Evaluation of soil texture classification from orthodox interpolation and machine learning techniques.

The current investigation examines the effectiveness of various approaches in predicting the soil texture class (clay, silt, and sand contents) of the Rawalpindi district, Punjab province, Pakistan. The employed techniques included artificial neural networks (ANNs), kriging, co-kriging, and inverse distance weighting (IDW). A total of 44 soil specimens from depths of 10-15 cm were gathered, and then the hydrometer method was adopted to measure their texture. The map of soil grain sets was formulated in the ArcGIS environment, utilizing distinct interpolation approaches. The MATLAB software was used to evaluate soil texture. The gradient fraction, latitude and longitude, elevation, and soil texture fragments of points were proposed to an ANN. Several statistical values, such as correlation coefficient (R), geometric mean error ratios (GMER), and root mean square error (RMSE), were utilized to evaluate the precision of the intended techniques. In assessing grain size and spatial dissemination of clay, silt, and sand, the effectiveness and precision of ANN were superior compared to kriging, co-kriging, and inverse distance weighting. Still, less than a 50% correlation was observed using the ANN. In this examination, the IDW had inferior precision compared to the other approaches. The results demonstrated that the practices produced acceptable results and can be used for future research. Soil texture is among the most central variables that can manipulate agriculture plans. The prepared maps exhibiting the soil texture groups are imperative for crop yield and pastoral scheduling.

Detection of high-risk human papillomavirus infected cervical biopsies samples by immunohistochemical expression of the p16 tumor marker.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in women worldwide. It is widely accepted that the main cause of cervical cancer, especially in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan, is the infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The current screening and diagnostic methods face several challenges in accurately detecting the various types of lesions caused by HPV. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis as a diagnostic method in samples of cervical biopsies. One hundred cervical biopsy samples were obtained from female patients across various age groups (> 20- ≤ 30, > 31- ≤ 40, > 41- ≤ 50, > 51- ≤ 60 years). These samples were subsequently prepared for subsequent examination. All samples were analyzed using automated tissue processing followed by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) staining, and p16 IHC tumour marker staining. The H & E slides showed changes in normal cervical tissues, while four cervical abnormalities were identified statistically significant using p16 marker including chronic cervicitis, nabothian cyst formation, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and cervical cancers (P value 0.014). Furthermore, among females of different age groups (> 31- ≤ 40, > 41- ≤ 50, > 51- ≤ 60 years) were found statistically significant suffering from cervical cancer (P value 0.04), HPV with cervical cancer (P value 0.01), HPV with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (P value 0.01). Based on the available data, it can be inferred that the incorporation of the p16 tumor marker may be a valuable method for detecting high-risk HPV in cervical biopsies samples.

Prospects of antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to chemical preservatives for food safety.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a potential alternative to antimicrobial agents that have got considerable research interest owing to their significant role in the inhibition of bacterial pathogens. These AMPs can essentially inhibit the growth and multiplication of microbes through multiple mechanisms including disruption of cellular membranes, inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis, or affecting intracellular components and cell division. Moreover, AMPs are biocompatible and biodegradable therefore, they can be a good alternative to antimicrobial agents and chemical preservatives. A few of their features for example thermostability and high selectivity are quite appealing for their potential use in the food industry for food preservation to prevent the spoilage caused by microorganisms and foodborne pathogens. Despite these advantages, very few AMPs are being used at an industrial scale for food preservation as these peptides are quite vulnerable to external environmental factors which deter their practical applications and commercialization. The review aims to provide an outline of the mechanism of action of AMPs and their prospects as an alternative to chemical preservatives in the food industry. Further studies related to the structure-activity relationship of AMPs will help to expand the understanding of their mechanism of action and to determine specific conditions to increase their stability and applicability in food preservation.

Development of a Novel Marine-Derived Tricomposite Biomaterial for Bone Regeneration.

