Virulence gene profile and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in Kashmir, India

The Staphylococcus aureusis often responsible for a number of diseases in humans and animals, and it is considered as a main etiological agent of bovine mastitis. The pathogenicity of S. aureus is due to both its ability to resist antibiotics, and the production of toxins. This study investigated virulence genes, prevalence and antibiogram profile of S. aureus isolated from dairy cows suffering from mastitis in the Kashmir. A total of 70 S. aureus isolates were obtained from 250 mastitic milk samples collected from both organized (47/150) and unorganized (23/100) dairy farms. Five pathogenic factors including clfA, hld, seo, lukM, and coa and one resistance gene mecAgene were checked through PCR. Clumping factor gene (clfA) was found in most of the isolates with a percentage of 81.42 % whereas,hld, seo, lukM, and coa were present in 61.2, 54.28, 70, and 71 percent of isolates, respectively. However, amplification of coagene yielded DNA bands of two different sizes. A high percentage of antimicrobial resistance rates were observed, wherein, Ampicillin showed highest resistance with 85.7 %, followed by Kanamycin, Cefotaxime, Sulphadizine and Streptomicin showing 71.42 %, 54.28 %, 51.48 % and 42 %, respectively. A high frequency of Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA 28.57 %) was observed in these isolates and all methicillin resistant isolates were found to be positive for mecA gene via PCR amplification. These results revealed that mastitis-associated S. aureus among bovines of Kashmir is able to accumulate different virulence factors and resistance to antimicrobials, making the treatment of infections difficult

Exploring Migrant Employees’ Experiences of Workplace Integration and Well-being: Insights from MNCs Operating in Finland

As globalization has pushed workforce diversity, MNCs in Finland employ a growing number of migrants, and these employees often face challenges related to language barriers, cultural differences, and social isolation, which can impact their overall well-being and sense of belonging. These aspects are core interests of this study, which explores the workplace integration and well-being of migrant employees within multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in Finland. This study examined how organizational practices and workplace culture affect migrant employees’ integration and well-being based on Social Identity and Organizational Support theories. A qualitative approach was employed with semi-structured interviews to gather personal perceptions from migrant employees in Finnish workplaces about their integration and well-being experiences and the role of organizational support if there is any. It is found that supportive organizational practices, including language assistance, mentorship programs, and cultural orientation initiatives promote inclusion and enhance well-being. Social Identity Theory helps explain the importance of a strong sense of belonging, where migrant employees feel they are part of the team as well as the organization, which is further strengthened by Organizational Support Theory's emphasis on perceived support from the organization. The study reveals that when migrant employees feel valued and supported by their organization and team, they experience better integration, improved well-being, and a stronger connec-tion to the workplace. Findings concluded as recommendation that having regular mentorship and peer support networks is important for building strong relationships and a sense of belonging within the company. Also, creating ways for migrant employees to give feedback on their challenges and needs can make their experience better, showing them they are valued and supported. To keep inclusion efforts going effective, the study suggests that companies should focus on diversity and inclusion training for everyone. This helps create an empathetic and supportive workplace culture. By adopting these strategies, MNCs operating in Finland can create a more inclusive environment that boosts the well-being of migrant employees and improves overall team cohesion and performance. It is to be noted that this research is limited by its focus on a single country with a limited sample, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. More research could explore the integration and well-being of migrant employees in various cultural and organizational contexts and examine the role of specific organizational practices across different types of workplaces in Finland. Further studies would provide a deeper comprehension of the factors that enhance the inclusion and satisfaction of migrant employees globally

Global Visibility and Web Impact of Leading Universities of SAARC Nations

In the present time, the World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the main platforms for every forum who wants to be recognized on in the ‘factual world’. At the academic level, universities have to play significant part for communicating scientific and cultural achievements. Publication by scholars of the institutions on the internet I snot only a tool for scholarly communication but it is also a way to reach larger audiences and thus represents the performance of the institutions globally. Thus, there have been numerous endeavours to develop the web indicators that can eventually lead to build a university’s rankings (Aguillo, Ortega & Fernandez, 2008). In this milieu, the Web Ranking of Universities originally aims at promoting Web publications. The Webometrics ranking is not only centralized towards scholarly output but also in other indicators which may reflect better global quality of scholars and presence of research institutions worldwide. The present study made an attempt to explore the top universities of SAARC nations in order to find out their performance, web-presence and impact. It has been observed from the study that Indian universities are performing better than other SAARC nation universities in terms of average world rank, continental rank, impact rank and openness rank while as Pakistan outpace in terms of average presence rank. This indicates that Indian universities have better scholarly output though Pakistan universities are more visible on the WWW

Pharmaceutical patents and access to essential medicines in sub-Saharan Africa

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) has reawakened old arguments over the impact of the intellectual property (IP) system on public access to essential medicines. As used here, essential medicines are those needed in symptom management, palliative care, and in the treatment of infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, tuberculosis, and sleeping sickness in places like sub-Saharan Africa. Some argue that patents will further inhibit access to these medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. Others, however, argue the opposite. The latter maintain that patent protection under TRIPS can promote the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in places like sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, they assert that pharmaceutical patents are not responsible for the limited access to essential medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, they trace the problem of access to non-patent factors, such as poverty, the lack of supportive infrastructure, and poor governance. This paper set out to assess these contrasting arguments, with a view to determining the actual impact that pharmaceutical patents may be having on access to essential medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. Keyword search of electronic databases was conducted, in addition to a review of relevant literature from print sources. A manual analysis then followed. It was found that, rather than a single set of factors, both patent and nonpatent factors combine to inhibit access to essential medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. It is imperative for sub-Saharan African countries to review current tariff and taxation policies, take steps to improve the supply of vital infrastructure, and strengthen their overall healthcare systems. They should also ensure that their IP systems are supportive of public healthcare needs. Equally important, is that TRIPS and the IP system should be more supportive of sub-Saharan Africa’s struggle to bear its disease burden, rather than focusing narrowly on profit maximisation for pharmaceutical companies. Sub-Saharan Africa also needs increased international financing, private-public collaboration in research, and the sharing of benefits in order to cater effectively for the health needs of its citizens.Key words: Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (trips), essential medicines, sub-Saharan Africa, pharmaceutical, patents, access, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

Generative AI Ethical Challenges: By Creative and Professional Communities

This Paper investigates the ethical transformations and creative dilemmas emerging from the widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in content creation. The study examines attitudes regarding authorship, ethical issues, and regulatory rules by conducting interviews with 120 GenAI users from academic, creative, and professional fields. Results show that most participants prefer to give credit to co-authors or themselves when using GenAI and only a small percentage want the AI to have sole authorship. Concerns over ethics are moderate and almost always present, reaching their highest-level concerning liability (3.12), then labeling (3.00), and then bias (2.98) on a 5-point scale. Although individuals frequently used GenAI tools, there was no clear link between the amount of GenAI they used and their sensitivity to ethics. People working in creative fields were more likely than technologists to back stronger government oversight. Users notice GenAI’s ability to generate fresh ideas, though they also have doubts about its accountability, the roles it plays in knowledge, and its ability to replace human creativity. It ends by urging the development of strategies and education focused on ethical principles, ensuring that technology serves society

Generative AI Ethical Challenges: By Creative and Professional Communities

This Paper investigates the ethical transformations and creative dilemmas emerging from the widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in content creation. The study examines attitudes regarding authorship, ethical issues, and regulatory rules by conducting interviews with 120 GenAI users from academic, creative, and professional fields. Results show that most participants prefer to give credit to co-authors or themselves when using GenAI and only a small percentage want the AI to have sole authorship. Concerns over ethics are moderate and almost always present, reaching their highest-level concerning liability (3.12), then labeling (3.00), and then bias (2.98) on a 5-point scale. Although individuals frequently used GenAI tools, there was no clear link between the amount of GenAI they used and their sensitivity to ethics. People working in creative fields were more likely than technologists to back stronger government oversight. Users notice GenAI’s ability to generate fresh ideas, though they also have doubts about its accountability, the roles it plays in knowledge, and its ability to replace human creativity. It ends by urging the development of strategies and education focused on ethical principles, ensuring that technology serves society

Techniques Applied in Performing a Painless Thyroid FNA; Tips and Tricks

Thyroid nodules are frequently encountered clinically and the prevalence has surged to 68% as cited (1). Many guidelines in the literature recommend USG guided FNAC in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules (2). Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of thyroid nodules is one of the minimally invasive, safe and frequently performed procedure on outpatient basis. FNA can be performed under palpation guidance or ultrasound guidance. In addition to knowing the optimum technical skills, one must know the limitations of procedure, its indication and factors affecting the adequacy. Local site pain and ecchymosis are two main commonly seen complications by the IR operators however serious events are rarely reported till date (3). FNA is a well-tolerated procedure but pain is one of the few drawbacks of FNA, however pain score may vary in different people. Some reports have suggested that FNA can be done without local anesthesia when single puncture is used, however multiple punctures are required for adequacy of the sample and in this case, pain is the limitation. Literature review suggest use of 22 to 27 G needles for FNA but blood contamination is frequently seen with the use of larger needles  (4). In our setting, oral paracetamol is administered pre-procedurally to alleviate any discomfort caused by minor bruising and the needling process. Techniques used to minimize the pain felt during the procedure include the following: 1) of the smallest needle size available. We use the needle from a 1 cc syringe which has a detachable 26 gauge needle (commonly used for Insulin injectons).  For patients with increased skin to gland distance a longer needle in 23 gauge is used in addition. 2) Mixing of the local anesthesia with bicarbonate to neutralize the stinging effect of the acidic local anaesthetic. We perform infiltration of the skin and in addition the thyroid capsule so that all subsequent needle entries are painless. In our setup, almost 10 mL of local anesthesia is used comprising of 9 mL of 2% xylocaine and 1 mL of sodium bicarbonate (8.4% w/v) in a ratio of 9:1. Since adopting this protocol and technique in our setup at Shifa International Hospital the patients have given excellent feedback especially those who had a FNA performed in the past

Pattern of Childhood Malignant Tumour in the Paediatric Surgery Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University

Background: Childhood malignancy is fast becoming an important paediatric problem in Bangladesh. They differ markedly from adult malignancy in their nature and distribution. This is a 5 years retrospective study of childhood malignant tumour as seen at the paediatric surgery department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the types of malignant patients admitted in the paediatric surgery department of BSMMU and also to know their age and sex distribution. Methods: This is a 5 years retrospective study from January 2005 to December 2009 in the paediatric surgery department of BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh. All admitted malignant patients, aged up to 15 years diagnosed by means of histological or cytological examination included in this study. Results: Seventy (70) malignant patients were admitted during the study period, 65.7% patients were male and 34.3% patients were female with a male female ratio of 1.9:1. Fifty two (74.3%) patients were below 5 years and eighteen (25.7%) patients were between 5 to 15 years. The Wilms’ tumour was the most common malignant tumour which accounted for 42.8%. Hepatoblastoma was the second most common (24.2%). The other malignant tumours were neuroblastoma (15.7%), Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (5.7%), Rhabdomyosarcoma (4.2%), malignant fibrous histocytoma (1.4%), Fibroscarcoma (1.4%), Osteosarcoma (1.4%), malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma (1.4%), carcinoma of the rectum (1.4%0. Conclusion: Based on the result of this study, Wilms’ tumour is the commonest paediatric solid malignancy in our country. Carcinoma of the rectum may rarely occur in paediatric age group. Key words: Frequency; malignant solid tumor; children. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bsmmuj.v4i2.8638 BSMMU J 2011; 4(2):99-10