Bacterial gene regulation in diauxic and non-diauxic growth.

When bacteria are grown in a batch culture containing a mixture of two growth-limiting substrates, they exhibit a rich spectrum of substrate consumption patterns including diauxic growth, simultaneous consumption, and bistable growth. In previous work, we showed that a minimal model accounting only for enzyme induction and dilution captures all the substrate consumption patterns [Narang, A., 1998a.

Co-expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist improves human islet survival and function.

Purpose: Ex vivo gene therapy approaches can improve the outcome of islet transplantation for treating type I diabetes. We have previously shown the improvement in islet function and vascularization following ex vivo transfection for human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF) gene expression. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that co-expression of two genes, which target different challenges faced by islets post-transplantation, supplement each other to improve the survival and function of islets.

Randomized controlled trial of compact fluorescent lamp versus standard phototherapy for the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Background: Special blue tube lights of standard length are used in most neonatal units to deliver phototherapy. Of late, special blue compact fluorescent lamp phototherapy equipments have been introduced in India, which are claimed to be better than standard tube lights.

Aim: To compare special blue compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) phototherapy with special blue standard-length tube lights (STL).

Biological and biomaterial approaches for improved islet transplantation.

Islet transplantation may be used to treat type I diabetes. Despite tremendous progress in islet isolation, culture, and preservation, the clinical use of this modality of treatment is limited due to post-transplantation challenges to the islets such as the failure to revascularize and immune destruction of the islet graft. In addition, the need for lifelong strong immunosuppressing agents restricts the use of this option to a limited subset of patients, which is further restricted by the unmet need for large numbers of islets.

Comparative analysis of some models of gene regulation in mixed-substrate microbial growth.

Mixed-substrate microbial growth is of fundamental interest in microbiology and bioengineering. Several mathematical models have been developed to account for the genetic regulation of such systems, especially those resulting in diauxic growth. In this work, we compare the dynamics of three such models (Narang, 1998a.

Resuscitation of the elderly.

The changing demographics of America's population over the past couple of decades have propelled geriatric medicine into the fore-front. Due to this, emergency medicine physicians will face numerous challenges managing an increasing number of critically ill elderly patients. This article will focus on success of resuscitation in this population, important pathophysiologic changes that occur with aging, as well as ethical considerations in end-of-life care.

Serial composition of human milk in preterm and term mothers.

Human milk samples were collected from 86 mothers induced in the study on days 3, 7, 14 and 28 of lactation. The mothers were divided into three groups on the basis of gestation viz. group 1: 37-41 weeks (n=41), group II: 33-36 (n=23) and group III: <33 weeks gestation (n=22).

Effects of cessation of a policy of neonatal fluconazole prophylaxis on fungal resurgence.

Fluconazole has been used as prophylaxis against systemic fungal infections in preterm neonates. We conducted a study to determine whether cessation of a policy of prophylactic fluconazole results in a resurgence of fungal infections in a unit. Neonates born in the 3 epoches: A 36-month pre-Fluconazole prophylaxis epoch (Group 1), a 21-month Fluconazole prophylaxis epoch (Group 2) and a 39-month post Fluconazole prophylaxis epoch (Group 3) were compared for incidence and onset of fungal sepsis and resistance patterns.

A randomized controlled trial of phenobarbital in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Background: Phenobarbital is one of the oldest, cheapest and most easily available cerebro-protective drugs for the hypoxic brain. It has multiple actions that could be of benefit to the asphyxiated brain. However, its potential has not been fully explored.

A randomized controlled trial of fluid supplementation in term neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of fluid supplementation in decreasing the rate of exchange transfusion and the duration of phototherapy in term neonates with severe nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia.

Study Design: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in a tertiary care referral unit in northern India. Seventy-four term neonates with severe nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia (total serum bilirubin > 18 mg/dL [308 micromol/L] to < 25 mg/dL [427 micromol/L]).

Spontaneous polarization in eukaryotic gradient sensing: a mathematical model based on mutual inhibition of frontness and backness pathways.

A key problem of eukaryotic cell motility is the signaling mechanism of chemoattractant gradient sensing. Recent experiments have revealed the molecular correlate of gradient sensing: Frontness molecules, such as PI3P and Rac, localize at the front end of the cell, and backness molecules, such as Rho and myosin II, accumulate at the back of the cell. Importantly, this frontness-backness polarization occurs spontaneously even if the cells are exposed to uniform chemoattractant profiles.

Cost of neonatal intensive care in a tertiary care center.

Background: The number of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in India has increased substantially over the last decade; yet many more are required. There is limited information on the actual costs of setting up and running an NICU in India.

