Novel approach of using a cocktail of designed bacteriophages against gut pathogenic E. colifor bacterial load biocontrol

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to explore new approaches of animal biocontrol via biological control feed. METHOD: White rats were subjected to 140 highly lytic designed phages specific against E. coli. Phages were fed via drinking water, oral injection, and vegetable capsules. Phage feeding was applied by 24 h feeding with 11d monitoring and 20d phage feeding and monitoring. Group of rats received external pathogenic E. coli and another group did not, namely groups A and B. RESULTS: Phage feeding for 20d via vegetable capsules yielded the highest reduction of fecal E. coli, 3.02 and 4.62 log, in rats group A and B respectively. Second best, feeding for 20d via drinking water with alkali yielded 2.78 and 4.08 log in rats groups A and B respectively. The peak reduction in E. coli output was 5–10 d after phage feeding. Phage control declined after 10(th) day of feeding. CONCLUSIONS: The use of cocktail of designed phages succeeded in suppressing flora or external E. coli. The phage feed biocontrol is efficient in controlling E. coli at the pre-harvest period, precisely at the 6(th)-8(th) day of phage feeding when the lowest E. coli output found

Different inflammatory mechanisms in lungs of severe and mild asthma: crosstalk of NF-kappa-B, TGFâ1, Bax, Bcl-2, IL-4 and IgE

Objective: To examine differences in the apoptotic, inflammatory, allergic and immunological features in the lungs of adults with asthma. Material and methods: Thirty‐six patients with mild asthma (MA), 16 with severe asthma (SA) and 20 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was processed into cell‐free fluid for enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay detecting soluble TGFβ1, IL‐4 and IgE and BALF lymphocytes for immunocytochemical staining of cellular Bax, Bcl‐2 and nuclear factor‐Kappa‐B (NFκB). Results: Cellular NFκB expression was higher in SA than in MA and HVs, while extracellular TGFβ1 was high in both the SA and MA groups but low in the HVs. Bcl‐2/Bax ratio was higher in SA than in MA and in MA than in HV groups and correlated significantly with NFκB level. Interestingly, the levels of IgE and, to a lesser extent, IL‐4 were higher in MA than in SA and both were much higher than in HVs, and were inversely correlated with NFκB level in the SA group and with TGFβ1 level in the MA group. Conclusions: NFκB has a central role in the perpetuation of persistent inflammation in SA and might induce apoptosis via Bcl‐2. The SA group appears not associated much with allergen‐based IgE and IL‐4 reactions as efficiently as in MA. This was supported by the lower levels of IgE and IL‐4 in SA compared to MA. TGFβ1 appears to be associated with asthma pathogenesis, especially allergen‐based MA

Methods for precise molecular detection of probiotic microflora : using adjusted molecular biology protocols, primer sets and PCR assays.

Lactobacillus sp. is probiotic bacteria for which many detection methods were envisaged. However, culture-based methods failed to achieve specific detection of this bacterium due to its presence in mixed bacterial complex communities. The PCR assay was optimized to detect and quantify Lactobacillus sp. specifically in complex microbial community of mixed bacteria. Four DNA extraction methods, DNA integrity, primers specificity and optimized PCR procedure were all tested. It was shown that extracted genomic DNA using Wizard® Genomic DNA Purification Kit showed the highest yield, quality and performance in gel electrophoresis. Moreover, the specificity of the primer set, Lacto-16S-F /Lacto-16S-R, specific for Lactobacillus sp. was checked and found highly specific. In conclusion, the best DNA extraction protocol, working specific primer set and working PCR assay were achieved for achieving efficient, specific and reliable molecular-based, culture-independent, method of detection of lactobacillus sp. in PCR-suppressor highly protein-complex environment of mixed bacteria community

Detection of Vibrio cholerae in raw cockles (Anadara granosa) by polymerase chain reaction

