Lactococcus garvieae, an unusual pathogen in infective endocarditis: case report and review of the literature

Lactococcus garvieae is an unusual cause of infective endocarditis (IE). No current diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines are available to treat IE caused by these organisms. Based on a case report, we provide a review of the literature of IE caused by L. garvieae and highlight diagnostic and treatment challenges of these infections and implications for management. A 50-year-old Asian male with mitral prosthetic valve presented to the hospital with intracranial haemorrhage, which was successfully treated. Three weeks later, he complained of generalized malaise. Further work up revealed blood cultures positive for Gram-positive cocci identified as L. garvieae by MALDI-TOF. An echocardiogram confirmed the diagnosis of IE. Susceptibility testing showed resistance only to clindamycin. Vancomycin plus gentamicin were started as empirical therapy and, subsequently, the combination of ceftriaxone plus gentamicin was used after susceptibility studies were available. After two weeks of combination therapy, ceftriaxone was continued as monotherapy for six additional weeks with good outcome. Twenty-five cases of IE by Lactococcus garvieae have been reported in the literature. Compared to other Gram-positive cocci, L. garvieae affects more frequently patients with prosthetic valves. IE presents in a subacute manner and the case fatality rate can be as high as 16%, comparable to that of streptococcal IE (15.7%). Reliable methods for identification of L. garvieae include MALDI-TOF, 16S RNA PCR, API 32 strep kit and BD Automated Phoenix System. Recommended antimicrobials for L. garvieae IE are ampicillin, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone or vancomycin in monotherapy or in combination with gentamicin

The Evolution of KTP Laser Vaporization of the Prostate

The search for a minimally invasive approach to the treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is probably as old as Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). In an effort to overcome the limitations and morbidities of TURP, and in light of evidence suggesting that medical treatment for BPH has a limited life-span, laser-based treatments have emerged during the last decade. Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP) by the "GreenLight" KTP laser is considered one of the most promising options, one that is constantly evolving new technologies in prostate surgery. In this overview of KTP laser usage in BPH treatment, we will briefly discuss the evolution of this modality since it was first introduced and focus on the available evidence regarding safety, efficacy and cost parameters of its application

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Never mind the gaps: comparing techniques to restore homogeneous sky coverage

[Abridged] Non-uniform sampling and gaps in sky coverage are common in galaxy redshift surveys, but these effects can degrade galaxy counts-in-cells and density estimates. We carry out a comparison of methods that aim to fill the gaps to correct for the systematic effects. Our study is motivated by the analysis of the VIMOS Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS), a flux-limited survey (i<22.5) based on one-pass observations with VIMOS, with gaps covering 25% of the surveyed area and a mean sampling rate of 35%. Our findings are applicable to other surveys with similar observing strategies. We compare 1) two algorithms based on photometric redshift, that assign redshifts to galaxies based on the spectroscopic redshifts of the nearest neighbours, 2) two Bayesian methods, the Wiener filter and the Poisson-Lognormal filter. Using galaxy mock catalogues we quantify the accuracy of the counts-in-cells measurements on scales of R=5 and 8 Mpc/h after applying each of these methods. We also study how they perform to account for spectroscopic redshift error and inhomogeneous and sparse sampling rate. We find that in VIPERS the errors in counts-in-cells measurements on R<10 Mpc/h scales are dominated by the sparseness of the sample. All methods underpredict by 20-35% the counts at high densities. This systematic bias is of the same order as random errors. No method outperforms the others. Random and systematic errors decrease for larger cells. We show that it is possible to separate the lowest and highest densities on scales of 5 Mpc/h at redshifts 0.5<z<1.1, over a large volume such as in VIPERS survey. This is vital for the characterisation of cosmic variance and rare populations (e.g, brightest galaxies) in environmental studies at these redshifts.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&A (revised version after minor revision and language editing

