[Distribution and drug resistance of pathogens at hematology department of Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2015: results from a multicenter, retrospective study]

Objective: To describe the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens at hematology department of Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2015 to provide reference for empirical anti-infection treatment. Methods: Pathogens were from hematology department of 26 tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2015. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using Kirby-Bauer method or agar dilution method. Collection of drug susceptibility results and corresponding patient data were analyzed. Results: The separated pathogens amounted to 4 306. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 64.26%, while the proportions of gram-positive bacteria and funguses were 26.99% and 8.75% respectively. Common gram-negative bacteria were Escherichia coli (20.48%) , Klebsiella pneumonia (15.40%) , Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.50%) , Acinetobacter baumannii (5.04%) and Stenotropho-monas maltophilia (3.41%) respectively. CRE amounted to 123 (6.68%) . Common gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (4.92%) , Staphylococcus hominis (4.88%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (4.71%) respectively. Candida albicans were the main fungus which accounted for 5.43%. The rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia resistant to carbapenems were 3.5%-6.1% and 5.0%-6.3% respectively. The rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to tobramycin and amikacin were 3.2% and 3.3% respectively. The resistant rates of Acinetobacter baumannii towards tobramycin and cefoperazone/sulbactam were both 19.2%. The rates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia resistant to minocycline and sulfamethoxazole were 3.5% and 9.3% respectively. The rates of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis resistant wards vancomycin were 0, 6.4% and 1.4% respectively; also, the rates of them resistant to linezolid were 1.2%, 0 and 1.6% respectively; in addition, the rates of them resistant to teicoplanin were 2.8%, 14.3% and 8.0% respectively. Furthermore, MRSA accounted for 39.15% (83/212) . Conclusions: Pathogens were mainly gram-negative bacteria. CRE accounted for 6.68%. The rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia resistant to carbapenems were lower compared with other antibacterial agents. The rates of gram-positive bacteria resistant to vancomycin, linezolid and teicoplanin were still low. MRSA accounted for 39.15%.

Enhancement of biocontrol activity of yeasts by adding sodium bicarbonate or ammonium molybdate to control postharvest disease of jujube fruits

AIMS

To assess the potential of sodium bicarbonate and ammonium molybdate as additives in enhancing the biocontrol efficacy of Rhodotorula glutinis and Cryptococcus laurentii against blue mould in jujube fruits.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two yeasts at a concentration of 107 CFU ml-1, in combination with 238 mmol l-1 sodium bicarbonate or 15 mmol l-1 ammonium molybdate, showed a significant inhibition effect on blue mould of jujube fruits stored at 20 degrees C for 5 days. The colonizing ability of the yeasts in wounded sites was significantly decreased in the presence of ammonium molybdate.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining R. glutinis or C. laurentii with sodium bicarbonate or ammonium molybdate provided a more effective control of postharvest disease than using the antagonistic yeasts or the chemicals alone.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The addition of sodium bicarbonate or ammonium molybdate reduced the number of antagonists required to efficiently control disease of postharvest fruits, which could result in the reduction of costs.

Ventricular fibrillation and defibrillation thresholds in sheep and dogs

Ventricular defibrillation studies normally use dogs rather than other large species. To investigate the suitability of sheep, which are often cheaper and more readily available, we compared ventricular fibrillation and defibrillation thresholds (VFT, DFT) in sheep and dogs. A total of 12 sheep (31 +/- 5 kg) and six dogs (19 +/- 1 kg) were anesthetised with halothane. Fibrillation was induced via epicardial pacing leads, using a 1 s 50 Hz pulse. Biphasic defibrillation shocks were delivered across epicardial patches. Voltage-response curves for both fibrillation and defibrillation were generated. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine 50 and 90% probability of success for fibrillation induction and defibrillation. VFT was similar in sheep and dogs. DFT at 50% probability of success was significantly higher in sheep (369 +/- 14 V) than in dogs (299 +/- 31 V, P < 0.04) but within each species there was no correlation between heart weight and DFT. After defibrillation sheep took longer to return to sinus rhythm than dogs and electro-mechanical dissociation was observed in sheep, but not in dogs. Thus, sheep may not be an ideal model for ventricular defibrillation research but further studies of the intrinsic differences between sheep and dogs may provide insights into basic mechanisms of defibrillation.

Comparison of pre-S1 and pre-S2 proteins in hepatocytes with replication by in situ hybridization assay

To compare the relationship of pre-S1 and pre-S2 proteins in hepatocytes with HBV replication, HBVDNA in situ hybridization was performed for a group of patients with chronic hepatitis by bio-probe, in conjunction with detection of intrahepatic HBsAg, HBcAg, pre-S1 and-S2 antigens. It was found that the expression of intrahepatic pre-s1 and pre-S2 proteins was visualized as cytoplasmic homogeneous and inclusion types, on some occasions as membranous localization. However, the positive rate for pre-S1 protein was up to 75% (15/20), being significantly higher than that of pre-S2 protein (35%; 7/20) in the same group (P less than 0.05). What in more important, the pre-S1 expression, rather than pre-s2, was in parallel with the presence of intrahepatic HBVDNA and HbcAg. All these findings suggest that the pre-S1 protein might be mainly expressed at the HBV replication phase, thus, to some extent, the detection of pre-S1 protein might complement HBe system and HBVDNA clinical routine.

The effect of age on the reversibility of cellular atrophy in the LGN of the cat following monocular deprivation: a test of two hypotheses about cell growth

Monocular closure soon after birth is known to reduce the growth of the deprived cells in the LGN provided that there are competing cells with normal input. When the closed eye was opened and the open eye closed after three of six weeks of monocular closure, the originally deprived cells in the LGN were able to recover their normal size. However, it was found that after 14 weeks of monocular closure there was no recovery. The ability of the initially closed eye to excite cells in the visual cortex is known to depend on the age when eye closure is reversed in a similar manner. Thus the growth of cells in the LGN is correlated with the possession of effective synapses upon cortical cells. This result is compatible with the possession of effective synapses upon cortical cells. This result is compatible with the hypothesis that competition occurs at the cortical level. It is argued that the alternative hypothesis of competition within the LGN predicts reversibility at any age. In some kittens, the closed eye was opened and the opposite optic nerve crushed. Some evidence was then found of structural recovery even after 14 weeks of deprivation. The hypothesis of cortical competition predicts functional recovery in such kittens, but this remains to be tested.

Cell growth in the lateral geniculate nucleus of kittens following the opening or closing of one eye

Closing one eye of kittens at 23 days after birth resulted in paler Nissl staining of the deprived cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) that was detectable two days later. Differences between the two sides of the brain in mean cell area increased to a peak in binocular lamina A at 4--6 days after eyelid suture, and then fell to a trough at eight days before rising progressively to a higher level at 31 days. In lamina A1 the peak and trough were later. Opening one eye of kittens after 23 days of binocular closure from birth resulted in more intense Nissl staining of the stimulated cells in the LGN that was detectable four days later. The stimulated cells grew faster than the cells connected to the eye that remained closed, and this differential growth reached a peak at 17 days in binocular lamina A and at 21 days in lamina A1 before falling to a trough at 26--31 days. These results are compared with the time course of anabolic changes that have been measured in other neurons during stimulation. The coefficient of variation of cell size was computed and found to be slightly decreased for deprived cells and increased for stimulated cells. This suggests that larger cells changes their sizes proportionately more than smaller cells. The cells were measured in fronzen sections without shrinkage, and the areas are at least 25% larger than those reported previously after paraffin or celloidin embedding.