Possible role of integrase gene polymerase chain reaction as an epidemiological marker: study of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from nosocomial infections.

Eighty-six strains of Acinetobacter baumannii from India and Nepal were investigated for the presence of integrons in relation to multiple drug resistance by integrase gene polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Integrons were found to be present at a rate of 43.02% (37/86).

Soft lithography using acryloxy perfluoropolyether composite stamps.

This paper describes composite patterning elements that use a commercially available acryloxy perfluoropolyether (a-PFPE) in various soft lithographic techniques, including microcontact printing, nanotransfer printing, phase-shift optical lithography, proximity field nanopatterning, molecular scale soft nanoimprinting, and solvent assisted micromolding. The a-PFPE material, which is similar to a methacryloxy PFPE (PFPE-DMA) reported recently, offers a combination of high modulus (10.5 MPa), low surface energy (18.

Guided growth of large-scale, horizontally aligned arrays of single-walled carbon nanotubes and their use in thin-film transistors.

A convenient process for generating large-scale, horizontally aligned arrays of pristine, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is described. The approach uses guided growth, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), of SWNTs on miscut single-crystal quartz substrates. Studies of the growth reveal important relationships between the density and alignment of the tubes, the CVD conditions, and the morphology of the quartz.

The judicious use of antibiotics--an investment towards optimized health care.

During the past century the excitement of discovering antibiotics as a treatment of infectious diseases has given way to a sense of complacency and acceptance that when faced with antimicrobial resistance there will always be new and better antimicrobial agents to use. Now, with clear indications of a decline in pharmaceutical company interest in anti-infective research, at the same time when multi-drug resistant micro-organisms continue to be reported, it is very important to review the prudent use of the available agents to fight these micro-organisms. Injudicious use of antibiotics is a global problem with some countries more affected than others.

Insights on charge transfer doping and intrinsic phonon line shape of carbon nanotubes by simple polymer adsorption.

Doping of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes via noncovalent adsorption of polyethylenimine which converts p-type semiconducting nanotubes into n-type is examined by micro-Raman studies. Distinctively different responses are observed in metallic and in semiconducting nanotubes. Very little or no changes in the radial breathing and the disorder modes are observed upon polymer adsorption on semiconducting carbon nanotubes indicating noncovalent nature of this process.

Does it really take longer not to prescribe antibiotics for viral respiratory tract infections in children?

Background: Although overuse of antibiotics in children has been well documented, few studies have evaluated if the visit time for viral infections varies when antibiotics are or are not prescribed.

Objective: To examine the relationship between physician visit time and antibiotic prescribing for children with viral respiratory tract infection (RTI).

Methods: Data obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) 1993-2003 were surveyed for children < or = 18 years who were seen by a primary care physician and given a primary diagnosis suggestive of viral RTI (cold, upper respiratory infection (URI), bronchiolitis, or brochitis).

Neglected foreign body in oesophagus with an unusual presentation: A case report.

Foreign body in oesophagus is not an unusual finding, we report here a case of neglected foreign body in oesophagus with an unusual presentation which remained almost asymptomatic for three years before removal.

Organic nanodielectrics for low voltage carbon nanotube thin film transistors and complementary logic gates.

We report the implementation of three dimensionally cross-linked, organic nanodielectric multilayers as ultrathin gate dielectrics for a type of thin film transistor device that uses networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes as effective semiconductor thin films. Unipolar n- and p-channel devices are demonstrated by use of polymer coatings to control the behavior of the networks. Monolithically integrating these devices yields complementary logic gates.

Temperature related seasonal changes in Golgi complex of brain, heart and intestine of a teleost.

Impact of temperature related seasonal changes in density of Golgi complex were studied in brain, heart and intestine of the freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus). The density of Golgi complex was more in these organs of the fish acclimatized to a lower temperature (20 degrees C) than that to a higher temperature (29 degrees C). This suggests that lower temperature induces secretory activity in cells to cope up with the changes in surrounding environment.

Mapping of a major QTL for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance on chromosome 3A in bread wheat.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) in bread wheat for a solitary chromosome 3A, which was shown to be important for this trait in earlier studies. An inter-varietal mapping population in the form of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a cross between SPR8198 (a PHS tolerant genotype) and HD2329 (a PHS susceptible cultivar) was used for this purpose. The parents and the RIL population were grown in six different environments and the data on PHS were collected in each case.

Electronically selective chemical functionalization of carbon nanotubes: correlation between Raman spectral and electrical responses.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) demonstrate remarkable electronic and mechanical properties useful in developing areas such as nanoelectromechanical systems and flexible electronics. However, the highly inhomogeneous electronic distribution arising from different diameters and chirality in any given as-synthesized SWNT samples imposes severe limitations. Recently demonstrated selective chemical functionalization methods may provide a simple scalable means of eliminating metallic tubes from SWNT transistors and electronic devices.

Infections in children and young adults with bone malignancies undergoing limb-sparing surgery.

Background: The epidemiology, risk factors, and efficacy of therapy for infections complicating limb-sparing surgery (LSS) are not understood completely.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective review of children and adolescents with bone malignancies who underwent LSS.

Results: One hundred three patients underwent 104 LSS procedures.

Suprachoroidal haemorrhage. Secondary management.

We report a case of successful management of expulsive suprachoroidal haemorrhage following cataract surgery. This case study highlights the strategy of adequate management.

Polymer electrolyte gating of carbon nanotube network transistors.

Network behavior in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is examined by polymer electrolyte gating. High gate efficiencies, low voltage operation, and the absence of hysteresis in polymer electrolyte gating lead to a convenient and effective method of analyzing transport in SWNT networks. Furthermore, the ability to control carrier type with chemical groups of the host polymer allows us to examine both electron and hole conduction.

Diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections among pediatric oncology patients lacking a peripheral culture, using differential time to detection.

Background: Current methods for in situ diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections require concurrent collection of central venous catheter (CVC) and peripheral vein (PV) blood cultures. Both the pain and inconvenience of PV cultures are undesirable.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted (August 2002 to March 2004) to assess the accuracy of diagnosing catheter-related bloodstream infections based on the difference in time to detection of blood cultures drawn concurrently from 2 lumens of a multilumen CVC.

Role of a cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte epitope-defined, alternative gag open reading frame in the pathogenesis of a murine retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency syndrome.

LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus-infected C57BL/6 mice develop profound immunodeficiency and B-cell lymphomas. The LP-BM5 complex contains a mixture of defective (BM5def) and replication-competent helper viruses among which BM5def is the primary causative agent of disease. The BM5def primary open reading frame (ORF1) encodes the single gag precursor protein (Pr60gag).

Provider and practice characteristics associated with antibiotic use in children with presumed viral respiratory tract infections.

Objective: Although overuse of antibiotics in children has been well documented, relatively little information is known about provider and facility characteristics associated with this prescribing practice. This study was done to evaluate the differences in overuse of antibiotics among staff physicians and resident/interns (housestaff [HS]) who work in hospital-based outpatient clinics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved patient encounters in outpatient departments that were included in the US National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey database from 1995 to 2000.

Optimum management of pediatric patients with fever and neutropenia.

Fever with neutropenia is a common clinical problem in patients receiving cancer treatment. Prevention and optimum management of infectious complications is critical to the overall success of cancer therapy. This article provides an overview of the current status of this evolving subject.