Introduction: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are currently recognized as genuine pathogens. However, little is known about the resistance and virulence genes that explain their pathogenicity in hospitals in C...Introduction: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are currently recognized as genuine pathogens. However, little is known about the resistance and virulence genes that explain their pathogenicity in hospitals in Cte d'Ivoire. The aim of this study was to contribute to the genotypic identification of resistance and virulence genes in CoNS isolated from blood cultures at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouak, in order to improve patient management. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted from September to December 2023. The CoNS isolates studied came from the collection of strains isolated from blood cultures of febrile patients hospitalized or attending consultations at the CHU of Bouak. The strains were analyzed using conventional simplex PCR. Results: Of the 45 isolates analyzed, 46.7% carried both the aacA-aphD and tetK genes and 40% carried the mecA gene. With regard to virulence genes, only the LukS-PV gene was observed in S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus isolates. Conclusion: The high prevalence of CoNS isolates carrying the mecA gene and the presence of virulence genes observed in this study give cause for concern in hospitals. It is important to develop comprehensive surveillance strategies against nosocomial and multi-resistant infections at the CHU of Bouak.展开更多
Introduction: Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a cause of frequent inpatient and outpatient care visits whose causative agents are associated with a high antimicrobial resistance burden. For insig...Introduction: Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a cause of frequent inpatient and outpatient care visits whose causative agents are associated with a high antimicrobial resistance burden. For insights on antimicrobial susceptibilities in a rural setting, we examined specimens from suspected SSTIs from two public health facilities in Kenya. We additionally assessed antibiotic use, appropriateness of empiric therapy and risk factors for SSTI. Methodology: Between 2021 and 2023, 265 patients at Kisii and Nyamira County Referral hospitals were enrolled. Wound swabs/aspirates were collected and processed following standard microbiological procedures. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility were performed using the VITEK 2 Compact platform. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data were analyzed with R Statistical software. Results: S. aureus was isolated in 16.2% (43/265) of patients with a methicillin resistance (MRSA) proportion of 14% (6/43). While 13/15 drugs elicited susceptibilities ranging from 84% - 100%, penicillin (16%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [TMP-SXT] (23%) yielded the lowest susceptibilities. Escherichia coli (n = 33), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 8), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 8), and Citrobacter species (n = 4) were the most commonly isolated gram-negative species. Gram-negative strains showed high susceptibilities to most of the tested drugs (71% - 100%) with the exception of ampicillin (18%), TMP-SXT (33%), and first and second generation cephalosporins. Conclusions: The low MRSA prevalence and generally high antibiotic susceptibilities for S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria present opportunities for antibiotic stewardship in the study setting. Diminished susceptibilities against penicillin/ampicillin and TMP-SXT accord with prevailing local data and add a layer of evidence for their cautious empiric use.展开更多
The coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) group was considered saprophytic or rarely pathogenic for many years. Since the first case of septicemia caused by CoNS, there has been a progressive increase in the prevale...The coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) group was considered saprophytic or rarely pathogenic for many years. Since the first case of septicemia caused by CoNS, there has been a progressive increase in the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections caused by CoNS. The CoNS group has emerged as one of the main causes of nosocomial infections related to vascular catheters and prostheses, especially among immunocompromised patients. This gradual increase in infections is due to the change in the relationship between patients and procedures since CoNS are closely related to devices implanted in the human body. CoNS are successful in colonizing the host because they have several virulence mechanisms, such as biofilm formation and production of enzymes and toxins, in addition to several mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials. Despite their great clinical relevance, few studies have focused on CoNS’s pathogenicity and resistance to antimicrobials, which reveals the current need to better understand the factors by which this group became pathogenic to humans and other animals. This review aims to synthesize the aspects related to the pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in CoNS.展开更多
Association rules mining is a major data mining field that leads to discovery of associations and correlations among items in today’s big data environment. The conventional association rule mining focuses mainly on p...Association rules mining is a major data mining field that leads to discovery of associations and correlations among items in today’s big data environment. The conventional association rule mining focuses mainly on positive itemsets generated from frequently occurring itemsets (PFIS). However, there has been a significant study focused on infrequent itemsets with utilization of negative association rules to mine interesting frequent itemsets (NFIS) from transactions. In this work, we propose an efficient backward calculating negative frequent itemset algorithm namely EBC-NFIS for computing backward supports that can extract both positive and negative frequent itemsets synchronously from dataset. EBC-NFIS algorithm is based on popular e-NFIS algorithm that computes supports of negative itemsets from the supports of positive itemsets. The proposed algorithm makes use of previously computed supports from memory to minimize the computation time. In addition, association rules, i.e. positive and negative association rules (PNARs) are generated from discovered frequent itemsets using EBC-NFIS algorithm. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is verified by several experiments and comparing results with e-NFIS algorithm. The experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm successfully discovers NFIS and PNARs and runs significantly faster than conventional e-NFIS algorithm.展开更多
