bro {beta}-lactamase and antibiotic resistances in a global cross-sectional study of Moraxella catarrhalis from children and adults.

Objectives: To compare and contrast the geographic and demographic distribution of bro beta-lactamase and antibiotic MIC(50/90) for 1440 global Moraxella catarrhalis isolates obtained from children and adults between 2001 and 2002.

Methods: One thousand four hundred and forty M. catarrhalis isolates originating from seven world regions were investigated.

Increase in pneumococcus macrolide resistance, United States.

During year 6 (2005-2006) of the Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin surveillance study, 6,747 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were collected at 119 centers. The susceptibility of these isolates to macrolides was compared with data from previous years. Macrolide resistance increased significantly in year 6 (35.

Impact of mailed and automated telephone reminders on receipt of repeat mammograms: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: This study compares the efficacy of three types of reminders in promoting annual repeat mammography screening.

Design: RCT.

Setting And Participants: Study recruitment occurred in 2004-2005.

Use of and reactions to a tailored CD-ROM designed to enhance oncologist-patient communication: the SCOPE trial intervention.

Objective: Assess use of and reactions to an interactive, tailored CD-ROM to enhance oncologist-patient communication.

Methods: Participating oncologists (n=48) agreed to have patient interactions audio recorded, be randomly assigned to receive/not receive a CD-ROM, have CD-ROM usage monitored (intervention group) and complete a follow-up survey.

Results: Twenty-one of 24 in the intervention group reported using the CD-ROM.

Antibacterial activity of telithromycin and comparators against pathogens isolated from patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections: the Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin study year 5 (2003-2004).

The activity of telithromycin and comparator antibacterials was examined in isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae isolated from patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), or sinusitis during year 5 (2003-2004) of the Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin global resistance surveillance study. Among S. pneumoniae, penicillin nonsusceptibility and erythromycin resistance were 35.

The green-absorbing Drosophila Rh6 visual pigment contains a blue-shifting amino acid substitution that is conserved in vertebrates.

The molecular mechanisms that regulate invertebrate visual pigment absorption are poorly understood. Through sequence analysis and functional investigation of vertebrate visual pigments, numerous amino acid substitutions important for this adaptive process have been identified. Here we describe a serine/alanine (S/A) substitution in long wavelength-absorbing Drosophila visual pigments that occurs at a site corresponding to Ala-292 in bovine rhodopsin.

gammaA/gamma' fibrinogen inhibits thrombin-induced platelet aggregation.

The minor gammaA/gamma' fibrinogen isoform contains a high affinity binding site for thrombin exosite II that is lacking in the major gammaA/gammaA fibrinogen isoform. We therefore investigated the biological consequences of the gamma' chain binding to thrombin. Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited by gammaA/gamma' fibrinogen.

A novel highly porous silica and chitosan-based hemostatic dressing is superior to HemCon and gauze sponges.

Background: Hemostatic dressings have become increasingly popular as the optimal initial treatment for severe hemorrhage. The purpose of this study was to compare the hemostatic properties of a novel highly porous silica and chitosan-based dressing (TraumaStat) to HemCon, and gauze dressing in a severe groin injury model in swine.

Methods: Thirty swine were blindly randomized to receive TraumaStat, HemCon, or standard gauze dressing for hemostatic control.

Non-susceptibility trends and serotype distributions among Streptococcus pneumoniae from community-acquired respiratory tract infections and from bacteraemias in the UK and Ireland, 1999 to 2007.

Objectives: Pneumococcal disease is prevalent and is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in the UK and Ireland. We describe the antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype distributions of Streptococcus pneumoniae causing bacteraemia and community-acquired pneumonia in these countries from 1999/2000 to 2006/7, predominantly prior to the introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) into the standard vaccination schedule in September 2006.

Methods: The BSAC Respiratory and Bacteraemia Resistance Surveillance Programmes collected S.

Fibrinogen Hershey IV: a novel dysfibrinogen with a gammaV411I mutation in the integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3) binding site.

The carboxyl terminal segment of the fibrinogen gamma chain from gamma408-411 plays a crucial role in platelet aggregation via interactions with the platelet receptor alpha(IIb)beta(3). We describe here the first naturally-occurring fibrinogen point mutation affecting this region and demonstrate its effects on platelet interactions. DNA sequencing was used to sequence the proband DNA, and platelet aggregation and direct binding assays were used to quantitate the biological effects of fibrinogen Hershey IV.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of respiratory tract pathogens in Japan during PROTEKT years 1-5 (1999-2004).

Susceptibility to a range of antimicrobial agents was determined among isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Haemophilus influenzae collected in 12 centers throughout Japan during years 1-5 (the respiratory seasons of 1999-2004) of the longitudinal Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin study. The most frequent source of isolates of S. pneumoniae was from patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) (25.

Analysis of VanA vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from Saudi Arabian hospitals reveals the presence of clonal cluster 17 and two new Tn1546 lineage types.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize 34 vancomycin-resistant VanA Enterococcus faecium isolates obtained from two hospitals in Saudi Arabia and to assess Tn1546 variation within these isolates.

Methods: PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) genotypes, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, the presence of enterococcal surface protein (esp) and hyaluronidase (hyl) genes and conjugation frequencies were determined. In addition, Tn1546 elements were characterized.

Age-related genotypic and phenotypic differences in Moraxella catarrhalis isolates from children and adults presenting with respiratory disease in 2001-2002.

Moraxella catarrhalis is generally associated with upper respiratory tract infections in children and lower respiratory tract infections in adults. However, little is known regarding the population biology of isolates infecting these two age groups. To address this, a population-screening strategy was employed to investigate 195 worldwide M.

Randomized trial of hematocrit 25% versus 35% during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in infant heart surgery.

Objectives: We previously reported that postoperative hemodynamics and developmental outcomes were better among infants randomized to a higher hematocrit value during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. However, worse outcomes were concentrated in patients with hematocrit values of 20% or below, and the benefits of hematocrit values higher than 25% were uncertain.

Methods: We compared perioperative hemodynamics and, at 1 year, developmental outcome and brain magnetic resonance imaging in a single-center, randomized trial of hemodilution to a hematocrit value of 25% versus 35% during hypothermic radiopulmonary bypass for reparative heart surgery in infants undergoing 2-ventricle repairs without aortic arch obstruction.

Trends in antibacterial resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the USA: update from PROTEKT US Years 1-4.

Background: The increasing prevalence of resistance to established antibiotics among key bacterial respiratory tract pathogens, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a major healthcare problem in the USA. The PROTEKT US study is a longitudinal surveillance study designed to monitor the susceptibility of key respiratory tract pathogens in the USA to a range of commonly used antimicrobials. Here, we assess the geographic and temporal trends in antibacterial resistance of S.

Distribution and antibacterial susceptibility of macrolide resistance genotypes in Streptococcus pneumoniae: PROTEKT Year 5 (2003-2004).

The distribution and antibacterial susceptibility of macrolide resistance genotypes among 7083 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected worldwide during 2003-2004 from patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections, including patients within 48h of admission to hospital, were analysed. The overall rate of erythromycin resistance was 37.2% (intercountry range <10% to >50%).

Telithromycin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae is conferred by a deletion in the leader sequence of erm(B) that increases rRNA methylation.

A telithromycin-resistant clinical isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae (strain P1501016) has been found to contain a version of erm(B) that is altered by a 136-bp deletion in the leader sequence. By allele replacement mutagenesis, a second strain of S. pneumoniae (PC13) with a wild-type erm(B) gene was transformed to the telithromycin-resistant phenotype by introduction of the mutant erm(B) gene.

Antibacterial resistance patterns in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from elderly patients: PROTEKT years 1-5 (1999-2004).

The antibacterial susceptibilities of 6,646 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected in 38 countries from patients >or=65 years of age with community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs) during years 1-5 of the PROTEKT study (1999-2004) were analysed. Rates of erythromycin resistance (36.0%), penicillin non-susceptibility (31.

Fibrinogen gamma' chain carboxy terminal peptide selectively inhibits the intrinsic coagulation pathway.

The minor gammaA/gamma' isoform of fibrinogen contains a high affinity binding site for thrombin exosite II that is lacking in the major fibrinogen isoform, gammaA/gammaA fibrinogen. The biological consequences of gamma' chain binding to thrombin were therefore investigated. Coagulation assays, thrombin activity assays, and a primate thrombosis model were used to characterize the biological effects of the gamma' 410-427 peptide.

The macrolide resistance genes erm(B) and mef(E) are carried by Tn2010 in dual-gene Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates belonging to clonal complex CC271.

The genetic elements carrying macrolide resistance genes in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates belonging to CC271 were investigated. The international clone Taiwan(19F)-14 was found to carry Tn2009, a Tn916-like transposon containing tet(M) and mef(E). The dual erm(B) mef(E) isolates carried Tn2010, which is similar to Tn2009 with the addition of a putative new transposon, the erm(B) genetic element.