Bone tissue engineering is a promising treatment for bone loss that requires a combination of porous scaffold and osteogenic cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate and develop a tricomposite, biomimetic scaffold consisting of marine-derived biomaterials, namely, chitosan and fucoidan with hydroxyapatite (HA). The effects of chitosan, fucoidan and HA individually and in combination on the proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were investigated. According to the SEM results, the tricomposite scaffold had a uniform porous structure, which is a key requirement for cell migration, proliferation and vascularisation. The presence of HA and fucoidan in the chitosan tricomposite scaffold was confirmed using FTIR, which showed a slight decrease in porosity and an increase in the density of the tricomposite scaffold compared to other formulations. Fucoidan was found to inhibit cell proliferation at higher concentrations and at earlier time points when applied as a single treatment, but this effect was lost at later time points. Similar results were observed with HA alone. However, both HA and fucoidan increased MSC mineralisation as measured by calcium deposition. Differentiation was significantly enhanced in MSCs cultured on the tricomposite, with increased alkaline phosphatase activity on days 17 and 25. In conclusion, the tricomposite is biocompatible, promotes osteogenesis, and has the structural and compositional properties required of a scaffold for bone tissue engineering. This biomaterial could provide an effective treatment for small bone defects as an alternative to autografts or be the basis for cell attachment and differentiation in ex vivo bone tissue engineering.

Anti-arthritic effects of geranium essential oil loaded chitosan nanoparticles in Freund's complete adjuvant induced arthritic rats through down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines.

Geranium essential oil (GEO) has been widely used in aromatherapy and traditional medicines. Nanoencapsulation, a novel technique has emerged to overcome the environmental degradation and less oral bioavailability of essential oils. This work was undertaken to encapsulate geranium essential oil in chitosan nanoparticles (GEO-CNPs) by ionic gelation technique and to explore anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory potential in FCA-induced arthritic model in rats. The GEO was characterized by gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GCFID) and the nanosuspension was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-rays diffraction (XRD). The Wistar albino rats (n = 32) were separated into four groups; Group 1 and 2 were considered as normal and arthritic controls. Group 3 was positive control that received oral celecoxib for 21 days while Group 4 was treated with oral GEO-CNPs after the induction of arthritis. Hind paw ankle joints diameters were weekly measured throughout the study and significant decrease (5.5 ± 0.5 mm) was observed in GEO-CNPs treatment group in comparison to arthritic group (9.17 ± 0.52 mm). Blood samples were drawn at end for evaluation of hematological, biochemical and inflammatory biomarkers. A significant upregulation of red blood cells and hemoglobin while downregulation of white blood cells, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) was observed. Ankles were transected for the histopathological and radiographic examination after animals were sacrificed which confirmed the alleviation of necrosis along cellular infiltration. It was concluded that GEO-CNPs were found to possess excellent therapeutic potential and promising candidates to reduce FCA-induced arthritis.

A Comprehensive Review on Pharmacological Activities of Pachypodol: A Bioactive Compound of an Aromatic Medicinal Plant Pogostemon Cablin Benth.

As is well known, plant products have been increasingly utilized in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years. By combining conventional techniques and modern methodology, the future of phytomedicines appears promising. Pogostemon Cablin (patchouli) is an important herb used frequently in the fragrance industries and has various therapeutic benefits. Traditional medicine has long used the essential oil of patchouli (P. cablin) as a flavoring agent recognized by the FDA. This is a gold mine for battling pathogens in China and India. In recent years, this plant has seen a significant surge in use, and approximately 90% of the world's patchouli oil is produced by Indonesia. In traditional therapies, it is used for the treatment of colds, fever, vomiting, headaches, and stomachaches. Patchouli oil is used in curing many diseases and in aromatherapy to treat depression and stress, soothe nerves, regulate appetite, and enhance sexual attraction. More than 140 substances, including alcohols, terpenoids, flavonoids, organic acids, phytosterols, lignins, aldehydes, alkaloids, and glycosides, have been identified in P. cablin. Pachypodol (C18H16O7) is an important bioactive compound found in P. cablin. Pachypodol (C18H16O7) and many other biologically essential chemicals have been separated from the leaves of P. cablin and many other medicinally significant plants using repeated column chromatography on silica gel. Pachypodol's bioactive potential has been shown by a variety of assays and methodologies. It has been found to have a number of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, antimicrobial, antidepressant, anticancer, antiemetic, antiviral, and cytotoxic ones. The current study, which is based on the currently available scientific literature, intends to close the knowledge gap regarding the pharmacological effects of patchouli essential oil and pachypodol, a key bioactive molecule found in this plant.

