The word technology refers to the knowledge of techniques, skills, methods or processes used to produce goods, services or to reach specific objectives (research, business, etc.). The concept technology can also be used to make reference to devices, computers and factories. The history of technology is as long as human beings’ history, however great advances in the field of technology have been developed mainlyduring the last century. In that sense, more than 963000 manuscripts have been published about the design of innovative technologies and their use in almost all fields of knowledge (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed. Search done using “technology” as key word). It is interesting to highlight that many of the mentioned manuscripts are mainly focused on the optimization of technologies used for analytical/clinical purposes (up to 250000 manuscripts described the use of several technologies in medicine, microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry) [1]. Thus, medical diagnosis and clinical test has significantly improved thanks to the use of specific microbial, molecular biology and biochemical techniques. As a consequence of this fact, bacterial infections at early stage and early diagnosis of cancer are cheaper and auicker thanks to molecular biology techniques [2,3]. ON the other hand, genetic analysis would be impossible without specific technology optimized at the end of last century for instance [4,5].

The residual tannins discharged from tanning units of the leather industry have an adverse effect on living organism and causes serious environmental pollution. Biological degradation is an important mechanism of organic chemical removal in natural systems owing to its environmental compatibility. But in extreme environment like high salinity of tannery effluent, the efficiency of degradation by microorganisms would be exceptionally low. Therefore halotolerant microbes would play a significant role in biodegradation of tannins. This study aims at isolating and identifying strains of halotolerant cocultured bacteria able to degrade tannin from soil samples contaminated by tannery industry, in order to use such bacteria for the bioremediation of contaminated sites. The bacterial isolates have been characterized by biochemically and molecularly through 16S rRNA sequencing, and identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus polyfermenticus, this latter being able to degrade 92% of tannin (200 mg/L) compared to B. amyloliquefaciens. The variables (salinity, carbon and nitrogen sources) affecting the process of tannin degradation have been optimized.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) are the most common pulmonary vascular complications in patients with liver disease. We present a 71-year old woman with alcoholic cirrhosis and 6 month history of progressive shortness of breath with mild hypoxemia at rest. Results of spirometry was normal and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was severity reduced. Echocardiography with contrast enhancement revealed extra cardiac shunt. Three months after her initial presentation, a new echocardiography was performed with pulmonary systolic pressure increased and in a right heart catheterization (RHC) the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPm) was 50 mmHg, this evidence supported the diagnosis of severe portopulmonary hypertension after HPS. We consider that patients with HPS can develop POPH during the waiting time for liver transplant. Moderate and severe POPH represents a contraindication for liver transplantation because it could lead to an unacceptable mortality rate. Screening for POPH is relevant in patients while waiting for liver transplant.

Campylobacter infections are one of the most prevalent zoonotic bacterial foodborne diseases of humans mostly caused by C. coli and C. jejuni. In the last decade, the prevalence of gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter species were in an increasing trend [1]. In addition to enteritis, extraintestinal infections and sequelae may occur, including bacteremia, urinary tract infection, reactive arthritis and “Guillain–Barre´ syndrome” affecting the peripheral nervous system [2]. As C. jejuni has an ability to colonize and in some cases infect poultry intestine which makes poultry meat a significant reservoir and vehicle of foodborne campylobacteriosis [3]. In order to find out the prevalence of Campylobacter in poultry meat, routinely, conventional culturing technique is using in many food control laboratories [4]. Campylobacter species are known as fastidious microorganisms, so mostly it is hard to detect with conventional method and isolate by routine media [5]. In general, detection of Campylobacter species especially C. jejuni, is difficult and time consuming using conventional techniques. Therefore specific, sensitive and rapid methods are needed for the detection of Campylobacter spp. from food. To overcome these concerns many detection and molecular-based typing methods including PCR have been developed and used as an important and effective tool for the detection of Campylobacter spp. [6-10].

Introduction: Health care associated infections (HCAIs) or nosocomial infections have a propensity to strike in the critical care areas. Surveillance of HCAIs, so as to defi ne the magnitude and nature of the problem, is the primary step towards reducing the risk for infection in vulnerable hospitalized patients. The present study was conducted in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital with an aim to determine the rate of catheter associated urinary tract Candida infections in medical intensive care unit patients. Methods: A prospective study was done on catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). The urine samples were collected and processed following standard microbiological protocols. Results: The overall rate of CAUTI was found to be 1.6 per 1000 catheter days. The rates of catheter associated bacteriuria and candiduria in our health care setup were noted as 1.2 and 0.4 respectively. Conclusion: The present surveillance study helped us to generate institutional data regarding CAUTI in ICU patients with a special reference to candiduria. In our institute, the incidence of candiduria was low.

