Distribution of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial sensitivity of eye infections in Suzhou

AIM:To investigate the types of bacteria in patients with eye infections in Suzhou and their drug resistance to commonly used antibacterial drugs.METHODS:The clinical data of 155 patients were retrospectively collected in this study,and the pathogenic bacteria species and drug resistance of each pathogenic bacteria were analyzed.RESULTS:Among the 155 patients(age from 12 to 87 years old,with an average age of 57,99 males and 56 females)with eye infections(160 eyes:74 in the left eye,76 in the right eye and 5 in both eyes,all of which were exogenous),71(45.81%)strains were gram-positive bacteria,23(14.84%)strains were gram-negative bacteria and 61(39.35%)strains were fungi.Gram-positive bacteria were highly resistant to penicillin and erythromycin(78.87%and 46.48%respectively),but least resistant to vancomycin at 0.Gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to cefoxitin and compound sulfamethoxazole(100%and 95.65%respectively),but least resistant to meropenem at 0.Comparison of the resistance of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria to some drugs revealed statistically significant differences(P<0.05)in the resistance of both to cefoxitin,cotrimoxazole,levofloxacin,cefuroxime,ceftriaxone and ceftazidime,and both had higher rates of resistance to gram-negative bacteria than to gram-positive bacteria.The distribution of bacterial infection strains showed that Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common strain in the conjunctiva,cornea,aqueous humor or vitreous body and other eye parts.Besides,Fusarium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also among the most common strains of conjunctival and corneal infections.CONCLUSION:Gram-positive bacteria are the dominant bacteria in eye infections,followed by gram-negative bacteria and fungi.Considering the resistance of gramnegative bacteria to multiple drugs,monitoring of bacteria should be strengthened in eye bacterial infections for effective prevention and control to reduce complications caused by eye infections.

Sensitivity and specificity of hearing tests for screening hearing loss in older adults

Objectives: The study aimed to determine the most appropriate hearing screening test to identify disabling hearing loss for adults aged 65 years or older.Methods: This study included 577 older adults. Four hearing screening tests were considered in the study, including the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly Screening(HHIE-s), three single question tests, the whisper test, and the finger rub test. The sensitivity and specificity of these tests referenced to the hearing threshold of disabling hearing loss were estimated.Results: Among all tests, only the single self-perception question(0.7064 for sensitivity;0.7225 for specificity) and whisper test(0.7833 for sensitivity;0.7708 for specificity) could obtain both sensitivity and specificity higher than 70% for adults aged ≥65 years.Conclusion: Overall, we suggest using the whisper test to identify disabling hearing loss(>40 dB HL at the better ear) for adults aged 65 years or older. However, if the conditions do not permit, the single selfperception question is also acceptable. Moreover, HHIE-s might not be a good test to detect disabling hearing loss for adults aged 80 years or older.

Application of the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity testing(FAST)method to inflated,axial stretched,and residually stressed cylinders

This paper is dedicated to applying the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test(FAST)method to the problem of mixed extension and inflation of a circular cylindrical tube in the presence of residual stresses.The metafunctions and the Ishigami function are considered in the sensitivity analysis(SA).The effects of the input variables on the output variables are investigated,and the most important parameters of the system under the applied pressure and axial force such as the axial stretch and the azimuthal stretch are determined.

An Improvement of the Mass Flux Convection Parameterization Scheme and its Sensitivity Tests for Seasonal Prediction over China

A modified cumulus parameterization scheme, suitable for use in a seasonal forecast model, is presented. This parameterization scheme is an improvement of the mass flux convection scheme developed by Gregory and Rowntree (1989; 1990). This convection scheme uses a 'bulk' cloud model to present an ensemble of convective clouds, and aims to represent shallow, deep, and mid-level convection. At present, this convection scheme is employed in the NCC T63L20 model (National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration). Simulation results with this scheme have revealed some deficiencies in the scheme, although to some extent, it improves the accuracy of the simulation. In order to alleviate the deficiencies and reflect the effect of cumulus convection in the actual atmosphere, the scheme is modified and improved. The improvements include (i) the full estimation of the effects of the large-scale convergence in the lower layer upon cumulus convection, (ii) the revision of the initial convective mass flux, and (iii) the regulation of convective-scale downdrafts. A comparison of the results obtained by using the original model and the modified one shows that the improvement and modification of the original convection scheme is successful in simulating the precipitation and general circulation field, because the modified scheme provides a good simulation of the main features of seasonal precipitation in China, and an analysis of the anomaly correlation coefficient between the simulation and the observations confirms the improved results.

