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Sample records for su-8 negative resist

  1. SU-8 negative photoresist for optical mask manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogdanov, Alexei L.

    2000-06-01

    The requirements for better control, linearity, and uniformity of critical dimension (CD) on photomasks in fabrication of 180 and 150 nm generation devices result in increasing demand for thinner, more etching durable, and more sensitive e-beam resists. Novolac based resists with chemical amplification have been a choice for their sensitivity and stability during etching. However, difficult CD control due to the acid catalyzer diffusion and quite narrow post exposure bake (PEB) process window are some of the major drawbacks of these resists. SU-8 is recently introduced to the market negative photoresist. High sensitivity, fairly good adhesion properties, and relatively simple processing of SU-8 make it a good substitution for novolac based chemically amplified negative e-beam resists in optical mask manufacturing. The replacement of traditional chemically amplified resists by SU- 8 can increase the process latitude and reduce resist costs. Among the obvious drawbacks of SU-8 are the use of solvent- based developer and demand of oxygen plasma for resist removal. In this paper the use of SU-8 for optical mask manufacturing is reported. All steps of resist film preparation, exposure and development are paid a share of attention. Possibilities to use reactive ion etching (RIE) with oxygen in order to increase resist mask contrast are discussed. Special exposure strategy (pattern outlining) was employed to further improve the edge definition. The resist PEB temperature and time were studied to estimate their weight in overall CD control performance. Specially designed test patterns with 0.25 micrometer design rule could be firmly transferred into a chromium layer both by wet etching and ion milling. Influence of exposure dose variation on the pattern CD change was studied.

  2. MICROSTRUCTURING OF SU-8 RESIST FOR MEMS AND BIO-APPLICATIONS

    OpenAIRE

    Dey, P.K.; Pramanick, B.; RaviShankar, A.; Ganguly, P.; Das, S.

    2017-01-01

    Some studies on the fabrication of micro-needles, micro-pillers, and micro-channels using SU-8 negative photoresist for MEMS and bio-applications are reported. The SU-8 processing technology was standardized for the purpose. Micro-pillars were fabricated on SU-8 polymer by soft lithographic technique. Micro-needles were realized on SU-8 film utilizing lensing effect of the etched groove structure of the glass substrate. Micro-channel was fabricated by molding of PDMS polymer on patterned SU-8...

  3. Contact printed masks for 3D microfabrication in negative resists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Häfliger, Daniel; Boisen, Anja

    2005-01-01

    We present a process based on contact printed shadow masks for three dimensional microfabrication of soft and sensitive overhanging membranes in SU-8. A metal mask is transferred onto unexposed SU-8 from an elastomer stamp made of polydimethylsiloxane. This mask is subsequently embedded into the ......We present a process based on contact printed shadow masks for three dimensional microfabrication of soft and sensitive overhanging membranes in SU-8. A metal mask is transferred onto unexposed SU-8 from an elastomer stamp made of polydimethylsiloxane. This mask is subsequently embedded...... into the negative resist to protect buried material from UV-exposure. Unlike direct evaporation-deposition of a mask onto the SU-8, printing avoids high stress and radiation, thus preventing resist wrinkling and prepolymerization. We demonstrate effective monolithic fabrication of soft, 4-μm thick and 100-μm long...

  4. Thermal and optical properties of sol-gel and SU-8 resists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Toshiyuki; Morikawa, Junko; Hashimoto, Toshimasa; Buividas, Ričardas; Gervinskas, Gediminas; Paipulas, Domas; Malinauskas, Mangirdas; Mizeikis, Vygantas; Juodkazis, Saulius

    2012-03-01

    We report on a combined differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and Raman scattering study of thermal polymerization of sol-gel organic-inorganic SZ2080 and SU-8 resists. In SZ2080, endothermic peak at 95°C signify drying of the resist and justifies the required pre-bake at around 100°C for 1-2 h for the best performance during femtosecond (fs-)direct laser writing. A strong exothermic peak at 140°C (under 2 K/min heating rate) completes polymerization of the resist. It is revealed that 1wt% of photoinitiators change Raman scattering intensity of SZ2080 and can contribute efficiently to heating and cross-linking of photo-polymers. In the case of SU-8, a 65°C DSC feature related to solvent evaporation was observed. The strongest changes in Raman spectrum occurs at a narrow 895 cm-1 band which is linked to polymerization. Raman scattering taken during DSC revealed spectral changes following the polymerization; an applicability of this method for monitoring photopolymerization induced by ultra-fast laser sources and feasibility of a laser-modulated calorimetry is discussed.

  5. Focusing properties of x-ray polymer refractive lenses from SU-8 resist layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snigirev, Anatoly A.; Snigireva, Irina; Drakopoulos, Michael; Nazmov, Vladimir; Reznikova, Elena; Kuznetsov, Sergey; Grigoriev, Maxim; Mohr, Jurgen; Saile, Volker

    2003-12-01

    Compound refractive lenses printed in Al and Be are becoming the key X-ray focusing and imaging components of beamline optical layouts at the 3rd generation synchrotron radiation sources. Recently proposed planar optical elements based on Si, diamond etc. may substantially broaden the spectrum of the refractive optics applicability. Planar optics has focal distances ranging from millimeters to tens of meters offering nano- and micro-focusing lenses, as well as beam condensers and collimators. Here we promote deep X-ray lithography and LIGA-type techniques to create high aspect-ratio lens structures for different optical geometries. Planar X-ray refractive lenses were manufactured in 1 mm thick SU-8 negative resist layer by means of deep synchrotron radiation lithography. The focusing properties of lenses were studied at ID18F and BM5 beamlines at the ESRF using monochromatic radiation in the energy range of 10 - 25 keV. By optimizing lens layout, mask making and resist processing, lenses of good quality were fabricated. The resolution of about 270 nm (FWHM) with gain in the order of 300 was measured at 14 keV. In-line holography of B-fiber was realized in imaging and projection mode with a magnification of 3 and 20, respectively. Submicron features of the fiber were clearly resolved. A radiation stability test proved that the fabricated lenses don't change focusing characteristics after dose of absorbed X-ray radiation of about 2 MJ/cm3. The unique radiation stability along with the high effficiency of SU8 lenses opens wide range of their synchrotron radiation applications such as microfocusing elements, condensers and collimators.

  6. Novel SU-8 based vacuum wafer-level packaging for MEMS devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Murillo, Gonzalo; Davis, Zachary James; Keller, Stephan Urs

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a simple and low-cost SU-8 based wafer-level vacuum packaging method which is CMOS and MEMS compatible. Different approaches have been investigated by taking advantage of the properties of SU-8, such as chemical resistance, optical transparence, mechanical reliability and versa......This work presents a simple and low-cost SU-8 based wafer-level vacuum packaging method which is CMOS and MEMS compatible. Different approaches have been investigated by taking advantage of the properties of SU-8, such as chemical resistance, optical transparence, mechanical reliability...

  7. SU-8 as a material for lab-on-a-chip-based mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arscott, Steve

    2014-10-07

    This short review focuses on the application of SU-8 for the microchip-based approach to the miniaturization of mass spectrometry. Chip-based mass spectrometry will make the technology commonplace and bring benefits such as lower costs and autonomy. The chip-based miniaturization of mass spectrometry necessitates the use of new materials which are compatible with top-down fabrication involving both planar and non-planar processes. In this context, SU-8 is a very versatile epoxy-based, negative tone resist which is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and electron beam exposure. It has a very wide thickness range, from nanometres to millimetres, enabling the formation of mechanically rigid, very high aspect ratio, vertical, narrow width structures required to form microfluidic slots and channels for laboratory-on-a-chip design. It is also relatively chemically resistant and biologically compatible in terms of the liquid solutions used for mass spectrometry. This review looks at the impact and potential of SU-8 on the different parts of chip-based mass spectrometry - pre-treatment, ionization processes, and ion sorting and detection.

  8. Proton beam micromachining on strippable aqueous base developable negative resist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajta, I.; Uzonyi, I.; Baradacs, E.; Chatzichristidi, M.; Raptis, I.; Valamontes, E.S.

    2004-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. Proton Beam Micromachining (PBM, also known as P-beam writing), a novel direct- write process for the production of 3D microstructures, can be used to make multilevel structures in a single layer of resist by varying the ion energy. The interaction between the bombarding ions and the target material is mainly ionization, and very few ions suffer high angle nuclear collisions, therefore structures made with PBM have smooth near vertical side walls. The most commony applied resists in PBM are the positive, conventional, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); and the negative, chemically amplified, SU-8 (Micro Chem Corp). SU-8 is an epoxy based resist suitable also for LIGA and UV-LIGA processes, it offers good sensitivity, good process latitude, very high aspect ratio and therefore it dominates in the high aspect ratio micromachining applications. SU-8 requires 30 nC/mm 2 fluence for PBM irradiations at 2 MeV protons. Its crosslinking chemistry is based on the eight epoxy rings in the polymer chain, which provide a very dense three dimensional network in the presence of suitably activated photo acid generators (PAGs) which is very difficult to be stripped away after development. Thus, stripping has to be assisted with plasma processes or with special liquid removers. Moreover, the SU-8 developer is organic, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), and thus environmentally non-friendly. To overcome the SU-8 stripping limitations, design of a negative resist system where solubility change is not based solely on cross- linking but also on the differentiation of hydrophilicity between exposed and non-exposed areas is desirable. A new resist formulation, fulfilling the above specifications has been developed recently [1]. This formulation is based on a specific grade epoxy novolac (EP) polymer, a partially hydrogenated poly-4-hydroxy styrene (PHS) polymer, and an onium salt as photoacid generator (PAG), and has been successfully

  9. Processing of thin SU-8 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keller, Stephan; Blagoi, Gabriela; Lillemose, Michael; Haefliger, Daniel; Boisen, Anja

    2008-01-01

    This paper summarizes the results of the process optimization for SU-8 films with thicknesses ≤5 µm. The influence of soft-bake conditions, exposure dose and post-exposure-bake parameters on residual film stress, structural stability and lithographic resolution was investigated. Conventionally, the SU-8 is soft-baked after spin coating to remove the solvent. After the exposure, a post-exposure bake at a high temperature T PEB ≥ 90 °C is required to cross-link the resist. However, for thin SU-8 films this often results in cracking or delamination due to residual film stress. The approach of the process optimization is to keep a considerable amount of the solvent in the SU-8 before exposure to facilitate photo-acid diffusion and to increase the mobility of the monomers. The experiments demonstrate that a replacement of the soft-bake by a short solvent evaporation time at ambient temperature allows cross-linking of the thin SU-8 films even at a low T PEB = 50 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy is used to confirm the increased cross-linking density. The low thermal stress due to the reduced T PEB and the improved structural stability result in crack-free structures and solve the issue of delamination. The knowledge of the influence of different processing parameters on the responses allows the design of optimized processes for thin SU-8 films depending on the specific application

  10. Functionalization of SU-8 photoresist surfaces with IgG proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blagoi, Gabriela; Keller, Stephan; Johansson, Alicia; Boisen, Anja; Dufva, Martin

    2008-01-01

    The negative epoxy-based photoresist SU-8 has a variety of applications within microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and lab-on-a-chip systems. Here, several methods to functionalize SU-8 surfaces with IgG proteins were investigated. Fluorescent labeled proteins and fluorescent sandwich immunoassays were employed to characterize the binding efficiency of model proteins to bare SU-8 surface, SU-8 treated with cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) etchant and CAN treated surfaces modified by aminosilanization. The highest binding capacity of antibodies was observed on bare SU-8. This explains why bare SU-8 in a functional fluorescent sandwich immunoassay detecting C-reactive protein (CRP) gave twice as high signal as compared with the other two surfaces. Immunoassays performed on bare SU-8 and CAN treated SU-8 resulted in detection limits of CRP of 30 and 80 ng/ml respectively which is sufficient for detecting CRP in clinical samples, where concentrations of 3-10 μg/ml are normal for healthy individuals. In conclusion, bare SU-8 and etched SU-8 can be modified with antibodies by a simple adsorption procedure which simplifies building lab-on-a-chip systems in SU-8. Additionally, we report the fabrication process and use of microwells created in a SU-8 layer with the same dimensions as a standard microscope glass slide that could fit into fluorescent scanners. The SU-8 microwells minimize the reagent consumption and are straightforward to handle compared to SU-8 coated microscope slides

  11. Surface modification of SU8 photoresist for shrinkage improvement in a monolithic MEMS microstructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, C. K.; Hong, Y. Z.

