Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among new outpatients with dyspepsia in Kuwait

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Testing and treatment for <it>Helicobacter pylori </it>has become widely accepted as the approach of choice for patients with chronic dyspepsia but no alarming features. We evaluated <it>H. pylori </it>status among outpatients with uninvestigated dyspepsia in Kuwait.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospectively collected database for 1035 patients who had undergone ¹³C-urea breath tests (UBT) for various indications was reviewed for the period from October 2007 to July 2009. The status of <it>H. pylori </it>in dyspeptic patients was determined by UBT.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the 362 patients who had undergone UBT for uninvestigated dyspepsia, 49.7% were positive for <it>H. pylori </it>(95% CI = 44%-55%) and the percentage increased with age (35.8% at 20-29 years, 95% CI = 25.4% - 47.2%; 59.3% at 30-39 years, 95% CI = 48.5% - 69.5%) (P = 0.013). The prevalence of <it>H. pylori </it>was 42.6% among Kuwaitis (95% CI = 35%-50%) and 57.6% (95% CI = 49.8%-65%) among expatriates (p = 0.004). The prevalence among males was 51.3%, while in females it was 48.6%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Almost half of the patients with dyspeptic symptoms in Kuwait were positive for <it>H. pylori</it>, though the prevalence varied with age and was higher among expatriates. The American Gastroenterology Association guidelines recommending testing and treatment for <it>H. pylori </it>for patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia should be endorsed in Kuwait.</p

Evaluation of the budbreak timing in walnut cultivars and breeding forms among the Kuban germplasm, and validation of the trait-related SSR-markers

Background. Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is the most widespread species within the genus Juglans. Late spring frosts can significantly reduce its yield. Development of cultivars that enter the growing season later helps to avoid the death of young buds. Earlier, during genetic studies, the SSR markers JRHR209732 and CUJRBO12 linked to the QTL of the “bud bursting time” character were identified. The objective of this study was to assess the budbreak timing in domestic cultivars and elite forms from the Krasnodar gene pool, as well as to test and validate the markers JRHR209732 and CUJRB012 linked to the locus controlling late bud bursting in walnut genotypes with relatively small differences in budbreak timing.Materials and methods. The material of the study included 32 elite breeding forms from the local gene pool, 3 domestic cultivars, and 2 cultivars of foreign origin. Phenological assessment of the budbreak time was carried out for three years (2022–2024). Genotyping of 35 accessions was performed using the SSR markers JRHR209732 and CUJRBO12. The sizes of PCR products of target marker alleles were assessed on a NANOPHOR 05 genetic analyzer.Results. Phenological assessment helped to identify accessions 17-5-5 and ‘Oven’ with the latest start of the growing season in three years of observations. Eight genotypes were classified as late in two seasons – they are also valuable for breeding. In 2023 and 2024, the budbreak was observed to occur earlier than in 2022. The effect of the mean monthly temperature in March played a decisive role in entering the phase when the budbreak started. Comparison of the SSR genotyping data with the results of the phenological assessment made it possible to reliably validate the allelic variants of the JRHR20973 and CUJRBO12 markers, characteristic of the accessions with early and late budbreaks among the walnut gene pool maintained in southern Russia

Comparative evaluation of INNO-LiPA HBV assay, direct DNA sequencing and subtractive PCR-RFLP for genotyping of clinical HBV isolates

