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The many beneficial properties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have led to their increased interest as a potential material for use in various biomedical applications. These properties include fluorescence, biocompatibility, low toxicity, small size, ease of modification, low production costs when scaled up, and versatile conjugation with other nanoparticles. In addition, the development of theranostic nanomedicine, bio-imaging of cells and bacteria, and multifunctional diagnostic platforms have all shown promise. Optical imaging, cancer therapy, drug delivery systems, gene delivery, antimicrobial activity, bioimaging and biosensors, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, pharmaceutical formulations, and more are all parts of CQD research that this review succinctly summarises. The literature primarily describes two approaches for synthesizing CQDs: the top-down approach, which involves disassembling a larger carbon structure into nanoscale particles, and the bottom-up approach, which involves creating CQDs from smaller carbon units (small organic molecules). The literature has a large number of review articles about the synthesis and uses of CQDs. Nevertheless, there isn't a comprehensive paper like this that goes over the entire process of creating and using CQDs made of tiny organic compounds. Based on the available literature, we have compiled the research progress on CQDs in this review, including its synthesis from small organic molecules (bottom-up approach), applications in the fields of bioimaging, drug/gene delivery systems, photocatalytic reactions, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal (PTT) therapy, as well as methods of thermal decomposition and microwave irradiation and ultrasonic treatment. Lastly, the difficulties and potential course of CQDs are explored. Our conversation also broadens to cover CQDs function in nanomedicine, the field that many believe will shape biomedicine in the years to come. The results of this study will help the biomedical research community realise the potential of CQDs to solve many present-day technological issues.

The role of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in clinical microbiology is increasing and is not restricted to molecular epidemiology alone. With the advent of third-generation sequencing technologies, its applications in infectious disease diagnostics have further expanded to include the direct identification of microorganisms from primary clinical samples, prediction of antimicrobial resistance (including antiviral resistance) by detecting resistance genes, and detection of virulence genes. Untargeted metagenomic sequencing of clinical samples can provide a promising platform for the comprehensive diagnosis of infections. This article outlines the applications and scope of WGS and metagenomic sequencing in routine clinical microbiology, along with the challenges and practical issues in their implementation.

Abstract Lelliottia amnigena PTJIIT1005 is a bacterium that utilizes nitrate as the sole nitrogen source and can remediate nitrate from media. The annotation was done related to nitrogen metabolic genes using the PATRIC, RAST tools, and PGAP from the genome sequence of this bacterium. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis of respiratory nitrate reductase, assimilatory nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, hydroxylamine reductase, nitric oxide reductase genes from PTJIIT1005 were done to find out sequence identities with the most similar species. The identification of operon arrangement in bacteria was also identified. The PATRIC KEGG feature mapped the N-metabolic pathway to identify the chemical process, and the 3D structure of representative enzymes was also elucidated. The putative protein 3D structure was analyzed using I-TASSER software. It gave good quality protein models of all nitrogen metabolism genes and showed good sequence identity with reference templates, approximately 81–99%, except for two genes; assimilatory nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase. This study suggested that PTJIIT1005 can remove N-nitrate from water because of having N-assimilation and denitrification genes.

Host cytosolic sensing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) RNA by the RIG-I–like receptor (RLR) family perturbs innate immune control within macrophages; however, a distinct role of MDA5, a member of the RLR family, in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis has yet to be fully elucidated. To further define the role of MDA5 in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis, we evaluated M. tuberculosis intracellular growth and innate immune responses in WT and Mda5–/– macrophages. Transfection of M. tuberculosis RNA strongly induced proinflammatory cytokine production in WT macrophages, which was abrogated in Mda5–/– macrophages. M. tuberculosis infection in macrophages induced MDA5 protein expression, accompanied by an increase in MDA5 activation as assessed by multimer formation. IFN-γ–primed Mda5–/– macrophages effectively contained intracellular M. tuberculosis proliferation to a markedly greater degree than WT macrophages. Further comparisons of WT versus Mda5–/– macrophages revealed that during M. tuberculosis infection MDA5 contributed to IL-1β production and inflammasome activation and that loss of MDA5 led to a substantial increase in autophagy. In the mouse TB model, loss of MDA5 conferred host survival benefits with a concomitant reduction in M. tuberculosis bacillary burden. These data reveal that loss of MDA5 is host protective during M. tuberculosis infection in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that M. tuberculosis exploits MDA5 to subvert immune containment.

