Prevalence of various β-lactamase (ESBL, AmpC and MBL) producing multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. in a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Extensive use of β- lactam group of antibiotics to treat the gram negative bacterial infections the antibiotic resistance are increasing and Acinetobacter species are budding as multidrug resistant (MDR) gram negative bacteria showing various β-lactamases mediated resistance. Materials and Methods: The presence of β-lactamases in the multi drug resistant clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species were screened by β-lactamase assay method. The presence of ESBL was detected by phenotypic confirmatory test recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), AmpC was detected by CX/BA inhibitor method and carbapenem (IMP or MER)/EDTA combined disc method and Modified Hodge tests were performed to detect MBL mediated resistance mechanism. Results: We found high level of beta lactamase mediated resistance mechanism as part of multidrug resistance. Among 180 MDR isolates, 147 isolates were shown positive for beta lactamase assay method and these 147 isolates were further subjected to confirm presence of beta lactamase such as AmpC 105 (71.42%) followed by ESBL 84 (57.14%), MBL 43 (29.25%). Co-existence of ESBL and MBL also identified in 13 (8.84%) isolates. Conclusion: β-lactamase mediated resistance mechanisms are accounting very high in the multidrug resistant isolates of Acinetobacter species. Therefore early detection is necessary to screen and confirm beta lactamase mediated resistant strains to avoid treatment failure and prevent the spread of MDR

Chemical composition and size distribution of atmospheric aerosols over the Deccan Plateau, India.

Measurements on atmospheric total aerosol were made at Poona during the summer and winter seasons of 1978–79. An Andersen particle sampler Model 20–810, Mark II (Andersen 2000 Inc. U.S.A.) which samples atmospheric particles with diameters ranging between 0.4 and 10.0 μm was used for the measurement. The mass distribution of the total aerosol, and separately for the chloride, sodium, ammonium, sulphate and nitrate components were obtained. The mass distribution of the aerosols exhibited a bimodal distribution in the size ranges 0.4–0.6 μm and 5–6 μm. The chloride and sodium components exhibited by and large a unimodal distribution. The ammonium and sulphate components exhibited a bimodal distribution during the monsoon and a unimodal distribution during the winter. The nitrate component exhibited a bimodal distribution during the monsoon and winter. The molecular form of this component appears to be ammonium nitrate in the sub-micron range and sodium nitrate in the higher size range (1–10 μm)

PLASMID PROFILE AND CURING, BIOFILM DETECTION AMONG ESBL PRODUCING ISOLATES OF ACINETOBACTER SPECIES

Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the plasmid profile and curing in extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producers and know the association of biofilm formation among ESBLs.Methods: Standard disk diffusion method (Kirby Bauer's method) was performed to know the sensitivity and resistance patterns for commonly used antibiotics and clinical laboratory standard institute (CLSI) recommended confirmatory phenotypic method was used to confirming ESBL producers. 56 ESBL producers were subjected to plasmid profiling and curing. The tube (qualitative) and microtitre (quantitative) methods were performed to detect the biofilm formation.Results: In all ESBL producers, a single plasmid was found with approximately 21, 226 bp. After plasmid curing, the resistance patterns against the third generation cephalosporin group of antibiotics were transformed into susceptible for all bacterial isolates. In tube method, 11 (19.64%) isolates were strong adherent, 08 (14.28%) were either weakly adherent or non-biofilm producers. In the microtitre plate method, 09 (16.07%) were considered as positive, and 47 (83.92%) were considered as negative for biofilm formation.Conclusion: We found a single resistant plasmid in all isolates and after curing of plasmids, the transformation of resistance to susceptibility against third generation drugs were observed. So, we concluded that ESBL mediated antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in Acinetobacter spp. is maybe plasmid-mediated in the tested isolates. However, there was no association found between biofilm producers and ESBLs, this baseline information will be helpful to study more in this area.Keywords: Acinetobacter spp, Biofilm detection, ESBL, Plasmid profile and curin

Solar activity and Indian weather/climate

The literature on influences of solar activity on the Indian weather and climate is reviewed since the discovery of sunspot cycle. Fluctuations in solar activity are undoubtedly a factor affecting weather and climate. Although the results of some of the studies are conflicting, Indian weather and climate is, in general, inversely related to sunspots. However, the areal extent of floods in India seems to expand and contract in phase with the Hale double sunspot cycle, suggesting that the flood rhythm is in some manner controlled by long-term solar activity related to solar magnetic effects. All the evidences of solar influences on weather and climate may have practical implications in improving long-range forecasting of weather and climate, once the physical coupling mechanisms and their modification by other factors are clearly understood. Some of the promising plausible physical mechanisms for explaining solar effects on weather and climate are also discussed

High-level temperatures and winds over tropics and Indian summer monsoon.

The authors from the earlier investigations of the M-100 Soviet rocketsonde temperature and wind data for the tropical station Thumba (8.5°N, 76.9°E) identified occurrence of high-level warmings during both the winter and the summer monsoon seasons. There was good agreement between the occurrence of high-level warmings and the monsoon activity in the Indian region. The study further indicated a possible relationship between the stratospheric quasi-biennial structure and the monsoon rainfall. To test the validity of the above results for tropics, the rocketsonde temperature and wind data for Ascension Island (8.0°S, 14.4°W) and Kwajalein (8.7°N, 167.7°E) for four winter seasons (December to February of 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1974–1975, and 1975–1976) and four summer monsoon seasons (May to September of 1971, 1972, 1975, and 1976) were studied. The above periods are the same as those of the earlier study for Thumba. Out of the above years, 1972 and 1975 were the years of contrasting monsoon activity. The results of Ascension Island and Kwajalein agreed with those of Thumb

Forecasting of monsoon performance over India

The technique of screening-regression analysis is applied to forecasting the monsoon performance (percentage rainfall departure) over India from the immediately preceding May's meteorological variables. The resulting prediction equation with five variables performed well, with a few exceptions, on independent data. The forecasting scheme shows some promise of providing a useful forecast of monsoon rainfall departure over India before the beginning of the season