Clostridium and Bacillus Binary Enterotoxins: Bad for the Bowels,and Eukaryotic Being

Some pathogenic spore-forming bacilli employ a binary protein mechanism for intoxicating the intestinal tracts of insects, animals, and humans. These Gram-positive bacteria and their toxins include Clostridium botulinum (C2 toxin), Clostridium difficile (C. difficile toxin or CDT), Clostridium perfringens (ι-toxin and binary enterotoxin, or BEC), Clostridium spiroforme (C. spiroforme toxin or CST), as well as Bacillus cereus (vegetative insecticidal protein or VIP). These gut-acting proteins form an AB complex composed of ADP-ribosyl transferase (A) and cell-binding (B) components that intoxicate cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis and endosomal trafficking. Once inside the cytosol, the A components inhibit normal cell functions by mono-ADP-ribosylation of globular actin, which induces cytoskeletal disarray and death. Important aspects of each bacterium and binary enterotoxin will be highlighted in this review, with particular focus upon the disease process involving the biochemistry and modes of action for each toxin.     

Acquisition of the mcr-1 gene by a high-risk clone of KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST437/CC258, Brazil

We identified one clinical isolate of K. pneumoniae harboring the mcr 1 (plasmid of IncX4 family) and bla_KPC-2 (plasmid of IncFIB family) genes in southern Brazil. These findings highlight that K. pneumoniae isolates carrying both mcr-1 and bla_KPC-2 may emergence as a serious threat to antimicrobial therapy.     

Validating a Hazardous Drinking Index in a Sample of Sexual Minority Women: Reliability,Validity, and Predictive Accuracy

Background: Although sexual minority women (SMW) are at increased risk of hazardous drinking (HD), efforts to validate HD measures have yet to focus on this population. Objectives: Validation of a 13-item Hazardous Drinking Index (HDI) in a large sample of SMW. Methods: Data were from 700 adult SMW (age 18-82) enrolled in the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study. Criterion measures included counts of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, average daily and 30-day ethanol consumption, risky sexual behavior, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) measures of alcohol abuse/dependence. Analyses included assessment of internal consistency, construction of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to predict alcohol abuse/dependence, and correlations between HDI and criterion measures. We compared the psychometric properties (diagnostic accuracy and correlates of hazardous drinking) of the HDI to the commonly used CAGE instrument. Results: KR-20 reliability for the HDI was 0.80, compared to 0.74 for the CAGE. Predictive accuracy, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for alcohol abuse/dependence, was HDI: 0.89; CAGE: 0.84. The HDI evidenced the best predictive efficacy and tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity. Results supported the concurrent validity of the HDI measure. Conclusions: The Hazardous Drinking Index is a reliable and valid measure of hazardous drinking for sexual minority women.     

Impact de la parole des parents sur les pratiques professionnelles,l’expérience de l’association Petite Émilie (Association pour les personnes confrontées à une interruption médicale de grossesse et à un deuil périnatal)

The association Petite Émilie was founded in 2003 to provide support for the parents who have experienced the same trauma. Gradually, the group welcomed more and more members, joined by professionals who heard parents’ words and their needs. A booklet was written, through this invaluable collaboration between parents and professionals (midwives, obstetricians, psychologists…), to open the dialogue between teams and families. Collaboration between parents and professionals with listening from/to each other made it possible to make the needs of the parents heard by the professionals, so that they consider their practices in order to try to adapt them.