    2007-02-01

    The effect of O2 plasma treatment on the surface property of exposed and unexposed SU8 photoresist has been investigated for the fabrication of a monolithic MEMS microstructure. It can solve the non-uniformity problem of second resist coating on the SU8 with high intrinsic shrinkage after exposure and post-exposure baking (PEB) in the fabrication of the stacked polymer-metal or polymer-polymer structure, which was used in the application of microfluid, bio and chemistry. The thickness difference of untreated SU8 before PEB between the exposed and unexposed SU8 was about 0.3% while that after PEB increased to about 6%. It could result in large non-uniformity of about 18 µm thickness difference for the following second resist coating on the hydrophobic surface without plasma treatment. The surface property of SU8 in terms of the contact angle and surface energy can be adjusted by O2 plasma treatment for enhancing the coating uniformity of the following resist. The measured contact angles of the exposed and unexposed SU8 decrease with O2 plasma time, corresponding to the increased surface energy determined by the Lifshitz-van der Waals/Lewis acid-base approach. It displayed that the similar hydrophilic surface property can minimize the thickness difference of second resist coating on the first shrunken SU8. A monolithic nozzle plate with a physical resolution of 600 dpi in a single column was demonstrated for an inkjet application based on the improved uniformity.

  12. High temperature SU-8 pyrolysis for fabrication of carbon electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassan, Yasmin Mohamed; Caviglia, Claudia; Hemanth, Suhith

    2017-01-01

    In this work, we present the investigation of the pyrolysis parameters at high temperature (1100 °C) for the fabrication of two-dimensional pyrolytic carbon electrodes. The electrodes were fabricated by pyrolysis of lithographically patterned negative epoxy based photoresist SU-8. A central...... composite experimental design was used to identify the influence of dwell time at the highest pyrolysis temperature and heating rate on electrical, electrochemical and structural properties of the pyrolytic carbon: Van der Pauw sheet resistance measurements, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance...... spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the pyrolytic carbon. The results show that the temperature increase from 900 °C to 1100 °C improves the electrical and electrochemical properties. At 1100 °C, longer dwell time leads to lower resistivity, while the variation of the pyrolysis...

  13. Single mode solid state distributed feedback dye laser fabricated by grey scale electron beam lithography on dye doped SU-8 resist

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balslev, Søren; Rasmussen, Torben; Shi, Peixiong

    2005-01-01

    We demonstrate grey scale electron beam lithography on functionalized SU-8 resist for fabrication of single mode solid state dye laser devices. The resist is doped with Rhodamine 6G perchlorate and the lasers are based on a first order Bragg grating distributed feedback resonator. The lasers...

  14. Gold Nanoparticles-Coated SU-8 for Sensitive Fluorescence-Based Detections of DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cao, Cuong; Birtwell, Sam W.; Høgberg, Jonas

    2012-01-01

    SU-8 epoxy-based negative photoresist has been extensively employed as a structural material for fabrication of numerous biological microelectro-mechanical systems (Bio-MEMS) or lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. However, SU-8 has a high autofluorescence level that limits sensitivity of microdevices...... for various Bio-MEMs and LOC devices that use SU-8 as a structural material....

  15. Innovative SU-8 Lithography Techniques and Their Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong Bong Lee

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available SU-8 has been widely used in a variety of applications for creating structures in micro-scale as well as sub-micron scales for more than 15 years. One of the most common structures made of SU-8 is tall (up to millimeters high-aspect-ratio (up to 100:1 3D microstructure, which is far better than that made of any other photoresists. There has been a great deal of efforts in developing innovative unconventional lithography techniques to fully utilize the thick high aspect ratio nature of the SU-8 photoresist. Those unconventional lithography techniques include inclined ultraviolet (UV exposure, back-side UV exposure, drawing lithography, and moving-mask UV lithography. In addition, since SU-8 is a negative-tone photoresist, it has been a popular choice of material for multiple-photon interference lithography for the periodic structure in scales down to deep sub-microns such as photonic crystals. These innovative lithography techniques for SU-8 have led to a lot of unprecedented capabilities for creating unique micro- and nano-structures. This paper reviews such innovative lithography techniques developed in the past 15 years or so.

  16. Proton beam micromachined buried microchannels in negative tone resist materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajta, I.; Chatzichristidi, M.; Baradacs, E.; Cserhati, C.; Raptis, I.; Manoli, K.; Valamontes, E.S.

    2007-01-01

    In the present work the Atomki, Debrecen microprobe facility has been used to write long tilted structures by 2 MeV protons. For the formation of the structures, two exposures have been carried out at +20 o and -20 o using a goniometer stage sample holder. The tilted structures were resolved in the negative tone resist materials SU-8 and ADEPR (an aqueous base developable chemically amplified resist). The length of the microchannels was varied between 100 μm and 1000 μm, the wall thickness was less than 10 μm. By applying the developed methodology it was possible to resolve the desired layout through the whole length of the channel

  17. Surface Modification of Photoresist SU-8 for Low Autofluorescence and Bioanalytical Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cao, Cuong; Birtwell, Sam W.; Høgberg, Jonas

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports a surface modification of epoxy-based negative photoresist SU-8 for reducing its autofluorescence while enhancing its biofunctionality. By covalently depositing a thin layer of 20 nm Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the SU-8 surface, we found that the AuNPs-coated SU-8 surface...... is much less fluorescent than the untreated SU-8. Moreover, DNA probes can easily be immobilized on the Au surface and are thermally stable over a wide range of temperature. These improvements will benefit bioanalytical applications such as DNA hybridization and solid-phase PCR (SP-PCR)....

  18. Tailoring the mechanical properties of SU-8/clay nanocomposites: polymer microcantilever fabrication perspective

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chen, H

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available SU-8/Clay nanocomposite is considered as a candidate material for microcantilever sensor fabrication. Organically modified montmorillonite clay nanoparticles are dispersed in the universally used negative photoresist polymer SU-8, for a low cost...

  19. On SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) grand unified model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirogov, Yu.F.

    1981-01-01

    A set of general propositions is considered which ground the choice of the SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) group as a unified symmetry group. According to these propositions the group SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) is the most natural unified group, it is the maximal symmetry group of the kinetic term of the lagrangian single family which conserves the fermion number. A new principle is introduced. According to this principle, the mirror doubling of the fermion spectrum, necessary for renormalizability of the given unified model is, on the other hand, a manifestation of the extended conformal invariance at short distances [ru

  20. SU-8 doped and encapsulated n-type graphene nanomesh with high air stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Mumen, Haider [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon (Iraq); Dong, Lixin; Li, Wen, E-mail: wenli@egr.msu.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States)

    2013-12-02

    N-type doping of graphene with long-term chemical stability in air represents a significant challenge for practical application of graphene electronics. This paper reports a reversible doping method to achieve highly stable n-type graphene nanomeshes, in which the SU-8 photoresist simultaneously serves as an effective electron dopant and an excellent encapsulating layer. The chemically stable n-type characteristics of the SU-8 doped graphene were evaluated in air using their Raman spectra, electrical transport properties, and electronic band structures. The SU-8 doping does minimum damage to the hexagonal carbon lattice of graphene and is completely reversible by removing the uncrosslinked SU-8 resist.

  1. Mode-locked fiber laser using SU8 resist incorporating carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez-Romano, Ivan; Mandridis, Dimitrios; May-Arrioja, Daniel A.; Sanchez-Mondragon, Jose J.; Delfyett, Peter J.

    2011-06-01

    We report the fabrication of a saturable absorber made of a novel polymer SU8 doped with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). A passive mode-locked ring cavity fiber laser was built with a 100 μm thick SU8/SWCNT film inserted between two FC/APC connectors. Self-starting passively mode-locked lasing operation was observed at 1572.04 nm, with a FWHM of 3.26 nm. The autocorrelation trace was 1.536 ps corresponding to a pulse-width of 871 fs. The time-bandwidth product was 0.344, which is close enough to transform-limited sech squared pulses. The repetition rate was 21.27 MHz, and a maximum average output power of 1 mW was also measured.

  2. Immunosensing by luminescence reduction in surface-modified microstructured SU-8

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eravuchira, Pinkie Jacob; Baranowska, Malgorzata; Eckstein, Chris [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Díaz, Francesc [Departament de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Marcelí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Llobet, Eduard; Marsal, Lluis F. [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Ferré-Borrull, Josep, E-mail: josep.ferre@urv.cat [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • The reduction of photoluminescence of SU-8 upon surface modification is reported. • Micropillar structuring of SU-8 surface results in an increased photoluminescence reduction rate (10% glass, 15% silicon). • Photoluminescence reduction rate can be a transduction parameter for the detection of antibody-antigen binding events. • The proposed sensing mechanism can be used to quantify small concentrations of antibody. • Lower limit of detection (LOD) of 28 μg/ml on silicon substrates and 42 μg/ml on glass substrates was achieved. - Abstract: SU-8, an epoxy based negative photoresist is extensively used as a structural material for the fabrication of microelectro-mechanical systems and in microelectronics technology. However, the possible applications of SU-8 for biosensing have not been explored much, mainly because of the photoluminescence SU-8 possesses in the near-UV and visible wavelength ranges which hinders fluorescent labelling of biorecognition events. In this study we demonstrate that photoluminescence of SU-8 can be employed itself as a sensing transduction parameter to produce a tool for immunosensing: the photoluminescence shows a systematic reduction upon modification of its surface chemistry, and in particular upon attachment of an antigen-antibody (aIgG-IgG) pair. We investigate the relation of the amount of reduction of photoluminescence on planar and microstructured surfaces, and we show that microstructuring leads to a higher reduction than a planar surface. Furthermore, we evaluated the dependence of photoluminescence reduction as a function of analyte concentration to prove that this magnitude can be applied to immunosensing.

