80 research outputs found
Genotyping and antibiotic resistance of thermophilic Campylobacter isolated from chicken and pig meat in Vietnam
Background Campylobacter species are recognized as the most common cause of
foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. In this study nine
Campylobacter strains isolated from chicken meat and pork in Hanoi, Vietnam,
were characterized using molecular methods and tested for antibiotic
resistance. Results The nine isolates (eight C. jejuni and one C. coli) were
identified by multiplex PCR, and tested for the presence or absence of 29 gene
loci associated with virulence, lipooligosaccharide (LOS) biosynthesis and
further functions. flaA typing, multilocus sequence typing and microarray
assay investigation showed a high degree of genetic diversity among these
isolates. In all isolates motility genes (flaA, flaB, flhA, fliM),
colonization associated genes (cadF, docB), toxin production genes (cdtA,
cdtB, secD, secF), and the LOS biosynthesis gene pglB were detected. Eight
gene loci (fliY, virB11, Cje1278, Cj1434c, Cj1138, Cj1438c, Cj1440c, Cj1136)
could not be detected by PCR. A differing presence of the gene loci ciaB (22.2
%), Cje1280 (77.8 %), docC (66.7 %), and cgtB (55.6 %) was found. iamA, cdtC,
and the type 6 secretion system were present in all C. jejuni isolates but not
in C. coli. flaA typing resulted in five different genotypes within C. jejuni,
MLST classified the isolates into seven sequence types (ST-5155, ST-6736,
ST-2837, ST-4395, ST-5799, ST-4099 and ST-860). The microarray assay analysis
showed a high genetic diversity within Vietnamese Campylobacter isolates which
resulted in eight different types for C. jejuni. Antibiotic susceptibility
profiles showed that all isolates were sensitive to gentamicin and most
isolates (88.8 %) were sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin and
streptomycin. Resistance rates to nalidixic acid, tetracycline and
ciprofloxacin were 88.9, 77.8 and 66.7 %, respectively. Conclusions To the
best of our knowledge, this study is the first report that shows high genetic
diversity and remarkable antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter strains
isolated from meat in Vietnam which can be considered of high public health
significance. These preliminary data show that large scale screenings are
justified to assess the relevance of Campylobacter infections on human health
in Vietnam
How Does Information Processing Speed Relate to the Attentional Blink?
Background When observers are asked to identify two targets in rapid sequence, they often suffer profound performance deficits for the second target, even when the spatial location of the targets is known. This attentional blink (AB) is usually attributed to the time required to process a previous target, implying that a link should exist between individual differences in information processing speed and the AB. Methodology/Principal Findings The present work investigated this question by examining the relationship between a rapid automatized naming task typically used to assess information-processing speed and the magnitude of the AB. The results indicated that faster processing actually resulted in a greater AB, but only when targets were presented amongst high similarity distractors. When target-distractor similarity was minimal, processing speed was unrelated to the AB. Conclusions/Significance Our findings indicate that information-processing speed is unrelated to target processing efficiency per se, but rather to individual differences in observers' ability to suppress distractors. This is consistent with evidence that individuals who are able to avoid distraction are more efficient at deploying temporal attention, but argues against a direct link between general processing speed and efficient information selection
Proctitis following stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Background
Proctitis after radiation therapy for prostate cancer remains an ongoing clinical challenge and critical quality of life issue. SBRT could minimize rectal toxicity by reducing the volume of rectum receiving high radiation doses and offers the potential radiobiologic benefits of hypofractionation. This study sought to evaluate the incidence and severity of proctitis following SBRT for prostate cancer.
Methods
Between February 2008 and July 2011, 269 men with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated definitively with SBRT monotherapy at Georgetown University Hospital. All patients were treated to 35-36.25Gy in 5 fractions delivered with the CyberKnife Radiosurgical System (Accuray). Rectal bleeding was recorded and scored using the CTCAE v.4. Telangiectasias were graded using the Vienna Rectoscopy Score (VRS). Proctitis was assessed via the Bowel domain of the Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC)-26 at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months post-SBRT.
Results
The median age was 69 years with a median prostate volume of 39 cc. The median follow-up was 3.9 years with a minimum follow-up of two years. The 2-year actuarial incidence of late rectal bleeding ≥ grade 2 was 1.5%. Endoscopy revealed VRS Grade 2 rectal telangiectasias in 11% of patients. All proctitis symptoms increased at one month post-SBRT but returned to near-baseline with longer follow-up. The most bothersome symptoms were bowel urgency and frequency. At one month post-SBRT, 11.2% and 8.5% of patients reported a moderate to big problem with bowel urgency and frequency, respectively. The EPIC bowel summary scores declined transiently at 1 month and experienced a second, more protracted decline between 6 months and 18 months before returning to near-baseline at two years post-SBRT. Prior to treatment, 4.1% of men felt their bowel function was a moderate to big problem which increased to 11.5% one month post-SBRT but returned to near-baseline at two years post-SBRT.
Conclusions
In this single institution cohort, the rate and severity of proctitis observed following SBRT is low. QOL decreased on follow-up; however, our results compare favorably to those reported for patients treated with alternative radiation modalities. Future prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these observations
Nasolacrimal system aeration on computed tomographic imaging: effects of patient positioning and scan orientation
Craig N Czyz,1 Thomas S Bacon,2 Andrew W Stacey,3 Eva N Cahill,4 Bryan R Costin,5 Boris I Karanfilov,6 Kenneth V Cahill5 1Section Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ohio University/OhioHealth, 2Department of Medical Education, Mount Carmel Health Systems, Columbus, OH, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; 4Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, USA; 5Department of Ophthalmology, William H Havener Eye Institute, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA; 6The Sinus Institute of Ohio, Dublin, OH, USA Purpose: To determine the impact of patient positioning and scan orientation on the appearance of air in the nasolacrimal drainage system on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and the repeatability of the observations.Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of CT images for 92 patients.Results: Air was found to be present more fully in the upright-position group as compared with the supine-position group. Comparing axial and coronal scan orientation, no difference in aeration was found, except for the nasolacrimal duct in the upright-position group.Conclusion: Patient position should be accounted for in diagnostic conclusions and treatment decisions based on CT. Keywords: axial, coronal, nasolacrimal sac, nasolacrimal duc
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