Current Trends of Using Antimicrobials at Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was done to analyse the current trends of using antimicrobials in various surgical procedures at Obstetrics and Gynaecology department in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh from July 2014 to June 2015. Among 300 postoperative obstetrics and gynaecological surgery cases, samples were selected as non-random purposive selection method where pattern of using antimicrobials were analysed by SPSS method 20.1 versions. The incidence of antimicrobial resistance is on continued rise with a threat to return to the pre-antibiotic era. This has led to emergence of such bacterial infections which are essentially untreatable by the current armamentarium of available treatment options. Now-a-days variation of choosing antibiotic are quietly accepted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology department as prophylaxis purpose to control life threatening conditions such as postoperative wound infection, septicaemia, urinary tract infection etc. The data analysis revealed that among 300 obstetrical and gynaecological surgeries, Nitroimidazoles (93.33%), Cephalosporins (91%) and Aminoglycosides (59%) group were most commonly used antimicrobials in both obstetrics and gynaecological surgeries. Metronidazole (93.33%), Ceftriaxone (68.66%), Gentamicin (60.33%), Cefuroxime (48%), Flucloxacillin (42%), Cefixime (27%) were the most commonly used antimicrobials at obstetrics and gynaecology department. Combination of Ceftriaxone, Metronidazole and Gentamicin (37.66%), Ceftriaxone and Metronidazole (25.33%), Cefuroxime, Metronidazole and Gentamicin (16%), Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole and Gentamicin (5.33%) were most commonly used antimicrobials postoperatively. Total mean duration of antimicrobial therapy was 10.45 days. Antibiotics are useful in prevention of infection. But indiscriminately use of antibiotics without any guideline may lead to antimicrobial resistance. So, antimicrobial surveillance committee should be formed by hospital authority to know the local using pattern of antibiotics.

Molecular characterisation and antifungal susceptibility of clinical Cryptococcus deuterogattii (AFLP6/VGII) isolates from Southern Brazil.

Cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus gattii sensu lato, is an emerging disease that was initially found in (sub)tropical regions but recently expanded to temperate regions. Cryptococcus gattii s.l. infections are mostly encountered in healthy individuals, frequently affecting both lungs and the central nervous system (CNS). Usually, C. gattii s.l. is less susceptible to antifungal compounds than its counterpart, C. neoformans s.l. We studied 18 clinical C. gattii s.l. isolates with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, mating-typing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and antifungal susceptibility testing. All isolates were C. deuterogattii (genotype AFLP6/VGII), 14 were mating-type α and four were type a. Amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole showed high activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges of 0.063-0.25, 0.031-0.25, 0.031-0.25, 0.031-0.25 and <0.016-0.25 µg mL-1, respectively. Fluconazole and flucytosine had high geometric mean MICs of 2.07 and 3.7 µg mL-1, respectively. Most cases occurred in immunocompetent patients (n = 10; 55.6 %) and CNS involvement was the most common clinical presentation (n = 14; 77.8 %). Three patients (16.7 %) showed sequelae, hyperreflexia, dysarthria, diadochokinesia, anosmia and upper limb weakness. In conclusion, all infections were caused by C. deuterogattii (AFLP6/VGII) and the majority of patients were immunocompetent, with the CNS as the most affected site. All antifungal drugs had high in vitro activity against C. deuterogattii isolates, except fluconazole and flucytosine.

Anti-Bacterial effect of Aqueous Garlic Extract (AGE) determined by Disc Diffusion Method against Escherichia coli.

The study was performed to determine the antibacterial effect of aqueous extract of garlic (Allium sativum) against standard strain of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. An interventional study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in collaboration with Department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh. Antibacterial effect of AGE was determined by disc diffusion method. Sensitivity of AGE determined in disc diffusion and the zone of inhibition (ZOI) was 4 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm at 25 µg/10 µl, 50 µg/10 µl and 100 µg/10 µl concentrations respectively. From the findings it is clearly determined the extract has definite antibacterial effect upon Escherichia coli. Further studies are required to detect and isolate the active ingredients present in the Garlic extract as well as detail steps of mechanism responsible for antibacterial effect. Then their effects against the studied organism should be studied in vivo separately and its toxicity profile should also be taken into account.

