Development and evaluation of test methods for the detection and enumeration of opportunistic waterborne pathogens from the hospital environment.

BACKGROUND: Many Gram-negative bacteria other than Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been implicated in waterborne outbreaks, but standardized laboratory detection methods for these organisms have not been established. AIM: This study aimed to establish laboratory testing methodologies for six waterborne pathogens: Acinetobacter spp., Burkholderia spp., Cupriavidus spp., Delftia acidovorans, Elizabethkingia spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. METHODS: Water samples were spiked by UK Health Security Agency laboratories and sent to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary laboratory for analysis. Water samples were spiked with either a pure culture of target organism or the target organism in water containing normal background flora, to ensure that the methodology could identify organisms from a mixed culture. Volumes of 100 mL were filtered under negative pressure on to culture media and incubated at 30 °C and 37 °C. The incubation time was 7 days, with plates read on days 2, 5 and 7. Further identification of colonies was undertaken using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). FINDINGS: Optimal recovery of organisms was obtained by culturing water samples on tryptic soy agar, chocolate bacitracin agar and pseudomonas selective agar. The optimal temperature for isolation was 30 °C. The optimal incubation time was 5 days, and MALDI-TOF MS identified all test species reliably. CONCLUSION: The methodology described was able to detect the six tested waterborne pathogens reliably, and can be utilized by laboratories involved in testing water samples during outbreak investigations.

Seahorse (Hippocampinae) population fluctuations in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, south Portugal.

Comparisons of three sets of surveys in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, Portugal, over a 13 year period (2001-2002, 2008-2009 and 2010-2013) revealed significant population fluctuations in at least one of the two seahorse (Hippocampinae) species living there, and that those fluctuations were potentially associated with habitat changes in the lagoon. After a significant decline between the first two survey periods (2001-2002 v. 2008-2009), long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus populations increased significantly between 2008-2009 surveys and new 2010-2013 surveys. There were no significant differences in H. guttulatus populations between the 2001-2002 and 2010-2013 surveys. In contrast, there were no significant differences in short-snouted seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus densities among the 16 sites surveyed throughout the three sampling periods, although the ability to detect any change was hampered by the low densities of this species in all time periods. Fluctuations in H. guttulatus densities were positively correlated with the percentage of holdfast coverage, but with none of the other environmental variables tested. These results highlight the importance of holdfast availability in maintaining stable seahorse populations. While population fluctuations are certainly more promising than a consistent downward decline, such extreme fluctuations observed for seahorses in the Ria Formosa Lagoon could still leave these two species vulnerable to any additional stressors, particularly during low density periods.

Advances in tagging syngnathids, with the effects of dummy tags on behaviour of Hippocampus guttulatus.

Artificial marking and tagging techniques have been used to study movement, population dynamics, behaviour, ecology, survival and growth of at least 25 syngnathid species. External necklace-style tags and injection of visible implant elastomer have been the most used techniques, uniquely identifying hundreds of individual syngnathids to study population dynamics, mortality, behaviour, ecology and growth in at least 13 and 12 species, respectively. Only two studies, both on larger syngnathid species, have tested the use of internal or electronic tags. This new case study reveals that dummy tags, weighing up to 6% of individual body mass, have minimal effect on normal ex situ behaviour of the long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus, a smaller syngnathid. In paired aquarium trials, tags did not affect movement, holdfast use or general behavioural state, and only had a short-term effect (1 day) on vertical orientation. Tagged H. guttulatus gained more mass during the 5 day trials, a result which warrants further exploration but indicates that tags did not reduce feeding. This study shows promise for using electronic tagging to study H. guttulatus and similarly sized syngnathids in the wild.

The costs and benefits of reforestation in Liping County, Guizhou Province, China.

Reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is becoming a pressing issue for the global community. Afforestation and reforestation are promoted worldwide as an effective means of sequestering carbon. For its national interest and global concerns, China has made great efforts to protect its existing forests and develop programs of afforestation and reforestation. Based on two surveys recently conducted in Liping County, Guizhou province, this paper investigates the economic changes associated with the implementation of the "Grain For Green" policy. Based on the analytical framework of benefit cost analysis, this paper concludes that the implementation of the reforestation of sloping agricultural land policy would not be possible if there were no government subsidies for the peasants. The short term economic returns of land and labour from forestation are substantially lower than those generated from grain or cash crop production on the steep slope lands. The government subsidies provide great economic incentives for peasants to take part in the project. The subsidies in fact have elevated peasant income in rural Liping. The estimated potential economic returns of plantations over the long run indicate that the removal of the government financial subsidies would not create an economic crisis for the peasants if the current market conditions continue.

An integrated assessment model of carbon sequestration benefits: a case study of Liping county, China.