  3. Special Issue: 15 Years of SU8 as MEMS Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnaud Bertsch

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In 1997, the first paper using SU-8 as a material for microfabrication was published [1], demonstrating the interest of this negative photoresist for the near-UV structuration of thick layers and the manufacturing of high aspect-ratio components.[...

  4. On grand unified SU(8)sub(L) x SU(8)sub(R) model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirogov, Yu.F.

    1980-01-01

    In the model of early chiral grand unification SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) with intermediate symmetry hierarchies the radiation corrections for sinsup(2)thetasub(W)(μ) and α(μ) are calculated and unification mass M 8 is found in the one loop approximation with Higgs fields contribution being neglected. It is shown that there exists a natural hierarchy, leading to the decrease of sinsup(2)thetasub(W)(Msub(W)) down to the value sinsup(2)thetasub(W)=1/5-1/4 and simultaneous decrease of M 8 down to M 8 =(10 6 -10 7 ) GeV as compared with the values when there is no hierarchy [ru

  5. Micromechanical testing of SU-8 cantilevers

    OpenAIRE

    Hopcroft, M; Kramer, T; Kim, G; Takashima, K; Higo, Y; Moore, D; Brugger, J

    2005-01-01

    SU-8 is a photoplastic polymer with a wide range of possible applications in microtechnology. Cantilevers designed for atomic force microscopes were fabricated in SU-8. The mechanical properties of these cantilevers were investigated using two microscale testing techniques: contact surface profilometer beam deflection and static load deflection at a point on the beam using a specially designed test machine. The SU-8 Young's modulus value from the microscale test methods is approximately 2-3 GPa.

  6. Broken SU(8) symmetry and the new particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, G.; Schiller, D.H.

    1976-05-01

    We study the mass spectra and wave functions for vector and pseudoscalar mesons in broken SU(8) (SU(8) is contained in SU(4)F * SU(2)J), where F stands for flavour and J for usual spin. The connection with the standard mass breaking in SU(4)F is worked out. We find that even in the presence of strong SU(8) breaking the ideal mixing scheme for the vector mesons can be approximately retained. For the pseudoscalar mesons the mixing of the singlet with the 63-plet representation of SU(8) turns out to be essential and stongly nonideal. (orig.) [de

  7. Uniform fabrication of thick SU-8 patterns on small-sized wafers for micro-optics applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abada, S.; Reig, B.; Daran, E.; Doucet, JB; Camps, T.; Charlot, S.; Bardinal, V.

    2014-05-01

    This paper reports on an alternative method for precise and uniform fabrication of 100μm-thick SU-8 microstructures on small-sized or non-circular samples. Standard spin-coating of high-viscosity resists is indeed known to induce large edge beads, leading to an air gap between the mask and the SU-8 photo-resist surface during UV photolithography. This results in a non uniform thickness deposition and in a poor pattern definition. This problem becomes highly critical in the case of small-sized samples. To overcome it, we have developed a soft thermal imprint method based on the use of a nano-imprint equipment and applicable whatever sample fragility, shape and size (from 2cm to 6 inches). After final photolithography, the SU8 pattern thickness variation profile is measured. Thickness uniformity is improved from 30% to 5% with a 5μm maximal deviation to the target value over 2cm-long samples.

  8. Low Cost SU8 Based Above IC Process for High Q RF Power Inductors Integration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghannam, A.; Bourrier, D.; Viallon, Ch.; Parra, Th.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a new process for integration of high-Q RF power inductors above low resistivity silicon substrates. The process uses the SU8 resin as a dielectric layer. The aim of using the SU8 is to form thick dielectric layer that can enhance the performance of the inductors. The flexibility of the process enables the possibility to realize complex shaped planar inductors with various dielectric and metal thicknesses to meet the requirements of the application. Q values of 55 at 5 GHz has been demonstrated for an inductance value of 0.8 nH using a 60 μm thick SU8 layer and 30 μm thick copper ribbons. (author)

  9. On grand unified SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirogov, Yu.F.

    1980-01-01

    A set of general prjnciples justifying the choice of the group SU(N)sub(L)xSU(N)sub(R) with N=8 as the grand unified symmetry group is considered. Accordjng to these principles the group SU(N)sub(L)xSU(N)sub(R) is one of the most natural unified groups. Namely this group is maximum symmetry group of kinetic term of the Lagrangian of one family, which conserves fermion number. A new principle has been introduced according to which one of the manifestations of extended conformal invariance at small distances is mirror doubling of set of fermions, which is necessary on the other hand for renormalizability of the given unified model

  10. Bi cluster-assembled interconnects produced using SU8 templates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Partridge, J G; Matthewson, T; Brown, S A

    2007-01-01

    Bi clusters with an average diameter of 25 nm have been deposited from an inert gas aggregation source and assembled into thin-film interconnects which are formed between planar electrical contacts and supported on Si substrates passivated with Si 3 N 4 or thermally grown oxide. A layer of SU8 (a negative photoresist based on EPON SU-8 epoxy resin) is patterned using optical or electron-beam lithography, and it defines the position and dimensions of the cluster film. The conduction between the contacts is monitored throughout the deposition/assembly process, and subsequent I(V) characterization is performed in situ. Bi cluster-assembled interconnects have been fabricated with nanoscale widths and with up to 1:1 thickness:width aspect ratios. The conductivity of these interconnects has been increased, post-deposition, using a simple thermal annealing process

  11. SU-8 Based Piezoresistive Mechanical Sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thaysen, Jacob; Yalcinkaya, Arda Deniz; Vestergaard, R.K.

    2002-01-01

    We present the first SU-8 based piezoresistive mechanical sensor. Conventionally, silicon has been used as a piezoresistive material due to its high gauge factor and thereby high sensitivity to strain changes in a sensor. By using the fact that SU-8 is much softer than silicon and that a gold...

  12. Diffusion of water into SU-8 microcantilevers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, C.J.; Liu, Y.; Sokuler, M.

    2010-01-01

    We present a method to monitor the diffusion of liquid molecules in polymers. A microdrop of water is deposited by a piezoelectric drop generator onto the upper surface of a cantilever made of SU-8 based photoresist. In response, the cantilever bends in the opposite direction. We find...... sophisticated finite element model the diffusion coefficient of water in the SU-8 polymer can be determined quantitatively from the dynamics of cantilever bending....... that this bending is mainly caused by the diffusion of water into the cantilever and the consequent swelling of SU-8. Using a one-dimensional diffusion model and assuming a simple swelling law, we qualitatively model the bending of the cantilever during in and out diffusion of water in SU-8. With a more...

  13. SU-8 Lenses: Simple Methods of Fabrication and Application in Optical Interconnection Between Fiber/LED and Microstructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minh-Hang; Nguyen, Hai-Binh; Nguyen, Tuan-Hung; Vu, Xuan-Manh; Lai, Jain-Ren; Tseng, Fan-Gang; Chen, Te-Chang; Lee, Ming-Chang

    2016-05-01

    This paper presents two facile methods to fabricate off-plane lenses made of SU-8, an epoxy-based negative photoresist from MicroChem, on glass for optical interconnection. The methods allow the fabrication of lenses with flexible spot size and focal length depending on SU-8 well size and SU-8 drop volume and viscosity. In the first method, SU-8 drops were applied directly into patterned SU-8 wells with Teflon-coated micropipettes, and were baked to become (a)-spherical lenses. The lens shape and size were mainly determined by SU-8 viscosity, ratio of drop volume to well volume, and baking temperature and time. In the second method, a glass substrate with SU-8 patterned wells was emerged in diluted SU-8, then drawn up and baked to form lenses. The lens shapes and sizes were mainly determined by SU-8 viscosity and well volume. By the two methods, SU-8 lenses were successfully fabricated with spot sizes varying in range from micrometers to hundred micrometers, and focal lengths varying in range of several millimeters, depending on the lens rim diameters and aspheric sag height. Besides, on-plane SU-8 lenses were fabricated by photolithography to work in conjunction with the off-plane SU-8 lenses. The cascaded lenses produced light spots reduced to several micrometers, and they can be applied as a coupler for light coupling from fiber/Light-emitting diode (LED) to microstructures and nanostructures. The results open up the path for fabricating novel optical microsystems for optical communication and optical sensing applications.

  14. Functionalization of SU-8 Photoresist Surfaces with IgG Proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blagoi, Gabriela; Keller, Stephan Urs; Johansson, Alicia

    2008-01-01

    immunoassays were employed to characterize the binding efficiency of model proteins to bare SU-8 surface, SU-8 treated with cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) etchant and CAN treated surfaces modified by aminosilanization. The highest binding capacity of antibodies was observed on bare SU-8. This explains why bare...... SU-8 in a functional fluorescent sandwich immunoassay detecting C-reactive protein (CRP) gave twice as high signal as compared with the other two surfaces. Immunoassays performed on bare SU-8 and CAN treated SU-8 resulted in detection limits of CRP of 30 and 80 ng/ml respectively which is sufficient...... for detecting CRP in clinical samples, where concentrations of 3–10 μg/ml are normal for healthy individuals. In conclusion, bare SU-8 and etched SU-8 can be modified with antibodies by a simple adsorption procedure which simplifies building lab-on-a-chip systems in SU-8. Additionally, we report the fabrication...

  15. Bactérias gram negativas resistentes a antimicrobianos em alimentos Gram-negative bacteria resistant to antibiotics in foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Cavalcante de Albuquerque Ribeiro Dias

    1985-12-01

    Full Text Available A partir de 154 espécimens de alimentos, representados por hortaliças (alface, leite e merenda escolar, obteve-se o isolamento e identificação de 400 amostras de bacilos Gram negativos. Esta amostragem se distribuiu em 339 enterobactérias (Escherichia, Shigella, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia e Proteus e 61 de gêneros afins (Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, Aeromonas e Pseudomonas. Submetendo-se as culturas aos antimicrobianos: sulfadiazina (Su, estreptomicina (Sm, tetraciclina (Tc, cloranfenicol (Cm, canamicina (Km, ampicilina (Ap, ácido nalidíxico (Nal e gentamicina (Gm, observou-se apenas seis estirpes sensíveis a todas as drogas e sensibilidade absoluta à Gm. A predominância dos modelos Su (27,6% e Su-Ap (39,6% incidiu nas enterobactérias, enquanto que, 18,0% para Ap e 9,8% para Su-Ap foram detectados nos gêneros afins. Para caracterização da resistência foram realizados testes de conjugação e a totalidade das culturas não revelou transferência para o gene que confere resistência ao ácido nalidíxico. Relevantes são as taxas de amostras R+ observadas nos bacilos entéricos, oscilando em torno de 90% (leite e merenda escolar e alface, em torno de 70%From 154 food samples, including vegetables (lettuce, milk and meals served at school it was possible to isolate and identify 400 Gram negative bacilli distributed among 339 enteric bacteria (Escherichia, Shigella, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia and Proteus and other 61 non enteric bacilli (Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. Submitting this cultures to the drugs sulfadiazine (Su, streptomycin (Sm, tetracycline (Tc, chloramphenicol (Cm, kanamycin (Km, ampicillin (Ap, nalidixic acid (Nal and gentamycin (Gm it was observed only six stocks susceptible to all drugs and total sensibility to Gm. Among enteric bacteria the profiles Su (27,6% and Su-Ap (39,6% predominated, while for the non enteric bacilli percentages of 18.0 for

  16. Using an SU-8 Photoresist Structure and Cytochrome C Thin Film Sensing Material for a Microbolometer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo-Dung John Su

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available There are two critical parameters for microbolometers: the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR of the sensing material, and the thermal conductance of the insulation structure. Cytochrome c protein, having a high TCR, is a good candidate for infrared detection. We can use SU-8 photoresist for the thermal insulation structure, given its low thermal conductance. In this study, we designed a platform structure based on a SU-8 photoresist. We fabricated an infrared sensing pixel and recorded a high TCR for this new structure. The SU-8 photoresist insulation structure was fabricated using the exposure dose method. We experimentally demonstrated high values of TCR from 22%/K to 25.7%/K, and the measured noise was 1.2 × 10–8 V2/Hz at 60 Hz. When the bias current was 2 μA, the calculated voltage responsivity was 1.16 × 105 V/W. This study presents a new kind of microbolometer based on cytochrome c protein on top of an SU-8 photoresist platform that does not require expensive vacuum deposition equipment.