Genotypes (A to H) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) influence liver disease progression and response to antiviral therapy in HBV-infected patients. Several methods have been developed for rapid genotyping of HBV strains. However, some of these methods may not be suitable for developing countries. The performance of INNO-LiPA HBV Genotyping assay (LiPA), direct DNA sequencing and subtractive PCR-RFLP of genotype-specific HBV genome regions were evaluated for accurately determining the HBV genotypes by analyzing sera (n = 80) samples from chronic HBV patients. Both, LiPA and DNA sequencing identified 63, 4 and 13 HBV strains as belonging to genotype D, genotype A and mixed genotype A and D, respectively. On the contrary, the PCR-RFLP-based method correctly identified all 4 genotype A but only 56 of 63 genotype D strains. Seven genotype D strains yielded indeterminate results. DNA sequence comparisons showed that a single nucleotide change in the target region generated an additional restriction site for Nla IV that compromised the accuracy of this method. Furthermore, all the mixed genotype A and D strains were identified only as genotype A strains. The data show that the PCR-RFLP-based method incorrectly identified some genotype D strains and failed to identify mixed genotype infections while LiPA and DNA sequencing yielded accurate results

Impact of Emerging Antiviral Drug Resistance on Influenza Containment and Spread: Influence of Subclinical Infection and Strategic Use of a Stockpile Containing One or Two Drugs

BACKGROUND: Wide-scale use of antiviral agents in the event of an influenza pandemic is likely to promote the emergence of drug resistance, with potentially deleterious effects for outbreak control. We explored factors promoting resistance within a dynamic infection model, and considered ways in which one or two drugs might be distributed to delay the spread of resistant strains or mitigate their impact. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We have previously developed a novel deterministic model of influenza transmission that simulates treatment and targeted contact prophylaxis, using a limited stockpile of antiviral agents. This model was extended to incorporate subclinical infections, and the emergence of resistant virus strains under the selective pressure imposed by various uses of one or two antiviral agents. For a fixed clinical attack rate, R(0) rises with the proportion of subclinical infections thus reducing the number of infections amenable to treatment or prophylaxis. In consequence, outbreak control is more difficult, but emergence of drug resistance is relatively uncommon. Where an epidemic may be constrained by use of a single antiviral agent, strategies that combine treatment and prophylaxis are most effective at controlling transmission, at the cost of facilitating the spread of resistant viruses. If two drugs are available, using one drug for treatment and the other for prophylaxis is more effective at preventing propagation of mutant strains than either random allocation or drug cycling strategies. Our model is relatively straightforward, and of necessity makes a number of simplifying assumptions. Our results are, however, consistent with the wider body of work in this area and are able to place related research in context while extending the analysis of resistance emergence and optimal drug use within the constraints of a finite drug stockpile. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment and prophylaxis represents optimal use of antiviral agents to control transmission, at the cost of drug resistance. Where two drugs are available, allocating different drugs to cases and contacts is likely to be most effective at constraining resistance emergence in a pandemic scenario

Rates of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections in Hospitalized Non-Immunocompromised Pediatric Patients: A 9-Year Retrospective Study at a Lebanese Tertiary Medical Center

Ramia Zakhour,1,2,&ast; Sarah Khafaja,1,2,&ast; Rawan Korman,1,&ast; Celina F Boutros,1 Zeinab El Zein,1– 3 Ahmad Chmaisse,1 Magda Haj,1 Amani Haddara,1 Zeina El-Houry,1 Malak Jbahi,1 Sarah Chamseddine,1 Samer Bou Karroum,1 Dana Al Oweini,1 Yolla Salama Youssef,1 Nour Youssef,1,2 Mayse Nasser,1 Danielle Fayad,1 Farida Abi Farraj,1 Clara El Nakib,1 Imad Isaac,1 Mireille Lteif,1 George F Araj,1,4 Ghassan S Dbaibo1– 3 1Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR) and WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Bacterial Pathogens, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ghassan S Dbaibo, Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, 1107, Lebanon, Email [email protected]: Multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections are considered a major public health threat. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology, potential contributing factors, and antimicrobial resistance patterns associated with infections caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in non-immunocompromised children and adolescents.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) from 2009 to 2017. The study included non-immunocompromised patients 18 years of age or younger with infections caused by GNB isolated from a sterile site or nonsterile site in the setting of clinical infection.Results: A total of 810 episodes of infection with GNB in 674 pediatric patients were identified. The most common pathogens were Enterobacterales followed by Pseudomonas. MDR GNB infections represented 47.8% of the episodes, with alarming MDR rates among Escherichia coli (64.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (59.1%) and Acinetobacter species (70.6%). Previous infection with the same organism during the previous 12 months, urinary catheter or cardiac catheterization in the past 30 days had high percentages of infections with MDR GNB. The carbapenem resistance rates were 1.7% in Enterobacterales, 19.8% in Pseudomonas species and 64.7% in Acinetobacter species.Conclusion: High prevalence of infections with MDR GNB was detected in non-immunocompromised pediatric patients in Lebanon. This poses a significant threat to the pediatric population and underscores the importance of implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs and infection control policies, which are crucial to cope with the burden of these infections, especially in the presence of other ongoing challenges such as the current economic collapse and ongoing war leading to severe antimicrobial shortages.Keywords: adolescents, antimicrobial resistance, children, gram-negative bacteria, multidrug resistanc