This research attempts to model the complexity of planting trees to increase China's CO(2) sequestration potential by using a GIS-based integrated assessment (IA) approach. We use the IA model to assess the impact of China's Grain for Green reforestation and afforestation program on farmer and state incomes as well as CO(2) sequestration in Liping County, Guizhou Province. The IA model consists of five sub-models for carbon sequestration, crop income, timber income, Grain for Green, and carbon credits. It also includes a complementary qualitative module for assessing program impacts by gender and ethnicity. Using four scenarios with various assumptions about types of trees planted, crop incomes by township, CO(2) credit prices, state subsidies, methods for estimating carbon sequestered, and harvesting of trees, we find great variation in the impact of the Grain for Green program on incomes and on carbon sequestered over a 48 year period at both the county and township levels.

Exposure to styrene in the general Canadian population.

As part of an environmental health assessment in Canada, estimates of the intake of styrene by the general population were derived. Concentrations of styrene reported in air, water, soil and foods in Canada were reviewed in detail. Data on ambient air, collected by Environment Canada, showed mean concentrations of 0.09-2.35 micrograms/m3 at 18 sites across the country. In a national pilot study of indoor air in 757 homes across Canada, the mean styrene concentration was found to be 0.28 microgram/m3. The range of mean concentrations of styrene in treated water from 80 supplies in Ontario's Drinking Water Surveillance Program was 0.050-0.250 microgram/L. In limited testing of uncontaminated urban soils in southern Ontario, the styrene levels were less than 10 micrograms/kg. In a small Canadian survey, the compound was not detected (limits of detection, 1.0 microgram/L for liquids and 0.005 microgram/g for solids) in composite samples of 34 groups of food purchased in Windsor, Ontario. On the basis of these monitoring data, daily intakes of styrene were estimated for the general population. Intakes from ambient air ranged from 0.004 to 0.17 microgram/kg body weight per day and those from indoor air from 0.07 to 0.10 microgram/kg body weight per day for various age groups: infants, toddlers, school-age children, teenagers and adults. Intake from food was calculated to range from < 0.11 to < 0.58 microgram/kg body weight per day. The estimated intakes from drinking-water and soil were negligible. Potential exposure from cigarette smoke, on the basis of the styrene reported in mainstream smoke (10 micrograms per cigarette) and a smoking rate of 20 cigarettes per day, was estimated to be 2.86 micrograms/kg body weight per day for adults.

The efficacy of a novel compound, (e)-1-(4'-bromo-4-biphenylyl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-dimethylaminoprop-1-ene against Trypanosoma cruzi in mice.

The biological properties of a novel compound 353C with high activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, are described. The compound was about 10 times and 20 times more effective than either benznidazole or nifurtimox respectively, in producing radical cure in mice. 353C has a long half-life and showed anti-trypanosomal properties when given to mice at weekly intervals.

The activity against Trypanosoma cruzi and cutaneous leishmaniasis, and toxicity, of moxipraquine (349C59).

A novel 8-aminoquinolone compound, 8(6-4' 3-hydroxybutyl)piperazin-1'-ylhexylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline di(hydrogen maleate), moxipraquine, 349C59, was shown to be active against experimental infections with Trypanosoma cruzi. It was effective in suppressing parasitaemia but did not eradicate the infection from mice or guinea-pigs. Other clinically tested drugs, including nifurtimox, were likewise incapable of eradicating the parasite from infected mice. Moxipraquine was less potent against mouse infections with strain Peru than it was against other strains of T. cruzi. In limited tests, moxipraquine was effective on experimental infections of Leishmania major, L. mexicana mexicana and L. brasiliensis panamensis but not L.b. brasiliensis. Significant foetal toxicity, observed experimentally in rats and rabbits, resulted in the termination of clinical trials.

Mathematical prediction of drug distribution in vivo: studies with doxantrazole in rats.

A pharmacokinetic model incorporating 14 compartments and 29 transfer coefficients has been developed from experimental data obtained after intravenous administration of a single dose to describe the distribution of doxantrazole in the rate. The distribution calculated from the model agreed closely with that determined experimentally. In addition, the model was able to predict with considerable accuracy the distribution of doxantrazole after repeated dosing.

Hypertrichosis due to diazoxide.

Two cases of hypertrichosis due to diazoxide are described. The mechanism is unknown bu may be due either to increased cutaneous perfusion or to increased levels of cyclic AMP.

Seborrhoeic keratoses and carcinoma of the large bowel. Three cases exhibiting the sign of Lester-trélat.

Three patients who rapidly developed multiple seborrhoeic keratoses and were found to have adenocarcinoma of the large bowel are described. In two cases the discovery of the neoplasm was prompted by skin manifestations.