Secondary attack rate following on-site isolation of patients with suspected COVID-19 in multiple-bed rooms.

The implementation of isolation precautions for patients with suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pending test results is resource intensive. Due to the limited availability of single-bed rooms at our institution, we isolated patients with suspected COVID-19 together with patients without suspected COVID-19 on-site in multiple-bed rooms until SARS-CoV-2-test results were available. We evaluated the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to individuals sharing the room with patients isolated on-site.

Assessing Nutritional Characteristics and Bioactive Compound Distribution in Seeds, Oil, and Cake from Confectionary Sunflowers Cultivated in Serbia.

Sunflower seeds are key agricultural commodities due to their nutritional and industrial value. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of targeted bioactive compounds and assess the physical properties across 27 sunflower seed genotypes, including parental lines and F1 and F2 hybrids, cultivated in Serbia. Various analytical techniques were employed to determine the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the seeds.

Evaluation of a surveillance system for Clostridioides difficile infections for Swiss hospitals.

Aims: This study evaluated an approach to establishing a comprehensive nationwide surveillance system for Clostridioides difficile infection in Switzerland. We report the results of patient-related surveillance and calculate the incidence rate of C. difficile infection in Switzerland in 2022.

Nutritional and Chemical Quality of Maize Hybrids from Different FAO Maturity Groups Developed and Grown in Serbia.

Maize is a globally significant cereal crop, contributing to the production of essential food products and serving as a pivotal resource for diverse industrial applications. This study investigated the proximate analysis of maize hybrids from different FAO maturity groups in Serbia, exploring variations in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids with the aim of understanding how agroecological conditions influence the nutritional potential of maize hybrids. The results indicate substantial variations in nutritional composition and antioxidant properties among different maturity groups.

Comparative Study of the Nutritional and Chemical Composition of New Oil Rape, Safflower and Mustard Seed Varieties Developed and Grown in Serbia.

Oilseed crops are widely cultivated and are related to nutrition and human health as valuable nutraceutical sources with valuable biological properties. The growing demand for oil plants used in human and animal nutrition or for the processing industry has contributed to the diversification and development of a new variety of oil crops. Increased oil crop diversity, besides ensuring reduced sensitivity to pests and climate conditions, has also led to improved nutritional values.

A qualitative study on the perception of infection prevention and control measures among healthcare workers without patient contact during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

We conducted a qualitative interview-based study to examine the perception of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) without patient contact in a tertiary academic care center. We compared these findings to those derived from interviews of HCWs with patient contact from the same institution using the same study design. The following main four themes were identified: (1) As for HCWs with patient contact, transparent communication strongly contributes to employees' sense of security.

A systematic outbreak investigation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters in a tertiary academic care center.

Background: We sought to decipher transmission pathways in healthcare-associated infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within our hospital by epidemiological work-up and complementary whole genome sequencing (WGS). We report the findings of the four largest epidemiologic clusters of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurring during the second wave of the pandemic from 11/2020 to 12/2020.

Methods: At the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, systematic outbreak investigation is initiated at detection of any nosocomial case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, occurring more than five days after admission.

A Case Study of Zoonotic Infection: Diagnostic Challenges From Clinical and Microbiological Perspectives.

is the most common causative agent of abortion in small ruminants, but it is poorly recognized as a human pathogen. In most published case studies, diagnosis remained difficult and often resulted in delayed initiation of therapy. In this case study of severe infection in a pregnant farmer from Switzerland, we highlight the clinical and microbiological diagnostic challenges and provide evidence of a zoonotic epidemiological link.

A comprehensive study of parameters correlated with honey health benefits.

One hundred honey samples of different floral origin (acacia, sunflower, meadow, and forest) collected from nine European countries (Serbia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Hungary) were analysed for various physicochemical, sensory, antioxidant and antibacterial parameters. The relative antioxidant capacity index and relative antibacterial index were calculated, integrated and expressed as a new property - , intended to be used to predict the health potential of a honey based on its antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Free acidity and colour coordinates * and * were chosen for building an artificial neural network model for the prediction of honey health potential.

A qualitative study on safety perception among healthcare workers of a tertiary academic care center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Background: Protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during patient care is central to managing the current pandemic. Higher levels of trust in personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies have been previously related to lower levels of emotional exhaustion, yet little is known on how to achieve such a perception of safety. We thus sought to identify institutional actions, strategies and policies related to HCWs' safety perception during the early phase of the pandemic at a tertiary care center in Switzerland by interviewing HCWs from different clinics, professions, and positions.

Cutting edges in Clostridioides difficile infections.

Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea and one of the most important causes of hospital-acquired infections. It results in significant morbidity, mortality and economic burden - especially in the context of recurrent infections. After initial antibiotic therapy of a C.

Parvimonas micra as a rare cause of spondylodiscitis - case series from a single centre.

Background: The anaerobe Parvimonas micra is usually recovered as part of the normal flora or in polymicrobial infections of odontogenic or gastrointestinal origin. P. micra has rarely been described as the causative organism of pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Potentiometric Stripping Analysis of Cadmium and Lead with Constant Inverse Current in the Analytical Step Using an Open Tubular Mercury-Coated Glassy Carbon Electrode.

The most important experimental parameters of the flow potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) with oxygen as an oxidant were investigated and optimised. A simple, homemade flow system consisting of glassy carbon tubes, which served as a working and auxiliary electrode, was used. By applying a rest period before the stripping step (the flow stop mode) and by imposing a constant reductive current simultaneously with the interruption of potentiostatic control, significant increase of the flow PSA sensitivity was achieved.

Distinguishing Clostridium difficile Recurrence From Reinfection: Independent Validation of Current Recommendations.

OBJECTIVE Distinguishing recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), defined as CDI caused by the same genotype, from reinfection with a different genotype, has important implications for surveillance and clinical trials investigating treatment effectiveness. We validated the proposed 8-week period for distinguishing "same genotype CDI" from "different genotype CDI," and we aimed to identify clinical variables with distinctiveness to propose an improved definition. METHODS From January 2004 to December 2013, a cohort of all inpatients with CDI at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, was established, and respective strains were collected.

Development and Validation of Chronopotentiometric Method for Imidacloprid Determination in Pesticide Formulations and River Water Samples.

A new electrochemical method for determination of imidacloprid using chronopotentiometry on thin film mercury and glassy carbon electrode was presented. The most important experimental parameters of chronopotentiometry were examined and optimized with respect to imidacloprid analytical signal. Imidacloprid provided well-defined reduction peak in Britton-Robinson buffer on thin film mercury electrode at -1.

Simple, Rapid and Selective Chronopotentiometric Method for the Determination of Riboflavin in Pharmaceutical Preparations Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode.

A novel, simple, sensitive and reliable electrochemical method for the riboflavin determination using chronopotentiomery with glassy carbon electrode was developed. The most important instrumental parameters of chronopotentiometry including type and concentration of supporting electrolyte, initial potential and current range were examined and optimised in respect to riboflavin analytical signal. Riboflavin provided well defined reduction signal at -0.

Determination of heavy metals in milk and fermented milk products by potentiometric stripping analysis with constant inverse current in the analytical step.

A simple and rapid method for the direct determination of cadmium, lead and copper in milk and fermented milk products by potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) with oxygen as an oxidant and with inverse current imposed through the stripping step is described. For the more selective metals determination a samples pretreatment by the microwave acid extraction was applied. Due to the significant increase of the modified technique sensitivity, the detection limits of 0.