Molecular characterization of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from postpartum uterine infection in dairy cattle in India.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Selection and dissemination of plasmid-encoded extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) among Enterobacteriaceae confers resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of ESBL-producing organisms isolated from dairy cattle with a uterine infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacterial isolates (n=62) were characterized by biochemical test for genus and species determination. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method using panel of antibiotics for initial screening of ESBL organism. Phenotypic confirmation of ESBL-suspected strains was done by combination disk method and double-disk method. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out for phylogrouping of Escherichia coli isolates as well as for genotyping ESBL genes. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR method was used for genotypic characterization of isolates. RESULTS: Antibiotic susceptibility profile of E. coli (n=40) isolates showed high rates of resistance for ampicillin (95.0%), cefpodoxime (97.5%), cefotaxime (87.5%), and ceftriaxone (70%). However, low rates of resistance were observed for cefoxitin (25%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (20%), ceftazidime (17.5%), gentamicin (10%), and ertapenem (7.5%). A total of 39/40 E. coli isolates were confirmed as ESBL with Epsilometer test as well as the genotypic method and 28 (70%) of them were multidrug-resistant. Genotype blaCTX-M was observed as a predominant beta-lactamase type with the preponderance of CTX-M Group 1. The following combinations were observed: blaTEM + blaCTX-M in 15 (36.2%) isolates, blaTEM /blaSHV in 8 (5.2%) isolates, and blaCTX-M /blaSHV in 6 (5.2%) isolates. The phylogenetic grouping of E. coli strains revealed the highest prevalence for B1 (22.0%) followed by A (20%). CONCLUSION: This report shows a high frequency of ESBL E. coli from cattle with postpartum uterine infections. These isolates showed reduced susceptibility to common antibiotics used for the treatment of uterine infections greater affecting the therapeutic outcome.

Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimizer with Varying Acceleration Coefficients for Finding the Most Stable Conformer of Small Molecules.

A novel parameter automation strategy for Particle Swarm Optimization called APSO (Adaptive PSO) is proposed. The algorithm is designed to efficiently control the local search and convergence to the global optimum solution. Parameters c1 controls the impact of the cognitive component on the particle trajectory and c2 controls the impact of the social component. Instead of fixing the value of c1 and c2 , this paper updates the value of these acceleration coefficients by considering time variation of evaluation function along with varying inertia weight factor in PSO. Here the maximum and minimum value of evaluation function is use to gradually decrease and increase the value of c1 and c2 respectively. Molecular energy minimization is one of the most challenging unsolved problems and it can be formulated as a global optimization problem. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the effect of newly developed APSO on the highly complex molecular potential energy function and to check the efficiency of the proposed algorithm to find the global minimum of the function under consideration. The proposed algorithm APSO is therefore applied in two cases: Firstly, for the minimization of a potential energy of small molecules with up to 100 degrees of freedom and finally for finding the global minimum energy conformation of 1,2,3-trichloro-1-flouro-propane molecule based on a realistic potential energy function. The computational results of all the cases show that the proposed method performs significantly better than the other algorithms.

Anaesthetic management of peripartum cardiomyopathy using "epidural volume extension" technique: a case series.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in parturients, occurring in approximately one in 1000 deliveries, manifesting during the last few months or the first 5 months of the postpartum period. It can result in severe ventricular dysfunction during late puerperium. The major concern while managing these patients is to optimize fluid administration and avoid myocardial depression, while maintaining stable intraoperative hemodynamics. We present a case series of five parturients that were posted for elective cesarean section and managed successfully by the epidural volume extension technique.

Intrathecal nalbuphine as an adjuvant to subarachnoid block: What is the most effective dose?

BACKGROUND: Nalbuphine has been used intrathecally as an adjuvant in previous studies, but none clearly state the most effective dose of nalbuphine. The purpose of our study was to establish the effectiveness of intrathecal nalbuphine as an adjuvant, compare three different doses and determine the optimum dose with prolonged analgesic effect and minimal side-effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study, 100 ASA I and II patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery under subarachnoid block (SAB), were randomly allocated to four groups: A, B, C and D, to receive 0.5 ml normal saline (NS) or 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg nalbuphine made up to 0.5 ml with NS added to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 12.5 mg (total volume 3 ml), respectively. The onset of sensory and motor blockade, two-segment regression time of sensory blockade, duration of motor blockade and analgesia, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score and side-effects were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Two-segment regression time of sensory blockade and duration of effective analgesia was prolonged in groups C (0.4 mg nalbuphine) and D (0.8 mg nalbuphine) (P<0.05), and the incidence of side-effects was significantly higher in group D (P<0.05) compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: Nalbuphine used intrathecally is a useful adjuvant in SAB and, in a dose of 0.4 mg, prolongs postoperative analgesia without increased side-effects.