Portal Of Entry Research Articles

Quantitative assessment of umbilical cord care practices amongst mothers in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

A newly cut neonatal umbilical stump is a potential portal of pathogen entry leading to omphalitis. Neonatal sepsis can complicate omphalitis, but good cord care practices can reduce this risk. The objective of this study was to assess umbilical cord care practices in tertiary-, secondary- and primary-level healthcare facilities in Jos, Nigeria. A multi-centre, cross-sectional study of 284 mothers of infants aged 3-6 weeks old attending immunisation clinics in the three-level healthcare facilities using multistage sampling technique between April and September 2019. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Pearson's Chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as point and interval estimates, respectively. P < 0.05 was adjudged to be statistically significant. The mean age of the mothers and infants was 25 ± 6 years and 5 ± 1 week, respectively. Only 2.2% of mothers used chlorhexidine (CHX) gel for cord care. Mothers showed good knowledge but poor practice of cord care. A significant positive relationship was observed between quality of cord care practices and level of healthcare facility (χ2 = 15.213; df = 2; P < 0.001). Good cord care practices were predicted by mothers' age 30-46 (AOR = 3.6; CI: 1.4-9.1) and good knowledge of cord care (AOR = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.2-9.9). The study has highlighted the good knowledge but poor practices of cord care by mothers and the need to scale up the uptake of CHX gel in Jos. Mother's age and good knowledge of cord care are predictors of good cord care practices.

Primary Palliative Care in the Emergency Department and Acute Care Setting.

Amidst a global COVID pandemic, the palliative care community and healthcare systems around the country continue to explore opportunities to improve early patient and family access to end-of-life care resources. They need not look any further than the Emergency Departments (ED) located on their campuses and around their communities for this chance. As advances in medical therapies continue to extend disease specific life expectancies and as the American population continues to age, we will continue to see older adults with chronic medical illnesses visiting the ED in their final stages of life (Smith et al. in Health Aff (Millwood) 31(6):1277-1285, 2012; Albert et al. in NCHS Data Brief 130:1-8, 2013). If the ED is to continue to be the primary portal of hospital entry for patients requiring emergent care for acute and chronic terminal illnesses, then it stands to reason that it should also be equally prepared to provide the earliest access to palliative care and advance care planning resources for patients and families who may want and benefit from these services. This chapter will explore the unique horizon of opportunities that exist for emergency medicine and the palliative care specialty to fulfill this obligation. Discussion will be centered around core principles in screening, assessment, and management of palliative care needs in the ED, importance of goals of care conversations, and the coordination of early palliative care and hospice consults that can facilitate safe transitions of care.

Analysis of insect pests identified to species that were intercepted at Chinese ports of entry

Analysis of insect pests identified to species that were intercepted at Chinese ports of entry

Effect of 940 nm diode laser irradiation and dentin bonding agent on permeability of furcation area in primary molars.

Multiple accessory canals make furcation area of primary molars the most common port of entry of bacterial endotoxins to periradicular area. Reduction in permeability can improve prognosis of these teeth. Therefore, this study was designed to compare the effect of 940 nm diode laser and dentin bonding agent on the dye penetration of furcation area in primary molars. Thirty teeth were divided into three groups, that is, Group 1 (control group), Group 2 (dentin bonding agent applied over floor of pulp chamber), and Group 3 (diode laser irradiated over floor of pulp chamber). The samples were prepared and seven from each group were tested by dye penetration and three were sent for scanning electron microscopy. Rise in temperature in the perifurcal area was also recorded at the time of laser irradiation. Dunn's pair-wise comparison analysis was used for the analysis for the difference in dye penetration among the group. : The maximum rise in temperature recorded postirradiation was 6.90C. Dye penetration was significantly reduced in Group 2 Dentin bonding group (DBG) as compared to control group (P = 0.0025). Reduction in permeability was observed in Group 3 Laser group (LG) but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.197). Scanning electron microscope revealed open dentinal tubules in Group 1. There were no open dentinal tubules in Group 2, while Group 3 had sealed dentinal tubules with glass-like surface over the region. Dentin bonding agent led to substantial decrease in dye penetration of furcation area of primary molars. This method should be evaluated clinically to improve successful pulpectomy procedures of primary molars.

Primary Culture of the Human Olfactory Neuroepithelium and Utilization for Henipavirus Infection In Vitro.

The olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) are a unique cell type involved in the initial perception of odors. These specialized epithelial cells are located in the neuroepithelium of the nasal cavities and directly connect the nasal cavity with the central nervous system (CNS) via axons, which traverse the cribriform plate to synapse within the olfactory bulb. ORNs are derived from precursor cells that lie adjacent to the basal lamina of the olfactory epithelium. These precursor cells divide several times and their progeny differentiate into mature sensory neurons throughout life. In addition to its major and critical role in sensory transduction, the olfactory neuroepithelium may be an important tissue for viral replication and represents a potential site for viral entry into the CNS. In general, to gain access to the CNS, neurotropic viruses such as henipaviruses can use peripheral neural pathways or the circulatory system. However, the olfactory system has been reported to provide a portal of entry to the CNS for henipaviruses. The ability to obtain biopsies from living human subjects and culture these cells in the laboratory provides the opportunity to examine viral replication and effects on a neuronal cell population. As the most exposed and unprotected segment of the nervous system, the olfactory neuroepithelium may have an important role in neuropathology and systemic dissemination of viruses with established CNS effects. This chapter presents methods for primary culture of human ORNs, which have been used successfully by multiple investigators. The protocol provides a consistent, heterogeneous olfactory epithelial cell population, which demonstrates functional responses to odorant mixtures and exhibits several key features of the olfactory receptor neuron phenotype, encompassing olfactory receptors and signaling pathways.

Doenças fúngicas em cães e gatos no Nordeste do Brasil

ABSTRACT: In this retrospective study, the clinical and anatomopathological findings of fungal diseases in dogs and cats in Northeastern Brazil are described. During the study period, 6,827 histopathological examinations (4,090 necropsies and 2,737 biopsies) of companion animals were reviewed, and fungal infections were diagnosed in 54 cases. Of these, 32 cases were diagnosed in cats and 22 in dogs. Sporotrichosis was the most prevalent mycosis (19/54), followed by dermatophytosis (9/54), cryptococcosis (8/54), candidiasis (7/54), and phaeohyphomycosis (4/54). Other diseases had two cases each, including aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and histoplasmosis, whereas coccidioidomycosis occurred once. Mycoses were diagnosed through microscopic lesions associated with the histomorphological characteristics of the agent, as evidenced by routine and special histochemical stains. They were occasionally confirmed by immunohistochemistry and microbiological cultivation. This retrospective study showed that despite being uncommon, fungal diseases are important causes of death in dogs and cats in the region, with cats being the most affected species and sporotrichosis being the most prevalent mycosis. Clinical signs were correlated with the portal of entry of the infection associated with localized or disseminated superficial and deep skin lesions or affecting parenchymal organs, especially in systemic infections. Microscopic lesions were mainly characterized by pyogranulomatous inflammation associated with fungal structures. In dogs, mycoses occurred mainly owing to an immunological impairment secondary to canine distemper virus co-infection.

Conservation of the enzyme-like activity and biocompatibility of CeO2 nanozymes in simulated body fluids.

Cerium oxide nanozymes (CeO2NZs) are attracting vast attention due to their antioxidant and catalytic properties and mimic the activities of multiple endogenous enzymes. However, as is the case for nanomedicines in general, the success in showing their unique medical applications has not been matched by an understanding of their pharmacokinetics, which is delaying their implementation in clinical settings. Furthermore, the data of their modifications in body fluids and the impact on their activity are scarce. Herein, two types of widely used CeO2NZs, electrostatically stabilized and coated with a mesoporous silica shell, were exposed to simulated saliva and lung, gastric and intestinal fluids, and cell culture media. Their physicochemical modifications and bioactivity were tracked over time up to 15 days combining the data of different characterization techniques and biological assays. The results show that the biocompatibility and antioxidant activity are retained in all cases despite the different evolution behaviors in different fluids, including agglomeration. This work provides an experimental basis from a pharmacokinetic perspective that supports the therapeutic effectiveness of CeO2NZs observed in vivo for the treatment of many conditions related to chronic inflammation and cancer, and suggests that they can be safely administered through different portals of entry including intravenous injection, oral ingestion or inhalation.

