A questionnaire based survey to evaluate the usage pattern of carbapenems for sepsis management in intensive care unit

Background: Sepsis remains one of the most common critical illnesses for patients to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and has very high associated morbidity and mortality ranging from 18 to 50%. It is a well-known fact that early goal directed therapy with broad spectrum antibiotics, IV fluids and other supportive therapies improve outcome. The current study was done to know the importance of carbapenems in the management of sepsis focusing on perceived use and the clinical outcome in real time setting in tertiary care hospitals.Methods: A structured questionnaire designed to collect information on the perceived use of carbapenems, the clinical outcome, response period for clinical cure and combination antibiotic therapy preferred with carbapenem was circulated among 50 clinicians in tertiary care hospitals and nursing homes in and around Mangalore between January 2015 to March 2015.Results: Majority of doctors (>80%) felt that carbapenems a broad spectrum antibiotic administration provided good clinical improvement in hospital infections along with improvement in blood cell count and bacteriological cure.Conclusions: Our study provides an important insight regarding the knowledge, practice pattern and clinical outcome through the use of carbapenem in Sepsis management in ICU’s around Mangalore. The experience of practice patterns and clinical outcomes with carbapenem shared by doctors through this survey is similar to that in other studies

The high mass end of the stellar mass function: Dependence on stellar population models and agreement between fits to the light profile

We quantify the systematic effects on the stellar mass function which arise from assumptions about the stellar population, as well as how one fits the light profiles of the most luminous galaxies at z ~ 0.1. When comparing results from the literature, we are careful to separate out these effects. Our analysis shows that while systematics in the estimated comoving number density which arise from different treatments of the stellar population remain of order < 0.5 dex, systematics in photometry are now about 0.1 dex, despite recent claims in the literature. Compared to these more recent analyses, previous work based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) pipeline photometry leads to underestimates of rho_*(> M_*) by factors of 3-10 in the mass range 10^11 - 10^11.6 M_Sun, but up to a factor of 100 at higher stellar masses. This impacts studies which match massive galaxies to dark matter halos. Although systematics which arise from different treatments of the stellar population remain of order < 0.5 dex, our finding that systematics in photometry now amount to only about 0.1 dex in the stellar mass density is a significant improvement with respect to a decade ago. Our results highlight the importance of using the same stellar population and photometric models whenever low and high redshift samples are compared.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. The PyMorph luminosities and stellar masses are available at https://www.physics.upenn.edu/~ameert/SDSS_PhotDec

Genomic characterization of Phenylalanine ammonia lyase gene in buckwheat

Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL) gene which plays a key role in bio-synthesis of medicinally important compounds, Rutin/quercetin was sequence characterized for its efficient genomics application. These compounds possessing anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties and are predominantly produced by Fagopyrum spp. In the present study, PAL gene was sequenced from three Fagopyrum spp. (F. tataricum, F. esculentum and F. dibotrys) and showed the presence of three SNPs and four insertion/deletions at intra and inter specific level. Among them, the potential SNP (position 949th bp G>C) with Parsimony Informative Site was selected and successfully utilised to individuate the zygosity/allelic variation of 16 F. tataricum varieties. Insertion mutations were identified in coding region, which resulted the change of a stretch of 39 amino acids on the putative protein. Our Study revealed that autogamous species (F. tataricum) has lower frequency of observed SNPs as compared to allogamous species (F. dibotrys and F. esculentum). The identified SNPs in F. tataricum didn’t result to amino acid change, while in other two species it caused both conservative and non-conservative variations. Consistent pattern of SNPs across the species revealed their phylogenetic importance. We found two groups of F. tataricum and one of them was closely related with F. dibotrys. Sequence characterization information of PAL gene reported in present investigation can be utilized in genetic improvement of buckwheat in reference to its medicinal value

Primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung in an adolescent girl with unusual presentation

Primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of lung is a rare tumour of lung mostly reported from south-east Asia. It occurs in middle aged persons of either sex and presents with the complaint of cough and haemoptysis.  We report a case of primary LELC of lung in a young girl with unusual presentation

Identification of antisense nucleic acid hybridization sites in mRNA molecules with self-quenching fluorescent reporter molecules

We describe a physical mRNA mapping strategy employing fluorescent self-quenching reporter molecules (SQRMs) that facilitates the identification of mRNA sequence accessible for hybridization with antisense nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo, real time. SQRMs are 20–30 base oligodeoxynucleotides with 5–6 bp complementary ends to which a 5′ fluorophore and 3′ quenching group are attached. Alone, the SQRM complementary ends form a stem that holds the fluorophore and quencher in contact. When the SQRM forms base pairs with its target, the structure separates the fluorophore from the quencher. This event can be reported by fluorescence emission when the fluorophore is excited. The stem–loop of the SQRM suggests that SQRM be made to target natural stem–loop structures formed during mRNA synthesis. The general utility of this method is demonstrated by SQRM identification of targetable sequence within c-myb and bcl-6 mRNA. Corresponding antisense oligonucleotides reduce these gene products in cells

