No abstract

Pyomyositis is a term used to denote primary pyogenic infection of the skeletal muscle. Striped muscle tissue is normally resistant to bacterial infection; pyomyositis is very rare. Primary pyomyositis is a purulent infection of striated muscle that is thought to be caused by seeding from a transient bacteremia. Pyomyositis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of septic-appearing children as well as children complaining of joint pain or muscle aches. The diagnosis can be aided by either a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan. If the patient does not respond quickly to antibiotics and surgical intervention, there is either a recurrence of the previously debrided abscess or an unrecognized secondary abscess. Here, we present a case of primary pyomyositis of the iliacus muscle that might be due to severe pneumonia in a five-year-old child.

No abstract

Conjugative plasmids are typically locked in intergenomic and sexual conflicts with coresident rivals, whose translocation they block using fertility inhibition factors (FINs). We describe here the first crystal structure of an enigmatic FIN Osa deployed by the proteobacterial plasmid pSa. Osa contains a catalytically active version of the ParB/Sulfiredoxin fold with both ATPase and DNase activity, the latter being regulated by an ATP-dependent switch. Using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/D4 type-IV secretion system (T4SS), a relative of the conjugative T4SS, we demonstrate that catalytically active Osa blocks T-DNA transfer into plants. With a partially reconstituted T4SS in vitro, we show that Osa degrades T-DNA in the T-DNA-VirD2 complex prior to its translocation. Further, we present evidence for conservation and interplay between ATPase and DNase activities throughout the ParB/Sulfiredoxin fold, using other members of the family, namely P1 ParB and RK2 KorB, which have general functional implications across diverse biological contexts.

Response surface methodology employing central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize fermentation medium for the production of cellulase-free, alkaline xylanase from Streptomyces violaceoruber under r submerged fermentation. The design was employed by selecting wheat bran, peptone, beef extract, incubation time and agitation as model factors. A second-order quadratic model and response surface method showed that the optimum conditions for xylanase production (wheat bran 3.5 % (w/v), peptone 0.8 % (w/v), beef extract 0.8 % (w/v), incubation time 36 h and agitation 250 rpm) results in 3.0-fold improvement in alkaline xylanase production (1500.0 IUml -1 ) as compared to initial level (500.0 IUml -1 ) after 36 h of fermentation, whereas its value predicted by the quadratic model was 1347 IUml -1 . Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination (R fi 2 ) value of 0.9718, ensuring a satisfactory adjustment of the quadratic model with the experimental data.The economical and cellulase-free nature of xylanase would enhance its applicability in pulp and paper industry.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract