Correlation of Serum Nitric Oxide, High Sensitivity C-reactive Protein and Lipid Parameters in Diabetics with and without Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) top the list among noncommunicable diseases. Nitric Oxide (NO) preserves normal vascular physiology. Uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxide synthase enzyme occurs in the blood vessels of diabetics leading to endothelial dysfunction and excessive production of superoxide anion causing decreased bioavailability of NO. Aim and Objectives: To assess the serum NO levels, highsensitive C-reactive Protein (hsCRP), lipid parameters and their association with CAD in diabetics. Material and Methods: The study comprises total 195 participants. There are three groups, each group consist of 65 participants. Three groups were diabetes with CAD, diabetes without CAD and control. NO assessed by modified Griess method. hsCRP by immunoturburdimetric method FBS and lipid parameters were analysed in fully automated analyzer. Results: There was a significant decrease in NO levels and significant increase in hsCRP levels in diabetes without CAD and diabetes with CAD patients compared to controls. NO showed negative correlation with Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) and hsCRP in DM without CAD patients. NO showed negative correlation with DBP in DM with CAD patients. NO showed negative correlation with HbA1c in both the groups. Conclusion: The study concludes that estimation of NO and hsCRP along with lipid profile,help in early detection of endothelial dysfunction in diabetese patients. Reduced NO and increased hsCRP levels in diabetese patients may be strong indicator of coronary artery disease

PATRIC: The VBI PathoSystems Resource Integration Center

The PathoSystems Resource Integration Center (PATRIC) is one of eight Bioinformatics Resource Centers (BRCs) funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases (NIAID) to create a data and analysis resource for selected NIAID priority pathogens, specifically proteobacteria of the genera Brucella, Rickettsia and Coxiella, and corona-, calici- and lyssaviruses and viruses associated with hepatitis A and E. The goal of the project is to provide a comprehensive bioinformatics resource for these pathogens, including consistently annotated genome, proteome and metabolic pathway data to facilitate research into counter-measures, including drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. The project's curation strategy has three prongs: ‘breadth first’ beginning with whole-genome and proteome curation using standardized protocols, a ‘targeted’ approach addressing the specific needs of researchers and an integrative strategy to leverage high-throughput experimental data (e.g. microarrays, proteomics) and literature. The PATRIC infrastructure consists of a relational database, analytical pipelines and a website which supports browsing, querying, data visualization and the ability to download raw and curated data in standard formats. At present, the site warehouses complete sequences for 17 bacterial and 332 viral genomes. The PATRIC website () will continually grow with the addition of data, analysis and functionality over the course of the project

Assessment of the proportion of neonates and children in low and middle income countries with access to a healthcare facility: A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Comprehensive antenatal, perinatal and early postnatal care has the potential to significantly reduce the 3.58 million neonatal deaths that occur annually worldwide. This paper systematically reviews data on the proportion of neonates and children < 5 years of age that have access to health facilities in low and middle income countries. Gaps in available data by WHO region are identified, and an agenda for future research and advocacy is proposed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For this paper, "utilization" was used as a proxy for "access" to a healthcare facility, and the term "facility" was used for any clinic or hospital outside of a person's home staffed by a "medical professional". A systematic literature search was conducted for published studies of children up to 5 years of age that included the neonatal age group with an illness or illness symptoms in which health facility utilization was quantified. In addition, information from available Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) was extracted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The initial broad search yielded 2,239 articles, of which 14 presented relevant data. From the community-based neonatal studies conducted in the Southeast Asia region with the goal of enhancing care-seeking for neonates with sepsis, the 10-48% of sick neonates in the studies' control arms utilized a healthcare facility. Data from cross-sectional surveys involving young children indicate that 12 to 86% utilizing healthcare facilities when sick. From the DHS surveys, a global median of 58.1% of infants < 6 months were taken to a facility for symptoms of ARI.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There is a scarcity of data regarding the access to facility-based care for sick neonates/young children in many areas of the world; it was not possible to generalize an overall number of neonates or young children that utilize a healthcare facility when showing signs and symptoms of illness. The estimate ranges were broad, and there was a paucity of data from some regions. It is imperative that researchers, advocates, and policy makers join together to better understand the factors affecting health care utilization/access for newborns in different settings and what the barriers are that prevent children from being taken to a facility in a timely manner.</p