RE: 'Streptococcus : A novel human pathogen?'.

Streptococcus pluranimalium as a novel human pathogen has been reported by several authors in various contexts. In all reported cases in humans the microorganism was detected by the Vitek2. The great advances with the introduction of new analytical techniques such as MALDI-TOF or 16S rRNA analysis enabled a more detailed discrimination of pathogens such as these nonhemolytic streptococci.

Vacuum-assisted closure therapy of paradoxical reaction in tuberculous lymphadenopathy caused by Mycobacterium africanum.

A 26-year-old HIV-negative male from Ghana was treated for cervical, intrathoracic and abdominal lymph node tuberculosis (TB) and tuberculous hepatitis. Penetration of the thoracic trachea by a mediastinal lymph node had caused bronchomucosal TB. Sputum culture grew M.

Schistosomiasis in European Travelers and Migrants: Analysis of 14 Years TropNet Surveillance Data.

Schistosomiasis remains one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases worldwide and the infection is frequently found in travelers and migrants. The European Network for Tropical Medicine and Travel Health conducted a sentinel surveillance study on imported schistosomiasis between 1997 and 2010. This report summarizes epidemiological and clinical data from 1,465 cases of imported schistosomiasis.

Hemolysis after Oral Artemisinin Combination Therapy for Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.

Episodes of delayed hemolysis 2-6 weeks after treatment of severe malaria with intravenous artesunate have been described. We performed a prospective observational study of patients with uncomplicated malaria to investigate whether posttreatment hemolysis also occurs after oral artemisinin-based combination therapy. Eight of 20 patients with uncomplicated malaria who were given oral artemisinin-based combination therapy met the definition of posttreatment hemolysis (low haptoglobin level and increased lactate dehydrogenase level on day 14).

Intravenous Artesunate Reduces Parasite Clearance Time, Duration of Intensive Care, and Hospital Treatment in Patients With Severe Malaria in Europe: The TropNet Severe Malaria Study.

Intravenous artesunate improves survival in severe malaria, but clinical trial data from nonendemic countries are scarce. The TropNet severe malaria database was analyzed to compare outcomes of artesunate vs quinine treatment. Artesunate reduced parasite clearance time and duration of intensive care unit and hospital treatment in European patients with imported severe malaria.

A general approach toward shape-controlled synthesis of silicon nanowires.

Controlling the morphology, electronic properties, and growth direction of nanowires (NWs) is an important aspect regarding their integration into devices on technologically relevant scales. Using the vapor-solid-solid (VSS) approach, with Ni as a catalyst and octachlorotrisilane (Si(3)Cl(8), OCTS) as a precursor, we achieved epitaxial growth of rectangular-shaped Si-NWs, which may have important implications for electronic mobility and light scattering in NW devices. The process parameters were adjusted to form cubic α-NiSi(2) particles which further act as the shaping element leading to prismatic Si-NWs.

Blood culture positive Nocardia asteroides infection: a case report.

We report a case of nocardiosis in a patient with several risk factors for this rare infection. Radiologically, the patient's multiple lung abscesses were misinterpreted as pulmonary metastases. Diagnosis was finally reached by the growth of Nocardia asteroides in two different blood culture sets.

Coughing and fever after surfing in Central America.

We report the case of a 19-year-old surfer, returning from Central America, who presented with chronic cough. The X-ray and full blood count, which had been performed in Costa Rica, were without pathology; laboratory parameters showed slightly increased C-reactive protein (59 mg/l). Malaria was excluded by thick smear.

Focused ion beam induced synthesis of antimony nanowires for gas sensor applications.

In this paper the formation of antimony (Sb) nanowires (NWs) by a focused Ga ion beam approach and their gas sensing capability is reported. The NWs with uniform diameters of only 25 nm and lengths up to several microns are synthesized at predefined positions at room temperature in an ion beam induced self-assembling process. Then individual Sb-NWs are deposited on insulating substrates and provided with gold electrodes.

Synthesis and electrical characterization of intrinsic and in situ doped Si nanowires using a novel precursor.

Perchlorinated polysilanes were synthesized by polymerization of tetrachlorosilane under cold plasma conditions with hydrogen as a reducing agent. Subsequent selective cleavage of the resulting polymer yielded oligochlorosilanes Si(n)Cl(2) (n) (+2) (n = 2, 3) from which the octachlorotrisilane (n = 3, Cl(8)Si(3), OCTS) was used as a novel precursor for the synthesis of single-crystalline Si nanowires (NW) by the well-established vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. By adding doping agents, specifically BBr(3) and PCl(3), we achieved highly p- and n-type doped Si-NWs by means of atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD).

Ultra-fast vapour-liquid-solid synthesis of Si nanowires using ion-beam implanted gallium as catalyst.

The feasibility of gallium as a catalyst for vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) nanowire (NW) growth deriving from an implantation process in silicon by a focused ion beam (FIB) is investigated. Si(100) substrates are subjected to FIB implantation of gallium ions with various ion fluence rates. NW growth is performed in a hot wall chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor at temperatures between 400 and 500 °C with 2% SiH(4)/He as precursor gas.

