Transmission dynamics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the tertiary care hospital and the household setting.

Background: Studies about transmission rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in hospitals and households are scarce.

Methods: Eighty-two index patients with new carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec; n = 72) or ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kp; n = 10) and their hospital (n = 112) and household (n = 96) contacts were studied prospectively from May 2008 through September 2010. Isolates were phenotypically and molecularly characterized (sequencing of bla genes, repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction, pulse-field gel electrophoresis, and multilocus sequence typing).

Treatment of joint prosthesis infection in accordance with current recommendations improves outcome.

Background: Recently recommended treatment modalities for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) were evaluated.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 68 patients with PJI of hip or knee who were treated from 1995 through 2004 was conducted at the University Hospital Bern (Bern, Switzerland).

Results: A 2-stage exchange was the most frequent (75.

The world from a cat's perspective--statistics of natural videos.

The mammalian visual system is one of the most intensively investigated sensory systems. However, our knowledge of the typical input it is operating on is surprisingly limited. To address this issue, we seek to learn about the natural visual environment and the world as seen by a cat.