The Report of the Outbreak Control Team of the investigations of an outbreak of E. coli O157 associated with Flicks Restaurant in Belfast during October 2012

The Report of the Outbreak Control Team of the investigations of an outbreak of E. coli O157 associated with Flicks Restaurant in Belfast during October 2012.

Investigations on carbon isotope ratios and concentrations of urinary formestane.

The aromatase inhibitor formestane (4-hydroxy-androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, F) is prohibited in sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). F possesses only weak androgenic properties and is presumed to be employed in order to suppress estrogen production during the illicit intake of anabolic steroids by athletes. Former studies additionally showed that F is an endogenous steroid produced in low amounts. According to the regulations of WADA, urinary concentrations above 100 ng/ml are assumed to be due to ingestion of F. To distinguish between endogenous or exogenous sources of urinary F, isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is the method of choice. Therefore, a method to determine the carbon isotope ratio (CIR) of F in urine samples was developed and validated. Routine samples (n = 42) showing concentrations of F above 5 ng/ml were investigated and enabled elucidation of the CIR of endogenous F and subsequent the calculation of a reference limit. A reference population encompassing n = 90 males and females was investigated regarding endogenous concentrations of F. An excretion study with one male volunteer was conducted to test and validate the developed method and to identify possible impact of F administration on other endogenous steroids. By CIR determination of F it is clearly possible to elucidate its endogenous or exogenous source. Taking into account the CIR of other target analytes like testosterone, a differentiation between F and androstenedione intake is possible. In 2011, the first exogenous F below the WADA threshold could be detected by means of the developed IRMS method.

Association between HIV status and HIV knowledge in the population attending Non-Governmental Organizations to perform the rapid HIV test in Catalonia

Human Immunodeficiency Virus continues to be a pandemic. Spain is one of the European countries with the highest incidence of HIV. Within Catalonia, Spain many projects have been implemented with the intention of improving HIV knowledge and lowering the incidence. HIV knowledge is also known to have a positive effect on lowering stigma and discrimination of the people living with HIV. However, few studies study the distribution of HIV knowledge and its association to HIV status, age, sex, geographical zone of origin and level of education within the same study. Objectives: To identify if HIV knowledge is associated with HIV status, age, sex, geographical zone of origin and level of education. Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional, centre-based study comprising of people receiving an HIV test in Catalonia, Spain. Data will be collected from the 11 HIV Non-Governmental Organisations in Catalonia, Spain. The Brief HIV Knowledge Scale will be used to assess HIV knowledge; information from the HIV test session will be used to assess HIV status, age, sex, geographic zone of origin and level of education. The association between HIV knowledge and the afore mentioned variables will then be calculated.

Synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy for rock physics investigations

Synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy is a nondestructive method providing ultra-high-resolution 3D digital images of rock microstructures. We describe this method and, to demonstrate its wide applicability, we present 3D images of very different rock types: Berea sandstone, Fontainebleau sandstone, dolomite, calcitic dolomite, and three-phase magmatic glasses. For some samples, full and partial saturation scenarios are considered using oil, water, and air. The rock images precisely reveal the 3D rock microstructure, the pore space morphology, and the interfaces between fluids saturating the same pore. We provide the raw image data sets as online supplementary material, along with laboratory data describing the rock properties. By making these data sets available to other research groups, we aim to stimulate work based on digital rock images of high quality and high resolution. We also discuss and suggest possible applications and research directions that can be pursued on the basis of our data.

Self-potential investigations of a gravel bar in a restored river corridor

Self-potentials (SP) are sensitive to water fluxes and concentration gradients in both saturated and unsaturated geological media, but quantitative interpretations of SP field data may often be hindered by the superposition of different source contributions and time-varying electrode potentials. Self-potential mapping and close to two months of SP monitoring on a gravel bar were performed to investigate the origins of SP signals at a restored river section of the Thur River in northeastern Switzerland. The SP mapping and subsequent inversion of the data indicate that the SP sources are mainly located in the upper few meters in regions of soil cover rather than bare gravel. Wavelet analyses of the time-series indicate a strong, but non-linear influence of water table and water content variations, as well as rainfall intensity on the recorded SP signals. Modeling of the SP response with respect to an increase in the water table elevation and precipitation indicate that the distribution of soil properties in the vadose zone has a very strong influence. We conclude that the observed SP responses on the gravel bar are more complicated than previously proposed semi-empiric relationships between SP signals and hydraulic head or the thickness of the vadose zone. We suggest that future SP monitoring in restored river corridors should either focus on quantifying vadose zone processes by installing vertical profiles of closely spaced SP electrodes or by installing the electrodes within the river to avoid signals arising from vadose zone processes and time-varying electrochemical conditions in the vicinity of the electrodes.

