Review article: the global emergence of Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance.

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori is one of the most prevalent global pathogens and can lead to gastrointestinal disease including peptic ulcers, gastric marginal zone lymphoma and gastric carcinoma.AimTo review recent trends in H. pylori antibiotic resistance rates, and to discuss diagnostics and treatment paradigms.MethodsA PubMed literature search using the following keywords: Helicobacter pylori, antibiotic resistance, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, metronidazole, prevalence, susceptibility testing.ResultsThe prevalence of bacterial antibiotic resistance is regionally variable and appears to be markedly increasing with time in many countries. Concordantly, the antimicrobial eradication rate of H. pylori has been declining globally. In particular, clarithromycin resistance has been rapidly increasing in many countries over the past decade, with rates as high as approximately 30% in Japan and Italy, 50% in China and 40% in Turkey; whereas resistance rates are much lower in Sweden and Taiwan, at approximately 15%; there are limited data in the USA. Other antibiotics show similar trends, although less pronounced.ConclusionsSince the choice of empiric therapies should be predicated on accurate information regarding antibiotic resistance rates, there is a critical need for determination of current rates at a local scale, and perhaps in individual patients. Such information would not only guide selection of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy but also inform the development of better methods to identify H. pylori antibiotic resistance at diagnosis. Patient-specific tailoring of effective antibiotic treatment strategies may lead to reduced treatment failures and less antibiotic resistance

Bilateral superficial ulnar artery with high origin from the axillary artery: its anatomy and clinical significance

The superficial ulnar artery (SUA) is a rare anatomical variant that usually arises either in the axilla or the arm and runs a superficial course in the forearm, enters the hand, and participates in the formation of superficial palmar arch. During the routine dissection of cadavers in the department of anatomy, whilst preparing the specimen for medical students, an unusual bilateral branch of the axillary artery was found in one of the cadavers: a rare variant of the artery known as SUA, which originates from the 2nd part of the axillary arteries of both sides. The SUA is a known anatomical variant, but the bilateral high origin from the 2nd part of the axillary artery is extremely unusual. Its occurrence is of great clinical importance to the surgical and radiological departments

Finite self-similar p-groups with abelian first level stabilizers

We determine all finite p-groups that admit a faithful, self-similar action on the p-ary rooted tree such that the first level stabilizer is abelian. A group is in this class if and only if it is a split extension of an elementary abelian p-group by a cyclic group of order p. The proof is based on use of virtual endomorphisms. In this context the result says that if G is a finite p-group with abelian subgroup H of index p, then there exists a virtual endomorphism of G with trivial core and domain H if and only if G is a split extension of H and H is an elementary abelian p-group.Comment: one direction of theorem 2 extended to regular p-group

Electronic Structures, Born Effective Charges and Spontaneous Polarization in Magnetoelectric Gallium Ferrite

We present a theoretical study of the structure-property correlation in gallium ferrite, based on the first principles calculations followed by a subsequent comparison with the experiments. Local spin density approximation (LSDA+U) of the density functional theory has been used to calculate the ground state structure, electronic band structure, density of states and Born effective charges. Calculations reveal that the ground state structure is orthorhombic Pc21n having A-type antiferromagnetic spin configuration, with lattice parameters matching well with those obtained experimentally. Plots of partial density of states of constituent ions exhibit noticeable hybridization of Fe 3d, Ga 4s, Ga 4p and O 2p states. However, the calculated charge density and electron localization function show largely ionic character of the Ga/Fe-O bonds which is also supported by lack of any significant anomaly in the calculated Born effective charges with respect to the corresponding nominal ionic charges. The calculations show a spontaneous polarization of ~ 59 microC/cm^2 along b-axis which is largely due to asymmetrically placed Ga1, Fe1, O1, O2 and O6 ions.Comment: Total 21 pages including 3 tables and 6 figure

Stationary Localized States Due to a Nonlinear Dimeric Impurity Embedded in a Perfect 1-D Chain

The formation of Stationary Localized states due to a nonlinear dimeric impurity embedded in a perfect 1-d chain is studied here using the appropriate Discrete Nonlinear Schr$\ddot{o}$dinger Equation. Furthermore, the nonlinearity has the form, $\chi |C|^\sigma$ where $C$ is the complex amplitude. A proper ansatz for the Localized state is introduced in the appropriate Hamiltonian of the system to obtain the reduced effective Hamiltonian. The Hamiltonian contains a parameter, $\beta = \phi_1/\phi_0$ which is the ratio of stationary amplitudes at impurity sites. Relevant equations for Localized states are obtained from the fixed point of the reduced dynamical system. $|\beta|$ = 1 is always a permissible solution. We also find solutions for which $|\beta| \ne 1$. Complete phase diagram in the $(\chi, \sigma)$ plane comprising of both cases is discussed. Several critical lines separating various regions are found. Maximum number of Localized states is found to be six. Furthermore, the phase diagram continuously extrapolates from one region to the other. The importance of our results in relation to solitonic solutions in a fully nonlinear system is discussed.Comment: Seven figures are available on reques

Volkov solution for two laser beams and ITER

We find the solution of the Dirac equation for two plane waves (laser beams) and we determine the modified Compton formula for the scattering of two photons on an alectron. The practical meaning of the two laser beams is, that two laser beams impinging on a targed which is constituted from material in the form of a foam, can replace 100-200 laser beams impinging on a normal targed. It means that the nuclear fusion with two laser beams is realistic in combination with the nuclear reactor such as ITER.Comment: 13 page

