Effect of chlorine on cultivability of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and β-lactamase genes carrying E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The worldwide spread of toxin-producing and multi-drug resistant bacteria in water, food and the environment is considered a major threat to human health. Drinking water quality is controlled by inspection of fecal indicators presence whereby viable contaminants will be efficiently reduced by chlorination which is a common process for disinfection. However, the all-out efficiency is arguable, because bacterial regrowth has been documented after disinfection.

Coupling of a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond to a fiber-based microcavity.

We report on the coupling of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in a nanodiamond to a fiber-based microcavity at room temperature. Investigating the very same NV center inside the cavity and in free space allows us to systematically explore a regime of phonon-assisted cavity feeding. Making use of the NV center's strongly broadened emission, we realize a widely tunable, narrow band single photon source.

Long-term treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with salmeterol and the additive effect of ipratropium.

The efficacy and safety of salmeterol alone was compared with the combination of salmeterol plus ipratropium and with placebo during long-term treatment in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, the single-dose effect in response to the first dose of treatment was studied over 12 h. The patients (n=144; age 64+/-7 yrs, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 44+/-11% pred) participated in a three-centre double-blind double-placebo parallel group study and were randomized after a run-in period of 2 weeks to receive either salmeterol 50 microg b.

Treatment of fetal erythroblastosis by intravascular transfusions: outcome at 6 years.

Objective: To assess 6 years' neurologic outcome of a complete cohort of survivors of intrauterine intravascular transfusions.

Methods: From January 1986 to December 1991, 136 intravascular transfusions were performed in 43 fetuses presenting with signs of severe erythroblastosis. Before the initial transfusion, 11 of 43 fetuses had some degree of hydrops fetalis, and hemoglobin values ranged between 1.

Salmeterol versus formoterol in patients with moderately severe asthma: onset and duration of action.

We evaluated the profile of the bronchodilatory effect of three inhaled beta2-agonists, 24 microg formoterol, 50 microg salmeterol and 200 microg salbutamol, in patients with stable, moderately severe asthma. Thirty asthmatics (mean+/-SD age 54+/-8 yrs; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 58+/-12% predicted; reversibility of FEV1 21+/-8% from baseline) participated in a single-centre, double-blind, randomized, single-dose, cross-over study. FEV1 was obtained in baseline condition and 10, 20, 30, 60 min, and every hour up to 12 h after inhalation of the trial drug.

Comparison of performance of four instruments in evaluating the effects of salmeterol on asthma quality of life.

Quality of life measures are increasingly used as important efficacy endpoints in studies of drugs for asthma. The purpose of this study was to assess both the sensitivity to change and the construct validity of four different quality of life instruments in patients with asthma. In a double-blind, parallel group study, 120 moderate asthma patients, aged between 18-70 yrs, received either inhaled salmeterol 50 micrograms b.

The promoter for a variant surface glycoprotein gene expression site in Trypanosoma brucei.

The variant-specific surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene 221 of Trypanosoma brucei is transcribed as part of a 60 kb expression site (ES). We have identified the promoter controlling this multigene transcription unit by the use of 221 chromosome-enriched DNA libraries and VSG gene 221 expression site specific transcripts. The start of transcription was determined by hybridization and RNase protection analysis of nascent RNA.