Pan-European monitoring of susceptibility to human-use antimicrobial agents in enteric bacteria isolated from healthy food-producing animals.

Objectives: To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterococcus from cattle, pigs and chickens across the European Union (EU) using uniform methodology.

Methods: Intestinal samples (1624) were taken at slaughter across five EU countries. Bacteria were isolated in national laboratories, whilst MICs were determined in a central laboratory for key antimicrobials used in human medicine.

Chemical bonding in copper-based transparent conducting oxides: CuMO2 (M = In, Ga, Sc).

The geometry and electronic structure of copper-based p-type delafossite transparent conducting oxides, CuMO(2) (M = In, Ga, Sc), are studied using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (GGA + U). The bonding and valence band compositions of these materials are investigated, and the origins of changes in the valence band features between group 3 and group 13 cations are discussed. Analysis of the effective masses at the valence and conduction band edge explains the experimentally reported conductivity trends.

Understanding conductivity anomalies in Cu(I)-based delafossite transparent conducting oxides: Theoretical insights.

The Cu(I)-based delafossite structure, Cu(I)M(III)O(2), can accommodate a wide range of rare earth and transition metal cations on the M(III) site. Substitutional doping of divalent ions for these trivalent metals is known to produce higher p-type conductivity than that occurring in the undoped materials. However, an explanation of the conductivity anomalies observed in these p-type materials, as the trivalent metal is varied, is still lacking.

A pan-European survey of antimicrobial susceptibility towards human-use antimicrobial drugs among zoonotic and commensal enteric bacteria isolated from healthy food-producing animals.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to study antimicrobial susceptibility in Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterococcus recovered from chickens, pigs and cattle using uniform methodology.

Methods: Intestinal samples were taken at slaughter in five EU countries per host and bacteria isolated in national laboratories. MICs were determined in a central laboratory of key antimicrobials used in human medicine.

Susceptibility testing of tulathromycin: interpretative breakpoints and susceptibility of field isolates.

In vitro susceptibility tests were conducted on bovine and porcine respiratory pathogens isolated from European countries during 2004-2006 for susceptibility to tulathromycin using the recommended methodologies for broth microdilution. The results were compared with data from a similar survey conducted prior to launch in 1998-2001 to monitor for any shift in susceptibility. The importance of maintaining the pH of the culture media within the range 7.