Comparison of MICs in Escherichia coli isolates from human health surveillance with MICs obtained for the same isolates by broth microdilution

Objectives Human health surveillance and food safety monitoring systems use different antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods. In this study, we compared the MICs of Escherichia coli isolates provided by these methods. Methods E. coli isolates (n = 120) from human urine samples and their MICs were collected from six medical laboratories that used automated AST methods based on bacterial growth kinetic analyses. These isolates were retested using broth microdilution, which is used by the food safety monitoring system. The essential and categorical agreements (EA and CA), very major errors (VME), major errors (ME) and minor errors (mE) for these two methods were calculated for 11 antibiotics using broth microdilution as a reference. For statistical analysis, clinical breakpoints provided by EUCAST were used. Results Five study laboratories used VITEK®2 and one MicroScan (Walkaway Combo Panel). Out of 120 isolates, 118 isolates (98.3%) were confirmed as E. coli. The 99 E. coli isolates from five study laboratories that used VITEK®2 showed high proportions of EA and CA with full agreements for gentamicin, meropenem, imipenem and ertapenem. Additionally, 100% CA was also observed in cefepime. Few VME (0.5%), ME (1.9%) and mE (1.5%) were observed across all antibiotics. One VME for ceftazidime (7.1%) and 12 MEs for ampicillin (29.4%), cefotaxime (2.4%), ciprofloxacin (3.2%), tigecycline (1.5%) and trimethoprim (22.2%) were detected. Conclusions MICs from E. coli isolates produced by VITEK®2 were similar to those determined by broth microdilution. These results will be valuable for comparative analyses of resistance data from human health surveillance and food safety monitoring systems

Rapid identification of Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei by intact cell Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation mass spectrometric typing

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia (B.) pseudomallei and B. mallei are genetically closely related species. B. pseudomallei causes melioidosis in humans and animals, whereas B. mallei is the causative agent of glanders in equines and rarely also in humans. Both agents have been classified by the CDC as priority category B biological agents. Rapid identification is crucial, because both agents are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has the potential of rapid and reliable identification of pathogens, but is limited by the availability of a database containing validated reference spectra. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of MALDI-TOF MS for the rapid and reliable identification and differentiation of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei and to build up a reliable reference database for both organisms. RESULTS: A collection of ten B. pseudomallei and seventeen B. mallei strains was used to generate a library of reference spectra. Samples of both species could be identified by MALDI-TOF MS, if a dedicated subset of the reference spectra library was used. In comparison with samples representing B. mallei, higher genetic diversity among B. pseudomallei was reflected in the higher average Eucledian distances between the mass spectra and a broader range of identification score values obtained with commercial software for the identification of microorganisms. The type strain of B. pseudomallei (ATCC 23343) was isolated decades ago and is outstanding in the spectrum-based dendrograms probably due to massive methylations as indicated by two intensive series of mass increments of 14 Da specifically and reproducibly found in the spectra of this strain. CONCLUSIONS: Handling of pathogens under BSL 3 conditions is dangerous and cumbersome but can be minimized by inactivation of bacteria with ethanol, subsequent protein extraction under BSL 1 conditions and MALDI-TOF MS analysis being faster than nucleic amplification methods. Our spectra demonstrated a higher homogeneity in B. mallei than in B. pseudomallei isolates. As expected for closely related species, the identification process with MALDI Biotyper software (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany) requires the careful selection of spectra from reference strains. When a dedicated reference set is used and spectra of high quality are acquired, it is possible to distinguish both species unambiguously. The need for a careful curation of reference spectra databases is stressed

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Autonomiekonzepte für die öffentliche Schule - Altes und Neues

Stock M. Autonomiekonzepte für die öffentliche Schule - Altes und Neues. In: Jach F-R, Jenkner S, eds. 50 Jahre Grundgesetz und Schulverfassung. Abhandlungen zu Bildungsforschung und Bildungsrecht. Vol 4. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot; 2000: 59-76

Ethics in Public Health

Bittner R. Ethics in Public Health. In: Laaser U, de Leeuw E, Stock C, eds. Scientific Foundations for Public Health Policy in Europe. Gesundheitsforschung. Weinheim: Juventa; 1995: 89-94

Geschichte im Netz: Praxis, Chancen, Visionen

Vom 22. bis zum 24. Februar 2006 veranstaltete der Kooperationsverbund Clio-online in Berlin die Tagung „.hist 2006: Geschichte im Netz – Praxis, Chancen, Visionen“. Dies war bereits der zweite große Kongress an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin und der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, der sich mit „Geschichte im Netz“ und mit den Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Nutzung von Kommunikationsnetzwerken durch die Geschichtswissenschaft in theoretischer Reflexion wie praxisbezogener Diskussion beschäftigte. Der Austausch zwischen Geisteswissenschaftlern/innen, die mit netzbasierten Medien arbeiten, Archivaren/innen, Bibliothekaren/ innen, Museumsmitarbeitern/innen und Informatikern/ innen zielte auf die Überwindung disziplinärer und institutioneller Grenzen, was sich auch in den vorliegenden Bänden widerspiegelt. Die Konferenz bot in zwölf Sektionen und Workshops, zwei Podiumsdiskussionen und an zahlreichen Projektständen mit insgesamt etwa hundert Vorträgen, Diskussionsrunden und Präsentationen mehr Informationen, als die zahlreichen Besucher/innen aufnehmen konnten. Umso mehr freuen wir uns, im vorliegenden Doppelband schriftliche Ausarbeitungen der meisten Referate, bereits über H-Soz-u-Kult veröffentlichte Querschnittsberichte zur Tagung sowie eine Zusammenfassung der Abschlussdiskussion vorlegen zu können. Die Teilbände 1 und 2 des Historischen Forums Nr. 10 bündeln mit insgesamt über 80 Beiträgen die Mehrzahl der auf der Tagung „.hist 2006“ präsentierten Vorträge und machen sie allen Interessierten zugänglich

Estimating the Effects of Large Shareholders Using a Geographic Instrument

Large shareholders may play an important role for firm performance and policies, but identifying this empirically presents a challenge due to the endogeneity of ownership structures. We develop and test an empirical framework that allows us to separate selection from treatment effects of large shareholders. Individual blockholders tend to hold blocks in public firms located close to where they reside. Using this empirical observation, we develop an instrument (the density of wealthy individuals near a firm's headquarters) for the presence of large, nonmanagerial individual shareholders in firms. These shareholders have a large impact on firms, controlling for selection effects