Dental anomalies in primary dentition and their corresponding permanent teeth.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this paper are to estimate the prevalence of dental anomalies in primary dentition in a sample of 2- to 5-year-old Brazilian preschool children, determine their distribution, and investigate their occurrence in the succedaneous teeth of the sample compared with a control group of children with no dental anomalies in the primary dentition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The one-stage sample comprised 1,718 two to five-year-old children with fully erupted primary dentition clinically examined for dental anomalies. All children presenting dental anomalies underwent panoramic radiographs. Descriptive statistics were performed for the studied variables. A control group matched by sex and age was studied to compare the prevalence ratio for dental anomalies in the permanent dentition. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental anomalies in the primary dentition was 1.8 %, with no significant statistical difference between sexes. Double teeth were the most frequently observed. Dental anomalies on the succedaneous permanent teeth were diagnosed in 54.8 % of the children with affected primary dentition. The prevalence ratio (PR) for dental anomalies in the succedaneous permanent teeth was 17.1 (confidence interval (CI) 5.33-54.12) higher compared with the control group, higher in children with bilateral anomalies (PR = 31.2, CI 10.18-94.36). CONCLUSIONS: An association between anomalies of the permanent dentition and the presence of dental anomalies in primary teeth was observed, especially when they occur bilaterally. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results in the present study have a clinical relevance in the diagnosis of children with dental anomalies in primary dentition. Early identification of these anomalies can aid the dentist in planning dental treatment at the appropriate time.

Diaporthe: a genus of endophytic, saprobic and plant pathogenic fungi.

Diaporthe (Phomopsis) species have often been reported as plant pathogens, non-pathogenic endophytes or saprobes, commonly isolated from a wide range of hosts. The primary aim of the present study was to resolve the taxonomy and phylogeny of a large collection of Diaporthe species occurring on diverse hosts, either as pathogens, saprobes, or as harmless endophytes. In the present study we investigated 243 isolates using multilocus DNA sequence data. Analyses of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2) region, and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), beta-tubulin (TUB), histone H3 (HIS) and calmodulin (CAL) genes resolved 95 clades. Fifteen new species are described, namely Diaporthe arengae, D. brasiliensis, D. endophytica, D. hongkongensis, D. inconspicua, D. infecunda, D. mayteni, D. neoarctii, D. oxe, D. paranensis, D. pseudomangiferae, D. pseudophoenicicola, D. raonikayaporum, D. schini and D. terebinthifolii. A further 14 new combinations are introduced in Diaporthe, and D. anacardii is epitypified. Although species of Diaporthe have in the past chiefly been distinguished based on host association, results of this study confirm several taxa to have wide host ranges, suggesting that they move freely among hosts, frequently co-colonising diseased or dead tissue. In contrast, some plant pathogenic and endophytic taxa appear to be strictly host specific. Given this diverse ecological behaviour among members of Diaporthe, future species descriptions lacking molecular data (at least ITS and HIS or TUB) should be strongly discouraged.

Impact of enamel defects on early caries development in preschool children.

Quantitative defects of the enamel are considered risk factors for caries development at the cavitated level. Since caries risk assessment and control should be implemented as early as possible in order to prevent operative treatment, it seemed interesting to investigate the relationship between enamel defects and caries development in the stages of progression that precede cavitation. The impact of enamel defects and selected child-mother indicators on early caries development was investigated in a cohort of Brazilian preschool children. The null hypothesis that developmental defects of the enamel and dental caries are independent and that an association between them occurs by chance was tested. The sample (n = 1,718) was made up of 2- to 5-year-olds. Developmental defects of enamel and caries on buccal surfaces were identified in 48 and 26% of the children, respectively. Bivariate analyses at the surface level showed neither an association between demarcated/diffuse opacity and caries experience (p ≥ 0.64, GLM), nor between the presence of hypoplastic surfaces and non-cavitated lesions (p = 0.29, GLM). The multivariate analyses indicated that in the mouths of individual children, hypoplastic surfaces were more likely to present filled surfaces and non-cavitated/cavitated lesions than non-hypoplastic surfaces (within-child p = 0.03, GEE). However, children having teeth with hypoplastic surfaces were not at higher caries risk than those children who did not present hypoplastic surfaces (between-child p = 0.23, GEE). The null hypothesis could not be accepted for quantitative defects such as hypoplasia, since they had a significant impact on the within-child prevalence of filled surfaces and non-cavitated/cavitated lesions.

