A catalog of intermediate duration Type I X-ray bursts observed with the INTEGRAL satellite

We present a catalog of long duration bursts observed with the Joint European X-ray Monitor (JEM-X) and IBIS/ISGRI instruments onboard the INTEGRAL satellite. The fourteen bursts have e-folding times ranging from 55 s to ? 17 min, and are therefore classified as intermediate-duration bursts, caused by the ignition of an unusually thick helium layer. Though seven events have already been reported in literature, we have systematically re-analyzed the whole sample. We find three new photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts, which are not reported in the literature, allowing us to provide a new estimate of the distances to these sources. We apply the enhanced persistent emission method (also known as the fa method) on sources with detectable persistent emission prior to a burst, in order to follow the evolution of the accretion rate during the burst. Although we do not get significantly better fits, the evolution of the fa factor shows an indicative behavior, which we discuss

Reduced presentation of Biliary Atresia during the COVID-19 lockdown - a population based observational study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess whether there has been a change in presentations of Biliary Atresia (BA) in England and Wales during the first and second COVID-19 lockdowns (January - June 2020 and 2021). DESIGN: This population study assessed all confirmed cases of BA, from January 2020 to December 2021 across the 3 UK paediatric liver centers originating from England and Wales. Data was then compared to the incidence of confirmed BA cases from January - December 2017, 2018, and 2019. RESULTS: During January - June 2020 and 2021, there were only 8 and 12 presenting cases of BA in England and Wales, compared to 16, 13 and 18 for the same time periods in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively. This difference was significant in a two-sided t-test for 2020 (p = 0.035) but not for 2021 (p = 0.385). There was no difference in the mean days to Kasai procedure in January - June 2020 and 2021 compared to 2017-2019, however average time to Kasai after the lockdown periods was significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant reduction in the presenting cases of BA during the first COVID-19 lockdown, with an increased time for BA referrals after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted in England and Wales

Battery-less zero-maintenance embedded sensing at the mithræum of circus maximus

status: accepte

Prevalence of Faecal Carriage of Enterobacteriaceae with NDM-1 Carbapenemase at Military Hospitals in Pakistan, and Evaluation of Two Chromogenic Media.

Objectives - To determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among hospitalized patients and outpatients attending two military hospitals in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and to compare the performance of two chromogenic culture media for the isolation of these organisms. Methods - Stool samples from 200 distinct patients were cultured on MacConkey agar and subsequently on two chromogenic media—Colorex KPC and a prototype chromogenic medium, ID Carba—designed for the isolation of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. All Gram-negative isolates growing on either chromogenic medium were investigated for carbapenemases by phenotypic and molecular methods. Producers were subjected to susceptibility testing with 40 antimicrobials by VITEK 2 or agar dilution. Results - In total, 64 NDM-1-positive isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, belonging to seven distinct species, were recovered from 37 (18.5%) of the stool samples. No other carbapenemase types were confirmed. Nineteen positive samples were identified among 70 from inpatients (prevalence 27.1%) and there were 18 positive samples among 130 from outpatients (prevalence 13.8%). Fifty-six isolates (87.5%) harbouring the NDM-1 enzyme were recovered on ID Carba compared with 41 isolates (64.1%) on Colorex KPC (P = 0.012). Multidrug resistance was prevalent, but no pan-resistant isolates were found, with most isolates susceptible in vitro to colistin (97%), mecillinam (95%), fosfomycin (94%), tigecycline (89%) and nitrofurantoin (78%). Conclusions - This study shows a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae with the NDM-1 enzyme in Rawalpindi. The new chromogenic medium, ID Carba, was more sensitive than Colorex KPC and has potential as a screening medium for isolation of Enterobacteriaceae harbouring the NDM-1 enzyme