Latest news with #VarshaSingh
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Watch bacteria ‘hitchhike' and zoom around
The tiny world of microorganisms is full of microbes competing in a major life or death battle. The tiny lifeforms compete for turf, gobble up some pollutants, spew chemicals at their foes, and will exploit terrain in order to get an edge and thrive. New research into this microscopic turf war found that bacteria can speed up by using fluid pockets that are shaped by nearby yeast cells. Hitching a ride with these moisture trails allows the bacteria to spread faster and swim further. The findings are detailed in a study published June 4 in the Cell Press journal Biophysical Journal and reveal a new way that microbes travel through plants, soil, and even our own bodies. 'When studying microbial interactions, research often focuses on the chemical nature of these interactions,' study co-author and Cornell University microbiome engineer Divakar Badal said in a statement. 'But we learned that physical properties also play an important role in how microbes grow and spread.' In the study, the team focused on the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. P. aeruginosa is a rod-shaped bacteria found in soil and human airways and has tail-like propellers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can cause infections in the blood, lungs (pneumonia), urinary tract, or other parts of the body after surgery. C. neoformans is a stationary yeast that can be deadly in those with weakened immune systems and lives throughout the world. Infections from this fungus can affect the different parts of the body, but causes lung or brain infections (cryptococcal meningitis) most often. The team watched under a microscope as the two species closed in on each other. The P. aeruginosa bacterium eventually swarmed into the puddle-like fluid surrounding the C. neoformans yeast. The bacteria cultured with yeast spread up to 14.5 times faster than when it was cultured alone. Additionally, isolated bacterial colonies quickly connected into continuous clumps. At a microscopic scale, P. aeruginosa is comparable to a grain of rice. On that same scale, the yeast is about the size of a grape. These larger yeast bodies draw in moisture from the surface, which forms a thin halo of fluid that acts as a temporary swimming lane. This lane allows the bacteria to bypass the usual physical limits of a dry surface. When the team replaced the live yeast with dead ones or glass beads, the same halo effect was produced, indicating that the puddles were driving it. 'The bigger the obstacle, yeast and glass beads alike, the more fluid you have around it, and it's better for Pseudomonas,' added Varsha Singh, a study co-author and molecular biologist at the University of Dundee in Scotland. 'So, it's leveraging what could have been an obstacle to move farther ahead.' [ Related: Bacteria wars are raging in soil, and it's keeping ecosystems healthy. ] The team also found that the spread of the bacteria ebbs and flows within the landscape that the growing yeast cells create. They built a model to simulate the interactions between both the bacterium and yeast to better understand the dynamics at play. The model indicates that faster-growing yeast species like C. albicans altered the fluid landscape more dramatically, affecting just how quickly bacteria could travel. 'I was absolutely blown away by how well our model predictions match the experimental results,' said Danny Raj M, a study co-author and engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. 'In a sense, the model is a virtual lab that simulates real behaviors. By changing the parameters, from growth rates to humidity, we can answer a number of questions.' According to the team, the implications of this research go beyond the model and lab. Bacteria and yeast coexist in plants, soil, water, and the human body. The ability to ride fluid films may be one of the factors that helps bacteria colonize these environments more effectively, especially if moisture is scarce. The team plans to examine the way that both species interact in the real world to learn more. 'We tend to think of microbiology in an anthropomorphic way, focused on human lungs or the gut because we can relate to them,' said Singh. 'But much of it plays out in the soil and other environments. That gives us a wonderful opportunity to explore new questions. I think that's where the next frontier is.'
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Metro rail project on right track: Minister
Patna: Urban development and housing minister Jibesh Kumar visited the Patna metro rail depot site and ISBT metro station at Bairiya on Saturday to inspect progress on the priority corridor of the project. The priority corridor forms part of Corridor II (Patna Junction to ISBT), a major section of the project. During the visit, the minister expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the work. He commended the dedication and teamwork of officials, engineers, and workers involved in the construction. The minister said, "The Patna metro project is a dream of the people of city. We are working with full commitment to provide a modern, fast and environmentally friendly public transport system. I want to assure the citizens of Patna that this metro service will make their travel easier and more accessible." He was accompanied by Varsha Singh, additional secretary of the department and additional managing director of Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL), along with senior officials from both PMRCL and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). "The primary corridor construction is approaching completion and the inauguration is scheduled for Aug 15 this year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Advanced Strategic Management IIMK ASMP Apply Now Undo This momentous occasion will mark the introduction of contemporary metro services in the state capital," the minister said. The 6.6-km-long priority corridor will feature five elevated stations – Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak, Bhoothnath, Zero Mile and Patliputra ISBT. Khemnichak station will serve as the interchange between Corridor I (Danapur to Khemnichak) and Corridor II with two platforms on the same level. The ISBT depot is being developed over 30.5 hectares with 19.2 hectares designated for the depot itself. Constructed at a cost of Rs 142 crore, it will include key facilities such as parking, train repair and maintenance, a testing track, stabling yard, depot workshop, operational control room and a dedicated sub-station.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Insurance co, docs told to pay Rs 3L to woman after C-section trauma
Ghaziabad: The district consumer disputes redressal commission (DCDRC) directed an insurance company to pay Rs 2.8 lakh to a patient who underwent a caesarean section at a local hospital in 2014 but faced severe complications due to doctors' negligence. The commission also ordered the doctors to pay Rs 20,000 as damages for physical and mental trauma, besides the cost of petitioner, Varsha Singh, informed the commission that she was in labour when doctors Santosh Agrawal and Vinita Agrawal left her in that condition for three hours to take part in a marriage ceremony. The victim alleged that the delay in attending to her resulted in complications, forcing her to undergo a caesarean section for delivery at the Shyam Hospital, Ghaziabad. Her condition, however, deteriorated over time, and she remained under treatment for over a month, the woman told the woman informed the forum that persistent abdominal pain and bloating forced the family to consult another doctor at Madhu Nursing Home in Meerut on August 13, checkup, it was found that a sponge was left inside her stomach at the time of delivery, causing septic infection of the intestine."When the abdominal pain and bloating did not subside, we consulted another doctor, who diagnosed a sponge left in my stomach that resulted in a septic infection of the intestine," Singh informed the commissionProducing records of the hospital bills and reated documents, Singh informed the commission that she underwent another surgery to remove a part of her intestine and clean the note of the evidence and medical records produced, chairman of the commission, Praveen Kumar Jain, decided in favour of the petitioner and held New India Assurance Company Limited accountable for payment of the entire sum on behalf of the erring doctors, as Shyam Hospital was fully insured by the insurance only the commission held the doctors responsible for showing medical negligence, the forum also rejected the insurance company's argument that they were not informed at the time of admission of the patient and that it violated section 8.1 of policy."The petitioners have made the insurance company a party in the case, which is sufficient to hold that the company was informed well within the time," stated the commission in its order.
