espectros máxima distância e os pré-tratamentos 2ª derivada e variável normal padronizada. Além disso, pôde-se determinar que as regiões do infravermelho próximo mais correlacionadas com os movimentos vibracionais dos aminoácidos presentes no CMP foram: 1100-1310; 1400-1430; 1490-1550; 1640-1680; 1780-1970; 2020-2100 e 2310-2350nm. Conclui-se que a espectroscopia de infravermelho próximo pode ser uma alternativa para a determinação de CMP em leite UAT, desde que haja um conjunto de calibração com amostras representativas da população a ser predita no futuro.(AU)

his work´s objective was to develop an UHT milk caseinomacropeptide determination method trough NIR spectroscopy application. Eight UHT milk trademarks are used to produce a mathematical calibration model. The results of NIR analysis suggested that to produce a suitable calibration model, partial least-square regression (PLSR) must be used, with maximum distance in wavelenght space to select spectra, pre - treatment with 2nd derivative and standard normal variant (SNV). Also, suitable near-infrared regions more correlated with CPM aminoacids vibrational movements: 1100-1310; 1400-1430; 1490-1550; 1640-1680; 1780-1970; 2020-2100; and 2310-2350nm. Therefore, NIR spectroscopy can be an alternative to caseinomacropeptide determination of UHT milk, since there was a representative calibration set with a large enough and representative sample of entire population to be predicted in the future.(AU)

Factors associated with the quality of life of mothers of preterm infants with very low birth weight: a 3-year follow-up study.

AIM: To analyze possible factors associated with the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) during the first 3 years after delivery. METHODS: The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-bref scores were compared and correlated with maternal and infant-related sociodemographic and clinical variables at maternal discharge (T0) and at 6 (T1), 12 (T2), 24 (T3), and 36 (T4) months after delivery. Multiple linear regression models were fitted to investigate the effect of these variables on the mothers' QoL. RESULTS: The WHOQOL-BREF physical domain scores were higher at T1 and T2 compared to T0 (p = 0.013). Maternal variables that contributed to maternal QoL scores (p < 0.05) were stable marital union (b = 13.60; T0), family income (b = -12.75; T3), Evangelical religion (b = 8.11; T4), and beck depression inventory (BDI) score (-1.42 ≤ b ≤ -0.36; T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4). Infants' variables that most affected maternal QoL (p < 0.05) were posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) (-18.84 ≤ b ≤ -10.05; T1, T2, and T4), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (b = -7.41; T2), female gender (b = 8.09; T2), and SNAPPE severity score (b = -0.23; T3). CONCLUSION: Mothers of preterm infants with VLBW exhibited transient improvements in physical well-being during the first year after delivery. The presence of depressive symptoms in mothers and the diagnosis of PHH or BPD were negatively associated with QoL. Social, religious, and economic aspects were also important factors for the QoL of mothers of preterm infants with VLBW.

Anxiolytic-like, stimulant and neuroprotective effects of Ilex paraguariensis extracts in mice.

Yerba-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) is the most used beverage in Latin America with approximately 426 thousand of tons consumed per year. Considering the broad use of this plant, we aimed to investigate the anxiety-like and stimulant activity of both the hydroethanolic (HE) and aqueous (AE) extracts from leaves of I. paraguariensis. Swiss mice were treated with I. paraguariensis HE or AE chronically or acutely, respectively, followed by evaluation in the elevated plus-maze (EPM; anxiety-like paradigm), open field (OF; locomotor activity) or the step-down avoidance task (memory assessment). Following behavioral protocols the brains were collected for evaluation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity ex vivo. Chronic treatment with HE induced an anxiolytic-like effect and increased motor activity besides augmented AChE activity. Additionally, acute treatment with AE prevented the scopolamine-induced memory deficit in the step-down avoidance task. Overall, our results indicate the importance of the I. paraguariensis-induced CNS effects, since it is a widely used nutraceutical. We have reported anxiolytic, stimulant and neuroprotective effects for this plant species. These effects are potentially modulated by the cholinergic system as well as by caffeine.