Background: Fermented dairy products of north-west Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh) are rich sources of potential and novel probiotic isolates which further can be explored for their commercial application. Results: The two potential isolates Pediococcus acidilactici KM0 (accession number- KX671557) and Lactobacillus casei KL14 (KX774469) isolated from traditional fermented dairy products- noni-milk cream and lassi had shown a great potential as probiotics by exhibiting different desirable traits i.e. (that is) low pH tolerance, bile tolerance, autoaggregation, co-aggregation with pathogenic bacteria, cell surface hydrophobicity against O-xylene, antimicrobial activity against challenging food borne pathogens and antibiotic sensitivity thus advocating them as robust candidates for commercial application after going through clinical trials. Main findings: Both the probiotic strains isolated from dairy products identifi ed as Pediococcus acidilactici KM0 (accession number- KX671557) and Lactobacillus casei KL14 (KX774469) had been first time reported here to be potential probiotics exhibiting high acidity tolerance i.e. pH 1, 2 and 3, resisting high bile salt concentration i.e. upto 2.0%. The two isolates expressed good autoaggregation capacity i.e. greater than 40% after 5 h and showed strong hydrophobicity towards xylene i.e. > 40% with overall high cumulative score of 91.6 and 95.8% respectively. Conclusion: The desirable attributes of these new probiotic strains strongly favor the possibility of their survival in harsh and complex habitat i.e. gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) and thus can be of commercial interest. Brief summary: Characterization of selected lactic acid bacteria for probiotic characters (acid tolerance, bile tolerance, autoaggregation, coaggregation, hydrophobicity and antibiotic sensitivity) was done to categorize them as robust probiotics and both of these first time isolated strains had shown cumulative score as high as of 91.6 and 95.8% thus turning them highly desirable from pharmaceutical industry point of view.

In the present study, we studied the production and immobilization xylanase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciense strain SK-3. Isolate produced highest xylanase activity (56.2±1.6 IU/mol) at pH=8 and 40°C after 48 h incubation in presence of 1% wheat bran. Immobilization studies of purified xylanase showed that 3.0% sodium alginate and 0.2 M calcium chloride was found to be optimum. Characterization of immobilized beads by SEM and FTIR showed significant changes on the surface morphology and structure. The immobilization increases the time reaction for xylan degradation from 15-30 min and pH activity 8.0 to 9.0 whereas temperature 60-70°C with reference to free enzyme. After immobilization, thermostability of enzyme increased and retained more than 70% of its original activity after 5 h at 50°C as compared with free enzyme which showed only 20% of residual activity. Also, immobilized enzyme showed better storage stability and reusability. Overall performance of immobilized enzyme has attractive biochemical properties that make it a potential promising candidate for application in the kraft pulp pretreatment.

Foods are playing a significant role in human infections because they are frequent vehicles of some human pathogens, which can spread in a short time to all the animals and are associated with cross contamination during production and processing. During stable to table, in order not to take hygienic precautions, contaminations with pathogenic microorganisms such as Listeria spp. may be occurred and consumption of such food and food products can cause foodborne illnesses. L. monoctogenes is a zoonotic foodborne bacteria that leads to a variety of serious infections in humans such as encephalitis, meningitis, abortion and septicemia, and those suffering with listeriosis occurs in approximately 30% mortality. Epidemiologic studies have revealed that a significant proportion of cases of listeriosis caused by contaminated foods. The pathogen is widely distributed in the environment and well adapted to very different environmental conditions like tolerating wide temperature (0-45°C) and pH ranges (pH 4.3–9.6) make it difficult to control food-borne infections. Although there are 13 known serotypes of L. monocytogenes, according to epidemiological studies, approximately 95% of the isolates from the food and 98% of the clinical isolates that isolated from cases of listeriosis in humans belong to 1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c and 4b serotypes. Bacteriophages can be applied to living tissues without causing any harm due to their highly selective toxicity. This is the most important advantage when they compared with antibiotics and antiseptics. Rapidly growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics and need for development of alternative methods, increasing interest in using bacteriophages in treatment or as biocontrol agents in foods nowadays. In addition to the systems like HACCP and GMP for food safety from farm to table, the use of specifi c virulent bacteriophages for L. monocytogenes in order to reduce the bacterial load in foods of animal origin emerges as another method. It is reported that the usage of specific virulent acteriophages to L. monocytogenes as a biocontrol and decontamination agent of L. monocytogenes in foods, don’t cause any side effects in humans.

Zika virus infection becomes the big consideration in medicine at pesent since the infection can seriously affect the health of the infected person. Theall et al., noted that “it presents an unprecedented opportunity to shift public health policy, legislation, and programming to bolster and support the rights of all women to achieve the highest attainable standard of health and well-being now and for the future [1]. Indeed, the problem of Zika virus infection is the present big concern for women around the world. There are many proposed infection control method and most directly involve the women. The role of the clinical microbiology for diagnosis of the disease is confirmed but the issue adding to the post diagnosis phase should be discussed. Since the diagnosis of infection can be the marker of “serious disease” to a person, there must be the good management. This situation is similar to the post HIV diagnosis in the early phase of worldwide HIV epidemic.

Salmonellosis is an important zoonotic disease but fi eld applicable, simple, accurate, and cost effective diagnostics are lacking. We isolated a broad acting bacteriophage lytic to Salmonella Typhimurium, S. Pullorum, S. Gallinarum and S. Dublin and investigated its application in diagnosis employing MTT assay and nitrate test. On addition of MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) to live bacteria alone of isolates of Salmonella, its color changed from yellow to purple. However, after 4 hours of incubation of bacteria with bacteriophage, no color change was observed because of lysis of bacteria by the phage. After incubation with salmonellaphage, twelve out of forty clinical samples showed no colour change indicating lysis of Salmonella by phage, whereas samples without Salmonella showed colour change due to other bacteria. In nitrate test, live bacteria reduce nitrate to nitrite which can be detected by change in colour. No colour developed on prior incubation of Salmonella with the phage.