Search

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae commonly causes healthcare-associated infections and shows multidrug resistance. K. pneumoniae can produce biofilm. Carbapenem resistance in K. pneumoniae is due to the production of carbapenemases mainly. This study was done to evaluate the formation of biofilm and carbapenemase resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates. Material and Methods: A total of 110 K. pneumoniae isolated from various clinical samples were taken, the antibiotic susceptibility test was done by the Kirby disk diffusion method, and biofilm detection was done by the tissue culture plate method. All the carbapenem-resistant isolates were confirmed by multiplex real-time PCR (mPCR). Those found positive for any of the carbapenemase genes were tested by the modified Hodge test (MHT), modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM), and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-modified carbapenem inactivation method (eCIM). Results: Out of 110 isolates, 66% (72/110) were carbapenem-resistant (suggestive of carbapenemase producers) by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion but 58% (42/72) of Klebsiella isolates were confirmed for carbapenemase production by mPCR. Maximum number of carbapenemase gene were New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) 52% (N = 22), 29% (N = 12) coproducers (NDM+OXA-48), and lowest in oxacillinase (OXA-48), 19% (N = 8). The overall sensitivity of MHT and mCIM+eCIM was 62% and 93%, and specificity was 88% and 97%, respectively. Our study showed that moderate biofilm producers were 51% (N = 56) K. pneumoniae isolates, strong biofilm producers 27% (N = 30), and 22% (N = 30) were weak/non-biofilm producers. We also found the correlation between biofilm formation and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CR-KP) genes was statistically significant with a P value of 0.01*<0.05. Conclusion: Most isolates of K. pneumoniae demonstrated a wide range of antibiotic resistance and were biofilm producers. Our results indicated that the combination of mCIM with eCIM showed high sensitivity and specificity to detect CR-KP compared with MHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A solvent‐free sulfur‐bridge‐eosin‐Y (SBE‐Y) polymeric framework photocatalyst was prepared for the first time through an in situ thermal polymerization route using elemental sulfur (S8) as a bridge. The addition of a sulfur bridge to the polymeric framework structure resulted in an allowance of the harvesting range of eosin‐Y (E‐Y) for solar light. This shows that a wider range of solar light can be used by the bridge material's photocatalytic reactions. In this context, supercharged solar spectrum: enhancing light absorption and hole oxidation with sulfur bridges. This suggests that the excited electrons and holes through solar light can contribute to oxidation–reduction reactions more potently. As a result, the photocatalyst‐enzyme attached artificial photosynthesis system developed using SBE‐Y as a photocatalyst performs exceptionally well, resulting in high 1,4‐NADH regeneration (86.81%), followed by its utilization in the exclusive production of formic acid (210.01 μmol) from CO2 and synthesis of fine chemicals with 99.9% conversion yields. The creation of more effective photocatalytic materials for environmental clean‐up and other applications that depend on the solar light‐driven absorption spectrum of inorganic and organic molecules could be one of the practical ramifications of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Carbon dioxide reduction together with aerobic oxidative cyclization using eosin Y-based light-harvesting photocatalysts remains a key challenge. In this study, we present the first-ever synthesis of unique in situ Se-infused eosin Y (Sein–EY) flexible photocatalysts through a simple one-pot method. The as-synthesized Sein–EY flexible film photocatalyst exhibits outstanding performance for the production of formic acid (204 μM in 2 h) and aerobic oxidative cyclization of thioamides via the formation of C–N/C–S bonds with outstanding yields (98.6%) when exposed to solar light. The presence of infused Se significantly extends the solar light absorption capacity of the Sein–EY photocatalyst, reaching up to 580 nm. This study opens up a new pathway for the rational design and synthesis of potentially effective Se-infused-EY photocatalysts through a simple and scalable method, enabling both solar chemical production and efficient one-pot three-component reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Disability in children gives rise to various needs in parents, which may vary according to the nature of disability and parental characteristics. Cross-cultural findings will help in understanding the process of meeting those needs, which ultimately help in designing appropriate interventions. The main objectives of the study were to compare the perceived needs of fathers and mothers having a child with intellectual disability, and to understand their cumulative needs with reference to the age, sex, and severity of functional disability of the child. Thirty couples, each having a child with intellectual disability, were assessed with the NIMH Family Needs Schedule. The needs expressed by fathers and mothers differed significantly. Needs of the parents varied according to the age and sex of the child. Severity of intellectual disability had less impact on the nature of parental needs. The needs of mothers and fathers can be different. Some needs of the parents may subside as their intellectually disabled child grows, but they are duly replaced by others. Needs of the parents grossly vary according to the sex but not the severity of intellectual disability of the child. Wherever applicable, family intervention should focus on the needs of the mothers and fathers separately with due consideration to the sex and age of the child. more...