Objective: Systematic and comprehensive calculation and analysis of the costs of neonatal intensive care in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Fatal neonatal renal failure due to maternal enalapril ingestion.

Unlabelled: ACE inhibitors are commonly used drugs in the management of adult hypertension. However their use in pregnant women can have serious effects on the fetus. In this manuscript we report a case of fatal neonatal renal failure associated with maternal intake of enalapril during third trimester and review the related literature.

Pathology teach and tell: neonatal hemochromatosis with massive hepatic necrosis.

Neonatal hemochromatosis (NH) is an uncommon disorder clinicopathologically defined by severe liver disease of intrauterine onset associated with extrahepatic siderosis that spares reticuloendothelial elements. NH phenotypically is a similar disorder to hereditary hemochromatosis. However, its extremely early onset of liver failure makes it notably unique.

Ciprofloxacin administration to very low birth weight babies has no effect on linear growth in infancy.

There is limited information whether the use of ciprofloxacin in the neonatal period affects the linear growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies in infancy. This was a retrospective cohort study on VLBW babies followed up until 12 months corrected age (12-mCA). Exclusions were: infants with no length record taken at 12-mCA, who received ciprofloxacin after neonatal period, were neurologically abnormal, growth retarded in utero or congenitally malformed, had chronic systemic illnesses or endocrinopathies in infancy.

Evaluation of renal functions in asphyxiated newborns.

Renal injury due to perinatal asphyxia has not been systematically evaluated. The available studies have used variable definitions, incomplete investigations and none had a control group. The aim of this study was to evaluate systematically the renal functions in severely asphyxiated newborns and to find if abnormal renal function tests can predict adverse outcome (death or neurologic abnormality at discharge).

Inheritance of a novel COL8A2 mutation defines a distinct early-onset subtype of fuchs corneal dystrophy.

Purpose: To characterize the genetic basis and phenotype of inherited Fuchs corneal dystrophy (FCD).

Methods: DNA from blood was used for genome-wide linkage scans with tandem repeat polymorphisms. Mutation detection involved sequencing PCR-amplified exons.

Threshold retinopathy of prematurity: ocular changes and sequelae following cryotherapy.

Purpose: To determine ocular changes and sequelae following cryotherapy for threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 49 eyes of 26 premature babies with threshold ROP treated with cryotherapy between 1995 and 1998. All eyes included in the study had favourable structural outcome after cryotherapy.

Structured model for denitrifier diauxic growth.

We present a model for diauxic growth of denitrifying bacteria in which nitrate reductase synthesis kinetics dominate the overall growth kinetics. The model is based on the assumption of the existence of a nitrate respiration operon, thereby linking the rate of nitrate uptake to the activity of nitrate reductase. We show that this approach can model diauxic growth of Pseudomonas denitrificans by conducting experiments in which nitrate reductase activity was measured during both lag and ensuing exponential growth phases.

A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of prophylactic oral phenobarbital to reduce the need for phototherapy in G6PD-deficient neonates.

Objective: Decreased conjugation is probably more important than hemolysis for causing jaundice in G6PD-deficient neonates. The role of enzyme inducers, like phenobarbital, in G6PD deficiency is unclear. This randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate Phenobarbital's role in reducing the need for phototherapy among G6PD-deficient neonates.

Cationic lipids with increased DNA binding affinity for nonviral gene transfer in dividing and nondividing cells.

Effect of headgroup structure on catonic lipid-mediated transfection was investigated with either a (i) tertiary amine, (ii) quaternary amine with a hydroxyl, or (iii) quaternary amine with mesylate as headgroups. Liposomes were formulated using cholesterol or dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) as colipids, and transfection efficiencies were determined in rapidly dividing colon carcinoma (CT 26) and rat aortic smooth muscle (RASM) cells as well as in nondividing human pancreatic islets using luciferase and green fluorescent protein expression plasmids, pcDNA3-Luc and pCMS-EGFP, respectively. Liposome/pDNA complexes were evaluated for DNA conformational state by circular dichroism (CD), DNA condensation by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), particle size and zeta potential by laser diffraction technique, and surface morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Predicting stability of mixed microbial cultures from single species experiments: 2. Physiological model.

In this paper, we study the equilibria of a physiological model describing the continuous culture in which two microbial populations compete for two substitutable resources. This work is an extension of the stability analysis of the phenomenological model of mixed microbial growth [M.M.

Predicting stability of mixed microbial cultures from single species experiments: 1. Phenomenological model.

The growth of mixed microbial cultures on mixtures of substrates is a fundamental problem of both theoretical and practical interest. On the one hand, the literature is abundant with experimental studies of mixed-substrate phenomena [T. Egli, The ecological and physiological significance of the growth of heterotrophic microorganisms with mixtures of substrates, Adv.