Surgical Management and Outcome of Lumbosacral Disc Herniation (Study of 100 Cases)

Objective:  To discuss the surgical management and outcome of lumbosacral disc herniation. Material and Method:  The study was conducted in BMCH and Akram Hospital Quetta from April 2005 to November 2006, 100 patients of both gender included in study. Age range was 30 – 25 years. MRI lumbosacral spine done in all cases. Results:  Excellent result was observed in 80% of patients while fair result in 12% and results were same in 6% of patients. Poor result in 2%. Key word:  Lumbosacral Disk, Herniation.   &nbsp

'Lactobacillus fermentum' 3872 as a potential tool for combatting 'Campylobacter jejuni' infections

Due to the global spread of multidrug resistant pathogenic bacteria, alternative approaches in combating infectious diseases are required. One such approach is the use of probiotics. Lactobacillus fermentum 3872 is a promising probiotic bacterium producing a range of antimicrobial compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid. In addition, previous studies involving genome sequencing and analysis of L. fermentum 3872 allowed the identification of a gene encoding a cell surface protein referred to as collagen binding protein (CBP) (not found in other strains of the species, according to the GenBank database), consisting of a C-terminal cell wall anchor domain (LPXT), multiple repeats of ‘B domains' that form stalks presenting an “A domain” required for adhesion. In this study, we found that the CBP of L. fermentum 3872 binds to collagen I present on the surface of the epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, we found that this host receptor is also used for attachment by the major gastrointestinal pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni. Furthermore, we identified an adhesin involved in such interaction and demonstrated that both L. fermentum 3872 and its CBP can inhibit binding of this pathogen to collagen I. Combined with the observation that C. jejuni growth is affected in the acidic environment produced by L. fermentum 3872, the finding provides a good basis for further investigation of this strain as a potential tool for fighting Campylobacter infections

'Lactobacillus fermentum' 3872 genome sequencing and analysis

In recent years, there has been a rise in antimicrobial-resistant bacteria caused by overdependence on, and misuse of, antibiotics. This has led to an increase in research for identifying alternatives to combat pathogens. One promising means of combating pathogenic bacteria, particularly for those residing in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), is the use of probiotics. This thesis focuses on a potential probiotic strain Lactobacillus fermentum 3872, the genome sequence of which was circularised during the study, identifying genes that may contribute to probiotic activity. Several genes involved in GIT survival, such as acid symporters were discovered, along with genes that encode adhesion proteins such as those involved in mucus, fibronectin and collagen binding. The genes mentioned above may contribute to L. fermentum 3872 survivability within the GIT and have an antagonistic effect on enteric pathogens via competitive exclusion. Other interesting genes identified in L. fermentum 3872 were potentially involved in bacterial aggregation, exopolysaccharide and vitamin synthesis, along with four prophage encoding regions. Genes that encode a class III bacteriocin was also identified. An additional gene encoding a collagen binding protein (CBP) of a newly discovered plasmid pLF3872, was recognised. The chromosomal sequence also had a partial CBP encoding gene. pLF3872 has a toxin-antitoxin gene pair that ensures stable maintenance of the plasmid, along with conjugation-related genes. Functional analysis of the recombinant CBP via ELISA experiments found that the protein had the ability to bind to collagen I, a protein present on the epithelial lining of cells of the GIT. ELISA experiments also demonstrated that a common gastrointestinal pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni, can bind to collagen I in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis identified that C. jejuni strains 11168H and 81-176 may utilise flagellar components (FlaA and FlaB) for adhesion. Furthermore, C. jejuni 11168H and 81-176 binding to collagen I was inhibited in the presence of either L. fermentum 3872 or CBP, thus reducing C. jejuni adherence via competitive exclusion. Using an in vitro assay, it was also demonstrated that L. fermentum 3872 cell-free supernatant could inhibit the growth of C. jejuni, due to the acidic environment brought about by L. fermentum 3872. During the completion of the genome sequence of L. fermentum 3872, comparison of various sequence assembly techniques which focused on the quality of the genome assembly was conducted. The results showed that further extension of the genome sequence during sequence assembly may lead to assembly errors when over-relying on a commonly-used sequence quality indicator, referred to as read mapping. It is suggested that care must also be taken when using long read technology to complete the genome sequence of a bacteria, as this may result in nucleotide sequence redundancies

Composition, production, physicochemical properties and applications of lecithin obtained from rice (Oryza sativa L.) - A review

