Biofilm Forming Bacteria Isolated from Medical Implants

Background: Biofilm formation in indwelling medical devices poses serious risk of infection and increases the likelihood of  recurrence of infections. The study was carried out to identify the microbes which form biofilms on medical implants and are thus involved in nosocomial infections, to assess the potential of biofilm producing ability of these isolated microbes and to determine antibiotic resistance towards ampicillin, vancomycin ceftazidime, streptomycin and tetracycline.Methods: For this, 11 samples of 5 different implants were taken from Tertiary Care Hospital Multan, Pakistan. Bacteria were isolated and identified by culture plate method. Tryptone soy broth (TBS) media was used for biofilm development by microbes in plastic tubes. Developed biofilm in tubes was visualized with crystal violet staining method and then biofilm forming potential was estimated by measuring the optical density through spectrophotometer. Antibiotic susceptibility was done by Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method to determine the resistance and susceptibility pattern of biofilm producers.Results: Out of 11 different samples of indwelling medical devices, a total of 131 bacterial strains were isolated. The percentage of bacterial isolates which produced biofilms were Staphylococcus spp. (41%) followed by Escherichia coli (18%), Pseudomonas spp. (4%), Proteus spp. (7.2%), Klebsiella spp. (8.6%), Bacillus spp. (8.6%), Fusobacterium spp. (1.4%) Clostridium spp.(1.4%), Enterococcus spp. (7.2%) and Neisseria spp. (1.4%). Sixty-nine isolates were considered positive for biofilm formation while 58 were considered negative. The resistance was maximum against ampicillin (42%) followed by ceftazidime (17.1%), tetracycline (34%) and streptomycin (30%) while against vancomycin no resistance was observed.Conclusion: Biofilms produced on medical implants by different bacteria are considered to be the major cause of hospital acquired infections and are very difficult to eradicate. These biofilms associated implant infections are challenging to treat because of their resistance towards various antibiotic therapies. Therefore, some efficient methods of prevention of biofilm formation should be introduced.Keywords: Bacterial biofilms; Biofilm associated infections; Medical implants; Hospital acquired infections; Antibiotic resistance  

Pseudomonas cyclic lipopeptides suppress the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae by induced resistance and direct antagonism

Beneficial Pseudomonas spp. produce an array of antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs). We investigated the capacity of CLP-producing Pseudomonas strains and their crude CLP extracts to control rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, both in a direct manner and via induced systemic resistance (ISR). In planta biocontrol assays showed that lokisin-, white line inducing principle (WLIP)-, entolysin- and N3-producing strains successfully induced resistance to M. oryzae VT5M1. Furthermore, crude extracts of lokisin, WLIP and entolysin gave similar ISR results when tested in planta. In contrast, a xantholysin-producing strain and crude extracts of N3, xantholysin and orfamide did not induce resistance against the rice blast disease. The role of WLIP in triggering ISR was further confirmed by using WLIP-deficient mutants. The severity of rice blast disease was significantly reduced when M. oryzae spores were pre-treated with crude extracts of N3, lokisin, WLIP, entolysin or orfamide prior to inoculation. In vitro microscopic assays further revealed the capacity of crude N3, lokisin, WLIP, entolysin, xantholysin and orfamide to significantly inhibit appressoria formation by M. oryzae. In addition, the lokisin and WLIP biosynthetic gene clusters in the producing strains are described. In short, our study demonstrates the biological activity of structurally diverse CLPs in the control of the rice blast disease caused by M. oryzae. Furthermore, we provide insight into the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes encoding the WLIP and lokisin biosynthetic machineries

Identifying Optimal Parameters And Their Impact For Predicting Credit Card Defaulters Using Machine-Learning Algorithms

