Occurrence of II and V staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec types among coagulase-negative staphylococci from Northeastern part of India.

INTRODUCTION: Coagulase Negative Staphylococci, the most commonly isolated pathogen are becoming emerging threats to the community as well as to the nosocomial environment. The present study underscores the distribution of Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among Methicillin resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci from the environmental origin. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Environmental and food sample (n = 460) from different location of northeastern region of India were collected for a period of one year and were phenotypically and genotypically screened using cefoxitin disc and PCR techniques for mecA and mecC gene detection. All the MR-CoNS isolates possessing mecA gene were subjected to 16srDNA sequencing for species identification. SCCmec typing was determined by evaluating using primer sets from type I to type V. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed for all the isolates. Statistical analysis with chi-square test using SPSS-21 statistical software. RESULTS: Methicillin resistance shown by one hundred forty three isolates were carried out for molecular analysis, among them 53.84% serves as mecA carrier. Distribution of Staphylococcus haemolyticus was more frequent and was found that SCCmec types II and V were predominant among the study isolates. Linezolid was the drug of choice for the CoNS isolates. Statistical analysis showed an insignificant result for the tested antibiotics and SCCmec types. CONCLUSION: This study therefore interprets the relative importance of SCCmec types among MR-CoNS isolates.

An ethylene glycol intercalated monometallic layered double hydroxide based on iron as an efficient bifunctional catalyst.

Given the fact that the literature describing the intercalation of organic molecules in monometallic LDH systems is scarce, the present investigation is aimed at the generation of ethylene glycol intercalated FeII-FeIII LDH with the objective of enhancing the surface area for further catalytic applications of industrially important and environmentally harmful organics. The solvothermal reaction of FeCl3 with urea in an ethylene glycol medium yielded a brown colored powder which was characterized employing a wide range of analytical techniques including high resolution powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental (C, H, N and S) analysis, UV-visible, photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements, BET surface area and pore-size analysis. The observed reflections in the PXRD pattern were indexed in a rhombohedral symmetry with a = 3.175 and c = 31.9 Å. Combining the results from the Fe 2p core level analysis and anion contents from elemental and thermogravimetric analysis, a formula of Fe2+1.06 Fe3+0.94 (O2C2H4) (OH)4 was deduced for the sample. The intercalation of EG in the interlayer was confirmed from FTIR and Raman spectroscopy measurements. The d-d transitions of the Fe3+-ion and the charge transfer transition of the Fe(ii)-Fe(iii) lattice were evident in the UV-visible spectrum. Blue indigoid emission bands arising from the transitions present in the Fe3+-ion were noticed in the photoluminescence spectrum. The measured BET surface area and pore diameter of the sample were 144 m2 g-1 and 12.5 nm, respectively. Almost instant decolourisation of the Xylenol Orange (XO) dye occurred in the presence of H2O2 and the LDH sample as catalyst. Similar observations were encountered for Methyl Orange (MO) and Methylene Blue (MB) dyes. All these reactions followed pseudo first-order kinetics. The industrially important reductive conversion of nitro aromatics was catalyzed by the sample. The selective reduction of 2,4-dinitrophenol to 2-amino-4-nitrophenol was effected almost instantaneously by this catalyst. Both the reusability and possible mechanism of catalytic action have been discussed. The EG intercalated Fe2+-Fe3+ LDH influenced the relaxivity value of protons as determined from NMR spectroscopy experiments.