Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in surface waters near industrial hog operation spray fields

Industrial hog operations (IHOs) have been identified as a source of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). However, few studies have investigated the presence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus in the environment near IHOs, specifically surface waters proximal to spray fields where IHO liquid lagoon waste is sprayed. Surface water samples (n = 179) were collected over the course of approximately one year from nine locations in southeastern North Carolina and analyzed for the presence of presumptive MRSA using CHROMagar MRSA media. Culture-based, biochemical, and molecular tests, as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry were used to confirm that isolates that grew on CHROMagar MRSA media were S. aureus. Confirmed S. aureus isolates were then tested for susceptibility to 16 antibiotics and screened for molecular markers of MRSA (mecA, mecC) and livestock adaptation (absence of scn). A total of 12 confirmed MRSA were detected in 9 distinct water samples. Nine of 12 MRSA isolates were also multidrug-resistant (MDRSA [i.e., resistant to ≥ 3 antibiotic classes]). All MRSA were scn-positive and most (11/12) belonged to a staphylococcal protein A (spa) type t008, which is commonly associated with humans. Additionally, 12 confirmed S. aureus that were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) were recovered, 7 of which belonged to spa type t021 and were scn-negative (a marker of livestock-adaptation). This study demonstrated the presence of MSSA, MRSA, and MDRSA in surface waters adjacent to IHO lagoon waste spray fields in southeastern North Carolina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of waterborne S. aureus from surface waters proximal to IHOs

Measurement of the Transverse Spin Transfer Coefficient D_nn(0˚) for (p,n) Reactions at 160 MeV

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 87-1440

Spin Transfer Measurements for (p,n) Reactions at Intermediate Energy

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 87-1440

Energy Dependence of the Ratio of Isovector Effective Interaction Strengths |J_στ/J_τ| from 0° (p,n) Cross Sections

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grants NSF PHY 78-22774 A03, NSF PHY 81-14339, and by Indiana Universit

General Features of the Gamow-Teller Resonances

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 78-22774 A02 & A03 and by Indiana Universit

Solar Neutrino Detector GT Strength Distributions Via (p,n) Reactions

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 81-14339 and by Indiana Universit

Gamow-Teller Strength in Simple Nuclei and Renormalization of the Axial-Vector Coupling Constant

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grants NSF PHY 78-22774 A03, NSF PHY 81-14339, and by Indiana Universit

Measurements of Gamow-Teller Strength Distributions in Masses 13 and 15

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 87-1440

Excitation of Giant Spin-Isospin Multipole Vibrations in 54,56-Fe and 58,60-Ni

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 81-14339 and by Indiana Universit

Star cluster formation and star formation: the role of environment and star-formation efficiencies

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com”. Copyright Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s10509-009-0088-5By analyzing global starburst properties in various kinds of starburst and post-starburst galaxies and relating them to the properties of the star cluster populations they form, I explore the conditions for the formation of massive, compact, long-lived star clusters. The aim is to determine whether the relative amount of star formation that goes into star cluster formation as opposed to field star formation, and into the formation of massive long-lived clusters in particular, is universal or scales with star-formation rate, burst strength, star-formation efficiency, galaxy or gas mass, and whether or not there are special conditions or some threshold for the formation of star clusters that merit to be called globular clusters a few billion years later.Peer reviewe