Fungal endocarditis following cardiac surgery

This study examines the long-term prognosis of patients with an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram in the absence of significant angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD). In general, patients without significant CAD have an excellent prognosis, but the long-term outcome for the subset of patients with an "ischemic" exercise test is not known. In this study, 161 patients with normal coronary arteries or insignificant CAD (< 50% left main and < 70% left anterior descending, left circumflex, or right), resting left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction > or = 0.50, and an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram (LV ejection fraction that decreased with exercise or peak exercise LV ejection fraction < 0.60) were followed for a median duration of 11.3 years. The mean delta LV ejection fraction was -0.07, 98 patients (61%) had a decrease in LV ejection fraction of > or = 5 units, and 40 patients (25%) had peak exercise LV ejection fraction < 0.50. During follow-up there were 19 deaths (only 1 of which was cardiac), 7 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and 9 revascularization procedures. At 12 years, overall survival was 88%, better than the expected survival for the age- and sex-matched general population. Survival free of cardiac death or myocardial infarction was 94% and survival free of any cardiac event including revascularization was 88%. Thus, patients with an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram but without significant CAD have an excellent long-term prognosis.     

A perspective on the recent progress in solution-processed methods for highly efficient perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were developed in 2009 and have led to a number of significant improvements in clean energy technology. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs has increased exponentially and currently stands at 22%. PSCs are transforming photovoltaic (PV) technology, outpacing many established PV technologies through their versatility and roll-to-roll manufacturing compatibility. The viability of low-temperature and solution-processed manufacturing has further improved their viability. This article provides a brief overview of the stoichiometry of perovskite materials, the engineering behind various modes of manufacturing by solution processing methods, and recommendations for future research to achieve large-scale manufacturing of high efficiency PSCs.     

Chemotaxis Disruption in Pratylenchus Scribneri by Tall Fescue Root Extracts and Alkaloids

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) forms a symbiotic relationship with the clavicipitalean fungal endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum. Endophyte-infected grass is tolerant to nematode, but the factors responsible are unknown. One objective of this work was to determine if root extracts of tall fescue effected chemoreceptor activity of Pratylenchus scribneri by using an in vitro chemoreception bioassay. Another objective was to determine if specific ergot alkaloids (ergovaline, ergotamine, a-ergocryptine, ergonovine), and loline alkaloids, all produced by the fungal endophyte, altered chemotaxis with this bioassay. Methanolic extract from roots altered chemotaxis activities in this nematode but only from roots of plants cultured 45 ≥ d, which repelled nematodes. Extracts prepared from noninfected grasses were attractants. This assay indicated that the alkaloids were either repellents or attractants. N-formylloline was an attractant at concentrations of 20 μg/ml and lower, while at higher concentrations it was a repellent. Ergovaline, the major ergot alkaloid produced by the endophyte, was repellent at both high and low concentrations and caused complete death of the nematodes.     

Type, extent and use of colours in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods prepared in the non-industrial sector – a case study from Hyderabad, India

The type and extent of colours added to ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods prepared in the non‐industrial sector of India was investigated. Of the 545 RTE foods analysed, 90% contained permitted colours, 2% contained a combination of permitted and non‐permitted colours and 8% contained only non‐permitted colours. However in RTE foods with permitted colours, 73% exceeded 100 ppm, as prescribed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of India, and 27% were within the prescribed levels. Among the permitted colours, tartrazine was the most widely used colour followed by sunset yellow. The maximum concentration of colours was detected in sweet meats (18 767 ppm), non‐alcoholic beverages (9450 ppm), miscellaneous foods (6106 ppm) and hard‐boiled sugar confectioneries (3811 ppm). Among the non‐permitted colours found, rhodamine was most commonly used. Some of the foods, such as savouries and miscellaneous foods like sugar coated aniseed and almond milk, are not supposed to contain colours as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but were found to contain colours.     

Conversion of Calotropis procera biocrude to liquid fuels using thermal and catalytic cracking

With the fast depletion of petroleum reserves, renewable resources like biomass are acquiring great significance. Calotropis procera, a laticiferous arid plant is identified as a potential petrocrop. The dried biomass of C. procera was subjected to non-polar (n-heptane) solvent extraction. Biocrude so obtained is a rich source of tri terpenoid type of hydrocarbons. The biocrude was upgraded to useful liquid fuels using different conversion processes such as thermal and catalytic cracking (fluid catalytic cracking, FCC). The temperature, pressure and reaction time maintained during thermal conversions were 430 and 460 °C; 1.2 and 0.2 MPa; and 15 and 30 min, respectively. Catalytic cracking was carried out in continuous mode micro reactor varying the catalyst to feed ratio (3-7.03) and temperature (460-520 °C) aiming at maximization of lighter fractions (up to diesel range). High conversions (up to 92%) were obtained using FCC as compared to thermal process (57.7%). The HPLC analysis of the liquid fuels indicated that thermal cracking yielded a better quality fuel compared to FCC. The fuel obtained by FCC was found to contain large proportions of aromatics and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).     

Enzymatically degradable prodrugs: A novel methodology for drug linkage

We have synthesized a novel enzymatically degradable prodrug system based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and tyrosine units by employing a synthetic methodology which eliminated the use of conventional blocking and deblocking methodology used for chemical linkage of drug molecule to the pendant ? NH₂ group of amino acid. A diester of PEG (6 kDa) and tyrosine hydrochloride was synthesized by dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCC)‐mediated condensation. In the second stage, oligomers were prepared by condensing phenolic ? OH groups of tyrosine in the diester with sebacic acid, using DCC. Finally, the hydrochloride salt of tyrosine in the oligomer was treated with triethylamine to activate ? NH₂ groups, which were reacted with benzoyl chloride to obtain a model prodrug system. The products synthesized were characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and GPC. The spectral data were in accordance with the proposed structures of products. Chymotrypsin‐catalyzed degradation of the oligomers was characterized by both MW measurements and Ninhydrin assay for free tyrosine. Degradation studies indicated that the rate of main‐chain degradation (ester hydrolysis) is higher than that of the side chain (amide hydrolysis). This new, simple methodology should be useful for conjugating a variety of bioactive molecules to enzymatically degradable PEG–amino acid based polymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 2108–2118, 2002     

Adherence of Acanthamoeba to human corneal epithelial cells recovered from normal non-lens wearers and asymptomatic contact lens wearers.

To increase our knowledge of factors leading to Acanthamoeba keratitis in contact lens wearers, we determined the ability of this organism to adhere to corneal epithelial cells (EC) recovered from non-lens wearers (NL) and from subjects using hydrogel contact lenses on a daily (DW) and extended wear (EW) schedule. ECs were incubated with trophozoites of Acanthamoeba and, after 3 h, the median per cent of cells exhibiting adherence was 24, 23 and 23 for NL, DW and EW groups respectively (P=0.552, Kruskal-Wallis Test). There were no differences between the groups for the number of adherent amoebae and a significant majority had only one adherent trophozoite per EC. No difference in adherence was seen with increasing exposure time. Factors other than amoebic adherence to superficial corneal EC are responsible for the increased incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis in lens wearers.