Prevalence of multidrug resistant uropathogenic bacteria in pediatric patients of a tertiary care hospital in eastern India

SummaryToday, because systemic infections such as urinary tract infection (UTI) affect even pediatric patients, antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a constant clinical challenge. In the present study, a total of 1054 urine samples were collected from pediatric patients over 18 months. From these samples, 510 isolates of pathogenic bacteria were collected using HiCrome UTI agar. Antibiotic sensitivity tests of isolates were performed using the Kirby–Bauer method. Two Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and 7 Gram-negative bacteria (Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, K. pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were isolated. Antibiograms of isolated bacteria were ascertained using antibiotics of 4 classes: aminoglycosides, β-lactams, fluoroquinolones and 2 stand-alones (co-trimoxazole and nitrofurantoin). Based on percent values of antibiotic resistance, isolated bacteria were (in decreasing order of number of isolated isolates): E. coli (109)>S. aureus (65)>E. faecalis (82)>E. aerogenes (64)>C. freundii (41)>P. aeruginosa (32)>K. pneumoniae (45)>K. oxytoca (50)>P. vulgaris (22). Surveillance results show that MDR isolates of 9 pathogenic bacteria were prevalent in the environment around the hospital. Thus, revisions to the antimicrobial stewardship program in this area of the country are required to increase clinician confidence in empiric therapy, which is often used for UTI cases

Study on Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of the Health Science Researchers in an Indian Tertiary Health Care Institution

The interest of health science researchers depend upon their moral and professional requirements to seek the information as the libraries are services oriented departments. The exponential growth of knowledge cause abundant of documents in various forms such as print and non-print materials and others that is, electronic information resources. The demand for specialized information by the users has necessitated the library to repackage the information from various sources to suit the user’s needs. The health science information seekers accept evidence based context and problem based learning is a part of information needs and they prefer their friends and colleagues as the most relevant sources to seek information, but print texts are more preferred than different database by the law students. The health science researchers fulfill their primary information needs through internet sources to enhance research activity. The e-resources are easy to save and copy and consume less time to access the required information. Understanding the relation between information needs and technology based information service can provide meaningful result to address the information seeker’s unmet health information. Further studies can expand the findings of this current study to better understand their barriers to health information

Prevalence and identification of Candida sp. in pregnant women using VITEK-2

Background: Candida sp. is seen in several areas of body such as, mouth, groin area including vagina and digestive tract as thrush or gastroenteritis. The slide-culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system were used for species-identification of the fungus; nonetheless, a gold standard or any first identification method would have inherent errors in arriving at a correct identification of a microorganism at species level.Methods: Morphological fungal criteria were ascertained with germ tubes, glucose agar, sugar fermentation and sugar assimilation tests Candida from vaginal swabs and other clinical samples of 85 infected pregnant women with diabetes, by growing swab lots on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) plates, the slide culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system.Results: Of 85 patients, 122 isolates in SDA culture were determined as 7 Candida sp.  with number of isolates of each species, as follows: 47 C. albicans, 9 C. famata, 11 C. glabrata, 13 C. guilliermondii, 8 C. krusei, 3 C. parapsilosis and 37 C. tropicalis from vaginal swabs. From 60 vaginal swabs, 46 urine samples and 12 throat swabs it was seen that C. albicans was most prevalent. However, withVITEK-2, 201 fungal strains were identified; Candida sp. was isolated in all samples: 59 C. albicans, 19 C. famata, 21 C. glabrata, 23 C. guilliermondii,18 C. krusei, 13 C. parapsilosis and 48 C. tropicalis.Conclusions: The most prevalent species among the isolated fungi was C. albicans, causing VC in diabetic pregnant women

Comparison of clinical characteristics of acute kidney injury versus acute-on-chronic renal failure: Our experience in a developing country

