High Rate of Mobilization for blaCTX-Ms

The blaCTX-Ms have been mobilized to plasmids more frequently than other class A β-lactamases

Increasing Incidences and Clonal Diversity of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Nordic Countries-Results From the Nordic MRSA Surveillance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is notifiable in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The prevalence of MRSA in this region has been low for many years, but all five countries experience increasing numbers of new cases. The aim of the study was to describe the molecular epidemiology in the Nordic countries 2009-2016. Numbers of new cases of MRSA from 1997 to 2016 were compared, and a database containing information on spa-type and place of residence or acquisition, for all new MRSA isolates from 2009 to 2016 was established. A website was developed to visualize the geographic distribution of the spa-types. The incidence of new MRSA cases increased in all Nordic countries with Denmark having 61.8 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016 as the highest. The number of new cases 2009 to 2016 was 60,984. spa-typing revealed a high genetic diversity, with a total of 2,344 different spa-types identified. The majority of these spa-types (N = 2,017) were found in 1-10 cases. The most common spa-types t127/CC1, t223/CC22, and t304/CC6:8 increased significantly in all Nordic countries during the study period, except for Iceland, while spa-type t002/CC5 decreased in the same four countries. The trends of other common spa-types were different in each of the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries were shown to share similar trends but also to have country-specific characteristics in their MRSA populations. A continued increasing numbers of MRSA will challenge the surveillance economically. A more selected molecular surveillance will probably have to be employed in the future

Efflux Pump, the Masked Side of ß-Lactam Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates

International audienceBACKGROUND: Beta-lactamase production and porin decrease are the well-recognized mechanisms of acquired beta-lactam resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. However, such mechanisms proved to be absent in K. pneumoniae isolates that are non susceptible to cefoxitin (FOX) and susceptible to amoxicillin+clavulanic acid in our hospital. Assessing the role of efflux pumps in this beta-lactam phenotype was the aim of this study. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: MICs of 9 beta-lactams, including cloxacillin (CLX), and other antibiotic families were tested alone and with an efflux pump inhibitor (EPI), then with both CLX (subinhibitory concentrations) and EPI against 11 unique bacteremia K. pneumoniae isolates displaying the unusual phenotype, and 2 ATCC strains. CLX and EPI-dose dependent effects were studied on 4 representatives strains. CLX MICs significantly decreased when tested with EPI. A similar phenomenon was observed with piperacillin+tazobactam whereas MICs of the other beta-lactams significantly decreased only in the presence of both EPI and CLX. Thus, FOX MICs decreased 128 fold in the K. pneumoniae isolates but also 16 fold in ATCC strain. Restoration of FOX activity was CLX dose-dependent suggesting a competitive relationship between CLX and the other beta-lactams with regard to their efflux. For chloramphenicol, erythromycin and nalidixic acid whose resistance was also due to efflux, adding CLX to EPI did not increase their activity suggesting differences between the efflux process of these molecules and that of beta-lactams. CONCLUSION: This is the first study demonstrating that efflux mechanism plays a key role in the beta-lactam susceptibility of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. Such data clearly evidence that the involvement of efflux pumps in beta-lactam resistance is specially underestimated in clinical isolates

Emergence of methicillin resistance predates the clinical use of antibiotics

The discovery of antibiotics more than 80 years ago has led to considerable improvements in human and animal health. Although antibiotic resistance in environmental bacteria is ancient, resistance in human pathogens is thought to be a modern phenomenon that is driven by the clinical use of antibiotics(1). Here we show that particular lineages of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-a notorious human pathogen-appeared in European hedgehogs in the pre-antibiotic era. Subsequently, these lineages spread within the local hedgehog populations and between hedgehogs and secondary hosts, including livestock and humans. We also demonstrate that the hedgehog dermatophyte Trichophyton erinacei produces two beta-lactam antibiotics that provide a natural selective environment in which methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates have an advantage over susceptible isolates. Together, these results suggest that methicillin resistance emerged in the pre-antibiotic era as a co-evolutionary adaptation of S. aureus to the colonization of dermatophyte-infected hedgehogs. The evolution of clinically relevant antibiotic-resistance genes in wild animals and the connectivity of natural, agricultural and human ecosystems demonstrate that the use of a One Health approach is critical for our understanding and management of antibiotic resistance, which is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development

A Review of SHV Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases: Neglected Yet Ubiquitous

