Conventional Standard Methods Research Articles

Urinary tract infection among people living with human immunodeficiency virus attending selected hospitals in Addis Ababa and Adama, central Ethiopia.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and antibacterial resistance (ABR) are important public health problems, but they are not well-studied among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) globally, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, it is important to regularly measure the extent of UTIs and ABR in the most susceptible populations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of UTIs, associated factors, bacterial causal agents, and their antibiotic susceptibility profile among PLHIV in central Ethiopia. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit 688 PLHIV by a simple random sampling method. Background information was gathered through interviews, while clinical information was gathered from recent information sheets of patient charts using organized, pretested, and validated study tools. Midstream urine was collected aseptically and transported to the Microbiology Laboratory of Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology within 4 h of collection, maintaining its cold chain. Standard conventional microbial culture methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry were used to identify the bacterial isolates at the species level. Kirby Bauer's disk diffusion method was used to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of the bacterial isolates based on the interpretation guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute. Logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with the occurrence of UTIs among PLHIV attending selected hospitals in Addis Ababa, and Adama. Out of 688 PLHIVs involved in the current study, 144 (20.9%) were positive for UTIs, whereas the majority were asymptomatic for UTIs. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, only HIV RNA ≥ 200 copies/ml [AOR = 12.24 (95% CI, 3.24, 46.20), p < 0.01] and being symptomatic for UTIs during the study period [AOR = 11.57 (95% CI, 5.83, 22.97), p < 0.01] were associated with the occurrence of UTIs. The dominant bacterial species isolated were Escherichia coli (E. coli; n = 65; 43%), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis; n = 16; 10.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae; n = 11; 7.3%). Over half of the E. coli isolates were resistant to antibiotics such as gentamicin (GM; n = 44; 67.7%), amikacin (AN; n = 46; 70.8%), nalidixic acid (NA; n = 42; 64.6%), ciprofloxacin (CIP; n = 40; 61.5%), and azithromycin (AZM; n = 45; 69.2%). All of the K. pneumoniae isolates (n = 11; 100%), (n = 6; 54.5%), and (n = 7; 63.6%) were resistant to [amoxicillin as well as amoxicillin + clavulanic acid], ceftriaxone, and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim, respectively. All the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates were resistant to cefoxitin, which implies methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The high prevalence of UTIs and antibiotic resistance revealed in the current study needs public health interventions such as educating the population about preventive measures and the importance of early treatment of UTIs. Our findings also highlight the need to provide UTI screening services for PLHIV, and healthcare providers should adopt antibiotic stewardship programs to promote and ensure their appropriate and judicious use.

Optical coherence tomography-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with complex lesions (OCCUPI): an investigator-initiated, multicentre, randomised, open-label, superiority trial in South Korea

