Epidemiological study of E. coli O157:H7 isolated in Northern Ireland using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)

In Northern Ireland over the last 7 years, there is a mean of 41.9 laboratory reports per annum of human gastrointestinal infection (range 19-54) caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7. In the preceding years 1992-1996, reports were 5.4 per annum, whereas in 1997-2000, reports increased from 30 to 54 per annum. This high level has continued on an annual basis to date. The aim of this study was therefore to retrospectively examine this period of exponential increase in reports to help ascertain the genetic relatedness of strains employing pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), as no data on the molecular epidemiology of E. coli O157:H7 in Northern Ireland has yet been published. Clinical isolates (n=84) were PFGE typed employing Xba I digestion and resulting band profiles demonstrated the presence of 13, 9 and 16 clonal types, for 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 1998, five clonal types remained from 1997 with the introduction of 4 new clonal types, whereas in 1999, 10 new clonal types were observed, accounting for over half (58%) of the E. coli O157 isolates for that year. These data suggest that, unlike gastrointestinal infections due to thermophilic campylobacters, there was considerable genetic evolution of PFGE clonal types of E. coli O157, through the displacement and emergence of genotypes. Further studies are now required to find the environmental reservoirs of these common clonal types of clinical E. coli O157:H7 in Northern Ireland to help define sources and routes of transmission of this infection locally

Conductive keratoplasty for the treatment of presbyopia: comparative study between post- and non-LASIK eyes

Minoru Tomita* Miyuki Watabe* Mitsutoshi Ito Tadahiko TsuruShinagawa LASIK Center, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan*Minoru Tomita and Miyuki Watabe contributed equally to this studyPurpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of conductive keratoplasty (CK) for the treatment of presbyopia and analyze the differences in the effects between post- and non-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eyes. Clinical preoperative factors that could affect the predictability of CK were also analyzed.Methods: The visual and refractive outcomes of CK for the treatment of presbyopia in 14 eyes of 13 post-LASIK patients (post-LASIK group mean age 50.9 ± 3.4 years) and those of 25 eyes of 25 non-LASIK patients (non-LASIK group mean age 52.4 ± 4.0 years) were studied. The clinical efficacy, safety, stability, and predictability of CK were statistically evaluated.Results: The mean (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] ± standard deviation [SD]) of preoperative uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) and manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) were 0.64 ± 0.25 diopter (D) and 0.35 ± 0.48 D, respectively, in the post-LASIK group, and 0.71 ± 0.20 D and 0.64 ± 0.61 D, respectively, in the non-LASIK group. At 6 months after CK, the mean UNVA and MRSE were 0.07 ± 0.13 D and -1.59 ± 0.86 D, respectively, in the post-LASIK group, and 0.07 ± 0.12 D and -1.06 ± 0.56 D, respectively, in the non-LASIK group. At 1 year after CK, the mean UNVA and MRSE were 0.30 ± 0.17 D and -0.58 ± 0.52 D, respectively, in the post-LASIK group, and 0.28 ± 0.34 D and -1.56 ± 0.62 D, respectively, in the non-LASIK group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in either factor at 6 months postoperative (Student’s t-test, P > 0.05). At 1 year after CK, all the treated eyes maintained corrected distance visual acuity better than -0.08 (logMAR). The mean cylindrical errors were within ±1.00 D in 100% of the post-LASIK and non-LASIK patients. As for the preoperative clinical factors evaluated for their potential relationship to the predictability of CK, none showed significant effect on the clinical outcomes.Conclusion: CK is demonstrated to be safe for the treatment of presbyopia in post-LASIK patients as well as in non-LASIK patients, though needed longer observation in terms of factors affecting predictability.Keywords: conductive keratoplasty, post-LASIK, presbyopia, C

Additional file 1: of Bivalve-specific gene expansion in the pearl oyster genome: implications of adaptation to a sessile lifestyle

Table S1. Summary of Pinctada fucata genome sequence data. Table S2. Summary of the Pinctada fucata genome assemblies. Table S3. Numbers of genes containing functional domains related to heat shock proteins. See also Fig. 3a. Table S4. Numbers of genes containing functional domains related to non-self recognition and signaling. See also Fig. 4a. Table S5. List of biomineralization-related genes tandemly arranged in the genome. See also Fig. 5. Table S6. Hox and neighboring gene models tandemly arranged in the genome. Table S7. ParaHox and neighboring gene models tandemly arranged in the genome. Table S8. Wnt and adjacent gene models tandemly arranged in the genome. (PDF 385 kb