SummaryBackgroundFrom developing countries, there is paucity of information regarding epidemiological characteristics of acute-on-chronic renal failure (ACRF) that differs from acute kidney injury (AKI).MethodsIn this prospective study, we analyzed and compared clinical characteristics and outcome of ACRF with AKI from January 2007 to August 2012.ResultsA total of 1117 patients with community-acquired AKI were included in study (AKI = 835; ACRF = 282). Patients with ACRF were older than patients with AKI (p < 0.001). Sepsis was the main cause of acute decline in renal functions in patients with ACRF in comparison to AKI (p < 0.001). Volume depletion/renal hypoperfusion was the most common cause of AKI and the difference was statistically significant as compared to ACRF (33.9% vs. 17.7%; p < 0.001). Need for dialysis was significantly less in patients with ACRF as compared to AKI (68% vs. 77.4%; p 0.002). Lower inhospital mortality was observed in ACRF in comparison to AKI (5% vs. 8.9%, p = 0.04), while no significant difference was noted in terms of duration of hospital stay between the two groups (p = 0.67). However, a significantly higher proportion of patients with ACRF did not recover and progressed to end-stage renal disease as compared to AKI (20% vs. 7.8%; p < 0.001).ConclusionACRF constituted an important cause (25%) of AKI. An episode of superimposed AKI is associated with significantly increased risk of progression to end-stage renal disease in patients with chronic kidney disease.背景慢性腎病合併急性腎衰竭 (ACRF) 不同於急性腎損傷 (AKI)，然而在發展中國家，ACRF 的流行病學數據仍然相當有限。方法在 2007 年 1 月至 2012 年 8 月期間，我們進行了一項前瞻性研究，分析並比較了 ACRF 與 AKI 的臨床特徵和治療後果。結果研究對象為 1117 位社區性 AKI 患者 (AKI = 835；ACRF = 282)，其中 ACRF 患者較 AKI 患者年老 (p < 0.001)。相比於 AKI，ACRF 的急性腎功能下降較常歸因於敗血症 (p < 0.001)；相比於 ACRF，AKI 則較常歸因於容積匱乏/腎灌流不足 (33.9% vs. 17.7%；p < 0.001)；ACRF 患者比 AKI 患者較少需要接受透析療法 (68% vs. 77.4%；p = 0.002)；ACRF 患者的院內死亡率低於 AKI 患者 (5% vs. 8.9%；p = 0.04)，兩組間的住院期則無明顯差別 (p = 0.67)；然而，相比於 AKI 患者，明顯較多的 ACRF 患者無法康復並惡化成末期腎病 (ESRD) (20% vs. 7.8%；p < 0.001)。結論慢性腎病合併急性腎衰竭是急性腎損傷的重要病因 (25%)；在慢性腎病患者間，AKI 的發生明顯增加惡化為 ESRD 的風險

Ecological Restoration of Degraded Habitats of Jajang Iron and Manganese Ore Mines, Keonjhar, Odisha, India

Mining activities in Jajang iron and manganese ore mines located in Keonjhar district of Odisha, India starting from mineral explorations to production and transport are causing environmental damage in many ways, which includes deforestation, loss of topsoil, accelerated soil erosion, migration of wildlife and avifauna, and addition of air pollutants and dust to the atmosphere. In connection to this, the current study was an attempt to regain the original ecological status of the degraded areas of Jajang iron and manganese ore mines caused due to mining by Rungta Mines Limited. To achieve this indigenous plant species for restoration were selected from mining forests and plantations. Species selection from mining forests was made through systematic phytosociological analysis that involved measurement of Importance Value Index (IVI), regeneration values of tree species and their economic uses. On the other hand, species selection from plantations was made based on their growth, productivity, economic uses and adaptation to terrain and soil types. Shrubs and grasses were selected based on their relative index and abundance, respectively. The top 15 tree and 16 grass species as well as all six shrub species were selected from mining forests and plantations were considered for restoration. The findings of the study may also aids in the faster restoration of degraded habitats with initial human facilitation as the soils of degraded areas were similar to that of the mining forest. To speed up the recovery process after-care and monitoring have also been suggested or advised

