Anti-biofilm activity of a sophorolipid-amphotericin B niosomal formulation against Candida albicans.

Sophorolipids (SLs) have gained interest in the pharmaceutical industries due to their anti-microbial, anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm properties. In the present study, the production of SL was increased by using low-cost media components. The potential of a SL-based niosomal formulation of amphotericin B (AmB) was determined against biofilm of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans.

PTFE-coated non-stick cookware and toxicity concerns: a perspective.

PTFE is used as an inner coating material in non-stick cookware. This unique polymer coating prevents food from sticking in the pans during the cooking process. Such cookware is also easy to wash.

Pulsed triple electron resonance (TRIER) for dipolar correlation spectroscopy.

A new pulse sequence is presented for correlating dipolar frequencies in molecules with more than two paramagnetic centers. This triple electron resonance experiment (TRIER) is an extension the double electron-electron resonance (DEER) experiment, which is widely used for distance determination in the nanometer range. We use linear chirp pulses with smoothed edges to create a refocused observer echo, and two hyperbolic secant pulses with distinct excitation windows to excite two other subsets of spins.

Can Facebook pages be a mode of blended learning to supplement in-class teaching in Saudi Arabia?

The aim of this study was to examine the potential of a self-designed Facebook page on Neuroscience, to supplement in-class teaching as a mode of blended learning. Posts were split into multiple choice questions (MCQs), general interest articles, neuroscience-related external links and resources, and lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations. The study was divided into three distinct phases: before, during, and after the Neuroscience block.

All-printed highly sensitive 2D MoS based multi-reagent immunosensor for smartphone based point-of-care diagnosis.

Immunosensors are used to detect the presence of certain bio-reagents mostly targeted at the diagnosis of a condition or a disease. Here, a general purpose electrical immunosensor has been fabricated for the quantitative detection of multiple bio-reagents through the formation of an antibody-antigen pair. The sensors were fabricated using all printing approaches.

Phytochemical screening and assessment of analgesic, Anti-inflammatory and hematological properties of the fruit of Berberis baluchistanica.

Traditionally Berberis species have been used as anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, analgesic and anti-anemic drugs. This study was aimed to determine chemical constituents and to assess analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hematological effects of the crude extract of the berries of Berberis baluchistanica to verify these folkloric claims. Phytochemical screening, carried out by using different chemical reagents and techniques like Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Fourier Transform infra-Red (FTIR) indicated presence of flavonoids, saponins, phytosterols and carbohydrates including reducing sugars.

A study of ticks and tick-borne livestock pathogens in Pakistan.

Background: As obligate blood-feeding arthropods, ticks transmit pathogens to humans and domestic animals more often than other arthropod vectors. Livestock farming plays a vital role in the rural economy of Pakistan, and tick infestation causes serious problems with it. However, research on tick species diversity and tick-borne pathogens has rarely been conducted in Pakistan.

Minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer in UK: current status and future perspectives.

The aim of this study is to review the literature and report the various minimally invasive methods used to treat gastric cancer in the UK and compare it with worldwide practice. Published randomised studies, non-randomised studies and case series reporting the use of minimal invasive approach to treat gastric cancer were retrieved from the search of standard medical electronic databases and their outcomes were highlighted suggesting their effectiveness. Several randomised, controlled trials and meta-analyses have proven the clinical and oncological safety of the laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancies amongst women attending antenatal clinics in Pakistan.

Background: Unintended pregnancies are a global public health concern and contribute significantly to adverse maternal and neonatal health, social and economic outcomes and increase the risks of maternal deaths and neonatal mortality. In countries like Pakistan where data for the unintended pregnancies is scarce, studies are required to estimate its accurate prevalence and predictors using more specific tools such as the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancies (LMUP).

Methods: We conducted a hospital based cross sectional survey in two tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.

Interaction of gliding motion of bacteria with rheological properties of the slime.

Bacteria which do not have organelles of motility, such as flagella, adopt gliding as a mode of locomotion. In gliding motility bacterium moves under its own power by secreting a layer of slime on the substrate. The exact mechanism by which a glider achieves motility is yet in controversy but there are evidences which support the wave-like undulation on the surface of the organism, as a possible mechanism of motility.

A critical appraisal of the cost effectiveness of laparoscopic colorectal surgery for oncological and non-oncological resections.

The aim of this study was to critically appraise the cost effectiveness of the laparoscopic colorectal (LCRS) surgery using published randomised, control trials (RCTs). Published RCTs comparing the cost effectiveness of LCRS with conventional open surgery were selected from the search of standard electronic databases and the extracted data were analysed using the statistical software RevMan 5.3.

Electrical Storm or Naxos Syndrome in an Adult Causing Recurrent Syncope.

Among the rare and well-known causes of sudden cardiac death by malignant arrthymias is a condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. It commonly presents with right ventricular dilatation, dysfunction and ventricular tachycardia of left bundle branch morphology due to fibro-fatty infiltration of right ventricle in second to fifth decade of life, making it an unrecognized and important cause of sudden cardiac death. Two rare variants of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy are Carvajal syndrome and Naxos syndrome.

Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in the serum of camels (Camelus dromedarius) from central Punjab, Pakistan.

Infection with the Apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum occurs in domestic and wild animals worldwide. This parasite causes significant economic losses in the dairy industry worldwide. The current study was designed to assess the prevalence of N.

Porous membrane protected micro-solid-phase extraction: A review of features, advancements and applications.

Membrane protected micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) was introduced in 2006 as an alternative to multistep SPE. μ-SPE is based on packing of very small amount of sorbent inside the porous membrane sheet whose edges are heat sealed to fabricate a μ-SPE device. This device performs clean up, extraction, and pre-concentration in a single step.

Prevalence, economic analysis and chemotherapeutic control of small ruminant fasciolosis in the Sargodha district of Punjab, Pakistan.

This study describes the epidemiology, the economic significance of small ruminant fasciolosis in animals slaughtered in the abattoirs of the Sargodha district, Punjab, Pakistan between January and June 2012. In vivo fasciolicidal efficacy of commercially available compounds was examined using a randomised complete block design. Microscopically screened faecal samples revealed 40.

Gitelman Syndrome.

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is the most frequently inherited renal salt-wasting tubulointerstitial disease. It follows variable but usually asymptomatic benign course. We present a rare case of GS that remained clinical enigma.

Hydrazide-functionalized affinity on conventional support materials for glycopeptide enrichment.

In affinity chromatography, enrichment of biomolecules is dependent on the selection of affinity sites immobilized onto a suitable support material. A few hydrazide - functionalized materials with surface modification protocols compatible to conventional support materials like silica and cellulose are reported. The study demonstrates the modification/derivatization pathways that can be adopted to modify the support materials with similar surface chemistry like cellulose, poly(GMA/DVB), or diamond.

Evaluation of layered double hydroxide/graphene hybrid as a sorbent in membrane-protected stir-bar supported micro-solid-phase extraction for determination of organochlorine pesticides in urine samples.

In this work, the potential of layered double hydroxide/graphene (LDH-G) hybrid as a sorbent for extraction and preconcentration of fifteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in urine samples was evaluated. The LDH-G hybrid was synthesized by co-precipitation method and it was then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The sorbent was then employed in membrane-protected stir-bar supported micro-solid-phase extraction (SB-μ-SPE) of OCPs in urine samples.

A systematic review of clinical effectiveness of wound edge protector devices in reducing surgical site infections in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

This article highlights the clinical effectiveness of wound edge protector devices (WEPD) in preventing the post-operative surgical site infections (SSI) in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Using the principles of meta-analysis and systematic review as recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration, the data from selected randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) were analysed to generate summated outcome and presented in the form of odds ratio (OR). Eighteen RCTs on 3808 reported the effectiveness of WEPD in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Investigations on anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Alnus nitida Spach (Endl). stem bark in Sprague Dawley rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Stem bark of Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl. (family Betulaceae) is used by local communities in northern areas of Pakistan as a remedy for swelling, injuries and pain. However no pharmacological study of this plant has been reported to confirm these activities.

Antibody Prevalence and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Women from Multan, Pakistan.

Toxoplasma gondii infections are prevalent in humans and warm-blooded animals. Maternal infections during pregnancy may have devastating consequences for transplacentally infected neonates. This study was conducted to examine the seroprevalence of antibodies to T.

A New Cross-By-Pass-Torus Architecture Based on CBP-Mesh and Torus Interconnection for On-Chip Communication.

A Mesh topology is one of the most promising architecture due to its regular and simple structure for on-chip communication. Performance of mesh topology degraded greatly by increasing the network size due to small bisection width and large network diameter. In order to overcome this limitation, many researchers presented modified Mesh design by adding some extra links to improve its performance in terms of network latency and power consumption.

Membrane protected micro-solid-phase extraction of organochlorine pesticides in milk samples using zinc oxide incorporated carbon foam as sorbent.

In this work, zinc oxide nanoparticles incorporated carbon foam was utilized as sorbent for extraction and preconcentration of fifteen organochlorine pesticides in milk samples. The sorbent was prepared by a fast and single step reaction between the sucrose and zinc nitrate that was accomplished by heating the mixture for 10min. The resulting sorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.