Improving quality of life in self-reported gastrointestinal disorders: An open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test

Purpose: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are genuine health problems that have serious consequences on a patient’s quality of life (QoL). IBS is a functional disorder characterized by chronically recurring symptoms, including abdominal pain or discomfort, altered stool frequency and consistency, and abdominal bloating in the absence of structural or biochemical abnormalities. Studies have indicated that symptoms and disability related to IBS and GI disorders correlate with QoL measures. Additionally, those who respond to therapy have an improvement in QoL. Therefore, we explored an open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test and its effect on QoL in patients self-reporting an unresolved GI disorder. Methods: Eighty-four subjects aged 18 and above participated in the study. Subjects eliminated all IgG-mediated reactive foods from their diet for 90 days. QoL was assessed with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-36 (IBS-36) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) at baseline and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up. The data were analyzed with linear mixed models. Results: Subjects had statistically significant improvements in all indicators of QoL according to the IBS-36 and SF-36 from baseline to 90- day follow-up. Conclusions: Subjects with unresolved self-reported GI disorders were able to improve all indicators of QoL in response to eliminating IgG- reactive foods from the diet. Given the inconvenience of keeping track of foods and symptoms to eliminate intolerant foods, a food sensitivity test combined with an elimination diet may be an effective method for improving subjective markers of QoL and health.

Six-year analysis of key monitoring for bacterial strain distribution and antibiotic sensitivity in a hospital

BACKGROUND With the widespread use of antimicrobial drugs,bacterial resistance has become a significant problem,posing a serious threat to public health.The prevalence of clinical infection strains in hospitals and their drug sensitivities are key to the appropriate use of antibiotics in clinical practice.AIM To identify prevalent bacteria and their antibiotic resistance profiles in a hospital setting,thereby guiding effective antibiotic usage by clinicians.METHODS Specimens from across the institution were collected by the microbiology laboratory.The VITEK 2 compact fully automatic analyzer was used for bacterial identification and antibiotic sensitivity testing,and the WHONET5.6 software was utilized for statistical analysis.RESULTS A total of 12062 bacterial strains of key monitoring significance were detected.Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated widespread resistance to penicillin,but none of the strains were resistant to vancomycin or linezolid.Moreover,219 strains of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci and 110 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were detected.Enterococcus faecalis showed moderate resistance to the third-generation quinolones ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin,but its resistance to nitrofurantoin and tetracycline was low.Enterococcus faecium displayed significantly lower resistance to third-and fourthgeneration quinolones than Enterococcus faecalis.The resistance of two key monitoring strains,Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae,to piperacillin/tazobactam was 5%-8%.However,none of the Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were resistant to meropenem.The resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii to piperacillin/sulbactam was nearly 90%.Nonetheless,the resistance to tigecycline was low,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated minimal resistance in the antibiotic sensitivity test,maintaining a resistance of<10%to the cephalosporin antibiotics cefotetan and cefoperazone over the last 6 years.The resistance to amikacin remained at 0.2%over the past 3 years.CONCLUSION Our hospital’s overall antibiotic resistance rate was relatively stable from 2017 to 2022.The detection rates of key monitoring strains are reported quarterly and their resistance dynamics are monitored and communicated to the entire hospital,which can guide clinical antibiotic selection.

Relation of predictive value to sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test

This paper discusses how the positive and negative predictive values vary withcontrary variations of sensitivity and specificity at a certain disease prevalence.Let thesensitiviy be Se and the specificity be Sp at the initial cutoff point,correspondingly Se’and Sp’ at a new cutoff point:A=Se’/Se:B-(1-Sp’)/(1-Sp):C=Sp’/Sp;D=(I-Se’)/(I-Se).Moving the cutoff point from the initial point to the new point,if the contrary variationsof the sensitivity and specificity satisfy the inequality A】B,then the positive predictivevalue increases,otherwise it decreases or remains unchanged.If the variations satisfy theinequality C】D,then the negative prcdictive value increases,otherwise it decreasses or re-mains unchanged.

