Key ^{19}Ne States Identified Affecting γ-Ray Emission from ^{18}F in Novae.

Detection of nuclear-decay γ rays provides a sensitive thermometer of nova nucleosynthesis. The most intense γ-ray flux is thought to be annihilation radiation from the β^{+} decay of ^{18}F, which is destroyed prior to decay by the ^{18}F(p,α)^{15}O reaction. Estimates of ^{18}F production had been uncertain, however, because key near-threshold levels in the compound nucleus, ^{19}Ne, had yet to be identified.

Evaluating the in vitro susceptibility of bovine mastitis pathogens to a combination of kanamycin and cefalexin: Recommendations for a disk diffusion test.

Cows suffering from bovine mastitis have markedly reduced milk production because of inflammation within the udder subsequent to infection and damage from bacterial toxins. Antibiotic treatment is commonly used as a preventative and therapeutic measure for bovine mastitis. The most common pathogens include Staphylococcus aureus, various streptococci (Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis), and coliforms (Escherichia coli), which can be contracted from other infected cows or from the environment.

Antimicrobial activity among multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the United States, 2001-2005.

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Streptococcus pneumoniae remain a major concern when selecting an appropriate antimicrobial agent. In this analysis, 27 781 isolates of S pneumoniae collected from 2001 to 2005 in the United States were tested for MDR phenotypes. About 25% of all isolates were MDR, defined as resistant to 2 or more of the following agents: cefuroxime, a macrolide, penicillin, tetracycline (if available), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX).

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among common respiratory tract pathogens: a GLOBAL perspective.

Antimicrobial resistance by common respiratory tract pathogens remains a global concern, but surveillance programs allow us to recognize trends in susceptibility that may help guide empiric antimicrobial selection. During 2003 to 2004, the Global Landscape On the Bactericidal Activity of Levofloxacin (GLOBAL) surveillance program collected 9323 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 5828 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, and 1878 isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis from 15 countries worldwide, and tested them for susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents at a central laboratory. For S pneumoniae, penicillin (oral) susceptibility ranged from 41.

Tracking resistance among bacterial respiratory tract pathogens: summary of findings of the TRUST Surveillance Initiative, 2001-2005.

Antimicrobial resistance observed among common respiratory tract pathogens--Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis--may complicate empiric therapeutic selection to treat community-acquired respiratory tract infections. The Tracking Resistance in the United States Today (TRUST) study determined the in vitro activities of frequently prescribed antimicrobial agents against isolates collected from all 50 states from 2001 to 2005. For S pneumoniae (N = 27,781), susceptibility of selected agents in ascending order were penicillin (oral) (65.

Comparative surveillance study of telavancin activity against recently collected gram-positive clinical isolates from across the United States.

Telavancin is an investigational, rapidly bactericidal lipoglycopeptide antibiotic that is being developed to treat serious infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. A baseline prospective surveillance study was conducted to assess telavancin activity, in comparison with other agents, against contemporary clinical isolates collected from 2004 to 2005 from across the United States. Nearly 4,000 isolates were collected, including staphylococci, enterococci, and streptococci (pneumococci, beta-hemolytic, and viridans).

In vitro activity of telavancin against recent Gram-positive clinical isolates: results of the 2004-05 Prospective European Surveillance Initiative.

Objectives: Telavancin is a novel semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide currently in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of serious infections due to Gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this study was to provide a baseline prospective assessment of its in vitro activity against a large and diverse collection of Gram-positive clinical isolates from Europe and Israel.

Methods: Gram-positive clinical isolates, collected between October 2004 and December 2005 from 36 hospital laboratories in 15 countries, were tested by broth microdilution using CLSI methodology.

Antimicrobial resistance trends among sinus isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the United States (2001-2005).

Objective: To test the susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae sinus isolates collected across the United States against commonly used antimicrobial agents.

Study Design And Setting: S. pneumoniae sinus isolates (N = 847) collected as part of the Tracking Resistance in the US Today Surveillance Program from 2001 to 2005 were tested against 8 antimicrobial agents.

Stable antimicrobial susceptibility rates for clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the 2001-2003 tracking resistance in the United States today surveillance studies.

From 2001 to 2003, rates of susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam (86%), ceftazidime (80%), ciprofloxacin (68%), and levofloxacin (67%) did not decrease or decreased by <1.5%, whereas the rate of susceptibility to gentamicin decreased by 3.2% (from 75.

Emerging resistance among bacterial pathogens in the intensive care unit--a European and North American Surveillance study (2000-2002).

Background: Globally ICUs are encountering emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and for some pathogens there are few therapeutic options available.

Methods: Antibiotic in vitro susceptibility data of predominant ICU pathogens during 2000-2 were analyzed using data from The Surveillance Network (TSN) Databases in Europe (France, Germany and Italy), Canada, and the United States (US).

Results: Oxacillin resistance rates among Staphylococcus aureus isolates ranged from 19.

Development of a standardized susceptibility test for campylobacter with quality-control ranges for ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, and meropenem.

A standardized agar dilution susceptibility testing method was developed for Campylobacter that consisted of testing on Mueller-Hinton medium supplemented with 5% defibrinated sheep blood in an atmosphere of 10% CO2, 5% O2, and 85% N2. Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 33560 was identified as a quality-control (QC) strain. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) QC ranges were determined for two incubation time/temperature combinations: 36 degrees C for 48 hr and 42 degrees C for 24 hr.

Factors associated with relative rates of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates tested in clinical laboratories in the United States from 1999 to 2002.

