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Biomedical subjects

N Desai

Publications and source records attributed to N Desai.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Expression of a chimeric CaMV 35S Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein gene in transgenic tobacco.

Insecticidal transgenic tobacco plants containing a truncated Bacillus thuringiensis cryIA(b) crystal protein (ICP) gene expressed from the CaMV 35S promoter were analyzed for ICP gene expression under field and greenhouse conditions over the course of a growing season. We present new information on temporal and tissue-specific expression of a CaMV 35S/cryIA(b) gene. Levels of cryIA(b) protein and mRNA were compared in both homozygous and hemizygous lines throughout plant development. Levels of ICP mRNA and protein increased during plant development with a pronounced rise in expression at the time of flowering. Homozygous ICP lines produced higher levels of ICP than the corresponding hemizygous lines. ELISA analysis of different tissues in the tobacco plant showed ICP gene expression in most tissues with a predominance of ICP in older tissue. All transgenic ICP tobacco lines which were studied in the field and greenhouse contained 400 ng to 1 microgram ICP per gram fresh weight in leaves from the mid-section of the plant at flowering. The amounts of ICP produced by field lines were directly comparable to levels observed in greenhouse-grown plants.

Bacillus thuringiensis↗
PubMed1992

Long-term assessment of efficacy and safety of L1, an oral iron chelator, in transfusion dependent thalassaemia: Indian trial.

From August 1989 to May 1991, 52 patients with transfusion dependent thalassaemia major received L1 (1,2-dimethyl-3- hydroxypyrid-4-one), the oral iron chelator, for a period of 3-21 months (mean +/- SD: 14.2 +/- 6.8). Mean (+/- SD) urinary iron excretion varied from 6.2 +/- 4.6 mg/d on 25 mg/kg/d of L1 to 42.3 +/- 37.1 mg/d on 100 mg/kg/d of L1. Mean (+/- SD) drop in S ferritin was 1465 +/- 990 micrograms/l after 5.0 +/- 0.8 months to 3641.2 +/- 2299.3 micrograms/l after 20.1 +/- 0.9 months of therapy. There was no evidence of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, ear or eye toxicity. L1-related arthralgia, which was reversible on dose reduction or stoppage, was seen in 20 patients (38.5%), while minor gastrointestinal (GI) tract symptoms occurred in seven (3.5%) cases. We conclude that although L1 is an effective iron chelator, further studies are required to understand the mechanism of L1 related arthralgia and also to find a safer but effective dose on which incidence of L1 related arthralgia is minimal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Causes of mortality in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Fifty five deaths between January, 1982 to September, 1989 in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were evaluated to determine the cause of mortality. Fifty cases died during remission. Infection alone was responsible for death in 26 of 55 (47.3%) cases while hemorrhage was seen in 7 (12.7%) children. Infection and hemorrhage together were responsible in another 13 cases. Gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary system were the major sites of bleeding. Infections either alone or in combination with other factors were responsible for death in 42 of 55 (76.5%) of children. Septicemia (n = 11), gastrointestinal (n = 15) and pulmonary infections (n = 10) and meningitis in 2 cases were the major sites of infections. Pseudomonas and Klebsiella in 6 cases each accounted for 54.5% of isolates.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1991

Microprocessors for auditing the surveillance activity of the Infection Control Nurse.

An important part of the Infection Control Nurse's activity in the UK is the laboratory-based surveillance of patients with infections that are known to be transmissible, i.e. of 'alert' organisms. We have replaced a manual 'T-card' system in which relevant patient information, microbiology and nursing notes are held on all patients yielding 'alert' organisms. The programme is menu driven, requires minimal coding and runs on a microprocessor with a hard disc. The programme enables surveillance patient information to be entered, edited, archived and recorded. Instant retrieval on screen or hard copy includes summarized or full displays of all patients on all wards, sorted by wards, organism, date or risk category. Archived data may be retrieved within minutes and this avoids having to interrogate the whole laboratory database overnight. To illustrate an additional use of the data stored, we analysed the surveillance activities of the Control of Infection Nurse for one year. Of 203 laboratory diagnoses requiring patient surveillance, 30% were viral infections, of which more than two-thirds were caused by hepatitis B virus; of the 142 bacterial isolates, 27% were multiply antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, 25% Pseudomonas spp, 12% Salmonella spp., 9% methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 7% Group A streptococci and 8% meningococci. These isolates resulted in only four outbreaks involving nine patients or staff. This information has proved useful for auditing the nurse's activity and provides evidence for the cost-effectiveness of infection control.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed1991

Hygienic hand disinfection for the removal of epidemic vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and gentamicin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae.