Gabapentin pre-treatment for pressor response to direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Background: Laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation are associated with an increase in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). The present study was conducted to evaluate the role of gabapentin in attenuation of these hemodynamic changes.Methods: Forty patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with standardized premedication and anesthetics were randomized to receive gabapentin or a matching placebo. The patients of Group I received gabapentin 600 mg orally 2 hrs before surgery and patients in Group II received a matching placebo. Patient’s HR, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean BP (MBP), were monitored before and after 1, 2, 5, and 10 mins of endotracheal intubation.Results: Comparison of SBP, DBP, and MBP at 1, 2, 5 and 10 mins after endotracheal intubation showed statistically significant attenuation in the gabapentin group when compared to placebo. Changes in the HR were not significant.Conclusion: Gabapentin 600 mg, given 2 hrs before induction is effective in attenuating the pressor response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation

Gabapentin for post-operative nausea and vomiting: a pilot study

Background: Gabapentin has been used in perioperative setting for the management of post-operative pain for surgery performed under general anaesthesia. Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) even with the use of newer agents remains a major problem. The primary aim of this study was to see if gabapentin use decreased PONV.Methods: A total of 40 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with standardized premedication and anesthetics were randomized to receive gabapentin or a matching placebo. The patients in Group I received gabapentin 600 mg orally 2 hrs before surgery and 12 hrs after the first dose. The patients in Group II received a matching placebo orally 2 hrs before surgery and 12hrs after the first dose. Patients in both groups received diclofenac sodium 75 mg i.m b.i.d for pain and ondensetron 4 mg i.v for PONV. Additional doses were given on demand and recorded. The treatment was double blinded.Results: The present study did not find significant reduction in PONV score and antiemetic consumption in gabapentin group when compared to a placebo for a period of 24 hrs.Conclusions: Gabapentin in the doses used was found to ineffective in post-operative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy with standardized pre-anaesthetic and anaesthetic medication

Floristic Diversity and Indigenous Uses of Forest Vegetation of Dabka Watershed in Indian Central Himalaya

A species check list of flora is presented in and around Dabka watershed, District Nainital of Uttarakhand, together with preliminary Phytosociological data for the major species of communities. A total of 45 tree species, 09 shrubs and 32 species of grasses and herbs recorded. Results of quantitative sampling indicate that Adina cordifolia (IVI 66.26) species dominated in the watershed area. Other important woody associates include Quercus incana (IVI 26.74), Pinus roxburghii (IVI 14.64). The diversity range for tree layer was 3.16 followed by herbs (2.92) and then shrubs (1.84); all of the tree species were contagious distribution. Analysis of use diversity showed that the recorded species provide 8 Different uses to local communities. About 56% of the species are used for more than one use categories. Although some species have multiple uses, the average number of uses per species is three. The uses were placed under three major use categories, which had highest contribution of the total uses. These include food, medicinal and fuel/fodder/timber/ dye etc. use value of species shows that about 38% species use in medicinal purposes, 32% species used for edible purposes and 33% use as various purposes. The current work provide the baseline floristic and ecological data and documents the structure and composition of vegetation and also collect information about ethno-botanic used to explore the conservation status and folk medicinal knowledge of the surrounding peoples of the study area, for managers planners and policy makers to understand such simple method assessing the biodiversity of any potential area for conservation in any region. The finding suggest that, public awareness and community based management need to be encouraged at all levels in order to overcome the threats; further investigation into nutritional properties of all the species reported; study on the pharmacological attributes would help to understand their medicinal application. Furthermore urgent collection of germplasm from areas under human pressure is recommended

Structure–conductivity correlation in ferric chloride-doped poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) matrix has been chemically doped (redox doping) by ferric chloride (FeCl3) with different molar concentrations to get P3HT–FeCl3 charge-transfer complexes. The effect of redox doping on photo-physical, structural, and morphological properties and dc electrical conductivity of P3HT matrices has been examined. The dc conductivity has been measured on films of pristine P3HT and P3HT–FeCl3 charge-transfer complexes in the temperature range 6–300 K. Analysis of dc conductivity data reveals that in the temperature range 40–300 K, the dc conductivity is predominantly governed by Mott's 3-dimensional variable range hopping (3D-VRH); however, below 40 K tunnelling seems to dominate. A slight deviation from 3D-VRH to 1D-VRH is observed with an increase in doping level or precisely with an increase in the extent of P3HT–FeCl3 charge-transfer complexes. We attribute this deviation to the induced expansion in crystallographic lattices as revealed by x-ray diffraction data and formation of discrete conducting domains as observed by atomic force microscope imaging