Atypical self-activation of Ga dopant for Ge nanowire devices.

In this Letter we report the atypical self-activation of gallium (Ga) implanted by focused ion beam (FIB) into germanium nanowires (Ge-NWs). By FIB implantation of 30 keV Ga(+) ions at room temperature, the Ge-NW conductivity increases up to 3 orders of magnitude with increasing ion fluence. Cu(3)Ge heterostructures were formed by diffusion to ensure well-defined contacts to the NW and enable two point I/V measurements.

In vitro activity of antifungal drugs against Plasmodium falciparum field isolates.

The increasing resistance of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to currently available drugs necessitates a continuous effort to develop new antimalarial agents. We therefore aimed to assess the in vitro activity of the antifungal drugs clotrimazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, flucytosine, amphotericin B, and caspofungin against field isolates of P. falciparum from Lambaréné, Gabon.

Subeutectic synthesis of epitaxial Si-NWs with diverse catalysts using a novel Si precursor.

The applicability of a novel silicon precursor with respect to reasonable nanowire (NW) growth rates, feasibility of epitaxial NW growth and versatility with respect to diverse catalysts was investigated. Epitaxial growth of Si-NWs was achieved using octochlorotrisilane (OCTS) as Si precursor and Au as catalyst. In contrast to the synthesis approach with SiCl(4) as precursor, OCTS provides Si without the addition of H(2).

No rebound of morbidity following intermittent preventive sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine treatment of malaria in infants in Gabon.

In the context of a trial studying intermittent preventive sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine treatment of malaria in infants in Lambaréné, Gabon, children aged 18-30 months were followed up after having received their last dose at an age of 15 months. In the intention-to-treat population, the protective efficacy against all malaria episodes was -18.0 (95% confidence interval, -97.

Ultrafast VLS growth of epitaxial beta- Ga(2)O(3) nanowires.

Well-defined monoclinic nanostructures of beta- Ga(2)O(3) were grown in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus using metallic gallium and oxygen as sources. Stable growth conditions were deduced for nanorods, nanoribbons, nanowires and cones. The types of nanostructures are determined by the growth temperature.

Orientation specific synthesis of kinked silicon nanowires grown by the vapour-liquid-solid mechanism.

Kinked silicon nanowires (Si-NWs) were synthesized in a well reproducible manner using gold nanocluster-catalyzed quasi-one-dimensional growth on Si(111) substrates with silane (SiH(4)) as the precursor gas. The kinking is considered to be due to the change in the growth direction induced by the sudden change of the pressure during Si-NW synthesis. Structural high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization of the sample shows that epitaxial Si-NWs synthesized on Si(111) substrates at a total pressure of 3 mbar grow along the {111} direction, while the ones at 15 mbar favour the {112} direction.

In vitro activity of pyronaridine against Plasmodium falciparum and comparative evaluation of anti-malarial drug susceptibility assays.

Background: Pyronaridine, a Mannich base anti-malarial with high efficacy against drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum, is currently evaluated as a fixed dose combination with artesunate for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. In this study, the in vitro activity of pyronaridine against clinical isolates of P. falciparum from Lambaréné, Gabon, was assessed in order to obtain baseline data on its activity prior to its future use in routine therapy.

Pressure-induced orientation control of the growth of epitaxial silicon nanowires.

Single crystal silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were synthesized with silane reactant using Au nanocluster-catalyzed one-dimensional growth. We have shown that under our experimental conditions, SiNWs grown epitaxially on Si(111) via the vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism change their growth direction as a function of the total pressure. Structural characterization of a large number of samples shows that SiNWs synthesized at a total pressure of 3 mbar grow preferentially in the 111 direction, while the one at 15 mbar favors the 112 direction.

Intermittent preventive treatment against malaria in infants in Gabon--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Intermittent preventive treatment aims to maximize the protective effects of malaria chemoprophylaxis while minimizing the deleterious effects.

Methods: In Gabon, 1189 infants received either sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP; 250 and 12.5 mg, respectively) or placebo at 3, 9, and 15 months of age.

Synthesis of single-crystalline Zn metal nanowires utilizing cold-wall physical vapor deposition.

Zinc metal nanowires (NWs) of two different morphologies have been synthesized in a cold-wall physical vapor deposition (CWPVD) chamber at high vacuum conditions and growth temperatures of 150 degrees C. Substrates initially seeded by gold or platinum crystals show NWs of wool-like and/or unidirectional morphologies. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed that the rodlike NWs consist of single-crystalline Zn covered with a thin native oxide.

Randomized controlled trial of fosmidomycin-clindamycin versus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Fosmidomycin-clindamycin therapy given every 12 h for 3 days was compared with a standard single oral dose of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. The two treatments showed comparably good tolerabilities and had an identical high degree of efficacy of 94% in a randomized trial carried out with 105 Gabonese children aged 3 to 14 years with uncomplicated malaria. These antimalarials merit further clinical exploration.

Diurnal oscillation of amylolytic activity in spinach chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts isolated from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., cv. vital(R)) plants grown under controlled light/dark and temperature regimes, contained the phosphorolytic and amylolytic pathways for starch breakdown.