Investigations of a thermosensitive gel to temporarily occlude crural arteries in femoro-distal bypass surgery

L'artériopathie oblitérante des membres inférieurs (AOMI) est une pathologie de plus en plus fréquemment rencontrée en raison du vieillissement le la population et de l'augmentation de la prévalence du diabète. Les patients souffrant d'AOMI se manifestant par une ichémie critique du membre nécessitent un geste de revascularisation, afin que le risque d'amputation, acte fortement morbide, soit diminué. La revascularisation par voie endovasculaire est de nos jours la technique de premier choix mais en cas d'occlusion longue des artères jambières, une approche chirurgicale avec confection d'un pontage ne peut être évitée. La technique nécessite alors, lors de la confection de l'anastomose, de l'occlusion temporaire de l'artère en amont et en aval de rartériotomie, ce qui est réalisé traditionnellement à l'aide de clamps ou cathéters intravasculaires. Ces instruments présentent différents inconvénients reconnus - efficacité médiocre au vu d'artères fortement calcifiées et induction de lésions endothéliales notamment. Un nouveau type d'instrument est apparu sur le marché après approbation de la FDA, sous forme d'un gel thermosensible qui constitue un bouchon occlusif une fois injecté dans l'artère et se dissout spontanément après quelques minutes. Ce gel ayant été expérimenté avec succès en chirurgie cardiovasculaire chez des animaux, nous avons voulu évaluer l'efficacité et l'innocuité de son utilisation lors de la réalisation de pontages fémoro-jambier dans une cohorte de vingt patients. Différents paramètres opératoires ont été notés tels que le volume de gel injecté, les temps d'occlusion efficace et de confection d'anastomose ainsi que la qualité de l'occlusion vasculaire obtenue. Une artériographie per-opératoire a été réalisée de manière systématique à la recherche d'emboles de gel résiduel. Les taux de perméabilité primaire, de sauvetage de membre et de survie à 6 mois ont été rapportés. Les résultats sont satisfaisants puisque la qualité d'occlusion a été jugée bonne à excellente dans la totalité des cas sans qu'aucun instrument d'occlusion supplémentaire n'ait dû être employé et que le temps d'occlusion dépassait légèrement le temps nécessaire à la confection de l'anastomose. L'artériographie des deux premiers cas seulement a révélé la présence d'emboles distaux, avant que nous corrigions notre technique pour obtenir une dissolution instantanée du gel. Nous avons obtenu à 6 mois un taux de perméabilité primaire de 75% avec un taux de sauvetage de membre à 87.5%, le taux de mortalité à 30 jours étant de 10% - sans relation avec le gel. En conclusion, nous avons montré que l'utilisation de ce gel comme instrument d'occlusion vasculaire temporaire est sûre et efficace lors de la chirurgie de pontage fémoro-jambier. L'hypothèse qu'il pourrait être moins délétère pour l'endothélium et contribuer ainsi à une amélioration du taux de perméabilité des pontages distaux mériterait d'être testée dans le cadre d'une étude randomisée multicentrique.

New palaeontological investigations in the Jurassic of western Thailand

The paleontological investigations of the Jurassic of Western Thailand, districts of Mae Sot (Tak-Mae Sot highway, Padaeng Tak and Ban Mae Kut Luang Zinc mines) and Umphang (Klo Tho), provide age constraints for the Late Indosinian orogeny, the Paleotethys closure and the timing of the marine Jurassic inundation of Sundaland. The basal conglomerate of the Jurassic is derived from the pelagic Triassic Mae Sariang substratum. Stratigraphy, microfacies and paleontology of the Jurassic marine strata focus especially on ammonites, bivalves, large benthic foraminifera and algae. Among ammonites, the Tethyan Catulloceras perisphinctoides Gemmellaro marks the Upper Toarcian (Aalensis Zone) along the Tak-Mae Sot highway and Riccardiceras longalvum (Vacek). Malladaites pertinax (Vacek), Abbasites sp. and Vacekia sp. indicate Middle Aalenian to lowermost Bajocian in the Padaeng Mine (SE of Mae Sot) and Klo-Tho (Umphang). Vacekia sp., Spinammatoceras schindewolfi Linares and Sandoval and Malladaites vaceki Linares and Sandoval indicate Middle Aalenian to lowermost Upper Aalenian at Ban Mae Kut Luang (NE of Mae Sot). Among foraminifers, the large benthic foraminifer Timidonella sarda Bassoullet, Chabrier and Fourcade in the Western Tethys is indicative for Aalenian-Bajocian times, as characterized in the section at the Tak-Padaeng Zinc mine and the Klo-Tho Formation near Umphang. The endemic foraminifer Gutnicella kaempferi characterizes the Pu Khloe Khi Formation near Umphang. Among bivalves, shallow marine, dominantly endemic fauna includes Parvamussium donaiense (Mansuy) and Bositra ornate (Quenstedt), from the Toarcian to the Early Bajocian. A consideration of the faunal affinity shows that the fauna is partly endemic with Northern Tethyan (Eurasian) affinity. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Gondwana Research. All rights reserved.

