Evaluation of a fourth-generation latex agglutination test for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus

 In this study, we evaluated a fourth-generation agglutination assay (Staph Plus; DiaMondiaL[DML]) for the rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus. First, comparison with three third-generation assays (Slidex Staph Plus, bioMérieux; Staphaurex Plus, Murex Diagnostics; Pastorex Staph-Plus, Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur) was performed on a predefined strain collection: 265 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), 266 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 262 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains (“strain study”). Second, patient material-derived strains (883 CNS, 847 MSSA and 135 MRSA) were tested concurrently with both the DML and Slidex assays (“daily practice study”). In the strain study, the overall sensitivity and specificity of the DML, Slidex, Staphaurex and Pastorex assays were 99.2% and 100%, 98.1% and 100%, 95.2% and 100%, and 98.2% and 98.8%, respectively. Using the respective tests, the result was indeterminate in 0.0%, 0.6%, 0.4% and 1.5% of the strains. Overall, the sensitivity of the DML and Slidex assays were comparable in both sub-studies. However, in MRSA strains, the sensitivity of the DML assay was significantly lower than the Slidex assay. The specificity of the Slidex assay was significantly higher than the DML assay. However, the percentage of indeterminate results was much higher for the Slidex than the DML assay. In conclusion, the presumptive identification of S. aureus by the DML assay proved to be equal to third-generation latex agglutination assays

Pathogenesis of vestibular schwannoma in ring chromosome 22

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ring chromosome 22 is a rare human constitutional cytogenetic abnormality. Clinical features of neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2 as well as different tumour types have been reported in patients with ring chromosome 22. The pathogenesis of these tumours is not always clear yet.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We report on a female patient with a ring chromosome 22 presenting with severe mental retardation, autistic behaviour, café-au-lait macules and facial dysmorphism. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were karyotyped and array CGH was performed on extracted DNA. At the age of 20 years she was diagnosed with a unilateral vestibular schwannoma. Tumour cells were analyzed by karyotyping, array CGH and <it>NF2 </it>mutation analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Karyotype on peripheral blood lymphocytes revealed a ring chromosome 22 in all analyzed cells. A 1 Mb array CGH experiment on peripheral blood DNA showed a deletion of 5 terminal clones on the long arm of chromosome 22. Genetic analysis of vestibular schwannoma tissue revealed loss of the ring chromosome 22 and a somatic second hit in the <it>NF2 </it>gene on the remaining chromosome 22.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that tumours can arise by the combination of loss of the ring chromosome and a pathogenic <it>NF2 </it>mutation on the remaining chromosome 22 in patients with ring chromosome 22. Our findings indicate that patients with a ring 22 should be monitored for NF2-related tumours starting in adolescence.</p

ParaVR: A Virtual Reality Training Simulator for Paramedic Skills maintenance

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of Paramedic Practice, copyright © MA Healthcare, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://www.paramedicpractice.com/features/article/paravr-a-virtual-reality-training-simulator-for-paramedic-skills-maintenance.Background, Virtual Reality (VR) technology is emerging as a powerful educational tool which is used in medical training and has potential benefits for paramedic practice education. Aim The aim of this paper is to report development of ParaVR, which utilises VR to address skills maintenance for paramedics. Methods Computer scientists at the University of Chester and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) developed ParaVR in four stages: 1. Identifying requirements and specifications 2. Alpha version development, 3. Beta version development 4. Management: Development of software, further funding and commercialisation. Results Needle Cricothyrotomy and Needle Thoracostomy emerged as candidates for the prototype ParaVR. The Oculus Rift head mounted display (HMD) combined with Novint Falcon haptic device was used, and a virtual environment crafted using 3D modelling software, ported (a computing term meaning transfer (software) from one system or machine to another) onto Oculus Go and Google cardboard VR platform. Conclusion VR is an emerging educational tool with the potential to enhance paramedic skills development and maintenance. The ParaVR program is the first step in our development, testing, and scaling up of this technology

Regulation of inflammation in Japanese encephalitis

Uncontrolled inflammatory response of the central nervous system is a hallmark of severe Japanese encephalitis (JE). Although inflammation is necessary to mount an efficient immune response against virus infections, exacerbated inflammatory response is often detrimental. In this context, cells of the monocytic lineage appear to be important forces driving JE pathogenesis

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Target selection of open cluster stars & x22c6;

Context. The Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) is a public, high-resolution spectroscopic survey, conducted with the multi-object spectrograph Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph (FLAMES) on the Very Large Telescope (European Southern Observatory, ESO, Cerro Paranal, Chile) from December 2011 to January 2018. Gaia-ESO has targeted all the main stellar components of the Milky Way, including thin and thick disc, bulge, and halo. In particular, a large sample of open clusters has been observed, from very young ones, just out of the embedded phase, to very old ones. Aims. The different kinds of clusters and stars targeted in them are useful to reach the main science goals of the open cluster part of GES, which are the study of the open cluster structure and dynamics, the use of open clusters to constrain and improve stellar evolution models, and the definition of Galactic disc properties (e.g., metallicity distribution). Methods. The Gaia-ESO Survey is organised in 19 working groups (WGs), each one being responsible for a task. We describe here the work of three of them, one in charge of the selection of the targets within each cluster or association (WG4), one responsible for defining the most probable candidate member stars (WG1), and another one in charge of the preparation of the observations (WG6). As the entire GES has been conducted before the second Gaia data release, we could not make use of the Gaia astrometry to define cluster member candidates. We made use of public and private photometry to select the stars to be observed with FLAMES, once brought on a common astrometric system (the one defined by 2MASS). Candidate target selection was based on ground-based proper motions, radial velocities, and X-ray properties when appropriate, for example, and it was mostly used to define the position of the clusters’ evolutionary sequences in the colour-magnitude diagrams. Targets for GIRAFFE were then selected near the sequences in an unbiased way. We used known information on membership, when available, only for the few stars to be observed with UVES. Results. We collected spectra for 62 confirmed clusters in the main observing campaign (and a few more clusters were taken from the ESO archive). Among them are very young clusters, where the main targets are pre-main sequence stars, clusters with very hot and massive stars currently on the main sequence, intermediate-age and old clusters where evolved stars are the main targets. Our strategy of making the selection of targets as inclusive and unbiased as possible and of observing a significant and representative fraction of all possible targets permitted us to collect the largest, most accurate, and most homogeneous spectroscopic data set on open star clusters ever achieved