Assessing the impact of recreational water use on carriage of antimicrobial resistant organisms

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordData availability: Genbank accession code is included in articleUnderstanding the role of exposure to natural recreational waters in the acquisition and transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an area of increasing interest. A point prevalence study was carried out in the island of Ireland to determine the prevalence of colonisation with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in recreational water users (WU) and matched controls. A total of 411 adult participants (199 WU, 212 controls) submitted at least one faecal sample between September 2020 - October 2021. In total, 80 Enterobacterales were isolated from 73 participants. ESBL-PE were detected in 29 (7.1 %) participants (7 WU, 22 controls), and CRE were detected in nine (2.2 %) participants (4 WU, 5 controls). No carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) were detected. WU were significantly less likely to harbour ESBL-PE than controls (risk ratio = 0.34, 95 % CI 0.148 to 0.776, χ2 7.37, p = 0.007). This study demonstrates the occurrence of ESBL-PE and CRE in healthy participants in Ireland. Recreational exposure to bathing water in Ireland was associated with a decreased prevalence of colonisation with ESBL-PE and CRE.EPA Research Programm

Sample Handling and Chemical Kinetics in an Acoustically Levitated Drop Microreactor

Accurate measurement of enzyme kinetics is an essential part of understanding the mechanisms of biochemical reactions. The typical means of studying such systems use stirred cuvettes, stopped-flow apparatus, microfluidic systems, or other small sample containers. These methods may prove to be problematic if reactants or products adsorb to or react with the container’s surface. As an alternative approach, we have developed an acoustically-levitated drop reactor eventually intended to study enzyme-catalyzed reaction kinetics related to free radical and oxidative stress chemistry. Microliter-scale droplet generation, reactant introduction, maintenance, and fluid removal are all important aspects in conducting reactions in a levitated drop. A three capillary bundle system has been developed to address these needs. We report kinetic measurements for both luminol chemiluminescence and the reaction of pyruvate with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase, to demonstrate the feasibility of using a levitated drop in conjunction with the developed capillary sample handling system as a microreactor

Adherence to and invasion of tissue culture cells by Vibrio hollisae.

The adherence to and invasion of cultured epithelial cells by Vibrio hollisae were examined by quantitative studies and by light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. Condensed actin was observed around clustered adherent and intracellular bacteria. Bacteria multiplied intracellularly. Inhibitor studies indicated that internalization occurred by an integrated pleiotropic process involving eukaryotic and prokaryotic protein syntheses, microfilaments, microtubules, and receptor-mediated endocytosis

The Effect of Caffeine Intake on Body Fluids Replacement after Exercise-Induced Dehydration

We studied the effect of a plain espresso coffee (171 ± 8.9 mg caffeine) which is roughly the amount in a cup of regular coffee or caffeine soda drink on fluid replacement in mildly dehydrated healthy subjects following moderate exercise, which induced dehydration to approximately 1.2% of their body weight. Subjects then rehydrated by drinking either water alone as control or caffeinated beverage plus up to 150% of the body weight they had lost. All subjects underwent both conditions. There were differences between the control and caffeine in urine specific gravity (control: 1.018 ± 0.00 vs caffeine: 1.024 ± 0.00, P =.001), urine volume (control: 200 ±71 mL vs caffeine: 302 ± 151 mL, P =.05), and urine color (control: 2 ± 0.9 and caffeine: 4 ± 1.66, P =.00). We conclude that intake of an espresso coffee possibly impedes replacement of body fluids. © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved