Antibiotic resistance among clinical Ureaplasma Isolates Recovered from Neonates in England and Wales between 2007 and 2013

Ureaplasma spp. are associated with numerous clinical sequelae with treatment options being limited due to patient and pathogen factors. This report examines the prevalence and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance among clinical strains isolated from 95 neonates, 32 women attending a sexual health clinic, and 3 patients under investigation for immunological disorders, between 2007 and 2013 in England and Wales. MICs were determined by using broth microdilution assays, and a subset of isolates were compared using the broth microdilution method and the Mycoplasma IST2 assay. The underlying molecular mechanisms for resistance were determined for all resistant isolates. Three isolates carried the tet(M) tetracycline resistance gene (2.3%; confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 6.86%); two isolates were ciprofloxacin resistant (1.5%; CI, 0.07 to 5.79%) but sensitive to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, while no resistance was seen to any macrolides tested. The MIC values for chloramphenicol were universally low (2 μg/ml), while inherently high-level MIC values for gentamicin were seen (44 to 66 μg/ml). The Mycoplasma IST2 assay identified a number of false positives for ciprofloxacin resistance, as the method does not conform to international testing guidelines. While antibiotic resistance among Ureaplasma isolates remains low, continued surveillance is essential to monitor trends and threats from importation of resistant clones

Transmission dynamics of Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease may lead to disease-induced extinction

Most pathogens threatening to cause extinction of a host species are maintained on one or more reservoir hosts, in addition to the species that is threatened by disease. Further, most conventional host–pathogen theory assumes that transmission is related to host density, and therefore a pathogen should become extinct before its sole host. Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease is a recently emerged infectious cancer that has led to massive population declines and grave concerns for the future persistence of this largest surviving marsupial carnivore. Here we report the results of mark–recapture studies at six sites and use these data to estimate epidemiological parameters critical to both accurately assessing the risk of extinction from this disease and effectively managing this disease threat. Three sites were monitored from before or close to the time of disease arrival, and at three others disease was well established when trapping began, in one site for at least 10 years. We found no evidence for sex-specific differences in disease prevalence and little evidence of consistent seasonal variation in the force of infection. At all sites, the disease was maintained at high levels of prevalence (>50% in 2–3-year-old animals), despite causing major population declines. We also provide the first estimates of the basic reproductive rate R0 for this disease. Using a simple age-structured deterministic model, we show that our results are not consistent with transmission being proportional to the density of infected hosts but are consistent with frequency-dependent transmission. This conclusion is further supported by the observation that local disease prevalence in 2–3-year-olds still exceeds 50% at a site where population density has been reduced by up to 90% in the past 12 years. These findings lend considerable weight to concerns that this host-specific pathogen will cause the extinction of the Tasmanian devil. Our study highlights the importance of rapidly implementing monitoring programs to determine how transmission depends on host density and emphasizes the need for ongoing management strategies involving a disease-free “insurance population,” along with ongoing field monitoring programs to confirm whether local population extinction occur

Relationship of Proteinases and Proteinase Inhibitors with Microbial Presence in Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity

Background: A proteolytic imbalance has been implicated in the development of “classical” chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD). However, in “new” CLD this pattern has changed. This study examines the longitudinal relationship between neutrophil proteinases and their inhibitors in ventilated preterm infants and their relationship to microbial colonisation. Methods: Serial bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained from ventilated newborn preterm infants. Neutrophil elastase (NE) activity, cell counts, metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, MMP-9/TIMP-1 complex, SerpinB1 concentration and percentage of SerpinB1 and α1-antitrypsin (AAT) in complex with elastase were measured. The presence of microbial genes was examined using PCR for 16S rRNA genes. Results: Statistically more infants who developed CLD had NE activity in at least one sample (10/20) compared with infants with resolved respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (2/17). However, NE activity was present in a minority of samples, occurring as episodic peaks. Peak levels of MMP-9, MMP-9/TIMP-1 complex, percentage of AAT and SerpinB1 in complex and cell counts were all statistically greater in infants developing CLD than in infants with resolved RDS. Peak values frequently occurred as episodic spikes and strong temporal relationships were noted between all markers. The peak values for all variables were significantly correlated to each other. The presence of bacterial 16S rRNA genes was associated with the development of CLD and with elevated elastase and MMP-9. Conclusion: NE activity and MMP-9 appear to be important in the development of “new” CLD with both proteinase and inhibitor concentrations increasing episodically, possibly in response to postnatal infection

Great Lakes management: Ecological factors

Although attempts to improve the quality of the Great Lakes generally focus on chemical pollution, other factors are important and should be considered Ecological factors, such as invasion of the lakes by foreign species, habitat changes, overfishing, and random variations in organism populations, are especially influential. Lack of appreciation of the significance of ecological factors stems partly from the inappropriate application of the concept of eutrophication to the Great Lakes. Emphasis on ecological factors is not intended to diminish the seriousness of pollution, but rather to point out that more cost-effective management, as well as more realistic expectations of management efforts by the public, should result from an ecosystem management approach in which ecological factors are carefully considered.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41271/1/267_2005_Article_BF01871353.pd

