A new multidrug-resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli pulsed-field gel electrophoresis cluster associated with enrofloxacin non-susceptibility in diseased pigs.

AIMS: To describe the temporal trends in Escherichia coli pathotypes and antimicrobial resistance detected in isolates from diseased-pig cases submitted to the EcL from 2008 to 2016, in Quebec, Canada, and to investigate the presence of spatiotemporal and phylogenetic clusters. METHODS AND RESULTS: Detection of 12 genes coding for virulence factors in pathogenic E. coli in pigs by PCR and antimicrobial resistance standard disc diffusion assay were performed. Demographic and clinical data were entered in the Animal Pathogenic and Zoonotic E. coli (APZEC) database. ETEC:F4 was the most prevalent pathovirotype among the 3773 cases submitted. The LT:STb:F4 virotype was predominant until 2014, then was overtaken by the LT:STb:STa:F4 virotype. More than 90% of the ETEC:F4 isolates were multidrug resistant. A spatiotemporal cluster of LT:STb:STa:F4 isolates non-susceptible to enrofloxacin was detected between 4/2015 and 9/2016. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of 137 ETEC:F4 isolates revealed the presence of a cluster composed mainly of LT:STb:STa:F4 isolates non-susceptible to enrofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: The APZEC database was useful to highlight temporal trends in E. coli pathotypes. A high-risk ETEC:F4 clone might disseminate in the pig population in Quebec since 2015. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Surveillance is crucial to identify new clones and develop control strategies.

Application of a central composite design to evaluate the influence of colouring agents in lipstick formulation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate by central composite design the influence of colouring agents in lipstick colour, expressed by L*, a*, b* parameters (CIELab system) where L* indicates lightness, and a* and b* are the chromaticity coordinates. The a* indicates colour direction from red to green and b* from yellow to blue. METHODS: Lipsticks were formulated as described by (Recent Adv. Prosp. Potent Med. Plants, 2009 and 39). The combined effect of three variables (dye, pigment and opacifier) was evaluated by different formulations in a central composite design. Colour parameters (L*, a*, b*) were analysed by reflectance spectrophotometry. Lipsticks were characterized by visual analyses and melting point. RESULTS: All formulations were integrate and homogeneous. The pigments and dye do not influence in colour transfer neither in melting point of lipsticks. On the other hand, results indicated that variables studied show influence only in parameter b*, whereas for L* and a* values there was no significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was possible to verify that only the colour parameter b* was influenced by the variation in colouring agent's concentrations in lipstick formulation, leading to the production of the colour ranging between violet and light red. Such results are useful for developing new lipstick formulations to obtain the desired colour in the final product.

Radiation-enhancement of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell invasion prevented by a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidences support that radiation can promote the invasion of cancer cells. As interactions between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells can have an important role in tumour progression, we determined whether an irradiation to fibroblasts can enhance the invasiveness of breast cancer cells. The role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inflammatory enzyme frequently induced by radiotherapy, was investigated. METHODS: Irradiated 3T3 fibroblasts were plated in the lower compartment of invasion chambers and used as chemoattractant for non-irradiated human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231, which are oestrogen receptor negative (ER(-)) and the oestrogen receptor positive (ER(+)) MCF-7 cells. Stimulation of COX-2 expression in irradiated 3T3 cells was measured by a semi-quantitative qPCR and western blot. Capacity of the major product of COX-2, the prostaglandin E2 (PGE(2)), to stimulate the production of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and cancer cell invasion were assessed with a zymography gel and invasion chambers. RESULTS: Irradiation (5 Gy) of 3T3 fibroblasts increased COX-2 expression and enhanced by 5.8-fold the invasiveness of non-irradiated MDA-MB-231 cells, while their migration was not modified. Addition of the COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 completely prevented radiation-enhancement of cancer cell invasion. Further supporting the potential role of COX-2, addition of PGE(2) has increased cancer cell invasion and release of MMP-2 from the MDA-MB-231 cells. This effect of radiation was dependant on the expression of membrane type 1 (MT1)-MMP, which is required to activate the MMP-2, but was not associated with the ER status. Although irradiated fibroblasts stimulated the invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 ER(-) cells, no enhancement was measured with the ER(+) cell line MCF-7. CONCLUSIONS: Radiation-enhancement of breast cancer cell invasion induced by irradiated 3T3 fibroblasts is not dependant on the ER status, but rather the expression of MT1-MMP. This adverse effect of radiation can be prevented by a specific COX-2 inhibitor.

Performance of ventilators for noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in children.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of all the ventilators proposed for home noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in children in France. The ventilators (one volume-targeted, 12 pressure-targeted and four dual) were evaluated on a bench which simulated six different paediatric ventilatory patterns. For each ventilator, the quality of the inspiratory and expiratory trigger and the ability to reach and maintain the preset pressures and volumes were evaluated with the six patient profiles. The performance of the ventilators showed great variability, and depended upon the type of trigger (flow or pressure), type of circuit and patient profile. Differences were observed between the preset and measured airway pressure and between the tidal volume measured by the ventilator and on the bench. Leaks were associated with an inability to detect the patient's inspiratory effort or autotriggering. No single ventilator was able to adequately ventilate the six paediatric profiles. Only a few ventilators were able to ventilate the profiles simulating the youngest patients. A systematic paediatric bench evaluation is recommended for every ventilator proposed for home ventilation, in order to detect any dysfunction and guide the choice of the appropriate ventilator for a specific patient.

