New genotyping method discovers sustained nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in an intensive care burn unit.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections in the intensive care unit (ICU). To investigate an unexplained increase in the incidence of P. aeruginosa recovered from clinical samples in the ICU over a two-year period. After unsuccessful epidemiological investigation by conventional tools, P. aeruginosa clinical isolates of all patients hospitalized between January 2010 and July 2012 were typed by a novel double-locus sequence typing (DLST) method and compared to environmental isolates recovered during the investigation period. In total, 509 clinical isolates from 218 patients and 91 environmental isolates were typed. Thirty-five different genotypic clusters were found in 154 out of 218 patients (71%). The largest cluster, DLST 1-18, included 23 patients who were mostly hospitalized during overlapping periods in the burn unit. Genotype DLST 1-18 was also recovered from floor traps, shower trolleys and the shower mattress in the hydrotherapy rooms, suggesting environmental contamination of the burn unit as the source of the outbreak. After implementation of appropriate infection control measures, this genotype was recovered only once in a clinical sample from a burned patient and twice in the environment, but never thereafter during a 12-month follow-up period. The use of a novel DLST method allowed the genotyping of a large number of clinical and environmental isolates, leading to the identification of the environmental source of a large unrecognized outbreak in the burn unit. Eradication of the outbreak was confirmed after implementation of a continuous epidemiological surveillance of P. aeruginosa clones in the ICU

Far-infrared absorption in parallel quantum wires with weak tunneling

We study collective and single-particle intersubband excitations in a system of quantum wires coupled via weak tunneling. For an isolated wire with parabolic confinement, the Kohn's theorem guarantees that the absorption spectrum represents a single sharp peak centered at the frequency given by the bare confining potential. We show that the effect of weak tunneling between two parabolic quantum wires is twofold: (i) additional peaks corresponding to single-particle excitations appear in the absorption spectrum, and (ii) the main absorption peak acquires a depolarization shift. We also show that the interplay between tunneling and weak perpendicular magnetic field drastically enhances the dispersion of single-particle excitations. The latter leads to a strong damping of the intersubband plasmon for magnetic fields exceeding a critical value.Comment: 18 pages + 6 postcript figure

Oxidized phospholipids are proinflammatory and proatherogenic in hypercholesterolaemic mice.

Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) are ubiquitous, are formed in many inflammatory tissues, including atherosclerotic lesions, and frequently mediate proinflammatory changes 1 . Because OxPL are mostly the products of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation, mechanisms to specifically neutralize them are unavailable and their roles in vivo are largely unknown. We previously cloned the IgM natural antibody E06, which binds to the phosphocholine headgroup of OxPL, and blocks the uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) by macrophages and inhibits the proinflammatory properties of OxPL2-4. Here, to determine the role of OxPL in vivo in the context of atherogenesis, we generated transgenic mice in the Ldlr-/- background that expressed a single-chain variable fragment of E06 (E06-scFv) using the Apoe promoter. E06-scFv was secreted into the plasma from the liver and macrophages, and achieved sufficient plasma levels to inhibit in vivo macrophage uptake of OxLDL and to prevent OxPL-induced inflammatory signalling. Compared to Ldlr-/- mice, Ldlr -/- E06-scFv mice had 57-28% less atherosclerosis after 4, 7 and even 12 months of 1% high-cholesterol diet. Echocardiographic and histologic evaluation of the aortic valves demonstrated that E06-scFv ameliorated the development of aortic valve gradients and decreased aortic valve calcification. Both cholesterol accumulation and in vivo uptake of OxLDL were decreased in peritoneal macrophages, and both peritoneal and aortic macrophages had a decreased inflammatory phenotype. Serum amyloid A was decreased by 32%, indicating decreased systemic inflammation, and hepatic steatosis and inflammation were also decreased. Finally, the E06-scFv prolonged life as measured over 15 months. Because the E06-scFv lacks the functional effects of an intact antibody other than the ability to bind OxPL and inhibit OxLDL uptake in macrophages, these data support a major proatherogenic role of OxLDL and demonstrate that OxPL are proinflammatory and proatherogenic, which E06 counteracts in vivo. These studies suggest that therapies inactivating OxPL may be beneficial for reducing generalized inflammation, including the progression of atherosclerosis, aortic stenosis and hepatic steatosis

Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsacker hydrodynamics in laterally modulated electronic systems

We have studied the collective plasma excitations of a two-dimensional electron gas with an arbitrary lateral charge-density modulation. The dynamics is formulated using a previously developed hydrodynamic theory based on the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsacker approximation. In this approach, both the equilibrium and dynamical properties of the periodically modulated electron gas are treated in a consistent fashion. We pay particular attention to the evolution of the collective excitations as the system undergoes the transition from the ideal two-dimensional limit to the highly-localized one-dimensional limit. We also calculate the power absorption in the long-wavelength limit to illustrate the effect of the modulation on the modes probed by far-infrared (FIR) transmission spectroscopy.Comment: 27 page Revtex file, 15 Postscript figure

Searching for synergy: combining systemic daptomycin treatment with localised phage therapy for the treatment of experimental pneumonia due to MRSA.

OBJECTIVE Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses which infect and lyse bacteria. The therapeutic use of phages (phage therapy) has regained attention in the last decades as an alternative strategy to treat infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. In clinical settings it is most likely that phages are administered adjunct to antibiotics. For successful phage therapy it is therefore crucial to investigate different phage-antibiotic combinations in vivo. This study aimed to elucidate the combinatorial effects of systemic daptomycin and nebulised bacteriophages for the treatment of experimental pneumonia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). RESULTS Using a rat model of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by MRSA, the simultaneous application of intravenous daptomycin and nebulised phages was not superior to aerophage therapy alone at improving animal survival (55% vs. 50%), or reducing bacterial burdens in the lungs, or spleen. Thus, this combination does not seem to be of benefit for use in patients with MRSA pneumonia

Efficacy assessment of a novel endolysin PlyAZ3aT for the treatment of ceftriaxone-resistant pneumococcal meningitis in an infant rat model.

BACKGROUND Treatment failure in pneumococcal meningitis due to antibiotic resistance is an increasing clinical challenge and alternatives to antibiotics warrant investigation. Phage-derived endolysins efficiently kill gram-positive bacteria including multi-drug resistant strains, making them attractive therapeutic candidates. The current study assessed the therapeutic potential of the novel endolysin PlyAZ3aT in an infant rat model of ceftriaxone-resistant pneumococcal meningitis. METHODS Efficacy of PlyAZ3aT was assessed in a randomized, blinded and controlled experimental study in infant Wistar rats. Meningitis was induced by intracisternal infection with 5 x 107 CFU/ml of a ceftriaxone-resistant clinical strain of S. pneumoniae, serotype 19A. Seventeen hours post infection (hpi), animals were randomized into 3 treatment groups and received either (i) placebo (phosphate buffered saline [PBS], n = 8), (ii) 50 mg/kg vancomycin (n = 10) or (iii) 400 mg/kg PlyAZ3aT (n = 8) via intraperitoneal injection. Treatments were repeated after 12 h. Survival at 42 hpi was the primary outcome; bacterial loads in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood were secondary outcomes. Additionally, pharmacokinetics of PlyAZ3aT in serum and CSF was assessed. RESULTS PlyAZ3aT did not improve survival compared to PBS, while survival for vancomycin treated animals was 70% which is a significant improvement when compared to PBS or PlyAZ3aT (p<0.05 each). PlyAZ3aT was not able to control the infection, reflected by the inability to reduce bacterial loads in the CSF, whereas Vancomycin sterilized the CSF and within 25 h. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that PlyAZ3aT did not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). In support, PlyAZ3aT showed a peak concentration of 785 μg/ml in serum 2 h after intraperitoneal injection but could not be detected in CSF. CONCLUSION In experimental pneumococcal meningitis, PlyAZ3aT failed to cure the infection due to an inability to reach the CSF. Optimization of the galenic formulation e.g. using liposomes might enable crossing of the BBB and improve treatment efficacy