  17. Performance of SU-8 Membrane Suitable for Deep X-Ray Grayscale Lithography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harutaka Mekaru

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In combination with tapered-trench-etching of Si and SU-8 photoresist, a grayscale mask for deep X-ray lithography was fabricated and passed a 10-times-exposure test. The performance of the X-ray grayscale mask was evaluated using the TERAS synchrotron radiation facility at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST. Although the SU-8 before photo-curing has been evaluated as a negative-tone photoresist for ultraviolet (UV and X-ray lithographies, the characteristic of the SU-8 after photo-curing has not been investigated. A polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA sheet was irradiated by a synchrotron radiation through an X-ray mask, and relationships between the dose energy and exposure depth, and between the dose energy and dimensional transition, were investigated. Using such a technique, the shape of a 26-μm-high Si absorber was transformed into the shape of a PMMA microneedle with a height of 76 μm, and done with a high contrast. Although during the fabrication process of the X-ray mask a 100-μm-pattern-pitch (by design was enlarged to 120 μm. However, with an increase in an integrated dose energy this number decreased to 99 μm. These results show that the X-ray grayscale mask has many practical applications. In this paper, the author reports on the evaluation results of SU-8 when used as a membrane material for an X-ray mask.

  18. SU-8 photoresist and SU-8 based nanocomposites for broadband acoustical matching at 1 GHz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ndieguene, A; Campistron, P; Carlier, J; Wang, S; Callens-Debavelaere, D; Nongaillard, B, E-mail: Assane.Ndieguene@meletu.univ-valenciennes.f [Univ Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France)

    2009-11-01

    So as to integrate acoustic functions in BioMEMS using 1 GHz ZnO transducers deposited on silicon substrates, acoustic waves propagation through the silicon substrate and its transmission in water needs to be maximized (the insertion losses at the Si / water interface are about 6dB). In the context of integration, it is interesting for mechanical impedance matching to use photosensitive materials such as SU-8 so that patterns may be obtained. Nanocomposite materials based on SU-8 mixed with nanoparticles having adequate impedances were fabricated. These new materials are characterized in terms of their acoustic velocity, impedance and attenuation. For this, the nanocomposite layers are deposited on the substrate by spin coating to obtain a thickness of about 10 {mu}m, in order to separate acoustic echoes from the material (even if {lambda}/4 layer thickness is lower than 1 {mu}m). The insertion losses of the device immersed in water can be simulated as a function of frequency for a given reflection coefficient between the silicon substrate and the photoresist. The characteristics of some nanocomposites made with SU-8 and various concentrations of nanoparticles like Ti0{sub 2}, SrTiO{sub 3} or W have been determined.

  19. Fabrication of raised and inverted SU8 polymer waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Anthony S.; Mitchell, Arnan; Balkunje, Vishal S.; Austin, Mike W.; Raghunathan, Mukund K.

    2005-01-01

    Polymer films with high optical transmission have been investigated for making optical devices for several years. SU8 photoresist and optical adhesives have been investigated for use as thin films for optical devices, not what they were originally designed for. Optical adhesives are typically a one component thermoset polymer and are convenient to use for making thin film optical devices such as waveguides. They are prepared in minutes as thin films unlike SU8, which has to be carefully thermally cured over several hours for optimum results. However SU8 can be accurately patterned to form the geometry of structures required for single mode optical waveguides. SU8 in combination with the lower refractive index optical adhesive films such as UV15 from Master Bond are used to form single and multi mode waveguides. SU8 is photopatternable but we have also used dry etching of the SU8 layer or the other polymer layers e.g. UV15 to form the ribs, ridges or trenches required to guide single modes of light. Optical waveguides were also fabricated using only optical adhesives of different refractive indices. The resolution obtainable is poorer than with SU8 and hence multi mode waveguides are obtained. Loss measurements have been obtained for waveguides of different geometries and material combinations. The process for making polymer waveguides is demonstrated for making large multi mode waveguides and microfluidic channels by scaling the process up in size.

  20. Dominant negative RPW8.2 fusion proteins reveal the importance of haustorium-oriented protein trafficking for resistance against powdery mildew in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qiong; Berkey, Robert; Pan, Zhiyong; Wang, Wenming; Zhang, Yi; Ma, Xianfeng; King, Harlan; Xiao, Shunyuan

    2015-01-01

    Powdery mildew fungi form feeding structures called haustoria inside epidermal cells of host plants to extract photosynthates for their epiphytic growth and reproduction. The haustorium is encased by an interfacial membrane termed the extrahaustorial membrane (EHM). The atypical resistance protein RPW8.2 from Arabidopsis is specifically targeted to the EHM where RPW8.2 activates haustorium-targeted (thus broad-spectrum) resistance against powdery mildew fungi. EHM-specific localization of RPW8.2 suggests the existence of an EHM-oriented protein/membrane trafficking pathway during EHM biogenesis. However, the importance of this specific trafficking pathway for host defense has not been evaluated via a genetic approach without affecting other trafficking pathways. Here, we report that expression of EHM-oriented, nonfunctional RPW8.2 chimeric proteins exerts dominant negative effect over functional RPW8.2 and potentially over other EHM-localized defense proteins, thereby compromising both RPW8.2-mediated and basal resistance to powdery mildew. Thus, our results highlight the importance of the EHM-oriented protein/membrane trafficking pathway for host resistance against haustorium-forming pathogens such as powdery mildew fungi.

  1. Deep proton writing of high aspect ratio SU-8 micro-pillars on glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ebraert, Evert, E-mail: eebraert@b-phot.org; Rwamucyo, Ben; Thienpont, Hugo; Van Erps, Jürgen

    2016-12-15

    Deep proton writing (DPW) is a fabrication technology developed for the rapid prototyping of polymer micro-structures. We use SU-8, a negative resist, spincoated in a layer up to 720 μm-thick in a single step on borosilicate glass, for irradiation with a collimated 12 MeV energy proton beam. Micro-pillars with a slightly conical profile are irradiated in the SU-8 layer. We determine the optimal proton fluence to be 1.02 × 10{sup 4} μm{sup −2}, with which we are able to repeatably achieve micro-pillars with a top-diameter of 138 ± 1 μm and a bottom-diameter of 151 ± 3 μm. The smallest fabricated pillars have a top-diameter of 57 ± 5 μm. We achieved a root-mean-square sidewall surface roughness between 19 nm and 35 nm for the fabricated micro-pillars, measured over an area of 5 × 63.7 μm. We briefly discuss initial testing of two potential applications of the fabricated micro-pillars. Using ∼100 μm-diameter pillars as waveguides for gigascale integration optical interconnect applications, has shown a 4.7 dB improvement in optical multimode fiber-to-fiber coupling as compared to the case where an air–gap is present between the fibers at the telecom wavelength of 1550 nm. The ∼140 μm-diameter pillars were used for mold fabrication with silicone casting. The resulting mold can be used for hydrogel casting, to obtain hydrogel replicas mimicking human tissue for in vitro bio-chemical applications.

  2. Functionalized SU-8 patterned with X-ray Lithography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balslev, Søren; Romanato, F.

    2005-01-01

    spontaneous emission light source that couples out light normal to the chip plane. In addition we examine the influence of the x-ray irradiation on the fluorescence of thin films of dye doped SU-8. The dye embedded in the SU-8 is optically excited during, characterization by an external light source tuned......In this work we demonstrate the feasibility of x-ray lithography on SU-8 photoresist doped with the laser dye Rhodamine 6G, while retaining the photoactive properties of the embedded dye. Two kinds of structures are fabricated via soft x-ray lithography and characterized: a laser and in amplified...

  3. Use of SU8 as a stable and biocompatible adhesion layer for gold bioelectrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matarèse, Bruno F E; Feyen, Paul L C; Falco, Aniello; Benfenati, Fabio; Lugli, Paolo; deMello, John C

    2018-04-03

    Gold is the most widely used electrode material for bioelectronic applications due to its high electrical conductivity, good chemical stability and proven biocompatibility. However, it adheres only weakly to widely used substrate materials such as glass and silicon oxide, typically requiring the use of a thin layer of chromium between the substrate and the metal to achieve adequate adhesion. Unfortunately, this approach can reduce biocompatibility relative to pure gold films due to the risk of the underlying layer of chromium becoming exposed. Here we report on an alternative adhesion layer for gold and other metals formed from a thin layer of the negative-tone photoresist SU-8, which we find to be significantly less cytotoxic than chromium, being broadly comparable to bare glass in terms of its biocompatibility. Various treatment protocols for SU-8 were investigated, with a view to attaining high transparency and good mechanical and biochemical stability. Thermal annealing to induce partial cross-linking of the SU-8 film prior to gold deposition, with further annealing after deposition to complete cross-linking, was found to yield the best electrode properties. The optimized glass/SU8-Au electrodes were highly transparent, resilient to delamination, stable in biological culture medium, and exhibited similar biocompatibility to glass.

  4. Chemical synthesis on SU-8

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qvortrup, Katrine; Taveras, Kennedy; Thastrup, Ole

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we describe a highly effective surface modification of SU-8 microparticles, the attachment of appropriate linkers for solid-supported synthesis, and the successful chemical modification of these particles via controlled multi-step organic synthesis leading to molecules attached...

  5. Symmetry hierarchies and radiative corrections in the grand unified model SU(8)/sub L/ x SU(8)/sub R/

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirogov, Y.F.

