Single-dish high sensitivity determination of solar limb emission at 22 and 44 GHz

A large number of solar maps were obtained with the use of Itapetinga 45 ft antenna at 22 GHz and 44 GHz. A statistical study of these maps, reduced using original techniques, permitted the establishment of the solar radius with great accuracy at the two frequencies. It is found that 22 GHz and 44 BHz radiation originates at 16,00 km and 12,500 km above the photosphere, respectively. Excess emission due to active regions was clearly identified at lower solar latitudes above and below the equator, extending up to 26,000 km and 16,500 km above the photosphere, at 22 GHs and 44 GHz, respectively

Clinical and microbiological determinants of severe and fatal outcomes in patients infected with Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase

Although extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae have become a worldwide public health concern, little is known regarding the clinical course of colonized or infected individuals. Our objective was to characterize the determinants of fatal outcomes related to ESBL-producing microorganisms at a large hospital in Paris, France. In 2012–2013, all consecutive patients with clinical samples testing positive for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae at Saint-Antoine Hospital were identified. Patient clinical data were obtained at hospital entry, while information on intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and death were prospectively collected. Risk-factors for fatal 1-year outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. In total, 643/4684 (13%) ESBL-positive samples were observed, corresponding to 516 episodes (n = 206, 40% treated) among 330 patients. Most episodes were nosocomial-related (n = 347/516, 67%) involving Escherichia coli (n = 232/516, 45%) or Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 164/516, 32%). Empirical antibiotic therapy was adequate in 89/206 (43%) infections, while the median length of hospital stay was 30 days [interquartile range (IQR) = 11–55] and 39/201 (19%) were admitted to the ICU. Overall, 104/241 patients (43%) with available data died within 1 year. In the multivariable analysis, 1-year death was associated with age >80 years (p = 0.01), concomitant comorbidity (p = 0.001), nosocomial-acquired infection (p = 0.002), and being infected rather than colonized (p < 0.001). In this series of patients with identified samples of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, hospital burden was large and 1-year mortality rates high. Understanding which patients in this setting would benefit from broad-spectrum empirical antibiotic therapy should be further examined