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The increase in resistance pattern of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has been an emerging threat in therapeutic areas of the dairy industry throughout the globe. The current study was conducted in bovines of district Faisalabad, Pakistan to investigate the phenotypic prevalence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) in milk samples positive for subclinical mastitis. The study further aimed to assess the associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern against MRSA and VRSA isolates. A total of 385 milk samples (n=193 cattle; n=192 buffalo) collected and screened for subclinical mastitis by surf field mastitis test (SFMT) were further subjected to standard microbiological techniques for the isolation of S. aureus. The positive isolates of S. aureus were phenotypically evaluated for MRSA and VRSA by the disc diffusion method. The study results revealed that out of 385 milk samples, 45.97% (177/385) samples were found positive for subclinical mastitis on SFMT while 37.14% (143/385) samples were confirmed for the presence of S. aureus. Out of these S. aureus isolates, MRSA and VRSA were confirmed in 17.48% (25/143) and 12.58% (18/143) samples respectively. The in-vitro trials of various antibiotics for MRSA and VRSA isolates showed 100% resistance towards Cefoxitin followed by 50% towards Gentamicin, Tylosin, and Trimethoprim + Sulfamethoxazole then 25% to Oxytetracycline, and Fusidic acid while ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and linezolid were found sensitive against study isolates. The public health importance of S. aureus and emerging resistance against antibiotics like methicillin and vancomycin demands regular monitoring of effective use of antimicrobial agents against the isolates of VRSA and MRSA.

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In this paper, we study the problem of robust global synchronization of resetting clocks in multi-agent networked systems, where by robust global synchronization we mean synchronization that is insensitive to arbitrarily small disturbances, and which is achieved from all initial conditions. In particular, we aim to address the following question: Given a set of homogeneous agents with periodic clocks sharing the same parameters, what kind of information flow topologies will guarantee that the resulting networked systems can achieve robust global synchronization? To address this question, we rely on the framework of robust hybrid dynamical systems and a class of distributed hybrid resetting algorithms. Using the hybrid-system approach, we provide a partial solution to the question: Specifically, we show that one can achieve robust global synchronization with no purely discrete-time solutions in any networked system whose underlying information flow topology is a rooted acyclic digraph. Such a result is complementary to the existing result [1] in which strongly connected digraphs are considered as the underlying information flow topologies of the networked systems. We have further computed in the paper the convergence time for a networked system to reach global synchronization. In particular, the computation reveals the relationship between convergence time and the structure of the underlying digraph. We illustrate our theoretical findings via numerical simulations toward the end of the paper.

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland neoplasms make about 3 % of all Head & Neck tumours. Thesetumors are uncommon, accounting for 10 to 15% of all salivary gland neoplasms. Unfortunately themajority of such tumours are malignant. The study aims to give an account of the nature of these tumors.PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted in the departmentsof ENT Head & Neck Surgery of two main tertiary care hospitals of Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa i.e. PGMIHayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar and PGMI Govt lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from July2008 to June 2013. Data extracted from charts review of patients contained age, sex, geographicaldistribution, symptoms, histopathological diagnosis, and treatment. Patients presented to thesedepartments with lesions on the palate and who were managed there were included in the audit. Datathus obtained were analyzed using SPSS 16.RESULTS: A total of 46 patients including 19 male and 27 female presented with primary neoplasmsoriginating in the palatal minor salivary glands were enrolled in the audit. These included 11 benign and35 malignant lesions. Most of the patients were Pakistani (29) as compared to Afghani population (17).Patients ranged in age from the second to the eighth decades, with a female preponderance. The mostcommon malignant lesion was mucoepidermid carcinoma followed by adenoid cystic carcinomawhereas in benign category pleomorphic adenoma was more common tumor.CONCLUSION: The vast majority of neoplasms of the minor salivary glands in the palate aremalignant. These should be managed without delay with wide excision and subsequently subjected tohistopathology to arrive at a correct diagnosis..KEY WORDS: Minor salivary glands, neoplasms, palate, malignant, Benign.

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