Despite the detailed imaging information provided by optical coherence tomography (OCT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), clinical benefits of this imaging technique in this setting remain uncertain. The aim of the OCCUPI trial was to compare the clinical benefits of OCT-guided versus angiography-guided PCI for complex lesions, assessed as the rate of major adverse cardiac events at 1 year. This investigator-initiated, multicentre, randomised, open-label, superiority trial conducted at 20 hospitals in South Korea enrolled patients aged 19-85 years for whom PCI with drug-eluting stents was clinically indicated. After diagnostic angiography, clinical and angiographic findings were assessed to identify patients who met the criterion of having one or more complex lesions. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive PCI with OCT guidance (OCT-guidance group) or angiography guidance without OCT (angiography-guidance group). Web-response permuted-block randomisation (mixed blocks of four or six) was used at each participating site to allocate patients. The allocation sequence was computer-generated by an external programmer who was not involved in the rest of the trial. Outcome assessors were masked to group assignment. Patients, follow-up health-care providers, and data analysers were not masked. PCI was done according to conventional standard methods with everolimus-eluting stents. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or ischaemia-driven target-vessel revascularisation), 1 year after PCI. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population. The margin used to establish superiority was 1·0 as a hazard ratio. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03625908) and is completed. Between Jan 9, 2019, and Sept 22, 2022, 1604 patients requiring PCI with drug-eluting stents for complex lesions were randomly assigned to receive either OCT-guided PCI (n=803) or angiography-guided PCI (n=801). 1290 (80%) of 1604 patients were male and 314 (20%) were female. The median age of patients at randomisation was 64 years (IQR 57-70). 1588 (99%) patients completed 1-year follow-up. The primary endpoint occurred in 37 (5%) of 803 patients in the OCT-guided PCI group and 59 (7%) of 801 patients in the angiography-guided PCI group (absolute difference -2·8% [95% CI -5·1 to -0·4]; hazard ratio 0·62 [95% CI 0·41 to 0·93]; p=0·023). Rates of stroke, bleeding events, and contrast-induced nephropathy were not significantly different across the two groups. Among patients who required drug-eluting stent implantation for complex lesions, OCT guidance resulted in a lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events at 1 year compared with angiography guidance. These findings indicate the existence of a therapeutic benefit of OCT as an intravascular imaging technique for PCI guidance in patients with complex coronary lesions. Abbott Vascular and Cardiovascular Research Center. For the Korean translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

A Deep Learning Approach for Intrusion Detection Systems –A Review

Throughout the past decade, the researchers have developed many a number of intrusion detection systems. Some of these were developed to work on host based and some were network-based intrusion detection systems. The presented systems are combination of HIDS/NIDS and signature/anomaly based, or hybrid systems. The intrusion detection system is an intelligence system known as computational intelligence. The main goal of computational intelligence is to provide solutions to complex real-world problems. An effective IDS must use more than standard mathematical techniques and conventional analysis methods combined with soft computing techniques to synergistically create a more robust IDS. In this paper, we review three important areas of research that have significant implication for proposed framework. First, we review existing shallow learning intrusion detection systems both in machine and deep learning. In the second section, we review existing hybrid intrusion detection systems. Finally, we provide some findings and analysis of the literature studies.

New insights: mupirocin resistance among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in southern Indian region

: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) remains to be the most concerned pathogen with enhanced multi-drug resistance in clinical set-ups. With an immediate need to control MRSA infection, there is a steep rise in the use of mupirocin as a decolonization regime.: A total of 65 MRSA samples were analysed in the present study. infection identified by standard conventional phenotypic methods. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of mupirocin (5 μg/ml) was found using Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determined using MIC E-test strips of mupirocin.: All the bacterial strains presented with MIC value less than 4 μg/ml, 23 isolates falls in the range of 0.05 μg/ml and 0.19 μg/ml, 12 strains MIC ranged between 0.125 and 0.640 μg/ml. However, five MRSA isolates showed no zone against mupirocin E-strip.: In present study, 92% of isolates were sensitive to mupirocin, this gives hope that mupirocin can be promising in the elimination of MRSA strains, a major concern in clinical practice. Also, the use of 5µg mupirocin discs is economical as compared to mupirocin E-strips, mupirocin discs can be used in a low resourceful clinical setups. However, our study revealed no difference in sensitivity for both the E-strip and disc method.

G0-PCC-FISH derived multi-parametric biodosimetry methodology for accidental high dose and partial body exposures

