Circulation of clonal populations of fluoroquinolone-resistant CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli ST410 in humans and animals in Germany.

Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli encoding CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are isolated in increasing numbers from humans, companion animals and livestock, raising concern regarding the exchange and spread of isolates in these populations. In this study, whole-genome sequencing of CTX-M-15-producing E. coli isolates recently sampled from humans, companion animals, livestock and farm environments was performed.

Cardiac Vagal Control and Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Sleep Quality.

Lower cardiac vagal control (CVC) has been linked to greater depression. However, this link has not been consistently demonstrated, suggesting the presence of key moderators. Sleep plausibly is one such factor.

The collateral circulation of coronary chronic total occlusions.

Aims: Despite advances in understanding the physiological role of collaterals in coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs), collateral anatomy remains poorly defined. Our aim was to define the anatomy and interventional utility of collaterals within a large population of patients with CTOs.

Methods And Results: We studied the coronary angiograms of 481 patients with 519 CTOs at six centres in the U.

Population structure and acquisition of the vanB resistance determinant in German clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium ST192.

In the context of the global action plan to reduce the dissemination of antibiotic resistances it is of utmost importance to understand the population structure of resistant endemic bacterial lineages and to elucidate how bacteria acquire certain resistance determinants. Vancomycin resistant enterococci represent one such example of a prominent nosocomial pathogen on which nation-wide population analyses on prevalent lineages are scarce and data on how the bacteria acquire resistance, especially of the vanB genotype, are still under debate. With respect to Germany, an increased prevalence of VRE was noted in recent years.

Calcium Carbide: A Unique Reagent for Organic Synthesis and Nanotechnology.

Acetylene, HC≡CH, is one of the primary building blocks in synthetic organic and industrial chemistry. Several highly valuable processes have been developed based on this simplest alkyne and the development of acetylene chemistry has had a paramount impact on chemical science over the last few decades. However, in spite of numerous useful possible reactions, the application of gaseous acetylene in everyday research practice is rather limited.

Tigecycline resistance in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium is mediated by an upregulation of plasmid-encoded tetracycline determinants tet(L) and tet(M).

Objectives: Tigecycline represents one of the last-line therapeutics to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, including VRE and MRSA. The German National Reference Centre for Staphylococci and Enterococci has received 73 tigecycline-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis isolates in recent years. The precise mechanism of how enterococci become resistant to tigecycline remains undetermined.

Molecular characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolates from hospital and ambulatory patients in Germany.

The increase of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in hospitals and their emergence as intestinal colonisers of healthy humans is of concern. Transmission ways and the extent of spread of distinct E. coli clones or ESBL genes among humans and animals via the food chain or the environment is a matter of debate.

Methicillin-resistant from infections in horses in Germany are frequent colonizers of veterinarians but rare among MRSA from infections in humans.

A total of 272 methicillin-resistant (MRSA) from equine infections originating from 17 equine hospitals and 39 veterinary practices in Germany as well as 67 isolates from personnel working at equine clinics were subjected to molecular typing. The majority of isolates from horses was attributed to clonal complex (CC) 398 (82.7%).

Complete Genome Sequence of the Gut Commensal and Laboratory Strain Enterococcus faecium 64/3.

The genome sequence of the commensal and widely used laboratory strain Enterococcus faecium 64/3 was resolved by means of PacificBioscience and Illumina whole-genome sequencing. The genome comprises 2,575,333 bp with 2,382 coding sequences as assigned by NCBI.

Evaluation of DiversiLab®, MLST and PFGE typing for discriminating clinical Enterococcus faecium isolates.

We evaluated and critically assessed the performance and discriminatory power of a rep-PCR based commercial test DiversiLab® Enterococcus kit (bioMerieux) for typing a set of 65 representative isolates of Enterococcus faecium/VRE and compared it to state-of-the-art typing techniques such as PFGE and MLST.

Antimicrobial efficacy of preoperative skin antisepsis and clonal relationship to postantiseptic skin-and-wound flora in patients undergoing clean orthopedic surgery.

Nosocomial surgical site infections (SSI) are still important complications in surgery. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the possible role of skin flora surviving preoperative antisepsis as a possible cause of SSI.

Molecular typing of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1- and Enterotoxin A-producing methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolates from an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus are common in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Usually they are documented for methicillin-resistant strains, while reports involving methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains are rare.

Comparison of sirolimus eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer to everolimus eluting stent with permanent polymer in bifurcation lesions: Results from CENTURY II trial.

Objective: To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a new sirolimus eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer, Ultimaster, (BP-SES) compared with everolimus-eluting, permanent polymer, Xience stent (PP-EES) in bifurcation lesions with respect to the freedom from Target Lesion Failure at 1-year.

Methods: Within 1,119 patients enrolled in the CENTURY II randomized controlled multicenter trial, 194 patients were treated for bifurcation lesions and randomized to either BP-SES (n = 95) or PP-EES (n = 99). The primary endpoint was freedom from target lesion failure (TLF) composite endpoint [cardiac death, MI not clearly attributable to a non-target vessel, and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR)] at 1-year.

Appropriateness of percutaneous revascularization of coronary chronic total occlusions: an overview.

Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are commonly encountered in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Several observational studies have demonstrated that successful CTO revascularization is associated with better cardiovascular outcomes and enhanced quality of life (QOL). However, in the absence of randomized trials, its prognostic benefit for patients remains debated.

Complete Genome Sequence of a CTX-M-15-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Outbreak Strain from Multilocus Sequence Type 514.

We report here the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, which caused an outbreak in a neonatal ward in 2011. The genome consists of a single chromosome (5,278 kb) and three plasmids (362 kb, 5 kb, and 4 kb).

Epidemiology and molecular typing of VRE bloodstream isolates in an Irish tertiary care hospital.

Objectives: Ireland has the highest rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) isolated from blood of nosocomial patients in Europe, which rose from 33% (110/330) in 2007 to 45% (178/392) in 2012. No other European country had a VREfm rate from blood cultures of >25%. Our aim was to elucidate the reasons for this significantly higher rate in Ireland.