NTRA-CELLULAR STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ALONE CAUSES INFECTION IN VIVO

Chronic and recurrent bone infections occur frequently but have not been explained. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is often found among chronic and recurrent infections and may be responsible for such infections. One possible reason is that S. aureus can internalize and survive within host cells and by doing so, S. aureus can evade both host defense mechanisms and most conventional antibiotic treatments. In this study, we hypothesized that intra-cellular S. aureus could induce infections in vivo. Osteoblasts were infected with S. aureus and, after eliminating extra-cellular S. aureus, inoculated into an open fracture rat model. Bacterial cultures and radiographic observations at post-operative day 21 confirmed local bone infections in animals inoculated with intra-cellular S. aureus within osteoblasts alone. We present direct in vivo evidence that intra-cellular S. aureus could be sufficient to induce bone infection in animals; we found that intra-cellular S. aureus inoculation of as low as 102 colony forming units could induce severe bone infections. Our data may suggest that intra-cellular S. aureus can “hide” in host cells during symptom-free periods and, under certain conditions, they may escape and lead to infection recurrence. Intra-cellular S. aureus therefore could play an important role in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infections, especially those chronic and recurrent infections in which disease episodes may be separated by weeks, months, or even years

In My View

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Prior studies by our group have shown that nicotine delivered via a transdermal nicotine patch significantly enhanced posterior spinal fusion rates in rabbits. This runs contrary to previously published studies by other groups in which nicotine administration decreased fusion rates. Hence, there may be a dose-dependent effect of nicotine on posterior spinal fusion outcomes

alBOX: White Label Parcel Lockers as Sustainable Solution for Last Mile Delivery

Online commerce is an expanding and therefore challenging market. Due to its complexity, innovative solutions are required to guarantee a resource-saving supply quality with flexible goods and services in urban and rural areas. The challenges lie in developing an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable receiving and shipping system that offers the possibility of directly involving the local economy and strengthening locations overall. In particular, overcoming the last-mile in parcel delivery by courier express parcel services (CEP services) is associated with numerous problems. Based on these logistical-organisational problems and challenges, vendor-independent (“white-label”) parcel lockers were developed within the alBOX research project framework. Therefore, a pilot operation of white- label parcel systems in two target areas with different settlement structures (rural community of Kaumberg in Lower Austria and Vienna’s 5th district Margareten) was implemented for twelve months. The implementation of the white-label parcel lockers system was accompanied by conducting a mixed methods research which uses quantitative data (e.g. average package sizes, frequency of orders, usage times etc.) as well as qualitative data (e.g. user experience, operability etc.) to test, analyse and evaluate this innovative service. In this paper, the project’s results are linked to delivery and distribution logistics’ challenges to explain white-label parcel lockers’ contribution to ensure a nationwide, innovative and demand-oriented (local) supply structure for spatially scalable and flexible flows of goods, information and services. For this purpose, supply-related, social, economic, and ecologically and environmentally relevant objectives were considered. The focus is on the results that describe the delivery situation from the recipients' perspective and their usage behaviour. It is discussed to what extent the parcel lockers as the first delivery address influence the delivery situation in the target areas of the pilot operation

Low Dose Nicotine Exposure Improves Posterior Spinal Fusion in an In Vivo Rabbit Model

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: A previous pilot study by our group demonstrated that nicotine administration via transdermal nicotine patch showed consistent serum nicotine levels whereas administration via the more commonly utilized mini-osmotic pump resulted in large variations in serum levels of nicotine of rabbits. In other work, we have previously demonstrated that nicotine delivered via a transdermal patch enhanced posterior spinal fusion rates in rabbits. This is contrary to studies published by other groups where nicotine administration decreased fusion rates

Low Dose Nicotine Exposure Improves Posterior Spinal Fusion in an In Vivo Rabbit Model

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: A previous pilot study by our group demonstrated that nicotine administration via transdermal nicotine patch showed consistent serum nicotine levels whereas administration via the more commonly utilized mini-osmotic pump resulted in large variations in serum levels of nicotine of rabbits. In other work, we have previously demonstrated that nicotine delivered via a transdermal patch enhanced posterior spinal fusion rates in rabbits. This is contrary to studies published by other groups where nicotine administration decreased fusion rates