The Evaluation of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with the HIV-1 Infection: The Role of the Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background And Objective: The recognition and the assessment of the carotid intimal thickness helps in predicting the risk of the cardiovascular events in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients who are on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The objective of this study was to assess and compare the carotid intimal thickness in HIV positive individuals who were on antiretroviral therapy with HIV positive individuals who were not on anti-retroviral therapy.

Subjects And Methods: All the HIV positive individuals who were 20 years old and above, who had been diagnosed by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) guidelines were included in the study.

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LTRIs): An Insight into the Prevalence and the Antibiogram of the Gram Negative, Respiratory, Bacterial Agents.

Background: Community acquired respiratory tract infections are one of the commonest health issues globally, which demand frequent visits to the family practitioners. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in the frequently isolated pathogens has complicated the use of the empiric therapy with traditional agents.

Aim: This study was focused on obtaining a comprehensive insight into the microbial profile, its prevalence and the susceptibility patterns of the gram negative bacilli isolates in lower respiratory tract infections.

Structure of an amidohydrolase, SACOL0085, from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus COL.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that rapidly acquires resistance to frontline antibiotics. The characterization of novel protein targets from this bacterium is thus an important step towards future therapeutic strategies. Here, the crystal structure of an amidohydrolase, SACOL0085, from S.

Homology modeling and docking studies on oxidosqualene cyclases associated with primary and secondary metabolism of Centella asiatica.

Centella asiatica is a well-known medicinal plant, produces large amount of triterpenoid saponins, collectively known as centelloids, with a wide-spectrum of pharmacological applications. Various strategies have been developed for the production of plant secondary metabolites in cell and tissue cultures; one of these is modular metabolic engineering, in which one of the competitive metabolic pathways is selectively suppressed to channelize precursor molecules for the production of desired molecules by another route. In plants the precursor 2,3-oxidosqualene is shared in between two competitive pathways involved with two isoforms of oxidosqualene cyclases.

A Young Lady with a Swelling over the Back: A Rare Case of Tuberculosis.

Musculoskeletal tuberculosis accounts for 1-2% of all types of tuberculosis. Tubercular abscess of the chest wall accounts for 1-5% of all cases of musculoskeletal tuberculosis. Herein, we report a case of tubercular abscess of the chest wall.

Prospective, double-blinded, randomised controlled trial assessing the effect of an Octenidine-based hydrogel on bacterial colonisation and epithelialization of skin graft wounds in burn patients.

Background: Moist wound treatment improves healing of skin graft donor site wounds. Microbial colonised wounds represent an increased risk of wound infection; while antimicrobially active, topical antiseptics may impair epithelialization.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective randomised controlled clinical trial was to examine the influence of an Octenidine-dihydrochloride (OCT) hydrogel on bacterial colonisation and epithelialization of skin graft donor sites.

GDNF and BDNF gene interplay in chronic tinnitus.

Background: Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) play key roles in the early development of the central auditory pathway and the inner ear. Both have been successfully employed to treat experimental forms of hearing loss and are likely to operate in a broad spectrum of auditory phenotypes, including phantom perceptions of sound. We conducted a genetic association study addressing five biallelic candidate variants in 240 Caucasian subjects who had been diagnosed with tinnitus for more than 6 months.

Radiological evaluation of the effect of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffold (HA+TCP) with 5, 10 and 20 percentage of porosity on healing of segmental bone defect in rabbit radius.

The objective of this study is to radiologically evaluate the effects of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffold with 5, 10 and 20 percentage of porosity on cortical bone repair in rabbits. In this study, 28 male white rabbits were examined. Rabbits were divided into four groups.

Investigation of dissociative electron attachment to 2'-deoxycytidine-3'-monophosphate using DFT method and time dependent wave packet approach.

Effect of electron correlation on single strand breaks (SSBs) induced by low energy electron (LEE) has been investigated in a fragment excised from a DNA, viz., 2'-deoxycytidine-3'-monophosphate [3'-dCMPH] molecule in gas phase at DFT-B3LYP/6-31+G(d) accuracy level and using local complex potential based time dependent wave packet (LCP-TDWP) approach. The results obtained, in conjunction with our earlier investigation, show the possibility of SSB at very low energy (0.

Standardizing minimal residual disease by flow cytometry for precursor B lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a developing country.

Background: In addition to standard risk criteria at diagnosis, minimal residual disease (MRD) following initiation of therapy is a well-recognized risk factor to predict relapse. Literature from developing countries addressing therapeutic or laboratory practices related to MRD, is largely lacking. In a first paper from India, we describe our experience in establishing a flow cytometry-based MRD assay for precursor B lineage ALL (BCP-ALL) with emphasis on the assay standardization and cost.

Homocysteine Slovakia study: study design and occurrence of hyperhomocysteinaemia and other risk factors.

Background: Slovakia belong to the European Union countries with the high incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in general and IHD in particular.

Method: Homocystein-Slovakia is crossectional population study realised in subjects in high risk age 35-75 years in two groups. The first consists of patients with verified stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) (M= 152; F = 167) aged 60.

