Posted by admin on Apr 30, 2018 in |
Background: Alcoholic liver disease is a spectrum of alcohol induced injury that includes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. Corticosteroids are used in cases of severe alcoholic hepatitis with Maddrey’s Discriminant Function score > 32. However, many of the patients who are being managed by corticosteroids are non responders and mortality increases in such patients. Lille model is a prognostic model which helps in identification of steroid responders and non responders within 7 days of start of treatment. In the present study we identified the alcoholic hepatitis patients with Lille score < 0.45 and with > 0.45. Survival in the patients was compared with the Lille score. Method: Prospective study of 100 patients of alcoholic hepatitis aged 18 to 85 years was done for a period of six months. All of the patients were managed with similar treatment protocols including general supportive measures and treatment of associated complications. Oral or Intravenous corticosteroid therapy was given for 28 days and then tapered off over next two weeks in the...
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Posted by admin on Apr 30, 2018 in |
Membrane electrochemical potential or zeta potential (ZP) is a feature of the molecular profile of the cell membrane and the two-dimensional arrangement of its charge-bearing molecules. Plasmodium species, the causative agents of malaria, are intracellular parasites that remodel host erythrocytes by expressing their own proteins on erythrocyte membranes. In the present study the variation in the ZP of erythrocytes of malaria patients was studied by comparing it with that of the normal healthy volunteers. The ZP of erythrocytes was measured by the cell electrophoresis technique using Zeta Meter System 4.0 at the minimum voltage required for the movement of the erythrocytes to travel a fixed distance. For healthy volunteers the average ZP value of the erythrocytes was found to be 22.57 ± 0.2984 mV and for malaria patients it was found to be 13.09 ± 0.8456 mV. The results revealed that there is a significant decrease in the ZP of the erythrocytes of malaria patients as compared with that of the healthy volunteers. Thus it can be concluded that...
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Posted by admin on Apr 30, 2018 in |
Background: Menstrual disorders frequently affect the quality of life of adolescents and young adult girls and can be indicators of serious underlying problems. Objectives: Study aims to determine the prevalence and pattern of menstrual disorders in adolescents and their effect on everyday life. Design: A cross sectional study design was adapted. Settings: Government and private schools of Arifwala city, District Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: All girls between the age of 10 – 19 years were included in the study during the period, June-2016 to December-2016. Convenient sampling technique was used to select the schools, and to enroll the study participants, stratified sampling was utilized. A total of 1000 girls participated in the study. Main outcome measures: To determine the prevalence and pattern of menstrual disorders and their effect on everyday life. Results: Results showed that, significant relationship was found between age and dysmenorrhea (P < .001), irregular menstruation (P = .001), secondary amenorrhea (P = .005) and between BMI and dysmenorrhea (P =.004) and regular menstruation. (P...
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Posted by admin on Apr 30, 2018 in |
Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a member of tyrosine kinase family protein. Syk protein plays a vital role during intracellular signal transduction from high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) in allergic reaction. Flavonoids are well known compounds for their anti-allergic properties. In this present work, thirty-four structurally similar flavonoids are investigated as Syk inhibitors by using 3-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models and molecular docking studies. By applying genetic algorithm (GA) method, different types of 3D-MoRSE descriptors are selected from various types of geometrical descriptors for model building. A Multiple Linear Regression is built up, considering the inhibitory effect of seventeen flavonoids on model mast cells by QSARINS software. The model is validated internally using the Q2 LOO criterion in leave-one-out method. William graph and Insubria graph are plotted to identify the application domain for that model. The same model is also externally validated for other seventeen flavonoid compounds. Docking studies of these thirty-four compounds are also performed using AutoDock to identify interacting amino acids of Syk protein. Docking analysis...
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Posted by admin on Apr 30, 2018 in |
A biofilm is a microbial determined sessile group portrayed by cells that are irreversibly appended to a substratum or interface or to each other. Biofilms are the main cause for increase in virulence and antibiotic resistance of microorganisms. Both gram positive and gram negative pathogens are known to produce biofilms. Due to the production of biofilm, the bacteria adhere to the surface strongly and are protected from any antibiotic agents. The present study is aimed at isolation and characterization of biofilm forming bacteria from UTI samples. Further, N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL), an autoinducer responsible for the formation of biofilms in gram negative bacteria was characterized. The capacity of the UPEC isolates to form biofilms was analysed using biofilm assay. Further on, N-acylhomoserine lactone was extracted by liquid liquid extraction (LLE) and was estimated colorimetrically and spectroscopically by using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The UPEC isolates exhibited strong biofilm forming capacity. The AHL that was extracted showed a characteristic absorbance for C=O bond of lactone ring, and N=H and C-O...
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