Protamine folds DNA into flowers and loop stacks.

DNA in sperm undergoes an extreme compaction to almost crystalline packing levels. To produce this dense packing, DNA is dramatically reorganized in minutes by protamine proteins. Protamines are positively charged proteins that coat negatively charged DNA and fold it into a series of toroids.

Performance and Impact on Initial Antibiotic Choice of Direct Identification of Pathogens from Pediatric Blood Culture Bottles Using an In-House MALDI-TOF MS Protocol.

The performance and early therapeutic impact of direct identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF; DIMT) on pediatric blood culture bottles using in-house-developed methods to obtain microbial pellets for spectrometric analysis have seldom been studied. During a 2-year period (June 2018 to May 2020), DIMT was performed on broths from positive pediatric blood culture bottles using an in-house-developed method. Organism identifications with a score of ≥1.

Evaluation of Rapid Immunochromatographic Tests for the Direct Detection of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases and Carbapenemases in Enterobacterales Isolated from Positive Blood Cultures.

NG-Test CTX-M MULTI and NG-Test Carba 5 (NG Biotech) are two rapid immunochromatographic assays that are widely used for the detection of the most common extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases in Enterobacterales. ESBL and carbapenemases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and their rapid detection from positive blood cultures is crucial for early initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy in bloodstream infections (BSI) involving antibiotic-resistant organisms. In this study, we developed a rapid workflow for positive blood cultures for direct identification of Enterobacterales by MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry, followed by detection of ESBL and carbapenemases using NG-Test CTX-M MULTI and NG-Test Carba 5 (NG Biotech).

Fecal Carriage and Molecular Characterization of Carbapenemase-Producing in the Pediatric Population in Qatar.

Whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize carbapenemase-producing (CPE) strains recovered from rectal screening swab samples obtained from children at a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in Qatar during a 3-year period. A total of 72 CPE isolates recovered from 61 fecal carriers were characterized. Escherichia coli (47 isolates [65.

COVID-19 related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C): a case series from a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Qatar.

Background: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, which is increasingly being reported worldwide. Here we report the first case series of 7 children diagnosed with MIS-C in Qatar.

Methods: Clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 positive patients admitted to Sidra Medicine, Qatar from June to October 2020, who met the WHO case definition for MIS-C were reviewed.