The economic growth of any country depends upon the MSMEs as it plays a vital role in GDP and employment. The transportation is considered as the lifeline of the country. Hence due to developing countries, the industries and vehicles are continuously increasing to fulfil industrial or domestic requirements. But unfortunately, industries and vehicles emit harmful gases as exhaust to the environment. Which directly or indirectly impact the human health. Fresh and clean air is the prime need of the society. Hence the monitoring of different gas concentrations in the environment is very essential to take preventive steps to control air pollution. The traditional method of monitoring the air quality is very expensive, hence most of the countries have limited air monitoring stations. In the field of nanotechnology, scientists have developed different types of soft metal oxide materials that are capable of sensing different gases at low concentrations and can work in different environmental conditions. For the last 10 years, ferrite-based sensors have the primarily used to detect harmful gases, and pollutants from vehicle exhaust, and environmental pollution monitoring. These soft ferrites have excellent electrical and magnetic properties that can also be tuned according to the requirement of the sensor to increase sensitivity and selectivity. The tuning of ferrite sensors depends upon synthesis technique, optimizing preparation conditions, sintering temperatures, operating temperatures, dopant concentration, etc This paper is based on a deep study of the synthesis techniques of nano-ferrites, different types of gas sensors, gas sensing mechanisms, parameters, and application of chemo-resistive metal oxide gas sensors. The key parameters for the ferrite gas sensors are phase formation, crystallite size, grain size, surface area, selectivity, dopants, sensitivity, gas concentration, operating temperature, and response/recovery time. This review paper also includes the study of different researchers to find the impact of high concentrations of gases like hydrogen (H _2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO _2 ), oxygen (O _2 ), ethylene glycol ${{({CH}}_{2}{OH})}_{2},$ methane (CH _4 ), ammonia (NH _3 ) liquid petroleum gas (LPG), acetylene (C _2 H _2 ), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the environment and the metal oxide materials selected for the sensor application.

This paper develops an original design method of high-pass (HP) negative group delay (NGD) integrated circuit (IC). The considered HP-NGD IC is based on a passive topology which is essentially composed of resistor-inductor (RL) network. The paper presents the first time that an unfamiliar HP-topology is designed in miniaturized circuit implemented in 130-nm CMOS technology. The theory of unfamiliar HP-NGD topology based on the voltage transfer function (VTF) analysis is elaborated. The design equations with synthesis formulas of the resistor and inductor are established. The HP-NGD IC CMOS design methodology is introduced. The feasibility of the miniature NGD IC implementation is approved by design rule check (DRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) approaches. The HP-NGD passive IC is designed in 130-nm CMOS technology. The HP-NGD topology is constituted by RL-network based on CMOS high Ohmic unsalicided N + poly resistor and symmetrical high current spiral inductor. Then, the schematic and layout simulations are presented. The validity of the 130-nm CMOS HP-NGD design is verified by the investigation of 225 $\mu \text{m}\,\,\times215\,\,\mu \text{m}$ chip two different miniature circuit proofs-of-concept (POC). The HP-NGD behavior is validated by comparison between the calculated, and schematic and post-layout simulations of the HP-NGD POCs carried out by a commercial tool. As expected, the group delay and VTF magnitude diagrams are in very good correlation. HP-NGD optimal value, NGD cut-off frequency and attenuation, of about (−31 ps, 141 MHz, −3 dB) and (−47 ps, 204 MHz, −5 dB) are obtained from the miniature POCs.