    1982-01-01

    In the SU(8)/sub L/ x SU(8)/sub R/ model of precocious chiral unification, radiative corrections for the effective parameters sin 2 theta/sub W/(μ) and α(μ) are calculated in the one-loop approximation, neglecting contributions of the Higgs fields, and the unification mass M 8 is determined in the presence of a hierarchy of intermediate symmetries. It is shown that a natural hierarchy exists which leads to a decrease in sin 2 theta/sub W/(M/sub W/L) down to the value sin 2 theta/sub W/ = (1/5)--(1/4) together with a decrease in M 8 down to M 8 = 10 6 --10 7 GeV in comparison with the values in the absence of a hierarchy

  6. On symmetry hierarchy and radiative corrections in the grand unified model SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirogov, Yu.F.

    1982-01-01

    In the model of precocious chiral unification SU(8)sub(L)xSU(8)sub(R) radiative corrections are calculated for the effective parameters sin 2 thetaw(μ) and α(μ) and the unification mass M 8 is determifed in presence of a hierarchy of intermediate symmetries. The one-loop approximation is used and contributions from the Higgs fields are neglected. It is shown that a natural hierarchy exists leading to a decrease of sinsup(2)thetasub(w)(Msub(wsub(L))) up to sinsup(2)thetasub(w)=1/5-1/4 together with a decrease of M 8 up to M 8 =10 6 -10 7 GeV, as compared with the magnitudes without the hierarchy [ru

  7. SU-8 cantilever chip interconnection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Alicia Charlotte; Janting, Jakob; Schultz, Peter

    2006-01-01

    The polymer SU-8 is becoming widely used for all kinds of micromechanical and microfluidic devices, not only as a photoresist but also as the constitutional material of the devices. Many of these polymeric devices need to include a microfluidic system as well as electrical connection from the ele...

  8. SU-8 Photolithography as a Toolbox for Carbon MEMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The use of SU-8 as precursor for glass-like carbon, or glassy carbon, is presented here. SU-8 carbonizes when subject to high temperature under inert atmosphere. Although epoxy-based precursors can be patterned in a variety of ways, photolithography is chosen due to its resolution and reproducibility. Here, a number of improvements to traditional photolithography are introduced to increase the versatility of the process. The shrinkage of SU-8 during carbonization is then detailed as one of the guidelines necessary to design carbon patterns. A couple of applications—(1 carbon-electrode dielectrophoresis for bioparticle manipulation; and (2 the use of carbon structures as micro-molds are also presented.

  9. 3-dimensional free standing micro-structures by proton beam writing of Su 8-silver nanoParticle polymeric composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igbenehi, H.; Jiguet, S.

    2012-09-01

    Proton beam lithography a maskless direct-write lithographic technique (well suited for producing 3-Dimensional microstructures in a range of resist and semiconductor materials) is demonstrated as an effective tool in the creation of electrically conductive freestanding micro-structures in an Su 8 + Nano Silver polymer composite. The structures produced show non-ohmic conductivity and fit the percolation theory conduction model of tunneling of separated nanoparticles. Measurements show threshold switching and a change in conductivity of at least 4 orders of magnitude. The predictable range of protons in materials at a given energy is exploited in the creation of high aspect ratio, free standing micro-structures, made from a commercially available SU8 Silver nano-composite (GMC3060 form Gersteltec Inc. a negative tone photo-epoxy with added metallic nano-particles(Silver)) to create films with enhanced electrical properties when exposed and cured. Nano-composite films are directly written on with a finely focused MeV accelerated Proton particle beam. The energy loss of the incident proton beams in the target polymer nano- composite film is concentrated at the end of its range, where damage occurs; changing the chemistry of the nano-composite film via an acid initiated polymerization - creating conduction paths. Changing the energy of the incident beams provide exposed regions with different penetration and damage depth - exploited in the demonstrated cantilever microstructure.

  10. Investigation of the bond strength between the photo-sensitive polymer SU-8 and gold

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordström, Maria; Johansson, Alicia; Sánchez Noguerón, E.

    2005-01-01

    adhesion promotors between the SU-8 and Au; (ii) the influence of the processing sequence, keeping either Au or SU-8 as the bottom layer; (iii) the importance of the UV exposure dosage of the SU-8. For comparison, also the bond strength between SU-8 and other materials was measured. For SU-8 and Au without...

  11. Development of untethered SU-8 polymer scratch drive microrobots

    KAUST Repository

    Valencia Garcia, Manuel; Atallah, Tarek Nabil; Castro, David; Conchouso Gonzalez, David; Al Dosari, Mishari Ibraheem; Hammad, Rafat; Al Rawashdeh, Ehab Jamal; Zaher, Amir Omar; Kosel, Jü rgen; Foulds, Ian G.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication and testing of novel, untethered SU-8 polymer microrobots based on scratch drive actuators (SDAs). The design consists of two 100×120×10μm linked SDAs, individually operated close to their resonant frequencies. The resonant frequency and deflection behavior of an individual SDA can be controlled by its shape, thickness, and stiffening design features. As a result, paired SDAs can be actuated individually or simultaneously by a multifrequency driving signal, allowing for two-dimensional displacement. The fabrication process uses SU-8 as structural material and PMGI as sacrificial material. The SU-8 provides a flexible material for the SDA's plates as well as the bushing. Finally, a Cr/Au layer is blanket deposited to provide electrical conductivity.

  12. Drug-resistant gram-negative uropathogens: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoshnood, Saeed; Heidary, Mohsen; Mirnejad, Reza; Bahramian, Aghil; Sedighi, Mansour; Mirzaei, Habibollah

    2017-10-01

    Urinary tract infection(UTI) caused by Gram-negative bacteria is the second most common infectious presentation in community medical practice. Approximately 150 million people are diagnosed with UTI each year worldwide. Drug resistance in Gram-negative uropathogens is a major global concern which can lead to poor clinical outcomes including treatment failure, development of bacteremia, requirement for intravenous therapy, hospitalization, and extended length of hospital stay. The mechanisms of drug resistance in these bacteria are important due to they are often not identified by routine susceptibility tests and have an exceptional potential for outbreaks. Treatment of UTIs depends on the access to effective drugs, which is now threatened by antibiotic resistant Gram-negative uropathogens. Although several effective antibiotics with activity against highly resistant Gram-negatives are available, there is not a unique antibiotic with activity against the high variety of resistance. Therefore, antimicrobial susceptibility tests, correlation between clinicians and laboratories, development of more rapid diagnostic methods, and continuous monitoring of drug resistance are urgent priorities. In this review, we will discuss about the current global status of drug-resistant Gram-negative uropathogens and their mechanisms of drug resistance to provide new insights into their treatment options. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Urine suPAR levels compared with plasma suPAR levels as predictors of post-consultation mortality risk among individuals assumed to be TB-negative: a prospective cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rabna, Paulo; Andersen, Andreas; Wejse, Christian

    2010-01-01

    -suPAR was measured using a commercial ELISA (suPARnostic®). We found that U-suPAR carried significant prognostic information on mortality for HIV-infected subjects with an area under the ROC curve of 0.75. For HIV-negative individuals, little or no prognostic effect was observed. However, in both HIV positives...... and negatives, the predictive effect of U-suPAR was found to be inferior to that of P-suPAR....

  14. Superconductive microstrip exhibiting negative differential resistivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huebener, R.P.; Gallus, D.E.

    1975-01-01

    A device capable of exhibiting negative differential electrical resistivity over a range of values of current and voltage is formed by vapor-depositing a thin layer of a material capable of exhibiting superconductivity on an insulating substrate, establishing electrical connections at opposite ends of the deposited strip, and cooling the alloy into its superconducting range. The device will exhibit negative differential resistivity when biased in the current-induced resistive state

  15. Photochemical modification and patterning of SU-8 using Anthraquinone photolinkers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blagoi, Gabriela; Keller, Stephan Urs; Persson, Karl Fredrik

    2008-01-01

    -dimensional patterns on a Novolac A derivative polymer (SU-8) and, subsequently, their functionalization with biomolecules. Anthraquinone (AQ) derivatives are used to chemically modify and pattern SU-8 surfaces. Features as small as 20 μm are obtained when using uncollimated light. The X−Y spatial resolution...

  16. SU-8 Composite Based “Lube-tape” for a Wide Range of Tribological Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabakaran Saravanan

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available In a previous work, we have developed a perflouropolyether (PFPE lubricant droplet-filled SU-8 composite which promotes bonding between the molecules of SU-8 and PFPE and provides excellent boundary lubrication. The SU-8 + PFPE composite has enhanced the wear durability of SU-8 by more than four orders of magnitude. In this work, the same SU-8 + PFPE composite was used to fabricate a stand-alone laminate film called “Lube-tape”. It has integrated two layers of approximately 90 microns thickness each; the top layer is made of SU-8 + PFPE composite and the bottom layer of pristine SU-8. Thus, a single tape can have drastically contrasting high friction and low friction properties on its two surfaces. The composite side has the initial coefficient of friction ~7 times lower and the wear life more than four orders of magnitude than those of the pristine SU-8 side. This lube tape can be used on any load bearing surface to improve the tribological performance by simply pasting the pristine SU-8 side onto the substrate.

  17. Fabricating microfluidic valve master molds in SU-8 photoresist

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dy, Aaron J.; Cosmanescu, Alin; Sluka, James; Glazier, James A.; Stupack, Dwayne; Amarie, Dragos

    2014-05-01

    Multilayer soft lithography has become a powerful tool in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, material and life sciences, and medical research. Complex fluidic micro-circuits require reliable components that integrate easily into microchips. We introduce two novel approaches to master mold fabrication for constructing in-line micro-valves using SU-8. Our fabrication techniques enable robust and versatile integration of many lab-on-a-chip functions including filters, mixers, pumps, stream focusing and cell-culture chambers, with in-line valves. SU-8 created more robust valve master molds than the conventional positive photoresists used in multilayer soft lithography, but maintained the advantages of biocompatibility and rapid prototyping. As an example, we used valve master molds made of SU-8 to fabricate PDMS chips capable of precisely controlling beads or cells in solution.

  18. Development of untethered SU-8 polymer scratch drive microrobots

    KAUST Repository

    Valencia Garcia, Manuel

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication and testing of novel, untethered SU-8 polymer microrobots based on scratch drive actuators (SDAs). The design consists of two 100×120×10μm linked SDAs, individually operated close to their resonant frequencies. The resonant frequency and deflection behavior of an individual SDA can be controlled by its shape, thickness, and stiffening design features. As a result, paired SDAs can be actuated individually or simultaneously by a multifrequency driving signal, allowing for two-dimensional displacement. The fabrication process uses SU-8 as structural material and PMGI as sacrificial material. The SU-8 provides a flexible material for the SDA\\'s plates as well as the bushing. Finally, a Cr/Au layer is blanket deposited to provide electrical conductivity.