High dose radiation exposures are rare. However, medical management of such incidents is crucial due to mortality and tissue injury risks. Rapid radiation biodosimetry of high dose accidental exposures is highly challenging, considering that they usually involve non uniform fields leading to partial body exposures. The gold standard, dicentric assay and other conventional methods have limited application in such scenarios. As an alternative, we propose Premature Chromosome Condensation combined with Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization (G0-PCC-FISH) as a promising tool for partial body exposure biodosimetry. In the present study, partial body exposures were simulated ex-vivo by mixing of uniformly exposed blood with unexposed blood in varying proportions. After G0-PCC-FISH, Dolphin’s approach with background correction was used to provide partial body exposure dose estimates and these were compared with those obtained from conventional dicentric assay and G0-PCC-Fragment assay (conventional G0-PCC). Dispersion analysis of aberrations from partial body exposures was carried out and compared with that of whole-body exposures. The latter was inferred from a multi-donor, wide dose range calibration curve, a-priori established for whole-body exposures. With the dispersion analysis, novel multi-parametric methodology for discerning the partial body exposure from whole body exposure and accurate dose estimation has been formulated and elucidated with the help of an example. Dose and proportion dependent reduction in sensitivity and dose estimation accuracy was observed for Dicentric assay, but not in the two PCC methods. G0-PCC-FISH was found to be most accurate for the dose estimation. G0-PCC-FISH has potential to overcome the shortcomings of current available methods and can provide rapid, accurate dose estimation of partial body and high dose accidental exposures. Biological dose estimation can be useful to predict progression of disease manifestation and can help in pre-planning of appropriate & timely medical intervention.

High Frequency of Gram-negative Bacilli (GNB) Pathogens in Wounds and Other Clinical Specimens: A Grave Public Health Concern

Background. Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii are important causes of both hospital and community acquired infections in human beings. In this regard, the current study aimed to assess the frequency of GNB pathogens circulating in Hyderabad, Sindh and to obtain locally applicable data for the prevention and spread of infections caused by GNBs. Methodology. A total of 360 clinical specimens including blood, pus, wound, urine, sputum, and body fluids from suspected indoor and outdoor patients were collected from various diagnostic centers of Hyderabad, Sindh. The isolation, identification, and characterization of GNB pathogens was performed by using standard conventional methods including morphological, cultural, and biochemical testing. Results. A total of 143 GNBs were isolated and characterized in the current study. The data demonstrated that male patients were more affected with GNBs accounting for 55.94% (n=80) of infected specimens, whereas 44.06% (n=63) of specimens were from female patients. Moreover, specimen wise data of sample positivity revealed that 13.29% (n=19) of GNBs were isolated from pus specimens, 58.59% (n=70) from urine specimens, 34.97% (n=50) from blood specimens, 1.40% (n=2) from fluid specimens, and 1.40% (n=2) of GNBs were isolated from sputum specimens. Bacteriological profiling revealed that 41.26% (n=59) of the isolated bacteria were E. coli, considered as the predominant bacteria isolated from urine specimens. Whereas, S. enterica serover Typhi was the most frequently isolated bacteria from blood specimens accounting for 20.28% (n=29) of all bacteria. Other less prevalent but important pathogenic bacteria included K. pneumoniae accounting for 12.59% (n=18) of all bacteria, P. aeruginosa accounting for 8.39% (n=12) of all bacteria, Acinetobacter spp. accounting for 6.99% (n=10) of all bacteria, and Enterobacter spp. accounting for 2.10% (n=3) of all bacteria. Conclusion. To conclude, the high frequency of GNBs isolated from clinical specimens at Hyderabad, Sindh poses an alarming situation and warrants an urgent need to monitor and control the spread of pathogenic bacteria.

Coordination of Controllers to Development of Wide-Area Control System for Damping Low-Frequency Oscillations Incorporating Large Renewable and Communication Delay