Aimed of this study was to determine the presence of Vibrio cholerae in cockles (Anadara granosa) from different coasts in Malaysia and to measure the biosafety of V. cholerae in raw cockles at wet market in Malaysia using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with the most probable number (MPN) method. A total of 100 samples from 4 different wet markets in the West and East were examined for the presence of V. cholerae. The prevalence of V. cholerae between the two coasts was not significant different. In fact, the 74% of samples from West coast area was found positive while the 69% for samples collected in the East coast. West coast samples showed a prevalence of 60% for the wet market A=, 64% for B=, 88% for C= and 84% for the market D); East coast samples showed the same percentage with 72% for the wet markets E, F and H, followed by wet market G with 60%.With the MPN-PCR method, using 80 samples of raw cockles obtained from 4 wet markets, the occurrence of V. cholerae detected was of 95%. The frequency of V. cholerae in raw cockles obtained from wet market I and L was higher (100%) compared to other wet market (Wet market B=, 90%; Wet market C=, 95%).The density of V. cholerae detected in all samples ranged from 24000 MPN/g, but most of the samples (24 samples) were in category >24000 MPN/g concentration. V. cholerae was present in raw cockles in higher number. Hence, these results demonstrate the presence of pathogenic V.cholerae in cockles harvested and reveal the potential risk of illness associated with their consumption. This study will be the first biosafety assessment of V. choleare in raw cockles in Malaysia and it will provide significant insights about Malaysian scenario

Optimal location and size of distributed generation to reduce power losses based on differential evolution technique

An electric power system generate electricity to meet demands. Distributed Generation (DG) allows electricity to be generated in a small capacity where the customer is located. In this paper, multi-objective functions based on the indices of system performance are formulated and used to determine the best location. The Differential Evolution technique (DE) has been employed to calculate optimal sizing for each location. Unity power factor DG model have been studied in this work and the problems solved with one DG unit. IEEE 14 bus has been used as a test system

Comparative study on the effectiveness acetaminophen and diclofenac on pretreatment in the relief of pain after out-patient surgery

The aim of this study is to evaluate and quantify the pain relief after minor surgery when certain analgesics are used before surgery. Double blind study was conducted on 300 outpatient surgery patients who were allocated into two groups. Before surgery, 100 mg of acetaminophen was given to one group and 75 mg of diclofenac to the other one. The pain level after surgery was measured and recorded in both groups by a ruler 10 cm using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) method at intervals of 30 min, 1, 2 and 4 h after surgery. Also for the patients with VAS more than 7, it was recommended to administer IM 50-100 mg teramadole ampoule. Mean VAS in acetaminophen group was 5.28±1.17, 5.17 ±1.04, 4.47±1.05±, 3.97±1.09 while, in diclofenac group was 5.09±1.10, 5.10±1.024.27±1.05 and 3/73±1.07 at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 h after surgery, respectively. In fact there was no significant difference in pain level after surgery between acetaminophen and diclofenac groups (p>0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of pain relief induced by administering tramadol calmative ampoule along with acetaminophen and diclofenac groups (p>0.05). Acetaminophen results in as effective pain relief as diclofenac with or without tramadol calmative. Due to minimal side effects of acetaminophen when compared to other analgesics, like diclofenac, it is recommended to use acetaminophen for safe and efficient pain relief after outpatients surgeries

Tumor markers of bladder cancer : the schistosomal bladder tumors versus non-schistosomal bladder tumors.

Background: The aim of this study is to comparatively elucidate the underlying molecular pathways and clinicopathological criteria in schistosomal bladder tumor (SBT) versus non-schistosomal bladder tumor (NSBT). Methods: This study explored the role of p53, p16, bcl-2, ki-67, c-myc, Rb and EGFR, by using Immunohistochemistry assay, in 45 SBT and 39 NSBT patients in comparison with 16 schistosomal chronic cystitis (SC), 28 non-schistosomal chronic cystitis (NSC), and 20 normal control (CTL) subjects. The studied markers in SBT and NSBT were correlated with different clinicopathological criteria namely, tumor histopathology, grading, invasiveness, stage, and presentation of the disease. Results: SBT was associated with high grade invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) while NSBT was associated with lower grade less invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). The expression of p53, bcl-2, c-myc, and EGFR was higher in SBT than in NSBT while Rb was higher in NSBT than in SBT. However, p16 and ki-67 were not different between SBT and NSBT. The profile of molecular markers in SC was similar to NSC except for EGFR which was higher in SC than in NSC. Both SC and NSC showed higher level of p53, bcl-2, ki-67, and EGFR than in CTL group while p16, Rb, and c-myc were not different. p53 was associated with high grade SCC in both SBT and NSBT. Bcl-2 was associated with high grade invasive tumors in SBT and NSBT. P16 was associated with low grade, late stage, and recurrent SBT and high grade, invasive, late stage, and recurrent NSBT. Rb was associated with SCC in SBT, invasive tumors in NSBT, and late stage and recurrent presentation in both SBT and NSBT. C-myc was associated with high grade, invasive, and late stage SBT and SCC, high grade, invasive, and late stage NSBT. EGFR was associated with invasive SCC in SBT and invasive, high grade, and late stage TCC in NSBT. ki-67 was associated with invasive SBT and high grade late stage NSBT. Conclusion: SBT and NSBT showed distinct molecular profile of tumor development and progression which can be taken into consideration in fine adjusting the anti-cancer therapy for SBT and NSBT