SARS-CoV-2 Cellular Entry and Antigen Recognition: Modulating Immunological Responses

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an enormous collaborative international effort within the medical and scientific community. This effort resulted in the development of several vaccines stemming from various platforms within an unprecedented timeframe. The binding of the spike protein, a specific region on the virus surface, to specific regions on certain adhesion molecules is critical at this port of entry. Once infected, the virus begins to replicate, destroys the host cells, and spreads to other cells, leading to disease. This review outlines some of the specific receptors expressed on endothelial and epithelial cells mediating the entry of the virus into the host cells via the virus-binding ligand, the spike protein. This is a key factor to be considered for developing new vaccines and therapeutic strategies against both current and potential future variants

Evaluation and Implementation of the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Infectious Diseases at the Class I Port Health Office in Medan in 2022 in the Working Area of Kualanamu International Airport

&lt;div&gt;&lt;table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" valign="top"&gt;&lt;em&gt;One type of disease that can become a threat to global disease is an infectious disease. The airport is one of the public places that has the risk of becoming a portal of entry for infectious diseases. Factors influencing the entry of plague cases into Indonesia are weak supervision at the country's entry points and epidemiological surveillance activities that have not been maximized. Surveillance activities are carried out during the departure and arrival of aircraft from the infected area to the entrance to the Medan Class I&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;port health office work area. Research Objectives: to assess and evaluate an activity using an observational approach to obtain in-depth information by observing carefully and directly at the Class I Port Health Office in Medan, the working area of Kualanamu International Airport. Method: this research is a type of evaluative research that evaluates and assesses an activity system using qualitative methods to obtain information from data sources or informants regarding activities that have been carried out, in order to be able to explain the actual situation in the field. Results: The problems encountered were workers' health, data reporting and data dissemination. Epidemiological surveillance of workers' health is still lacking so that additional workers' health is needed, then reporting weekly disease data so that current disease trends can be identified, as well as dissemination to stakeholders who are competent in their fields&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keyword: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-GB"&gt;Airport&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-GB"&gt;Evaluation,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-GB"&gt;Surveillance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;

Monitoring of Pesticide Contamnation of Selected Legume Crops Imported in UAE

Food contamination with pesticide residues is a serious concern. In United Arab Emirates, ministry of climate change and environment (MOCCAE) carries out incidence/level monitoring in order to acquire data on the presence and amounts of pesticide residues in particular commodity/chemical combinations. This monitoring aimed to provide the necessary information on quantitative and qualitative pesticide multiresidues in imported legume crops.&#x0D; Sampling plan of 2375 selected legume imported into the UAE has been examined as part of an official surveillance program, these samples include beans, peas, peanuts, lupine and lentils, they were collected from across United Arab Emirates (UAE) ports of entry during 2020 and 2021 by certified staff. These samples were analyzed by modified QuEChERS method for pesticide residue screening based on multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with gas and/or liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for monitoring more than 400 pesticides residues in these legume crops. The method used in this study was validated following the European Commission guidelines achieving good recovery values in the range 70–120% with relative standard deviation values lower than 20% and providing limits of quantification of the method in the low mg/kg range, in accordance with the maximum residue limits set by European policies and CODEX.&#x0D; The results showed that the majority (98.8%) of legume crops samples analyzed had compliance with the legislation in force in UAE and 29 samples (1.2%) contained residues above MRLs established by the Codex Committee on pesticide residues as well as by the European Union. This monitoring is a part of a surveillance study for pesticide control in food samples.&#x0D; Based on the results current monitoring program provide a valuable source of information for estimating dietary exposure of UAE consumers to pesticide residues, and to check compliance with the national maximum residue levels in legume samples.

Genomic Tracking of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Myanmar.

In December 2019, the COVID-19 disease started in Wuhan, China. The WHO declared a pandemic on 12 March 2020, and the disease started in Myanmar on 23 March 2020. In December 2020, different variants were brought worldwide, threatening global health. To counter those threats, Myanmar started the COVID-19 variant surveillance program in late 2020. Whole genome sequencing was done six times between January 2021 and March 2022. Among them, 83 samples with a PCR threshold cycle of less than 25 were chosen. Then, we used MiSeq FGx for sequencing and Illumina DRAGEN COVIDSeq pipeline, command line interface, GISAID, and MEGA version 7 for data analysis. In January 2021, no variant was detected. The second run, during the rise of cases in June 2021, showed Alpha, Delta, and Kappa variants. The third and the fourth runs in August and December showed only a Delta variant. Omicron and Delta variants were detected during the fifth run in January 2022. The sixth run in March 2022 showed only Omicron BA.2. Amino acid mutation at the receptor binding domain of Spike glycoprotein started since the second run coupling with high transmission, recurrence, and vaccine escape. We also found the mutation at the primer targets used in current RT-PCR platforms, but there was no mutation at the existing antiviral drug targets. The occurrence of multiple variants and mutations claimed vigilance at ports of entry and preparedness for effective control measures. Genomic surveillance with the observation of evolutionary data is required to predict imminent threats of the current disease and diagnose emerging infectious diseases.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND LABOUR MARKET IN SOUTH AFRICA: A FOCUS ON THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact which was by the Covid-19 pandemic in the hospitality industry of South Africa. South Africa has one of the largest and highest developed hospitality industries in the region. The hospitality sector in South Africa employs 5% of the active age group and contributes around 10.3% revenue income to the government of South Africa. Unfortunately, South Africa emerged as one of the hot spots of the Covid-19 virus infections. As a way of controlling the pandemic, hard lockdowns were introduced starting on the 27th of March 2020. The sealing of the country’s port of entries brought the hospitality sector to its knees. This study evaluates impact of Covid-19 on the business sector and the labour market in South Africa focussing on the hospitality industry. The study used secondary data from survey reports from South Africa’s National Department of Tourism, (Statssa, Google mobility and other authoritative relevant sources. The study concluded that the pandemic had a devastating effect on areas such as labour, the overall business, the labour market, and the hospitality sector. The most affected areas from the hospitality sector were aviation, maritime, special events, accommodation, hotels, restaurants, lodges, recreational parks, and national parks. When COVID-19 came some businesses in the hospitality sector were servicing loans borrowed from financial institutions. The findings of the study indicated the need for a strong financial backup to cushion business during pandemics for the hospitality sector, tax holidays and adoption of stringent health protocols to assist the industry recovery and make business more profitable. The theoretical implication of the study is that it will expose the impact of COVID-19 on the business sector and the labour market in South Africa with a focus on the hospitality industry, and to map a future mitigatory way to overcome such natural calamities towards the business sector.

Exploring Mexican Immigrant Settlement in the Suburbs of Vancouver

In the current age of migration, suburbs in many Canadian cities are becoming important ports of entry for new immigrants from around the world. This has led to a growth in cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity in the suburbs reflecting global migration patterns. In Vancouver, Canada, the growing “suburbanization” of immigrants is shaping social, cultural, economic, and political landscapes in these areas. Through interviews with 60 key informants, we explore the settlement of Mexican immigrants in Burnaby, Surrey, and Abbotsford, fast-growing Canadian communities, and popular destinations for Mexican immigrants. The findings reveal that Mexican immigrants living in the suburbs of Vancouver face numerous barriers, including lack of access to affordable housing to rent or buy, lack of information on settlement services, and difficulty securing acceptable employment.

Monitoring of Khapra Beetle in Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bekasi as Part of Khapra Beetle Free Area Maintenance Program in Indonesia

Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Evert (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) is the most important stored pest and was first discovered in Jakarta grain storages in 1972. Since then, quarantine procedures have been massively carried out to prevent khapra beetles to spread in Indonesia. In 2009, Indonesia has been declared as free area from Khapra beetle. However, Indonesia still import grain from non-Khapra beetle free countries and supervision must be carried out continuously to prevent Khapra beetle reinfestation. This survey was conducted at warehouses in five areas of Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bekasi from October 2016 to February 2017 with high risk due to its role as one of the main entry ports and storage of imported grains. Observation was done using probe sampling, direct observation and traps with attractant. Results showed that several insects were found from imported seeds in the surveyed area, but no Khapra beetles were found. It showed that non-Khapra free countries have implemented the required Sanitary Phytosanitary. In addition, it implies that survey methods using attractant traps could complement the probe sampling methods and direct observation that are currently used.

Natural Killer Cells Regulate Acute SIV Replication, Dissemination, and Inflammation, but Do Not Impact Independent Transmission Events.

