Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes in Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis from Humans and Retail Red Meat

The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant and virulent enterococci is a major public health concern. While enterococci are commonly found in food of animal origin, the knowledge on their zoonotic potential is limited. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence traits of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates from human clinical specimens and retail red meat in Slovenia. A total of 242 isolates were investigated: 101 from humans (71 E. faecalis, 30 E. faecium) and 141 from fresh beef and pork (120 E. faecalis, 21 E. faecium). The susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials was tested using a broth microdilution method, and the presence of seven common virulence genes was investigated using PCR. In both species, the distribution of several resistance phenotypes and virulence genes was disparate for isolates of different origin. All isolates were susceptible to daptomycin, linezolid, teicoplanin, and vancomycin. In both species, the susceptibility to antimicrobials was strongly associated with a food origin and the multidrug resistance, observed in 29.6% of E. faecalis and 73.3% E. faecium clinical isolates, with a clinical origin (Fisher's exact test). Among meat isolates, in total 66.0% of E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested and 32.6% were resistant to either one or two antimicrobials. In E. faecalis, several virulence genes were significantly associated with a clinical origin; the most common (31.0%) gene pattern included all the tested genes except hyl. In meat isolates, the virulence genes were detected in E. faecalis only and the most common pattern included ace, efaA, and gelE (32.5%), of which gelE showed a statistically significant association with a clinical origin. These results emphasize the importance of E. faecalis in red meat as a reservoir of virulence genes involved in its persistence and human infections with reported severe outcomes

On the Lack of Correlation Between [OIII]/[OII] and Lyman-Continuum Escape Fraction

We present the first results of our pilot study of 8 photometrically selected Lyman continuum (LyC) emitting galaxy candidates from the COSMOS field and focus on their optical emission line ratios. Observations were performed in the H and K bands using the Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration (MOSFIRE) instrument at the Keck Observatory, targeting the [OII], H$\beta$, and [OIII] emission lines. We find that photometrically selected LyC emitting galaxy candidates have high ionization parameters, based on their high [OIII]/[OII] ratios (O32), with an average ratio for our sample of 2.5$\pm$0.2. Preliminary results of our companion Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) observations, targeting LyC and Ly$\alpha$, show that those galaxies with the largest O32 are typically found to also be Ly$\alpha$ emitters. High O32 galaxies are also found to have tentative non-zero LyC escape fractions ($f_{esc}(LyC)$) based on $u$ band photometric detections. These results are consistent with samples of highly ionized galaxies, including confirmed LyC emitting galaxies from the literature. We also perform a detailed comparison between the observed emission line ratios and simulated line ratios from density bounded H$_{\textrm{II}}$ regions modeled using the photoionization code MAPPINGS V. Estimates of $f_{esc}(LyC)$ for our sample fall in the range from 0.0-0.23 and suggest possible tension with published correlations between O32 and $f_{esc}(LyC)$, adding weight to dichotomy of arguments in the literature. We highlight the possible effects of clumpy geometry and mergers that may account for such tension.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Consumers’ perceived corporate social responsibility evaluation and support: the moderating role of consumer information

This study analyzes how consumers’ evaluations of various dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect their support of it and how consumers’ searches for CSR information influence such evaluations. The empirical analysis relies on data on CSR from a wide representative sample of 3543 Spanish hotel consumers. We use hierarchical multiple regressions to test the relationships and use factorial analysis to test the validity of the different CSR dimensions. The proposed positive effects of legal, ethical, economic, philanthropic and environmental dimensions of CSR on consumers’ support for corporate reputation, the selection of an establishment, and future purchase intention are corroborated, although they are only partially corroborated in the case of the economic dimension. These relationships are moderated in some cases by consumers’ search for information about hotels’ CSR practices. Managerial and economic implications are derived from the results

Combining quantitative and qualitative survey work. Methodological framework, practical issues, and case studies

This document is an output of the DFID funded research project R7033 "Methodological Framework for Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches for Socio-Economic Survey Work". The project's main objective was to improve survey methodologies used in the natural resources sector, leading in turn to improved quality of information required for decision-making at the various stages of natural resources programmes and projects. The project, which was jointly implemented by the Natural Resources Institute and the Statistical Services Centre, attempted to bridge the gap between informal I qualitative methods on the one hand and formal I quantitative ones on the other. The document is presented in the form of a manual, allowing the user to read each of its parts and sections independently of each other. Nevertheless, cross references indicate links to other parts of the document where appropriate. Part I provides a methodological framework, which will also be available as a Best-Practice Guideline published by the Natural Resources Systems Programme of DFID. Part 11, which contains six theme papers, looks into a number of practical issues encountered when combining quantitative and qualitative survey techniques. And finally, in Part III case studies are used to demonstrate how the two approaches can be integrated in survey work and experiments related to the natural resources sector. The framework document, theme papers and case studies have been produced between 1998 and 2000