Governmental surveillance system of healthcare-associated infection in Brazil


Objective: This study aimed to describe the structure of governmental surveillance systems for Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) in the Brazilian Southeastern and Southern States. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study, with data collection by means of two-phases: characterization of the healthcare structure and of the HAI surveillance system. Results: The governmental teams for prevention and control of HAI in each State ranged from one to six members, having at least one nurse. All States implemented their own surveillance system. The information systems were classified into chain (n=2), circle (n=4) or wheel (n=1). Conclusion: Were identified differences in the structure and information flow from governmental surveillance systems, possibly limiting a nationwide standardization. The present study points to the need for establishing minimum requirements in public policies, in order to guide the development of HAI surveillance systems.


A Novel Autonomous Observation Platform for Multi-Disciplinary Investigations at the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory (CVOO)

In order to investigate the spatial and temporal variability (daily, seasonal and inter-annual) of CO2 and O2 air-sea fluxes and their underlying processes, a dense network of observations is required. For this purpose, the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory (CVOO) provides a unique infrastructure. Information thus obtained also links biological productivity and atmospheric composition. To expand these capabilities, a novel “virtual mooring” approach for high resolution measurements, based on a modified NEMO profiling float, is pursued. This Profiling Float was equipped with O2 and pCO2 sensors for the first time, in order to collect daily depth profiles (0-200 m) in the vicinity of the ocean site. Data access and remote control is provided through Iridium satellite telemetry. Recalibrations and redeployments are carried out every 1-3 month. First, we present the new developed instrument and the innovative in situ and real-time approach behind. Second, we show the inter-disciplinary scientific objectives which will benefit from this approach as a result of the intensive partnership between IFM-GEOMAR and INDP during the last years.

Intensive Watershed Investigations at Iowa Beaches, 2005

This monthly report from the Iowa Department of Transportation is about the water quality management of Iowa's rivers, streams and lakes.

Use of forensic investigations in anti-doping

The fight against doping is mainly focused on direct detection, using analytical methods for the detection of doping agents in biological samples. However, the World Anti-Doping Code also defines doping as possession, administration or attempted administration of prohibited substances or methods, trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or methods. As these issues correspond to criminal investigation, a forensic approach can help assessing potential violation of these rules.In the context of a rowing competition, genetic analyses were conducted on biological samples collected in infusion apparatus, bags and tubing in order to obtain DNA profiles. As no database of athletes' DNA profiles was available, the use of information from the location detection as well as contextual information were key to determine a population of suspected athletes and to obtain reference DNA profiles for comparison.Analysis of samples from infusion systems provided 8 different DNA profiles. The comparison between these profiles and 8 reference profiles from suspected athletes could not be distinguished.This case-study is one of the first where a forensic approach was applied for anti-doping purposes. Based on this investigation, the International Rowing Federation authorities decided to ban not only the incriminated athletes, but also the coaches and officials for 2 years.

Use of forensic investigations in anti-doping.

The fight against doping is mainly focused on direct detection, using analytical methods for the detection of doping agents in biological samples. However, the World Anti-Doping Code also defines doping as possession, administration or attempted administration of prohibited substances or methods, trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or methods. As these issues correspond to criminal investigation, a forensic approach can help assessing potential violation of these rules. In the context of a rowing competition, genetic analyses were conducted on biological samples collected in infusion apparatus, bags and tubing in order to obtain DNA profiles. As no database of athletes' DNA profiles was available, the use of information from the location detection as well as contextual information were key to determine a population of suspected athletes and to obtain reference DNA profiles for comparison. Analysis of samples from infusion systems provided 8 different DNA profiles. The comparison between these profiles and 8 reference profiles from suspected athletes could not be distinguished. This case-study is one of the first where a forensic approach was applied for anti-doping purposes. Based on this investigation, the International Rowing Federation authorities decided to ban not only the incriminated athletes, but also the coaches and officials for 2 years.