Autosomal-dominant ankyloglossia and tooth number anomalies.

Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly characterized by the presence of a hypertrophic lingual frenulum. It frequently accompanies X-linked cleft palate and is sometimes seen alone due to mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor TBX22, while knockout of Lgr5 in the mouse results in ankyloglossia. The aim of the present study was to characterize the phenotype and to verify sequence variations in the LGR5 gene in a Brazilian family with ankyloglossia associated with tooth number anomalies. Twelve individuals of three generations were submitted to physical, oral, and radiographic examinations and molecular analysis. Eight had ankyloglossia with various degrees of severity. Six also had hypodontia in the lower incisor region; one had a supernumerary tooth in this region, and another had a supernumerary tooth in the lower premolar region. The characterization of this family determined an autosomal-dominant inheritance and excluded the LGR5 gene mutations as being involved in the pathogenesis of this condition.

PedExpert: a computer program for the application of Bayesian networks to human paternity testing.

PedExpert is a Windows-based Bayesian network software, especially constructed to solve problems in parentage testing that are complex because of missing genetic information on the alleged father and/or because they involve genetic mutations. PedExpert automates the creation and manipulation of Bayesian networks, implementing algorithms that convert pedigrees and sets of indispensable information (genotypes, allele frequencies, mutation rates) into Bayesian networks. This program has a novel feature that can incorporate information about gene mutations into tables of conditional probabilities of transmission of alleles from the alleged father to the child, without adding new nodes to the network. This permits using the same Bayesian network in different modes, for analysis of cases that include mutations or not. PedExpert is user-friendly and greatly reduces the time of analysis for complex cases of paternity testing, eliminating most sources of logical and operational error.

BNDb--Biomolecules Nucleus Database: an integrated proteomics and transcriptomics database.

Proteomics correspond to the identification and quantitative analysis of proteins expressed in different conditions or life stages of a cell or organism. Methods used in proteomics analysis include mainly chromatography, two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Data generated in proteomics analysis vary significantly, and to identify a protein it is often necessary to perform a series of experiments, comparing its results to those found in proteomics databases. Existing proteomics databases are usually related to only one type of experiment or represent processed results, not raw data. Therefore, proteomics researchers frequently have to resort to several data repositories in order to be able to perform the identification. In this paper, we propose an integrated proteomics and transcriptomics database that stores raw and processed data, which are indexed allowing them to be retrieved together or individually. The proposed database, dubbed BNDb for Biomolecules Nucleus Database, is implemented using an MySQL server and is being used to store data from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, the scorpion Tittyus serrulatus and the spider Phoneutria nigriventer. The database construction uses a relational approach and data indexes. The data model proposed uses groups of tables for each data subtype, which store details regarding the experimental procedure as well as raw data, analysis results and associated publications. BNDb also stores transcriptomics data publicly available which are associated with identifications performed on new samples. By using BNDb, we expect not only to contribute to proteomics research but also to provide a useful service for the scientific community.

BNDb - Biomolecules Nucleus Database: an integrated proteomics and transcriptomics database

Proteomics correspond to the identification and quantitative analysis of proteins expressed in different conditions or life stages of a cell or organism. Methods used in proteomics analysis include mainly chromatography, two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Data generated in proteomics analysis vary significantly, and to identify a protein it is often necessary to perform a series of experiments, comparing its results to those found in proteomics databases. Existing proteomics databases are usually related to only one type of experiment or represent processed results, not raw data. Therefore, proteomics researchers frequently have to resort to several data repositories in order to be able to perform the identification. In this paper, we propose an integrated proteomics and transcriptomics database that stores raw and processed data, which are indexed allowing them to be retrieved together or individually. The proposed database, dubbed BNDb for Biomolecules Nucleus Database, is implemented using an MySQL server and is being used to store data from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, the scorpion Tittyus serrulatus and the spider Phoneutria nigriventer. The database construction uses a relational approach and data indexes. The data model proposed uses groups of tables for each data subtype, which store details regarding the experimental procedure as well as raw data, analysis results and associated publications. BNDb also stores transcriptomics data publicly available which are associated with identifications performed on new samples. By using BNDb, we expect not only to contribute to proteomics research but also to provide a useful service for the scientific community.