DAMAGE DETECTION IN BUILDINGS USING A TWO-STAGE SENSITIVITY-BASED METHOD FROM MODAL TEST DATA

Many multi-story or highrise buildings consisting of a number of identical stories are usually considered as periodic spring-mass systems. The general expressions of natural frequencies, mode shapes, slopes and curvatures of mode shapes of the periodic spring-mass system by utilizing the periodic structure theory are derived in this paper. The sensitivities of these mode parameters with respect to structural damages, which do not depend on the physical parameters of the original structures, are obtained. Based on the sensitivity analysis of these mode parameters, a two-stage method is proposed to localize and quantify damages of multi-story or highrise buildings. The slopes and curvatures of mode shapes, which are highly sensitive to local damages, are used to localize the damages. Subsequently, the limited measured natural frequencies, which have a better accuracy than the other mode parameters, are used to quantify the extent of damages within the potential damaged locations. The experimental results of a 3-story experimental building demonstrate that the single or multiple damages of buildings, either slight or severe, can be correctly localized by using only the slope or curvature of mode shape in one of the lower modes, in which the change of natural frequency is the largest, and can be accurately quantified by the limited measured natural frequencies with noise pollution.

Isolation and Identification of Pseudomonas solanacearum and Its Drug Sensitivity Test

Ten pathogenic strains were isolated fi-om gingers infected by blast, and were identified by substrate utilization test and biochemical test. The identifica- tion results showed that these ten strains accorded with the basic characteristics of Pseudomonas solanacearum. Drug sensitivity test of ten strains was carried out, and prevention agents were screened to provide an experimental basis for the control of ginger blast.

An Exact Formula for Estimation of Age-Specific Sensitivity for Screening Tests

There has been a growing interest in screening programs designed to detect chronic progressive cancers in the asymptomatic stage, with the expectation that early detection will result in a better prognosis. One key element of early detection programs is a screening test. An accurate screening test is more effective in finding cases with early-stage diseases. Sensitivity, the conditional probability of getting a positive test result when one truly has a disease, represents one measure of accuracy for a screening test. Since the true disease status is unknown, it is not straightforward to estimate the sensitivity directly from observed data. Furthermore, the sensitivity is associated with other parameters related to the disease progression. This feature introduces additional numerical complexity and limitations, especially when the sensitivity depends on age. In this paper, we propose a new approach that, through combinatorial manipulation of probability statements, formulates the age-dependent sensitivity. This formulation has an exact and simple expression and can be estimated based on directly observable probabilities. This approach also helps evaluate other parameters associated with the natural history of disease more accurately. The proposed method was applied to estimate the mammography sensitivity for breast cancer using the data from the Health Insurance Plan trial.

Drug Sensitivity Test and Regression Verification of Escherichia coli from Rex Rabbit

[ Objectives] The paper aimed to select drugs reasonably for treatment of rex rabbit colibacillosis, and to isolate the pathogenicity of Escherichia coll. [ Methods ] Pathogen isolation, drug sensitivity test and pathogen regression test were performed with rex rabbits killed by E. coli in clinic. [ Results] The isolate was E. coli 0-23, susceptible to amikacin and cefotaxime sodium; when the challenge dose was 1.0 mL/rabbit （about one billion E. coli）, the test animal would discharge mucous feces. [ Conclusions] The results provided model support for clinical medicine selection against rex rabbit colibacillosis.

Could the Level in Parasitaemia of <i>Plasmodium</i>Determine Sensitivity to Various Diagnostic Tests?