KEGIATAN PENGABDIAN MASYARAKAT DI PULAU SAPARUA, MALUKU: PERSEPSI DAN PENGETAHUAN KADER TENTANG POS PEMBINAAN TERPADU PENYAKIT TIDAK MENULAR

Peningkatan kasus penyakit tidak menular (PTM) telah menjadi salah satu masalah kesehatan masyarakat di Indonesia. Salah satu upaya pengendalian PTM dibangun berdasarkan komitmen dan keterlibatan masyarakat adalah melalui Pos Pembinaan Terpadu (Posbindu) PTM. Pada kenyatannya, pelaksanaan Posbindu PTM di Indonesia, masih menghadapi berbagai masalah, termasuk di Provinsi Maluku. Oleh karena itu, Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Pattimura melaksanakan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat, bekerja sama dengan kader kesehatan dari kelima Puskesmas di Pulau Saparua, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah, Provinsi Maluku melakukan kegiatan pelatihan kader dalam rangka meningkatkan pengetahuan dan keterampilan kader dalam memberikan pelayanan Posbindu PTM Dasar di wilayah kerjanya. Pelatihan kader dilaksanakan di Pulau Saparua pada tanggal 15 November 2019, dihadiri 26 kader dari lima Puskesmas di Pulau Saparua. Evaluasi kegiatan pelatihan ini terdiri dari: (1) Evalasi kuantitatif dan (2) Evaluasi kualitatif. Dari evaluasi evaluasi kuantitatif yang dilakukan, tampak peningkatan yang signifikan dalam pengetahuan kader tentang Posbindu PTM, yang ditunjukkan dengan perbedaan persentase jawaban benar sebelum dan setelah dilakukannya pelatihan (p&lt;0.001). Dari evaluasi kualitatif berupa diskusi kelompok dengan para kader, terlihat bahwa kader sangat menyambut baik pelaksanaan Posbindu PTM walaupun ada beberapa kendala yang ditengarai dapat menjadi faktor penghambat, termasuk keterbatasan sumber daya manusia terutama kader, kurangnya dukungan dari lintas sektor, terbatasnya pendanaan serta kondisi geografis yang cukup luas dan sulit. Hambatan ini penting untuk diperhatikan para pemangkukebijakan sehingga Posbindu PTM di Pulau Saparua dapat terlaksana dengan baik

Measurement of the Total Cross Section for Hadronic Production by e+e- Annihilation at Energies between 2.6-5 Gev

Using the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer (BESII), we have measured the total cross section for $e^+e^-$ annihilation into hadronic final states at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 3.55, 4.6 and 5.0 GeV. Values of $R$, $\sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-)$, are determined.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of ψ(2S)\psi(2S) decays to baryon pairs

A sample of 3.95M $\psi(2S)$ decays registered in the BES detector are used to study final states containing pairs of octet and decuplet baryons. We report branching fractions for $\psi(2S)\to p\bar{p}$, $\Lambda\bar{\Lambda}$, $\Sigma^0\bar{\Sigma}{}^0$, $\Xi^-\bar{\Xi}{}^+$, $\Delta^{++}\bar{\Delta}{}^{--}$, $\Sigma^+(1385)\bar{\Sigma}{}^-(1385)$, $\Xi^0(1530)\bar{\Xi}{}^0(1530)$, and $\Omega^-\bar{\Omega}{}^+$. These results are compared to expectations based on the SU(3)-flavor symmetry, factorization, and perturbative QCD.Comment: 22 pages, 21 figures, 4 table

Measurement of the Inclusive Charm Cross Section at 4.03 GeV and 4.14 GeV

The cross section for charmed meson production at $\sqrt{s} = 4.03$ and 4.14 GeV has been measured with the Beijing Spectrometer. The measurement was made using 22.3 $pb^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ data collected at 4.03 GeV and 1.5 $pb^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ data collected at 4.14 GeV. Inclusive observed cross sections for the production of charged and neutral D mesons and momentum spectra are presented. Observed cross sections were radiatively corrected to obtain tree level cross sections. Measurements of the total hadronic cross section are obtained from the charmed meson cross section and an extrapolation of results from below the charm threshold.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures. The top level tex file is paper.tex. It builds the paper from other tex files in this .tar and the .eps file