Accidental Organophosphate Poisoning in a Patient Due to a Bed Bug Pesticide in the United Kingdom: A Case Report.

Organophosphate (OP) compounds, developed during World War II, are a group of chemicals used as pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. As irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), they reduce anti-cholinesterase activity and therefore increase acetylcholine (ACh) levels at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Diazinon, the OP leading to the patient's symptoms in this report, is an amber-brown liquid that was once the most widely used insecticide in the United States of America.

White matter injury and the inflammatory response following neonatal cardiac surgery.

White matter injury (WMI) is a known complication following neonatal heart surgery in term infants. In preterm infants, WMI has been associated with the degree of systemic inflammation. It is not known whether inflammation is an important mechanism of WMI as documented by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following neonatal heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Electron microscopic analysis of dairy microbes inactivated by ultrasound.

Ultrasonication is a non-thermal method of food preservation that has the advantage of inactivating microbes in food without causing the common side-effects associated with conventional heat treatments, such as nutrient and flavour loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound as an alternative to heat pasteurisation and to assess cell damage using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Three spoilage microbes, previously isolated from pasteurised milk, were used as "test" microbes.

Co-regulation of the nitrogen-assimilatory gene cluster in Clostridium saccharobutylicum.

Nitrogen assimilation is important during solvent production by Clostridium saccharobutylicum NCP262, as acetone and butanol yields are significantly affected by the nitrogen source supplied. Growth of this bacterium was dependent on the concentration of organic nitrogen supplied and the expression of the assimilatory enzymes, glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT), was shown to be induced in nitrogen-limiting conditions. The regions flanking the gene encoding GS, glnA, were isolated from C.

Use of traditional African fermented beverages as delivery vehicles for Bifidobacterium lactis DSM 10140.

A microencapsulation delivery system for Bifidobacterium lactis, a possible probiotic suited for use by the rural population of South Africa, was evaluated using two existing traditional fermented foods, amasi and mahewu. Gellan/xanthan microcapsules containing viable B. lactis, were tested under simulated physiological conditions, and added to pasteurized beverages.