Catheter lock technique: in vitro efficacy of ethanol for eradication of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal biofilm compared with other agents.

Biofilm formation in central venous catheters (CVC) is a prerequisite for catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI). The catheter lock technique has been used to treat biofilm infection, but the ideal agent, concentration and the minimum exposure time necessary to eradicate the biofilms are not clearly known. In this study, biofilm-producing strains of staphylococci were used to find out the minimum biofilm eradication concentration of ethanol compared with three other conventional antibacterial agents.

Differential expression pattern of the human endoderm-specific transcription factor sox17 in various tissues and cells.

Background: Sox17 is a member of the Sry-related high mobility group (HMG) of transcription factors that is necessary for endodermal formation and liver development in multiple species. Sox17 gene expression is required for formation of definitive endoderm that gives rise to various tissues.

Objective: To examine the expression of Sox17 in various human tissues and cells.

Pharmacokinetic drug interaction between gemfibrozil and sitagliptin in healthy Indian male volunteers.

Purpose: To study the impact of gemfibrozil co-administration on the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin in healthy Indian male volunteers.

Methods: A randomized open label two-period crossover study involving 12 healthy Indian male volunteers was conducted at a single center. In each phase, the volunteers were administered sitagliptin as 100 mg tablets, either alone or co-administered with gemfibrozil as 600 mg tablets twice daily for 3 days.

Exploring the binding mechanism of ondansetron hydrochloride to serum albumins: spectroscopic approach.

The mechanism of interaction of ondansetron hydrochloride (OND) to serum albumins [bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA)] was studied for the first time employing fluorimetric, circular dichroism, FTIR and UV-vis absorption techniques under the simulated physiological conditions. Fluorimetric results were utilized to investigate the binding and conformational characteristics of protein upon interaction with varying concentrations of the drug. Higher binding constant values revealed the strong interaction between the drug and protein while the number of binding sites close to unity indicated single class of binding site for OND in protein.

A systems-based medication reconciliation process: with implications for home healthcare.

This article describes the medication reconciliation process applied on hospital discharge of patients to home with home care services within Seton Health System, an integrated health delivery network located in Troy, New York. The project, which was not research based, was characterized by an intensive pharmacotherapeutic medication reconciliation at hospital discharge by the hospital-based pharmacist with continued pharmacist support available to home healthcare nurses collaboratively at the time of start of care and resumption of care. The goal of this process was to identify and resolve medication-related problems and reduce hospital readmissions.

The prevalence of hyperuricemia in China: a meta-analysis.

Background: The prevalence of hyperuricemia varied in different populations and it appeared to be increasing in the past decades. Recent studies suggest that hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, there has not yet been a systematic analysis of the prevalence of hyperuricemia in China.

Low-energy electron-induced single strand breaks in 2'-deoxycytidine-3'-monophosphate using the local complex potential based time-dependent wave packet approach.

Recent experimental and theoretical investigations on resonant electron scattering off DNA and DNA fragments using low-energy electrons (LEEs), to propose the mechanism for single strand breaks (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs), have received considerable attention. It is our purpose here to understand theoretically the comprehensive route to SSB in a selected DNA fragment, namely, 2'-deoxycytidine-3'-monophosphate (3'-dCMPH), induced by LEE (0-3 eV) scattering using the local complex potential based time-dependent wave packet (LCP-TDWP) approach. To the best of our knowledge, there is no time-dependent quantum mechanical study that has been reported in the literature for this DNA fragment to date.

Path to facilitate the prediction of functional amino acid substitutions in red blood cell disorders--a computational approach.

Background: A major area of effort in current genomics is to distinguish mutations that are functionally neutral from those that contribute to disease. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are amino acid substitutions that currently account for approximately half of the known gene lesions responsible for human inherited diseases. As a result, the prediction of non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) that affect protein functions and relate to disease is an important task.

Affinity of estrogens for human progesterone receptor A and B monomers and risk of breast cancer: a comparative molecular modeling study.

Background: The human progesterone receptor (hPR) belongs to the steroid receptor family. It may be found as monomers (A and B) and or as a dimer (AB). hPR is regarded as the prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.

Clinical Predictors of Response to Clozapine in Patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia.

Objectives: Despite clozapine's superior clinical efficacy in Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS), its adverse effects, need for periodic leukocyte monitoring, cost and variable clinical outcomes make the therapeutic decision making process difficult and mandate a clinical need to predict its treatment response. Hence, we investigated various clinical variables associated with treatment responses and adverse events of clozapine in TRS.

Experimental Design: We assessed socio-demographic and clinical profiles, premorbid adjustment, traumatic life events, cognition, disability, psychopathology and serum clozapine levels of 101 patients with TRS on stable dose of clozapine using the following instruments: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale, Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised, WHO Disability Assessment Scale-II, Childhood and Recent Traumatic Events Scale, and Premorbid Assessment Scale.

A rare presentation of pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis in cancer of lip: case report.

Squamous cell carcinoma of lip is a common malignancy in Indian subcontinent. Metastatic spread is infrequent. Although advanced tumours spread to lymph nodes in the neck, it does not typically present with lung metastasis or with lymphangitic carcinomatosis.