Predominance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the residents and environments of long-term care facilities in Taiwan

Background/purpose

This study investigated the distribution and persistence of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) in six long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Ultrastructural analysis of pancreatic acinar cells from mice fed on genetically modified soybean

No direct evidence that genetically modified (GM) food may represent a possible danger for health has been reported so far; however, the scientific literature in this field is quite poor. Therefore, we investigated the possible effects of a diet containing GM soybean on mouse exocrine pancreas by means of ultrastructural, morphometrical and immunocytochemical analyses. Our observations demonstrate that, although no structural modification occurs in pancreatic acinar cells of mice fed on GM soybean, quantitative changes of some cellular constituents take place in comparison to control animals. In particular, a diet containing significant amount of GM food seems to influence the zymogen synthesis and processing.     

Inactivation of viruses infecting ectothermic animals by amphibian and piscine antimicrobial peptides

The ability of five purified amphibian antimicrobial peptides (dermaseptin-1, temporin A, magainin I, and II, PGLa), crude peptide fractions isolated from the skin of Rana pipiens and R. catesbeiana, and four antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from hybrid striped bass (piscidin-1N, -1H, -2, and -3) were examined for their ability to reduce the infectivity of channel catfish virus (CCV) and frog virus 3 (FV3). All compounds, with the exception of magainin I, markedly reduced the infectivity of CCV. In contrast to CCV, FV3 was 2- to 4-fold less sensitive to these agents. Similar to an earlier study employing two other amphibian peptides, the agents used here acted rapidly and over a wide, physiologically relevant, temperature range to reduce virus infectivity. These results extend our previous findings and strongly suggest that various amphibian and piscine AMPs may play important roles in protecting fish and amphibians from pathogenic viruses.     

糖尿病足患者发生多重耐药菌感染的危险因素研究

目的 探讨糖尿病足患者发生多重耐药菌（MDROs）感染的危险因素及病原菌分布情况。方法 以2019年1月至2020年12月青岛市某三甲医院内分泌门诊就诊的糖尿病足患者为研究对象进行资料收集、体格检查及空腹静脉血采集,并采用灭菌棉拭子擦拭创面拭取分泌物用于病原菌感染情况及耐药性检测。采用描述流行病学分析方法进行分析,并采用单、多因素分析方法对多重耐药影响因素进行分析。结果 本研究共对5 122例糖尿病足患者进行MDROs感染情况分析,年龄35~85岁,平均（61.03±11.19）岁,糖尿病病程1~29年,平均（12.32±7.16）年。多重感染者210例,多重感染率为4.10%。共分离出265株MDROs,居于前3位的MDROs分别是金黄色葡萄球菌109株（41.13%）、铜绿假单胞菌61株（23.02%）、大肠杆菌58株（21.89%）。主要的MDROs中金黄色葡萄球菌对苯唑西林、氨苄西林/舒巴坦、头孢唑林100%耐药,大肠杆菌对氨苄西林、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦、头孢他啶100%耐药,未见对万古霉素耐药菌。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,抗菌药物暴露史（OR=1.962）、因同一伤口住院次数>2次/年（OR=1.970）、骨髓炎（OR=4.323）、神经缺血性伤口（OR=1.269）和抗菌药物疗程≥5 d（OR=1.487、3.274、1.602）是糖尿病足患者发生MDROs感染的危险因素。结论 糖尿病足患者抗菌药物暴露史、因同一伤口住院次数>2次/年、骨髓炎、神经缺血性伤口以及使用抗菌药物疗程与发生MDROs感染存在密切关系。     

Rickettsiae and rickettsioses in Portugal

The only rickettsiae recorded in Portugal till now were Rickettsia conorii and Coxiella burnetii. Boutonneuse fever is one of the most important transmissible diseases in Portugal. Though the annual number of cases is not exactly known, it is estimated to be not far from 20,000 in some years. Q fever is the other rickettsiosis widely disseminated throughout the country. The serological prevalence and the incidence of those rickettsioses in Portugal are presented in this communication. In recent research in southern Portugal, about 4,000 adult ticks of nine species were screened by the haemocyte test for rickettsiae and rickettsia-like organisms (RLO). In addition to R. conorii three microscopically different RLO were observed. Two of them, i.e. ovoid and bacillary-like, were positive in the immunofluorescence test with spotted fever (R. conorii) antiserum. The first occurred mainly in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, the second one also in other tick species. The latter agent was cultivated in half-engorged R. sanguineus females and in Vero cells. The third organism was found in R. sanguineus, where it exhibited a massive infestation in haemocytes resembling that seen in experimentally infected ticks with C. burnetii, but not being this agent. The investigation of the isolates and their identification and characterization are being continued.Presented at the 4th International Symposium on Rickettsiae and Rickettsial Diseases, Pietany, C.S.F.R., 1–6 October, 1990.     

青岛沿海海洋附着生物抗肿瘤活性的筛选

对青岛沿海海洋附着生物资源进行调查，采用海虾细胞毒性法及流式细胞术对已鉴定的18种附着生物进行抗肿瘤活性筛选。结果表明，星座美洲海鞘Amaroucium ecostellatum Verril、大菊海鞘Botryllus magnicoecus Hartmeyer、山形海绵Mycale macilenta、海黍子Sargassum kjellmanianum Yendo、裙带菜Undaria pinnatifida(Harv．)Sur．甲醇提取物具有较强的抗肿瘤活性。并进一步进行活性成分追踪研究，确定星座美洲海鞘、大菊海鞘、山形海绵、海黍子、裙带菜的活性部位。     

DNA提取方法进展

DNA的提取是分子生物学研究的基础技术，提取的DNA的纯度及结构完整性是进行基因工程各项研究所必需的条件。近年来一些新的或改进的DNA提取纯化方法不断出现，本文对从陆生动物、植物、微生物以及海洋生物提取DNA的方法进行综述。     

Key challenges for nanotechnology: Standardization of ecotoxicity testing

Nanotechnology is expected to contribute to the protection of the environment, but many uncertainties exist regarding the environmental and human implications of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs). Contradictory results have been reported for their ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms, which constitute one of the most important pathways for their entrance and transfer throughout the food web. The present review is focused on the international strategies that are laying the foundations of the ecotoxicological assessment of MNMs. Specific advice is provided on the preparation of MNM dispersions in the culture media of the organisms, which is considered a key factor to overcome the limitations in the standardization of the test methodologies.     

Decision-support models for empiric antibiotic selection in Gram-negative bloodstream infections

Objectives

Early empiric antibiotic therapy in patients can improve clinical outcomes in Gram-negative bacteraemia. However, the widespread prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens compromises our ability to provide adequate therapy while minimizing use of broad antibiotics. We sought to determine whether readily available electronic medical record data could be used to develop predictive models for decision support in Gram-negative bacteraemia.