Interpretation und digitale Bearbeitung von Kartenobjekten aus SAR-Daten fuer die Kartenherstellung der Masstaebe 1:25.000 und 1:100.000.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Erstellung von topographischen Karten aus Daten von Radarsystemen mit synthetischer Apertur (SAR) beschrieben. Die Erstellung im Masstab1:25.000 erfolgt fuer das Schweizer Testgebiet Zuerich-Kloten anhand von Daten des E-SAR-Systems der DLR. Zusaetzlich werden zur Kartenerstellung im Masstab 1:100.000 fuer die Untersuchungsgebiete Sihlsee und Walensee in der Zentralschweiz Daten des orbitgestuetzten SIR-C Systems verwendet

Multi-level medical image thresholding based on metaheuristics: A comparative Study

International audienceno abstrac

Extraktion von topographischen Daten aus SAR-Bildern und deren Einbindung in ein GIS.

Darstellung des Funktionsprinzips von Radarsystemen mit synthetischerApertur (SAR). Erlaeuterung der Gewinnung von Hoehendaten durch die Interferometrie sowie der Geocodierung von SAR-Bildern. Vorgehensweise und Moeglichkeiten zur Ableitung einer topographischen Karte im Mass-Stab 1:25.000 und 1:100.000 aus SAR-Bildern mit Kontrolle der erreichten Ergebnisse. Einbindung der gewonnenen Daten in ein Geoinformationssystem

Cleaning ability and induced dentin loss of a magnetostrictive ultrasonic instrument at different power settings

Some laboratory studies have evaluated the oscillation mode of ultrasonic scalers. None of them recorded its influence on calculus removal and quantified dental hard tissue loss. This study aimed to compare the performance of a magnetostrictive ultrasonic instrument at different power settings in vitro in relation to the tip oscillation activity. The oscillation activity of the straight Slimline® insert in the Cavitron® ultrasonic scaling device was analyzed at five different power settings with the help of two laser vibrometers. The performance of this instrument was tested on 60 roots of human single-rooted teeth. Twelve roots each were randomly assigned to be instrumented at a given power setting. Every root was instrumented for 120 s at a standardized instrumentation force of 0.1 ± 0.05 N. In addition, another 30 periodontally involved roots with subgingival calculus were instrumented accordingly to assess the calculus removal potential. The surface characteristics after instrumentation were analyzed under scanning electron microscope. The instrumentation at minimum power setting resulted in an mean increase of the root surface roughness of 0.18 ± 0.28 compared to 0.51 ± 0.48 at maximum power setting (P = 0.0327). The loss of dental hard tissue amounted to 11.37 ± 3.64 at minimum compared to 23.37 ± 15.76 at maximum power (P = 0.0010). The higher the power setting, the more calculus was removed. The values of the latter ranged between 4.04 ± 1.87 and 11.26 ± 4.66 mm² of cleaned dentin surface area (P = 0.0065). At lower power settings, a more favorable relation between cleaning ability, loss of dentine, and surface roughness was found