Rice bran oil is a rich source of lecithin and has many beneficial effects on human health. Apart from phospholipids (1-2%), different nutrients like ?-oryzanol, ferulic acid, phytosterols and vitamin B are also present in rice bran oil. These impart emulsifying property, anti-spattering property etc. and therefore, serve as potential nutritional food and nutraceutical. This review describes the composition, production, physicochemical properties, separation of individual phospholipids from rice bran lecithin and its applications in food industry. It is difficult to handle as compared to soyabean lecithin due to the problem of wax entrapment during the isolation of gums. It is characterised on the basis of physicochemical properties viz. solubility in acetone and hexane, colour, peroxide value, moisture content and acid value. Rice bran lecithin can serve as an excellent substitute to the available lecithins as it is non-GM and its nutritional and fatty acid composition imparts many properties which help it to find applications in the food industry. Future work must focus on proper processing of rice bran oil so that the lecithin obtained during processing is of high quality so that it can pave a way in the food sector

EFFECT OF HIGH AND LOW FLEXIBILITY ON AGILITY, ACCELERATION SPEED AND VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

This study aimed to assess the effect of high and low levels of flexibility on key performance indicators of volleyball performance. Eighty-four volleyball players (n=84; mean±SD; decimal age: 16.57±1.51; height (cm): 176.23±8.77; body mass (kg): 66.14±11.79) were selected for the study. The design of the study was cross-sectional and to measure selected variables i.e. agility, lower body muscular power, and acceleration speed; 6×10 m shuttle run, countermovement jump (with arm swing) test and 20 m sprint test (standing start) were used. To measure the flexibility level of the players, sit and reach test was used. Shapiro-Wilk normality test was conducted to check the distribution of data and the Levine test was applied to check homogeneity of the variance in data. Participants were divided into two groups i.e. High Flexibility Group (HFG) and Low Flexibility Group (LFG) using k-means cluster analysis and independent t-test was applied to find the differences between HFG and LFG. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results showed statistically significant difference between HFG and LFG in agility, acceleration speed and lower body muscular power and, based on the results, it was concluded coaches should include flexibility training in the regular training programme. The results obtained supported the rationale that baseline flexibility may influence the performance of volleyball players. Article visualizations

Clinical Presentation and Surgical Management of Brain Abscess

Objectives:&nbsp;&nbsp;To determine the clinical presentation, surgical management and outcome of patients with Brain Abscess in our locality. Study Design:&nbsp; Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study:&nbsp;&nbsp;Bolan Medical complex, Sandeman Provincial Hospital and Akram Hospital, Quetta. Duration from January 2003 to July 2004. Subject and Methods:&nbsp;&nbsp;Study conducted on twenty patients with Brain Abscess confirmed on CT Scans. Patients of both gender and all age group were included in the study. Those managed conservatively were excluded from the study. Results: &nbsp;Surgery was performed on all patients with the mortality rate of 20% (4) in this study. Conclusion:&nbsp;&nbsp;Appropriate microbial coverage and surgical management of Brain Abscess reduced the mortality and neurological deficits. Key Works: &nbsp;Brain Abscess, Neurological deficit, Mortality

Incidence of Supratentorial Metastatic Tumors Study of 20 Cases

Objectives: To determine the incidence of supratentorial metastatic Tumors in Balochistan.Material and Methods: Twenty (20) cases of both gender and different age group included in the study. This study was conducted at Neurosurgery Department, BMCH, Quetta from May 2010 to July 2014. Infratentorial metastases were not included in the study.Study Design: Prospective and Analytic Study.Results: Twenty patients of both genders were included in the group. The 12 patients were female and 8 male, age of patients range from 20 years to 65 years. The majority of patients were between 35 to 60 years. Debulking of tumor were done in 8 patients while Biopsy taken from the rest of the patients.Conclusion: Metastatic brain tumors usually occur in adults. Previously the diagnosis was very late, but now a days due to the availability of modern technology the diagnosis made early

Management and Outcome of Compound Depressed Skull Fracture

Objectives:&nbsp;&nbsp;To determine the clinical presentation, management and outcome of patients presenting with compound depressed skull fracture. Study Design:&nbsp; Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study:&nbsp;&nbsp;Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Duration from May 2003 to March 2006. Materials and Methods:&nbsp;&nbsp;Study conducted on sixty patients with compound depressed skull fracture. Patients of both gender and all age group were included in the study, those with major life threatening injuries to other organs were excluded. Results:&nbsp;&nbsp;Out of total of 60 patients, 42 (70%) patients were male and 18 (30%) were female. Majority were in the first (33%) second (25%) decade of life (child and young patients). Most of patients were injured as a result of road traffic accidents 32 (53%), fall from height in 16 patients (27%) and assault in 12 (20%). Seventy percent of patients in fall group fell from roof while 30% from electric pool. Patients presented with various signs and symptoms like headache, vomiting (70%), loss of consciousness (33%), ear, nose and throat bleed (40%), CSF rhinorrhea (17%) and fits. Seventy percent of patients in this study presented with sings of raised intracranial pressure. Temporal region was the most frequently affected area in 30 (50%) cases.&nbsp; Conclusion:&nbsp;&nbsp;Children and yuoung adults and males are most commonly affected. Road traffic accidents and falls from height are the most common modes of head injury. If treated properly most cases of compound depressed fracture will reveal good results. &nbsp