Antibiotic resistance plasmids in wastewater treatment plants and their possible dissemination into the environment

Antibiotic resistance plasmids found in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may represent a threat to public health if they are readily disseminated into the environment and ultimately into pathogenicbacteria. The wastewater environments provide an ideal ecosystem for development and evolution of antibiotic resistance plasmids. Selective pressures for resistance to toxic compounds, high organic content and high bacterial diversity promotes gene exchange mechanisms involving interactions of conjugative plasmids with bacterial chromosomes, integrons and transposons resulting in the acquisition and accumulation of various antibiotic resistance genes into plasmids. Several studies haveisolated plasmids from wastewater plants which carry resistance genes to almost all clinically relevant antibiotics. This review will discuss the possible release of these plasmids from WWTPs and their undesirable effects in the environment. Studies using advanced molecular detection tools and high throughput DNA sequencing technology help accurately quantify the prevalence and transmission of these plasmids in the environment. Ultimately assessing the significance of these plasmids aspollutants will help to determine the implications to public health.Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, plasmids, wastewater, treatment plant

Distribution, caractérisation écologique de l’habitat et notes sur le régime alimentaire du phacochère commun, Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) au Sud du Bénin

Phacochoerus africanus est le seul suidae du genre Phacochoerus présent au Bénin, souvent rencontré en zones soudaniennes et soudano-guinéennes (Nord et Centre). Cette étude fait état de la présence effective de l’espèce dans la partie guinéenne du Bénin et fait ressortir quelques données préliminaires sur sa distribution, la caractérisation de son habitat et son régime alimentaire. L’habitat a été étudié sur la base d’observations directes et des indices de présence, tandis que les entretiens avec 42 chasseurs complétés avec des observations directes de restes d’aliments et d’analyses macroscopiques de crottes ont permis d’appréhender son régime alimentaire. Sur l’ensemble des deux forêts prospectées, Phacochoerus africanus se retrouve essentiellement dans la forêt classée de Dogo-Kétou. Il vit dans des gîtes, constitués d’espèces végétales de hauteur moyenne 1,95 ± 0,49 m et de circonférence 16,2 ± 4,58 m. Il fréquente les forêts claires arbustives à Pterocarpus erinaceus et Anogeissus leiocarpus de recouvrements compris entre 0 et 50%. Dans ces habitats, les sols sont argileux et limoneux avec la présence de cours d’eau et de marigots temporaires qui lui servent de bauges. Son régime alimentaire est constitué de feuilles, d’inflorescences, de fruits, de tiges, de petits mammifères, de poissons et les vers de terre.Mots clés: Phacochoerus africanus, écologie, habitat, régime alimentaire, sud du Béni

Subcapsular hematoma after ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy

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Post-growth annealing induced change of conductivity in As-doped ZnO grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

Arsenic-doped ZnO films were fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method at a relatively low substrate temperature of 200 C. Post-growth annealing in air was carried out up to a temperature of 1000 C. The samples were characterized by Hall measurement, positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and cathodoluminescence (CL). The as-grown sample was of n-type and it converted to p-type material after the 400 C annealing. The resulting hole concentration was found to increase with annealing temperature and reached a maximum of 6 10 17cm -3 at the annealing temperature of 600 C. The origin of the p-type conductivity was consistent with the As Zn(V Zn) 2 shallow acceptor model. Further increasing the annealing temperature would decrease the hole concentration of the samples finally converted the sample back to n-type. With evidence, it was suggested that the removal of the p-type conductivity was due to the dissociation of the As Zn(V Zn) 2 acceptor and the creation of the deep level defect giving rise to the green luminescence. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Effect of clinical and virological parameters on the level of neutralizing antibody against pandemic influenza A virus H1N1 2009

Background. Little is known about the antibody response in natural infection by the novel 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus and its relationship with clinical and virological parameters. The relative lack of background neutralizing antibody against this novel virus provides a unique opportunity for understanding this issue. Methods. Case patients presenting with influenza-like illness who were positive for the pandemic H1 gene by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were identified. The serum antibody response was assayed by neutralizing antibody titer (NAT) against the virus in 881 convalescent donors. We retrospectively analyzed clinical parameters and viral load. Results. Ninety percent of the 881 convalescent donors had seroprotective titer of 1:40 or greater. The geometric mean titer of donors with convalescent NAT measured between day 21 and 42 was 1:101.1. Multivariate analysis by ordinal regression showed that pneumonia (odds ratio, 3.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-9-7.61; P=.004) and sputum production (odds ratio, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.01-3.01; P=.046) were the 2 independent factors associated with a higher level of convalescent NAT. Being afebrile on influenza presentation was associated with subsequent poor NAT (<1:40) response (P = .04). A positive correlation between the nasopharyngeal viral load on presentation and the convalescent NAT was demonstrated (Spearman correlation r, 0.238; P = .026). Conclusions. About 10% of these convalescent patients do not have a seroprotective NAT and may benefit from vaccination to prevent reinfection. The convalescent NAT correlated well with the initial viral load and was independently associated with severity of the viral illness, including pneumonia. The findings provide both the clinical and virological markers for identifying potential convalescent plasma donors with high serum NAT, which can be used to produce hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin in a randomized treatment trial for patients with severe pandemic H1N1 infection. © 2010 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio

Robot-assisted ureteral reimplantation in children with vesico-ureteral reflux

香港泌尿外科學會Moderated Poster (Free Paper) Session II - Upper Tract and Robotic Surgery: MP.2-4OBJECTIVE: We report our initial experience on robot-assisted ureteral reimplanation in children with vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) …published_or_final_versionThe 17th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Hong Kong Urological Association, Hong Kong, 6 November 2011. In Program Book, 2011, p. 6

Harvesting convalescent plasma for hyperimmune intravenous globulin production: a multicentre randomised double-blind controlled trial for treatment of patients with serious S-OIV H1N1 infection

Poster Presentations: Emerging / Infectious Diseases: abstract no. P107-Ab0089Symposium Theme: Translating Health Research into Policy and Practice for Health of the Populationpublished_or_final_versio

Harvesting convalescent plasma for hyperimmune intravenous globulin production: a multicentre randomised double-blind controlled trial for treatment of patients with serious S-OIV H1N1 infection

Poster Presentations: Emerging / Infectious Diseases: abstract no. P107-Ab0089Symposium Theme: Translating Health Research into Policy and Practice for Health of the Populationpublished_or_final_versio

Development and Validation of an Attitudinal-Profiling Tool for Patients With Asthma

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Stratifying triple-negative breast cancer: which definition(s) to use?

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) have increased rates of pathologic complete response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, yet have poorer prognosis compared with non-TNBC. Known as the triple-negative paradox, this highlights the need to dissect the biologic and clinical heterogeneity within TNBC. In the present issue, Keam and colleagues suggest two subgroups of TNBC exist based on the proliferation-related marker Ki-67, each with differential response and prognosis following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. To place results into context, we review several definitions available under the TNBC umbrella that may stratify TNBC into clinically relevant subgroups