Informational characteristics of microbial biofilms formed by clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae in vitro on the surface of the cover glass

Purpose Obtaining quantitative and informational characteristics of biofilms formed by clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae in vitro on the surface of a cover glass. Materials and methods In vitro biofilm formation on the surface of the cover glass was studied for clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, isolated in a monoculture (ESBL +) (n = 3) and in associations with Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6) in 9 patients with chronic osteomyelitis of long bones harvrested from fistulae in the preoperative period or from the infection focus during surgery. Results Monocultures of K. pneumoniae (BLRS +) differed by their lower adhesive ability when compared to strains of K. pneumoniae isolated from associations with S. aureus. The highest adhesive activity on the surface of the cover glass was observed in a mixed culture of K. pneumoniae + S. aureus. Informational characteristics depended on the type of biofilms formed. Common to biofilms was the absence of changes in the maximum possible structural diversity. Significant differences between the existing structural diversity of biofilms formed by monocultures of K. pneumonia, K. pneumonia isolated from associations and a mixed culture of K. pneumoniae + S. aureus were noted. Conclusion The absence of pronounced variability of information indicators during the experiment within each microbial community indicates the tendecy of all systems of emerging biofilms to preserve stabilit

The management of acute myocardial infarction in the Russian Federation: Protocol for a study of patient pathways [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Source at https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.12478.2. Background: Death rates from cardiovascular disease in Russia are among the highest in the world. In recent years, the Russian government has invested substantially in the healthcare system, with a particular focus on improving access to advanced technology, especially for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This protocol describes a study to understand the management of AMI in different Russian regions, investigating the role of patient, clinical, and health system characteristics. Methods: A prospective observational study has recruited a representative sample of AMI patients within 16 hospitals from 13 regions across Russia. Criteria for inclusion are being aged 35-70 years with a confirmed diagnosis of AMI and surviving until the day after admission. Information being collected includes health system contacts and features of clinical management prior to the event and in the 12 months following discharge from hospital. Following initial exploration of the data to generate hypotheses, multivariate analyses will be applied to assess the role of these characteristics in both treatment decisions and any delays in time critical interventions. Between June 2015 and August 2016, 1,122 patients have been recruited at baseline and follow-up to 12 months post-discharge is scheduled to be completed by autumn 2017. The study is unique in examining patient factors, clinical management prior to admission and in hospital in the acute phase and throughout the critical first year of recovery across a diverse range of geographies and facilities. It uses standardized instruments to collect data from patients and health care providers and includes regions that are diverse in terms of geography and development of cardiology capacity. However, given the limited health services research capacity in the Russian Federation, it was not possible to obtain a sample that was truly nationally representative

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Genomic analyses inform on migration events during the peopling of Eurasia.

