Prevalence and Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing of Bacteria Isolated from Open Wounds of Hospitalized Patients

Background: Substantial infectivity of open wounds by microorganisms not only precipitates in terms of complexity, morbidity and mortality because of encouraging other fatal comorbidities but also becomes challenging to handle by medical practitioners.Methods: To ascertain the bioburden associated particularly with bacteria in open wounds, this research work was conducted at the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics department of Women University, Multan in association with Pathology Department of Nishtar Hospital and College, Multan from January to June 2018. 65 different wound samples were collected from different wards and analyzed by standard procedures for bacterial isolation and characterization, employing biochemical tests including catalase, oxidase, coagulase, motility, triple-sugar iron (TSI), citrate and indole tests. The isolated bacterial strains were also evaluated for sensitivity or resistance against twelve different antibiotics.Results: All the 65 samples were found to be positive for bacterial presence. Gram-positive cocci constituted 63% of the isolates and gram-negative rods comprised 37%. Biochemical tests revealed that the predominant pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (63.1%) followed by Proteus spp., (15.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.3%) and Escherichia coli (9.2%), respectively. Antibiotic sensitivity testing disclosed that the most effective antibiotics against these isolates were Tigecycline and Polymyxin B while the least effective antibiotics were Ceftazidime and Ampicillin.Conclusion: These findings can prove beneficial in understanding the prevalence of various bacteria in wound infections. In addition, they indicate the need to develop and implement antibiotic stewardship programs so as to combat drug resistance among pathogens.Keywords: Gram-positive cocci; Drug resistance; Staphylococcus aureus   

Estimation of Genetic Divergence in 40 Elite Cotton Germplasm

Background: Identification and development of superior cotton genotypes and their further improvement has been one of the primitive aims of plant breeding programmers. Therefore, necessity of analyzing the agro-morphological and yield attributes of advanced lines of cotton is doubtless.Methods: Mean performance and correlation between ten different morphological, yield and fiber related attributes of forty cotton genotypes from all over the Pakistan under National Coordinated Varietal Trial were studied at Central Cotton Research Institute of Multan. Selected traits included several sympodial and monopodial branches, plant height, number of bolls per plant, staple length, seed cotton yield, boll weight, fiber strength, percentage ginning out turn and micronaire value.Results: Statistical analysis of variance disclosed highly significant (p<0.01) differences among all cotton genotypes for majority of the characteristics. Basic descriptive statistical analysis of selected agronomic traits revealed the presence of substantial genetic variation among 40 genotypes of cotton for 10 selected traits. The correlation coefficient was determined both at p<0.05 and p<0.01 levels and the observations demonstrated that some of the characteristics exhibited positive correlation, while others displayed negative correlation with each other. Micronaire showed highly significant positive association with percentage ginning out turn (0.3412) and boll weight (0.2421 g) as well as highly significant negative association with fiber strength (-0.5973).Conclusion: Convincingly, mean performances and correlation of different traits with one another can be utilized in cotton breeding programs in future to improve the yield of cotton seed and to select fiber related attributes with desired characteristics.Keywords: Gossypium hirsutum; Morphological agronomic traits; Statistical analysi

The Prevalence, Severity and the Contributive Organizational Factors of Burnout Syndrome among Pakistani Physiotherapists

Background: This is fast age where many underlying health issues go unaddressed in race of progress such as Burnout. This state of mental illness due to chronic stress that may be comprised of emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization. This is thought to be associated with occupation and organizational parameters. This can put physiotherapist compromised health, social and family life, dealing with patients and low performance at work. Objective: To determine burnout level and its severity among physical therapists and associated organizational factors Material and method: Cross sectional survey was conducted in sample of convenience comprising 120 physiotherapists. The participants were of both gender and age above 25 years. The data was collected by using Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale and data analysis was executed using SPSS version 20. Continuous variables including age, total scores were analyzed for mean and standard deviation, while frequency percentages were calculated against categorical variables. Results: Results of the study demonstrated that mean+SD score for emotional exhaustion was 16.55+ 5.07, mean+SD score for personal accomplishment was 44.73+1.54 and mean+SD score for depersonalization was 0.75+0.93. Conclusion: The study concluded that physiotherapists demonstrated mild to moderate level of burnout. Burnout symptoms apparently found significantly associated with high working hours, private sector, female gender and less physical activity. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp

Antigenic Peptide Prediction From E6 and E7 Oncoproteins of HPV Types 16 and 18 for Therapeutic Vaccine Design Using Immunoinformatics and MD Simulation Analysis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) induced cervical cancer is the second most common cause of death, after breast cancer, in females. Three prophylactic vaccines by Merck Sharp &amp; Dohme (MSD) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have been confirmed to prevent high-risk HPV strains but these vaccines have been shown to be effective only in girls who have not been exposed to HPV previously. The constitutively expressed HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 are usually used as target antigens for HPV therapeutic vaccines. These early (E) proteins are involved, for example, in maintaining the malignant phenotype of the cells. In this study, we predicted antigenic peptides of HPV types 16 and 18, encoded by E6 and E7 genes, using an immunoinformatics approach. To further evaluate the immunogenic potential of the predicted peptides, we studied their ability to bind to class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) molecules in a computational docking study that was supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and estimation of the free energies of binding of the peptides at the MHC-I binding cleft. Some of the predicted peptides exhibited comparable binding free energies and/or pattern of binding to experimentally verified MHC-I-binding epitopes that we used as references in MD simulations. Such peptides with good predicted affinity may serve as candidate epitopes for the development of therapeutic HPV peptide vaccines

Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Control of a Tick-Borne Disease- Kyasanur Forest Disease: Current Status and Future Directions

In South Asia, Haemaphysalis spinigera tick transmits Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), a flavivirus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever with neurological manifestations such as mental disturbances, severe headache, tremors, and vision deficits in infected human beings with a fatality rate of 3–10%. The disease was first reported in March 1957 from Kyasanur forest of Karnataka (India) from sick and dying monkeys. Since then, between 400 and 500 humans cases per year have been recorded; monkeys and small mammals are common hosts of this virus. KFDV can cause epizootics with high fatality in primates and is a level-4 virus according to the international biosafety rules. The density of tick vectors in a given year correlates with the incidence of human disease. The virus is a positive strand RNA virus and its genome was discovered to code for one polyprotein that is cleaved post-translationally into 3 structural proteins (Capsid protein, Envelope Glycoprotein M and Envelope Glycoprotein E) and 7 non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5). KFDV has a high degree of sequence homology with most members of the TBEV serocomplex. Alkhurma virus is a KFDV variant sharing a sequence similarity of 97%. KFDV is classified as a NIAID Category C priority pathogen due to its extreme pathogenicity and lack of US FDA approved vaccines and therapeutics; also, the infectious dose is currently unknown for KFD. In India, formalin-inactivated KFDV vaccine produced in chick embryo fibroblast is being used. Nevertheless, further efforts are required to enhance its long-term efficacy. KFDV remains an understudied virus and there remains a lack of insight into its pathogenesis; moreover, specific treatment to the disease is not available to date. Environmental and climatic factors involved in disseminating Kyasanur Forest Disease are required to be fully explored. There should be a mapping of endemic areas and cross-border veterinary surveillance needs to be developed in high-risk regions. The involvement of both animal and health sector is pivotal for circumscribing the spread of this disease to new areas

Design and analysis of 300MW solar configuration and its comparison with Quaid-e-Azam solar park

Pakistan's recent energy crisis demands efficient utilization of renewable energy resources. The country, being richest with respect to solar potential, is experiencing a remarkable progress in power generation from Photovoltaic sources. Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) is an example to improve the efficiency in term of Performance Ratio (PR) and energy injected into grid. In an attempt to further elevate the efficiency, the present work proposes configuration consisting of modules and inverters with low temperature coefficient. Based on meteorological data obtained from Meteonorm/NASA, performance of the proposed configuration is simulated in PVsyst and is then compared with that of QASP. Comparative results indicate that the proposed configuration annually improves PR by a factor of 3-4% while increasing the energy injected into the grid by 4.5 MW. It is anticipated that physical realization of the proposed configuration will improve energy yield

Global Incidence and Risk Factors Associated With Postoperative Urinary Retention Following Elective Inguinal Hernia Repair

Importance Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a well-recognized complication of inguinal hernia repair (IHR). A variable incidence of POUR has previously been reported in this context, and contradictory evidence surrounds potential risk factors.Objective To ascertain the incidence of, explore risk factors for, and determine the health service outcomes of POUR following elective IHR.Design, Setting, and Participants The Retention of Urine After Inguinal Hernia Elective Repair (RETAINER I) study, an international, prospective cohort study, recruited participants between March 1 and October 31, 2021. This study was conducted across 209 centers in 32 countries in a consecutive sample of adult patients undergoing elective IHR.Exposure Open or minimally invasive IHR by any surgical technique, under local, neuraxial regional, or general anesthesia.Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the incidence of POUR following elective IHR. Secondary outcomes were perioperative risk factors, management, clinical consequences, and health service outcomes of POUR. A preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score was measured in male patients.Results In total, 4151 patients (3882 male and 269 female; median [IQR] age, 56 [43-68] years) were studied. Inguinal hernia repair was commenced via an open surgical approach in 82.2% of patients (n = 3414) and minimally invasive surgery in 17.8% (n = 737). The primary form of anesthesia was general in 40.9% of patients (n = 1696), neuraxial regional in 45.8% (n = 1902), and local in 10.7% (n = 446). Postoperative urinary retention occurred in 5.8% of male patients (n = 224), 2.97% of female patients (n = 8), and 9.5% (119 of 1252) of male patients aged 65 years or older. Risk factors for POUR after adjusted analyses included increasing age, anticholinergic medication, history of urinary retention, constipation, out-of-hours surgery, involvement of urinary bladder within the hernia, temporary intraoperative urethral catheterization, and increasing operative duration. Postoperative urinary retention was the primary reason for 27.8% of unplanned day-case surgery admissions (n = 74) and 51.8% of 30-day readmissions (n = 72).Conclusions The findings of this cohort study suggest that 1 in 17 male patients, 1 in 11 male patients aged 65 years or older, and 1 in 34 female patients may develop POUR following IHR. These findings could inform preoperative patient counseling. In addition, awareness of modifiable risk factors may help to identify patients at increased risk of POUR who may benefit from perioperative risk mitigation strategies