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a malignant form of cancer with very high mortality and morbidity. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the most common pathophysiological change observed in cancer cel...Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a malignant form of cancer with very high mortality and morbidity. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the most common pathophysiological change observed in cancer cells of epithelial origin that promotes metastasis, drug resistance and cancer stem cell formation. Since the information regarding differential gene expression in TNBC cells and cell signaling events leading to EMT is limited, this investigation was done by comparing transcriptomic data generated by RNA isolation and sequencing of a EMT model TNBC cell line in comparison to regular TNBC cells. RNA sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Software Analysis (IPA) of the transcriptomic data revealed several upregulated and downregulated gene expressions along with novel core canonical pathways including Sirtuin signaling, Oxidative Phosphorylation and Mitochondrial dysfunction events involved in EMT changes of the TNBC cells.展开更多
Utilization of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) for sternal dehiscence wounds secondary to sternal wound infection after surgery has become an accepted therapy. NPWTi accelerates wound healing...Utilization of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) for sternal dehiscence wounds secondary to sternal wound infection after surgery has become an accepted therapy. NPWTi accelerates wound healing through macrostrain, microstrain, and cyclic fluid instillation. Wounds benefit from additional superficial infection control with the removal of microorganisms, the release of proinflammatory mediators, stimulation of angiogenesis, as well as mechanical debridement. However, very few cases of utilizing NPWTi in the treatment of sternal wound infections have been reported in the literature. This case study describes the use of NPWTi with hypochlorous acid for the treatment of a sternal wound infection.展开更多
Introduction: The standard treatment for complex wound care is autografting. The advent of dermal substitutes has provided a novel tool for the preparation of the bed to be grafted. However, most types of dermal matri...Introduction: The standard treatment for complex wound care is autografting. The advent of dermal substitutes has provided a novel tool for the preparation of the bed to be grafted. However, most types of dermal matrices require the application of a skin graft a second time. Currently, other strategies have been developed to improve the vascularization process, such as negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), which has been reported to reduce the time required for vascular growth and dermal matrix integration and thus achieve a shorter waiting period for autologous graft application. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dermal matrix management associated with NPWT in the treatment of complex wounds. Methods: Seven patients with a diagnosis of complex wounds were enrolled in this study between July 1, 2015, and June 31, 2016. After debridement and having an adequate wound bed, patients who met the criteria for the application of combined therapy were treated with dermal substitutes and a negative pressure system. The percentage of graft integration into the wound bed, complications, length of hospital stay, and duration of therapy were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 42.5 ± 16 (39 - 54) years old;three women and four men were included in the study. The approximate size of skin loss was 120.7 ± 75 cm<sup>2</sup> (25 - 250 cm<sup>2</sup>). The combined therapy of dermal matrix plus NPWT was instituted in all cases for a period of 14 days. There were no complications, with 100% graft integration in 6 of 7 cases. Patients were discharged after a mean hospital stay of 5.4 days. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the utilization of combined dermal matrix plus NPWT therapy can be performed safely and effectively in patients with complex wounds with low complication rates and a short hospital stay.展开更多
This paper presents the development of a highly efficient CT-PCF (Core-Tune Photonic Crystal Fiber) with substantial birefringence, tailored for applications in high-bit-rate communication and sensing while minimizing...This paper presents the development of a highly efficient CT-PCF (Core-Tune Photonic Crystal Fiber) with substantial birefringence, tailored for applications in high-bit-rate communication and sensing while minimizing signal loss. The design incorporates a modified broadband dispersion compensating structure, optimized for operation across the E, S, C, and L communication bands within a wavelength range spanning 1360 nm to 1625 nm. Notably, the CT-PCF demonstrates a remarkable birefringence of 2.372 × 10<sup>-2</sup> at 1550 nm, surpassing traditional PCF structures. Single-mode performance is evaluated using the Higher Order Mode Extinction Ratio (HOMER) method, revealing a peak HOMER value of 10<sup>4</sup> at 1550 nm. Furthermore, at 1550 nm, the CT-PCF exhibits exceptional nonlinear characteristics, featuring a high nonlinearity of 50.74 W<sup>-1</sup>⋅Km<sup>-1</sup> for y polarization. In comparison to existing designs, the proposed CT-PCF exhibits superior performance metrics and optical characteristics. Additionally, the y polarization dispersion coefficient of the CT-PCF at 1550 nm is measured at -3534 ps/(nm⋅km). Overall, the CT-PCF represents a significant advancement, outperforming established systems in terms of performance metrics and optical properties.