The Solani Aqueduct is 175 years old heritage structure in Roorkee, India. The exterior surface of structure is deteriorated due to fungal infestation. Fungi can spoil valuable heritage sites aesthetically, mechanically and chemically. Five fungi namely: Curvularia pallescens, Fusarium equiseti, Talaromyces purpureogenus, Aspergillus niger, and Alternaria alternata were isolated and identified from exterior surface of the Solani Aqueduct. Essential oils (Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Clove) were evaluated by using agar well diffusion method against three (out of five) dominating fungi A. niger, T. purpureogenus, and A. alternata to determine the zone of inhibition. The clove oil (10000 ppm) exhibited antifungal activity against different fungi in the following order i.e., Alternaria>Talaromyces>Aspergillus. Further, clove oil (10000 ppm) with three individual water-repellent coatings (konex 2318, konex 2319, and zycosil-zycoprime) was applied on a white cement panel to determine their anti-fungal performance against above three fungi. The clove oil (10000 ppm) exhibited effective results against all three fungi up to 28 days. The GC-MS spectra of clove oil exhibited eugenol content of 86.95%. The maximum depth of penetration of coating was determined using various dyes and was recorded as maximum for konex 2319 (3.0 mm) followed by konex 2318 (2.7 mm) and zycosil-zycoprime (1.3 mm). On the basis of visual observation and water hydrophobicity test performed on field trial at surface of Solani Aqueduct, Roorkee, the order of effective protecting coating has been in order off clove oil (10000 ppm) with konex 2319 >konex 2318 >zycosil - zycoprime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background and Purpose. Mucormycosis and Aspergillosis square measure the foremost frequent fungal infections caused by these filamentous fungi. Co-infection is scarce and involves a poor prognosis. The commonest presentation of invasive fungal infection (IFI) is rhinocerebral involvement. It generally affects immunocompromised patients. Case Report. A 55-years-old post-COVID male patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus developed swelling and chemosis in the left eye. In plain computed tomography (CT) orbit, mucosal thickenings were seen in the ethmoid, sphenoid, left frontal, and left maxillary sinuses without any erosions or extensions. Nasal endoscopy showed black-brown overgrowth on the left middle turbinate. Biopsy revealed growth of both Mucor and Aspergillus. The patient, treated for diabetic ketoacidosis along with amphotericin-B for anti-fungal management, showed significant improvement, and is now stable. Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first case of co-infection with Mucormycosis (Rhizopus spp.) and Aspergillosis (Aspergillus flavus) in a post-COVID patient. An early diagnosis is a major advantage in its management. The multidisciplinary approach of such cases is invaluable. The implementation of higher diagnostic methods including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis at all tertiary care facilities is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

BACKGROUND Zingiber montanum (J.Koenig) Link ex A.Dietr. (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as cassumunar-ginger, is a folk remedy for the treatment of inflammations, sprains, rheumatism and asthma. The aim of the present study was to assess the chemical composition, and antibacterial, antifungal, allelopathic and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of the essential oil of Z. montanum originating from India. RESULTS The hydrodistilled essential oil of Z. montanum rhizome was analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 49 constituents, forming 98.7-99.9% of the total oil compositions, was identified. The essential oil was characterized by higher amount of monoterpene hydrocarbons (32.6-43.5%), phenylbutanoids (27.5-41.2%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (11.4-34.1%). Major constituents of the oil were sabinene (13.5-38.0%), ( E)-1-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)buta-1,3-diene (DMPBD) (20.6-35.3%), terpinen-4-ol (9.0-31.3%), γ-terpinene (1.1-4.8%) and β-phellandrene (1.0-4.4%). The oil was evaluated against eight pathogenic bacteria and two fungal strains. It exhibited low to good antibacterial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration: 125-500 µg mL-1) and moderate antifungal activity (250 µg mL-1) against the tested strains. The oil reduced germination (69.8%) and inhibited the root and shoot growth of lettuce significantly (LD50: 3.58 µL plate-1). However, it did not demonstrate acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity up to a concentration of 10 mg mL-1. CONCLUSIONS The essential oil of Z. montanum can be used as a potential source of DMPBD, terpinen-4-ol and sabinene for pharmaceutical products. The results of the present study add significant information to the pharmacological activity of Z. montanum native to India. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

To assess the changes in essential oil content and composition of sweet- marjoram (Origanum majoranaL.) during post harvest drying / storage, an experiment was conducted in the hilly region of Uttarakhand. Drying of sweet-marjoram herb under shade and field conditions prior to distillation increased the essential oil recovery by 11.1 %. Altogether, twenty-seven constituents, representing 93.23-98.81 % of the total oil compositions were identified using GC/FID and GC/MS techniques. Major constituents of the oil werecis-sabinene hydrate (20.23-46.27 %), terpinen-4-ol (9.32-23.43 %), γ-terpinene (5.67-13.76 %), α-terpinene (2.98-8.38 %), sabinene (4.90-8.17 %),trans-sabinene hydrate (5.01-7.34 %) and α-terpineol (3.41-4.17 %). The amount ofcis-sabinene hydrate decreased on shade drying and subsequent storage under shade conditions (from 37.05 to 20.23 %); however, its content was improved on drying under space conditions (37.52-46.27 %) as compared to the fresh herb (37.05 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) yields a commercial essential oil, which is a natural source of citral. In the present study, essential oil productivity and chemical compositions of the eight lemongrass cultivars from the Himalayan region were evaluated. The herb yield, essential oil content and essential oil yield varied from 168 to 208 kg per 100 m2, from 0.50% to 1.13% (v/w) and from 1.01 to 2.35 L per 100 m2, respectively in different cultivars. Altogether, twenty-eight constituents, comprising 86.6–98.5% of the total oil compositions, were identified using gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Comparative results showed substantial variations in the essential oil compositions due to cultivars and season of harvest. The amount of citral varied from 70.8% to 91.6% in different cultivars during the summer, rainy and winter seasons. According to the citral content, lemongrass cultivars could be arranged as Nima (88.8–91.6%) > Pragati (84.1–91.2%) > Cauvery (83.9–87.3%) > Krishna (70.8–86.8%) > OD–19 (82.0–86.0%) > Chirharit (78.6–82.8%) > Praman (75.2–82.5%) > CKP-25 (77.6–79.4%). In conclusion, cultivar Krishna was found to be superior over other cultivars in term of essential oil yield (2.35 L per 100 m−2). The average citral content in this cultivar was ≈80.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

