PulseNet is a network that utilizes standardized pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) protocols with the purpose of conducting laboratory-based surveillance of foodborne pathogens. PulseNet ...standardized PFGE protocols are subject to rigorous testing during the developmental phase and careful evaluation during a validation process assessing its robustness and reproducibility in different laboratories. Here we describe the development and validation of a rapid PFGE protocol for subtyping Vibrio cholerae for use in PulseNet International activities. While the protocol was derived from the existing PulseNet protocol for Escherichia coli O157, various aspects of this protocol were optimized for use with V. cholerae, most notably a change of the primary and secondary restriction enzyme to SfiI and NotI, respectively, and the use of a two-block electrophoresis program. External validation of this protocol was undertaken through a collaboration between three PulseNet Asia Pacific laboratories (Public Health Laboratory Centre, Hong Kong, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, and International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research-Bangladesh) and PulseNet USA. Comparison of PFGE patterns generated by each of the participating laboratories demonstrated that the protocol is robust and reproducible.
Oxygen administration is recommended for patients with hypoxemia to achieve a target Formula: see text range. Strategies to achieve this in clinical practice are suboptimal. We investigated automatic ...oxygen titration using a novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop oxygen control. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether closed-loop control was able to respond to desaturation and subsequent recovery in a controlled laboratory-based environment.
We conducted a single-blind randomized crossover trial in adults with chronic respiratory disease who had a resting Formula: see text ≥ 92% and desaturated to < 90% during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Nasal high-flow was administered during a 6MWT and a subsequent 10-min rest period with either room air, a fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, or oxygen titrated automatically using closed-loop control.
The study involved 42 subjects. Closed-loop control maintained Formula: see text within the target range of 92-96% for a mean (SD) duration of 54.4 ± 30.1% of the 6MWT and 67.3 ± 26.8% of the recovery period. The proportion of time spent with an Formula: see text in the target range during the 6MWT was significantly greater for closed-loop control compared to room air, with a difference of 26.0% (95% CI 17.7-34.2,
< .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to the fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, with a difference of -8.2% (95% CI -16.5 to 0.1,
= .052). The proportion of time spent in the target range during the rest period was significantly greater compared to 28% oxygen, with a difference of 19.3% (95% CI 8.9-29.7,
< .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to room air, with a difference of -9.3% (95% CI -19.7 to 1.0,
= .08).
This study provides proof-of-concept evidence that the novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop control can respond to changes in Formula: see text outside a target saturation range using a model of exercise-induced desaturation and subsequent recovery.
Movement is an important life history trait that can have an impact on local adaptation, and other evolutionary phenomena. We used a combination of nestbox survey data and genetic techniques ...(genotyping at 10 microsatellite loci) to quantify patterns of movement in common dormice Muscardinus avellanarius at two distinct sites in the UK: 1) Bontuchel (a natural population) and 2) Wych (captive-bred individuals that were reintroduced to this site), over three consecutive years (2006-2008). Both methods revealed a consistent pattern of sex-biased movement (movements by adult males and females) in both populations that allowed isolation-by-distance genetic structure to develop within 1 km. The similarity of data from captive-bred and natural individuals indicated that ex situ programing has not significantly altered the natural movement behavior of common dormice; consequently, the two populations could be managed with the same conservation strategies. We also found that the reintroduced dormice in Wych maintained relatively high levels of genetic diversity. This first report of movement patterns in reintroduced and natural populations of M. avellanarius combining genetic and field-survey data highlights the role of genetic studies in the investigation of ecological behaviour and for conservation management.
As part of an ongoing study to identify selenium compounds with cancer chemopreventive activity, extracts of selenium-enriched samples were analyzed by HPLC–inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS. ...Ion-exchange, ion pair and derivatization methods for reversed-phase HPLC were considered and advantages and disadvantages for each compared. Anion exchange allows separation of selenite and selenate, but otherwise provides poor separation. Pre-column derivatization and reversed-phase chromatography provides separation of compounds with terminal amine functionalities, but many other species elute in the void volume. The ion pair method gave optimal separation and was compatible with standard ICP-MS operating conditions.
The leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (
LRRK2) G2019S mutation is the most common genetic determinant of Parkinson disease (PD) identified to date. It accounts for 1%–7% of PD in patients of European ...origin and 20%–40% in Ashkenazi Jews and North African Arabs with PD. Previous studies concluded that patients from these populations all shared a common Middle Eastern founder who lived in the 13th century. We tested this hypothesis by genotyping 25 microsatellite and single-nucleotide–polymorphism markers in 22 families with G2019S and observed two distinct haplotypes. Haplotype 1 was present in 19 families of Ashkenazi Jewish and European ancestry, whereas haplotype 2 occurred in three European American families. Using a maximum-likelihood method, we estimated that the families with haplotype 1 shared a common ancestor 2,250 (95% confidence interval 1,650–3,120) years ago, whereas those with haplotype 2 appeared to share a more recent founder. Our data suggest two separate founding events for G2019S in these populations, beginning at a time that coincides with the Jewish Diasporas.
Aims
Data from patient registries give insight into the management of patients with heart failure (HF), but actual data from unselected real-world HF patients are scarce. Therefore, we performed ...a cross sectional study of current HF care in the period 2013–2016 among more than 10,000 unselected HF patients at HF outpatient clinics in the Netherlands.
Methods
In 34 participating centres, all 10,910 patients with chronic HF treated at cardiology centres were included in the CHECK-HF registry. Of these, most (96%) were managed at a specific HF outpatient clinic. Heart failure was typically diagnosed according to the ESC guidelines 2012, based on signs, symptoms and structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities. Information on diagnostics, treatment and co-morbidities were recorded, with specific focus on drug therapy and devices. In our cohort, the mean age was 73 years (SD 12) and 60% were male. Frequent co-morbidities reported in the patient records were diabetes mellitus 30%, hypertension 43%, COPD 19%, and renal insufficiency 58%. In 47% of the patients, ischaemia was the origin of HF. In our registry, the prevalence of HF with preserved ejection fraction was 21%.
Conclusion
The CHECK-HF registry will provide insight into the current, real world management of patient with chronic HF, including HF with reduced ejection fraction, preserved ejection fraction and mid-range ejection fraction, that will help define ways to improve quality of care. Drug and device therapy and guideline adherence as well as interactions with age, gender and co-morbidities will receive specific attention.
We analyze the extreme high-magnification microlensing event OGLE-2008-BLG-279, which peaked at a maximum magnification of A ~ 1600 on 2008 May 30. The peak of this event exhibits both finite-source ...effects and terrestrial parallax, from which we determine the mass of the lens, Ml = 0.64 +/- 0.10 M, and its distance, Dl = 4.0 +/- 0.6 kpc. We rule out Jupiter-mass planetary companions to the lens star for projected separations in the range 0.5-20 AU. More generally, we find that this event was sensitive to planets with masses as small as with projected separations near the Einstein ring (~3 AU).
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