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are currently recognized as genuine pathogens. However, little is known about the resistance and virulence genes that explain their pathogenicity in hospitals in Cte d'Ivoire. The aim of this study was to contribute to the genotypic identification of resistance and virulence genes in CoNS isolated from blood cultures at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouak, in order to improve patient management. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted from September to December 2023. The CoNS isolates studied came from the collection of strains isolated from blood cultures of febrile patients hospitalized or attending consultations at the CHU of Bouak. The strains were analyzed using conventional simplex PCR. Results: Of the 45 isolates analyzed, 46.7% carried both the aacA-aphD and tetK genes and 40% carried the mecA gene. With regard to virulence genes, only the LukS-PV gene was observed in S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus isolates. Conclusion: The high prevalence of CoNS isolates carrying the mecA gene and the presence of virulence genes observed in this study give cause for concern in hospitals. It is important to develop comprehensive surveillance strategies against nosocomial and multi-resistant infections at the CHU of Bouak.
文摘Introduction: Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a cause of frequent inpatient and outpatient care visits whose causative agents are associated with a high antimicrobial resistance burden. For insights on antimicrobial susceptibilities in a rural setting, we examined specimens from suspected SSTIs from two public health facilities in Kenya. We additionally assessed antibiotic use, appropriateness of empiric therapy and risk factors for SSTI. Methodology: Between 2021 and 2023, 265 patients at Kisii and Nyamira County Referral hospitals were enrolled. Wound swabs/aspirates were collected and processed following standard microbiological procedures. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility were performed using the VITEK 2 Compact platform. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data were analyzed with R Statistical software. Results: S. aureus was isolated in 16.2% (43/265) of patients with a methicillin resistance (MRSA) proportion of 14% (6/43). While 13/15 drugs elicited susceptibilities ranging from 84% - 100%, penicillin (16%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [TMP-SXT] (23%) yielded the lowest susceptibilities. Escherichia coli (n = 33), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 8), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 8), and Citrobacter species (n = 4) were the most commonly isolated gram-negative species. Gram-negative strains showed high susceptibilities to most of the tested drugs (71% - 100%) with the exception of ampicillin (18%), TMP-SXT (33%), and first and second generation cephalosporins. Conclusions: The low MRSA prevalence and generally high antibiotic susceptibilities for S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria present opportunities for antibiotic stewardship in the study setting. Diminished susceptibilities against penicillin/ampicillin and TMP-SXT accord with prevailing local data and add a layer of evidence for their cautious empiric use.
文摘The coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) group was considered saprophytic or rarely pathogenic for many years. Since the first case of septicemia caused by CoNS, there has been a progressive increase in the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections caused by CoNS. The CoNS group has emerged as one of the main causes of nosocomial infections related to vascular catheters and prostheses, especially among immunocompromised patients. This gradual increase in infections is due to the change in the relationship between patients and procedures since CoNS are closely related to devices implanted in the human body. CoNS are successful in colonizing the host because they have several virulence mechanisms, such as biofilm formation and production of enzymes and toxins, in addition to several mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials. Despite their great clinical relevance, few studies have focused on CoNS’s pathogenicity and resistance to antimicrobials, which reveals the current need to better understand the factors by which this group became pathogenic to humans and other animals. This review aims to synthesize the aspects related to the pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in CoNS.
文摘Association rules mining is a major data mining field that leads to discovery of associations and correlations among items in today’s big data environment. The conventional association rule mining focuses mainly on positive itemsets generated from frequently occurring itemsets (PFIS). However, there has been a significant study focused on infrequent itemsets with utilization of negative association rules to mine interesting frequent itemsets (NFIS) from transactions. In this work, we propose an efficient backward calculating negative frequent itemset algorithm namely EBC-NFIS for computing backward supports that can extract both positive and negative frequent itemsets synchronously from dataset. EBC-NFIS algorithm is based on popular e-NFIS algorithm that computes supports of negative itemsets from the supports of positive itemsets. The proposed algorithm makes use of previously computed supports from memory to minimize the computation time. In addition, association rules, i.e. positive and negative association rules (PNARs) are generated from discovered frequent itemsets using EBC-NFIS algorithm. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is verified by several experiments and comparing results with e-NFIS algorithm. The experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm successfully discovers NFIS and PNARs and runs significantly faster than conventional e-NFIS algorithm.