Microbial Biotechnolog

Measurement rig for sensor placement on testing vehicles

Scania är en av världens största lastbils- och busstillverkare och leverantör av motorer för industri och marina applikationer. Detta examensarbete har undersökt olika tekniska lösningar för att öka precisionen och tillförlitligheten i placeringen av givare på Scanias provfordon. Detta ställer mycket höga krav på mätutrustningen som måste klara av en mängd olika fordon, geometrier och givartyper. Rapporten börjar med en bakgrundsstudie som undersökte laser/3D skanning, augmented reality och mätriggar, sedan undersöktes och beskrevs den befintliga processen idag hos Scania. Undersökningen visade att det inte fanns någon färdig lösning som kunde köpas. Därför beslutades det att ta fram en konceptuell CAD-modell på en mätrigg. Denna CAD modell gick igenom fyra iterationer. I den första iterationen togs ett allmänt koncept fram som kunde utnyttja Scanias befintliga globala koordinatsystem. Den presenteras för uppdragsgivaren och brister identifierades som åtgärdades till andra iterationen. I den andra iteration föreslogs en mer allmän monteringsmetod och ett annat mätsystem. Mycket fokus lades även på användarbarheten genom att göra konstruktionen mindre känslig för yttre laster genom att stärka den med aluminiumprofiler. I den tredje iterationen förbättrades rörelsebanorna för de komponenter som gör det möjligt för axlarna att röra sig. I den fjärde och sista iterationen togs flera lösningar fram för att uppnå parallellitet i och mellan de olika axlarna genom att utnyttja olika typer av geometriska fenomen. Till sist visas ett förslag på hur mätriggen kan användas. Arbetet avslutas med en diskussion om mätriggens möjligheter och begränsningar samt förslag på framtida områden inom andra mättekniker.Scania is one the world’s largest producers of trucks, busses, and engines for industrial and marine applications. This bachelor’s thesis has researched different technical solutions to increase the precision and consistency when mounting sensors on Scania’s test vehicles. This places high demands on measurement equipment as it needs to fit a plethora of vehicles as well as sensors. The report begins with a background study that examined laser/3D scanning, augmented reality, and measurement rigs. The existing process at Scania was then studied and described. It was subsequently determined that there was no ready-made solution available from the examined methods. Therefore, the decision was made to develop a conceptual CAD model for a measurement rig. This CAD model went through four iterations. In the first iteration, a general concept was developed that could utilize Scania's existing global coordinate system. It was presented to the client, and shortcomings were identified and corrected to the second iteration. In the second iteration, a more general flexible method and a different measurement system were proposed. A significant focus was also placed on usability by making the design less sensitive to external loads by reinforcing it with aluminum profiles. In the third iteration, the roller bearings are improved, specifically the components that enable the shoulders to move. In the fourth and final iteration, multiple solutions were developed to increase parallelism within and between the different axes by utilizing various geometric phenomena. Finally, a proposal on how the measurement rig can be used is shown. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the measurement rig's capabilities and limitations, as well as suggestions for future areas within other measurement techniques

Measurement rig for sensor placement on testing vehicles

Scania är en av världens största lastbils- och busstillverkare och leverantör av motorer för industri och marina applikationer. Detta examensarbete har undersökt olika tekniska lösningar för att öka precisionen och tillförlitligheten i placeringen av givare på Scanias provfordon. Detta ställer mycket höga krav på mätutrustningen som måste klara av en mängd olika fordon, geometrier och givartyper. Rapporten börjar med en bakgrundsstudie som undersökte laser/3D skanning, augmented reality och mätriggar, sedan undersöktes och beskrevs den befintliga processen idag hos Scania. Undersökningen visade att det inte fanns någon färdig lösning som kunde köpas. Därför beslutades det att ta fram en konceptuell CAD-modell på en mätrigg. Denna CAD modell gick igenom fyra iterationer. I den första iterationen togs ett allmänt koncept fram som kunde utnyttja Scanias befintliga globala koordinatsystem. Den presenteras för uppdragsgivaren och brister identifierades som åtgärdades till andra iterationen. I den andra iteration föreslogs en mer allmän monteringsmetod och ett annat mätsystem. Mycket fokus lades även på användarbarheten genom att göra konstruktionen mindre känslig för yttre laster genom att stärka den med aluminiumprofiler. I den tredje iterationen förbättrades rörelsebanorna för de komponenter som gör det möjligt för axlarna att röra sig. I den fjärde och sista iterationen togs flera lösningar fram för att uppnå parallellitet i och mellan de olika axlarna genom att utnyttja olika typer av geometriska fenomen. Till sist visas ett förslag på hur mätriggen kan användas. Arbetet avslutas med en diskussion om mätriggens möjligheter och begränsningar samt förslag på framtida områden inom andra mättekniker.Scania is one the world’s largest producers of trucks, busses, and engines for industrial and marine applications. This bachelor’s thesis has researched different technical solutions to increase the precision and consistency when mounting sensors on Scania’s test vehicles. This places high demands on measurement equipment as it needs to fit a plethora of vehicles as well as sensors. The report begins with a background study that examined laser/3D scanning, augmented reality, and measurement rigs. The existing process at Scania was then studied and described. It was subsequently determined that there was no ready-made solution available from the examined methods. Therefore, the decision was made to develop a conceptual CAD model for a measurement rig. This CAD model went through four iterations. In the first iteration, a general concept was developed that could utilize Scania's existing global coordinate system. It was presented to the client, and shortcomings were identified and corrected to the second iteration. In the second iteration, a more general flexible method and a different measurement system were proposed. A significant focus was also placed on usability by making the design less sensitive to external loads by reinforcing it with aluminum profiles. In the third iteration, the roller bearings are improved, specifically the components that enable the shoulders to move. In the fourth and final iteration, multiple solutions were developed to increase parallelism within and between the different axes by utilizing various geometric phenomena. Finally, a proposal on how the measurement rig can be used is shown. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the measurement rig's capabilities and limitations, as well as suggestions for future areas within other measurement techniques

Connections Between the Design Tool, Design Attributes, and User Preferences in Early Stage Design

Gathering user feedback on provisional design concepts early in the design process has the potential to reduce time-to-market and create more satisfying products. Among the parameters that shape user response to a product, this paper investigates how design experts use sketches, physical prototypes, and computer-aided design (CAD) to generate and represent ideas, as well as how these tools are linked to design attributes and multiple measures of design quality. Eighteen expert designers individually addressed a 2 hr design task using only sketches, foam prototypes, or CAD. It was found that prototyped designs were generated more quickly than those created using sketches or CAD. Analysis of 406 crowdsourced responses to the resulting designs showed that those created as prototypes were perceived as more novel, more aesthetically pleasing, and more comfortable to use. It was also found that designs perceived as more novel tended to fare poorly on all other measured qualities.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CMMI-1130791)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CMMI-1334267