The discovery of Plasmodium parasites and its incrimination as the principal cause of malaria in humans has continued to excite researchers towards inventing possible easier methods of diagnosing and identifying these pathological agents in order to mitigate, control and eliminate its continuous scourge to humanity. Currently, three diagnostic methods have been proposed, but agreements as to whether the level of parasitaemia in an individual could connote likely confirmations in the three methods i.e. gold standard, RDTs’ and PCR/NESTED PCR, have continued to be a subject of debate. To lay to rest the debate as reported in many studies, we collected blood samples from 100 symptomatic patients who reported to the Jos-Nigeria hospital and using the gold standard methods, we were able to confirm that 30 (30%) samples out of the 100 blood samples collected were positive to P. falciparum, chiefly recorded among duffy-negative Africans. Excited with our findings, we prepared the thick blood films for each sample and used it to estimate the levels of parasitaemia (parasites density) per μl of blood (i.e. 1+;2+;3+ and 4+) per 100 high power fields (|HPF). We then subjected the individually confirmed parasite density samples to the other two methods i.e. Rapid Diagnostic Test (one-step RTD and optimal-IT® RDT) and to molecular assay (PCR and the nested PCR). Interestingly, of the 30 positive samples, 18 (60%) were confirmed positive to the one-step and optimal-IT® RDTS, while 3 (30%) out of the 10 (100%) samples of various parasite density subjected to molecular assay (PCR and the nested PCR) were positive to only P. falciparum. Statistical analysis of variance based on single factor computed using SPSS indicates a no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the parasitaemia levels of the four groups/categories of patients;i.e. variance ratio of 0.011976 calculated was less than F-critical (2.816466) at 5% (0.05). Whereas gold standard could be considered as the optimal method, for the PCR/NESTED PCR, the sensitivity is dependent on high level of parasitaemia.

Sensitivity analysis of relevant parameters in complicated mine ventilation network by numerical test

Depending on the numerical test approach on a computer, the relationships among relevant parameters, eg branch number, node number, mesh number, computation accuracy, preliminary value of airflow rate, iteration number, computation time and convergence in a mine ventilation network analysis, were investigated based on 5 mine ventilation systems. The results show that a higher computation accuracy greatly influences the iteration number. When the accuracy reaches 10-6m3·s-1 for solving a complicated mine ventilation network, the running time is too long though a high-speed computer is used. The preliminary value of airflow rate in the range of 1100m3·s-1 has little effects the iteration number. The structure of network also has some effect on the iteration number.

Isolation, Identification and Drug Sensitivity Test of a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain from Minks with Diarrhea

[Objectives] The study aimed to identify the pathogen that causes diarrhea in minks. [Methods] Liver tissues were aseptically collected from dead minks with diarrhea. By bacterial isolation and culture,morphological observation,biochemical test and pathogenicity test,the isolated strain was identified as pathogenic E. coli. [Results]The pathogen causing diarrhea in minks was confirmed as a pathogenic E. coli strain. Drug sensitivity test indicated that the isolated pathogenic E. coli strain was highly sensitive to ceftazidime,cefotaxime,enrofloxacin,florfenicol and cephradine,moderately sensitive to ampicillin,ciprofloxacin,amikacin,doxycycline,lincomycin and gentamycin,and resistant to amoxycillin,neomycin,spectinomycin,polymyxin and penicillin. [Conclusions] This study provided reference for the prevention and control of abortion in female minks in Qinhuangdao region.

THE SENSITIVITY TEST STUDY OF AIR-SEA SURFACE FLUX MODEL

In this article, a sensitivity test of air-sea surface flux model was carried out with the field observation data of Project “South China Sea Air-Sea Flux Measurement in 2000”. The results show that sensible heat fluxes are sensitive to observation errors, increasing the error of model calculation; In contrast, the latent heat flux and momentum flux are not as sensitive to observation errors as the sensible heat, and their calculated results are reliable. The test result also verifies the rationality of the surface flux values calculated and the conclusions can be used to detect errors in observed data.

Age norms for grating acuity and contrast sensitivity measured by Lea tests in the first three years of life

AIM： To determine age norms in the first three years of life for grating visual acuity and contrast sensitivity obtained with Lea grating test and Hiding Heidi low contrast face test. METHODS： Lea grating test was used to estimate binocular grating acuity and Hiding Heidi low contrast face test was used to estimate contrast sensitivity in 600 healthy infants and children. Age ranged from 3 to 36 mo subdivided into 12 groups subjected for full ophthalmologic and pediatric examinations.RESULTS： The grating acuity developed along the first three years of life. It ranged from 1.88±0.32 c/d at 3mo to 30.95±0.77 c/d at 36 mo. The most rapid development was during the first 12 mo and the slowest development was from 30 to 36 mo. The contrast sensitivity showed rapid development in the first two years of life. Its mean value ranged from 4.23±1.17 at 3mo to 78.26±8.21 at 24 mo. It was constant at the highest score（80） thereafter.CONCLUSION： Age norms for grating acuity along with contrast sensitivity offer a more comprehensive measure of spatial vision and should be incorporated in clinical practice for better visual assessment in preverbal and nonverbal children.

The Effect of the Atmospheric and Cloud Properties on the Retrieval of Fog Microphysics at Night for MSG/SEVIRI: A Sensitivity Test Using LibRadtran

The simplest way of building a look-up table (LUT) for the retrieval of cloud microphysical properties is to use a standard atmospheric profile and vertically uniform cloud microphysics. Such an assumption has been demonstrated to be incoherent with in-cloud observations. This paper aims to show the effect of some atmospheric conditions associated with fog as well as its macro-and microstructure on brightness temperature (BT) for the MSG/ SEVIRI satellite using libRadtran. The sensitivity tests were performed by gradually changing some features from the initial data, such as cloud cover, total water vapor column, thermal inversion intensity, fog depth, fog microstructure, and others. The results revealed that some variables can cause significant variations on BT and, consequently, discrepancies in the retrieval of fog microphysical properties. Also, a variation as high as 0.5°C was found on BT just by switching uniform to the non-uniform profile of fog microphysics depending on the channel, the droplet size, and optical thickness.

Sensitivity and Specificity Analysis Relation to Statistical Hypothesis Testing and Its Errors: Application to Cryptosporidium Detection Techniques

The use of Statistical Hypothesis Testing procedure to determine type I and type II errors was linked to the measurement of sensitivity and specificity in clinical trial test and experimental pathogen detection techniques. A theoretical analysis of establishing these types of errors was made and compared to determination of False Positive, False Negative, True Positive and True Negative. Experimental laboratory detection methods used to detect Cryptosporidium spp. were used to highlight the relationship between hypothesis testing, sensitivity, specificity and predicted values. The study finds that, sensitivity and specificity for the two laboratory methods used for Cryptosporidium detection were low hence lowering the probability of detecting a “false null hypothesis” for the presence of cryptosporidium in the water samples using either Microscopic or PCR. Nevertheless, both procedures for cryptosporidium detection had higher “true negatives” increasing its probability of failing to reject a “true null hypothesis” with specificity of 1.00 for both Microscopic and PCR laboratory detection methods.

The Changes of Baroreflex Sensitivity During Head-up Tilt Test and Its Clinical Significance in the Patients with Vasovagal Syncope

Objective To study thechanges of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) during head - up tilt test (HUT) in patients with vasovagal syncope (VS), and to examine the relationship between baroreflex sensitivity and neurohormonal factors. Furthermore, to investigate the effects of the changes of BRS on VS. Methods Forty - two patients with unexplained syncope (Among the 42 patients, there were 22 patients with positive HUT and 20 patients with negative HUT respectively) and 20 healthy volunteers (with negative HUT) underwent passive head - up tilt testing, Ante-cubital vein blood samples were taken before and after HUT, or at syncope. The fasting plasma endothelin , serum nitric oxide (NO), serum NE were measured, the BRS was assessed on the basis of the linear regression slope the RR interval versus systolic arterial blood pressure during the increment in blood pressure after intravenous administration of phenylephrine. Results (1) During the syncope, the BRS significantly reduced in HUT(+) group than baseline. At the end of tilt, the level of plasma ET, serum NO in patients with positive HUT significantly increased compared with baseline or normal controls, and the plasma concentration of NE also had the trend of increase. (2) By multiple regression analysis, a significant negative correlation was found between baroreceptor sensitivity and the plasma ET, NO at the end of HUT in patients with positive HUT, but there was no relationship between BRS and NE. Conclusions During the syncope occure, the BRS in patients with VS decreased significantly compared with normal controls. The abnormal plasma ET, NO concen-tration might contribute to the mechanism of VS.

NEW ANTIMICROBIAL SENSITIVITY TESTS OF BIOFILM OF STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS IN ARTIFICIAL MOUTH MODEL

To develop a new antimicrobial sensitivity test model for oral products in vitro.Methods A biofllm artificial mouth model for antimicrobial sensitivity tests was established by modifying the LKB chromatography chamber. Using sodium fluoride and Tea polyphenol as antimicrobial agent and Streptococcus mutans as target, sensitivity tests were studied. Results The modeling biofilm assay resulted in a MIC of l. 28mg/ml for fluoride against S. mutans, which was 32 times the MlC for broth maco-dilution method. The differential resistance of bacteria bioflim to antimicrobial agent relative to planktonic cells was also demonstrated. Conclusion The biofilm artificial mouth model may be useful in oral products test.