The knowledge of etiology and antibiotic resistance pattern of the organisms causing urinary tract infection is essential. This study was taken up to determine the presentation and risk factors associated with community-acquired urinary tract infection (CA-UTI). The distribution of bacterial strains isolated from these patients and their resistance pattern were also studied. This multidisciplinary prospective observational study was conducted in M. S. Ramaiah Hospital, Bangalore, between January and December, 2008. Patients who had CA-UTI confirmed by positive urine culture reports were included in the study. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS version 16. Symptomatology and others risk factors for CA-UTI were studied in these patients and the causative organisms and their resistance patterns were recorded. Of the total 510 patients included, 57% belonged to the elderly age group (50–79 years). Fever and dysuria were the most common clinical presentation, but were not specific in predicting CA-UTI. Escherichia coli (66.9%) was the most common organism causing CA-UTIs with extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) resistance seen in nearly two-thirds of these cases (42.2%). The organisms recorded least resistance against carbapenems (3.9%). A high resistance rate was seen for fluoroquinolones (74.1%). In conclusion, a high rate of ESBL-positive organisms and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics brings a concern for future options in treating these conditions.

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to systematically detect and quantify differential effects of chronic tobacco use in organs of the whole body. Methods 20 healthy male subjects (10 non-smokers and 10 chronic heavy smokers) were enrolled. Subjects underwent whole-body FDG-PET/CT, diagnostic unenhanced chest CT, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), urine testing for oxidative stress and serum testing. Organs of interest (thyroid, skin, skeletal muscle, aorta, heart, lung, adipose tissue, liver, spleen, brain, lumbar spinal bone marrow, and testis) were analyzed from FDG-PET/CT images to determine their metabolic activities using standardized uptake value (SUV) or metabolic volumetric product (MVP). Measurements were compared between subject groups using 2-sample t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests as determined by tests for normality. Correlational analyses were also performed. Results FDG-PET/CT revealed significantly decreased metabolic activity of lumbar spinal bone marrow (MVPmean 29.8±9.7 cc vs. 40.8±11.6 cc, p=0.03) and liver (SUVmean 1.8±0.2 vs. 2.0±0.2, p=0.049), and increased metabolic activity of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (SUVmean 0.35±0.10 vs. 0.26±0.06, p=0.02) in chronic smokers compared to non-smokers. Normalized VAT volume was also significantly decreased (p=0.04) in chronic smokers. There were no statistically significant differences in the metabolic activity of other assessed organs. Conclusions Subclinical organ effects of chronic tobacco use are detectable and quantifiable on FDG-PET/CT. FDG-PET/CT may therefore play a major role in the study of systemic toxic effects of tobacco use in organs of the whole body for clinical or research purposes.

Circadian rhythms are observed in most organisms on earth and known to play a major role in successful adaptation to the 24 h cycling environment. Circadian phenotypes are characterized by a free running period that is observed in constant conditions and an entrained phase that is observed in cyclic conditions. Thus, the relationship between the free running period and phase of entrainment is of interest. A popular simple rule has been that the entrained phase is the expression of the period in a cycling environment, i.e., that a short period causes an advanced phase, and a long period causes a delayed phase. However, there are experimental data that are not explained by this simple relationship, and no systematic study has been done to explore all possible period-phase relationships. Here we show the existence of stable period-phase relationships that are exceptions to this rule. First, we analyzed period-phase relationships using populations with different degrees of genome complexity. Second, we generated isogenic F1 populations by crossing 14 classical period mutants to the same female, and analyzed two populations with a short period/delayed phase and a long period/advanced phase. Third, we generated a mathematical model to account for such variable relationships between period and phase. Our analyses support the view that the circadian period of an organism is not the only predictor of the entrained phase.

Metabolic and inflammatory factors predicted changes in AIx over time, with important sex differences. Metabolic factors, such as abdominal obesity and impaired fasting glucose, predicted changes in AIx in men, whereas C-reactive protein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels predicted changes in women. Our findings highlight the impact of sex on arterial properties and may guide the design of interventions to favorably impact changes in late systolic pressure augmentation.