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In the world of intense usage of antibiotics, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance necessitates research on alternative forms of antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are least known to induce resistance. The partial sequence of bacteriocin BaCf3, produced by marine Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BTSS3, derived from Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation - Time of Flight Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (MALDI-ToF MS/MS) data was analyzed for amino acid composition and modelled in silico using TrRosetta. The mechanism of action of BaCf3 was studied in vitro on B. circulans NCIM2107 cell wall using microscopic techniques, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Docking studies with cancer markers, glucose transporter protein, and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) receptor tyrosine kinase were also conducted. BaCf3 was found to be rich in glycine and hydrophobic in nature, a characteristic property of cell wall acting AMPs. The structure of BaCf3 obtained from TrRosetta had antiparallel b-sheets resembling Laterosporulin. The bacteriocin BaCf3 has been found to act on the cell membrane of opportunistic pathogen Bacillus circulans, causing permeabilization and pore formation by dissipating the membrane potential. The microscopic examination also proved the mode of action of BaCf3 as cell wall acting. In silico docking studies with anticancer target proved that bacteriocin BaCf3 is also a possible anticancer drug candidate. In vitro anticancer assays such as 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide dual staining on lung carcinorma cell line A549 further prove the anticancer activity of the bacteriocin.

Introduction: Many frontline workers including doctors and nurses have succumbed to the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the COVID-19 pandemic, medical postgraduate (PG) aspirants had to deal with a variety of problems, including an increased workload, delay in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG test and counselling. Aim: To assess the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and various factors influencing career choice among medical PG aspirants in Chennai. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in the Department of Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India from August 2021 to September 2021 among 272 medical Postgraduate (PG) aspirants. A Google form questionnaire was sent to students who were in an internship in the past six months or had completed their internship in the past one year. There were 28 multiple choice questions comprising of socio-demographic details (with exception of age) and various factors related to career choice. Five questions were scored yes/no, and 15 questions were scored using 5-point Likert scale. Results: The mean age of the participants was 24.41±1.81 years and there were 129 males and 143 females in total among the study participants. Change in career choice was observed in 39.33% of the participants. The top two choices prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic was General Surgery and General Medicine. Among the participants who had a change in career choice, the mean score of four questions in COVID-19 pandemic domain was higher when compared with participants who had no change. Conclusion: Most of the participants believed that the COVID-19 pandemic limited the learning opportunities for postgraduates and the violence against doctors had an impact on their decision to pursue a particular career. Due to the present pandemic, participants interest in community medicine and infectious diseases has increased.

This data article describes the bacterial diversity of the deep sea shark, Centroscyllium fabricii. The data was acquired by metabarcoding using 16S rDNA. Centroscyllium fabricii, a deep sea shark found at depths below 275 m was sampled during Sagar Sampada cruise no 305 in the Indian Ocean and metagenomic DNA was isolated from the gut contents using QIAamp DNA stool minikit. V3 region of 16S rDNA region was amplified and the amplicons were sequenced on Illumina MiSeq system using 151 bp × 2 paired end reads. The data of this metagenome is available in the BioSample Submission Portal as Bio-Project PRJNA431407and Sequence Read Archive (SRA) accession number SRR6507004. Keywords: Centroscyllium fabricii, Gut microbiota, Metagenome, Illumina