Evidence for CP Violation in B0 -> D+D- Decays

We report measurements of the branching fraction and CP violation parameters in B0 -> D+D- decays. The results are based on a data sample that contains 535 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance, with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We obtain [1.97 +- 0.20 (stat) +- 0.20 (syst)] x 10^(-4) for the branching fraction of B0 -> D+D-. The measured values of the CP violation parameters are: S = -1.13 +- 0.37 +- 0.09, A = 0.91 +- 0.23 +- 0.06, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. We find evidence of CP violation in B0 -> D+D- at the 4.1 sigma confidence level. While the value of S is consistent with expectations from other measurements, the value of the parameter A favors large direct CP violation at the 3.2 sigma confidence level, in contradiction to Standard Model expectations.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR

Study of the Baryon-Antibaryon Low-Mass Enhancements in Charmless Three-body Baryonic B Decays

The angular distributions of the baryon-antibaryon low-mass enhancements seen in the charmless three-body baryonic B decays B+ -> p pbar K+, B0 -> p pbar Ks, and B0 -> p Lambdabar pi- are reported. A quark fragmentation interpretation is supported, while the gluonic resonance picture is disfavored. Searches for the Theta+ and Theta++ pentaquarks in the relevant decay modes and possible glueball states G with 2.2 GeV/c2 < M-ppbar < 2.4 GeV/c2 in the ppbar systems give null results. We set upper limits on the products of branching fractions, B(B0 -> Theta+ p)\times B(Theta+ -> p Ks) Theta++ pbar) \times B(Theta++ -> p K+) G K+) \times B(G -> p pbar) < 4.1 \times 10^{-7} at the 90% confidence level. The analysis is based on a 140 fb^{-1} data sample recorded on the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure files, update of hep-ex/0409010 for journal submisssio

The long non-coding {RNA} {H19} suppresses carcinogenesis and chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 represents a maternally expressed and epigenetically regulated imprinted gene product and is discussed to have either tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive actions. Recently, H19 was shown to be regulated under inflammatory conditions. Therefore, aim of this study was to determine the function of H19 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), an inflammation-associated type of tumor. In four different human HCC patient cohorts H19 was distinctly downregulated in tumor tissue compared to normal or non-tumorous adjacent tissue. We therefore determined the action of H19 in three different human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2, Plc/Prf5, and Huh7). Clonogenicity and proliferation assays showed that H19 overexpression could suppress tumor cell survival and proliferation after treatment with either sorafenib or doxorubicin, suggesting chemosensitizing actions of H19. Since HCC displays a highly chemoresistant tumor entity, cell lines resistant to doxorubicin or sorafenib were established. In all six chemoresistant cell lines H19 expression was significantly downregulated. The promoter methylation of the H19 gene was significantly different in chemoresistant cell lines compared to their sensitive counterparts. Chemoresistant cells were sensitized after H19 overexpression by either increasing the cytotoxic action of doxorubicin or decreasing cell proliferation upon sorafenib treatment. An H19 knockout mouse model (H19Δ3) showed increased tumor development and tumor cell proliferation after treatment with the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN) independent of the reciprocally imprinted insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). In conclusion, H19 suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis, hepatoma cell growth, and HCC chemoresistance. Thus, mimicking H19 action might be a potential target to overcome chemoresistance in future HCC therapy

Evidence of the Purely Leptonic Decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar

We present the first evidence of the decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar using 414 fb^-1 of data collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in hadronic modes. We detect the signal with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations including systematics, and measure the branching fraction to be Br(B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar) = (1.79 +0.56-0.49(stat) +0.46-0.51(syst))*10^-4. This implies that f_B = 0.229 +0.036-0.031(stat) +0.034-0.037(syst) GeV and is the first direct measurement of this quantity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Measurements of Branching Fractions and Polarization in B > K^* rho Decays

We present results of a study of the charmless vector-vector decays B^0 -> K^{*0} rho^0 and B^+ ->K^{*0} rho^+. The results are based on a 140 fb^{-1} data sample collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We obtain the branching fraction B(B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+)=(6.6 +- 2.2(stat.) +- 0.8 (syst.)) x 10^{-6}, and set upper limits on the branching fractions B(B^0 -> K^{*0} rho^0) f_0(980) K^{*0})<5.2 x 10^{-6}. We also perform a helicity analysis of the rho and K^* vector mesons in the decay B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+, and obtain the longitudinal polarization fraction R_0(B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+)=0.50 +- 0.19(stat.)+0.05-0.07}(syst.).Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ICHEP04, Beijing, Chin