The modern power systems incorporate high penetration of renewable is a large, composite, interconnected network with dynamic behavior. The small disturbances occurring in the system may induce low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) in the system. If the (LFOs) are not suppressed within a stipulated time, it may cause system islanding or even blackouts. Hence, it is essential to investigate the behavior of the system under various levels of disturbances and control action must be taken to damp these oscillations. The established approach to damping the LFOs is by installing power system stabilizers (PSS). PSS uses the local signals from generators to control the oscillations. The dominant source of inter-area oscillations in power systems is due to overloaded weak interconnected lines, converter-interfaced generation, and the action of the high gain exciter present in the system. Consequently, wide area control is needed to control the inter-area oscillations existent in the system. This paper developed a coordinated design of conventional PSS, static compensator, renewable converters, and wide area controller for damping the local and inter-area oscillations in renewable incorporated power systems. The performance of the developed controller is evaluated through the time domain analysis and eigenvalue analysis. A comparison of the introduced controller has been done with other standard conventional methods. The choice of input signals for the wide area controller from the wide-area measurement system is done based on the controllability index. Additionally, the location of the controller must be identified to dampen the inter-area oscillations in the system. In this paper, the controllability index is calculated to find out the highly affected wide area signals for considering it as the feedback signal to a developed controller. The location of the controller is recognized by computing the participation factor. The developed controller has experimented on renewable incorporated large study power systems when time delay and noise are present in wide area signals.

Study of bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of pus isolates in tertiary care hospital

Surgical wound causes invasion of pathogens causing surgical site infections which are commonly polymicrobial in nature. This pus forming infection causes delayed wound healing, wound dehiscence and wound breakdown contributing to important healthcare associated infections (HAI) Multidrug resistance has emerged among organisms isolated in pus sample due to failure of appropriate use of antibiotics.: 1. To study the bacteriological profile of pus samples 2. To determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolated pathogens from pus samples.The study was conducted in department of microbiology, Shimoga institute of medical sciences, Shimoga from January 2018 to June 2018.All pus samples were processed on blood agar, MacConkey agar and incubated at 37°c under aerobic conditions for 24 hours. The organisms were identified as per standard conventional methods. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests were done by Kirby–Bauer’s Disk Diffusion method on Mueller–Hinton Agar and interpreted as per clinical laboratory standard institution guidelines (CLSI). Out of 350 samples 250 were culture positive 100 were culture negative. Among culture positive most common organism isolated was followed by 86(34.45%), 72(28.8%), 55(22%), 20(8%), 9(3.6%), 2(0.8%), 3(1.2%) 3(1.2%), 3(1.2%). Gram positive organisms were most sensitive for linezolid, vancomycin and least sensitive to cefoxitin, erythromycin. Gram Negative Organisms Were Most Sensitive for Imipenam, Piperacillin tazobactam and least Sensitive for Ampicillin-sulbactam, Ciprofloxacin is most common etiology of pus forming infection most importantly surgical site infections (SSI). MRSA prevalence in hospital set up indicates the failure of proper infection control practices implementation in the hospitals causing healthcare associated infections (HAI). Emergence of multidrug resistance among the pus isolates is because of non-judicious use of antibiotics.

Occurrence of Virulent and Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Selected Ready-To-Eat Foods in Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria

Aims: Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus or its heat-stable toxins have been implicated in food-borne illnesses lately and are now a public health concern. This study is aimed at determining the microbial safety of RTE snacks (meat-pie, Egg-roll, Doughnut, Burns and Puff-puff) sold in Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State.&#x0D; Study Design: This work is based on a completely randomized design with two replications and the average values calculated for the mean comparison.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Imadavistic Laboratory, Osaks House, East-West Road Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between December 2021 and November, 2022.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of 100 samples of RTE food Snacks were randomly purchased and examined for proximate composition, microbial quality, and occurrence of antibiotic-resistant and virulent genes using standard conventional and molecular methods.&#x0D; Results: Puff-puff had the highest moisture, fiber and ash content while egg-roll had the highest crude fat, also meat-pie had the highest carbohydrate and protein content. Microbial counts ranged from 3.5×103 to 1.5×106cfu/g with 44 samples unsatisfactory and 39 at borderline by food regulatory standard. Presumptive S. aureus count ranged from 1.4×103 to 4.6×106 cfu/g, with 5 classified as potentially hazardous, 14 as unsatisfactory and 49 as borderline, 16 as satisfactory, and 16 with no detection. The 34 confirmed S. aureus showed varying resistance to cloxacillin 31(91.18%), cefuroxime 28 (82.35%), ceftazidime and erythromycin 25 (73.53%), gentamicin 18 (52.94%) and augmentin 13 (38.24%). Multi-drug resistance ranged from 3 to 5 antibiotic classes. Nine isolates produced the expected band of 250bp with SEA while 3 produced the band of 400bp with SEB.&#x0D; Conclusion: There is a correlation of statistically significant difference (p&lt;0.5) between the four types of RTE food and enterotoxin A, therefore confirming that RTE foods serve as a reservoir of antibiotic resistant and virulence gene bearing S. aureus.

