Recovery of carbon fiber from carbon fiber reinforced plastics using alkali molten hydroxide.

High-strength carbon fibers were recovered by a new method, involving the decomposition of the thermosetting resin part of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) by heating it in a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). Alkali molten hydroxide was prepared by heating the mixture of NaOH and KOH at various ratios (NaOH: KOH = 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 0:1) at 400C, and the CFRP was then heated with the aforementioned alkali molten hydroxide under a nitrogen atmosphere at 200-400C for 0-90 min. Subsequently, the CFRP was washed with distilled water and filtered to recover the carbon fibers, and its tensile strength was estimated.

Genomic characterization of harbouring an exogenous resistance gene.

Reports of β-lactamase-producing are increasing worldwide.. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular characteristics and evolution of β-lactamase-producing .

Molecular characterization of a novel putative pathogen, sp. nov., isolated from sputum culture.

Unlabelled: Reports of novel species of α-hemolytic have increased recently. However, limited information exists regarding the pathogenicity of these species, with the exception of and . In this study, a quinolone-resistant α- strain, MTG105, was isolated from the sputum of a patient with pneumonia.

Evaluation and optimization of sample size of neonates and infants for pediatric clinical studies on cefiderocol using a model-based approach.

When planning pediatric clinical trials, optimizing the sample size of neonates/infants is essential because it is difficult to enroll these subjects. In this simulation study, we evaluated the sample size of neonates/infants using a model-based optimal approach for identifying their pharmacokinetics for cefiderocol. We assessed the usefulness of data for estimation performance (accuracy and variance of parameter estimation) from adults and the impact of data from very young subjects, including preterm neonates.

The colonization factor CS6 of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli contributes to host cell invasion.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the main causes of diarrhea in children and travelers in low-income regions. The virulence of ETEC is attributed to its heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins, as well as its colonization factors (CFs). CFs are essential for ETEC adherence to the intestinal epithelium.

The Association between Transformation Ability and Antimicrobial Resistant Potential in Haemophilus influenzae.

The prevalence of quinolone low-susceptible Haemophilus influenzae has increased in Japan. Low quinolone susceptibility is caused by point mutations in target genes; however, it can also be caused by horizontal gene transfer via natural transformation. In this study, we examined whether this horizontal gene transfer could be associated with resistance to not only quinolones but also other antimicrobial agents.

Population pharmacokinetics of duloxetine in Japanese pediatric patients with major depressive disorder.

The objectives of this analysis were to characterize the pharmacokinetics of duloxetine in Japanese pediatric patients aged 9-17 years with major depressive disorder (MDD) and to explore potential intrinsic factors affecting its pharmacokinetics. A population pharmacokinetic (PK) model was developed with plasma steady-state duloxetine concentrations from Japanese pediatric patients with MDD in an open-label long-term extension trial in Japan (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03395353).

Contribution of amino acid substitutions in ParE to quinolone resistance in Haemophilus haemolyticus revealed through a horizontal transfer assay using Haemophilus influenzae.

Background: In 2019, a high-level quinolone-resistant Haemophilus haemolyticus strain (levofloxacin MIC = 16 mg/L) was isolated from a paediatric patient. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the quinolone resistance of H. haemolyticus could be transferred to Haemophilus influenzae and to identify the mechanism underlying the high-level quinolone resistance of H.

A Rapid Screening Assay for Clarithromycin-Resistant Mycobacterium avium Complex Using Melting Curve Analysis with Nonfluorescent Labeled Probes.

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) thrives in various environments and mainly causes lung disease in humans. Because macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin or azithromycin are key drugs for MAC lung disease, the emergence of macrolide-resistant strains prevents the treatment of MAC. More than 95% of macrolide-resistant MAC strains are reported to have a point mutation in 23S rRNA domain V.

Alternative quinolone-resistance pathway caused by simultaneous horizontal gene transfer in Haemophilus influenzae.