Prevalence and characteristics of C-shaped canals in permanent molars by Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Antecedentes: El conocimiento del sistema de conductos radiculares y sus posibles variaciones es de suma importancia al momento de realizar un tratamiento endodóntico. Se ha demostrado que los conductos en “C” están relacionados con la etnia y zona demográfica de las personas que lo presentan; actualmente existe solo un estudio sobre la prevalencia de conductos en “C” en molares superiores, y no hay estudios sobre la prevalencia de los inferiores en la población colombiana. El objetivo fue identificar la prevalencia y características de conductos en “C” en molares permanentes utilizando la tomografía computarizada de rayo de cono en una población colombiana. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, de 382 tomografías volumétricas de rayo de cono de primeros, segundos y terceros molares superiores e inferiores permanentes en la población colombiana. Se observaron 630 dientes. Se calcularon frecuencias absolutas y relativas para las variables sexo, presencia de conducto en “C”, tipo de conducto “C” según la clasificación de Fan y Jo, dirección del conducto, surco radicular y fusión radicular. Resultados: El 6.5% del total de la muestra presentó conducto en “C”. El primer molar superior no presentó conducto en “C”, los segundos molares en un 5.5% y los terceros molares un 6%. Los terceros molares inferiores presentaron conducto en “C” con 7.7%, los segundos con 7.6% y los primeros con 1.5%. Siendo la configuración en “C” más común tipo C1en los molares superiores en un 3.2% y en los molares inferiores del 3.8%. La fusión radicular y conducto en “C” en los molares superiores fue del 15.7% y en los inferiores fue de 53.8%. En molares superiores se presentó con mayor frecuencia la fusión del conducto radicular mesiovestibular con palatino junto con distovestibular. En molares inferiores presentaron el surco radicular hacia vestibular y lingual simultáneamente. Conclusión: La prevalencia del conducto en “C” en la población colombiana fue de 6.5%. Se debe considerar que ante la presencia de fusión radicular la probabilidad de presentar este tipo de conducto aumenta. Se recomienda realizar más estudios con mayor tamaño de muestra.Background: Knowledge of the root canal system and its possible variations is of utmost importance when performing endodontic treatment. It has been shown that the “C” shaped canals are related to the ethnicity and demographic area of the people who present them; Currently there is only one study on the prevalence of “C” shaped canals in upper molars, and there are no studies on the prevalence of the lower ones in a Colombian population. The objective was to identify the prevalence and characteristics of “C” shaped canals in permanent molars using cone-beam computed tomography in a Colombian population. Materials and methods: Descriptive study of 382 cone beam volumetric tomography of first, second and third permanent upper and lower molars in Colombian population. 630 teeth were observed. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated for the variables sex, presence of “C” shaped canal, type of “C” shaped canal according to Fan´s and Jo´s classification, canal direction, root groove and root fusion. Results: 6.5% of the total sample presented “C” shaped canals, among the upper molars, first molars did not present “C” shaped canals, second molars 5.5% and third molars 6%. Third lower molars presented “C” shaped canals in 7.7%, second molars with 7.6% and first molars with 1.5%. C1 was the most common “C” shaped canal configuration with 3.2% in upper molars and 3.8% in lower molars. Root fusion and “C” shaped canal configuration in the upper molars was 15.7% and in the lower molars was 53.8%. In upper molars, fusion of the mesiobuccal canal with palatal and distobuccal root canal was presented more frequently. In lower molars the root groove was present towards the buccal and lingual simultaneously. Conclusion: The prevalence of “C” shaped canals in Colombian population was 6.5%. It should be considered that when root fusion is present, the probabilities of presenting this type of configuration arises. More studies with a larger sample size are needed.Especialista en EndodonciaEspecializació

The power spectrum from the angular distribution of galaxies in the CFHTLS-Wide fields at redshift ~0.7