Prevalence, and intellectual outcome of unilateral focal cortical brain damage as a function of age, sex and aetiology.

Neurologists and neuropsychologists are aware that aging men are more at risk than women for brain damage, principally because of the well known male-predominant risk for cardiovascular disease and related cerebrovascular accidents. However, a disproportion in prevalence of brain damage between the sexes in childhood may be less suspected. Furthermore, sex-specific risk for other aetiologies of brain damage may be little known, whether in the pediatric or adult populations. Proposals of a sex difference in cognitive recovery from brain damage have also been controversial. Six hundred and thirty five "consecutive" cases with cortical focal lesions including cases of all ages and both sexes were reviewed. Aetiology of the lesion was determined for each case as was postlesion IQ. Risk was highly male prevalent in all age groups, with a predominance of cardiovascular aetiology explaining much of the adult male prevalence. However, several other aetiological categories were significantly male prevalent in juveniles (mitotic, traumatic, dysplasic) and adults (mitotic, traumatic). There was no sex difference in outcome (i.e., postlesion IQ) of these cortical brain lesions for the cohort as a whole, after statistical removal of the influence of lesion extent, aetiology and presence of epilepsy. Mechanisms potentially responsible for sex differences in prevalence, aetiology of brain damage, and recovery, are reviewed and discussed.

Physiological effects of alveolar, tracheal, and "standard" pressure supports.

Pressure support (PS) is characterized by a pressure plateau, which is usually generated at the ventilator level (PS(vent)). We have built a PS device in which the pressure plateau can be obtained at the upper airway level (PS(aw)) or at the alveolar level (PS(A)). The effect of these different PS modes was evaluated in seven healthy men during air breathing and 5% CO(2) breathing. Minute ventilation during air breathing was higher with PS(A) than with PS(aw) and lower with PS(vent) (16 +/- 3, 14 +/- 3, and 11 +/- 2 l/min, respectively). By contrast, there were no significant differences in minute ventilation during 5% CO(2) breathing (25 +/- 5, 27 +/- 7, and 23 +/- 5 l/min, respectively). The esophageal pressure-time product per minute was lower with PS(A) than with PS(aw) and PS(vent) during air breathing (29 +/- 26, 44 +/- 44, and 48 +/- 30 cmH(2)O. s, respectively) and 5% CO(2) breathing (97 +/- 40, 145 +/- 62, and 220 +/- 41 cmH(2)O. s, respectively). In conclusion, during PS, moving the inspiratory pressure plateau from the ventilator to the alveolar level reduces pressure output, particularly at high ventilation levels.

Nonchemical influence of inspiratory pressure support on inspiratory activity in humans.

To determine whether nonchemical inhibition of respiratory activity occurs during inspiratory pressure support (IPS) ventilation (IPSV), respiratory motor output (in 9 subjects), obtained by calculating transdiaphragmatic pressure-time products, and central respiratory output (in 5 subjects), obtained by integrating the electromyographic activity of the diaphragm (EMGdi) during mechanical inspiratory time, EMGdi per minute, and electrical inspiratory time, as determined from onset to peak EMGdi, were compared during spontaneous ventilation (control) and IPSV with (IPS+CO2) and without (IPS) correction of hypocapnia. Both IPS and IPS+CO2 induced significant decreases in transdiaphragmatic pressure-time products (46 +/- 31 and 53 +/- 23%, respectively), EMGdi during mechanical inspiratory time (49 +/- 12 and 57 +/- 14%, respectively), EMGdi per minute (65 +/- 22 and 69 +/- 15%, respectively), and electrical inspiratory time (73 +/- 8 and 65 +/- 6%, respectively). Because correction of hypocapnia failed to eliminate the marked inhibition of both respiratory and central motor output seen with IPS, we conclude that nonchemical inhibition of respiratory activity occurs during IPSV.

[Psychiatric exam under court order apropos of patients who refuse to submit to a psychiatric exam]. / Examen psychiatrique sous ordonnance de cour à propos des patients qui refusent de se soumettre à un examen psychiatrique.

In this retrospective study 52 patients who had not committed any offence were examined against their will by Court order in the emergency department of a psychiatric hospital. They were compared with a control group of patients reflecting the usual clientele attending without compulsion the emergency department of the same hospital. This research reveals it is the immediate family rather than medico-social agencies that took the initiative in arranging the Court-ordered psychiatric examination. Such patients were no different than the usual patients seen in the emergency department as to age, sex, marital status and past psychiatric history. It was at the level of symptomatology and diagnosis that such patients differed from patients in the control group. The patients refusing to submit to a psychiatric examination not only were more agitated and aggressive, but they were more disorganized, more delusional, and had more hallucinations than the patients in the control group. They were in fact grossly psychotic patients with paranoid and manic features dominating the clinical picture. Our study demonstrated that as far as Montreal is concerned flagrant abuse of civil rights is far more the exception than the rule. Furthermore, if society had to abandon compulsory measures in some cases, it would be the seriously mentally ill who would suffer.

Private psychiatric practice: image and reality.

This study reports data collected from an individual private psychiatric practice. Despite the paucity of information concerning private practice, a popular image has evolved. An analysis of a sample of 400 patients' records confirmed certain aspects of this image, but suggested that other aspects of the image are misleading. A short-term model of private practice may be more effective than other competing models.