Vaginal Estrogen Therapy in Postmenopausal Overactive Bladder

Objective: To assess the efficacy of vaginal estrogen therapy in postmenopausal overactive bladder (OAB). Study design: It is an OPD (outpatient department) based prospective study. Postmenopausal women attending gynecology OPD with complaint of OAB were enrolled for the study. Women fulfilling the criteria for the study were given estradiol 2 mg vaginal tablet everyday for 2 weeks, then weekly twice for 10 weeks. Patients were assessed by 3-day bladder diary, Patient Global Impression scale, before and after the therapy. Results: Ninety-three patients completed the study. Increased frequency of micturition was cured in 92.5% cases; urgency and urge incontinence was cured in 74.2% cases. Patient’s subjective feeling of improvement scale revealed only 12.9% women felt either no change or little better; rest all were happy. Conclusion: Local estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women with OAB resulted in a good outcome

Plasmid-Encoded Multidrug Resistance of Salmonella typhi and some Enteric Bacteria in and around Kolkata, India: A Preliminary Study

The present study investigates the occurrence of R-plasmid in Salmonella typhi isolates from enteric fever cases in and around Kolkata (1991-2001), India following in vitro conjugation experiments, isolation of plasmid DNAs and agarose gel electrophoretic analysis. The multidrug resistant (MDR) S. typhi strains contained a transferable plasmid conferring resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole and tetracycline. The plasmid encoding ACCoT-resistance of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus vulgaris were conjugative and co-migrated with the plasmid of MDR S. typhi isolates. The antibiotic sensitive S. typhi isolates did not contain any plasmid. Thus the findings of the present study confirmed the instability of the R-plasmid in S. typhi, and that the antibiotic sensitive S. typhi strains acquired the R-plasmid from other enteric bacteria such as E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P.vulgaris to undergo a suitable adaptation for survival in the changing antibiotic environment

Enhancing chloramphenicol and trimethoprim in vitro activity by Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Lamiaceae) leaf extract against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the antibacterial activity of Ocimum sanctum (O. sanctum) leaf extract, alone, and in combination with chloramphenicol (C) and trimethoprim (Tm) against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. typhi).MethodsThe antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of tulsi, O. sanctum, leaf (TLE; 500 μg) for 23 S. typhi isolates was determined following agar diffusion. The C (30 μg) and Tm (5 μg) activity alone and in combination with TLE (250 μg) was determined by disk diffusion. The zone diameter of inhibition (ZDI) for the agents was recorded, and growth inhibitory indices (GIIs) were calculated.ResultsThe S. typhi isolates (n=23), which were resistant to both C (ZDI 6 mm) and Tm (ZDI 6 mm), had TLE (500 μg) ZDIs 16-24 mm. The ZDIs of C and Tm were increased up to 15-21 mm and 17-23 mm, respectively, when TLE (250 μg) was added to the C and Tm discs. The GIIs ranged 0.789-1.235 and 0.894-1.352, due to combined activity against S. typhi isolates, of C and TLE and Tm and TLE, respectively.ConclusionsThe data suggest that TLE, in combination with C and Tm, had synergistic activity for S. typhi isolates, and hence O. sanctum is potential in combating S. typhi drug resistance, as well promising in the development of non-antibiotic drug for S. typhi infection

Plasmid-Mediated Dimethoate Degradation by Bacillus licheniformis Isolated From a Fresh Water Fish Labeo rohita

The Bacillus licheniformis strain isolated from the intestine of Labeo rohita by an enrichment technique showed capability of utilizing dimethoate as the sole source of carbon. The bacterium rapidly utilized dimethoate beyond 0.6 mg/mL and showed prolific growth in a mineral salts medium containing 0.45 mg/mL dimethoate. The isolated B licheniformis exhibited high level of tolerance of dimethoate (3.5 mg/mL) in nutrient broth, while its cured mutant did not tolerate dimethoate beyond 0.45 mg/mL and it was unable to utilize dimethoate. The wild B licheniformis strain transferred dimethoate degradation property to E coli C600 (Na(r), F(−)) strain. The transconjugant harbored a plasmid of the same molecular size (approximately 54 kb) as that of the donor plasmid; the cured strain was plasmid less. Thus a single plasmid of approximately 54 kb was involved in dimethoate degradation. Genes encoding resistance to antibiotic and heavy metal were also located on the plasmid

A specific deficit of auditory processing in children with Rolandic Epilepsy and their relatives

Previous research shows that children with Rolandic Epilepsy have deficits of auditory processing. We wanted to confirm the nature of this deficit and whether it aggregates in families. We compared 40 children with Rolandic Epilepsy and 32 unaffected siblings with 99 typically developing children and 71 parents of RE children with 31 healthy adults on a battery of auditory processing tests. We also examined ear advantage in children with RE, their siblings and parents using population norms and measured non-word reading performance. We found a specific deficit for competing words in patients, their siblings and their parents, suggesting that this particular impairment of auditory processing present in children with RE, is heritable and likely to be persistent. Importantly, scores on this subtest in patients and siblings were significantly correlated with non-word reading performance. We saw increased rates of atypical left ear advantage in patients and siblings but no evidence of this in parents. We present these findings as evidence of familial incidence of dichotic listening and ear advantage abnormalities in relatives of children with Rolandic Epilepsy

Intensification of climate-smart agriculture technology in semi-arid regions of India

Technology adoption has been proven to be an efficient way to improve agricultural productivity as well as farmers’ income across the semi-arid regions of the globe. However, an upcoming method to improve food and livelihood security is through sustainable technology intensification. The study tries to assess the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technology intensification on farmers’ income using inverse probability weighted regression adjustment method. The results show a rise in average income for high intensified farmers in comparison to the low intensified farmers. The results also show a rise in income for CSA intensified farmers in comparison to the farmers adopting only improved technologies. Therefore, technology intensification of CSA technologies has been found to be an effective way in ensuring income security to the farmers