Phytochemical analysis and gastroprotective effect of Stellaria media (L.) Vill. methanolic extract on piroxicam-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats.

Stellaria media L. has traditionally been used to treat inflammatory and gastrointestinal ailments. This study aimed to phytochemically characterize the S. media extract and explore its anti-ulcer efficacy against piroxicam-induced stomach lesions in Wistar rats. Phytochemical analysis was performed and antioxidant capacity of extract was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. In vivo, piroxicam (30mg/kg) was administered to induce gastric ulceration. Gastro protective effect of S. media extract was observed at 150, 300 and 450mg/kg, respectively. While omeprazole (20mg/kg) was used as a conventional anti-ulcer drug. After oral treatment for 14 days, stomach acidic secretions, ulcerogenic indices, hematological markers and oxidative stress parameters were assessed along with histological examination. The existence of polyphenol contents in S. media extract was confirmed in correlation to a marked DPPH inhibition (IC50 27.94µg/mL). S. media extract resulted in a dose-dependent elevation in gastric pH while a decrease in acid volume, acidity and ulceration. Also, S. media extract administration restored the impaired hematological markers (RBCs, Hb, WBCs and PLTs) and decreased oxidative stress by reducing oxidants (TOS and MDA) while raising antioxidants (TAC and CAT). Furthermore, gastric histological results corroborated the aforementioned findings. Conclusively, S. media could provide a promising protective effect against drug-induced gastric ulceration.

Evaluation of Different Landslide Susceptibility Models for a Local Scale in the Chitral District, Northern Pakistan.

This work evaluates the performance of three machine learning (ML) techniques, namely logistic regression (LGR), linear regression (LR), and support vector machines (SVM), and two multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques, namely analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), for mapping landslide susceptibility in the Chitral district, northern Pakistan. Moreover, we create landslide inventory maps from LANDSAT-8 satellite images through the change vector analysis (CVA) change detection method. The change detection yields more than 500 landslide spots. After some manual post-processing correction, the landslide inventory spots are randomly split into two sets with a 70/30 ratio for training and validating the performance of the ML techniques. Sixteen topographical, hydrological, and geological landslide-related factors of the study area are prepared as GIS layers. They are used to produce landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) with weighted overlay techniques using different weights of landslide-related factors. The accuracy assessment shows that the ML techniques outperform the MCDM methods, while SVM yields the highest accuracy of 88% for the resulting LSM.

Cyanobacteria derived compounds: Emerging drugs for cancer management.

The wide diversity of cyanobacterial species and their role in a variety of biological activities have been reported in the previous few years. Cyanobacteria, especially from marine sources, constitutes a major source of biologically active metabolites that have gained great attention especially due to their anticancer potential. Numerous chemically diverse metabolites from various cyanobacterial species have been recognized to inhibit the growth and progression of tumor cells through the induction of apoptosis in many different types of cancers. These metabolites activate the apoptosis in the cancer cells by different molecular mechanisms, however, the dysregulation of the mitochondrial pathway, death receptors signaling pathways, and the activation of several caspases are the crucial mechanisms that got considerable interest. The array of metabolites and the range of mechanisms involved may also help to overcome the resistance acquired by the different tumor types against the ongoing therapeutic agents. Therefore, the primary or secondary metabolites from the cyanobacteria as well as their synthetic derivates could be used to develop novel anticancer drugs alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we have discussed the role of cyanobacterial metabolites in the induction of cytotoxicity and the potential to inhibit the growth of cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis, cell signaling alteration, oxidative damage, and mitochondrial dysfunctions. Moreover, the various metabolites produced by cyanobacteria have been summarized with their anticancer mechanisms. Furthermore, the ongoing trials and future developments for the therapeutic implications of these compounds in cancer therapy have been discussed.

Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) produce resistance to various classes of antibiotics and left limited options for treatment. This study was designed to determine antibacterial activity of AgNPs against CRAB. Total 100 A. baumannii were collected from a tertiary care hospital, Lahore. Isolates were subcultured on blood and MacConkey agar. Preliminary identification was carried out by morphological and biochemical tests. Antibiogram was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Antibacterial activity of AgNPs was performed by agar well diffusion method, while minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by micro broth dilution assay. Of 100 A. baumannii, 24 were confirmed as carbapenem-resistant. These isolates were mainly recovered from tracheal secretion (8; 33%), CSF (5; 20.8%), and urine (4; 16.8%). Antibacterial activity of AgNPs revealed a maximum zone of inhibition, 22mm at 50mg/mL and 18mm at 40mg/mL by agar well diffusion method. MIC of AgNPs determined that 14 CRAB were inhibited at 12.5mg/mL and 7 at 25mg/mL. However, MBC revealed that 13 CRAB were killed at 25mg/mL and 7 at 50mg/mL. This study concluded that most of the CRAB were inhibited and killed at 12.5mg/mL and 25mg/mL, respectively. AgNPs can be used as an alternative therapeutic agent followed by their pharmacokinetics and pharmacognosy.

Effect of multiple climate change scenarios and predicted land-cover on soil erosion: a way forward for the better land management.

The ecosystem, biodiversity, and anthropological existence in the Chitral district are in danger due to the sediments and soil erosion stemming from the changes in the land-cover and climate. This research aims to practice the RUSLE model with the changes in the land-cover and climate in upcoming situations for 2030 and 2040 to evaluate soil erosion annually as per the spatial dissemination and the tendency of sediment yield. The multilayer perceptron (MLP), an artificial neural network (ANN), besides the Markov chain analysis was used to model upcoming land-cover. The Max Planck Institute model, which demonstrated a revised bias as well as downscaled grid size under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), was used for examining the future changes in the climate. The modeled land-cover showed that the areas that are primarily comprised of natural trees and shrubs were transformed largely to agriculture and build-up areas. The average rainfall in the future under different RCP situations was elevated compared to the rainfall through historical time. The continuous variability in the R and C factors affects the probable soil erosion rate and sediment yield. Under RCP8.5 for both future years of 2030 and 2040, the extreme erosion rate was assessed at around 500 and 550 t/ha/year. Additionally, under the different RCP scenarios in 2030 and 2040, the outcomes of sediment yield were more significant than the sediment yield through historical time. The results showed that lower regions of the Chitral district are at risk of amplified soil erosion and sediment yield presently, as shown by the historical data and in the future. The produced soil erosion maps using ArcGIS 10.2 can play a valuable role in managing sustainable development, conservation of the watershed of the Chitral River, and reducing soil loss. Effective measures to overcome these concerns and mitigate the possible effects need to be planned and practiced, particularly the decrease in the storage volume of the reservoirs situated on the river.

Distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of bacterial and fungal pathogens isolated from burn wounds in hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE: Current study was designed to isolate the pathogens from burn wounds and determine the antibiogram of these isolates. METHODS: A total of 85 samples were collected from burn patients with the history of different weeks of hospitalization in various public and private hospitals of Faisalabad during September 2017-July 2019 and shifted to Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad for further processing. Isolation and identification of the pathogens was done through conventional microbiological procedures. Disc diffusion method was used for the determination of antibacterial and antifungal activity. RESULTS: A total of 40(91%) samples were found positive for the presence of bacterial or fungal pathogens. Commonly isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus 15 (21.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 15 (21.4%), Bacillus subtilis 11(15.7%), Escherichia coli 10(14.2%), Candida albicans 8(11.4%), Aspergillus flavus 6(8.5%) and Salmonella Typhi 5(7.1%). Highest resistance was found against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Cefotaxime was the least effective antibiotic, while Gentamicin and Amphotericin-B were the mosteffective antimicrobial drugs against bacterial and fungal pathogens, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Taking together it was concluded that most isolated pathogen was S. aureus and P. aeruginosa followed by B. subtilis, E. coli, C. albicans, A. flavus and S. typhi from burn wound in hospitalized patients. Anti-biogram studies showed S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were the most resistant pathogens whereas S. typhi, C. albicans and A. flavus were susceptible to various commonly used antibiotics. Cefotaxime was the least effective antibiotic, while Gentamicin and Amphotericin-B were the most effective antimicrobial drugs against bacterial and fungal pathogens, respectively. It is suggested that alternate anti-microbial agents should be investigated to control the infections.

Transcriptional Response of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates to Ciprofloxacin Stress.

BACKGROUND: The term "persisters" refers to a small bacterial population that persists during treatment with high antibiotic concentration or dose in the absence of genetic resistance. The present study was designed to investigate the transcriptional response in indigenous Klebsiella pneumoniae under the ciprofloxacin stress. METHODS: Isolation and identification of K. pneumoniae were carried out through standard microbiological protocols. The characterization of quinolone resistance was performed by estimating the quinolone susceptibility testing, MIC estimation, and detecting the QRDR and PMQR. Transcriptional response of the isolates to ciprofloxacin was determined using qPCR. RESULTS: Among 34 isolates, 23 (67%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Both QRDR (gyrA and gyrB) and PMQR (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) were detected in the isolates, and all were found resistant to ciprofloxacin. The mRNA levels of both mutS and euTu under the influence of ciprofloxacin were significantly increased. On ciprofloxacin exposure, the mRNA levels of the DNA damage response element (mutS) were raised in a time-dependent fashion. K. pneumoniae showed high-level resistance to ciprofloxacin in the presence of mutations in QRDR and PMQR genes. CONCLUSION: The transcriptional response revealed the upregulation of DNA repair and protein folding elements (mutS and euTu) in ciprofloxacin stress and delayed cell division. The ciprofloxacin was found to trigger various stress responses in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.

Characterization and in vivo evaluation of nanoformulations in FCA induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy, autoimmune in nature, leading to disability of joints involving structural destruction of articular bone and cartilage due to inflammation in synovium resulting in joint stiffness, swelling and pain. Nanomedicine has played a crucial role in improving the efficacy of treatment by controlling the release of pharmacologically active ingredients to increase bioavailability and achieve uniform and targeted delivery of drug. In this study, we prepared celecoxib, gingerol and oleanic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles by solvent evaporation method and nanoparticles were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, entrapement efficiency and FTIR. FCA is induced in right hand paw of rats for induction of arthritis. Celecoxib, gingerol and oleanic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles coated with chitosan were given orally to rats for the evaluation of anti-arthritic effect of this nanoformulation in rats. Animals were divided into six groups for 21 days trial. On 21st day blood samples were collected for evaluation of hematological and lipid profile parameters. The data was subjected to statistical analysis by applying one way ANOVA and tukey test. At the end of study it was concluded that PLGA loaded celecoxib, gingerol and oleanic acid coated with chitosan have excellent effects in minimizing the side effects and increasing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs.

Hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic activities of Caesalpinia bonduc seed kernels and Gymnema sylvestre leaves extracts in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

The objective of the current research was to validate the hepatoprotective and anti-hyperlipidemic activities of C. bonduc seed kernels (CBSK) and G. sylvestre leaves (GSL) hydro-methanolic extracts, separately and in combination (CBSKE+GSLE) in alloxan-induced diabetic rat model for 28 days. Diabetes was induced by i.p. injection of alloxan monohydrate (140 mg/kg body weight) to albino Wistar rats. Six groups of rats (n=9) were used. Group 1 was the normal control; group 2 was diabetic control. After induction of diabetes metformin (150mg/kg), CBSKE (400mg/kg), GSLE (400 mg/kg) and CBSKE+GSLE (400mg/kg) were administered to diabetic rat groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively for a period of 28 days. Diabetic rats exhibited an increase in serum blood glucose, liver function markers and lipid profile. Treatment of diabetic rats with metformin, CBSKE, GSLE and CBSKE+GSLE for 4 weeks significantly produced hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic effect via amelioration of raised serum glucose, liver profile, and lipid profile. The outcomes of this study suggest that G. sylvestre leaves and C. bonduc seed kernels have hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic potential which possibly help in managing diabetes-induced liver injury and hyperlipidemia.

Antipyretic and antinociceptive potential of Ricinus communis L. and Withania somnifera L. hydroalcoholic extracts in Wistar rats: A comparative study.

The present study was designed to evaluate the antipyretic and antinociceptive activities of R. communis leaves and W. somnifera roots hydroalcoholic extracts in Wistar rats. To assess the antipyretic activity, Brewer's yeast suspension was used to induce hyperthermia. Antinociceptive activity was observed using acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing, formalin-induced paw licking reflex and heat-induced pain models. R. communis and W. somnifera extracts were used at 150, 250 and 500mg/kg. Results showed that administration of both plants significantly (p<0.001) lowered rectal temperature (°C) in a dose-dependent manner from 1h to 4h of study. R. communis and W. somnifera extracts showed a dose-dependent reduction in abdominal writhing induced by acetic acid and decreased the paw licking reflex in formalin-induced nociceptive response. In the heat test, R. communis and W. somnifera extracts exhibited significant (p<0.001) analgesic effects evidenced as an increase in latency time. However, R. communis exhibited prominent antipyretic and antinociceptive activities at 250 and 500mg/kg as compared to W. somnifera. Conclusively, R. communis and W. somnifera could be a potential source of antipyretic and analgesic agents which require further studies.

Pattern of clinical drug resistance and occurrence of Gram negative bacterial neonatal sepsis at a tertiary care hospital.

Sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal deaths across the world. Gram-negative rods such as Klebsiella and E. coli are major cause of sepsis in neonates. With a mortality rate of 1-4 deaths per thousand live births, sepsis is the second most important cause of neonatal deaths in the developing countries. The present study was designed to determine the occurrence of Gram-negative bacteria in neonatal sepsis and to find antibiotic susceptibility of isolated microbes. Blood samples of 100 neonates (1-89 days old) were sub cultured on MacConkey's and Blood agar for isolation of Gram-negative bacteria. A total of four bacterial species were isolated including Klebsiella (35.71%), E. coli (28.57%), Acinetobacter (21.42%) and Proteus (14.28%). Gram-negative bacteria were isolated more commonly from EOS (early onset sepsis) as compared to LOS (late onset sepsis). Klebsiella isolates from neonates showed sensitivity to imipenem (70%) followed by ceftazidime (40%) and cefotaxime (40%) and high resistance was shown by sulfamethoxazole (80%) and amikacin (70%). E. coli associated with neonatal sepsis were sensitive to imipenem (63%) while highly resistant to cefotaxime (75%) and ciprofloxacin (62%). For Acinetobacter high sensitivity was found for ceftazidime (50%) and resistance was shown to ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole (100%). Proteus showed high sensitivity to amikacin (75%) and high resistance to imipenem and ciprofloxacin (75%). In conclusion, Gram-negative associated neonatal sepsis was found in the studied subjects and drug resistance was observed to clinically used antibiotics.

Gastroprotective and antioxidant potential of Euphorbia prostrata against aspirin induced gastric ulcers in rabbits.