Recent investigation reports that certain electronic circuits operate with the unfamiliar negative group delay (NGD) function. It is fundamentally stated that the NGD circuits can be classified in different types. For example, we have the simplest ones as LP and HP NGD circuit types. So far, all the NGD studies are focused on simple type function. In step up of the research about the NGD electronic circuit engineering, this paper develops an original theory of electronic circuit topology operating with double NGD-type behavior. The study consists in the theorization of three-port circuit simultaneously generating LP and HP NGD function types. The proposed three-port innovative circuit under study is innovatively composed of resistive-capacitive (RC) network of Tee-shaped topology. Moreover, the LP and HP double-NGD circuit is a first order cell which does not contain any inductive component. The LP and HP NGD analyses of the Tee-topology is based on the 3-D S-matrix modelling. Analytical investigation based on classical circuit theory is elaborated to determine the S-matrix model from the equivalent admittance matrix. The identification of the double-NGD function is established from the LP- and HP-NGD canonical forms. Hence, the specific double-NGD characteristics are defined in function of the R and C elements constituting the three-port topology. To validate the developed double-NGD theory, a proof-of-concept (PoC) of SMD lumped component-based three-port circuit is designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. The calculated, simulated and measured results from the three-port circuit PoC prototype in very good agreement confirm the double-NGD behavior. The proposed innovative NGD three-port circuit design is useful in the future for the synchronization of signals propagating through multi-way communication system.

Abstract The venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test, a nontreponemal test for syphilis, may under a certain set of conditions give false positive results in patients who are not infected with Treponema pallidum. A false positive reaction is defined as a positive reaction to nontreponemal tests, and a negative reaction to treponemal tests, in the serum of a patient who has no history or clinical evidence of syphilis or other treponematosis. A prozone phenomenon in nontreponemal tests is seen largely with secondary syphilis due to high-titer samples that show nonreactive results unless the specimens are diluted. We report here perhaps the first case of lepromatous leprosy, which had a false positive reaction to the VDRL test with the prozone phenomenon. The case initially presented to the outpatient clinic with complaints of epistaxis with nasal stuffiness. The finding of septal perforation on nasal endoscopy is what led to the initial suspicion of syphilis and the subsequent syphilis workup. It was only when the false positive reaction to VDRL test with the prozone phenomenon was noted that the search for other causes was made, which eventually lead to the diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy.

ABSTRACT The cytotoxic granules of human NK and CD8 T cells contain the effector molecule granulysin. Although in vitro studies indicate that granulysin is bactericidal to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human CD8 T cells restrict intracellular M. tuberculosis by granule exocytosis, the role of granulysin in cell-mediated immunity against infection is incompletely understood, in part because a granulysin gene ortholog is absent in mice. Transgenic mice that express human granulysin (GNLY-Tg) under the control of human regulatory DNA sequences permit the study of granulysin in vivo. We assessed whether granulysin expression by murine CD8 T cells enhances their control of M. tuberculosis infection. GNLY-Tg mice did not control pulmonary M. tuberculosis infection better than non-Tg control mice, and purified GNLY-Tg and non-Tg CD8 T cells had a similar ability to transfer protection to T cell deficient mice. Lung CD8 T cells from infected control and GNLY-transgenic mice similarly controlled intracellular M. tuberculosis growth in macrophages in vitro. Importantly, after M. tuberculosis infection of GNLY-Tg mice, granulysin was detected in NK cells but not in CD8 T cells. Only after prolonged in vitro stimulation could granulysin expression be detected in antigen-specific CD8 T cells. GNLY-Tg mice are an imperfect model to determine whether granulysin expression by CD8 T cells enhances immunity against M. tuberculosis. Better models expressing granulysin are needed to explore the role of this antimicrobial effector molecule in vivo. IMPORTANCE Human CD8 T cells express the antimicrobial peptide granulysin in their cytotoxic granules, and in vitro analysis suggest that it restricts growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other intracellular pathogens. The murine model of tuberculosis cannot assess granulysin’s role in vivo, as rodents lack the granulysin gene. A long-held hypothesis is that murine CD8 T cells inefficiently control M. tuberculosis infection because they lack granulysin. We used human granulysin transgenic (GNLY-Tg) mice to test this hypothesis. GNLY-Tg mice did not differ in their susceptibility to tuberculosis. However, granulysin expression by pulmonary CD8 T cells could not be detected after M. tuberculosis infection. As the pattern of granulysin expression in human CD8 T cells and GNLY-Tg mice seem to differ, GNLY-Tg mice are an imperfect model to study the role of granulysin. An improved model is needed to answer the importance of granulysin expression by CD8 T cells in different diseases.

