In vitro killing of multidrug/extensively drug-resistant by fosfomycin alone or in combination with antipseudomonal antibiotics.

is a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Given the constant rise in resistance, adequate therapy is increasingly demanding. Fosfomycin recently became an appealing treatment option of bacterial infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR).

Oxacillinases and antimicrobial susceptibility of Ralstonia pickettii from pharmaceutical water systems in Croatia.

This study evaluated antibiotic susceptibility and presence of bla and bla genes in 81 isolates of Ralstonia pickettii obtained from different purified and ultra-pure water systems in two different geographical areas of Croatia. E-test and disc diffusion test were performed to determine antibiotic susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect genes encoding OXA-22 and OXA-60 oxacillinases previously identified in R.

External quality assessment providers' services appear to more impact the immunohaematology performance of laboratories than national regulatory and economic conditions.

Objectives: Medical laboratories may, at their own discretion, exceed but not undercut regulatory quality requirements. Available economic resources, however, may drive or hinder eagerness to exceed minimum requirements. Depending on the respective scopes of regulatory and economic framework conditions, differing levels of quality efforts to safeguard laboratory performance can be anticipated.

Impact of complement and difference of cell-based assay and ELISA in determination of neutralization capacity against mumps and measles virus.

Neutralizing antibodies against mumps and measles virus are considered a correlate of protection against these diseases. Measurement of neutralizing antibodies is mostly performed using plaque reduction neutralization assay or 50% cell culture infective dose (CCID) neutralization assay, but there are attempts for measuring neutralizing antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which is simpler, but the literature data regarding its convenience are diverse. The role of complement and antibodies in neutralizing capacity of sera is not completely defined.

Biomonitoring findings for occupational lead exposure in battery and ceramic tile workers using biochemical markers, alkaline comet assay, and micronucleus test coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridisation.

Manufacture of lead-containing products has long been associated with various health risks. To get an insight into the related genotoxic risks, we conducted a biomonitoring study in 50 exposed workers and 48 matched controls using a battery of endpoints that sensitively detect the extent of genome instability in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The levels of primary DNA damage were estimated with the alkaline comet assay, while cytogenetic abnormalities were determined with the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) cytome assay.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) Titanium Dioxide and Cefuroxime Antimicrobial Scaffolds for Cultivation of Human Limbal Stem Cells.

Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency (LSCD) is a very serious and painful disease that often results in impaired vision. Cultivation of limbal stem cells for clinical application is usually performed on carriers such as amniotic membrane or surgical fibrin gel. Transplantation of these grafts is associated with the risk of local postoperative infection that can destroy the graft and devoid therapeutic benefit.

Comparison of clinical and sewage isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from two long-term care facilities in Zagreb; mechanisms and routes of spread.

In the previous studies OXA-23-like and OXA-24-like β-lactamase were reported among Acinetobacter baumannii in both hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Croatia. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical and sewage A. baumannii isolates from two nursing homes in Zagreb, with regard to antibiotic susceptibility and resistance mechanisms, to determine the route of spread of carbapenem-resistant isolates.