Role of blood culture in critically sick paediatric patients and its clinical impact: a tertiary care hospital based study

Background: Blood cultures form a critical part of evaluation of patients with suspected sepsis. The present study was undertaken to study the risk factors, duration of incubation for obtaining positive cultures, and the clinical impact of the culture report. Methods: A total of 224 samples from 110 critically sick pediatric patients presenting with suspected bacteraemia were processed aerobically.Results: Cultures were positive in 25.45% of the Patients. Most of the positive cultures were obtained after 24 hours of incubation of the broth and no isolates were obtained beyond day 4 of incubation. Therapy was modified in 52.73% of the patients after receipt of culture report. Conclusions: Incubation beyond four days (unless with specific indication like enteric fever) may be unnecessary for issuing a negative culture report. Repeated isolation of doubtful pathogens confirms true bacteraemia. Early culture report increases therapeutic compliance

Fetomaternal outcome in pregnancy with fibroid: a prospective observational study

Background: Uterine leiomyomas simply called as myomas, fibroids, fibroma, are benign neoplasm derived from smooth muscle cell rests of vessel wall or uterine musculature. Fibroids are rarely observed before puberty, most prevalent during reproductive age group and regress after menopause. They are oestrogen-dependent tumours, and there is evidence that leiomyomas overexpress certain estrogen and progesterone receptors when compared to normal surrounding myometrium. Methods: The present study was a prospective observational study conducted in Government Lalla Ded Hospital GMC Srinagar over a period of 18 months from May 2021 to November 2022. Results: Out of 100 patients, only 66 were delivered in our hospital while this study was being conducted. 38% patients had LSCS, 23% had normal vaginal delivery and 5% patients had vaginal delivery followed by curette. Pain was the most common antenatal complication found in 28% of patients, followed by 12% patients with malpresentation, 11% had abortion, 7% had APH and 5% patients had IUD. There was no preterm delivery or PPROM in our study. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that the incidence of fibroids was highest in between age group of 25-34 years. The commonest type of fibroid was intramural anterior wall upper segment, followed by intramural posterior wall upper segment. Guarded pregnancy outcome was seen in multiple large fibroids in pregnancy. Cesarean section rate was on higher side especially in multiple fibroids and occupying the lower segment. Decision for cesarean myomectomy should be reserved for selected cases only where the fibroid comes in the incision site or large pedunculated fibroid. Routine cesarean myomectomy should be discouraged. To improve the neonatal outcome in pregnancies with multiple fibroids, cesarean should be done by the staff trained in delivering babies in difficult scenarios

Mechanistic insights into strigolactone biosynthesis, signaling and regulation during plant growth and development

Strigolactones (SLs) constitute a group of carotenoid-derived phytohormones with butenolide moieties. These hormones are involved in various functions, including regulation of secondary growth, shoot branching and hypocotyl elongation, and stimulation of seed germination. SLs also control hyphal branching of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and mediate responses to both abiotic and biotic cues. Most of these functions stem from the interplay of SLs with other hormones, enabling plants to appropriately respond to changing environmental conditions. This dynamic interplay provides opportunities for phytohormones to modulate and augment one another. In this article, we review our current mechanistic understanding of SL biosynthesis, receptors and signaling. We also highlight recent advances regarding the interaction of SLs with other hormones during developmental processes and stress conditions

Post‐translationally‐modified structures in the autophagy machinery: an integrative perspective

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113777/1/febs13356_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113777/2/febs13356.pd

Effects of a 6-month multi-strain probiotics supplementation in endotoxemic, inflammatory and cardiometabolic status of T2DM patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective The aim of this trial was to characterize the beneficial effects of probiotics on decreasing endotoxin levels and other cardiometabolic parameters in Arab patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Saudi adults with naïve T2DM (n=61; 12 males and 18 females) were randomly allocated to receive twice daily placebo or 2.5×109cfu/gram of Ecologic®Barrier (multi-strain probiotics; 14 males and 17 females) in a double-blind manner over a 6 month period, respectively. Anthropometrics were measured and fasting blood samples were collected to analyze endotoxin, glycemic parameters [glucose, insulin, c-peptide and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)], lipids [triglycerides, total cholesterol, low and high-density lipoprotein (LDL and HDL, respectively) cholesterol and total/HDL-cholesterol ratio], inflammatory markers [tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)] and adipocytokines [leptin, adiponectin and resistin] at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. Results Multi-strain probiotics supplementation for 6 months caused a significant decrease in circulating levels of endotoxin by almost 70% over 6 months, as well as glucose (38%), insulin (38%), HOMA-IR (64%), triglycerides (48%), total cholesterol (19%), total/HDL-cholesterol ratio (19%), TNF-α (67%), IL-6 (77%), CRP (53%), resistin (53%), and a significant increase in adiponectin (72%) as compared with baseline. Only HOMA-IR had a clinically significant reduction (-3.4, 64.2%) in the probiotics group as compared to placebo group at all time points. No other clinically significant changes were observed between the probiotic or placebo group at 3 and 6 months in other markers. Conclusion Multi-strain probiotic supplementation over 6 months as a monotherapy significantly decreased HOMA-IR in T2DM patients, with the probiotic treatment group highlighting reduced inflammation and improved cardiometabolic profile. As such, multi-strain probiotics is a promising adjuvant anti-diabetes therapy

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

Peer reviewe

Effects of a 12-Month Intensive Lifestyle Monitoring Program in Predominantly Overweight/Obese Arab Adults with Prediabetes

This 12-month, randomized, controlled lifestyle intervention study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention in terms of (1) the reduction of at least 5% of body weight compared to baseline and (2) the percentage of participants in which fasting blood glucose (FBG) normalizes (<5.6 mmol/L) post-intervention, in predominantly overweight/obese Saudi adults with impaired fasting glucose. A total of 300 Saudi adults with prediabetes at baseline (FBG 5.6–6.9 mmol/L) were enrolled to receive either general advice (GA) or a rigorous, self-monitored, lifestyle modification program (intervention group, IG) for 12 months, focused on food choices, physical activity, and weight loss. Anthropometric and biochemical estimations were analyzed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. At baseline, 136/150 in the GA group (90.7%) and 127/150 in the IG group (84.7%) were either overweight or obese. A total of 14% (n = 21) of the subjects in the IG arm discontinued, compared to 8% (n = 12) in the GA arm. Data from completers (92% (n = 138) and 86% (n= 129) participants in GA and IG arms, respectively) were considered for the final analysis. Post-intervention, 37.2% (n = 48) of participants in the IG group had ≥5% weight reduction, as compared to 12.3% (n = 17) in the GA group (p < 0.01). Similarly, the percentage of participants who normalized their FBG post-intervention was 46.5% (n = 60) in the IG group compared to 21.7% (n = 30) in the GA group (p < 0.01). A 12-month Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)-styled intensive lifestyle program translated effectively in decreasing weight and improving fasting glucose compared to the GA group in predominantly overweight/obese Saudi adults with prediabetes, suggesting that in the case of guided intervention programs, people are willing to participate and possibly change a sedentary lifestyle