An outbreak strain of Enterococcus faecium, bearing plasmid-mediated vancomycin resistance, and an epidemic gentamicin-resistant, multiply-resistant strain of Enterobacter cloacae, both survived well on fingertips of three volunteers for up to 30 minutes after inoculation. Hand disinfection of inoculated fingers with 60% isopropyl alcohol, or with alcoholic chlorhexidine, reliably gave a 4 log10 reduction of both test organisms. Enterobacter cloacae could not be detected in any finger washings, even by enrichment culture. Chlorhexidine digluconate and povidone-iodine were also effective against E. faecium and Ent. cloacae, giving 4 log10 reductions, but finger washings taken after disinfection yielded low counts of the test strains, e.g. less than 45 recoverable colony forming units (cfu) per finger. Handwashing with soap and water was the least reliable method. The epidemicity, serious antimicrobial multiple resistance and survival on finger-tips of these two strains justifies the use of handwashing agents which have maximum effect. The rapid bactericidal (and residual) activity of alcoholic chlorhexidine suggests that, on the basis of present evidence, it is the preferred agent for hygienic hand disinfection against such strains.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The survival of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus inoculated on fingertips and on formica.

When inoculated on the fingers of three volunteers, strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus survived better than strains of var. lwoffii; 60 min after an inoculum of 10(4) cfu/finger, washings yielded between 2.6 x 10(1) (for a sporadic strain of var. lwoffii) and 7.2 x 10(2) cfu/finger (for an epidemic strain of var. anitratus). All five test strains survived better on formica than on skin, and from an inoculum of 10(4) cfu, between 6.4 x 10(2) and 2.2 x 10(3) cfu/finger were recoverable 60 min later. After inoculation of formica sheets, both strains of var. lwoffii could still be recovered in low numbers 24 h later, and two of the three strains of var. anitratus 60 h later. These findings suggest the presence of hitherto unrecognized antibacterial activity of skin against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and suggest that outbreaks may be sustained by hand transmission. The ability of these organisms to survive desiccation on formica supports the proposal that transmission by air, dust or fomites may hitherto have been underestimated for this species.

Acinetobacter↗
PubMed1990

A new system for the measurement of ocular motility using a personal computer.

A new system (automated Hess screen, AHS) for the measurement of ocular motility using a personal computer is described. The subject is seated with his/her head restrained at a fixed distance from a colour monitor and views the screen through red/green goggles. A red target is displayed on the screen and the subject is instructed to move a green stimulus (using a joystick control) until the stimulus appears to be centred on the target. A button on the joystick is pressed and the computer registers the relative position of the target and stimulus. This procedure is repeated for a range of target locations (positions of gaze) and the entire routine is then repeated with the other eye fixing, by reversing the colour of the target and stimulus. The oculomotor fields may be displayed on the screen, printed, plotted or saved on a magnetic disc. A prototype system (based on an IBM AT with a 20 in monitor viewed from 25 cm) has been evaluated in a clinical environment on a sample of patients with a wide range of oculomotor problems, and compared with the electronic Hess screen (EHS). In general, the shapes of the oculomotor fields obtained using the two instruments were similar, but the AHS tended to measure a slightly converged displacement of the plots relative to the EHS and to record larger deviations, particularly in patients with incomitant fields. However, the test-retest reliability and the diagnostic value of the charts obtained were similar for both instruments. There was no significant difference between the durations of the examinations with the EHS and AHS. The AHS is a viable alternative to the EHS.

Adolescent↗