Natural killer (NK) cells are potent effector cells of the innate immune system possessing both cytotoxic and immunoregulatory capabilities, which contribute to their crucial role in controlling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections. However, despite significant evidence for NK cell modulation of HIV disease, their specific contribution to transmission and control of acute infection remains less clear. To elucidate the contribution of NK cells during acute SIV infection, we performed an acute necropsy study, where rhesus macaques (RM) were subjected to preinfection depletion of systemic NK cells using established methods of IL-15 neutralization, followed by subsequent challenge with barcoded SIVmac239X. Our study showed that depletion was highly effective, resulting in near total ablation of all NK cell subsets in blood, liver, oral, and rectal mucosae, and lymph nodes (LN) that persisted through the duration of the study. Meanwhile, frequencies and phenotypes of T cells remained virtually unchanged, indicating that our method of NK cell depletion had minimal off-target effects. Importantly, NK cell-depleted RM demonstrated an early and sustained 1 to 2 log increase in viremia over controls, but sequence analysis suggested no difference in the number of independent transmission events. Acute bulk, central memory (CM), and CCR5+ CD4+ T cell depletion was similar between experimental and control groups, while CD8+ T cell activation was higher in NK cell-depleted RM as measured by Ki67 and PD-1 expression. Using 27-plex Luminex analyses, we also found modestly increased inflammatory cytokines in NK cell-depleted RM compared to control animals. In the effort to determine the impact of NK cells on HIV/SIV transmission and acute viremia, future studies will be necessary to better harness these cells for future viral therapies. Collectively, these data suggest NK cells are important modulators of lentivirus dissemination and disease but may not have the capacity to independently eliminate individual transmission events. IMPORTANCE Natural killer (NK) cells as major effector cells of the innate immune system can contribute significantly to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) control. However, a specific role for NK cells in blocking lentivirus transmission remains incompletely clear. In this study, we depleted NK cells prior to challenge with a barcoded SIV. Importantly, our studied showed systemic NK cell depletion was associated with a significant increase in acute viremia, but did not impact the number of independent transmission events. Collectively, these data suggest NK cells are critical modulators of early lentivirus replication but may not regulate individual transmission events at mucosal portals of entry.

Hypo-osmolar rectal douche tenofovir formulation prevents simian/human immunodeficiency virus acquisition in macaques.

In spite of the rollout of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the rate of new HIV infections remains a major health crisis. In the United States, new infections occur predominantly in men having sex with men (MSM) in rural settings where access to PrEP can be limited. As an alternative congruent with MSM sexual behavior, we have optimized and tested tenofovir (TFV) and analog-based iso-osmolar and hypo-osmolar (HOsm) rectal douches for efficacy against rectal simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) infection of macaques. Single TFV HOsm high-dose douches achieved peak plasma TFV levels similar to daily oral PrEP, while other formulations yielded lower concentrations. Rectal tissue TFV-diphosphate (TFV-DP) concentrations at the portal of virus entry, however, were markedly higher after HOsm douching than daily oral PrEP. Repeated douches led to significantly higher plasma TFV and higher TFV-DP concentrations in rectal tissue at 24 hours compared with single douches, without detectable mucosal or systemic toxicity. Using stringent repeated intrarectal SHIV exposures, single HOsm high-dose douches delivered greater protection from virus acquisition for more than 24 hours compared with oral PrEP. Our results demonstrate a rapid delivery of protective TFV doses to the rectal portal of virus entry as a potential low-cost and safe PrEP alternative.

Spatial–temporal distribution of large-size light falling-net fisheries in the South China Sea

With the rapid modernization of methods for monitoring fishing vessels, different ways of obtaining data on large-size light falling-net vessels have developed. In particular, the vessel monitoring system (VMS) may be used to track fishing activities in the South China Sea (SCS). In this study, we used VMS data to show the characterize and differences in the information transmitted when monitoring large-size falling-net fishing vessels, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. We investigated the spatial distribution of large-size light falling-net fisheries in the SCS using Beidou VMS data from 2017 to 2020. We also compared trajectories of fishing vessels from various provinces. According to these data, vessels operate in the Nansha Islands and the waters of the Pearl River Estuary, Beibu Gulf, Zhongsha, and Xisha Islands, and there is a clear seasonal pattern of fishing in the SCS. There are the differences of vessels in terms of distribution areas and ports of entry and exit. Additionally, we found the operation area of the large-size falling-net fishing vessels divided into four main fishing zones. The analysis compares the number of days of operation in the different fishing areas as well as seasonal variations. Our study shows that the operating area of large-size light falling-net vessels has extended southwards and that the number of days for which fishing vessels operate has increased compared with the last decade. Using the Beidou VMS to study the large-size light falling-net vessels in the SCS can provide more detailed scientific reference data for the SCS fisheries.

