Association of Blaoxa-1 Gene with Multidrug Resistance in K. pneumoniae Clinical Isolates

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to isolate K. pneumoniae from patients samples and find an association of the plasmid-mediated bla-OXA-1 gene with multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae. METHODOLOGY This cross-sectional study was conducted at Mardan Medical Complex and Khyber Medical University Peshawar. K. pneumoniae was isolated from pus, urine and blood samples by culture and confirmed by biochemical techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility was done by disc diffusion according to the CLSI 2022 guidelines. A polymerase chain reaction was done for the gene after extraction and amplification of plasmid DNA. Furthermore, an association of antibiotic resistance was confirmed with blaOXA-1. RESULTSA total of 160 K. pneumoniae isolates were cultured from the patient’s samples, including pus (135, 84.37%), urine (15, 9.37%) and blood (10, 6.26%). There were 154 (96.3%) isolates resistant to Penicillin-G, followed by Ceftriaxone 151 (94.4%), Cefepime 143 (89.4%), Amoxicillin 125 (78.1%), Tigecycline 110 (68.8%), Imipenem 92 (57.6%) and Ertapenem 75(49.9%). However, Tetracycline had 1.9% resistance. The blaOXA-1 gene was positive in 41(25.62%) isolates with a different pattern of antibiotics resistance to Penicillin-G, Ceftriaxone, Cefepime, Amoxicillin, Tigecycline, Imipenem and Ertapenem as compared to the negative isolates. Among the blaOXA-1 gene-positive K. pneumoniae isolates, resistance to Penicillin-G was 100%, followed by Ceftriaxone (92.7%), Cefepime and Amoxicillin (80.5%), respectively. However, resistance to Imipenem and Ertapenem was 46.3% and 41.5%, respectively, and Tetracycline was not resistant. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the presence of plasmid associated blaOXA-1 gene in K. pneumoniae isolates may contribute to multidrug resistance in beta lactamase-containing antibiotics along with other internal mechanisms of resistance present in these bacteria

Maize Response to Compost, Nitrogen and its Method of Application at Peshawar, Pakistan

An experiment on yield and yield components of maize response to compost and fertilizer nitrogen rate as well as timing of application was conducted at New Developmental Farm Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University Peshawar during Kharif 2011. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design with split plot arrangement. Compost (0 and 5 kg ha-1) and nitrogen (65 and 130 tons ha-1)were allotted to main plots while methods (M) of nitrogen application(full at sowing, full at knee stage, and half at sowing and half at knee stages) to sub-plots. Biological yield,1000 grain weight, grain yield, shelling percentage, and harvest index(%) were studied. Higher biological yield(9832 kg ha-1), 1000 grain weight(251gm), grain yield (3449 kg ha-1) and shelling (55%),were produced by compost when applied at the rate of 5 ton ha-1 compared to control plots. Higher biological yield(9707 kg ha-1), 1000 grain weight (249g), grain yield (3391 kg ha-1), and shelling  (54%) were produced by 130 kg N ha-1 compared to 65 kg N ha-1. Higher biological yield (9180 kg ha-1) and 1000 grain weight (244g)  were produced when nitrogen was applied as 1/2 at sowing and half 1/2 at knee stage compared toan application as full dose either at sowing or knee stage. So it is concluded from the experiment that compost at the rate of 5 tons per ha-1 along with 130 kg N ha-1 applied as nitrogen at the rate 130 kg per hectare and methods of nitrogen application 1/2 at sowing and 1/2 at knee stage improved yield and yield component of maize and is therefore recommended for general cultivation in agro-climatic condition of Peshawar. Keywords: Maize, Compost, Nitrogen, Method of Nitrogen Applicatio

Computation of Numerical Solution via Non-Standard Finite Difference Scheme

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the strategies of quarantine and other governmental measures, such as lockdown, media coverage on social isolation, strengthening of public safety, etc. All these strategies are because to manage the disease as there is no vaccine and appropriate medicine for treatment. The mathematical model can assist to determine whether these intervention options are the most effective ones for illness control and how they might impact the dynamics of the disease. Motivated by this, in this manuscript, a classical order nonlinear mathematical model has been proposed to analyze the pandemic COVID-19. The model has been analyzed numerically. The suggested mathematical model is classified into susceptible, exposed, recovered, and infected classes. The non-standard finite difference scheme (NSFDS) is used to achieve the approximate results for each compartment. The graphical presentations for various compartments of the systems that correspond to some real facts are given via MATLAB

Coupling phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) with inorganic phosphorus fertilizer improves mungbean (Vigna radiata) phosphorus acquisition, nitrogen fixation, and yield in alkaline-calcareous soil

To overcome the problems associated with soil phosphorus (P) insolubility, soil inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can be used. In a field experiment, we evaluated the efficacy of PSB in enhancing mungbean P acquisition, nitrogen (N) fixation, and morphological and yield traits in alkaline-calcareous soil when added together with P as single superphosphate (SSP) or rock phosphate (RP) at 45 or 90 kg P2O5 ha−1. Coupling PSB with mineral P fertilizers (SSP & RP) improved P use efficiency, mungbean P acquisition, N2 fixation, nodulation, NP uptake, and the morphological and yield-related traits of mungbeans compared with non-fertilized controls and plots received P from mineral sources alone. Soil PSB inoculation with mineral P also improved post-harvest soil fertility relative to pre-harvest by improving soil organic matter from 0.61% to 0.70%, lowering pH from 7.74 to 7.68, and improving soil total N from 0.04 to 0.09%, ABDTPA-extractable P from 2.07 to 3.44 mg kg−1, and potassium (K) concentrations from 100.27 to 129.45 mg kg−1. When combined with PSB, RP generally performed better than SSP. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between soil N and plant N, while the correlation between soil P and plant P was non-significant. The correlation between soil organic matter content and NP uptake by mungbeans was also non-significant. Therefore, adding P as RP at 45–90 kg ha−1, together with PSB inoculation, can be recommended for improving mungbean P acquisition, use efficiency, optimum N2 fixation, and yield in alkaline-calcareous soils.J.M.A. was supported by Qatar Petroleum (QUEX-CAS-QP-RD-18/1