  19. Fabricating microfluidic valve master molds in SU-8 photoresist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dy, Aaron J; Cosmanescu, Alin; Sluka, James; Glazier, James A; Amarie, Dragos; Stupack, Dwayne

    2014-01-01

    Multilayer soft lithography has become a powerful tool in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, material and life sciences, and medical research. Complex fluidic micro-circuits require reliable components that integrate easily into microchips. We introduce two novel approaches to master mold fabrication for constructing in-line micro-valves using SU-8. Our fabrication techniques enable robust and versatile integration of many lab-on-a-chip functions including filters, mixers, pumps, stream focusing and cell-culture chambers, with in-line valves. SU-8 created more robust valve master molds than the conventional positive photoresists used in multilayer soft lithography, but maintained the advantages of biocompatibility and rapid prototyping. As an example, we used valve master molds made of SU-8 to fabricate PDMS chips capable of precisely controlling beads or cells in solution. (technical note)

  20. Effects of temperature on mechanical properties of SU-8 photoresist material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung, Soon Wan; Park, Seung Bae [State University of New York, New York (United States)

    2013-09-15

    A representative fabrication processing of SU-8 photoresist, Ultraviolet (UV) lithography is usually composed of spin coat, soft bake, UV exposure, post exposure bake (PEB), development and optional hard bake, etc. The exposed region of SU-8 is crosslinked during the PEB process and its physical properties highly depend on UV exposure and PEB condition. This work was initiated to investigate if thermal baking after fabrication can affect the mechanical properties of SU-8 photoresist material because SU-8 is trying to be used as a structural material for MEMS operated at high temperature. Since a temperature of 95 .deg. C is normally recommended for PEB process, elevated temperatures up to 200 .deg. C were considered for the optional hard bake process. The viscoelastic material properties were measured by dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA). Also, pulling tests were performed to obtain Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio as a function of strain rate in a wide temperature range. From this study, the effects of temperature on the elastic and viscoelastic material properties of SU-8 were obtained.

  1. Effects of temperature on mechanical properties of SU-8 photoresist material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Soon Wan; Park, Seung Bae

    2013-01-01

    A representative fabrication processing of SU-8 photoresist, Ultraviolet (UV) lithography is usually composed of spin coat, soft bake, UV exposure, post exposure bake (PEB), development and optional hard bake, etc. The exposed region of SU-8 is crosslinked during the PEB process and its physical properties highly depend on UV exposure and PEB condition. This work was initiated to investigate if thermal baking after fabrication can affect the mechanical properties of SU-8 photoresist material because SU-8 is trying to be used as a structural material for MEMS operated at high temperature. Since a temperature of 95 .deg. C is normally recommended for PEB process, elevated temperatures up to 200 .deg. C were considered for the optional hard bake process. The viscoelastic material properties were measured by dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA). Also, pulling tests were performed to obtain Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio as a function of strain rate in a wide temperature range. From this study, the effects of temperature on the elastic and viscoelastic material properties of SU-8 were obtained.

  2. Proton beam writing on PMMA and SU-8 films as a tool for development of micro-structures for organic electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarkar, Mihir, E-mail: mihirs@iitk.ac.in [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Shukla, Neeraj; Banerji, Nobin [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Mohapatra, Y.N. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Materials Science Programme, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Samtel Center for Display Technologies, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

    2012-02-15

    Proton beam writing is a maskless lithographic technique for the fabrication of 3D micro and nano structures in polymers. The fabricated structures find application in micro fluidics, optics, biosensors, etc. We use proton beam writing for micro-patterning in polymers which will facilitate fabrication of test structures for micro-components of micro-fluidic devices, organic thin film transistors (OTFT) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED). In this paper we report fabrication of varying width micro channels in PMMA and SU-8 films used as positive and negative resists respectively. The patterns were written using 2 MeV proton beam focused down to around 1 micron. We have achieved clean periodic micro-channels of width varying from few micrometers to wider ones in both the resists. Being a mask less lithography it provides an efficient way of reducing turnaround time for test structures with several channel widths and patterns being conveniently written at the same development cycle. Possible applications of the patterned structures in OLED/TFT are discussed. Additional structures like checkered board are also fabricated. Optimized fluence for both the resist has been determined.

  3. Investigation of the bond strength between the photo-sensitive polymer SU-8 and Au

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordstrom, Maria; Johansson, Alicia; Sanches-Noguerón, E.

    2004-01-01

    promotors between the SU-8 and Au (ii) the effect of the processing sequence, either keeping SU-8 as bottum layer or Au (iii) varying the UV exposure dosage of the SU-8. For comparison, also the bond strength between SU-8 and other materials was measured. We report on bond strength of 4.8 +/- 1.2 MPa...

  4. SU-8 Guiding Layer for Love Wave Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael I. Newton

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available SU-8 is a technologically important photoresist used extensively for thefabrication of microfluidics and MEMS, allowing high aspect ratio structures to beproduced. In this work we report the use of SU-8 as a Love wave sensor guiding layerwhich allows the possibility of integrating a guiding layer with flow cell during fabrication.Devices were fabricated on ST-cut quartz substrates with a single-single finger design suchthat a surface skimming bulk wave (SSBW at 97.4 MHz was excited. SU-8 polymer layerswere successively built up by spin coating and spectra recorded at each stage; showing afrequency decrease with increasing guiding layer thickness. The insertion loss andfrequency dependence as a function of guiding layer thickness was investigated over thefirst Love wave mode. Mass loading sensitivity of the resultant Love wave devices wasinvestigated by deposition of multiple gold layers. Liquid sensing using these devices wasalso demonstrated; water-glycerol mixtures were used to demonstrate sensing of density-viscosity and the physical adsorption and removal of protein was also assessed usingalbumin and fibrinogen as model proteins.

  5. Effects of design geometry on SU8 polymer waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Anthony S.; Balkunje, Vishal S.; Mitchell, Arnan; Austin, Michael W.; Raghunathan, Mukund K.; Kostovski, Gorgi

    2005-02-01

    The spin-on photoresist SU8 from MicroChem has a relatively high refractive index (n=1.57 at 1550nm) compared with other polymers. It is stable and has high optical transmission at optical communication wavelengths. In this paper we study rib waveguides fabricated using SU8 as the core layer and thermoset polymers UV15 (n=1.50 at 1550nm) from Master Bond and NOA61 (n=1.54 at 1550nm) from Gentec as the cladding layers. The rib height is varied from 0.3 to 1.7μm high. This is part of the SU8 layer sandwiched between the cladding layers. The waveguides are tested to determine the effects of varying this geometry for single mode optical transmission. The lengths of the waveguides were 1.5 cm to 5 cm.

  6. A Review on Surface Stress-Based Miniaturized Piezoresistive SU-8 Polymeric Cantilever Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Ribu; Ravi Sankar, A.

    2018-06-01

    In the last decade, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with piezoresistive readout combined with the advances in molecular recognition techniques have found versatile applications, especially in the field of chemical and biological sensing. Compared to conventional solid-state semiconductor-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors, SU-8 polymeric cantilevers have advantages in terms of better sensitivity along with reduced material and fabrication cost. In recent times, numerous researchers have investigated their potential as a sensing platform due to high performance-to-cost ratio of SU-8 polymer-based cantilever sensors. In this article, we critically review the design, fabrication, and performance aspects of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors. The evolution of surface stress-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors from solid-state semiconductor materials to polymers, especially SU-8 polymer, is discussed in detail. Theoretical principles of surface stress generation and their application in cantilever sensing technology are also devised. Variants of SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with different composition of materials in cantilever stacks are explained. Furthermore, the interdependence of the material selection, geometrical design parameters, and fabrication process of piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors and their cumulative impact on the sensor response are also explained in detail. In addition to the design-, fabrication-, and performance-related factors, this article also describes various challenges in engineering SU-8 polymeric cantilevers as a universal sensing platform such as temperature and moisture vulnerability. This review article would serve as a guideline for researchers to understand specifics and functionality of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 cantilever sensors.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  7. Optimized plasma-deposited fluorocarbon coating for dry release and passivation of thin SU-8 cantilevers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keller, Stephan Urs; Häfliger, Daniel; Boisen, Anja

    2008-01-01

    during fluorocarbon deposition, the surface free energy of the coating can be tuned to allow for uniform wetting during spin coating of arbitrary thin SU-8 films. Further, they define an optimal pressure regime for the release of thin polymer structures at high yield. They demonstrate the successful......Plasma-deposited fluorocarbon coatings are introduced as a convenient method for the dry release of polymer structures. In this method, the passivation process in a deep reactive ion etch reactor was used to deposit hydrophobic fluorocarbon films. Standard photolithography with the negative epoxy......-based photoresist SU-8 was used to fabricate polymer structures such as cantilevers and membranes on top of the nonadhesive release layer. The authors identify the plasma density as the main parameter determining the surface properties of the deposited fluorocarbon films. They show that by modifying the pressure...

  8. Investigation on the mechanism of nitrogen plasma modified PDMS bonding with SU-8

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Chengxin; Yuan, Yong J., E-mail: yongyuan@swjtu.edu.cn

    2016-02-28

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Different nitrogen plasma processes modified PDMS bonding with SU-8 had been studied. • The effect of nitrogen plasma modification would produce the best result and the recovery of PDMS hydrophobicity could be delayed. - Abstract: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and SU-8 are both widely used for microfluidic system. However, it is difficult to permanently seal SU-8 microfluidic channels using PDMS with conventional methods. Previous efforts of combining these two materials mainly employed oxygen plasma modified PDMS. The nitrogen plasma modification of PDMS bonding with SU-8 is rarely studied in recent years. In this work, the mechanism of nitrogen plasma modified PDMS bonding with SU-8 was investigated. The fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle of a water droplet were used to analyze the nitrogen plasma modified surface and the hydrophilic stability of PDMS samples. Pull-off tests were used for estimating the bonding effect of interface between nitrogen plasma modified PDMS and SU-8.

  9. SU-8 micropatterning for microfluidic droplet and microparticle focusing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Debuisson, Damien; Senez, Vincent; Arscott, Steve

    2011-01-01

    We demonstrate micropatterned surfaces consisting of concentric circles and spirals which can focus an evaporating sessile droplet to a specific location on a surface. We also study the micropattern geometry to focus microparticles contained within the droplet. The micropatterned surfaces are fabricated using the photoresist SU-8. Our process enables the modification of the surface wetting via the formation of smooth trench-like defects in the SU-8 which define the micropatterns; the geometry of these micropatterns determines the droplet/microparticle focusing. It is clearly shown that the introduction of small gaps into the micropatterns promotes microparticle centring due to the modification of the depinning angle of the droplet. We also show that the use of spiral micropatterns promotes microparticle centring. Finally, microparticle focusing can be enhanced by modification of surface wetting via the addition of a thin fluorocarbon hydrophobic layer onto the SU-8

  10. Antibiotic-Resistant Gram Negative Bacilli in Meals Delivered at a General Hospital, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Rosa Anna Plano

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at detecting the presence of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negatives in samples of meals delivered at the University General Hospital of Palermo, Italy. Antibiotic resistant Gram negatives were isolated in July—September 2007 ffrom cold dishes and food contact surfaces and utensils. Bacterial strains were submitted to susceptibility test and subtyped by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD. Forty-six of 55 (83.6% food samples and 14 of 17 (82.3% environmental swabs were culture positive for Gram negative bacilli resistant to at least one group of antibacterial drugs. A total of 134 antibiotic resistant strains, 51 fermenters and 83 non-fermenters, were recovered. Fermenters and non-fermenters showed frequencies as high as 97.8% of resistance to two or more groups of antibiotics and non fermenters were 28.9% resistant to more than three groups. Molecular typing detected 34 different profiles among the fermenters and 68 among the non-fermenters. Antibiotic resistance was very common among both fermenters and non-fermenters. However, the wide heterogeneity of RAPD patterns seems to support a prominent role of cross-contamination rather than a clonal expansion of a few resistant isolates. A contribution of commensal Gram negatives colonizing foods to a common bacterial resistance pool should not been overlooked.