Background: Quinolone-resistant bacteria are known to emerge via the accumulation of mutations in a stepwise manner. Recent studies reported the emergence of quinolone low-susceptible Haemophilus influenzae ST422 isolates harbouring two relevant mutations, although ST422 isolates harbouring one mutation were never identified.

Objectives: To investigate if GyrA and ParC from quinolone low-susceptible isolates can be transferred horizontally and simultaneously to susceptible isolates.

Identification and characterisation of a novel multidrug-resistant streptococcus, Streptococcus toyakuensis sp. nov., from a blood sample.

Objectives: In 2018, we isolated multidrug-resistant α-haemolytic streptococci TP1632 from the blood of a 34-year-old patient with bacteraemia. This study aimed to characterise α-haemolytic streptococci TP1632 and elucidate its multidrug resistance mechanisms.

Methods: TP1632 was characterised by whole genome sequencing and biochemical testing.

Circulating immune-complexes and complement activation through the classical pathway in myeloperoxidase-ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis.

Background: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN) is the fulminant glomerular diseases with poor renal prognosis. Activation of the complement system has recently been reported in the pathogenesis of AAGN, but it remains to be clarified as to which complement pathway is mainly involved.

Methods: 20 patients with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-AAGN were retrospectively evaluated.

High-Level Quinolone-Resistant Haemophilus haemolyticus in Pediatric Patient with No History of Quinolone Exposure.

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Haemophilus spp. is a critical concern, but high-level quinolone-resistant strains had not been isolated from children. We isolated high-level quinolone-resistant H.

Quinolone Resistance Is Transferred Horizontally via Uptake Signal Sequence Recognition in Haemophilus influenzae.

The presence of Haemophilus influenzae strains with low susceptibility to quinolones has been reported worldwide. However, the emergence and dissemination mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, a total of 14 quinolone-low-susceptible H.

Salmonella fimbrial protein StcD induces cyclooxygenase-2 expression via Toll-like receptor 4.

Introduction: The genome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium contains 13 operons with homology to fimbrial genes.

Methods: To investigate the involvement of these fimbrial gene clusters in the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which is an inducible enzyme involved in the synthesis of prostanoids, in J774 macrophages infected with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, we constructed strains carrying a mutation in genes encoding the putative subunit proteins in 12 fimbrial operons.

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Dose Optimization of Cefiderocol during Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

Background: The need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in critically ill patients with serious infections is associated with clinical failure, emergence of resistance, and excess mortality. These poor outcomes are attributable in large part to subtherapeutic antimicrobial exposure and failure to achieve target pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) thresholds during CRRT. Cefiderocol is a novel siderophore cephalosporin with broad in vitro activity against resistant pathogens and is often used to treat critically ill patients, including those receiving CRRT, despite the lack of data to guide dosing in this population.

Molecular characterisation of carbapenem- and tigecycline-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from blood and bile samples.

Introduction: The number of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains are increasing, further raising healthcare concerns worldwide. In this study, we isolated three CRKP strains from bile and blood samples of an elderly patient (90s) with acute cholangitis and characterised the features and antimicrobial resistance mechanism of CRKP isolates.

Methods: Three CRKP isolates were characterised by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), whole genome sequencing using the NovaSeq 6000, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Intrapulmonary Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Simulation of Cefiderocol, a Parenteral Siderophore Cephalosporin, in Patients With Pneumonia and Healthy Subjects.

Cefiderocol is a siderophore cephalosporin for the treatment of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria including carbapenem-resistant strains. The aim of this study was to develop an intrapulmonary pharmacokinetic (PK) model of cefiderocol and assess the PK profile in lungs. An intrapulmonary PK model of cefiderocol was developed using the concentration data in plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF) from 7 patients with pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation and 20 healthy subjects.

Adjunctive Rifampicin Increases Antibiotic Efficacy in Group A Streptococcal Tissue Infection Models.

Biofilm has recently been highlighted as a complicating feature of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (i.e., group A Streptococcus [GAS]) contributing to a persistence of bacteria in tissue despite prolonged antibiotic therapy.