For the period from 1999 to 2002 in the United States, the in vitro susceptibilities of 52,637 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to 10 antimicrobial agents were evaluated. The isolates were from 29 laboratories, 11 of which participated in The Surveillance Network for four consecutive years. Isolates were collected from adult patients (> or =18 years of age) in intensive care units (ICU), non-ICU inpatients, nursing home patients, and outpatients; data were analyzed to evaluate factors, such as year of isolation, patient age group, isolate specimen source, and patient type (hospitalized patients [ICU, non-ICU, or nursing home] or outpatients).

Antimicrobial susceptibility to levofloxacin and other antibacterial agents among common respiratory pathogens-a Brazilian perspective from the GLOBAL Surveillance Initiative 2001-2002.

The GLOBAL (Global Landscape On Bactericidal Activity of Levofloxacin) Surveillance programme monitored antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the key respiratory tract pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis collected in Brazil during 1997-1998, 1999-2000 and 2001-2002. Penicillin and azithromycin resistance among S. pneumoniae strains increased from 1997-1998, reaching 7.

Antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria most commonly isolated from bone related infections: the role of cephalosporins in antimicrobial therapy.

Bone infections, which can be acute or chronic, often require aggressive antibiotic therapy, whether treated at home or in the community. Surveillance programmes are essential tools in the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and can act as a resource to maintain effective prescribing. The Surveillance Network (TSN), which collects organism and patient-specific data from a network of laboratories across the United States, was used to analyse susceptibility of common bacterial species isolated from bone infections during 2000-2002.

Rates of antimicrobial resistance among common bacterial pathogens causing respiratory, blood, urine, and skin and soft tissue infections in pediatric patients.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns among the principal bacterial pathogens from infections of the respiratory tract, blood, skin and soft tissue, and urinary tract of pediatric patients from the USA, Canada, Germany, France, and Italy were studied using the The Surveillance Network (TSN) database. Among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from respiratory tract infections, the prevalence of high-level penicillin resistance (MIC>/=2 microg/ml) ranged from 1.1 (Italy) to 36.

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from blood cultures of hospitalized patients in the United States in 2002.

Background: Bloodstream infections are associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns should guide the choice of empiric antimicrobial regimens for patients with bacteremia.

Methods: From January to December of 2002, 82,569 bacterial blood culture isolates were reported to The Surveillance Network (TSN) Database-USA by 268 laboratories.

Tracking the implementation of NCCLS M100-S12 expanded-spectrum cephalosporin MIC breakpoints for nonmeningeal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae by clinical laboratories in the United States during 2002 and 2003.

Background: The Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, Twelfth Informational Supplement, M100-S12, published by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) in January 2002 introduced distinct minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) interpretative breakpoints for ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and cefepime for nonmeningeal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Previously, a single set of interpretative breakpoints was used for both meningeal and nonmeningeal isolates.

Methods: To estimate the rate of adoption of the M100-S12 interpretive breakpoints by clinical laboratories, antimicrobial susceptibility test results for ceftriaxone and cefotaxime from nonmeningeal S.

The activity of levofloxacin and other antimicrobials against clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae collected worldwide during 1999-2002.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most important causative bacterial pathogen in respiratory infections. Globally, increasing levels of resistant strains highlight the need for continued surveillance programs to guide antibiotic choice. The current study compared susceptibility results of 4,788 strains of S.

Epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria causing skin and soft tissue infections in the USA and Europe: a guide to appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Susceptibility data for all organisms associated with a range of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) in hospitalised patients were studied. Data were reported by clinical laboratories in the USA, France, Germany, Italy and Spain during 2001 which participate in The Surveillance Network (TSN). Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp.

In vitro susceptibilities of gram-negative bacteria isolated from hospitalized patients in four European countries, Canada, and the United States in 2000-2001 to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and comparator antimicrobials: implications for therapy.

Access to current antimicrobial agent surveillance data is an important prerequisite for the optimal management of patients with hospital-acquired infections. The present study used data collected in 2000 to 2001 from 670 laboratories in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), Canada, and the United States to report on the in vitro activities of ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and comparative agents against >125,000 isolates of gram-negative bacteria from hospitalized patients. All but two isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (one isolate of Proteus mirabilis from France and one isolate of Morganella morganii from Canada) were susceptible to imipenem.

In vitro susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis: a European multicenter study during 2000-2001.

Objective: To assess the current (2001) activity of respiratory fluoroquinolones and comparator agents against respiratory pathogens isolated in European countries.

Methods: During 2000-2001, we prospectively collected 1995 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, 1870 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and 649 isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis from hospital laboratories in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)-approved broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and interpretive criteria were used throughout.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of 840 clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae collected in four European countries in 2000-2001.

In 2000-2001, 840 clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae were collected from laboratories in France, Germany, Italy and Spain (210 isolates/country). Beta-Lactamase production among the isolates varied considerably by country, ranging from 8.1% in Germany to 34.

Comparison of four antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods to determine the in vitro activities of piperacillin and piperacillin-tazobactam against clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Susceptibility to piperacillin was similar to that to piperacillin-tazobactam (<1% difference) for 6,938 isolates of Enterobacter aerogenes and 13,954 isolates of Enterobacter cloacae tested using a Vitek system; for the same species, in contrast, susceptibility rates to piperacillin-tazobactam were 5.9 to 13.9% higher than to piperacillin using disk diffusion, MicroScan, and Vitek 2 testing.

Susceptibilities to levofloxacin in Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates from children: results from 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 TRUST studies in the United States.

Among respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from children, resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) increases on an annual basis. Pediatric patients who do not respond to conventional therapy for respiratory tract infections someday may be treated with fluoroquinolones. In this study, MICs of beta-lactams, azithromycin, SXT, and levofloxacin were determined and interpreted by using NCCLS guidelines for isolates of S.