  11. Antibiotic-resistant gram negative bacilli in meals delivered at a general hospital, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plano, Maria Rosa Anna; Di Noto, Anna Maria; Firenze, Alberto; Sciortino, Sonia; Mammina, Caterina

    2009-01-01

    This study aimed at detecting the presence of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negatives in samples of meals delivered at the University General Hospital of Palermo, Italy. Antibiotic resistant Gram negatives were isolated in July-September 2007 ffrom cold dishes and food contact surfaces and utensils. Bacterial strains were submitted to susceptibility test and subtyped by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Forty-six of 55 (83.6%) food samples and 14 of 17 (82.3%) environmental swabs were culture positive for Gram negative bacilli resistant to at least one group of antibacterial drugs. A total of 134 antibiotic resistant strains, 51 fermenters and 83 non-fermenters, were recovered. Fermenters and non-fermenters showed frequencies as high as 97.8% of resistance to two or more groups of antibiotics and non fermenters were 28.9% resistant to more than three groups. Molecular typing detected 34 different profiles among the fermenters and 68 among the non-fermenters. Antibiotic resistance was very common among both fermenters and non-fermenters. However, the wide heterogeneity of RAPD patterns seems to support a prominent role of cross-contamination rather than a clonal expansion of a few resistant isolates. A contribution of commensal Gram negatives colonizing foods to a common bacterial resistance pool should not been overlooked.

  12. The core of Francisco Suárez’s doctrine about resistance and tyrannicide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Font Oporto

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article tries to resume the exposition of Francisco Suárez about the problem of the resistance to the tyrant and its interpretation in the scientific doctrine. Suárez distinguishes betweentwo kinds of tyrants: the bad ruler and the usurper. The first only can be murdered in self-defense ofproper life or community; the second can be murdered by any person member of the community, on several conditions. Suárez is criticized because the only limits he establishes to political power are resistance and tyrannicide. However, these mean a democratic control really and physically possible inthe sociopolitical reality of his days.

  13. A study of gram-negative bacterial resistance to Aminoglycosides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maleknejad P

    1993-05-01

    Full Text Available From hygienic and economical point of view, drug therapy and prophylaxy in infectious diseases are of great importance. After the world war II, a reduction in the efficacy of sulfonamide in the treatment of shigellosis was observed and later on it led to a survey on drug resistance and the way of its transmission. The aim of this survey, during which 100 cases of gram-negative bacteria were identified, is to study the drug resistance of this bacteria against five types of aminoglycosides by antibiotic sensitivity test (disc-diffusion. Out of 100 strains, 47% were resistant to gentamycin, 70% to kanamycin, 82% to streptomycin, 53% to tobramycin, and 8% to amikacin

  14. PDMS as a sacrificial substrate for SU-8-based biomedical and microfluidic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Jasbir N; Kaminska, Bozena; Gray, Bonnie L; Gates, Byron D

    2008-01-01

    We describe a new fabrication process utilizing polydimethylesiloxane (PDMS) as a sacrificial substrate layer for fabricating free-standing SU-8-based biomedical and microfluidic devices. The PDMS-on-glass substrate permits SU-8 photo patterning and layer-to-layer bonding. We have developed a novel PDMS-based process which allows the SU-8 structures to be easily peeled off from the substrate after complete fabrication. As an example, a fully enclosed microfluidic chip has been successfully fabricated utilizing the presented new process. The enclosed microfluidic chip uses adhesive bonding technology and the SU-8 layers from 10 µm to 450 µm thick for fully enclosed microchannels. SU-8 layers as large as the glass substrate are successfully fabricated and peeled off from the PDMS layer as single continuous sheets. The fabrication results are supported by optical microscopy and profilometry. The peel-off force for the 120 µm thick SU-8-based chips is measured using a voice coil actuator (VCA). As an additional benefit the release step leaves the input and the output of the microchannels accessible to the outside world facilitating interconnecting to the external devices

  15. MWP phase shifters integrated in PbS-SU8 waveguides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hervás, Javier; Suárez, Isaac; Pérez, Joaquín; Cantó, Pedro J Rodríguez; Abargues, Rafael; Martínez-Pastor, Juan P; Sales, Salvador; Capmany, José

    2015-06-01

    We present new kind of microwave phase shifters (MPS) based on dispersion of PbS colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in commercially available photoresist SU8 after a ligand exchange process. Ridge PbS-SU8 waveguides are implemented by integration of the nanocomposite in a silicon platform. When these waveguides are pumped at wavelengths below the band-gap of the PbS QDs, a phase shift in an optically conveyed (at 1550 nm) microwave signal is produced. The strong light confinement produced in the ridge waveguides allows an improvement of the phase shift as compared to the case of planar structures. Moreover, a novel ridge bilayer waveguide composed by a PbS-SU8 nanocomposite and a SU8 passive layer is proposed to decrease the propagation losses of the pump beam and in consequence to improve the microwave phase shift up to 36.5° at 25 GHz. Experimental results are reproduced by a theoretical model based on the slow light effect produced in a semiconductor waveguide due to the coherent population oscillations. The resulting device shows potential benefits respect to the current MPS technologies since it allows a fast tunability of the phase shift and a high level of integration due to its small size.

  16. Micro-scale metallization on flexible polyimide substrate by Cu electroplating using SU-8 photoresist mask

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, S.H.; Kim, S.H.; Lee, N.-E.; Kim, H.M.; Nam, Y.W.

    2005-01-01

    Technologies for flexible electronics have been developed to make electronic or microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices on inexpensive and flexible organic substrates. In order to fabricate the interconnect lines between device elements or layers in flexible electronic devices, metallization on the flexible substrate is essential. In this case, the width and conductivity of metallization line are very important for minimizing the size of device. Therefore, the realization of metallization process with the scale of a few micrometers on the flexible substrate is required. In this work, micro-scale metallization lines of Cu were fabricated on the flexible substrate by electroplating using the patterned mask of a negative-tone SU-8 photoresist. Polyimide surface was treated by O 2 /Ar atmospheric plasma for the improvement in adhesion between Cr layer and polyimide and in situ sputter deposition of 100-nm-thick Cu seed layers on the sputter-deposited 50-nm-thick Cr adhesion layer was followed. SU-8 photoresist was spin-coated and patterned by photolithography. Electroplating of Cu line, removal of SU-8, and selective wet etch of Cr adhesion and Cu seed layers were carried out. Gap between the Cu lines was successfully filled by spin-coating of polyimide. Micro-scale Cu metal lines with gap filling on the polyimide substrate with a thickness of 6-12 μm and an aspect ratio of 1-3 were successfully fabricated

  17. Novel SU-8/Ionic Liquid Composite for Tribological Coatings and MEMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leili Batooli

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Tribology of SU-8 polymer is increasingly relevant due to bursting use of this material in a variety of applications. This study is directed towards introduction and investigation of a novel self-lubricating composite of an ionic liquid (IL in SU-8. The new material can be utilized for fabrication of lubricating polymer coating with tunable surface properties or SU8-made elements for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS with enhanced tribological performance. It is shown that addition of IL drastically alters water affinity of the composite while UV patternability remains unmodified. A lower coefficient of friction and wear has been obtained for two investigated compositions with 4 and 10 wt % ionic liquid.

  18. In situ SU-8 silver nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Søren V. Fischer

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Nanocomposite materials containing metal nanoparticles are of considerable interest in photonics and optoelectronics applications. However, device fabrication of such materials always encounters the challenge of incorporation of preformed nanoparticles into photoresist materials. As a solution to this problem, an easy new method of fabricating silver nanocomposites by an in situ reduction of precursors within the epoxy-based photoresist SU-8 has been developed. AgNO3 dissolved in acetonitrile and mixed with the epoxy-based photoresist SU-8 forms silver nanoparticles primarily during the pre- and post-exposure soft bake steps at 95 °C. A further high-temperature treatment at 300 °C resulted in the formation of densely homogeneously distributed silver nanoparticles in the photoresist matrix. No particle growth or agglomeration of nanoparticles is observed at this point. The reported new in situ silver nanocomposite materials can be spin coated as homogeneous thin films and structured by using UV lithography. A resolution of 5 µm is achieved in the lithographic process. The UV exposure time is found to be independent of the nanoparticle concentration. The fabricated silver nanocomposites exhibit high plasmonic responses suitable for the development of new optoelectronic and optical sensing devices.

  19. A Simple Hydrophilic Treatment of SU-8 Surfaces for Cell Culturing and Cell Patterning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Zhenyu; Stangegaard, Michael; Dufva, Hans Martin

    2005-01-01

    SU-8, an epoxy-based photoresist, widely used in constitution different mTAS systems, is incompatible with mammalian cell adhesion and culture in its native form. Here, we demonstrate a simple, cheap and robust two-step method to render a SU-8 surface hydrophilic and compatible with cell culture........ The contact angle of SU-8 surface was significantly reduced from 90° to 25° after the surface modification. The treated SU-8 surfaces provided a cell culture environment that was comparable with cell culture flask surface in terms of generation time and morphology....

  20. SU-8 as a Material for Microfabricated Particle Physics Detectors

    CERN Document Server

    Maoddi, Pietro; Jiguet, Sebastien; Renaud, Philippe

    2014-01-01

    Several recent detector te chnologies developed for particle physics applications are based on microfabricated structures. Dete ctors built with this approach generally exhibit the overall best performance in te rms of spatial and time resolution. Many properties of the SU-8 photoepoxy make it suitable for the manufacturing of microstructured particle detectors. This arti cle aims to review some emerging detector technologies making use of SU-8 microstructu ring, namely micropatte rn gaseous detectors and microfluidic scintillation detectors. Th e general working principle and main process steps for the fabrication of each device are reported, with a focus on the advantages brought to the device functionality by the us e of SU-8. A novel process based on multiple bonding steps for the fabrication of thin multila yer microfluidic scin tillation detectors developed by the authors is presented. Finally, a brief overview of the applications for the discussed devices is given.

  1. Fabrication of thin SU-8 cantilevers: initial bending, release and time stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keller, Stephan Urs; Haefliger, D.; Boisen, Anja

    2010-01-01

    SU-8 cantilevers with a thickness of 2 mu m were fabricated using a dry release method and two steps of SU-8 photolithography. The processing of the thin SU-8 film defining the cantilevers was experimentally optimized to achieve low initial bending due to residual stress gradients. In parallel......, the rotational deformation at the clamping point allowed a qualitative assessment of the device release from the fluorocarbon-coated substrate. The change of these parameters during several months of storage at ambient temperature was investigated in detail. The introduction of a long hard bake in an oven after...... development of the thin SU-8 film resulted in reduced cantilever bending due to removal of residual stress gradients. Further, improved time-stability of the devices was achieved due to the enhanced cross-linking of the polymer. A post-exposure bake at a temperature T-PEB = 50 degrees C followed by a hard...

