Publications by authors named "Shashi Kumari"

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat that demands surveillance to identify and analyze trends of the emerging antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and potential microbial carriers. The influent of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) reflects the microbes derived from the population and effluent being the source of dissemination of potential pathogenic microbes and AMR. The present study aimed to monitor microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in WWTPs employing a whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach.

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The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens are a critical public health concern across the globe. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) play an important role in the horizontal acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria. In this study, we have decoded the whole genome sequences of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates carrying the ARG-linked SXT, an integrative and conjugative element, in their large chromosomes.

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Areca nut and slaked lime, with or without tobacco wrapped in leaf, prepared as betel quid, is extensively consumed as a masticatory product in many countries across the world. Betel Quid can promote the malignant transformation of oral lesions as well as trigger benign cellular and molecular changes. In the oral cavity, it causes changes at the compositional level in oral microbiota called dysbiosis.

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β-lactam antibiotics are one of the most widely used and diverse classes of antimicrobial agents for treating both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections. The β-lactam antibiotics, which include penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams and carbapenems, exert their antibacterial activity by inhibiting the bacterial cell wall synthesis and have a global positive impact in treating serious bacterial infections. Today, β-lactam antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed antimicrobial across the globe.

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One of the fascinating outcomes of human microbiome studies adopting multi-omics technology is its ability to decipher millions of microbial encoded functions in the most complex and crowded microbial ecosystem, including the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract without cultivating the microbes. It is well established that several functions that modulate the human metabolism, nutrient assimilation, immunity, infections, disease severity and therapeutic efficacy of drugs are mostly of microbial origins. In addition, these microbial functions are dynamic and can disseminate between microbial taxa residing in the same ecosystem or other microbial ecosystems through horizontal gene transfer.

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The non-essential amino acid glutamate acts as a major excitatory neurotransmitter and plays a significant role in the central nervous system (CNS). It binds with two different types of receptors, ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), responsible for the postsynaptic excitation of neurons. They are important for memory, neural development and communication, and learning.

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Diarrheal disease remains a great public health problem in many countries. Enteric infections caused by several viral, bacterial and parasitic species not only affect the host, but also alter the gut microbiome. The host physiology dictates the intestinal milieu and decides the composition and richness of gut microbiota, which forms a homeostatic ecosystem with numerous functions and provide protection against invading pathogens.

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Article Synopsis
  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common bacterium linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer, with varying virulence and resistance factors, especially in India.
  • A study analyzed the genomes of 143 H. pylori strains from eastern and southern India, revealing distinct regional differences in antibiotic resistance and virulence genes.
  • Findings indicate lower resistance to amoxicillin and furazolidone in eastern strains, while resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin is more prevalent; this suggests careful antibiotic use in eastern India and highlights the need for understanding local strain characteristics.
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Microbes evolve rapidly by modifying their genome through mutations or acquisition of genetic elements. Antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori is increasingly prevalent in India. However, limited information is available about the genome of resistant H.

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The COVID-19 disease caused by novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 with 5% patients having severe lung injury. Though this disease primarily presents as a lower respiratory tract infection, multiple digestive manifestations have been reported which are often overlooked. The present case report describes the unusual progression of COVID-19 disease from pneumonia to a procoagulant state leading to superior mesenteric artery thrombosis and subsequent gut ischemia necessitating emergency laparotomy.

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Objective: Securing the tracheal tube (TT) at a fixed recommended depth of 21/23 cm in female and male patients, respectively, may result in inappropriate placement of the TT in some patients. The aim of the present study was to determine the vocal cord-carina distance (VCD) and tracheal length (TL) to ascertain the optimal depth of TT placement during orotracheal intubation in the adult Indian population.

Methods: A total of 92 adults undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with orotracheal intubation were studied.

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Objectives: We aimed at evaluating the predictive value of amniotic fluid index ≤5 on perinatal outcome in terms of effect on cardiotocography, mode of delivery, meconium in liquor, birth weight, fetal distress, APGAR score at birth and neonatal admission to ICU.

Methods: This is a prospective study of 308 antenatal women admitted to labor ward of MIMS during February 2014-December 2015 with gestational ages between 34 and 41 weeks. All women enrolled were subjected to history taking, examination, AFI estimation and compared between those with AFI ≤5 from rest.

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Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if the diagnosis and treatment of uterine cavity abnormalities by hysteroscopy in patients undergoing IVF programme is of any value in improving clinical pregnancy outcome.

Methods: 520 patients participated in this prospective randomized study and were classified into two groups. Group I (n = 265) without office hysteroscopy.

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