Utilisation of a mitochondrial intergenic region for species differentiation of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South Africa

BackgroundFruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprise species of agricultural and economic importance. Five such fruit fly species are known to affect commercial fruit production and export in South Africa: Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis cosyra, Ceratitis rosa, Ceratitis quilicii, and Bactrocera dorsalis. Management practices for these pests include monitoring, application of pest control products, post-harvest disinfestation measures and inspection of consignments both prior to shipment and at ports of entry. In activities relating to monitoring and inspection, accurate identification of these pests to species level is required. While morphological keys for adult stages of these fruit fly species have been well developed, morphological keys for earlier life stages remain problematic. In instances where closely related species cannot be reliably distinguished morphologically, there is a need for molecular tools to assist in identifying these five fruit fly species during surveillance practices, where sequencing-based approaches would be beneficial.ResultsTwo complete mitochondrial genomes were assembled for each fruit fly species investigated using high throughput sequencing data generated in this study. A single primer set was designed to amplify a region between tRNAile and tRNAmet. The amplicon consists of a partial segment of tRNAile, intergenic region I (tRNAile - tRNAgln), the complete sequence of tRNAgln, intergenic region II (tRNAgln - tRNAmet), and a partial segment of tRNAmet. PCR amplicons were generated for 20 specimens of each species, five of which were colony adult males, five colony larvae, and 10 wild, trap-collected specimens. Upon analysis of the amplicon, intergenic region I was identified as the most informative region, allowing for unambiguous identification of the five fruit fly species. The similarity in intergenic region II was too high between C. rosa and C. quilicii for accurate differentiation of these species.ConclusionThe identity of all five fruit flies investigated in this study can be determined through sequence analysis of the mitochondrial intergenic regions. Within the target amplicon, intergenic region I (tRNAile - tRNAgln) shows interspecific variation sufficient for species differentiation based on multiple sequence alignment. The variation in the length of intergenic region I is proposed as a potential tool for accurately identifying these five fruit flies in South Africa.

SEVERE NECROTISING FASCIITIS COMPLICATED BY ADMINISTRATION OF NSAIDS - A CASE SERIES

Necrotising fasciitis can be described as a severe soft tissue infection that results in progressive destruction of subcutaneous fat and fascia. Necrotising fasciitis is commonly due to Streptococcus pyogenes infection but often due to mixed infections like anaerobes, coliforms and gram negative organisms. The capacity of NSAIDs of disregulating the production of inammatory mediators (such as cytokines, proteases, etc.) by leucocytes is a plausible biological mechanism to explain how these drugs might predispose to Necrotising Fasciitis or impede its timely recognition and management. Furthermore, intramuscular injection of NSAID can provoke severe tissue trauma, such as aseptic tissue necrosis, representing a local portal of entry for infection that can progress to NF, potentially masking symptoms of Necrotising fasciitis leading to delaying in diagnosis. This study aims to establish an association between Severe Necrotising fasciitis in patients with administration of NSAIDs. This study described 14 cases of Necrotizing fasciitis admitted in JSS hospital, severity complicated by administration of NSAIDS. A detailed description of the patients was done in the case report.

Jain point laparoscopic entry in contraindications of Palmers point.

This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the Jain point to overcome the contraindications of Palmer's point. The Jain point lies on the left side of the abdomen at the L4 level, 10-13 cm lateral to the umbilicus. Due to its anatomical location, the Jain point is free from adhesions because postsurgical adhesions are encountered usually in the midline or the right side. This is a retrospective study conducted at a high-volume tertiary care referral center for advanced gynecological laparoscopic surgery, enrolling 8,586 patients who underwent laparoscopy at the center from January 2011 to March 2022. In this paper, we analyze 2,519 patients with a history of previous surgeries, who were operated using the Jain point. In the 2,519 patients with a history of previous surgeries, the Jain point port was found to be adhesion free, regardless of the location of the scars, the number and type of previous surgeries, and those in whom Palmer's point was contraindicated. No major complications were reported, except for one case (0.04%) of small bowel injury, which was managed intraoperatively. The Jain point continued to function as the main ergonomic working port. The Jain point offers an alternate safe entry port in previous surgery cases for laparoscopic surgeons of various specialties, like general surgeons, urologists, oncologists, and bariatric surgeons, to overcome the contraindications of Palmer's point. The Jain point also acts as the main ergonomic working port, whereas Palmer's point becomes redundant after initial entry.