Incidência de infecção do sítio cirúrgico e fatores de risco associados na clínica cirúrgica de pequenos animais / Incidence of surgical site infection and their associated risk factors in the surgical small animal clinic

A infecção do sítio cirúrgico (ISC) apresenta-se como um complicador que possui muitos fatores de risco associados, e a maior parte das informações utilizadas nessa área pela medicina veterinária provém da medicina humana. Objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar a taxa de ISC no HVT-UFV, assim como correlacionar sua incidência com os seguintes fatores de risco: quantidade de pessoas presentes durante a cirurgia, classificação do potencial de contaminação da ferida cirúrgica e utilização de antimicrobiano profilático e ou terapêutico. Para isso, foram colhidas informações sobre a ocorrência de ISC, bem como os fatores de risco citados de 401 prontuários. Esses dados passaram por análise estatística, e foram obtidos os seguintes resultados: 21 pacientes diagnosticados com ISC, o que gerou uma taxa de infecção de 5,24 por cento e associação entre incidência de ISC e cirurgias com risco de contaminação maior que 5 por cento. Os demais fatores de risco avaliados não apresentaram associação, porém, em valores absolutos, foi detectada maior ocorrência de infecção nos procedimentos com maior quantidade de pessoas na sala de cirurgia. Portanto, foi possível observar a importância da obtenção fidedigna de dados e a necessidade do desenvolvimento de um sistema de vigilância epidemiológica voltado para a medicina veterinária...

The surgical site infection (SSI) is a complicating factor that has many risk factors, and most of the information used in this area for veterinary medicine comes from human medicine. The aim of this work was to determine the rate of SSI in the VTH-UFV, and to correlate the incidence of SSI with the following risk factors: surgical wound classification, use of antimicrobial prophylaxis, and therapy and the number of people in the operating room during surgery. For that, information about the occurrence of SSI and the risk factors referred to were collected from 401 medical records. These data underwent statistical analysis and obtained the following results: 21 patients diagnosed with SSI resulting in an infection rate of 5.24 percent and a significant association between the occurrence of SSI and the surgical procedures with contamination risk higher than 5 percent. Other risk factors evaluated showed no association. However, in absolute values, a higher incidence of infection was detected in procedures with a greater number of people in the operating room. Therefore, it was possible to observe the importance of obtaining reliable data and the requirement for developing a surveillance system specific for Veterinary Medicine...

Protein restriction does not impair adaptations induced in cardiomyocytes by exercise in rats.

The effect of a treadmill running program on physical performance and morphofunctional adaptations was investigated in control and malnourished rats. Male 4-week old Wistar rats were randomized in groups of 12 animals: control trained (CT), control sedentary (CS), malnourished trained (MT) and malnourished sedentary (MS). Control and malnourished animals received chow with 12% protein or 6% protein, respectively. Trained groups were subjected to a treadmill running program for 8 weeks. Physical performance, biochemical parameters, cardiomyocytes morphology and biomechanics were determined. Malnourished animals presented reduction in body mass, serum levels of total protein, albumin and hemoglobin compared to the control groups. At 1 and 3 Hz cardiomyocytes from CT and MT showed higher cell shortening, speed of contraction and relaxation compared to the other groups. At 3 Hz cardiomyocytes from MS showed reduction in cell shortening and speed of contraction compared to CS. Protein restriction does not prevent the improvement in physical performance or cardiomyocytes biomechanical efficiency and growth in response to exercise. These findings could represent a modulatory effect of exercise to maintain cardiomyocyte growth at the expense of reducing the rate of body growth in order to ensure proper cellular function in conditions of cardiovascular overload imposed by exercise.

Δ-lactam derivative from thermophilic soil fungus exhibits in vitro anti-allergic activity.

