Human babesiosis in Alsace.

Objectives: Human babesiosis is a rare parasitic anthropozoonosis transmitted to humans by tick bites. Fifty-six cases of human babesiosis have been recorded in Europe. Two cases of babesiosis were reported in Alsace, France, in 2009.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia healthcare-associated infections: identification of two main pathogenic genetic backgrounds.

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic multi-drug-resistant bacterium responsible for healthcare-associated infections. Strategies for in-hospital infection control and management of carriers and environmental reservoirs remain controversial.

Aim: To determine the population structure of S.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in French hospitals between 2001 and 2011: back to susceptibility.

The European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) reported an increase in the rates of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antimicrobials between 2008 and 2011 in France. This alarming report was based on data collected during the harmonisation of breakpoints by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) committee. However, these data were not supported by the findings of other national surveillance networks.

Combined effect of fermentation, sun-drying and genotype on breadmaking ability of sour cassava starch.

The influence of genotype and post-harvest treatments on expansion ability of sour cassava starch was investigated using 13 cassava genotypes from Colombia. Starches from cassava grown at 1000 m and 1700 m.a.

A contribution to the understanding of micro-pollutant sorption mechanisms in wastewater biological processes: case of the tributyltin.

Micro-pollutant fluxes distribution throughout the physical separation and biological units of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are very dependent ofsorption phenomena. The understanding and the control of the sorption stage is thus essential for the optimization of micro-pollutant removal in WWTPs, and particularly in biological treatments where these mechanisms influence the bioavailability towards micro-organisms. If the influence of the micro-pollutant physicochemical characteristics (e.

Comparison between the Biflex III-Biotyper and the Axima-SARAMIS systems for yeast identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is emerging in laboratories as a new diagnostic tool for microorganism identification. We prospectively compared the performances of the Biflex III-Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics) and the Axima (Shimadzu)-SARAMIS (AnagnosTec) systems for the identification of 312 yeasts isolated from clinical specimens (249 Candida spp., including 19 C.

Longitudinal study assessing the return of chloroquine susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum in isolates from travellers returning from West and Central Africa, 2000-2011.

Background: Chloroquine (CQ) was the main malaria therapy worldwide from the 1940s until the 1990s. Following the emergence of CQ-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, most African countries discontinued the use of CQ, and now promote artemisinin-based combination therapy as the first-line treatment. This change was generally initiated during the last decade in West and Central Africa.

Performance of a New MicroScan WalkAway PC30 panel and disk diffusion method for detection of oxacillin resistance in Staphylococcus spp.

The performance of the MicroScan WalkAway PC30 panel for detection of oxacillin resistance was evaluated by use of a collection of 420 staphylococcus isolates. The addition of a cefoxitin test (4 mg/liter) to the oxacillin MIC determination increased its raw performance for Staphylococcus aureus; additional data were required for coagulase-negative staphylococci.

[The use in routine of mass spectrometry in a hospital microbiology laboratory].

Objectives: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently been introduced in diagnostic microbiology laboratories for the identification of microorganisms. The mass fingerprint obtained by analyzing the ribosomal proteins and proteins associated with membranes is compared to spectra and superspectra of database. Microbiological Laboratory of Mulhouse acquired this system 1 year ago.

[Culture and susceptibility testing of mycobacteria with VersaTREK].

Objectives: Our laboratory of microbiology use the VersaTREK/ESP Culture System II for the isolation of mycobacteria. In this study, we evaluate this system for the analysis carried out between April 2009 and March 2010.

Method: The Myco bottles are supplemented with growth supplements and an antimicrobial agent solution prior to inoculation with the specimen.

The improvement of ibuprofen dissolution rate through microparticles spray drying processed in an aqueous system.

A study to enhance the dissolution rate of ibuprofen, a poorly water-soluble drug, was carried out through combining specific formulations and processes with the addition of a hydrophilic carrier for the preparation of microparticles. Microparticle production was performed by spray drying ibuprofen microsuspensions formulated in an aqueous system with the addition of ethanol containing Aerosil 200 and Tween 80. We were able to consistently produce microparticles as much as 40% of the dry weight of the input microsuspension.

[Evolution of antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae: results of Alsace observatory in 2005].

Objectives: Between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2005, 232 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected in the Alsace county from participating laboratories (one from university hospital, 7 from general hospitals and 12 private laboratories) to assess their susceptibility to penicillin and evaluated serogroups of strains.

Method: The coordinating centre performed MICs by the reference agar dilution test, interpreted according to CA-SFM breakpoints. Others antibiotics (erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline.

Novel approach to stationary transmission scanning using Compton scattered radiation.

Transmission scanning-based estimation of the attenuation map plays a crucial role in quantitative radionuclide imaging. X-ray computed tomography (CT) reconstructs directly the attenuation coefficients map from data transmitted through the object. This paper proposes an alternative route for reconstructing the object attenuation map by exploiting Compton scatter of transmitted radiation from an externally placed radionuclide source.

A sugar cane native dextran as an innovative functional excipient for the development of pharmaceutical tablets.

We reported the physical chemical characterization of a new series of native dextran (B110-1-2). The chemical structure of the polymer was characterized by IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and compared with that of a commercial native dextran B512-F obtained from Sigma Company. Molecular weights of the product and different commercial dextran fractions of Leuconostoc mesenteroides from 43000 to 170000 average molecular weight (M(w)) were established by the analysis of intrinsic viscosity in aqueous solutions and compared with those obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

Prevalence of HFE mutations in people from North Africa living in southern France.

The two main mutations of the HFE (haemochromatosis) gene, C282Y and H63D, were found previously to be rare or absent among Africans. Dried blood samples of 1276 newborns from southern France were analysed for both HFE mutations, and the origins of the four grandparents of each newborn were recorded. The allele frequency of C282Y and H63D was 3.

In vitro activity of teicoplanin against gram-positive cocci.

The glycopeptide susceptibility of 443 clinical isolates of gram-positive cocci collected from nine general hospitals in 1996 was determined according to the recommendations of the CA-SFM (the Antibiogram Committee of the French Society for Microbiology). In total, 234 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 84 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), 98 enterococci and 27 streptococci were collected. The mecA gene confirming resistance to methicillin was found in 42.

Changes in microbial ecology and use of cloxacillin.

There is generally a positive correlation between antibiotic consumption and incidence of resistance to antibiotics used either for prophylaxis or therapy in human infections. This was not the case for two surgical wards in our hospital. A 15-year study showed that the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was unrelated to cloxacillin consumption, and in fact fell after introduction into the two wards of an antibiotic policy based on cloxacillin.

[Actinomyces meyeri cutaneous actinomycosis with pulmonary localization].

Infections due to Actinomycosis species are located in the cervico-facial region in 50 to 65 percent of the cases. Extra-cervical cutaneous lesions are exceptional. The most frequently encountered germ is Actinomyces israeli, observed in 85 percent of the cases.

The origin of adaptation and dyssymmetry in the evolution of autocatalytic systems.

The evolution of open systems that include several autocatalytic processes in parallel or in series is mathematically analyzed. For the case of two reactions in parallel, such systems progressively and finally select the reaction pathway which involves the better autocatalyst. The effect of parameters influencing the rate of this evolution is discussed.