Thermal properties variation of Malaysian yellowtail catfish during precooling process and numerical verification

Malaysian yellowtail catfish, which is widely consumed in Malaysia, was investigated to determine the thermal properties and their variation during precooling process. These properties encompassed thermal conductivity, specific heat and thermal diffusivity. The moisture, fat, protein, carbohydrate and ash contents of the fish muscle were determined in a fresh fish. Mathematical formulae, which correlated between the constituent values and the thermal properties, were used to determine these properties and their variation with temperature. The results were compared with the existing literature of other fishes. Slight differences were noticed, however, the results were still within the common range of fish thermal properties values. The differences may be attributed to the different growing conditions. Models correlated between the thermal properties and temperature variations were developed which are the basic requirements of solving heat transfer problems related to precooling process. These models were used in conjunction with Ansari’s empirical equation to predict temperature history at the midpoint of preassumed slab subjected to precooling process. When a typical real slab was tested experimentally in the precooling process, similar experimental temperature history at the mid point was observed

Fatty acids profile of tropical bagridae catfish (Mystus numerus)during storage.

Changes in the fatty acid composition of the fresh water catfish (Mystus nemurus) stored in 10°C and ice (0± 2°C) for 1, 10 and 20 days were monitored. A total of 22 fatty acids were found to be present in the studied samples. The main saturated fatty acids (SFA) were palmitic (17.99%), tridecanoic (16.59%), stearic (4.40%) and myristic (2.61%). The monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were dominated largely by the oleic acid (24.84%) and palmitoleic acid (4.66%). The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were also present in significant amounts, composed of eicosapentaenoic (2.65%) and docosahexaenoic (4.44%). Results also revealed that saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid significantly increased (p<0.05) during storage while polyunsaturated decreased. This should attracts attention to the importance of the proper and short period storage to retain the best quality of fish meat and its lipid contents

Association of Helicobacter pylori with colorectal cancer development.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may be associated with colorectal cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Objectives: Explore the serostatus of H. pylori cytotoxicity-associated gene A product (CagA) in patients with colorectal carcinoma, and assess the association of H. pylori with colorectal cancer via c-Myc and MUC-2 proteins at tumor tissues. Methods: H. pylori CagA IgG antibodies were screened using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 30 patients with colorectal carcinoma and 30 cancer-free control subjects. Paraffin-embedded blocks were examined for the expression of c-Myc and MUC-2 protein by immunohistochemistry. Results: H. pylori CagA seropositivity increased significantly among colorectal cancer patients (p <0.05). The expression of c-Myc and MUC-2 in colorectal carcinoma patients was over-expressed (80%), and downexpressed (63%) in resection margins (p <0.05). c-Myc over-expression and MUC-2 down-expression were associated with CagA-positive rather than CagA-negative H. pylori patients. In 16 CagA seropositive vs. 14 CagA seronegative patients, the expression rate was 97.3% vs. 64.2% and 33.3% vs. 78.5% for cMyc and MUC-2, respectively. CagA IgG level was significantly higher in positive than in negative c-Myc patients (p= 0.036), and in negative than in positive MUC-2 patients (p= 0.044). c-Myc and MUC-2 were positively and inversely correlated with CagA IgG level (p <0.05). Conclusions: CagA-seropositive H. pylori is most probably associated with colorectal cancer development. Part of the underlying mechanism for such association might be via alterations in expression of MUC-2, which depletes the mucous protective layer in the colo-rectum, and c-Myc, which stimulates the growth of cancerous cells