The via ground (GND) structure constitutes one of the most useful elements for designing high performance printed circuit boards (PCBs). The electrical interconnections with vias become key regular solutions for the implementation of various electronic functions. However, so far, the vias are never being used for designing negative group delay (NGD) circuit. To answer this curious question, an original study on the design feasibility of low-pass NGD function with via ground is introduced in the present paper. After the topological description, the NGD analysis in function of the via parameters is established. The design equations allowing to synthesize the via in function of NGD function specifications are formulated. The developed NGD theory is verified with comparisons between calculations and simulations with a commercial tool. As expected, NGD value in order of hundred-picoseconds over hundred-megahertz cut-off frequencies is obtained with good agreement between the theoretical model and simulation. Furthermore, time domain analyses confirm that the via NGD structure enables to generate output signals in time-advance of arbitrary waveform input signals presenting limited bandwidth.

This paper elaborates a negative group delay (NGD) analysis of 0IO-shape printed circuit board (PCB) traces. This circuit topology is originally implemented with a tri-coupled line (3CL) six-port element with the lateral side connected through lossy transmission lines (TLs). After description of the electrical equivalent diagram, the S-matrix model is established. The group delay (GD) is formulated from the transmission coefficient as a function of the 0IO topological parameters. The effectiveness of the GD modelling is verified with a microstrip circuit proof-of-concept (POC). Simulations and measurements, which are in good agreement, confirm the dual-band bandpass NGD behavior of the 0IO POC. The fabricated prototype generates NGD levels better than -1 ns at NGD center frequencies of about 2.2 GHz and 3 GHz. In addition, to this good NGD performance, the 0IO POC operates with a low insertion loss better than 2.5 dB and reflection losses better than 12 dB in the NGD bandwidths.

Introduction: Spinal anaesthesia has been traditionally performed using landmark guided technique. Ultrasound helps in identifying the insertion point, depth, as well as angle of the needle advancement by visualisation of the neuraxial structures, thus, increasing the probability of successful dural puncture. Aim: To compare the success rates of dural puncture at first attempt between Preprocedural Ultrasound (PUS) guided paramedian and landmark guided midline approach in spinal anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: This was a randomised clinical study, conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital during May 2017-December 2018. Patients (n=110) undergoing lower limb orthopaedic surgery were randomly allocated into group US (PUS guided with paramedian approach) and group LM (landmark guided with midline approach), with 55 patients each. Number of attempts and passes, procedure time, any complication, periprocedural pain and patient satisfaction were noted. The correlation between quality of ultrasound view and success rate was also analysed using Fisher’s-exact test. Results: The success rate of dural puncture at first attempt was 89.09% in US group versus 76.36% in LM group, p>0.05. Total number of needle insertion attempts (1.31±0.63 in group LM, 1.11±0.31 in group US, p>0.05) were comparable. Total procedure time was higher (11.96±1.55 minutes) in US group as compared to LM group (3.26±0.68 minutes), p0.05. Correlation between the quality of parasagittal oblique view and success rate of dural puncture was good, p

