The Potential of Antibiotics and Nanomaterial Combinations as Therapeutic Strategies in the Management of Multidrug-Resistant Infections: A Review

Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health concern around the world. This is exacerbated by the non-discovery of novel drugs, the development of resistance mechanisms in most of the clinical isolates of bacteria, as well as recurring infections, hindering disease treatment efficacy. In vitro data has shown that antibiotic combinations can be effective when microorganisms are resistant to individual drugs. Recently, advances in the direction of combination therapy for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections have embraced antibiotic combinations and the use of nanoparticles conjugated with antibiotics. Nanoparticles (NPs) can penetrate the cellular membrane of disease-causing organisms and obstruct essential molecular pathways, showing unique antibacterial mechanisms. Combined with the optimal drugs, NPs have established synergy and may assist in regulating the general threat of emergent bacterial resistance. This review comprises a general overview of antibiotic combinations strategies for the treatment of microbial infections. The potential of antibiotic combinations with NPs as new entrants in the antimicrobial therapy domain is discussed.     

Benign disease of the breast in Ile-Ife: a 10 year experience and literature review

This study is a 10 year review of the benign diseases of the breast in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A total of 362 cases were found. Three hundred and forty (95%) of the diseases occurred in females while 18 (5%) occurred in males giving a female-male ratio of 19:1. Fibroadenoma was the commonest lesion followed by fibrocystic disease. They accounted for 59.1% and 16.5% of benign breast diseases respectively. Acute and acute-on-chronic mastitis constituted 7.2%. These three lesions made up over 82% of the cases. Gynaecomastia was the commonest benign male breast disease and accounted for 3.8% of all the cases of benign breast disease. Apart from the atypical hyperplasia form of fibrocystic disease, benign diseases of the breast are not major predisposing lesions to malignant breast diseases.     

Failure Mechanisms of Stretchable Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices under Monotonic and Cyclic Deformations

This paper presents the results of experimental and analytical studies of the failure mechanisms of stretchable perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs). The multilayered PeLED structures consist of an anodic layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene-sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), an emissive layer of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃), and a eutectic gallium–indium (EGaIn) cathodic layer, which are deposited onto treated polydimethylsiloxane substrates. The intrinsically nonstretchable MAPbBr₃ and PEDOT:PSS are modified with poly(ethylene oxide). The failure mechanisms of the layered stretchable PeLED structures are then investigated under monotonic and cyclic deformations. The optical and scanning electron microscopy images show the deflection and propagation of cracks and wrinkles under applied strains. Cracking of perovskite crystal and debonding of films are also observed with increased cyclic deformation. The effects of the failure mechanisms on the optoelectronic properties of the devices are then studied. The in situ measured transmittance of the PEDOT:PSS (≈75%) reduces with increasing uniaxial strain, and then is increased close to its initial value when the strain is released. The turn-on voltage of the device increases with increasing number of cycles between 50 and 1000 cycles at 20% strain level. The fatigue lifetimes of the PeLED structures are used to explain the design of stretchable perovskite devices.     

Optimized Mechanical Properties,Corrosion Resistance and Bactericidal Ability of Ti-15Zr-xCu Biomedical Alloys During Aging Treatment

The effects of different aging conditions on the microstructure, strength, corrosion resistance, cytotoxicity and antibacterial ability of Ti-15Zr-xCu (3 ≤ x ≤ 7, wt%) (TZC) alloys were systematically investigated. Microstructural evolution and behavior were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), while potentiodynamic polarization technique was employed to characterize the corrosion response of the alloys after solution-treatment and aging (STA). High-temperature aging at 660 °C for 4 h (660-4) gave the best combination of properties by enabling significant precipitation of the Cu-rich Ti₂Cu and Zr₂Cu compounds, and mild formation of the Zr₇Cu₁₀ secondary phase. The high kinetics at this condition was beneficial to the complete precipitation and more homogeneous distribution of the intermetallic particles. These led to the inhibition of dislocation movements and allowed for significantly improved mechanical strengths with added ductility, availability of more Cu ions for the desired oligodynamic activity without evoking cytotoxicity, better corrosion resistance and very high antibacterial ability (over 99.5%), thus improving the overall properties of the TZC alloys for biomedical applications.     

Movement of water columns in Lake Kainji

Seasonal flooding, the corresponding variations in the flow regime and the attendant influx of organic and inorganic materials into Lake Kainji are producing environmental changes in the lake system. The physical size of the lake, however, makes it impossible for field crews to carry out badly needed regular synoptic surveys of the lake. Earlier studies have suggested a link between horizontal turbidity gradients and general pattern of circulation in the lake. In this study, ratioing of the spectral albedo in selected multi-seasonal and multi-spectral scanner (MSS) bands of LANDSAT satellite have shown a significant correlation with the turbidity characteristics of the lake monitored between 1972 and 1974. The spectral classification of the lake's water, using remote sensing technique, has been found useful in charting the movement of different water masses within the lake.