Epidemiology and zoonotic transmission of -positive and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales on German turkey farms.

Introduction: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria causing serious infections may lead to more frequent use of previously abandoned antibiotics like colistin. However, mobile colistin resistance genes () can jeopardise its effectiveness in both human and veterinary medicine. In Germany, turkeys have been identified as the food-producing animal most likely to harbour -positive colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (-Col-E).

Next generation genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for serotonin.

We developed a family of genetically encoded serotonin (5-HT) sensors (sDarken) on the basis of the native 5-HT1A receptor and circularly permuted GFP. sDarken 5-HT sensors are bright in the unbound state and diminish their fluorescence upon binding of 5-HT. Sensor variants with different affinities for serotonin were engineered to increase the versatility in imaging of serotonin dynamics.

Presence of Parent Cocaine in the Absence of Benzoylecgonine in Urine.

Cocaine (COC) is widely abused and associated with significant adverse effects. Forensic and clinical laboratories often test for COC intake through detection of the primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BZE) in urine. Testing for BZE alone may result in false-negative determinations in situations where COC is recently administered or metabolism is impaired.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O103:H2 outbreak in Germany after school trip to Austria due to raw cow milk, 2017 - The important role of international collaboration for outbreak investigations.

Following a school ski-trip to Austria from 10 to 18/02/2017, nine of 25 participants of the group from Lower Saxony (Germany) developed gastroenteritis. The students and teachers (17-41 years) shared meals in a hotel. Active case finding revealed further cases among German school groups from North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, staying at the same hotel in February 2017.

State of the Heart: An Overview of the Disease Burden of Cardiovascular Disease from an Epidemiologic Perspective.

Cardiovascular diseases are prevalent worldwide and have significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and overall health care costs. Common risk factors include obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and smoking. Both modifiable and nonmodifiable risks should be accounted for when evaluating and managing patients with cardiovascular diseases.

How Common Are Pulmonary and Hepatic Adverse Effects in Older Adults Prescribed Nitrofurantoin?

Objectives: To determine the frequency of serious pulmonary and hepatic adverse events (AEs) in persons aged 65 and older prescribed nitrofurantoin.

Design: Retrospective electronic health record (EHR) audit of nitrofurantoin prescriptions and associated AEs.

Setting: Urban academic medical center.

BIOINFORMATICS IN THE K-8 CLASSROOM: DESIGNING INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHER IMPLEMENTATION.

At the intersection of biology and computer science is the growing field of bioinformatics-the analysis of complex datasets of biological relevance. Despite the increasing importance of bioinformatics and associated practical applications, these are not standard topics in elementary and middle school classrooms. We report on a pilot project and its evolution to support implementation of bioinformatics-based activities in elementary and middle school classrooms.

Inherited mutations in cancer susceptibility genes are common among survivors of breast cancer who develop therapy-related leukemia.

Background: Risk factors for the development of therapy-related leukemia (TRL), an often lethal late complication of cytotoxic therapy, remain poorly understood and may differ for survivors of different malignancies. Survivors of breast cancer (BC) now account for the majority of TRL cases, making the study of TRL risk factors in this population a priority.

Methods: Subjects with TRL after cytotoxic therapy for a primary BC were identified from the TRL registry at The University of Chicago.

Dearomatization Reactions Using Phthaloyl Peroxide.

A new oxidative dearomatization reaction has been developed using phthaloyl peroxide to chemoselectively install two oxygen-carbon bonds into aromatic precursors. The oxidation reaction proceeds only once; addition of superstoichiometric equivalents of phthaloyl peroxide does not react further with the newly generated 1,3-cyclohexadiene. The reaction has been challenged by the addition of different functional groups and shown to maintain chemoselectivity.

Synthesis of oxygenated oleanolic and ursolic acid derivatives with anti-inflammatory properties.

The scalable syntheses of four oxygenated triterpenes have been implemented to access substantial quantities of maslinic acid, 3-epi-maslinic acid, corosolic acid, and 3-epi-corosolic acid. Semi-syntheses proceed starting from the natural products oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. Proceeding over five steps, each of the four compounds can be synthesized on the gram scale.

[EurSafety Health-Net: MRSA Eradication in Nursing Homes and Home Care - A Practice Report].

In 2009 the project EurSafety Health-Net, funded by Interreg IVa, was initiated in order to create a cross-border quality alliance to enhance patient safety in the field of infectious diseases. Within this framework, several studies and projects addressing key topics of infection control were carried out. We describe the two-year project "MRSA decolonisation in care settings (MSP)", which aimed at evaluating a simple and economic way of decolonisation of non-hospitalised MRSA carriers in 2 districts in Lower Saxony.

A protocol to generate phthaloyl peroxide in flow for the hydroxylation of arenes.

A flow protocol for the generation of phthaloyl peroxide has been developed. This process directly yields phthaloyl peroxide in high purity (>95%) and can be used to bypass the need to isolate and recrystallize phthaloyl peroxide, improving upon earlier batch procedures. The flow protocol for the formation of phthaloyl peroxide can be combined with arene hydroxylation reactions and provides a method for the consumption of peroxide as it is generated to minimize the accumulation of large quantities of peroxide.

Protein gradient films of fibroin and gelatine.

Gradients are a natural design principle in biological systems that are used to diminish stress concentration where materials of differing mechanical properties connect. An interesting example of a natural gradient material is byssus, which anchors mussels to rocks and other hard substrata. Building upon previous work with synthetic polymers and inspired by byssal threads, protein gradient films are cast using glycerine-plasticized gelatine and fibroin exhibiting a highly reproducible and smooth mechanical gradient, which encompasses a large range of modulus from 160 to 550 MPa.

Transmission of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 at a family party possibly due to contamination by a food handler, Germany 2011.

We investigated a cluster of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O104:H4 infections after a family party during a large STEC O104:H4 outbreak in Germany. To identify the vehicle we conducted a retrospective cohort study. Stool samples of party guests, and food and environmental samples from the catering company were tested for STEC.

Duration of fecal shedding of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 in patients infected during the 2011 outbreak in Germany: a multicenter study.

Background: In May-July 2011, Germany experienced a large food-borne outbreak of Shiga toxin 2-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O104:H4) with 3842 cases, including 855 cases with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and 53 deaths.

Methods: A multicenter study was initiated in 5 university hospitals to determine pathogen shedding duration. Diagnostics comprised culture on selective media, toxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and polymerase chain reaction.

Epidemiological analysis of a cluster within the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serotype O104:H4 in Northern Germany, 2011.

In May 2011 one of the worldwide largest outbreaks of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O104:H4 occurred in Germany. One of the most affected federal states was Lower Saxony. We present the investigation of a cluster of STEC and HUS cases within this outbreak by means of a retrospective cohort study.

MRSA-ST398 in livestock farmers and neighbouring residents in a rural area in Germany.

Prevalence of and risk factors associated with MRSA-ST398 carriage in 1872 (response 70%) farmers and neighbouring residents in a pig- and poultry-dense area in Germany were investigated using a cross-sectional study and self-sampling nasal swabs. In the population, 1% without occupational livestock contact and 24% with occupational livestock contact tested positive for MRSA-ST398. The group without occupational livestock contact was 3·8 times [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5-9·3] more likely to be colonized if a household member had livestock contact and 3·2 times (95% CI 1·4-7·4) more likely if they regularly made private farm visits (e.

Learning from nature: synthesis and characterization of longitudinal polymer gradient materials inspired by mussel byssus threads.

Marine mussels use their threads for attachment to any substratum and these biopolymer gradient fibers show an excellent combination of stiff and soft mechanical properties. A straightforward approach for the preparation of macroscopic longitudinal polymer gradient materials on the centimeter scale based on a poly(dimethyl siloxane) system is presented. Compositional gradients are realized by using three syringe pumps feeding different prepolymers capable to undergo thermal cross-linking.

[Comparison of the tuberculin skin test with the interferon-gamma test in the framework of a surroundings investigation in a prison].

After the occurrence of a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in a prison of Lower Saxony (Germany), 223 contact persons (178 inmates, 45 staff members) were identified. To detect latent tuberculosis infections, all contact persons were tested with the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). An additional standardised questionnaire on anamnestic information and risk factors was completed by the participants.

Enhanced efficacy of melanoma vaccines in the absence of B lymphocytes.

Provoking a specific cellular immune response against tumor-associated antigens is a promising therapeutic strategy to treat cancers with defined antigens such as melanoma. In recent clinical trials, however, immune responses against melanoma antigens have been elicited without consistent clinical responses, suggesting the need for approaches that potentiate the specific cellular immune response. Since B lymphocytes have been reported to exert a negative effect on the cellular arm of the immune response in certain model systems, the authors compared the protective immunity elicited by melanoma antigens in B cell-deficient microMT mice to that obtained in fully immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice.

Lead and nickel removal using Microspora and Lemna minor.

Aquatic plants can remove heavy metal contamination from the surrounding water. This study examined the ability of Microspora (a macro-alga) and Lemna minor (an aquatic plant) to remove soluble lead and nickel under various laboratory conditions. Microspora was tested in a batch and semi-batch process for lead removal.

Analysis of cellular immune responses in the peripheral blood of mice using real-time RT-PCR.

Murine cancer models are commonly used in the evaluation of immunotherapeutic strategies. However, one of the major limitations in the monitoring of cellular immune responses induced by various vaccination approaches is that existing immunoassays require sacrifice of the animals for collection of the spleen or lymph nodes for analysis. We report here the development of an assay to quantitate antigen-specific T cell responses in murine blood, without euthanasia, using real-time RT-PCR for measurement of interferon-gamma mRNA levels.

Immunogene therapy for murine melanoma using recombinant adenoviral vectors expressing melanoma-associated antigens.

Adenoviral vectors expressing tumor-associated antigens can be used to evoke a specific immune response and inhibit tumor growth. In this study, we tested the efficacy of adenoviral vectors encoding human gp100 (Ad2/hugp100), murine gp100 (Ad2/mugp100), or murine TRP-2 (Ad2/muTRP-2) for their ability to elicit a specific cellular immune response and inhibit the growth of B16 melanoma tumor cells in the mouse. C57BL/6 mice were immunized with Ad2/hugp100, Ad2/mugp100, or Ad2/muTRP-2 either 2 weeks prior to B16-F10 tumor challenge (prophylactic treatment) or 3 days after tumor challenge (active treatment).