Data mining and Machine learning are the emerging technologies that are rapidly spreading in every field of life due to their beneficial aspects. The financial sector also makes use of these technologies. Many research studies regarding banking data analysis have been performed using machine learning techniques. These research studies also have many Problems as the main focus of these studies was to achieve high accuracy and some of them only perform comparative analysis of different classifier's performance. Another major drawback of these studies was that they do not identify any optimal parameters and their impact. In this research, we have identified optimal parameters. These parameters are valuable for performing the credit scoring process and might also be used to predict credit card defaulters. We also find their impact on the results. We have used feature selection and classification techniques to identify optimal parameters and their impact on credit card defaulters identification. We have introduced three classifiers which are Kstar, SMO and Multilayer perceptron and repeat the process of classification and feature selection for every classifier. First, we apply feature selection techniques to our dataset with each classifier to find out possible optimal parameters and In the next phase, we use classification to find the impact of possible optimal parameters and proved our findings. In each round of classification, we have used different parameters available in the dataset every time we include and exclude some parameters and noted the results of each run of classification with each classifier and in this way, we identify the optimal parameters and their impact on the results Whereas we also analyze the performance of classifiers. To perform this research study, we use the “credit card defaults” dataset which we obtained from UCI Machine learning online repository. We use two feature selection techniques that include ranker approach and evolutionary search method and after that, we also apply classification techniques on the dataset. This research can help to reduce the complexities of the credit scoring process. Through this study, we identify up to six optimal parameters and also find their impact on the performance of classifiers. Further We also identify that multilayer perceptron was the best performing classifier out of three. This research work can also be extended to other fields in the future where we use this mechanism to find out optimal parameters and their impact can help us to predict the  results.  &nbsp

COVID-19 and Pregnancy Outcome: An Experience in ‘COVID-19 Management Designated’ Tertiary Care Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost 17.3 million victims worldwide with mortality of almost 674K. Pregnancy is one of the most susceptible conditions for COVID-19 infection, but limited data is currently available about the clinical characteristics of pregnant women with the disease. Objective; to describe the clinical characteristics, co-morbidities, management, feto-maternal, and neonatal outcome in COVID-19 positive pregnant women. Methodology: A descriptive case series study was conducted in Obs/Gynae dept of Benazir Bhutto Tertiary Care Hospital, Rawalpindi, including all asymptomatic/symptomatic COVID-19 positive pregnant women and clinical suspects (COVID-19 PCR negative women) delivered in our hospital from 01st April 2020 to 31st July 2020. Their medical records were reviewed for clinical characteristics, management, feto-maternal and neonatal outcomes. Continuous variables were expressed in Mean & Range and Categorical variables as number & Percentage. Results: During the study period a total of 17 cases were reviewed. The mean maternal age was 28.94 yrs. Primigravida (07), Multipara (10). Mean gestational age was 37 wks (range; 30-41wks). Presenting symptomatology was varied. Asymptomatic; (29%), COVID-19 specific symptoms; fever & flu (12%), fever&cough (6%), shortness of breath(SOB) alone (6%), fever & SOB(6%) and pregnancy-related manifestations were labour pains (17%), eclampsia(6%), hydrocephalous fetus (6%) and hepatic encephalopathy(6%). The commonest co-morbidity was Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (24%). Five women (29%) required ICU care. Lower segment caesarean sections(LSCS) (59%), vaginal delivery (41%). Eleven babies delivered with good Apgar score and birth weight. Two were early neonatal deaths (ENND) and 04 were received intra-uterine fetal deaths (IUDs). Fetal demise was associated with strong obstetric risk factors. Out of 13 live-born babies, RT-PCR Covid-19 testing was done in 10 (77%) cases and was negative. One mother was expired due to complications of hepatic encephalopathy, sepsis, and burst abdomen. Conclusion; The clinical course of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy seems to be no different from non-pregnant women. Clinical manifestations are diverse and infection contracted in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with good feto-maternal and neonatal outcomes

Biochemical Markers of Liver Toxicity among Coal Mine Workers of Punjab, Pakistan Suffering from HCV

Hepatitis C is among the leading hepatic disorders in current period through which about 3 % world population has been anguish among them 170 million were diagnosed as persistent carriers. A great range of alteration in liver biochemical parameters were found to be allied with HCV infestation. Current study was designed to evaluate the extent of HCV mediated abnormalities in liver biochemical markers which includes ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (Aspartate transaminase), ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) and serum bilirubin. The study was conducted on coal miners of Punjab province, Pakistan. HCV was primarily diagnosed through one step rapid test device after which positive samples were confirmed through ELISA. Biochemical markers were determined through Autoanalyzer by using standard procedure provided with spinreact kits. Simple linear regression analysis significantly explained 24 %, 56.2 %, 68.8 % and 56 % variance in ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (Aspartate transaminase), ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) and serum bilirubin level among HCV positive coal mine workers respectively. Results have clearly indicated significant correlation between HCV seropositivity and liver biochemical markers. Findings of present study conclude monitoring of liver biochemical markers is crucial during HCV infectivity as it represents the degree of impairment in liver functioning. In addition to this elevation in these diagnostic markers could points toward the presence of HCV in respective individual

Revealing the Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Potential of a Medicinal Folklore: Bombax Ceiba L.