Self-adaptive heat extraction controller for solar thermal tower operational with molten salt tanks

Molten salts are commonly used in solar thermal power plants to store heat when sunlight is unavailable. However, solidifying the salts can lead to operational interruptions and prevent an optimal energy output. A self-adaptive heat extraction method has been proposed to regulate salt pipeline temperatures, enabling continuous operations that mitigate unplanned shut-downs. Such a method focuses on maintaining operational temperatures and preventing interferences caused by the freezing of the salts. The proposed Self-Adaptive Heat Extraction Controller (SAHEC) relies on fuzzy logic integrated into MATLAB Simulink to ensure optimal heat extraction control utilizing four distinct temperature variables. Modeling this approach through a created MATLAB-based simulation reveals that SAHEC offers an undeniable improvement over standard conventional methods for manipulating temperatures.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin in Ready-To-Eat Roasted Snacks Obtained from Port Harcourt and Owerri, Nigeria

Aims: Microbial infestation of nuts and dried foods with the resultant production of aflatoxin is a global challenge to human health. This study aims to ascertain the safety of vended ready-to-eat cashews, groundnut and breadfruit.&#x0D; Study Design: This work is based on a completely randomized design with two replications and the average values calculated for the mean comparison.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Imadavistic Laboratory, Port Harcourt and the Department of Biotechnology, Federal Institute of industrial Research, Oshodi, Nigeria, between January and November, 2022.&#x0D; Methodology: Forty samples purchased randomly were examined for proximate composition, microbial safety and presence of aflatoxins using standard conventional and molecular methods.&#x0D; Results: The respective mean percentage proximate compositions for groundnut, cashew and breadfruit were: protein (33.1±0.1, 14.9±0.3, 19.7±2.0), Carbohydrate (10.7±0.8, 16.5±2.2, 38.2±0.6), lipid (40.1±2.5, 34.3±1.3, 12.3±0.6), ash (1.8±0.1, 26.9±1.3,1.8±0.1), fiber (7.2±1.5, 20.3±0.6, 26.9±1.3) and moisture (7.0±0.1, 4.0±0.5, 7.8±1.6). Mycological count for groundnut, cashew and breadfruit ranged from 17 to 33; 5 to 17 and 2 to 17 log10 cfu/g, respectively. The mycological studies revealed that there were Aspergillus spp., Candida albicans, Mucor sp., Rhizopus sp., Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Aflatoxigenicity results reveal that 31.3% (10 of 32) of the fungi identified were able to produce aflatoxin and they were principally Aspergillus flavus. The range of aflatoxin in the samples was 6.96362 µg/kg of aflatoxin B1 in breadfruit obtained from Oji and Ekeonuwa to 1.07668 µg/kg of aflatoxin B2 obtained in cashew nuts from Rumokoro and Choba.&#x0D; Conclusion: The presence of aflatoxins, though within acceptable doses, underscores the need for proper processing of these roasted snacks.

Seasonal Effect of Grass Nutritional Value on Enteric Methane Emission in Islands Pasture Systems.