High-coverage whole-genome sequence studies have so far focused on a limited number of geographically restricted populations, or been targeted at specific diseases, such as cancer. Nevertheless, the availability of high-resolution genomic data has led to the development of new methodologies for inferring population history and refuelled the debate on the mutation rate in humans. Here we present the Estonian Biocentre Human Genome Diversity Panel (EGDP), a dataset of 483 high-coverage human genomes from 148 populations worldwide, including 379 new genomes from 125 populations, which we group into diversity and selection sets. We analyse this dataset to refine estimates of continent-wide patterns of heterozygosity, long- and short-distance gene flow, archaic admixture, and changes in effective population size through time as well as for signals of positive or balancing selection. We find a genetic signature in present-day Papuans that suggests that at least 2% of their genome originates from an early and largely extinct expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) out of Africa. Together with evidence from the western Asian fossil record, and admixture between AMHs and Neanderthals predating the main Eurasian expansion, our results contribute to the mounting evidence for the presence of AMHs out of Africa earlier than 75,000 years ago.Support was provided by: Estonian Research Infrastructure Roadmap grant no 3.2.0304.11-0312; Australian Research Council Discovery grants (DP110102635 and DP140101405) (D.M.L., M.W. and E.W.); Danish National Research Foundation; the Lundbeck Foundation and KU2016 (E.W.); ERC Starting Investigator grant (FP7 - 261213) (T.K.); Estonian Research Council grant PUT766 (G.C. and M.K.); EU European Regional Development Fund through the Centre of Excellence in Genomics to Estonian Biocentre (R.V.; M.Me. and A.Me.), and Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Translational Medicine Project No. 2014-2020.4.01.15-0012 to EGC of UT (A.Me.) and EBC (M.Me.); Estonian Institutional Research grant IUT24-1 (L.S., M.J., A.K., B.Y., K.T., C.B.M., Le.S., H.Sa., S.L., D.M.B., E.M., R.V., G.H., M.K., G.C., T.K. and M.Me.) and IUT20-60 (A.Me.); French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and French ANR grant number ANR-14-CE31-0013-01 (F.-X.R.); Gates Cambridge Trust Funding (E.J.); ICG SB RAS (No. VI.58.1.1) (D.V.L.); Leverhulme Programme grant no. RP2011-R-045 (A.B.M., P.G. and M.G.T.); Ministry of Education and Science of Russia; Project 6.656.2014/K (S.A.F.); NEFREX grant funded by the European Union (People Marie Curie Actions; International Research Staff Exchange Scheme; call FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IRSES-number 318979) (M.Me., G.H. and M.K.); NIH grants 5DP1ES022577 05, 1R01DK104339-01, and 1R01GM113657-01 (S.Tis.); Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant N 14-06-00180a) (M.G.); Russian Foundation for Basic Research; grant 16-04-00890 (O.B. and E.B); Russian Science Foundation grant 14-14-00827 (O.B.); The Russian Foundation for Basic Research (14-04-00725-a), The Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation (13-11-02014) and the Program of the Basic Research of the RAS Presidium “Biological diversity” (E.K.K.); Wellcome Trust and Royal Society grant WT104125AIA & the Bristol Advanced Computing Research Centre (http://www.bris.ac.uk/acrc/) (D.J.L.); Wellcome Trust grant 098051 (Q.A.; C.T.-S. and Y.X.); Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship grant 100719/Z/12/Z (M.G.T.); Young Explorers Grant from the National Geographic Society (8900-11) (C.A.E.); ERC Consolidator Grant 647787 ‘LocalAdaptatio’ (A.Ma.); Program of the RAS Presidium “Basic research for the development of the Russian Arctic” (B.M.); Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant 16-06-00303 (E.B.); a Rutherford Fellowship (RDF-10-MAU-001) from the Royal Society of New Zealand (M.P.C.)

Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative community composition of bacteria isolated from the purulent focus in patients with chronic osteomyelitis over a three year period

Introduction Annual microbiological monitoring of the leading causative agents of osteomyelitis and their antibiotic sensitivity is essential for identifying drugs that have lost the effectiveness. An increase in microbial associations requires different approaches to antibiotic therapy. Analysis of the composition of associations with a priority pathogen to be identified to avoid administration of ineffective drugs and optimize treatment. The purpose was to monitor qualitative and quantitative community composition of microorganisms isolated from the osteomyelitic focus in patients with chronic osteomyelitis over a three-year period. Material and methods The object of the study were strains of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria isolated during primary inoculation as part of associations of bacteria from wounds and fistulas of patients who were treated in the clinic of infection osteology at the Kurgan Ilizarov Centre between 2018 and 2020. Standard bacteriological methods were used to isolate pure cultures. Bacteria were identified using bacteriological analyzer. Results and discussion Two-component microbial associations isolated in patients with chronic osteomyelitis included P. aeruginosa + S. aureus, Enterobacteriacae + S. aureus, S. aureus + CoNS. The strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were most common pathogens identified in mixed cultures. Inoculations of S. aureus + Enterococcus sp. increased and P. aeruginosa + Enterococcus sp. associations showed a two-fold decrease in 2020 compared to 2018. Three- and four-component associations of bacteria increased with the spectrum of combinations being diverse among the isolated mix cultures over a three-year period. Bacteria of the Enterobacteriacae and S. aureus family were most common in three-component associations. Four-component associations were represented by mix cultures of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria including NFGOB and S. aureus. Conclusion An increased frequency of isolated microbial associations necessitates an annual analysis of changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition to identify the spectrum of the most common microflora of the osteomyelitic focus and correct antibiotic therapy

Filtration process combined with mechanical action, as a method for efficient extraction of endohedral metallofullerenes from carbon soot

Текст статьи не публикуется в открытом доступе в соответствии с политикой журнала.The paper presents results of fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes extracts studies, isolated from the graphite rods carbon soot spray, and containing Y2O3 in a high frequency arc discharge. Two ways of extraction were applied and compared – (1) the classic method of Soxhlet extraction, and (2) the one developed by our team – extraction based on mechanical action combined with filtration. To implement the method, we used a laboratory version of installation, embodying technical solutions for rapid extraction. Chromatographic and mass spectrometry studies of fullerene extracts obtained by these methods revealed that by combining mechanical action with simultaneous filtration, we can significantly intensify and reduce the process of extracting fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes compared to the Soxhlet extraction method. This is especially evident in the release of endohedral metallofullerenes. Our method allows to reduce the release time of fullerenes from 10 g of carbon soot on laboratory installation up to 15 minutes, against the Soxhlet extraction method taking 18 hours. Whilst, the total number of fullerenes extracted by both methods almost coincides (the extraction method using mechanical action allowed us to extract 0.2-0.4 wt. % more), the composition of the isolated fullerene mixtures is different. The relative content of higher fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes exceeds when the mechanical action-based extraction method applied