From cultures of thermophilic soil fungus Humicola grisea var thermoidea, a δ-lactam derivative (3-(2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxoethyl)-5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one) that displayed anti-allergic activity was isolated, which was predicted by in silico computational chemistry approaches. The in vitro anti-allergic activity was investigated by ß-hexosaminidase release assay in rat basophilic leukaemia RBL-2H3 cells. The δ-lactam derivative exhibited similar anti-allergic activity (IC(50) = 18.7 ± 6.7 µM) in comparison with ketotifen fumarate (IC(50) = 15.0 ± 1.3 µM) and stronger anti-allergic activity than azelastine (IC(50) = 32.0 µM). Also, the MTT cytotoxicity assay with RBL-2H3 cells showed that δ-lactam does not display cytotoxicity at concentrations lower than 50 µM. This study suggests that the δ-lactam derivative has the potential to be used as a lead compound in the development of anti-allergic drugs for clinical use in humans.

[The subject repositories of strategy of the Open Access initiative]. / Los repositorios temáticos en la estrategia de la iniciativa Open Access.

The subject repositories are defined as a set of digital objects resulting from the research related to a specific disciplinary field and occupy a still restricted space in the discussion agenda of the Free Access Movement when compared to amplitude reached in the discussion of Institutional Repositories. Although the Subject Repository comes to prominence in the field, especially for the success of initiatives such as the arXiv, PubMed and E-prints, the literature on the subject is recognized as very limited. Despite its roots in the Library and Information Science, and focus on the management of disciplinary collections (subject area literature), there is little information available about the development and management of subject repositories. The following text seeks to make a brief summary on the topic as a way to present the potential to develop subject repositories in order to strengthen the initiative of open access.

Porcine circovirus-2 viral load versus lesions in pigs: perspectives for post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome.

Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is the main agent related to post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and it is also associated with other syndromes affecting pigs. Not all pigs infected with PCV-2 will develop PMWS and the incidence of PMWS is higher when coinfecting viral and bacterial pathogens are present. In this study, PCV-2 viral loads were evaluated in the tissues of animals with and without PMWS in order to investigate the relationship between viral load and microscopical lesions. Lymph nodes had the highest average viral load, but there was no significant difference between lesion severity and the viral load in these structures. There was no significant difference between the average viral load in inguinal lymph nodes of animals with and without PMWS. However, samples from pigs with PMWS had more severe lesions compared with samples from non-PMWS animals. These findings suggest that other infectious and non-infectious cofactors may be important in the pathogenesis of PMWS.

Exercise training and detraining modify the morphological and mechanical properties of single cardiac myocytes obtained from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We determined the effects of exercise training and detraining on the morphological and mechanical properties of left ventricular myocytes in 4-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) randomly divided into the following groups: sedentary for 8 weeks (SED-8), sedentary for 12 weeks (SED-12), treadmill-running trained for 8 weeks (TRA, 16 m/min, 60 min/day, 5 days/week), and treadmill-running trained for 8 weeks followed by 4 weeks of detraining (DET). At sacrifice, left ventricular myocytes were isolated enzymatically, and resting cell length, width, and cell shortening after stimulation at a frequency of 1 Hz (~25°C) were measured. Cell length was greater in TRA than in SED-8 (161.30 ± 1.01 vs 156.10 ± 1.02 µm, P < 0.05, 667 vs 618 cells, respectively) and remained larger after detraining. Cell width and volume were unaffected by either exercise training or detraining. Cell length to width ratio was higher in TRA than in SED-8 (8.50 ± 0.08 vs 8.22 ± 0.10, P < 0.05) and was maintained after detraining. Exercise training did not affect cell shortening, which was unchanged with detraining. TRA cells exhibited higher maximum velocity of shortening than SED-8 (102.01 ± 4.50 vs 82.01 ± 5.30 µm/s, P < 0.05, 70 cells per group), with almost complete regression after detraining. The maximum velocity of relengthening was higher in TRA cells than in SED-8 (88.20 ± 4.01 vs70.01 ± 4.80 µm/s, P < 0.05), returning to sedentary values with detraining. Therefore, exercise training affected left ventricle remodeling in SHR towards eccentric hypertrophy, which remained after detraining. It also improved single left ventricular myocyte contractile function, which was reversed by detraining.

