Complete genome sequences of eight Auritidibacter ignavus strains isolated from ear infections in Germany.

Here, we present the complete genome sequences of eight Auritidibacter ignavus strains isolated from clinical samples of patients with ear infections in Bochum, Germany. The sequence information will give assistance to greater knowledge about the virulence potential of this unfamiliar putative pathogen.

Species-specific mutation rates for ampC derepression in Enterobacterales with chromosomally encoded inducible AmpC ß-lactamase.

Background: AmpC ß-lactamases are encoded on the chromosomes of certain Enterobacterales and lead to clinical resistance to various ß-lactams in case of high-level expression. In WT bacteria with inducible AmpC, the expression is low, but selection of stably ampC-derepressed mutants may occur during ß-lactam therapy. Thus, for Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter freundii complex, Serratia spp. and Morganella morganii that test susceptible in vitro to oxyimino-cephalosporins, the EUCAST expert rules recommend suppressing susceptibility testing results for these agents or noting that their use in monotherapy should be discouraged, owing to the risk of selecting resistance. However, clinical observations suggest that emergence of resistance is not equally common in all species with inducible AmpC. Objectives: To determine species-specific mutation rates, which are more accurate and reproducible than previously described mutant frequencies, for ampC derepression in Enterobacterales with inducible AmpC. Methods: Mutation rates were determined using a protocol based on Luria-Delbrück fluctuation analyses. Overall, 237 isolates were analysed. Results: Mutation rates were high in Enterobacter cloacae complex, Enterobacter aerogenes, C. freundii complex and Hafnia alvei isolates, with a mean mutation rate of 3 × 10-8. In contrast, mean mutation rates were considerably lower in Providencia spp., Serratia spp. and especially M. morganii isolates. Furthermore, we observed species-specific variations in the resistance patterns of ampC-derepressed mutants. Conclusions: Our data might help to predict the risk of treatment failure with oxyimino-cephalosporins in infections by different Enterobacterales with inducible AmpC. Moreover, we make a proposal for optimization of the current EUCAST expert rule.

SPERCS-A tool for environmental emission estimation.

The European Union (EU) chemicals regulation Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) requires a hazardous substance registration to identify the uses of a substance and the corresponding conditions of safe use. This requirement includes a human and an environmental safety assessment. Exposure scenarios are developed and employed for estimating emissions resulting from the uses of hazardous substances. To support the environmental assessments, the REACH guidance documents define 22 environmental release categories (ERCs) with conservative release factors (RFs) to water, air, and soil. Several industry associations target the ERCs to more specific uses and respective emission scenarios to enable more realistic emission estimations. They have developed more than 190 specific ERCs (SPERCs) as standardized descriptions of operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs). SPERCs reflect the current good practice and are documented in factsheets. These factsheets contain the information necessary for environmental emission modeling. Key parameters are the substance use rate, the efficiency of the risk management measures (if applicable), and the RFs. These parameters can be based on literature or measured company data or are justified by qualitative arguments. The majority of SPERCs have been implemented as realistic worst-case emission values in screening-level chemical safety assessment (CSA) tools. Three regulatory reviews in Europe have established requirements for documenting the SPERCs and for justifying the RFs. In addition, each of the reviews included recommendations for improving the SPERCs. The latest review proposed a condensed factsheet that focuses on the essentials for exposure assessment and subsequent communication in safety data sheets. It is complemented with a background document for providing details on the emission scenarios and justifications. In the EU the SPERCs will be further progressed in a consensus process using the multi-stakeholder expert network on exposure scenarios. The SPERCs have the potential to be used in environmental risk assessments within other regulatory frameworks or in other geographical regions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:772-781. © 2015 SETAC.

Construct validity of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 in clinical samples.

Using two clinical samples of patients, the presented studies examined the construct validity of the recently revised Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3). Confirmatory factor analyses established a clear three-factor structure that corresponds to the postulated subdivision of the construct into correlated somatic, social, and cognitive components. Participants with different primary clinical diagnoses differed from each other on the ASI-3 subscales in theoretically meaningful ways. Specifically, the ASI-3 successfully discriminated patients with anxiety disorders from patients with nonanxiety disorders. Moreover, patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia manifested more somatic concerns than patients with other anxiety disorders and patients with nonanxiety disorders. Finally, correlations of the ASI-3 scales with other measures of clinical symptoms and negative affect substantiated convergent and discriminant validity. Substantial positive correlations were found between the ASI-3 Somatic Concerns and body vigilance, between Social Concerns and fear of negative evaluation and socially inhibited behavior, and between Cognitive Concerns and depression symptoms, anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and subjective complaints. Moreover, Social Concerns correlated negatively with dominant and intrusive behavior. Results are discussed with respect to the contribution of the ASI-3 to the assessment of anxiety-related disorders.

Energy efficiency of substance and energy recovery of selected waste fractions.

In order to reduce the ecological impact of resource exploitation, the EU calls for sustainable options to increase the efficiency and productivity of the utilization of natural resources. This target can only be achieved by considering resource recovery from waste comprehensively. However, waste management measures have to be investigated critically and all aspects of substance-related recycling and energy recovery have to be carefully balanced. This article compares recovery methods for selected waste fractions with regard to their energy efficiency. Whether material recycling or energy recovery is the most energy efficient solution, is a question of particular relevance with regard to the following waste fractions: paper and cardboard, plastics and biowaste and also indirectly metals. For the described material categories material recycling has advantages compared to energy recovery. In accordance with the improved energy efficiency of substance opposed to energy recovery, substance-related recycling causes lower emissions of green house gases. For the fractions paper and cardboard, plastics, biowaste and metals it becomes apparent, that intensification of the separate collection systems in combination with a more intensive use of sorting technologies can increase the extent of material recycling. Collection and sorting systems must be coordinated. The objective of the overall system must be to achieve an optimum of the highest possible recovery rates in combination with a high quality of recyclables. The energy efficiency of substance related recycling of biowaste can be increased by intensifying the use of anaerobic technologies. In order to increase the energy efficiency of the overall system, the energy efficiencies of energy recovery plants must be increased so that the waste unsuitable for substance recycling is recycled or treated with the highest possible energy yield.