Perlecan domain I promotes fibroblast growth factor 2 delivery in collagen I fibril scaffolds.

Perlecan, a heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is widely distributed in developing and adult tissues and plays multiple, important physiological roles. Studies with knockout mouse models indicate that expression of perlecan and heparan sulfate is critical for proper skeletal morphogenesis. Heparan sulfate chains bind and potentiate the activities of various growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). Previous studies indicate that important biological activities are associated with the heparan sulfate-bearing domain I of perlecan (PlnDI; French et al. J. Bone Miner. Res. 17 , 48, 2002). In the present study, we have used recombinant, glycosaminoglycan-bearing PlnDI to reconstitute three-dimensional scaffolds of collagen I. Collagen I fibrils bound PlnDI much better than native collagen I monomers or heat-denatured collagen I preparations. Heparitinase digestion demonstrated that recombinant PlnDI was substituted with heparan sulfate and that these heparan sulfate chains were critically important not only for efficient integration of PlnDI into scaffolds, but also for FGF-2 binding and retention. PlnDI-containing collagen I scaffolds to which FGF-2 was bound sustained growth of both MG63, an osteoblastic cell line, and human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) significantly better than scaffolds lacking either PlnDI or FGF-2. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the utility of PlnDI in creating scaffolds that better mimic natural extracellular matrices and better support key biological activities.

Recovery of neuromuscular junction morphology following 16 days of spaceflight.

It has previously been established that spaceflight elicits alterations in the morphology of the neuromuscular system that includes expansion of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and myofiber atrophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of the neuromuscular system to recover from spaceflight-induced modifications upon return to normal gravity. Soleus muscles were obtained from rats participating in the 16-day Neurolab space shuttle mission at 1 day and 14 days after returning to Earth: solei were also taken at the same time points from ground-based control rats. Cytofluorescent techniques, coupled with confocal microscopy, were used to assess NMJ morphology. Histochemistry, in conjunction with phase contrast microscopy, was employed to examine myofiber size and type. Results indicate that 1 day after landing both pre- and postsynaptic stained areas of the NMJ were significantly (P < or = 0.05) larger in the spaceflight group than in controls. Moreover, significant myofiber atrophy was demonstrated in animals subjected to 0 gravity. By 14 days following return to the Earth, however, NMJ stained areas and muscle fiber size were no longer different from control values at that same interval. These results suggest that the neuromuscular system possesses a robust capacity to recover from spaceflight-induced perturbations upon return to normal gravitational influences.

Rett syndrome in a boy with a 47,XXY karyotype confirmed by a rare mutation in the MECP2 gene.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked condition which affects almost exclusively females. Here we report the first case of RTT syndrome in a boy with an XXY chromosomal constitution. Mutation analysis of the MECP2 gene in the affected patient revealed a 423 C-->G substitution in exon 4, resulting in a new stop codon (Y141 X). This change was not present in both his parents or in his older sister. Taking into account the incidence of both RTT syndrome as well as of Klinefelter syndrome, the probability for the simultaneous occurrence of these two events is very low (about approximately 1 in 10 to 15,000,000 births). However, the recent identification of mutations in the MECP2 gene in affected males indicates that screening of the MECP2 gene should be considered also in males with severe mental retardation (MR) in whom the most common forms of MR have been excluded.

Expression of acetylcholine receptor mRNAs in atrophying and nonatrophying skeletal muscles of old rats.

We examined the age-related association in skeletal muscle between atrophy and expression of mRNAs encoding both the gamma-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), and myogenin, a transcription factor that upregulates expression of the gamma-subunit promoter. Gastrocnemius and biceps brachii muscles were collected from young (2-mo-old), adult (18-mo-old), and old (31-mo-old) Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 generation cross male rats. In the gastrocnemius muscles of old vs. young and adult rats, lower muscle mass was accompanied by significantly elevated AChR gamma-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels. In contrast, the biceps brachii muscle exhibited neither atrophy nor as drastic a change in AChR gamma-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels with age. Expression of the AChR epsilon-subunit mRNA did not change with age in either gastrocnemius or biceps brachii muscles. Thus changes in skeletal muscle AChR gamma-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels may be more related to atrophy than to chronological age in old rats.