Environmental microbes living in communities engage in complex interspecies interactions that are challenging to decipher. Nevertheless, the interactions provide the basis for shaping community structure and functioning, which is crucial for ecosystem service. In addition, microbial interactions facilitate specific adaptation and ecological evolution processes particularly essential for microbial communities dwelling in resource-limiting habitats, such as the deep oceans. Recent technological and knowledge advancements provide an opportunity for the study of interactions within complex microbial communities, such as those inhabiting deep-sea waters and sediments. The microbial interaction studies provide insights into developing new strategies for biotechnical applications. For example, cooperative microbial interactions drive the degradation of complex organic matter such as chitins and celluloses. Such microbiologically-driven biogeochemical processes stimulate creative designs in many applied sciences. Understanding the interaction processes and mechanisms provides the basis for the development of synthetic communities and consequently the achievement of specific community functions. Microbial community engineering has many application potentials, including the production of novel antibiotics, biofuels, and other valuable chemicals and biomaterials. It can also be developed into biotechniques for waste processing and environmental contaminant bioremediation. This review summarizes our current understanding of the microbial interaction mechanisms and emerging techniques for inferring interactions in deep-sea microbial communities, aiding in future biotechnological and therapeutic applications.

Chondroid syringoma is a rare, skin appendageal tumor. It is also known as mixed tumor of skin, as it histologically resembles mixed tumor of salivary gland (pleomorphic adenoma). It is most commonly a benign tumor, but a few malignant counterparts have been described in history. It usually presents as a solid, slow-growing, solitary, and painless nodule in the head and neck region. Malignant counterpart is rare and commonly affects trunk and extremities. Early diagnosis and surgery by wide local excision are the most reliable treatments to date. Recurrences are common and hence close follow-up is advised. In this study, we present a case of malignant chondroid syringoma of face with extensive extension into nose and paranasal sinuses, which was recurrent and managed by surgical excision and radiotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case with extension and bone destruction into nose and sinuses.

The presentation of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) can be clandestine and deceptive. The NPC presenting as a deep neck space infection with airway compromise and intracranial extension is a rare occurrence. We report a case of 60-year-old male presenting with headache followed by right sided neck swelling with breathing difficulty with a Computed Tomography (CT) scan revealing a collection in deep neck space and destructive mass in the nasopharynx. We discuss the varied presentation of NPC from a trivial headache till life threatening stridor and furthermore review the literature emphasising on the same.

Background: The genus Aeromonas include gram-negative, motile, facultative anaerobic, rod shaped and oxidase positive bacteria comprising several species, associated with the aquatic environment. Aeromonas species have been implicated in human pathogenesis and are linked with gastroenteritis, muscle infections, septicemia, and skin diseases. In fish they are renowned as enteric pathogens causing haemorrhagic septicemia, fin rot, soft tissue rot and furunculosis resulting in major die-offs and fish kills. Aim: This study reports the occurrence of potential pathogenic Aeromonas sp. in tropical seafood (Squids, Prawns and Mussels), aquafarms and mangroves of Cochin, Kerala, South India. Materials and Methods :Tropical seafood (Squid, Prawn and Mussel), sediment and water samples from aquafarms and associated mangroves were screened for Aeromonas contamination. The isolates were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis and subjected to morphological and biochemical characterization. Haemolytic assay was used for determining pathogenicity of the organisms. Antibiotic susceptibility against 12 antibiotics were performed and the MAR index was calculated. Results: A total of 134 isolates were recovered from the samples of which 15 were identified as Aeromonas species by 16S rDNA sequence analysis and were assigned to 5 species namely, A. hydrophila, A. enteropelogenes, A. caviae, A. punctataand A. aquarorium. Morphological, biochemical and phylogenetic analyses revealed relatedness and variability among the strains. All the isolates were haemolytic on blood agar indicating their pathogenicity. The isolates exhibited varying degrees of resistance to vancomycin (86.66%), ampicillin (46.66%), nalidixic acid (20%), tetracycline (6.66%), co-trimaxozole (6.66%) and rifampicin (6.66%) and were susceptible to antibiotics like gentamycin, streptomycin, trimethoprim, azithromycin, cefixime and chloramphenicol. 20% of Aeromonas sp. showed MAR index > 0.2 indicative of the high risk environment. Conclusion: The presence of Aeromonas sp. has been recognised as a potential health risk and surveillance of this pathogen is crucial for successful disease management and control. [Vet World 2013; 6(6.000): 300-306]