Detection of Carbapenem Resistance Encoding Genes Among Gram Negative Bacteria from Urinary Tract Infection in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The emergence and spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in urinary tract infection among diabetic patients have become an increasing concern for management and treatment of the patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotypic features of CRE strains isolated from urinary tract infection among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. A total of 1560 diabetic patients were screened for suspected urinary tract infection. 277 Gram negative bacteria were identified by Phoenix 100 system (Becton-Dickinson, USA). These isolates were screened for their ability to produce carbapenemases by a disc diffusion test. A total of 45 CRE isolates were recovered from these Gram negative bacteria. Carbapenamase producing isolates were screened for blaSPM, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaGIM genes. The PCR products were sequenced in an ABI 3500 DNA sequencer (Applied Biosystems, USA). blaIMP-1, blaIMP-8, blaNDM-1, blaNDM-2, and blaNDM-4 were the predominant genes seen among E.coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Acinetobacter baumannii and Proteus mirabilis. Colistin and Amikacin were the drug of choice and Colistin had the MIC value of < 1mg/l and for Amikacin 62% of isolates had MIC value of < 4mg/l. This rising trend of carbapenem resistance among Gram negative bacteria stresses the increasing importance of continuous surveillance system and stewardship of antibiotics as strategies in the overall management of diabetic patients with urinary tract infection

Enhanced Adhesion and Cell Damage by Escherichia coli Harboring hly, papC and cnf-1genes to the Uroepithelium in Diabetic Mouse Bladder Model

The in-vivo mouse bladder model was sought to determine the effect of virulent uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strain harboring hly, papC and cnf-1 genes on uroepithelium of diabetic mouse bladder infected transurethrally. The female BALB/c mice aged between 6-8 weeks were used in the study. The diabetes was induced by subcutaneous injection of alloxan hydrate (80mg / kg body weight) in mice. Two UPEC strains, one with hly, papC and cnf-1 virulent genes and the other (hypovirulent) without hly, cnf-1 and papC genes were selected for the study. The animals were anesthetized and 50 µl of bacterial inoculum was instilled in to bladder of DM and non-DM mice using specially devised mice catheter. The mice were sacrificed at 4 hrs, 24 hrs and 48 hrs of post infection, and the bladder was removed aseptically. One half of the bladder was homogenized and bacterial culture was performed. The other half of the bladder was used to document bacterial adhesion and invasion by histopathology and scanning electron microscopy. The exaggerated consequence of virulent UPEC strain on diabetic mouse bladder model was documented as enhanced adhesion and extensive damage of the uroepithelium of the bladder. However, hypovirulent UPEC strain failed to produce observable pathophysiological effect. Many of the UPEC were in the filamentous form and occasionally seen looping within and between adjacent superficial cells to escape from immune mechanism like micturation and exfoliation

Episode of coexisting infections with multiple dengue virus serotypes in central Karnataka, India

Summary: Background: The co-circulation of multiple dengue virus serotypes has been reported in many parts of the world, including India; however, concurrent infection with more than one serotype of dengue virus in the same individual is rarely documented. Method: An outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) occurred in and around Davangere, Karnataka, from June 2011–March 2012. This is the first report from India with a high percentage of concurrent infections with different dengue virus serotypes circulating during one outbreak. Acute phase sera from patients were tested for the presence of dengue virus RNA by RT-PCR. Results: Of the 72 samples tested for dengue virus RNA, 42 (58.3%) were positive. All four dengue virus serotypes were found to be co-circulating in this outbreak, and DENV-2 was the predominant serotype. In addition, concurrent infection with more than one dengue virus serotype was identified in 18 (42.9%) dengue virus-positive samples. Conclusion: Our study showed that serotype DEN-2 was dominant in the positive dengue virus-infected samples; the other serotype present was DEN-3. This is the first report of concurrent infections with different dengue virus serotypes in this part of the world. Keywords: Dengue fever, Concurrent infection, RT-PC

Electron impact ionization and fragmentation of biofuels

We present in this article, a review of our recent experimental and theoretical studies published in the literature on electron impact ionization and fragmentation of the primary alcohols methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 1-butanol (C1–C4). We discuss the mass spectra (MS) of these alcohols, measured for the electron impact energy of 70 eV and also, total (TICS) and partial (PICS) ionization cross sections in the energy range from 10 to 100 eV, which revealed the probability of forming different cations, by either direct or dissociative ionization. These experimental TICS are summarized together with theoretical values, calculated using the Binary-encounter Bethe (BEB) and the independent atom model with the screening corrected additivity rule (IAM-SCAR) methods. Additionally, we compared data of appearance energies – AE and discussed the application of the extended Wannier theory to PICS in order to produce the ionization and ionic fragmentation thresholds for the electron impact of these alcohols