Point-of-care diagnostic devices for periodontitis - current trends and urgent need.

Point of care (POC) diagnostic devices provide a method for rapid accurate identification of disease through analysis of biologically relevant substances. This review focuses on the utility of POC testing for early detection of periodontitis, a critical factor in treating the disease. Accessing the oral cavity for biological sampling is less invasive when compared to other internal test sites, and oral fluids contain biomarkers indicative of periodontitis.

An integrated method for targeted Oxford Nanopore sequencing and automated bioinformatics for the simultaneous detection of bacteria, fungi, and ARG.

Aims: The use of metagenomics for pathogen identification in clinical practice has been limited. Here we describe a workflow to encourage the clinical utility and potential of NGS for the screening of bacteria, fungi, and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

Methods And Results: The method includes target enrichment, long-read sequencing, and automated bioinformatics.

Optimization of Electrolytes with Redox Reagents to Improve the Impedimetric Signal for Use with a Low-Cost Analyzer.

The most well-known criterion for POC devices is ASSURED, and affordability, i.e., using low-cost instrumentation, is the most challenging one.

Recent State and Challenges in Spectroelectrochemistry with Its Applications in Microfluidics.

This review paper presents the recent developments in spectroelectrochemical (SEC) technologies. The coupling of spectroscopy and electrochemistry enables SEC to do a detailed and comprehensive study of the electron transfer kinetics and vibrational spectroscopic fingerprint of analytes during electrochemical reactions. Though SEC is a promising technique, the usage of SEC techniques is still limited.

Microfluidic Gas Sensors: Detection Principle and Applications.

With the rapid growth of emerging point-of-use (POU)/point-of-care (POC) detection technologies, miniaturized sensors for the real-time detection of gases and airborne pathogens have become essential to fight pollution, emerging contaminants, and pandemics. However, the low-cost development of miniaturized gas sensors without compromising selectivity, sensitivity, and response time remains challenging. Microfluidics is a promising technology that has been exploited for decades to overcome such limitations, making it an excellent candidate for POU/POC.

A highly sensitive, easy-and-rapidly-fabricable microfluidic electrochemical cell with an enhanced three-dimensional electric field.

An NP-μFEC is a reusable, novel microfluidic electrochemical cell with multiple non-planar interdigitated microelectrode arrays, minimal sample volume, and enhanced electric field penetration for highly sensitive electrochemical analysis. (i) The NP-μFEC features spatial 3-electrode architecture, and a small sample volume (∼4 μL). (ii) Here, [Fe(CN)] redox couple are used as an electrochemical reporter.

Microtoxicology by microfluidic instrumentation: a review.

Microtoxicology is concerned with the toxic effects of small amounts of substances. This review paper discusses the application of small amounts of noxious substances for toxicological investigation in small volumes. The vigorous development of miniaturized methods in microfluidics over the last two decades involves chip-based devices, micro droplet-based procedures, and the use of micro-segmented flow for microtoxicological studies.

Microfluidically supported characterization of responses of Rhodococcus erythropolis strains isolated from different soils on Cu-, Ni-, and Co-stress.

We present a new methodological approach for the assessment of the susceptibility of Rhodococcus erythropolis strains from specific sampling sites in response to increasing heavy metal concentration (Cu, Ni, and Co) using the droplet-based microfluid technique. All isolates belong to the species R. erythropolis identified by Sanger sequencing of the 16S rRNA.

Temporal and geographical comparison of bulk tank milk and water microbiota composition in Brazilian dairy farms.

This study investigated the relationship between the bacterial communities of bulk tank milk (BTM) and water used in Brazilian dairy farms. We also explored the association between BTM microbiota and its quality parameters (i.e.

ESSENCE - A rapid, shear-enhanced, flow-through, capacitive electrochemical platform for rapid detection of biomolecules.

The rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of target analytes using electrochemical sensors is challenging. ESSENCE, a new Electrochemical Sensor that uses a Shear-Enhanced, flow-through Nanoporous Capacitive Electrode, overcomes current electrochemical sensors' response limitations, selectivity, and sensitivity limitations. ESSENCE is a microfluidic channel packed with transducer material sandwiched by a top and bottom microelectrode.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci: Emerging pathogen in central nervous system shunt infection.

Central nervous system (CNS) shunts are commonly used to treat patients with hydrocephalus. Its placement is associated with increased risk of infection. The study was intended to evaluate infection rate associated with CNS shunt surgeries and identify risk factors for shunt infection.

Drug resistance profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates to first line anti-tuberculous drugs: A five years study.

Background: Drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). An estimate of drug resistance is extremely important in the epidemiology and control of TB. However, an assessment of the magnitude of drug resistance in TB is not very well described globally and data remains scantier for India.

Central venous catheter-related blood stream infection rate in critical care units in a tertiary care, teaching hospital in Mumbai.

Blood stream infections related to central venous catheterization are one of the major device-associated infections reported. Patients admitted in critical care units requiring central venous catheterization and presenting with signs of septicemia during catheterization period were investigated for catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSI). The CRBSI rate was 9.

Cutaneous histoplasmosis in AIDS.

A patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection presented with multiple cutaneous lesions on upper extremities, trunk, face and with ulcers involving oral mucosa. Histoplasma capsulatum was isolated in culture from scrapings from both cutaneous as well as oral mucosal lesions. The patient responded well initially to the treatment with Amphotericin B followed by itraconazole; however, lesions recurred after three months with the further deterioration of immune status of the patient indicated by decline in CD4 counts.

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasopharyngeal carriage in children from urban community at Nagpur.

There has been a rise in the hospital acquired as well as the community acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aures (MRSA) infections in the recent years. We conducted a study to detect colonization rate of staphylococci in the nasopharynx in children and prevalence of MRSA nasopharyngeal carriage in pediatric population. The study included 1300 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from school going children between six to ten years age from Nagpur urban community and inoculated on blood agar for isolation of staphylococci.

Pulmonary cryptosporidiosis in HIV negative, immunocompromised host.

Cryptosporidia are intestinal spore forming protozoa, which cause intracellular infections, predominantly in the epithelial cells of the intestine. Extra-intestinal infections with Cryptosporidium parvum have been rarely reported. However, a few reports of pulmonary cryptosporidiosis in HIV/AIDS cases have been mentioned in literature.

Mycological and serological study of pulmonary aspergillosis in central India.

Purpose: To study the prevalence and predisposing factors of Aspergillus infection and correlate microscopic, culture and serological findings along with drug sensitivity.

Methods: Sputum samples from 123 patients of pulmonary disease with clinical suspicion of having fungal, especially Aspergillus infections, were examined microscopically and for culture. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of itraconazole was tested against the isolates.

Change in antimicrobial resistance pattern of Salmonella Typhi in central India.

Background & Objectives: Multidrug resistant Salmonella Typhi infections have been reported worldwide in the last decade. In a study from central India in 1991 multidrug resistant S. Typhi were reported to account for 91 per cent of patients of enteric fever.