Application Perspectives of Nanocomposites Based on Carbon, Containing Mg, Ni, Ti as Materials for Hydrogen Storage

Выполнено экспериментальное исследование каталитической активности переходных металлов Ti и Ni для процессов гидрирования/дегидрирования Mg. Методом плазмохимического синтеза были получены нанокомпозиты, стабилизированные углеродом, со следующими составами: Mg-C, Mg-Ti-C, Mg-Ni-C. Гидрирование нанокомпозитов осуществлялось как в процессе синтеза, так и под давлением (6 МПа) в течение 20 мин. Процесс дегидрирования производился путем нагрева до 700 °С со скоростью 1 °С/с. У нанокомпозитов, гидрированных в процессе синтеза, образование гидрида магния произошло только в композите Mg-Ni-C. Разложение данного гидрида осуществлялось при температуре 644 °С. У нанокомпозитов, гидрированных под давлением, температура начала разложения гидрида магния в композите Mg-Ni-C составила 300 °С , в Mg-Ti-C – 450 °С. Таким образом, нанокомпозит Mg-Ni-C создает наилучшие условия для гидрирования/дегидрирования водорода.The catalytic activity experimental study of the transition metals Ti and Ni for hydrogenation/ dehydrogenation of Mg was carried out. By plasma-chemical synthesis the nanocomposites stabled by carbon were obtained. They had the following composition: Mg-C, Mg-Ti-C, Mg-Ni-C. The nanocomposites hydrogenation was carried out both in the process of synthesis and under pressure (6 MPa) for 20 minutes. Dehydrogenation process was fulfilled by heating to 700 °С at a rate of 1 °С/s. Magnesium hydride formation occurred only in the composite of Mg-Ni-C for nanocomposites which were hydrotreated under synthesis. The decomposition of this hydride was took place under the 644 °С. In case of nanocomposites, hydrogenated under pressure, the magnesium hydride decomposition start temperature in the Mg-Ni-C was 300 °С, in the Mg-Ti-C – 450 °С. Thus, the nanocomposite Mg-Ni-C provides the best conditions for the hydrogenation / dehydrogenation of hydrogen

Application Perspectives of Nanocomposites Based on Carbon, Containing Mg, Ni, Ti as Materials for Hydrogen Storage

Выполнено экспериментальное исследование каталитической активности переходных металлов Ti и Ni для процессов гидрирования/дегидрирования Mg. Методом плазмохимического синтеза были получены нанокомпозиты, стабилизированные углеродом, со следующими составами: Mg-C, Mg-Ti-C, Mg-Ni-C. Гидрирование нанокомпозитов осуществлялось как в процессе синтеза, так и под давлением (6 МПа) в течение 20 мин. Процесс дегидрирования производился путем нагрева до 700 °С со скоростью 1 °С/с. У нанокомпозитов, гидрированных в процессе синтеза, образование гидрида магния произошло только в композите Mg-Ni-C. Разложение данного гидрида осуществлялось при температуре 644 °С. У нанокомпозитов, гидрированных под давлением, температура начала разложения гидрида магния в композите Mg-Ni-C составила 300 °С , в Mg-Ti-C – 450 °С. Таким образом, нанокомпозит Mg-Ni-C создает наилучшие условия для гидрирования/дегидрирования водорода.The catalytic activity experimental study of the transition metals Ti and Ni for hydrogenation/ dehydrogenation of Mg was carried out. By plasma-chemical synthesis the nanocomposites stabled by carbon were obtained. They had the following composition: Mg-C, Mg-Ti-C, Mg-Ni-C. The nanocomposites hydrogenation was carried out both in the process of synthesis and under pressure (6 MPa) for 20 minutes. Dehydrogenation process was fulfilled by heating to 700 °С at a rate of 1 °С/s. Magnesium hydride formation occurred only in the composite of Mg-Ni-C for nanocomposites which were hydrotreated under synthesis. The decomposition of this hydride was took place under the 644 °С. In case of nanocomposites, hydrogenated under pressure, the magnesium hydride decomposition start temperature in the Mg-Ni-C was 300 °С, in the Mg-Ti-C – 450 °С. Thus, the nanocomposite Mg-Ni-C provides the best conditions for the hydrogenation / dehydrogenation of hydrogen