Current study intends to investigate the extraction yield, phytochemical analysis and antioxidant potential of selected plant by executing a wide range of in vitro assays. This was done to suggest the most proficient solvent system and plant part for isolation and purification of probable bioactive leads. The colorimetric estimation of total phenolic, flavonoid contents, total antioxidant capacity, total reducing power and free radical scavenging activity was done. The specific polyphenols were quantified by RP-HPLC analysis. The present findings proved acetone and methanol (AC:M) extract of root bark part as an enriched source of antioxidant phytochemicals. The highest amount of rutin was detected in methanol (M) extract of root bark i.e. 0.70 μg/mg DW followed by methanol (M) extract (0.52 μg/mg DW) of leaf. Bombax ceiba L. was found to be a reservoir of phytochemicals possessing antioxidant potential

An Efficient Algorithm to Enhance Nonoverlapping Coverage Area with Less Energy Consumption in WSN

Several chargeable sensor nodes are deployed randomly to cover the target points with an efficient heuristic approach for the mobility of sensor nodes in an area of interest (AoI). The heuristic approach generates the cover set that includes the targets for a prolonged time. The cover sets are the subset of the total sensor node area where each set is capable of representing all the targets. The functionality of the sensor nodes depends upon the network lifetime of the target points covering an AoI. The network lifetime would improve by reducing the consumption of battery power through heuristic process. The proposed heuristic process can do this by generating cover sets and selecting sensor nodes with the highest remaining battery power. These cover sets remove the redundant sensor node in an AoI that causes the overlapping issue and assign the maximum lifetime which is the minimum amount of battery power of the sensor node, participating in the cover set. The results show the improvement in the mobility of sensor nodes by coverage and attain maximum network lifetime as compared to the existing algorithms

The frequency of occult cervical metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients - A cross sectional study

Objective: To determine the frequency of occult cervical metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the department of maxillofacial surgery, Mayo Hospital, Lahore from July 31st, 2015 to January 31st, 2016 on 100 patients of oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) having clinically and radiologically negative nodes. Prophylactic functional neck dissection was done in each patient and was sent to the pathology lab for evaluation of any occult metastasis. Results: Overall frequency of occult cervical metastasis was found to be 27%. In 41(41 %) specimens of SCC of tongue, 13(31.7%) had occult metastasis. In Alveolar mucosa occult metastasis was found in 4(20 %) out of 20(20 %) patients. In SCC of buccal mucosa occult metastasis was found in 10(29.4%) out of 34(34 %) patients. In SCC of lip no occult metastasis was detected. Conclusion: Within the boundaries of the present study, it is concluded that occult cervical metastasis was most frequent in cases of SCC tongue, whereas no occult cervical metastasis detected in SCC of lip. Key Words: Squamous cell carcinoma, cervical lymph nodes, prophylactic neck dissection, occult cervical metastasis. Continuous..

Association of vitamin D deficiency with diabetic gastroparesis and its intramuscular vitamin D treatment

Introduction: Diabetic gastroparesis (DGp) is a component of autonomic neuropathy resulting from long-standing poorly controlled type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There are currently no approved vitamin D supplementation recommendations for people with DGp. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between vitamin D insufficiency and DGp, as well as the efficacy of intramuscular vitamin D therapy. Methodology: 71 patients (18 DM Gp & 53 Non-DM Gp) seeking treatment for gastroparesis symptoms were studied. The blood levels of vitamin D, homocysteine, gastric emptying test (GET) at 1, 2, and 4 h were recorded. 25-OH vitamin D levels were detected by kit. Potential clinical and statistical correlations between all results, symptoms, and GET data were explored. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate etiologic differences at baseline while multiple linear regression models were employed to explore relationships of vitamin D deficiency with diabetic gastroparesis and its intramuscular vitamin D treatment. Results: Majority of DGp patients were older than 18 years (88%) and were non-smokers (83%). The majority of those with and without diabetes were married (11; 71% vs. 34; 64%). The majority of participants in the DM group had only completed elementary school (n=7/18; 38.8%).&nbsp