Phase quantized quasi-Sierpinski carpet reflector for OAM beam generation

This work proposes a quasi-Sierpinski carpet type reflecting surface. The reflector incorporates remodeled Jerusalem type sub-wavelength elements. The element arrangement ensures a 3-bit phase quantized encoding for the reflected beam. Microstrip antenna feed illuminates this reflector. We start with EM simulation of a broadband unit-cell reflector. We assume that the final reflector based on such unit-cell shall show broadband characteristic. The simulated beam from the reflector, due to spatial arrangements of the unit-cells, showed the fundamental mode of orbital angular momentum vortex beams. Experimental verification of fabricated prototype shows good agreement with simulated far-field results at 9.5 GHz, 10 GHz, 10.5 GHz, and 11 GHz which indicate a broadband characteristic

Half-sandwich &#951;<SUP>6</SUP>-benzene Ru(II) complexes of phenolate-based pyridylalkylamine/alkylamine ligands: synthesis, structure, and stabilization of one-electron oxidized species

Four half-sandwich ruthenium(II) complexes [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L1-O)][PF6] (1), [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L2-O)][PF6] (2), [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L3-O)][PF6] (3), [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L4-O)][PF6] (4a), and [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L4-O)][BPh4] (4b) [L1-OH, 4-nitro-6-{[(2'-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)methylamino]methyl}-phenol; L2-OH, 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[(2'-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)methylamino]methyl}-phenol; L3-OH, 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[2'-((pyridin-2-yl)benzylamino)methyl}-phenol; L4-OH, 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[(2'-imethylaminoethyl)methylamino]methyl}-phenol (L4-OH)], supported by a systematically varied series of tridentate phenolate-based pyridylalkylamine and alkylamine ligands are reported. The molecular structures of 1-3, 4a, and 4b have been elucidated in solution using 1H NMR spectroscopy and of 1, 3, and 4b in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. Notably, due to coordination by the ligands the Ru center assumes a chiral center and in turn the central amine nitrogen also becomes chiral. The 1H NMR spectra exhibit only one set of signals, suggesting that the reaction is completely diastereoselective [1: SRu,SN/RRu,RN; 2: RRu,RN/SRu,SN; 3: SRu,RN/RRu,SN; 4b: SRu,RN/RRu,SN]. The crystal packing in 1 and 3 is stabilized by C-H...O interactions, in 4b no meaningful secondary interactions are observed. From the standpoint of generating phenoxyl radical, as investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), complex 1 is redox-inactive in MeCN solution. However, 2, 3, and 4a generate a one-electron oxidized phenoxyl radical coordinated species [2]2+, [3]2+, and [4a]2+, respectively. The radical species are characterized by CV, UV-Vis, and EPR spectroscopy. The stability of the radical species has been determined by measuring the decay constant (UV-Vis spectroscopy)

Half-sandwich &#951;<SUP>6</SUP>-benzene Ru(II) complexes of pyridylpyrazole and pyridylimidazole ligands: synthesis, spectra, and structure

New series of half-sandwich ruthenium(II) complexes supported by a group of bidentate pyridylpyrazole and pyridylimidazole ligands [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L2)Cl][PF6] (1), [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(HL3)Cl][PF6] (2), [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(L4)Cl][PF6] (3), and [(&#951;6-C6H6)Ru(HL5)Cl][PF6] (4) [L2, 2-[3-(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazol-1-ylmethyl]pyridine; HL3, 3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole; L4, 1-benzyl-[3-(2'-pyridyl)]pyrazole; HL5, 2-(1-imidazol-2-yl)pyridine] are reported. The molecular structures of 1-4 both in the solid state by X-ray crystallography and in solution using 1H NMR spectroscopy have been elucidated. Further, the crystal packing in the complexes is stabilized by C-H&#183;&#183;&#183;X (X = Cl and &#960;), N-H&#183;&#183;&#183;Cl, and &#960;-&#960; interactions