Biorefinery of the macroalgae Ulva lactuca: extraction of proteins and carbohydrates by mild disintegration.

The effect of osmotic shock, enzymatic incubation, pulsed electric field, and high shear homogenization on the release of water-soluble proteins and carbohydrates from the green alga Ulva lactuca was investigated in this screening study. For osmotic shock, both temperature and incubation time had a significant influence on the release with an optimum at 30 °C for 24 h of incubation. For enzymatic incubation, pectinase demonstrated being the most promising enzyme for both protein and carbohydrate release. Pulsed electric field treatment was most optimal at an electric field strength of 7.5 kV cm-1 with 0.05 ms pulses and a specific energy input relative to the released protein as low as 6.6 kWh kgprot-1. Regarding literature, this study reported the highest protein (~ 39%) and carbohydrate (~ 51%) yields of the four technologies using high shear homogenization. Additionally, an energy reduction up to 86% was achieved by applying a novel two-phase (macrostructure size reduction and cell disintegration) technique.

A study on clinical outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS on anti retroviral therapy from rural hospital in Nepal.

Anti Retroviral Therapy has been started in Nepal since 2004 and the treatment centers have been upgrading all over the country regularly. A prospective observational study was carried out from August 2008 to December 2009 with an objective to evaluate clinical outcome of People Living with HIV/AIDS undergoing the therapy as per National Guidelines. After taking written informed consent pre-structured questionnaire was filled and patients were followed for next six months. All information were entered into SPSS 11.5 system and analyzed. Out of 44 patients, 24 (54.6%) were males and 20 (45.4%) were females. Age group 31-35 years were predominant 16 (36.6%) followed by 36-40 years 12 (27.2%). Clinically WHO stage III was found among 97.7% of the patients and 45.4% of housewives got HIV transmitted from husbands. Anti Retroviral Therapy was started in 25 (59.2%) of patients within three months HIV test positive. From initiation of therapy till six months there was, 1.7 kg of mean increase weight gain and 354 cells/mm3 increase in mean Total Lymphocyte Count. Opportunistic infections occurrence decreased significantly from 34.1% to 2.3% and 41 (93.2%) patients had drug adherence scale of more than 95 percentile. Hence it can be concluded that there is an urgent need of expanding the accessibility of the therapy to eligible patients throughout the country.

Antimicrobial drug use in hospitals in The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

Data on the use of antimicrobial drugs was collected by means of an inquiry to 30 hospitals in Belgium (15 in Dutch sectors and 15 in the French sectors), 21 hospitals in Germany and 20 hospitals in the Netherlands. The use of these drugs was expressed as the number of defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 bed days by the anatomical therapeutical chemical classification system. The total use of antimicrobial agents was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in both parts of Belgium (55.6 and 52.0 DDD per 100 bed days) than in Germany (37.9 DDD) or the Netherlands (34.1 DDD). In particular, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, the first- and second-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones were used more in Belgium than in either of the other countries. At least part of the differences observed in antimicrobial drug use could be explained by differences in written antibiotic policy.

Intrauterine devices: results of a separate clinical and ultrasound follow-up study.

A separate clinical and ultrasound study was carried out in 20 unselected patients receiving an IUD (ML Cu 250 or Cu T-200). Clinical adverse effects were studied in relation to ultrasound findings after 0, 2 and 6 months of insertion. Using both the sound length and initial ultrasound measurements, it was possible to calculate that none of the 20 IUDs reached the fundal wall of the uterine cavity (distance 0.1-2.4 cm). The mean initial distance between the top of the uterine fundal wall and the top of the IUD (TOP) was 2.0 cm (range 1.3-2.4 cm). A downward displacement of more than 0.5 cm in consecutive measurements was observed in 3 patients. Malposition of one or two arms of the IUD was found in 8 patients. In 6 of these patients clinical complaints were present.