Soil quality assessment in difference vegetation structures of Surajpur lake: An urban wetland of Upper Gangetic plain, Northern India

Surajpur Lake is the prominent wetland site in National Capital Region, India known for its rich avifaunal and other aquatic biodiversity. Present study was carried out to assess the soil quality in different vegetation structures in Surajpur wetland from March 2010 to February 2013. Soil Sampling was conducted in five different vegetation habitats in the study area by applying standard sampling protocols. A total of 9 Physical and 16 chemical parameters were selected for analysis. The overall means of physical parameters of soil sample includes soil moisture content 11.17 ± 3.03 %, bulk density 1.19 ± 0.01 gm/ml, porosity 35.00 ± 5.10 %, water holding capacity 35.00 ± 3.86 %, soil organic carbon 0.09 ± 0.05 %, electrical conductivity 276.42 ± 112.83 ds/m, pH value 9.98 ± 0.42 was recorded. The means of chemical parameters of soil sample includes total Kjeldahl nitrogen 286.76 ± 42.41 mg/kg, available phosphorus 338.50 ± 32.75 mg/kg, potassium 2.85 ± 0.39 mg/kg, calcium level 10.86 ± 6 73 mg/kg, magnesium 10.56 ± 4.43 mg/kg, iron 14.90 ± 1.99 mg/kg, manganese 289.13 ± 42.89 mg/kg, zinc 4.20 ± 0.45 mg/kg, chloride 223.73 ± 62.64 mg/kg, sulphate 150.21 ± 27.99 mg/kg and silica oxide 7.97 ± 1.45 mg/kg. Boron, Copper and Molybdenum nutrients recorded less than one mg/kg in the soil sample. The viable count of bacteria recorded an overall mean of 16,56,000.00 ± 11,06,157.31 cfu/g. The results indicated that the essential mineral nutrients are widely distributed in the soil and are pollution free and also no any organic waste is coming to the site. Soil is good enough to support rich biodiversity to form a complete food web in the Surajpur wetland ecosystem

Bacteriological profile of pyogenic infections at a tertiary care centre of Nepal

Background: The pyogenic infections includes a wide range of abnormalities like superficial skin infections, eyes infections, wound infections, infection of burns, boils, furuncles,  peritonitis and abscesses .  Some of the infections are endogenous that occurs by the patient’s own normal flora.  Many infections are exogenous that occur by direct and indirect airborne routes. Boils and furuncles are caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Gramnegative infections rarely occur on healthy skin except moist area of skin and axilla. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to illustrate the bacteria responsible for pyogenic infection and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility. Methods: The pyogenic bacteria were isolated from the samples collected from the Clinical Departments of Chitwan Medical College. The isolates were identified and antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by standard protocols. Results: Gram negative bacteria were frequently isolated pathogens than the gram positive bacteria. Escherichia .coli was the predominant isolate among the 138 positive samples, 49 (35.5%) of them was only the E.coli, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (15.21%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.04%), Acinetobacter species (11.59%), MRSA (11.59%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.79%), Klebsiella oxytoca (3.62%), Enterobacter (2.17%), and Proteus mirabilis (1.44%) Gram negative bacteria were highly susceptible to Amikacin whereas most of the Gram-positive isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid.  Conclusion: The knowledge of the most prevalent type of bacterial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern is a must for the clinicians as it aids in the accurate selection of the therapeutic regimens

Ubiquitous adulterants in the microbiological investigations of tertiary care centre in mid-Nepal

Aim:The bacterial agents can be isolated even from the aerosol, hands, cloths,and floors of the laboratory .So, the microbiological agents isolated from these areas can act as contaminant in the microbiology laboratory and may be an obstacle in the routine processing and culture of the specimen. This leads to the false positive results and false negative results. As a consequence of which, inaccurate therapeutic regimens are prescribed to the patients, this causes unusual serious effects in the other unaffected parts of the body.The purpose of this study was to illustrate the bacterial agents that are responsible to act as a contaminant in the laboratory.Methods:The samples were collected from the floors,working surface and aerosol of the laboratory whereas the samples were also obtained from the hands and cloths of the laboratory staffs of Chitwan Medical College and Teaching Hospital. The isolates were identified bythe standard microbiological protocols applied routinely in the lab.Results:Out of 180 samples, growth was observed in 38 of them. Among 38 positive samples, Micrococcusspp. was isolated in 14(36.8%) followed by Bacillus subtilis in 7 (18.4%). Diphtheroids were observed in 4 samples (10.5%). Staphylococcus epidermidis was found in 6 (15.8%) samples whereas Staphylococus aureus were isolated in 5(13.1%)samples.Conclusion:Hence, the bacteriological agents can be isolated from various areas of laboratory and may act as a contaminant which might degrade the quality or the accuracy of the reporting of the results

Tannery effluent effect on the haematological parameters of freshwater fish, Channa punctatus

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the tannery effluent toxicity stress symptoms in fish blood during a long term of exposure period. The effect of tannery effluent on various haematological parameters were evaluated exposing fresh water fish, C. punctatus to different concentration i.e., [Control, 5% Tannery effluent (TE), 10% TE and 20% TE] of tannery effluent. Exposed of fish to tannery effluent showed a significant decrease in the haemoglobin (Hb) content (9.16± 0.08), red blood cells (3.32 ± 0.12), packed cell volume (34.66 ± 0.33) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) values, whereas significant increase in the white blood cells (WBC), erythro-cyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and clotting time was recorded with increase in exposure periods as compared to control respectively. Hb, RBC and MCHC values showed fluctuating results. The haematological parameters were decreases from 15th days of exposure periods to 45th days of exposure period. The decrease in haematological parameters clearly indicates that the exposed fishes have become anemic due to tannery effluent exposure

INCOME PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF RURAL POVERTY IN TWO DISTRICTS OF SINDH

ABSTRACT This research explores income patterns and determinants of rural poverty i

Doppler ultrasound scoring to predict chemotherapeutic response in advanced breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Doppler ultrasonography (US) is increasingly being utilized as an imaging modality in breast cancer. It is used to study the vascular characteristics of the tumor. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard modality of treatment in locally advanced breast cancer. Histological examination remains the gold standard to assess the chemotherapy response. However, based on the color Doppler findings, a new scoring system that could predict histological response following chemotherapy is proposed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty cases of locally advanced infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast were studied. The mean age of the patients was 44.5 years. All patients underwent clinical, Doppler and histopathological assessment followed by three cycles of CAF (Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin and 5-Fluorouracil) chemotherapy, repeat clinical and Doppler examination and surgery. The resected specimens were examined histopathologically and histological response was correlated with Doppler findings. The Doppler characteristics of the tumor were graded as 1–4 for <25%, 25–50%, >50% and complete disappearance of flow signals respectively. A cumulative score was calculated and compared with histopathological response. Results were analyzed using Chi square test, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The maximum Doppler score according to the proposed scoring system was twelve and minimum three. Higher scores corresponded with a more favorable histopathological response. Twenty four patients had complete response to chemotherapy. Sixteen of these 24 patients (66.7%) had a cumulative Doppler score more than nine. The sensitivity of cumulative score >5 was 91.7% and specificity was 38.5%. The area under the ROC curve of the cumulative score >9 was 0.72.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Doppler scoring can be accurately used to objectively predict the response to chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer and it correlates well with histopathological response.</p