Present study was planned to estimate the gastroprotective activity of Euphorbia prostrata plant against aspirin induced gastric ulcers in male adult albino rabbits. The ulcer was induced by oral administration of aspirin in all groups except normal control group. Gastric contents were used to estimate total acid output, gastric volume and gastric pH. Results showed that there was a significant decrease in gastric volume, total acid output, ulcer score and ulcer index in groups treated with extract of E. prostrata and it enhanced the pH of gastric mucosa. Blood samples were collected and serum was used for the estimation of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT). Results suggested that E. prostrata extract significantly (P<0.05) enhanced the TAC and CAT activity comparable to synthetic antiulcer drug cimetidine while it caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in TOS and MDA levels. Results of this study revealed that extract of E. prostrata at 10, 20 and 40mg/kg showed gastric protection of 33.79%, 53.15% and 70.66% respectively. Cimetidine was used as a synthetic antiulcer drug in the study, which showed 72.85% gastric protection. From the above mentioned results it was demonstrated that E. prostrata extract at dose rate of 40 mg/kg showed gastroprotective activity similar as cimetidine.

Occurrence of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in hospital settings and waste.

Presence of multiple drug resistant pathogens in hospital waste is a serious public health concern, because it may ultimately be disseminated to the human. Current study was designed with the objective to estimate the occurrence of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in hospital settings and waste. For this purpose, cross sectional study for a period of one year was designed and non-probability sampling techniques was used to collect total n=112 samples from various sample sources of hospital waste including ward waste, operation theatre waste, wastewater and hospital sludge. Isolation of the K. pneumoniae was done by using selective agar, biochemical identification of the isolates was done through API 20E kit (bioMérieux, France). Molecular identification of the isolates was done by amplifying 16SrDNA with PCR. According to CLSI guidelines disc diffusion assay was performed for antibiotic susceptibility profiling. PCR of MDR isolates was done for the molecular detection of various ESBL genes. Results of the study showed 17 (15%) percentage prevalence of MDR K. pneumoniae from all 112 collected samples. Among various sample sources wastewater showed the highest percentage (23%) prevalence of MDR K. pneumoniae. In 17 confirmed isolates blaCTX-M and blaCTX-M1 were found in 13 (76%) and 12 (71%) respectively which showed the highest prevalence as compared to all other investigated genes. While blaTEM, blaSHV, blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-48 were found with percentage prevalence 9 (53 %), 1 (6%), 9 (53%) and 6 (35 %) respectively. Whereas blaKPC, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaGIM were not detected in any of the isolate. Taking together, strict rules and regulations should be adopted at public as well as hospital level to restrict the dissemination of antibiotic resistance from hospital environment to humans.

Molecular identification of blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes among multi-drug resistant Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from children.

In this cross sectional study (June 2016 to June 2017), we studied the isolation and molecular characterization of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli (MDR-E. coli) from children suffering from diarrhea. For this purpose, a total of 100 fecal samples were collected with the consent of the parents/ guardians on a prescribed form. The bacterial isolation was done by employing conventional and standard microbiological procedures. Subsequently, all the isolates were identified on the basis of biochemical tests and were further characterized by amplification of 16S rRNA gene followed by di-deoxy sequencing of the amplified product. Afterwards, the isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility profiling using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. A total of 87 E. coli isolates were identified in the current study and majority of the isolates were found sensitive to all or few antimicrobials. However, 14 E. coli isolates were found resistance to multiple drugs including amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, cefoperazone and ofloxacin, hence termed as MDR-E. coli. All of the 14 isolates were further analyzed for the identification of blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes through PCR using specific primers. This resistant was found to be associated with the presence of plasmid encoded beta lactamases genes including blaCTX-M (13/14 E. coli isolates) and blaTEM (9/14 E. coli isolates). Altogether, it was found that ESBLs harboring E. coli is potential source of diarrhea among pediatric diarrheal patients. Therefore, molecular identification and characterization of bacterial pathogens along with antimicrobial susceptibility are critical to understand MDR- E. coli infections.