Quantifying entericCH4 from grazing systems is a challenge for all regions of the world, especially when cattle feed mostly on pasture throughout the year, as pasture quality varies with the seasons. In this study, we examine the influence of seasonality on enteric methane emissions in the Azores, considering the most recent IPCC updates, to minimise errors in estimating enteric methane emissions in this region. For this purpose, samples of corn and grass silage, different types of concentrate, and pasture were collected throughout the year, and their nutritional value and digestibility were determined according to standard conventional methods. The estimation of methane production was conducted using the 2006 IPCC Tier 2 methodology, refined in 2019. The results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the chemical composition of winter and summer pastures. However, it was in the autumn that these pastures presented the best nutritional quality. We estimated that the total volume of enteric methane produced in the Azores was 20,341 t CH4, with peak enteric methane emissions (5837 t CH4) reached during the summer. Breeding bulls, beef cows, and heifers are the categories that produce the highest amount of methane per animal. However, if we consider the total number of animals existing in the region, pregnant dairy cows are the category of cattle with the highest emissions of CH4. Thus, considering the current system of cattle production in the region, we can infer that the pastures are better managed during the autumn, which translates into lower emissions of enteric methane into the atmosphere during this season.

Directional lifting wavelet transform for image edge analysis

In this paper, we propose a new two-dimensional directional discrete wavelet transform that can decompose an image into 12 multiscale directional edge components. The proposed transform is designed in a fully discrete setting and thus is easy to implement in actual computations. The proposed transform is viewed as a category of redundant discrete wavelet transforms implemented by fast in-place computational algorithms by a lifting scheme that has been modified to incorporate redundancy. The redundancy is limited to (N×J+1)/4, where N=12 is the directional selectivity and J is a decomposition level of the multiscale transform. Numerical experiments in edge analysis using various images demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method over some conventional standard methods. The proposed method outperforms several conventional edge detection methods in identifying both the location and orientation of edges, and well captures the directional and geometrical features of images.

Indocyanine green combined with methylene blue versus methylene blue alone for sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: a retrospective study

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging using Indocyanine green (ICG) may improve the efficiency of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the combination of ICG and methylene blue (MB) in breast cancer patients undergoing SLNB.Patients and methodWe evaluated ICG plus MB (ICG + MB) identification effectiveness with MB alone using retrospective analysis. From 2016 to 2020, we collected data on 300 eligible breast cancer patients who got SLNB treatment in our institution by ICG + MB or MB alone. By comparing the distribution of clinicopathological characteristics, the detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and metastatic SLNs, as well as the total number of SLNs in the two groups, we were able to assess the imaging efficiency.ResultsFluorescence imaging allowed 131 out of 136 patients in the ICG + MB group to find SLNs. ICG + MB group and MB group had detection rates of 98.5% and 91.5% (P = 0.007, χ2 = 7.352), respectively. Besides, the ICG + MB approach was able to produce improved recognition outcomes. What’s more, compared with the MB group, the ICG + MB group can identify more lymph nodes (LNs) (3.1 to 2.6, P = 0.000, t = 4.447). Additionally, in the ICG + MB group, ICG could identify more LNs than MB (3.1 vs 2.6, P = 0.004, t = 2.884).ConclusionICG has high detection effectiveness for SLNs, and when paired with MB, the detection efficiency can be increased even further. Furthermore, the ICG + MB tracing mode does not involve radioisotopes, which has a lot of promise for clinical use and can take the place of conventional standard detection methods.

Comparison of Conventional versus Molecular Methods to Identify Escherichia coli Isolated from Stool Samples

The contemporary means of identifying bacteria are mainly phenotypic tests. Nevertheless, phenotypic tests have their likely characteristic problems. Studies on bacteria isolates have progressed from cultural characterisation, serological, antibiotic resistance profiling, and molecular and genetic engineering to sequencing. This study compared traditional culture algorithms with molecular techniques to identify and characterise Escherichia coli isolated from 50 stool samples. The bacterial isolates were analysed with standard conventional methods, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Out of the 50 samples. 15(45.5%) were conventionally identified as Escherichia coli. Representative E.coIi isolates were then sequenced, and the genotypic identification showed that one of the isolates was Enterobacter cloacae, not Escherichia coli. Molecular biology techniques can avoid misidentification with the conventional method across various microorganisms.