文摘Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a malignant form of cancer with very high mortality and morbidity. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the most common pathophysiological change observed in cancer cells of epithelial origin that promotes metastasis, drug resistance and cancer stem cell formation. Since the information regarding differential gene expression in TNBC cells and cell signaling events leading to EMT is limited, this investigation was done by comparing transcriptomic data generated by RNA isolation and sequencing of a EMT model TNBC cell line in comparison to regular TNBC cells. RNA sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Software Analysis (IPA) of the transcriptomic data revealed several upregulated and downregulated gene expressions along with novel core canonical pathways including Sirtuin signaling, Oxidative Phosphorylation and Mitochondrial dysfunction events involved in EMT changes of the TNBC cells.
文摘Utilization of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) for sternal dehiscence wounds secondary to sternal wound infection after surgery has become an accepted therapy. NPWTi accelerates wound healing through macrostrain, microstrain, and cyclic fluid instillation. Wounds benefit from additional superficial infection control with the removal of microorganisms, the release of proinflammatory mediators, stimulation of angiogenesis, as well as mechanical debridement. However, very few cases of utilizing NPWTi in the treatment of sternal wound infections have been reported in the literature. This case study describes the use of NPWTi with hypochlorous acid for the treatment of a sternal wound infection.
文摘Introduction: The standard treatment for complex wound care is autografting. The advent of dermal substitutes has provided a novel tool for the preparation of the bed to be grafted. However, most types of dermal matrices require the application of a skin graft a second time. Currently, other strategies have been developed to improve the vascularization process, such as negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), which has been reported to reduce the time required for vascular growth and dermal matrix integration and thus achieve a shorter waiting period for autologous graft application. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dermal matrix management associated with NPWT in the treatment of complex wounds. Methods: Seven patients with a diagnosis of complex wounds were enrolled in this study between July 1, 2015, and June 31, 2016. After debridement and having an adequate wound bed, patients who met the criteria for the application of combined therapy were treated with dermal substitutes and a negative pressure system. The percentage of graft integration into the wound bed, complications, length of hospital stay, and duration of therapy were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 42.5 ± 16 (39 - 54) years old;three women and four men were included in the study. The approximate size of skin loss was 120.7 ± 75 cm<sup>2</sup> (25 - 250 cm<sup>2</sup>). The combined therapy of dermal matrix plus NPWT was instituted in all cases for a period of 14 days. There were no complications, with 100% graft integration in 6 of 7 cases. Patients were discharged after a mean hospital stay of 5.4 days. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the utilization of combined dermal matrix plus NPWT therapy can be performed safely and effectively in patients with complex wounds with low complication rates and a short hospital stay.
文摘This paper presents the development of a highly efficient CT-PCF (Core-Tune Photonic Crystal Fiber) with substantial birefringence, tailored for applications in high-bit-rate communication and sensing while minimizing signal loss. The design incorporates a modified broadband dispersion compensating structure, optimized for operation across the E, S, C, and L communication bands within a wavelength range spanning 1360 nm to 1625 nm. Notably, the CT-PCF demonstrates a remarkable birefringence of 2.372 × 10<sup>-2</sup> at 1550 nm, surpassing traditional PCF structures. Single-mode performance is evaluated using the Higher Order Mode Extinction Ratio (HOMER) method, revealing a peak HOMER value of 10<sup>4</sup> at 1550 nm. Furthermore, at 1550 nm, the CT-PCF exhibits exceptional nonlinear characteristics, featuring a high nonlinearity of 50.74 W<sup>-1</sup>⋅Km<sup>-1</sup> for y polarization. In comparison to existing designs, the proposed CT-PCF exhibits superior performance metrics and optical characteristics. Additionally, the y polarization dispersion coefficient of the CT-PCF at 1550 nm is measured at -3534 ps/(nm⋅km). Overall, the CT-PCF represents a significant advancement, outperforming established systems in terms of performance metrics and optical properties.