To determine the seasonal influence on essential oil yield and composition of three rose-scented geranium cultivars, namely Bourbon type, CIM-Pawan and Kelkar, an experiment was carried out in western Himalayan region, India. The essential oil yield varied from 0.05% to 0.20%, from 0.10% to 0.25% and from 0.03% to 0.12% in fresh biomass of the cv. Bourbon type, CIM-Pawan and Kelkar, respectively. Gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and /mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses revealed significant variations in the essential oil composition of rose-scented geranium due to cultivar and season of harvesting. The major components in the essential oil of cv. Bourbon type were geraniol (14.1–34.6%), citronellol (15.2–31.3%), linalool (2.9–9.2%), citronellyl formate (4.4–9.2%), isomenthone (4.5–6.6%), 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (4.7–6.7%) and geranyl formate (3.8–6.2%). The dominant constituents of the cv. CIM-Pawan essential oil were geraniol (11.9–31.9%), citronellol (16.1–30.2%), citronellyl formate (5.2–8.9%), linalool (3.7–6.4%), isomenthone (4.0–6.3%), 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (4.4–5.2%) and geranyl formate (4.3–5.0%). However, the chemical composition and odor of cv. Kelkar was quite different from the other two cultivars and the major components found in this oil were citronellol (51.0–63.4%) and isomenthone (9.8–17.8%). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] more...

The essential oil content and composition of "sweet marjoram" (Majorana hortensis Moench.) cultivated in the Kumaon region of the western Himalayas was studied at different ages of the crop. The samples were taken after 60, 90, 120 and 150 days of transplanting. The essential oil contents varied from 0.20 to 0.70 %. The essential oil was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Twenty eight components, representing 96.53-98.44 % of the oil, were identified. The major essential oil constituents, viz., cis-sabinene hydrate (37.05-47.49 %), terpinen-4-ol (14.45-16.22 %) and trans-sabinene hydrate (5.81-6.97 %) showed considerable variation in their concentrations in relation to crop age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

AbstractThe development of friction stir welding (FSW) created the basic foundation for friction stir processing (FSP). This process entails refining the local microstructure and achieving the localised plastic deformation due to the stirring effect of the tool, which may involve adding additional filler material as required. The rotating tool involved in the process has a shoulder and pin responsible for heat generation for plastic deformation and localised mixing. The rotating tool is inserted and traversed on the desired surface, tailoring the material properties. The tool’s exposure to the surface causes localised plastic deformation and thermal gradient, and microstructural changes occur locally. The present investigation uses Friction Stir Processing (FSP) to fabricate an aluminium metal matrix composite. Recently, the use of aluminium alloy has been replaced by composites because of their increased mechanical and physical properties (specific properties). The experiment leads to manufacturing an aluminium metal matrix composite using aluminium oxide, boron carbide and commercially pure copper dust. Later, the effect of heat treatment on the respective metal matrix composite is studied. A comparative study among three different types of FSP techniques viz. FSP, Reinforced FSP, and Heat-treated Reinforced FSP have been performed. The tool revolution speed (RPM) and tool traverse speed of 400 RPM and 10 mm/min had been implemented, respectively. The T4 Heat-Treatment cycle was used during the current investigation. This investigative study was performed to analyse the changes in grain sizes and hardness values at the stir zone (SZ), thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and on the base materials (BM) of the samples. The reinforced FSP metal matrix composite (MMC) showed an 81.26% increase in the micro-hardness value (HV) compared to the base metal. Further on analysing the microstructures, the reinforced FSP composite showed a 65.20% reduction in grain size. Moreover, the Heat-Treated sample showed an increase in the micro-hardness value by 99.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The essential oil content in the inflorescence of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) cultivated in the mid hills of Uttarakhand was found to be 2.8 % based on the fresh weight. The oil was analysed by capillary GC and GC- MS. Thirty seven constituents, representing 97.81 % of the oil were identified. The major components of the oil were linalyl acetate (47.56 %), linalool (28.06 %), lavandulyl acetate (4.34 %) and α-terpineol (3.75 %). The quality of lavender oil produced in India was found to be comparable to that produced in Hungary, France, China, Bulgaria, Russia and the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...