A comprehensive database of quality-rated fossil ages for Sahul’s Quaternary vertebrates

Published: 19 July 2016The study of palaeo-chronologies using fossil data provides evidence for past ecological and evolutionary processes, and is therefore useful for predicting patterns and impacts of future environmental change. However, the robustness of inferences made from fossil ages relies heavily on both the quantity and quality of available data. We compiled Quaternary non-human vertebrate fossil ages from Sahul published up to 2013. This, the FosSahul database, includes 9,302 fossil records from 363 deposits, for a total of 478 species within 215 genera, of which 27 are from extinct and extant megafaunal species (2,559 records). We also provide a rating of reliability of individual absolute age based on the dating protocols and association between the dated materials and the fossil remains. Our proposed rating system identified 2,422 records with high-quality ages (i.e., a reduction of 74%). There are many applications of the database, including disentangling the confounding influences of hypothetical extinction drivers, better spatial distribution estimates of species relative to palaeo-climates, and potentially identifying new areas for fossil discovery.Marta Rodríguez-Rey, y, Salvador Herrando-Pérez, Barry W. Brook, Frédérik Saltré, John Alroy, Nicholas Beeton, Michael I. Bird, Alan Cooper, Richard Gillespie, Zenobia Jacobs, Christopher N. Johnson, Gifford H. Miller, Gavin J. Prideaux, Richard G. Roberts, Chris S.M. Turney and Corey J.A. Bradsha

Adapting an online guided self- help intervention for the management of binge eating in adults with type 2 diabetes: The POSE- D study

Aims People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are more likely to experience binge eating than the general population, which may interfere with their diabetes management. Guided self-help (GSH) is the recommended treatment for binge-eating disorder, but there is currently a lack of evidenced treatment for binge eating in individuals living with T2D. The aims of the current study were to adapt an existing evidence-based GSH intervention using the principles of co-design to make it available online, suitable for remote delivery to address binge eating specifically in adults living with T2D. The Working to Overcome Eating Difficulties GSH intervention comprises online GSH materials presented in seven sections delivered over 12 weeks, supported by a trained Guide. Methods In order to adapt the intervention, we held four collaboration workshops with three expert patients recruited from diabetes support groups, eight healthcare professionals and an expert consensus group. We used thematic analysis to make sense of the data. Results and Conclusions The main themes included; keeping the GSH material generic, adapting Sam the central character, tailoring the dietary advice and eating diary. The length of Guidance sessions was increased to 60 min, and Guide training was focussed around working with people with diabetes

The Antibody Targeting the E314 Peptide of Human Kv1.3 Pore Region Serves as a Novel, Potent and Specific Channel Blocker

Selective blockade of Kv1.3 channels in effector memory T (TEM) cells was validated to ameliorate autoimmune or autoimmune-associated diseases. We generated the antibody directed against one peptide of human Kv1.3 (hKv1.3) extracellular loop as a novel and possible Kv1.3 blocker. One peptide of hKv1.3 extracellular loop E3 containing 14 amino acids (E314) was chosen as an antigenic determinant to generate the E314 antibody. The E314 antibody specifically recognized 63.8KD protein stably expressed in hKv1.3-HEK 293 cell lines, whereas it did not recognize or cross-react to human Kv1.1(hKv1.1), Kv1.2(hKv1.2), Kv1.4(hKv1.4), Kv1.5(hKv1.5), KCa3.1(hKCa3.1), HERG, hKCNQ1/hKCNE1, Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 proteins stably expressed in HEK 293 cell lines or in human atrial or ventricular myocytes by Western blotting analysis and immunostaining detection. By the technique of whole-cell patch clamp, the E314 antibody was shown to have a directly inhibitory effect on hKv1.3 currents expressed in HEK 293 or Jurkat T cells and the inhibition showed a concentration-dependence. However, it exerted no significant difference on hKv1.1, hKv1.2, hKv1.4, hKv1.5, hKCa3.1, HERG, hKCNQ1/hKCNE1, L-type Ca2+ or voltage-gated Na+ currents. The present study demonstrates that the antibody targeting the E314 peptide of hKv1.3 pore region could be a novel, potent and specific hKv1.3 blocker without affecting a variety of closely related Kv1 channels, KCa3.1 channels and functional cardiac ion channels underlying central nervous systerm (CNS) disorders or drug-acquired arrhythmias, which is required as a safe clinic-promising channel blocker

Corrigendum: Chronic Intra-Uterine Ureaplasma parvum infection induces injury of the enteric Nervous System in Ovine Fetuses

Michael L. Beeton was not included as an author in the published article. The corrected Author Contributions Statement appears below