EFL paraphrasing skills with QuillBot: Unveiling students' enthusiasm and insights

EFL students' attitudes are crucial for the development of writing abilities, which in the age of cutting-edge technology depend extensively on artificial intelligence -mediated tools, and paraphrasing draws no exception. Therefore, this study aims to identify English as a foreign language student’s enthusiasm and insights about utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. To achieve the study objectives, the quasi-experimental design was employed. Thirty-one preparatory year students were recruited to answer a questionnaire and semi-structured interview having verified the validity and reliability of the instruments. The sample of the test demonstrated that students improved their performance in synonyms, sentence structure, and word choice. The respondents hold high enthusiasm and insights toward utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. In addition, students had positive feelings about utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. In light of the findings, the researchers recommended employing QuillBot in a writing class while learning paraphrasing skills

Whole genome sequencing of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a high burden tuberculosis region of North West Pakistan

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, is a leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide, including in Pakistan. Drug resistant M. tuberculosis is an emerging threat for TB control, making it important to detect the underlying genetic mutations, and thereby inform treatment decision making and prevent transmission. Whole genome sequencing has emerged as the new diagnostic to reliably predict drug resistance within a clinically relevant time frame, and its deployment will have the greatest impact on TB control in highly endemic regions. To evaluate the mutations leading to drug resistance and to assess for evidence of the transmission of resistant strains, 81 M. tuberculosis samples from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (North West Pakistan) were subjected to whole genome sequencing and standard drug susceptibility testing for eleven anti-TB drugs. We found the majority of M. tuberculosis isolates were the CAS/Delhi strain-type (lineage 3; n = 57; 70.4%) and multi-drug resistant (MDR; n = 62; 76.5%). The most frequent resistance mutations were observed in the katG and rpoB genes, conferring resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin respectively. Mutations were also observed in genes conferring resistance to other first and second-line drugs, including in pncA (pyrazinamide), embB (ethambutol), gyrA (fluoroquinolones), rrs (aminoglycosides), rpsL, rrs and giB (streptomycin) loci. Whilst the majority of mutations have been reported in global datasets, we describe unreported putative resistance markers in katG, ethA (ethionamide), gyrA and gyrB (fluoroquinolones), and pncA. Analysis of the mutations revealed that acquisition of rifampicin resistance often preceded isoniazid in our isolates. We also observed a high proportion (17.6%) of pre-MDR isolates with fluoroquinolone resistance markers, potentially due to unregulated anti-TB drug use. Our isolates were compared to previously sequenced strains from Pakistan in a combined phylogenetic tree analysis. The presence of lineage 2 was only observed in our isolates. Using a cut-off of less than ten genome-wide mutation differences between isolates, a transmission analysis revealed 18 M. tuberculosis isolates clustering within eight networks, thereby providing evidence of drug-resistant TB transmission in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Overall, we have demonstrated that drug-resistant TB isolates are circulating and transmitted in North West Pakistan. Further, we have shown the usefulness of whole genome sequencing as a diagnostic tool for characterizing M. tuberculosis isolates, which will assist future epidemiological studies and disease control activities in Pakistan

Molecular epidemiology of Shigella flexneri isolated from pediatrics in a diarrhea-endemic area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Shigella flexneri is considered as an important causative agent of Shigellosis causing diarrhea in the countries with a low socioeconomic status. No study has been carried out on the molecular prevalence of S. flexneri in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. So this study was designed to evaluate the molecular prevalence of S. flexneri and their associated risk factors. A total of 2014 diarrheal stool samples were collected from January 2016 to May 2017 from pediatrics patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by identification of S. flexneri through biochemical, serological, and molecular methods. The overall prevalence of Shigella species was found to be 7.9% (n = 160). The predominant Shigella specie was S. flexneri (n = 155, 96.8%) followed by S. boydii (n = 5, 3.1%). Interestingly, no sample was found positive for S. sonnei and S. dysenteriae. The majority of Shigellosis cases occurred from June to September. Potential risk factors related with Shigellosis were unhygienic latrine usage, bad hand washing, and consumption of unhygienic food and water, and pipe leakage in the sewage system. In this study, we have observed a high number of Shigellosis cases especially those caused by S. flexneri. It is suggested that effective health awareness programs should be organized by the regional health authorities to minimize the magnitude of pediatrics Shigellosis

Kinetics of the pyrolysis of cobalt-impregnated sesame stalk biomass

In this work, thermogravimetric analysis of sesame biomass samples was conducted in inert atmosphere at heating rate of 10 °C/min in the temperature range 30–1000 °C. Kinetic parameters were calculated applying the Coats-Redfern (CR) method. TG/DTG of sesame biomass showed that pyrolysis mainly occurred in the temperature range 205–412 °C. Therefore, the biomass was thermally decomposed in the same temperature range in the presence of cobalt oxide in an indigenously made salt bath furnace. The pyrolysis oil was collected and analyzed using GC-MS. The Physicochemical properties of the oil were determined, and the results have shown that sesame biomass can be utilized as fuel if the oil obtained from it is properly upgraded to make it equivalent to commercial fuel