This paper reports on the study of series of tungsten doped Ni0.5Zn0.5WxFe2−xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) ferrites synthesized by a co-precipitation scheme. The crystallite size varies from 62 to 49 nm and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show the spinel cubic structure of the powder sample. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) confirms the presence of Ni, Zn, W and Fe elements in the prepared samples. The specific surface areas of the Ni0.5Zn0.5W0.2Fe1.8O4, Ni0.5Zn0.5W0.4Fe1.6O4 and Ni0.5Zn0.5W0.6Fe1.4O4 samples calculated from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method are 18.9 m2/g, 21.5 m2/g and 24.6 m2/g, respectively. The metal oxide pellet type resistive sensor was made for gas sensor application. These sensors are selective for hydrogen (H2) gas. The performance of these sensors for sensing hydrogen gas at a concentration of 1000 ppm in the temperature range 80–300 °C has been investigated. Platinum electrodes were deposited on all the pellets by RF sputtering technique. The subsequent decomposition of platinum oxides on the metal oxide pellet surface results in an increase in surface roughness and electrical resistivity. The sensor shows a change in resistance from 1.21 × 105 Ω to 7.83 × 104 Ω in the presence of H2 gas even at alow temperature. The composition with x = 0.2 at an optimum temperature of 180 °C showed a fast response (14 s) and recovery time (20 s). High sensitivity, low cost, long term stability, high selectivity and fast response at low temperature makes this sensor useful for industrial applications. Keywords: Co-precipitation, Pellet type resistive sensor, Platinum decomposition, Hydrogen gas sensor, High selectivity, Low temperature, Sensitivity

In the present study, indium doped nano sized nickel zinc cobalt based ferrite ceramics with composition Ni0.5Zn0.3Co0.2InxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.2 and 0.4) were synthesized by a co-precipitation technique. Powdered sample has been pre-sintered at 800 °C, pressed into toroids and finally sintered at 1000 °C. The single phase formation of the presintered powder has been confirmed by X ray diffraction (XRD). The average particle size of the presintered powder has been estimated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and found to be about ~60 nm for x = 0.2 and ~80 nm at x = 0.4. The electromagnetic characterization has been made using vector network analyzer. High value of permeability (17.3 and 15.2 for x = 0.2 and 0.4 respectively) with low magnetic loss tangent of 10−1 order were obtained. Permittivity of 8.2 and 10, and dielectric loss tangent of the order of 10−2 were also achieved. With the measured electromagnetic parameters, miniaturization factor of 12.32 and normalized characteristic impedance close to unity (1.23) were obtained up to 100 MHz frequency. These fascinating parameters definitely propose Ni0.5Zn0.3Co0.2In0.4Fe1.6O4 ceramics as a substrate material for miniaturized antenna in very high frequency band. Possible reasons and mechanisms of electromagnetic properties for different concentrations of indium are discussed in the paper.

Whole genome sequencing offers genome wide, unbiased markers, and inexpensive library preparation. With the cost of sequencing decreasing rapidly, many plant genomes of modest size are amenable to skim whole genome resequencing (skim WGR). The use of skim WGR in diverse sample sets without the use of imputation was evaluated in silico in 149 canola samples representative of global diversity. Fastq files with an average of 10x coverage of the reference genome were used to generate skim samples representing 0.25x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x sequencing coverage. Applying a pre-defined list of SNPs versus de novo SNP discovery was evaluated. As skim WGR is expected to result in some degree of insufficient allele sampling, all skim coverage levels were filtered at a range of minimum read depths from a relaxed minimum read depth of 2 to a stringent read depth of 5, resulting in 28 list-based SNP sets. As a broad recommendation, genotyping pre-defined SNPs between 1x and 2x coverage with relatively stringent depth filtering is appropriate for a diverse sample set of canola due to a balance between marker number, sufficient accuracy, and sequencing cost, but depends on the intended application. This was experimentally examined in two sample sets with different genetic backgrounds: 1x coverage of 1,590 individuals from 84 Australian spring type four-parent crosses aimed at maximizing diversity as well as one commercial F1 hybrid, and 2x coverage of 379 doubled haploids (DHs) derived from a subset of the four-parent crosses. To determine optimal coverage in a simpler genetic background, the DH sample sequence coverage was further down sampled in silico. The flexible and cost-effective nature of the protocol makes it highly applicable across a range of species and purposes.

