BackgroundCa2+ ion is a versatile second messenger that operate in a wide ranges of cellular processes that impact nearly every aspect of life. Ca2+ regulates gene expression and biotic and abiotic stress responses in organisms ranging from unicellular algae to multi-cellular higher plants through the cascades of calcium signaling processes.ResultsIn this study, we deciphered the genomics and evolutionary aspects of calcium signaling event of calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin like- (CML) proteins. We studied the CaM and CML gene family of 41 different species across the plant lineages. Genomic analysis showed that plant encodes more calmodulin like-protein than calmodulins. Further analyses showed, the majority of CMLs were intronless, while CaMs were intron rich. Multiple sequence alignment showed, the EF-hand domain of CaM contains four conserved D-x-D motifs, one in each EF-hand while CMLs contain only one D-x-D-x-D motif in the fourth EF-hand. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that, the CMLs were evolved earlier than CaM and later diversified. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that different CaM and CMLs genes were express differentially in different tissues in a spatio-temporal manner.ConclusionIn this study we provided in detailed genome-wide identifications and characterization of CaM and CML protein family, phylogenetic relationships, and domain structure. Expression study of CaM and CML genes were conducted in Glycine max and Phaseolus vulgaris. Our study provides a strong foundation for future functional research in CaM and CML gene family in plant kingdom.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12870-017-0989-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Summaryobjectives To determine the carriage rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in healthy Indian schoolchildren. The prevalence of antibiotic resistant strains in the community may be used to assess the trends of antibiotic resistance in invasive strains. Prevalence of resistance to various antimicrobial drugs among S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae was estimated.methods Two thousand four hundred subjects, aged 5-10 years, were enrolled from 45 rural and 45 urban schools. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected from each child, after taking informed written consent. Swabs were processed to isolate S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. All isolates were tested for resistance to chloramphenicol, erythromycin and co-trimoxazole. Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were also tested against tetracycline and oxacillin while H. influenzae isolates were tested against ampicillin.results Nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae was high in healthy schoolchildren. Stratified analysis showed that nasal carriage of pneumococci in urban children was significantly lower than in rural children [46.8% vs. 53.2%, P < 0.001]. Carriage rates of H. influenzae in male and female populations were significantly different (47.8% vs. 52.3%, P < 0.04). Penicillin resistance in S. pneumoniae was found low (3.3%), but 22.9% of H. influenzae isolates were ampicillin resistant. Resistance to co-trimoxazole was very high in both S. pneumoniae (81.8%) and H. influenzae (67.3%).conclusion There is high nasopharyngeal carriage of drug resistant S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae in schoolchildren of north India. Currently, in India, co-trimoxazole for 5 days is recommended for treatment of non-severe pneumonia and third generation cephalosporins are drug of choice for management of severe pneumococcal/H. influenzae diseases. We found high co-trimoxazole resistance and low penicillin resistance in pneumococcal isolates. This justifies empirical use of penicillin in management of invasive pneumococcal infections in India.

Our study has shown that decreasing the tibial slope >5° compared to pre-operative value has functionally favourable effect on the reconstructed ACL graft and outcome. It is known that increasing slope causes an anterior shift in tibial resting position that is accentuated under axial loads. This suggests that decreasing tibial slope may be protective in an ACL deficient knee. Hence by placing the tricortical graft posterior to midline in the opening wedge reduces the posterior tibial slope and thereby reduces the stress on the graft leading to better functional outcome.

Midline ventral hernias are common. Tension-free mesh repair of ventral hernias is becoming popular due to the high recurrence rate with conventional techniques. We have used an open intraperitoneal technique using the Bard Ventralex hernia patch in midline ventral hernias (

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Haemophilus influenzae is one of the main causes of otitis media, sinusitis, meningitis, pneumonia and septicaemia in children, and the development of ampicillin resistance in H. influenzae is a cause of serious concern. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of ampicillin resistance in H. influenzae colonizing the nasopharynx of school-going healthy North Indian children, and to compare the distribution of different biotypes and serotype b in this population. A total of 2400 school-going healthy children from 45 rural and 45 urban schools were enrolled. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the children and cultured. H. influenzae was isolated from 1001 (41?7 %) of the 2400 nasopharyngeal swabs collected. All these H. influenzae isolates were biotyped and serotyped, and their antibiotic susceptibility tested. All eight biotypes were present in this population. The most prevalent biotypes were I (19?6 %), II (16?8 %) and III (25?0 %). Of the 1001 isolates, 316 (31?6 %) were H. influenzae type b and 685 (68?4 %) were non-type b H. influenzae, and 22?9 % were resistant to ampicillin, 41?9 % to chloramphenicol, 27?5 % to erythromycin and 67?3 % to co-trimoxazole. Of the 316 H. influenzae type b isolates, 44?0 % were ampicillin resistant, while only 13?1 % non-type b H. influenzae isolates were ampicillin resistant. Of the 229 ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae isolates, 196 (85?6 %) were positive for b-lactamase; 93?4 % (214/229) were biotypes I, II and III, of which 49 % were biotype I, 27?9 % were type II and 16?6 % were type III. Most of the strains belonging to biotypes III-VIII were ampicillin sensitive. Ampicillin resistance is significantly more common in biotype I and serotype b than in other biotypes and serotypes. INTRODUCTIONHaemophilus influenzae asymptomatically colonizes the nasopharynx of healthy individuals, and causes systemic disease and mucous membrane infections. Eight biotypes and six serotypes are used as epidemiological markers for studying the pattern of colonization of H. influenzae and to identify the strains of bacterium commonly known to be pathogenic (Alrawi et al., 2002). For instance biotype I and serotype b are commonly associated with meningitis in children, and biotypes II and III are commonly associated with upper respiratory tract infections (Pittman, 1931;Kilian, 1976;Gratten, 1983).Ampicillin/amoxycillin was the empirical treatment for Haemophilus disease until the recent past. Development of ampicillin resistance in causative organisms led to use of third-generation cephalosporins (e.g. ceftriaxone) as empirical drugs. Resistance to ampicillin results from the production of a b-lactamase and alteration of the antibiotic target, penicillin-binding protein (Markowitz, 1980;Mendelman et al., 1984). Treatment problems linked to the prevalence of b-lactam resistance are compounded by the frequency of cross resistance to many other antibiotics (Talon et al., 2000). The high cost of cephalosporins and the development of drug resistance due to irrational use...

IntroductionMaxillofacial region in children is particularly vulnerable to animal bite injuries. These injuries may range from insignificant scratches to life-threatening neck and facial injuries. Children are the common victims, particularly of dog bites.Materials and methodsThree cases of animal bite injuries in children with their clinical presentation and their management are being presented along with review of literature. Surgical management included cleansing and primary closure of the wound. Rabies and tetanus prophylaxis were given.DiscussionThe most common site of injury was the face. For the facial injuries, the most frequently affected area was the middle third (55%), also called as the “central target area.” The small stature of children, the disproportionate size of the head relative to the body, their willingness to bring their faces close to the animal, and limited motor skills to provide defense are believed to account for this. The resulting soft-tissue injuries can vary in relation to their extent. Treatment involved initial surgical exploration, and secondary repair later depending on the severity of the injury.ConclusionPrompt assessment and treatment can prevent most bite wound complications. Early management of such injuries usually guarantees satisfactory outcome. Prevention strategies include close supervision of child-dog interactions, better reporting of bites, etc.How to cite this articleAgrawal A, Kumar P, Singhal R, Singh V, Bhagol A. Animal Bite Injuries in Children: Review of Literature and Case Series. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(1):67-72.