Biodegradation of polyethylene and polystyrene by Zophobas atratus larvae from Bangladeshi source and isolation of two plastic-degrading gut bacteria.

Plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern globally, and novel and eco-friendly approaches like bioremediation are essential to mitigate the impact. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and expanded polystyrene (EPS) are three of the most frequently used plastic types. This study examined biodegradation of these using Zophobas atratus larvae, followed by isolation and whole genome sequencing of gut bacteria collected from larvae frass. Over 36 days, 24.04 % LDPE, 20.01 % EPS, and 15.12 % LLDPE were consumed on average by the larvae, with survival rates of 85 %, 90 %, and 87 %, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of fresh plastic types, consumed plastics, and larvae frass showed proof of plastic oxidation in the gut. Frass bacteria were isolated and cultured in minimal salt media supplemented with plastics as the sole carbon source. Two isolates of bacteria were sampled from these cultures, designated PDB-1 and PDB-2. PDB-1 could survive on LDPE and LLDPE as carbon sources, whereas PDB-2 could survive on EPS. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) provided proof of degradation in both cases. Both isolates were identified as strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by sequencing, assembly, and annotation of their genomes. LDPE- and LLDPE-degrading enzymes e.g., P450 monooxygenase, alkane monooxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, etc. were identified in PDB-1. Similarly, phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase and other enzymes involved in EPS degradation were identified in PDB-2. Genes of both isolates were compared with genomes of known plastic-degrading P. aeruginosa strains. Virulence factors, antibiotic-resistance genes, and rhamnolipid biosurfactant biosynthesis genes were also identified in both isolates. This study indicated Zophobas atratus larvae as potential LDPE, LLDPE, and EPS biodegradation agent. Additionally, the isolated strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa provide a more direct and eco-friendly solution for plastic degradation. Confirmation and modification of the plastic-degrading pathways in the bacteria may create scope for metabolic engineering in the future.

High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in the Trachea of Intensive Care Units Admitted Patients: Evidence from a Bangladeshi Hospital.

Recent research has shown that antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are becoming more prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs) at an exponential rate. Patients in the ICU can get infected by pathogens due to invasive operation procedures and critical health conditions. This study primarily emphasized tracheal samples from ICU patients due to their reliance on ventilators, increasing their susceptibility to Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP). Moreover, the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens makes treatment strategies more challenging for these patients. In this study, we tested 200 tracheal specimens to determine the prevalence of microorganisms and analyzed the antibiotic susceptibility of these isolates against regular antibiotics, including 4th generation drugs. Among the 273 isolates, 81% were gram-negative bacteria, 10% were gram-positive bacteria, and 9% were fungi. The most prevalent gram-negative bacteria were Acinetobacter spp. (34%), Klebsiella spp. (22%), Pseudomonas spp. (14%), and Escherichia coli (9.2%). The most prevalent gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (5.9%), and the fungi were Candida spp. (7.3%). Among the most prevalent bacteria, except Staphylococcus aureus isolates, around 90% were resistant to multiple drugs, whereas 60% of Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were extensively drug resistant. Sensitivity analysis against the gram-negative and gram-positive drug panel using a one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey's post hoc test showed that in the in vitro assay, colistin was the most effective antibiotic against all gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, linezolid, vancomycin, and fusidic acid were most effective against all gram-positive bacteria. Regular monitoring of nosocomial infections and safe management of highly resistant bacteria can help prevent future pandemics.

Clinical relevance of expanded quantitative urine culture in health and disease.

"Expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC)" is an enhanced culture protocol for the detection of viable microbes in urine specimens. Using a large volume of urine and different sets of cultural conditions, EQUC is able to uncover a wide range of bacteria and fungi (yeasts) that were otherwise undetected by the standard urinary culture. In addition to common urinary pathogens, EQUC has been shown to detect emerging and new pathogens, and commensal microbiota. Although the usefulness of EQUC protocol in clinical set up has not yet been fully established, recent studies have demonstrated that EQUC can provide valuable information regarding symptom resolution, treatment responses and diagnosis of major urinary disorders including urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence and other lower urinary tract symptoms. EQUC may also help in evaluating the utility of beneficial microbiota as biotherapeutics. This narrative minireview describes the current research findings regarding the clinical utility of EQUC in characterizing the role of urinary microbiome and uropathogens in health and disease. The literature which are written in English, available on "PubMed" and contain any of the terms- "expanded quantitative urine culture", "enhanced quantitative urine culture" and "EQUC" in the abstracts were used as the source articles to prepare this minireview.

Assessment of potential pathogenic bacterial load and multidrug resistance in locally manufactured cosmetics commonly used in Dhaka metropolis.

In Bangladesh cosmetics are being produced disregarding the Good Manufacturing Practices. So, this study aimed to test the level and nature of bacterial contamination of such cosmetics. A total of 27 cosmetics comprising eight lipsticks, nine powders, and ten creams were bought from New Market and Tejgaon areas of Dhaka city and tested. Bacteria was detected in 85.2% of samples. Majority of the samples (77.8%) exceeded the limit given by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella spp.) and Gram-positive bacteria (species of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Listeria monocytogenes) were identified. Hemolysis was observed in 66.7% Gram-positive and 25% Gram-negative bacteria. Multidrug resistance was tested in 165 randomly selected isolates. Every species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria exhibited varying levels of multidrug resistance. The highest levels of antibiotic resistance were in broad-spectrum antibiotics (ampicillin, azithromycin, cefepime, ciprofloxacin and meropenem) and narrow-spectrum Gram-negative antibiotics (aztreonam and colistin). Multidrug resistance was 12-78% in Gram-negative bacteria and 12-100% in Gram-positive bacteria. Coagulase and DNase were identified in 97.5% and 5.1% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates respectively. Our findings indicate that these cosmetics pose a risk to the public's health.

Impact of COVID-19 on mental health: A quantitative analysis of anxiety and depression based on regular life and internet use.

This paper describes the psychological state of human from different ages, genders, and professions with the impact of COVID - 19 in their regular life in Bangladesh with simulated and visualized infographic images containing statistical analysis from a collected survey on real regular life which is based on their activities of regular life and internet uses. Literature has been reviewed with various COVID - 19 based psychological work and our work on psychological state, anxiety reasons, and depression scale analysis. Secondly, a process of analysis and statistical format has been described through a specific methodology diagram, which contains the collected dataset's overall data analysis process. Thirdly, a complete analysis report is given by the dataset analysis, including every specific data collected. Fourthly, a discussion based on analysis and statistical analysis with informative tables is described individually for different aspects. Finally, some unavoidable limitations are initialized with reasons though every dataset collected from real regular life and internet use impacts COVID - 19 in Bangladesh.