We measure the real-space galaxy power spectrum on large scales at redshifts 0.5 to 1.2 using optical colour-selected samples from the CFHT Legacy Survey. With the redshift distributions measured with a preliminary ~14000 spectroscopic redshifts from the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS), we deproject the angular distribution and directly estimate the three-dimensional power spectrum. We use a maximum likelihood estimator that is optimal for a Gaussian random field giving well-defined window functions and error estimates. This measurement presents an initial look at the large-scale structure field probed by the VIPERS survey. We measure the galaxy bias of the VIPERS-like sample to be b_g=1.38 +- 0.05 (sigma_8=0.8) on scales k<0.2h/mpc averaged over 0.5<z<1.2. We further investigate three photometric redshift slices, and marginalising over the bias factors while keeping other LCDM parameters fixed, we find the matter density Omega_m=0.30+-0.06.Comment: Minor changes to match journal versio

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Survey (VIPERS): First Data Release of 57 204 spectroscopic measurements

We present the first Public Data Release (PDR-1) of the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Survey (VIPERS). It comprises 57 204 spectroscopic measurements together with all additional information necessary for optimal scientific exploitation of the data, in particular the associated photometric measurements and quantification of the photometric and survey completeness. VIPERS is an ESO Large Programme designed to build a spectroscopic sample of ' 100 000 galaxies with iAB < 22.5 and 0.5 < z < 1.5 with high sampling rate (~45%). The survey spectroscopic targets are selected from the CFHTLS-Wide five-band catalogues in the W1 and W4 fields. The final survey will cover a total area of nearly 24 deg2, for a total comoving volume between z = 0.5 and 1.2 of ~4x10^7 h^(-3)Mpc^3 and a median galaxy redshift of z~0.8. The release presented in this paper includes data from virtually the entire W4 field and nearly half of the W1 area, thus representing 64% of the final dataset. We provide a detailed description of sample selection, observations and data reduction procedures; we summarise the global properties of the spectroscopic catalogue and explain the associated data products and their use, and provide all the details for accessing the data through the survey database (http://vipers.inaf.it) where all information can be queried interactively.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Added and/or replaced some figure, added section on DataBase interface, expaned Introductio

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Galaxy clustering and redshift-space distortions at z=0.8 in the first data release

We present in this paper the general real- and redshift-space clustering properties of galaxies as measured in the first data release of the VIPERS survey. VIPERS is a large redshift survey designed to probe the distant Universe and its large-scale structure at 0.5 < z < 1.2. We describe in this analysis the global properties of the sample and discuss the survey completeness and associated corrections. This sample allows us to measure the galaxy clustering with an unprecedented accuracy at these redshifts. From the redshift-space distortions observed in the galaxy clustering pattern we provide a first measurement of the growth rate of structure at z = 0.8: f\sigma_8 = 0.47 +/- 0.08. This is completely consistent with the predictions of standard cosmological models based on Einstein gravity, although this measurement alone does not discriminate between different gravity models.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Luminosity and stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering at 0.5<z<1.1

We investigate the dependence of galaxy clustering on luminosity and stellar mass in the redshift range 0.5<z<1.1, using the first ~55000 redshifts from the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). We measured the redshift-space two-point correlation functions (2PCF), and the projected correlation function, in samples covering different ranges of B-band absolute magnitudes and stellar masses. We considered both threshold and binned galaxy samples, with median B-band absolute magnitudes -21.6<MB-5log(h)<-19.5 and median stellar masses 9.8<log(M*[Msun/h^2])<10.7. We assessed the real-space clustering in the data from the projected correlation function, which we model as a power law in the range 0.2<r_p[Mpc/h]<20. Finally, we estimated the galaxy bias as a function of luminosity, stellar mass, and redshift, assuming a flat LCDM model to derive the dark matter 2PCF. We provide the best-fit parameters of the power-law model assumed for the real-space 2PCF -- the correlation length and the slope -- as well as the linear bias parameter, as a function of the B-band absolute magnitude, stellar mass, and redshift. We confirm and provide the tightest constraints on the dependence of clustering on luminosity at 0.5<z<1.1. We prove the complexity of comparing the clustering dependence on stellar mass from samples that are originally flux-limited and discuss the possible origin of the observed discrepancies. Overall, our measurements provide stronger constraints on galaxy formation models, which are now required to match, in addition to local observations, the clustering evolution measured by VIPERS galaxies between z=0.5 and z=1.1 for a broad range of luminosities and stellar masses.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in A&