Serum Heparin-binding protein serves as a non-invasive potential marker of acute bacterial meningitis even in partially treated cases.

Thus far, only a small number and types of bacteria with limited ability in degrading imidacloprid have been reported. Also, genes regulating imidacloprid (IMDA) degradation have yet to be discovered. To study this in more detail, an enrichment technique was used to isolate consortia and pure cultures of IMDA-degrading bacteria. Through this approach, we successfully isolated a novel bacterium capable of completely degrading IMDA as a sole nitrogen source. The bacterium was subsequently identified as Mycobacterium sp. strain MK6 by sequence analysis of its 16S rRNA gene (Genbank accession number KR052814 ). BLASTn searches indicated that 16S rRNA gene from Mycobacterium sp. strain MK6 was 99% identical to several Mycobacterium spp. Mycobacterium sp. strain MK6 transformed 99.7% added IMDA (150 μg mL(-1)) in <2 weeks (t1/2 = 1.6 days) to 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-CNA) as its major metabolite. Although the isolated strain and mixed bacterial consortia were able to degrade IMDA, they failed to grow further on 6-CNA, indicating a lack of IMDA mineralization to carbon dioxide. Small amounts of the desnitro-olefin and desnitro-degradates of IMDA were observed during the incubation but did not accumulate in culture medium.

Sorption-desorption of the insecticide imidacloprid 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)-methyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine onto a lacustrine sandy clay loam Egyptian soil and its clay and humic acid (HA) fractions was investigated in 24-h batch equilibrium experiments. Imidacloprid (IMDA) sorption-desorption isotherms onto the three sorbents were found to belong to a non-linear L-type and were best described by the Freundlich model. The value of the IMDA adsorption distribution coefficient, Kd(ads), varied according to its initial concentration and was ranged 40-84 for HA, 14-58 for clay and 1.85-4.15 for bulk soil. Freundlich sorption coefficient, Kf(ads), values were 63.0, 39.7 and 4.0 for HA, clay and bulk soil, respectively. The normalized soil Koc value for imidacloprid sorption was ∼800 indicating its slight mobility in soils. Nonlinear sorption isotherms were indicated by 1/n(ads) values <1 for all sorbents. Values of the hysteresis index (H) were <1, indicating the irreversibility of imidacloprid sorption process with all tested sorbents. Gibbs free energy (ΔG) values indicated a spontaneous and physicosorption process for IMDA and a more favorable sorption to HA than clay and soil. In conclusion, although the humic acid fraction showed the highest capacity and affinity for imidacloprid sorption, the clay fraction contributed to approximately 95% of soil-sorbed insecticide. Clay and humic acid fractions were found to be the major two factors controlling IMDA sorption in soils. The slight mobility of IMDA in soils and the hysteresis phenomenon associated with the irreversibility of its sorption onto, mainly, clay and organic matter of soils make its leachability unlikely to occur.

In Egypt, human schistosomiasis is a chronic endemic disease that can produce portal hypertension and occasionally death. Curiously, most Egyptian cases of the disease are complicated by co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the co-infection generally resulting in more severe liver disease than seen in those only infected with HCV. The high frequency of co-infection may be the result of transmission of the virus during parental schistosomal therapy or schistosomiasis-related surgery but it also seems possible that certain individuals are particularly susceptible to both schistosome and HCV infection. Lymphotoxin-alpha (LTalpha) participates in inflammatory responses, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the human LTalpha gene have recently been found to have profound effects on individual susceptibility to various diseases, including some of those caused by parasitic infection. The possibility that the SNP that create an NcoI restriction site in the gene are associated with increased susceptibility to schistosomal and/or HCV infection has now been investigated in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The subjects investigated were 22 patients infected only with HCV, 44 cases of schistosomal hepatic fibrosis (SHF) who were either co-infected with HCV (22) or HCV-free (22), and 22 apparently healthy, schistosome-free and HCV-free controls. When each of these subjects was tested for the NcoI polymorphism in their LTalpha gene, by PCR-RFLP, those with isolated HCV infection and those co-infected with Schistosoma and HCV (but not those infected with Schistosoma alone) were found significantly more likely to carry the mutation than the control subjects (P<0.05). When the cases of SHF were pooled together (irrespective of HCV-infection status), they were not found significantly more likely to have the mutation than the controls. At least in Egypt, therefore, the LTalpha mutation may have a role in susceptibility to HCV infection (and the subsequent development of clinical manifestations) but appears to have little if any effect on susceptibility to schistosome infection. Larger studies are now needed to confirm these results.

Schistosomal infection triggers a Th2 type immune response as indicated by the high plasma IL-4. It also triggers an increase in reactive oxygen species levels. These effects especially IL-4 lead to more reduction in the level of antioxidants enzymes (that may be already compromised in malnourished schistosomal patients) with the resultant disease progression and development of complications.