Exercise training and detraining modify the morphological and mechanical properties of single cardiac myocytes obtained from spontaneously hypertensive rats

We determined the effects of exercise training and detraining on the morphological and mechanical properties of left ventricular myocytes in 4-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) randomly divided into the following groups: sedentary for 8 weeks (SED-8), sedentary for 12 weeks (SED-12), treadmill-running trained for 8 weeks (TRA, 16 m/min, 60 min/day, 5 days/week), and treadmill-running trained for 8 weeks followed by 4 weeks of detraining (DET). At sacrifice, left ventricular myocytes were isolated enzymatically, and resting cell length, width, and cell shortening after stimulation at a frequency of 1 Hz (~25°C) were measured. Cell length was greater in TRA than in SED-8 (161.30 ± 1.01 vs 156.10 ± 1.02 μm, P < 0.05, 667 vs 618 cells, respectively) and remained larger after detraining. Cell width and volume were unaffected by either exercise training or detraining. Cell length to width ratio was higher in TRA than in SED-8 (8.50 ± 0.08 vs 8.22 ± 0.10, P < 0.05) and was maintained after detraining. Exercise training did not affect cell shortening, which was unchanged with detraining. TRA cells exhibited higher maximum velocity of shortening than SED-8 (102.01 ± 4.50 vs 82.01 ± 5.30 μm/s, P < 0.05, 70 cells per group), with almost complete regression after detraining. The maximum velocity of relengthening was higher in TRA cells than in SED-8 (88.20 ± 4.01 vs70.01 ± 4.80 μm/s, P < 0.05), returning to sedentary values with detraining. Therefore, exercise training affected left ventricle remodeling in SHR towards eccentric hypertrophy, which remained after detraining. It also improved single left ventricular myocyte contractile function, which was reversed by detraining.

Efeito da prednisona em lesão medular aguda experimental em ratos / Effect of prednisone on acute experimental spinal cord injury in rats

Foram utilizados 25 ratos (Rattus novergicus) submetidos a trauma experimental da medula espinhal, empregando-se aparelho estereotáxico com um peso de 50,5g comprimindo a duramáter durante cinco minutos. Após o trauma, os animais foram divididos em cinco grupos de cinco. O grupo A (controle) recebeu placebo oito horas após o trauma; os grupos B, C, D e E receberam prednisona oito, 24, 48 e 120 horas após o trauma, respectivamente. A prednisona foi administrada na dose inicial de 2mg/kg, durante cinco dias, com diminuição progressiva até o 26º dia. Os animais foram avaliados conforme a capacidade motora, posicionamento proprioceptivo, reflexo de localização, plano inclinado e sensibilidade dolorosa. Após 33 dias da cirurgia, foram sacrificados para avaliação histológica das medulas espinhais. Observaram-se degeneração das raízes nervosas, necrose medular, inflamação local e reação glial, sem diferenças entre os grupos. Não houve correlação entre os testes neurológicos. A utilização da prednisona na lesão medular aguda não teve efeito diferenciado com o tempo e não foi prejudicial na recuperação neurológica, mesmo quando utilizada tardiamente.

Twent-five rats (Rattus novergicus) were submitted to an experimental spinal cord injury by using a 50.5g stereotaxic equipament to apply pressure on the duramater during five minutes. After the spinal cord injury, the animals were randomly distributed into five groups of five animals each: one group received placebo 8 hours after injury and the remaining four groups received prednisone at 8, 24, 48, and 120 hours after injury. Prednisone was applied at 2mg/kg dosage during five days and progressively reduced until the 26th day. Animals were evaluated by motor capacity, proprioceptive positioning, locating reflex, inclined plan, and sensibility to pain. The animals were sacrificed 33 days after surgery for histological study of the spinal cords that revealed degeneration of the rootlets, necrosis, inflammatory foci, and reactive gliosis, with no significant differences among the treated groups. The administration of high dosages of prednisone to animals with acute spinal cord injury had no deleterious effects on neurological recovery, even when used late.

Synthetic vaccine (SBm7462) against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus: preservation of immunogenic determinants in different strains from South America.

The synthetic vaccine SBm7462 is based on three immunogenic epitopes (4822, 4823 and 4824) contained within protein Bm86 derived from the Australian Yeerongpilly strain of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Twenty strains of the tick originating from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay were analysed in order to identify differences compared with sequences present in components of vaccine SBm7462. For each parasite population, three cDNA fragments containing the nucleotides coding for the epitopes 4822, 4824 and 4823 were sequenced, and the amino acid sequences were deduced and compared with those of the homologous bm86 gene. The results indicate that the epitope sequences of vaccine SBm7462 are conserved in the South American populations of the tick. The conservation of such sequences is very important for the immunological response of different populations of R. (B.) microplus.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic predictions of novel potential HIV-1 integrase inhibitors.

Virtual screening docking-based approach has been employed in order to select novel HIV-1 integrase (IN) potential inhibitors in large databases. Toxicity, metabolism and drug-like properties have been analyzed for the most promising compounds, using computational chemistry techniques. Results were compared and discussed with that obtained for a known HIV-1 (IN) inhibitor reported in the literature.

A duplicated nitrotienyl derivative with antimycobacterial activity: synthesis, X-ray crystallography, biological and mutagenic activity tests.

A duplicated nitrotienyl derivative was obtained as a by-product from the synthesis of a proposed molecular hybrid of a nitrotienyl derivative and isoniazid with an expected dual antimycobacteria mechanism. The structure was shown to be the 5,5'-dinitro-2-(2,3-diaza-4-(2'-tienyl)buta-1,3-dienyl)tiophene by X-ray crystallography. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination of this compound proved to be promising against Mycobacterium pathogenic strains such as M. avium and M. kansasii, although it had a high level of mutagenicity, as observed in mutagenic activity tests.

Analysis of susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas spp. and prevalence of bacterial samples from the surfaces of dental consulting-rooms

The aim of this research was to evaluate the susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas spp. and the prevalence of bacterial samples isolated from horizontal surfaces surrounding wash-basins used by dentists in several adjoined consulting-rooms, at points next to and at a distance from the basin, before and after surgical procedures. Our results showed a high percentage of Gram-positive cocci and Gram-negative bacilli; 34.66% were Staphylococcus spp. and 30.12% were non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli among which Pseudomonas spp. (40.90%) was the commonest genus. Analysis of the susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas spp. isolates by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 14 antibiotics showed a great variation among the strains and high rates of resistance to cefazolin, ceftazidime and aztreonan. Of the 14 antibiotics tested, 59.03% were found to be active against all the environmental isolates. Strains were resistant to aztreonan (62.82%), while susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins was variable

Computer-aided molecular design of novel glucosidase inhibitors for AIDS treatment.

Since the onset of the AIDS epidemic, some 20 million people have died and the estimate is that today close to 40 million are living with type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS. About 14 thousands people are infected worldwide daily with this disease. Still, only a few pharmaceuticals are available for AIDS chemotheraphy. Some pharmaceuticals act against the virus before the entrance of the HIV into the host cells. One of these targets is the glucosidase protein. This class of enzymes has been recently explored because the synthesis of viral glycoproteins depends on the activity of enzymes, such as glucosidase and transferase, for the elaboration of the polysaccharides. In this work we study several glucosidase inhibitors. The DFT method is used to compute atomic charges and the ligand/receptor interaction was simulated with docking software. Analysis of the interactions of the proposed pharmaceutical, a pseudodisaccharide, with the Thermotoga maritima 4-alpha-glucanotransferase in complex with modified acarbose, the scores from docking as well as the graphical superposition of all the ligands, suggest that our molecular designed pseudo-disaccharide may be a potent glucosidase inhibitor.