Patterns of inappropriate use of meropenem as antibacterial

Introduction: The development of antibiotic resistant organisms is related to inappropriate use of antibiotics, especially in developing countries where broad spectrum antibiotics can be purchased without prescription. Some of the common causes that contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance are unnecessary use of antimicrobial drugs, inappropriate dose, inadequate duration of therapy. The aim of the study: The present study aiming to focus light on the inappropriate use of meropenem a lone, as it is one of the preserved last choices of antibiotics and is under restricted regulations for description and dispensing by ministry of health in Iraq. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in Tertiary –care hospital. Hundred and thirty patients received meropenem had included in this study. The meropenem administration was followed up regarding dose, frequency, duration, indication. The bacteria were isolated and identified by standard conventional methods in addition to Api20E systems. Antibiotic sensitivity testing carried out by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The result: Collectively 54% of the patients included in this study recieved meropenem inappropriately. The antibiotics sensitivity test by the hospital was inadequate. The most common bacteria isolated from the study were gram negative bacteria (72.7%). E.coli was the most predominant isolated bacteria (32%). Conclusion: The abuse of antibiotics is very common especially because antibiotic sensitivity test is almost neglected in Iraq. Fundamental changes are required to solve this problem. For the future of the next generations let us start a new policy in prescribing and dispensing antibiotics in Iraq

Electrohydrodynamic drying versus conventional drying methods: A comparison of key performance indicators

Preserving fruits and vegetables by drying is a traditional yet effective way of reducing food waste. Existing drying methods are either energy-intensive or lead to a significant reduction in product quality. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying is an energy-efficient low-temperature drying method that presents an opportunity to comply with the current challenges of existing drying methods. However, despite its promising characteristics, EHD drying is yet to be accepted by industry and farmers. The adoption of EHD drying is hindered due to different reasons, such as uncertainties surrounding its scalability, quality of dried product, cost of operation, and sustainability compared to conventional drying methods. To address these concerns, this study quantifies and benchmarks the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of EHD drying compared to the standard conventional drying methods based on lab-scale experiments. These drying methods include hot-air, freeze, microwave, and solar drying. The results show that drying food using EHD is at least 1.6, 20, and 70 times more energy-efficient than the microwave, freeze, and hot-air, respectively. Similar results could be observed for exergy efficiency. EHD drying has superior product quality compared to other drying methods. For instance, it could retain 62% higher total phenolic content with 21% less color degradation than freeze-drying. Although microwave drying resulted in significantly higher drying kinetics than other techniques, EHD performed better than solar and freeze-drying but was comparable with hot-air drying. EHD drying also shows promising results in economic performance assessment. It is the cheapest drying method after solar drying and has the highest estimated net present value (NPV) after hot-air drying. Overall, compared to the currently used drying methods for small to medium-scale drying, EHD was found to be a more exergy and energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative that can provide higher-quality dried products. However, its drying kinetics should be improved for industrial applications.

