Investigation of bacterial pathogens on 70 frequently used environmental surfaces in a large urban U.S. university.

After reports of increased severity of bacterial infections from community institutions, a broad spectrum of 70 surfaces was sampled for potential bacterial pathogens in the morning and afternoon of one day per week over three consecutive weeks in a large U.S. university. Surfaces included public telephone mouthpieces, water fountain drains, student computer keyboards and desks, and buttons on elevators, vending machines, and photocopiers. A total of 420 samples was obtained. Bacterial counts were high on telephone mouthpieces, up to 168.8 colony-forming units (CFUs).cm(-2) of surface area. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was isolated from 60% of fountain drains. Ninety percent of the keyboards showed positive bacterial cultures in the afternoon sampling. Staphylococcus aureus was identified on keyboards, telephone mouthpieces, and an elevator button. No S. aureus were methicillin-resistant. The swab sampling method reduced bacterial counts to less than or equal to 2.0 CFU.cm(-2) on keyboards and telephone mouthpieces. Disinfectants for possible use in cleaning of telephones, water fountain drains, and keyboards are discussed.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-functionalized nanostructured particles for the stimulation of membrane TNF-specific cell responses.

Most members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family occur in both a membrane-bound and a soluble form, which can possess differential bioactivities. The aim of this work was the construction of a synthetic-biological hybrid system consisting of chemically nanostructured core-shell particles with a diameter of 100 nm, 1 microm, or 10 microm and the cytokine TNF to obtain a tool that mimics the bioactivity of naturally occurring membrane-bound TNF. Synthetic core-shell nanoparticles consisting of an inorganic silica core and an ultrathin organic shell bearing a maleimide group at the shell surface which allowed for a covalent and site-directed coupling of CysHisTNF mutants were prepared. The TNF mutants were modified at the N-terminus by PCR cloning by introducing a His-Tag for purification and a free cysteine group for reaction with the particle-attached maleimide group. The resulting nanostructured hybrid particles initiated strong TNF receptor type 2 specific responses, otherwise only seen for the membrane-bound form of TNF, but not the soluble cytokine, thus clearly demonstrating new and membrane TNF-like properties of the bioconjugated soluble TNF.