The b quark low-scale running mass from Upsilon sum rules

The b quark low-scale running mass m_kin is determined from an analysis of the Upsilon sum rules in the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). It is demonstrated that using this mass one can significantly improve the convergence of the perturbation series for the spectral density moments. We obtain m_kin(1 GeV) = 4.56 \pm 0.06 GeV. Using this result we derive the value of the MS-bar mass m: m(m) = 4.20 \pm 0.1 GeV. Contrary to the low-scale running mass, the pole mass of the b quark cannot be reliably determined from the sum rules. As a byproduct of our study we find the NNLO analytical expression for the cross section e+e- --> Q\bar Q of the quark antiquark pair production in the threshold region, as well as the energy levels and the wave functions at the origin for the ^1S_3 bound states of Q\bar Q.Comment: 22 pages, Late

Research Notes : Consistency of heritability estimates over environments and crop-ping systems for different groups of traits in soybean

Introduction : Though numerous reports are available on heritability estimates from individual environment, yet information on consistency of heritability over environments is meager (Byth et al., 1969). An attempt has been made in the present communication to understand the influence of en-vironments and cropping system on the heritability estimates in soybean. Materials and methods : The materials and experimental design were same as reported by Gupta et al. (1981)

Государственная собственность и эффективность деятельности компании: оценка деятельности дезинвестированных предприятий государственного сектора

The Indian government devised a flexible method to modify the performance of public sector firms through disinvestment in the 1990s to boost commercial strength and bridge the budget deficit. The disinvestment policy intends to reduce the government’s involvement in the country’s economic activities to encourage the private sector. The research aims to empirically examine the financial and operating performance of thirty-two Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) in India. Further, the paper intends to study the other firm factors that influence the performance parameters. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and random panel regression model are the methods employed to analyze the data statistically. The results show that the profitability of disinvestment has not brought significantly much improvement post-privatization in PSEs. In contrast, the productivity of employees has improved. Dividend payout ratio and no. of employees have shown improvement after five years of disinvestment, and leverage has insignificantly declined. In addition, state ownership shows a significant negative relationship with the performance variables. It implies that higher the equity shareholding of the government (state ownership) in the CPSEs, would negatively hamper the performance of firms. On the other hand, GDP and firm size are positively affecting the profitability and productivity of employees. The study concludes that the government is required to bring down the equity shareholdings in CPSEs, directing more efforts towards strategic disinvestment. Government should choose strategic disinvestment rather than partial and small-scale disinvestment because neither will offer good results. The decline in leverage shows the availability of cheaper sources of finance. Furthermore, it has been suggested that government interference in operational and administrative functions should be given the least priority.Правительство Индии в 1990-х гг. разработало универсальный метод влияния на эффективность деятельности государственных компаний путем дезинвестирования для улучшения их коммерческой составляющей и преодоления дефицита бюджета. Политика дезинвестирования направлена на сокращение доли государственного участия в экономике страны для стимулирования частного сектора. Цель исследования — эмпирическое изучение финансовых и операционных показателей тридцати двух ключевых предприятий государственного сектора (CPSE) Индии. Также авторы предлагают изучить другие факторы, влияющие на показатели эффективности компаний. В качестве методов статистического анализа данных использованы критерий знаковых рангов Уилкоксона (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) и модель регрессии панельных данных (random panel regression model). Результаты исследования демонстрируют, что дезинвестирование предприятий не приводит к значительному изменению показателей прибыльности. Производительность труда сотрудников, напротив, повышается. Отмечено положительное влияние на коэффициент выплаты дивидендов и численность сотрудников после пяти лет дезинвестирования, при этом эффект левериджа снижается незначительно. Кроме того, можно говорить об отрицательной корреляции между государственной собственностью и показателями эффективности. Это означает, что увеличение доли государственного участия будет негативно влиять на результаты деятельности компаний. С другой стороны, ВВП и размер предприятия положительно влияют на его прибыльность, а также производительность труда сотрудников. В работе сделан вывод о том, что государству необходимо сократить долю участия в государственном секторе, направив больше усилий на стратегическое (активное) дезинвестирование. Государству следует придерживаться идеи стратегического дезинвестирования, а не частичного, поскольку последнее не принесет высоких результатов. Снижение левериджа свидетельствует о доступности более дешевых источников финансирования. Также авторы предлагают свести к минимуму вмешательство государства в операционную и административную деятельность компаний

Research Notes : Genetic control of productivity, responsiveness and stability for different groups of traits in soybean

In order to breed adaptable varieties, selection is to be based on the above three parameters of adaptability simultaneously, for achieving the de-sired objectives. After understanding the association between these, it is imperative to have information on the gene action or genetic architecture of these three parameters, because in a self-pollinated crop like soybean where end product is homozygous and homogeneous population, selection will be fruitful only if gene action is of additive or additive x additive nature. In the present study, an attempt has been made to infer the genetic control of mean performance (di-productivity), responsiveness and stability with respect to each different group of characters studied, on the basis of segregation pattern observed among 36 F4-derived lines, of the cross Soybean Pb.l x D 60-9647, in relation to their parents