Beta-Lactamase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacterial Isolates Among the Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Over the times, carbapenems have been the choice of drug for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms. The current study aimed at determining the occurrence of metallo beta-lactamase (MBL) and AmpC beta-lactamase (ABL) in gram negative bacteria isolated from clinical samples. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst the patients visiting Manmohan Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital (MMTH), Kathmandu, Nepal from August 2017 to January 2018. A total of 4351 samples including urine, pus, wound swab, endotracheal tip, catheter tip, and blood were collected from the patients and processed by standard conventional microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) of the isolates was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Double disc synergy test was performed on carbapenem resistant organisms to detect production of MBL and inhibitor-based test was used for the detection of ABL production. Of the 4351 samples, 421 bacterial isolates belonging to 16 different genera were recovered, of which 303 (71.97%) were Gram negative bacilli (GNB). E. coli (189/303) and S. aureus (80/118) were the most prevalent among gram negatives and gram positives, respectively. Bacterial incidence was found significantly associated with gender, specimen type, and the department where the patients were enrolled. Colistin-sulfate and polymycin-B were the most effective drug against GNB, whereas imipenem against gram positives. Prevalence of MDR and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was 35.15% and 60%, respectively. The prevalence of MBL and ABL-producing isolate was 11(3.6%) and 13(4.3%), respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5/11) and E. coli (9/13) were the major MBL and ABL producers, respectively. MBL and ABL production was found to be significantly associated with the age of the patient and the specimen type. A regular antibiotic surveillance activity with screening for MBL and ABL-producing bacterial isolates in the hospital settings to curb the incidence and transmission of such difficult-to-treat pathogens.

Zoning of the reaction of the tissues of the implantation area after prosthetic repair in abdominal hernias in experiment

Purpose of the study. Development of criteria for evaluating the reaction of tissues in the implantation area after prosthetic repair of the hernia ring in an experiment using new digital image processing technologies.Materials and methods. The experiment was carried out on 13 Wistar rats of different sexes. Under anesthesia, a 4 × 2 cm mesh prosthesis was implanted in the layer similar to the onlay epiaponeurotic. The preparation and staining of each preparation was carried out in two versions: with hematoxylin-eosin and according to Mallory on different glasses. The seasons for performing experiments are winter, summer. Microphotography was performed on a medical transmitted light microvisor Microvisor μVizo‑103 (AD LOMO, Russia) with a 3.2 Mpx matrix (full frame size 1024 × 882 px, infoband width 88 px) with Planachromat and Stigachromat lenses with a digital scale × 1 (i.e. no digital zoom). Microphoto processing was performed using the ImageJ 1.53k program (version for public use). The criterion for including a microphoto in the calculation of indicators was the presence of an ingrown implant fiber in the preparation or a cavity surrounding the implant.Results. The zone adjacent to the implant, with a width of about 50 µm ("the zone of changes in adjacent tissues") significantly differs from the "zone of changes in distant tissues" by a more pronounced inflammatory reaction due to a larger absolute number of lymphocytes (р = 0.019 and fibroblasts (р = 0.017), giant cells of foreign bodies (р &lt; 0.001), larger vascular area (р &lt; 0.001) and extravasations (р = 0.002). The study of the "zone of changes in adjacent tissues" is of key importance in assessing the local response of the body to implantation. The key zones of the implantation area are identified: "the cavity surrounding the implant", "the zone of changes in adjacent tissues", "the zone of changes in distant tissues". The calculation of indicators within these zones allows you to get more detailed results when comparing study groups in the experiment.Conclusion. An effective method for assessing the reaction of tissues in the implantation area after prosthetic hernia repair in an experiment using new digital imaging technologies that can be used using a conventional optical microscope and standard staining methods is proposed.

Potentiometric Studies on Binary complexes of La (III) ion with Quinaldic Acid

The binary solid complex of La(III) ion with Quinaldic Acid was isolated from the mixture of equimolar solutions of metal nitrates and ligand. The pH of the solution was adjusted to 7.0. The equimolar solution was refluxed in ethyl alcohol for about 3-4 hours on water bath. On refluxing, the solid mass is obtained on cooling. This solid mass was filtered, washed, recrystallized and dried at 60-70°C. The complex was subjected to elemental analysis. The metal content present in complex was estimated by conventional standard methods. The probable formula of complex was assigned on the basis of elemental analysis, which was well supported by TG curves. The kinetic parameters like activation energy (Ea), Order of reaction (n), frequency factor (log Z) and activation Entropy (S°) were calculated by applying Doyle’s method modified by Zsako (2) and Coat's and Redfern methods.