Primary lymphocutaneous nocardiosis in an immunocompetent patient

BACKGROUND: Nocardia brasiliensis is a rare human pathogen usually associated with localized cutaneous infections. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of primary lymphocutaneous Nocardia brasiliensis infection developed after a bone fracture of the left hand of an otherwise healthy 32-year-old man. Treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole given for a total of three months combined with surgical debridement resulted in complete resolution of the infection. CONCLUSION: Nocardiosis should be part of the differential diagnosis in patients with sporotrichoid infection, particularly those with a history of outdoor injury. Culture of the affected tissue and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolate should be performed for diagnosis and treatment

Star rating driver traffic and safety behavior through OBD and smartphone data collection

Yannis G.; Tselentis D.; Paradimitrior E.; Mavromatis S. Оценка дорожного движения и безопасности водителя по рейтингу посредством сбора данных с БД и смартфоновThe objective of this paper is to demonstrate the potential for monitoring and star rating driver traffic and safety behavior, through the use of continuous data collection from the vehicle (On Board Diagnostics) and the smartphone. Current technological advances in Europe and worldwide make data collection and exploitation substantially easier and more accurate than before. The present work examines the correlation between driving behaviour and degree of exposure with traffic risk. Moreover, the impact of critical behavioural and exposure indicators on traffic risk as well as driving behavior and exposure models using the above indicators for traffic risk calculation are also examined

Presence of Leishmania and Brucella Species in the Golden Jackal Canis aureus in Serbia

The golden jackal Canis aureus occurs in south-eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Africa. In Serbia, jackals neared extinction; however, during the last 30 years, the species started to spread quickly and to increase in number. Few studies in the past have revealed their potential role as carriers of zoonotic diseases. Animal samples were collected over a three-year period (01/2010-02/2013) from 12 sites all over Serbia. Of the tissue samples collected, spleen was chosen as the tissue to proceed; all samples were tested for Leishmania species and Brucella species by real-time PCR. Of the 216 samples collected, 15 (6.9%) were positive for Leishmania species, while four (1.9%) were positive for B. canis. The potential epidemiologic role of the golden jackal in carrying and dispersing zoonotic diseases in Serbia should be taken under consideration when applying surveillance monitoring schemes

Active surveillance of Q fever in human and animal population of Cyprus

BACKGROUND: A long-term active surveillance of Q fever was conducted in Cyprus organized in two phases. METHODS: Following serological tests and identification of seropositive humans and animals for C. burnetii in two villages (VIL1 and VIL2), all seronegative individuals were followed up for one year on a monthly basis by trained physicians to detect possible seroconversion for Q fever. In the second phase of the study, active surveillance for one year was conducted in the entire Cyprus. Physicians were following specific case definition criteria for Q fever. Standardized questionnaires, a geographical information system on a regional level, Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) examinations and shell vial technique were used. RESULTS: Eighty-one seronegative humans and 239 seronegative animals from both villages participated in the first phase surveillance period of Q fever. Despite the small number of confirmed clinical cases (2 humans and 1 goat), a significant percentage of new seropositives for C. burnetii (44.4% of human participants and 13.8% of animals) was detected at the end of the year. During the second phase of surveillance, 82 humans, 100 goats, and 76 sheep were considered suspected cases of Q fever. However, only 9 human, 8 goat, and 4 sheep cases were serologically confirmed, while C. burnetii was isolated from three human and two animal samples. The human incidence rate was estimated at 1.2 per 100,000 population per year. CONCLUSION: A small number of confirmed clinical cases of Q fever were observed despite the high seroprevalence for C. burnetii in human and animal population of Cyprus. Most of the cases in the local population of Cyprus appear to be subclinical. Moreover further studies should investigate the role of ticks in the epidemiology of Q fever and their relation to human seropositivity

Quantitative Proteome Profiling of C. burnetii under Tetracycline Stress Conditions

The recommended antibiotic regimen against Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is based on a semi-synthetic, second-generation tetracycline, doxycycline. Here, we report on the comparison of the proteomes of a C. burnetii reference strain either cultured under control conditions or under tetracycline stress conditions. Using the MS-driven combined fractional diagonal chromatography proteomics technique, out of the 531 proteins identified, 5 and 19 proteins were found significantly up- and down-regulated respectively, under tetracycline stress. Although the predicted cellular functions of these regulated proteins did not point to known tetracycline resistance mechanisms, our data clearly reveal the plasticity of the proteome of C. burnetii to battle tetracycline stress. Finally, we raise several plausible hypotheses that could further lead to more focused experiments on studying tetracycline resistance in C. burnetii and thus reduced treatment failures of Q fever

Analysis of Driving Behaviour Characteristics Based on Smartphone Data

The objective of this paper is to detect and analyze risky driving behaviour characteristics on the basis of smartphone data, with focus on key risk indicators, namely the number of harsh driving events and the use of mobile phone while driving. Driving behaviour analytics data from a naturalistic driving experiment are exploited in this research recorded by smartphone devices. The driving indicators that are collected include distance travelled, speed, accelerations, brakings, turnings, cornerings, and related ‘events’ in the form of harsh maneuvers (e.g. harsh acceleration, braking, etc.), as well as mobile phone use. One hundred drivers participated in the designed experiment during a 4-months timeframe and a large database of 18,850 trips was built. The results of this research reveal that distraction originating from smartphone usage has a serious impact on the number of harsh events that occur per kilometer and subsequently on the relative crash risk. Furthermore, mobile phone use while driving may be accurately “detected” by smartphone sensors data in more than 70% of cases