Multiresistant Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- in Europe: a new pandemic strain?

A marked increase in the prevalence of S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- with resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamides and tetracyclines (R-type ASSuT) has been noted in food-borne infections and in pigs/pig meat in several European countries in the last ten years. One hundred and sixteen strains of S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- from humans, pigs and pig meat isolated in England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands were further subtyped by phage typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis to investigate the genetic relationship among strains. PCR was performed to identify the fljB flagellar gene and the genes encoding resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamides and tetracyclines. Class 1 and 2 integrase genes were also sought. Results indicate that genetically related serovar 4,[5],12:i:- strains of definitive phage types DT193 and DT120 with ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamide and tetracycline resistance encoded by blaTEM, strA-strB, sul2 and tet(B) have emerged in several European countries, with pigs the likely reservoir of infection. Control measures are urgently needed to reduce spread of infection to humans via the food chain and thereby prevent the possible pandemic spread of serovar 4,[5],12:i:- of R-type ASSuT as occurred with S. Typhimurium DT104 during the 1990s

Emerg. Infect. Dis

The multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serotype Newport strain that produces CMY-2 β-lactamase(Newport MDR-AmpC) was the source of sporadic cases and outbreaks in humans in France during 2000–2005. Because this strain was not detected in food animals, it was most likely introduced into France through imported food products

Opinions of medical students at the University of Cape Town on emigration, conscription and compulsory community service

A study was conducted to determine emigration intentions of medical students at the University of Cape Town. Students from 1st to 5th year completed a self-administered questionnaire. A response rate of 86% was achieved. Over half the students (54%) were considering emigration. The most frequently selected motivating factors were moral dissatisfaction with the present government and career opportunities abroad. Men who were eligible for military conscription rated this factor as an important deterrent to remaining in South Africa, and 81% stated objections to national service. However, 71% would be less likely to emigrate were an alternative national service (ANS) instituted. Should a compulsory community service be implemented, 41% of those eligible would be more inclined to emigrate. Recommendations include the implementation of ANS; a re-evaluation of the compulsory community service proposal; and further investigation of emigration trends and of ways to curb emigration. Suggestions offered are a reappraisal of both selection criteria and medical education; and the provision of incentives for doctors to work in rural areas

Quarkonia production with the Hera-B experiment

Measurements of the dependence of the J/Psi production cross section on its kinematic variables as well as on the target atomic numbers for 920 GeV/c protons incident on different targets have been made with the Hera-B detector. The large collected di-lepton sample allows to study the production ratio of Psi(2S) to J/Psi and of Chic to J/Psi . We also report on measurements of the b-bbar and Upsilon production cross section.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

Réutilisation maîtrisée des eaux usées : approfondir les connaissances pour lever les freins et relever les défis

Le recyclage des eaux usées représente une solution pour faire face à la demande croissante des ressources hydriques pour l’irrigation agricole. Mais leur réutilisation pose des problèmes de sécurité, de réglementation et bien sûr de techniques adaptées, que cet article nous propose de mieux comprendre

Mitochondrial proteomics: analysis of a whole mitochondrial extract with two-dimensional electrophoresis

Mitochondria are complex organelles, and their proteomics analysis requires a combination of techniques. The emphasis in this chapter is made first on mitochondria preparation from cultured mammalian cells, then on the separation of the mitochondrial proteins with two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE), showing some adjustment over the classical techniques to improve resolution of the mitochondrial proteins. This covers both the protein solubilization, the electrophoretic part per se, and the protein detection on the gels, which makes the interface with the protein identification part relying on mass spectrometry

PHENIX Highlights

Recent highlights of measurements by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC are presented.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. Talk at Quark Matter 200

Antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus strains isolated from a ham plant in France

As MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) were recently isolated from pigs in the Netherlands (1), we were incited to evaluate the resistance gene circulation inside S. aureus strains isolated from swine food products. A study, build in 2002, established the biodiversity of S. aureus isolates originated from a single raw ham industrial unit located in western France. Biotypes and pulsotypes from 106 isolates from raw material ham, end product and plant environment were determined. Isolates split up into 7 biotypes and about forty pulsotypes, which delineated a total of 23 sub-groups with 80% of homology and indicated the presence of numerous S. aureus strains in the plant