Background: According to World Health Report 2002, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) will be the largest cause of death and disability by 2020 in India. In 2020, 2.6 million Indians are predicted to die due to coronary heart disease, which constitutes 54.1% of all CVD deaths. Nearly half of these deaths are likely to occur in young and middle-aged individuals (30-69 years). We undertook this study with objectives to evaluate the cardiovascular risk profile in asymptomatic individuals with moderate risk factors and to understand the effect of the short-term (3 weeks) exercise over cardiovascular risk factors. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a total of 34 subjects comprising of 17 subjects in each group. Subjects underwent biochemical tests like fasting lipid (total cholesterol [TC], triglyceride, high-density lipoproteins [HDLs], low-density lipoproteins [LDLs]) and fasting blood glucose. Other outcome measures were VO 2 max, body mass index and body fat % (BF%). Results: This study suggested that 3 weeks of moderate intensity aerobic training has a beneficial effect in lowering the cardiovascular risk profiles in adults with moderate risk factors. This training reduced TC, improves HDL, reduced LDL and improved aerobic capacity by improving VO 2 max and reducing BF%.

Abstract Recent advances in engineering lead to the fabrication of nanomaterials with unique properties targeted toward specific applications. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture, in particular for plant protection and production, is an under‐explored area in the research community. Fungal diseases are one of the leading causes of crop destruction and, in this context, the antifungal effect of nanoparticles of cobalt and nickel ferrite against phytopathogenic fungi is reported here. As a proof of concept, it is also shown how such nanoparticles can be used as fungicides in plants. The developed cobalt and nickel ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4) are successfully tested for antimycotic activity against three plant‐pathogenic fungi: Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Dematophora necatrix. In addition, it is also observed that these ferrite nanoparticles reduce the incidence of Fusarium wilt in capsicum. The study suggests that nanoparticles of CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 can be used as an effective fungicide in plant disease management.

Shigella bacteraemia is a complication of gastroenteritis caused by Shigella spp. which occurs mainly in immunocompromised children. Other risk factors may include young malnourished children, patients with chronic disease, post transplant patients etc. We present a case of six-month-old infant who developed an episode of gastroenteritis caused by Shigella sonnei which was followed by septicaemia. The patient was managed well and he recovered. Shigella sonnei was isolated in both stool as well as blood culture. S.sonnei bacteraemia is a rare condition but we should always be vigilant. Blood cultures as well as stool cultures should be performed in patients presenting with acute febrile gastroenteritis, whether immunocompromised or not. This simple, early and prompt investigation may help in precise diagnosis, which will guide the clinician about appropriate intervention like antibiotic therapy and supportive care.

Introduction: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (formerly Pseudomonas maltophilia/Xanthomonas maltophilia), a Gram- negative, non-fermenting bacillus, is being increasingly recognized as a threatening nosocomial pathogen, associated with significant mortality. Aim: To determine the prevalence of infection, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and clinical outcome of S. maltophilia in a paediatric population. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted over a period of eight months, i.e., October 2015 to May 2016. All clinical samples received in the microbiology laboratory during the study period were processed using standard microbiological procedures. S. maltophilia isolates were selected. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed for levofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole by Vitek 2C system (Biomerieux, France). Average length of stay and mortality caused by S. maltophilia infection was compared with age and sex matched controls without S. maltophilia infection. Results: A total of 16,234 clinical specimens were received in the microbiology laboratory in the study period, with 2,734 pathogenic bacteria isolated. A total of 1,339 (1.7% of total isolates) Gram-negative bacteria were isolated, out of which 414 were non-fermenters. Among the non-fermenters, 23 (5.5%) were S. maltophilia. Out of the 23 isolates, 15 (65.2%) were isolated from blood, 4 (17.3%) were isolated from urine and tracheal aspirate each. A total of 91.3% of strains were susceptible and 8.6% were resistant to trimethoprimsulphamethoxazole. Total 80% of strains were sensitive and 20% had intermediate susceptibility for levofloxacin. None of the strains were resistant to levofloxacin. Average length of stay of patients with S. maltophilia infection was found out to be 23.3 days as compared to 44.8 days in controls. The average mortality of patients with S. maltophilia infection was found to be same as that of controls (35.2%). Conclusion: S. maltophilia is becoming an important nosocomial pathogen and its isolation rate is reported to be increasing. Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole still remains the drug of choice but resistance has been reported for this drug as well. As its isolation is increasing, it is important to study the epidemiology, antimicrobial susceptibility profile and clinical outcomes of these isolates.