  2. Plasma etching of polymers like SU8 and BCB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mischke, Helge; Gruetzner, Gabi; Shaw, Mark

    2003-01-01

    Polymers with high viscosity, like SU8 and BCB, play a dominant role in MEMS application. Their behavior in a well defined etching plasma environment in a RIE mode was investigated. The 40.68 MHz driven bottom electrode generates higher etch rates combined with much lower bias voltages by a factor of ten or a higher efficiency of the plasma with lower damaging of the probe material. The goal was to obtain a well-defined process for the removal and structuring of SU8 and BCB using fluorine/oxygen chemistry, defined using variables like electron density and collision rate. The plasma parameters are measured and varied using a production proven technology called SEERS (Self Excited Electron Resonance Spectroscopy). Depending on application and on Polymer several metals are possible (e.g., gold, aluminum). The characteristic of SU8 and BCB was examined in the case of patterning by dry etching in a CF4/O2 chemistry. Etch profile and etch rate correlate surprisingly well with plasma parameters like electron density and electron collision rate, thus allowing to define to adjust etch structure in situ with the help of plasma parameters.

  3. SU-8 micro Coriolis mass flow sensor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Monge, Rosa; Groenesteijn, Jarno; Alveringh, Dennis; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Lötters, Joost Conrad; Fernandez, Luis J.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This work presents the modelling, design, fabrication and test of the first micro Coriolis mass flow sensor fully fabricated in SU-8 by photolithography processes. The sensor consists of a channel with rectangular cross-section with inner opening of 100 μm × 100 μm and is actuated at

  4. Electrical resistivity in Zr48Nb8Cu12Fe8Be24 glassy and crystallized alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, H. Y.; Tong, C. Z.; Zheng, P.

    2004-02-01

    The electrical resistivity of Zr48Nb8Cu12Fe8Be24 bulk metallic glassy and crystallized alloys in the temperature range of 4.2-293 K is investigated. It is found that the resistivity in glassy and crystallized states shows opposite temperature coefficients. For the metallic glass, the resistivity shows a negative logarithmic dependence at temperatures below 16 K, whereas it has more normal behavior for the crystallized alloy. At higher temperatures, the resistivity in both glassy and crystallized alloys shows dependence upon both T and T2, but the signs of the T and T2 terms are opposite. The results are interpreted in terms of scattering from two-level tunneling states in glasses and the generalized Ziman diffraction model.

  5. A proof of concept of a BioMEMS glucose biosensor using microfabricated SU-8 films

    OpenAIRE

    Psoma, Sotiria D.

    2009-01-01

    The present project investigated and proved the concept of developing a novel BioMEMS glucose micro-biosensor using a simple one-step microfabrication process of the widely used SU-8 polymer. More specifically, the study focused on the investigation of the suitability of the SU-8 polymer as a matrix for enzyme immobilisation that is carried out during the microfabrication process. A comparative study between commercially available SU-8 and “customised” SU-8 solutions showed tha...

  6. Resistance trends in gram-negative bacteria: surveillance results from two Mexican hospitals, 2005–2010

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morfin-Otero Rayo

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hospital-acquired infections caused by multiresistant gram-negative bacteria are difficult to treat and cause high rates of morbidity and mortality. The analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends of gram-negative pathogens isolated from hospital-acquired infections is important for the development of antimicrobial stewardship programs. The information obtained from antimicrobial resistant programs from two hospitals from Mexico will be helpful in the selection of empiric therapy for hospital-acquired gram-negative infections. Findings Two thousand one hundred thirty two gram-negative bacteria collected between January 2005 and December 2010 from hospital-acquired infections occurring in two teaching hospitals in Mexico were evaluated. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated gram-negative bacteria, with >50% of strains resistant to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. Klebsiella spp. showed resistance rates similar to Escherichia coli for ceftazidime (33.1% vs 33.2%, but exhibited lower rates for levofloxacin (18.2% vs 56%. Of the samples collected for the third most common gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, >12.8% were resistant to the carbapenems, imipenem and meropenem. The highest overall resistance was found in Acinetobacter spp. Enterobacter spp. showed high susceptibility to carbapenems. Conclusions E. coli was the most common nosocomial gram-negative bacilli isolated in this study and was found to have the second-highest resistance to fluoroquinolones (>57.9%, after Acinetobacter spp. 81.2%. This finding represents a disturbing development in a common nosocomial and community pathogen.

  7. Effects of post exposure bake temperature and exposure time on SU-8 nanopattern obtained by electron beam lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasui, Manabu; Kazawa, Elito; Kaneko, Satoru; Takahashi, Ryo; Kurouchi, Masahito; Ozawa, Takeshi; Arai, Masahiro

    2014-11-01

    SU-8 is a photoresist imaged using UV rays. However, we investigated the characteristics of an SU-8 nanopattern obtained by electron beam lithography (EBL). In particular, we studied the relationship between post-exposure bake (PEB) temperature and exposure time on an SU-8 nanopattern with a focus on phase transition temperature. SU-8 residue was formed by increasing both PEB temperature and exposure time. To prevent the formation of this, Monte Carlo simulation was performed; the results of such simulation showed that decreasing the thickness of SU-8 can reduce the amount of residue from the SU-8 nanopattern. We confirmed that decreasing the thickness of SU-8 can also prevent the formation of residue from the SU-8 nanopattern with EBL.

  8. A storage-protein marker associated with the suppressor of Pm8 for powdery mildew resistance in wheat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, S X; McIntosh, R A; Sharp, P J; The, T T

    1996-11-01

    A suppressor of resistance to powdery mildew conferred by Pm8 showed complete association with the presence of a storage-protein marker resolved by electrophoresis on SDS-PAGE gels. This marker was identified as the product of the gliadin allele Gli-A1a. The mildewresponse phenotypes of wheats possessing the 1BL.1RS translocation were completely predictable from electrophoretograms. The suppressor, designated SuPm8, was located on chromosome 1AS. It was specific in its suppression of Pm8, and did not affect the rye-derived resistance phenotypes of wheat lines with Pm17, also located in 1RS, or of lines with Pm7.

  9. Partial aphid resistance in lettuce negatively affects parasitoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanteigne, Marie-Eve; Brodeur, Jacques; Jenni, Sylvie; Boivin, Guy

    2014-10-01

    This study investigated the effects of partial plant resistance on the lettuce aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a major pest of cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), and one of its parasitoids, Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Aphids were reared on susceptible (L. sativa variety Estival; S) or partially resistant (Lactuca serriola L. PI 491093; PR) lettuce, and next parasitized by A. ervi females. Fitness proxies were measured for both aphids and parasitoids. Developmental time to adult stage took longer for alate and apterous aphids (an average of 3.5 and 1.5 additional days, respectively) on PR than on S lettuce, and fecundity of alate aphids reared on PR lettuce was reduced by 37.8% relative to those reared on S lettuce. Size (tibia length) and weight of aphids reared on PR lettuce were lower than for aphids reared on S lettuce from the third and second instar onward, respectively. Parasitism of aphids reared on PR plants resulted in lower parasitoid offspring emergence (-49.9%), lower adult female (-30.3%) and male (-27.5%) weight, smaller adult female (-17.5%) and male (-11.9%) size, and lower female fecundity (37.8% fewer eggs) than when parasitoids developed from aphids reared on S plants. Our results demonstrate that partial aphid resistance in lettuce negatively affects both the second and third trophic levels. Host plant resistance in cultivated lettuce may therefore create an ecological sink for aphid parasitoids.

  10. Large-core single-mode rib SU8 waveguide using solvent-assisted microcontact molding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Wei-Chih

    2008-09-01

    This paper describes a novel fabrication technique for constructing a polymer-based large-core single-mode rib waveguide. A negative tone SU8 photoresist with a high optical transmission over a large wavelength range and stable mechanical properties was used as a waveguide material. A waveguide was constructed by using a polydimethylsiloxane stamp combined with a solvent-assisted microcontact molding technique. The effects on the final pattern's geometry of four different process conditions were investigated. Optical simulations were performed using beam propagation method software. Single-mode beam propagation was observed at the output of the simulated waveguide as well as the actual waveguide through the microscope image.

  11. Single-mode waveguides with SU-8 polymer core and cladding for MOEMS applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordström, Maria; Zauner, Dan; Boisen, Anja

    2007-01-01

    Fabrication and optical characterization of singlemode polymeric embedded waveguides are performed. A specific material combination (SU-8 2005 as core and the modified SU-8 mr-L 6050XP as cladding) is chosen in order to obtain a small refractive index difference for single-mode propagation combined...... can fabricate waveguides with an index difference in the order of 10−3, where both the core material and the cladding material are based on SU-8. The refractive index measurements are performed on thin polymeric films, while further optical characterizations are performed on waveguides with a height...

  12. Humidity influence on the adhesion of SU-8 polymer from MEMS applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birleanu Corina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the adhesion behaviors of SU-8 polymer thin film from MEMS application were investigated as a function of relative humidity. The adhesion test between the AFM tip and SU-8 polymer have been extensively studied using the atomic force microscope (AFM, for a relative humidity (RH varying between 20 and 90%. The samples for tests are SU-8 polymers hard baked at different temperatures. The hard bake temperature changes the tribo-mechanical properties of polymers. The paper reports the measurements and the modeling of adhesion forces versus humidity in controlled ranges between 20 to 90%RH. To investigate the effect of relative humidity on adhesion for SU-8 polymer hard baked we used an analytical method which encompasses the effect of capillarity as well as the solid-to-solid interaction. While the capillary force expression is considered to be the sum of the superficial tension and the Laplace force for the solid-solid interaction is expressed by the Derjagin, Muller and Toropov (DMT model of solids adhesion. The analytical results obtained are in accordance with those obtained experimentally.

  13. Origin of negative resistance in anion migration controlled resistive memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Writam; Wu, Facai; Hu, Yuan; Wu, Quantan; Wu, Zuheng; Liu, Qi; Liu, Ming

    2018-03-01

    Resistive random access memory (RRAM) is one of the most promising emerging nonvolatile technologies for the futuristic memory devices. Resistive switching behavior often shows negative resistance (NR), either voltage controlled or current controlled. In this work, the origin of a current compliance dependent voltage controlled NR effect during the resetting of anion migration based RRAM devices is discussed. The N-type voltage controlled NR is a high field driven phenomena. The current conduction within the range of a certain negative voltage is mostly dominated by space charge limited current. But with the higher negative voltage, a field induced tunneling effect is generated in the NR region. The voltage controlled NR is strongly dependent on the compliance current. The area independent behavior indicates the filamentary switching. The peak to valley ratio (PVR) is > 5. The variation of PVR as a function of the conduction band offset is achieved. