Data on large cardamom transcriptome associated with Chirke disease.

Large cardamom ( Roxburg), is an ancient spice native to North-Eastern India and Southeast Asia, which belongs to the family under the order Large cardamom is mostly affected by a viral disease termed Chirke caused by Large Cardamom Chirke Virus (LCCV). These disease has spread due to drastic changes in the ecosystem, inadequate rain in dry months and absence of good agricultural practices by the farmers resulting in aphid infestations. In the present study, using HiSeq™ 2000 RNA sequencing technology transcriptome sequencing was performed for both control (disease not expressed) and diseased large cardamom leaf tissues.

Data on small cardamom transcriptome associated with capsule rot disease.

Small cardamom ( (L.) Maton, also known as the '' is a rhizomatous herbaceous monocot from the family Zingiberaceae. In the present study, using HiSeq™ 2000 RNA sequencing technology, transcriptome sequencing was performed for both control and disease stressed small cardamom leaf tissues.

Efficacy of Oral Mixed Tocotrienols in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Management of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy remains challenging. Most therapies provide symptomatic relief with varying degrees of efficacy. Tocotrienols have modulatory effects on the neuropathy pathway and may reduce neuropathic symptoms with their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Successful Primary Medical Therapy with Somatostatin Receptor Ligand in Acromegaly with Thyroid Cancer.

Acromegaly is a rare disease with an annual incidence of 3 to 4 cases in a million. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the slow progression of the disease. Persistent elevation of growth hormone (GH) in acromegaly causes a reduction in life expectancy by 10 years.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in a pediatric intensive care unit linked to a humanitarian organization residential center.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa commonly colonizes the hospital environment. Between April 2006 and September 2008, we investigated an outbreak of P. aeruginosa infection occurring in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Surveillance of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a Swiss Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background: Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) are increasing worldwide, but there is sparse data on patient-to-patient transmission and the prevalence among risk groups in Switzerland. A prospective, observational cohort study was performed to: 1) assess the prevalence of ESBL-E at admission among at-risk groups; 2) evaluate nosocomial cross-transmission in acute care (ACF) versus long-term care facilities (LTCF); and 3) evaluate prevalent mutations of the detected beta-lactamase genes.

Methods: Predefined risk groups were screened either on admission or after having been in contact with index patients diagnosed with ESBL-E by clinical cultures.

Methods to evaluate the microbicidal activities of hand-rub and hand-wash agents.

In vitro carrier tests, suspension tests, time-kill curves, and determinations of minimum inhibitory concentrations to evaluate the microbicidal activities of hand antiseptics provide only a preliminary indication of the antimicrobial spectrum and speed of action of a given formulation. Ex vivo testing with human or animal skin at human skin temperature and at contact times reflecting field conditions may give a better indication of a formulation's ability to tackle hand-transmitted pathogens. Field testing of hands for levels of skin microbiota before and after antisepsis may be easier to perform, but it is subject to many uncontrollable factors.

Biclustering of gene expression data using reactive greedy randomized adaptive search procedure.

Background: Biclustering algorithms belong to a distinct class of clustering algorithms that perform simultaneous clustering of both rows and columns of the gene expression matrix and can be a very useful analysis tool when some genes have multiple functions and experimental conditions are diverse. Cheng and Church have introduced a measure called mean squared residue score to evaluate the quality of a bicluster and has become one of the most popular measures to search for biclusters. In this paper, we review basic concepts of the metaheuristics Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP)-construction and local search phases and propose a new method which is a variant of GRASP called Reactive Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (Reactive GRASP) to detect significant biclusters from large microarray datasets.

Reduction of health care associated infection risk in neonates by successful hand hygiene promotion.

Objectives: Hand hygiene promotion interventions rarely result in sustained improvement, and an assessment of their impact on individual infection risk has been lacking. We sought to measure the impact of hand hygiene promotion on health care worker compliance and health care-associated infection risk among neonates.

Methods: We conducted an intervention study with a 9-month follow-up among all of the health care workers at the neonatal unit of the Children's Hospital, University of Geneva Hospitals, between March 2001 and February 2004.

Outbreak of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery: the importance of the quality of the surgical wound.

Postoperative endophthalmitis is a rare but potentially devastating condition. We investigated an outbreak of 8 cases of endophthalmitis in patients who underwent phakectomy performed by a single surgeon from January through September 2004. The outbreak was traced to damaged surgical blades, and it highlights the importance of the quality of the surgical wound.

Evidence-based model for hand transmission during patient care and the role of improved practices.

Hand cleansing is the primary action to reduce health-care-associated infection and cross-transmission of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Patient-to-patient transmission of pathogens via health-care workers' hands requires five sequential steps: (1) organisms are present on the patient's skin or have been shed onto fomites in the patient's immediate environment; (2) organisms must be transferred to health-care workers' hands; (3) organisms must be capable of surviving on health-care workers' hands for at least several minutes; (4) handwashing or hand antisepsis by the health-care worker must be inadequate or omitted entirely, or the agent used for hand hygiene inappropriate; and (5) the caregiver's contaminated hand(s) must come into direct contact with another patient or with a fomite in direct contact with the patient. We review the evidence supporting each of these steps and propose a dynamic model for hand hygiene research and education strategies, together with corresponding indications for hand hygiene during patient care.

Control of a cluster of community-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in neonatology.

To control an outbreak of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) in a neonatology unit, an investigation was conducted that involved screening neonates and parents, molecular analysis of MRSA isolates and long-term follow-up of cases. During a two-month period in the summer of 2000, Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-producing CA-MRSA (strain ST5-MRSA-IV) was detected in five neonates. The mother of the index caseshowed signs of mastitis and wound infection and consequently tested positive for CA-MRSA.

Use of oligoarrays for characterization of community-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Until recently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was considered the prototype of a hospital-acquired bacterial pathogen. However, recent reports have shown that MRSA has now emerged in the community. Characterization of specific markers for distinguishing the origin of isolates could contribute to improved knowledge of MRSA epidemiology.

Dynamics of bacterial hand contamination during routine neonatal care.

Objective: To evaluate the dynamics of bacterial contamination of healthcare workers' (HCWs) hands during neonatal care.

Setting: The 20-bed neonatal unit of a large acute care teaching hospital in Geneva, Switzerland.

Methods: Structured observation sessions were conducted.

Comparison of waterless hand antisepsis agents at short application times: raising the flag of concern.

Objective: Although alcohol-based hand rinses and gels have recommended application times of 30 to 60 seconds, healthcare workers usually take much less time for hand hygiene. We compared the efficacies of four alcohol-based hand rubs produced in Europe (hand rinses A, B, and C and one gel formulation) with the efficacy of the European Norm 1500 (EN 1500) reference waterless hand antisepsis agent (60% 2-propanol) at short application times.

Design: Comparative crossover study.

Legionnaires' disease in a renal transplant recipient: nosocomial or home-grown?

Legionnaires' disease is a community-acquired or hospital-acquired pneumonia, and the immunocompromised patient is at particular risk. We report a case of serogroup 1 pneumonia in a renal transplant patient shortly after grafting. No source of infection was identified in the hospital unit, but an extended investigation located patient exposure to a shower during a weekend home stay.

Environmental controls in operating theatres.

Surgical-site infection is the leading complication of surgery. Normal skin flora of patients or healthcare workers causes more than half all infections following clean surgery, but the importance of airborne bacteria in this setting remains controversial. Modern operating theatres have conventional plenum ventilation with filtered air where particles >/=5 microm are removed.

Risk factors for persistent carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

We determined risk factors associated with persistent carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among 102 patients enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nasally administered mupirocin ointment. MRSA decolonization was unsuccessful in 77 (79%) of 98 patients who met the criteria for evaluation. By univariate analysis, 4 variables were found to be associated with persistent MRSA colonization (P < .

Outbreak of Enterobacter cloacae related to understaffing, overcrowding, and poor hygiene practices.

Objective: To determine the cause and mode of transmission of a cluster of infections due to Enterobacter cloacae.

Design And Setting: Retrospective cohort study in a neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) from December 1996 to January 1997; environmental and laboratory investigations.

Subjects: 60 infants hospitalized in the NICU during the outbreak period.

Routine disinfection of patients' environmental surfaces. Myth or reality?

We have evaluated the need for daily disinfection of environmental surfaces not contaminated by biological fluids, in patient areas of a medical unit with two wings [North (N) and South (S)] at the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. Weekly bacteriological monitoring of surfaces was carried out at random (N = 1356 samples). In the S wing (control), we used detergent/disinfectant for daily cleaning of the floors and furniture.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial to evaluate the efficacy of mupirocin for eradicating carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Mupirocin has been widely used for the clearance of nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage during outbreaks, but no placebo-controlled trial has evaluated its value for eradicating MRSA carriage at multiple body sites in settings where MRSA is not epidemic. In a 1,500-bed teaching hospital with endemic MRSA, 102 patients colonized with MRSA were randomized into a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and treated with either mupirocin (group M) or placebo (group P) applied to the anterior nares for 5 days; both groups used chlorhexidine soap for body washing. Follow-up screening, susceptibility testing, and genotyping were performed to evaluate treatment success, mupirocin or chlorhexidine resistance, and exogenous recolonization.