Background: The aim of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to compare tracheal intubating conditions and the duration of apnoea following administration of 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0 mg/kg of succinylcholine during simulated rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia. Methods: Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 2 μg/kg and propofol 2 mg/kg followed by application of cricoid pressure. Patients were randomly allocated to three groups according to the dose of succinylcholine administered (0.4, 0.6 or 1.0 mg/kg). Intubating conditions were assessed at 60 s after succinylcholine administration. Time to first diaphragmatic contraction (apnoea time) and time to resumption of regular spontaneous breathing were noted. Results: Excellent intubating conditions were obtained in 52.4%, 95.7% and 100% of the patients after 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0 mg/kg succinylcholine, respectively; P

The present study was conducted to determine antifungal activity of three different concentrations (5, 10, and 15%) of cow urine against three fungal pathogens (Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotium rolfsii) isolated from infected plants of Methi and Bhindi that showed symptoms of damping off and wilting disease by poison food technique. The extent of growth of test fungi in plates poisoned with cow urine was lesser when compared with the control plates. Among these concentrations cow urine at 15% concentration was most effective. When the three fungal organisms were compared, maximum growth suppression was observed in Fusarium oxysporum (78.57%) at 15% concentration of cow urine followed by Rhizoctonia solani (78.37%) and Sclerotium rolfsii (73.84%). Finally we concluded that the cow urine has antifungal activities and the inhibitory activity can be used in the control of fungi. The nutritional effect of cow urine on plant growth was also tested with Trigonella foenum-graecum (Methi) and Abelmoschus esculentus (Bhindi) plants and the chlorophyll and protein content was also estimated.

Bacterial P-loop GTPases belong to a family of proteins that selectively hydrolyze a small molecule guanosine tri-phosphate (GTP) to guanosine di-phosphate (GDP) and inorganic phosphate, and regulate several essential cellular activities such as cell division, chromosomal segregation and ribosomal assembly. A comparative genome sequence analysis of different mycobacterial species indicates the presence of multiple P-loop GTPases that exhibit highly conserved motifs. However, an exact function of most of these GTPases in mycobacteria remains elusive. In the present study we characterized the function of a P-loop GTPase in mycobacteria by employing an EngA homologue from Mycobacterium smegmatis, encoded by an open reading frame, designated as MSMEG_3738. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis suggest that MSMEG_3738 (termed as EngA(MS)) is highly conserved in mycobacteria. Homology modeling of EngA(MS) reveals a cloverleaf structure comprising of α/β fold typical to EngA family of GTPases. Recombinant EngA(MS) purified from E. coli exhibits a GTP hydrolysis activity which is inhibited by the presence of GDP. Interestingly, the EngA(MS) protein is co-eluted with 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA during purification and exhibits association with 30S, 50S and 70S ribosomal subunits. Further studies demonstrate that GTP is essential for interaction of EngA(MS) with 50S subunit of ribosome and specifically C-terminal domains of EngA(MS) are required to facilitate this interaction. Moreover, EngA(MS) devoid of N-terminal region interacts well with 50S even in the absence of GTP, indicating a regulatory role of the N-terminal domain in EngA(MS)-50S interaction.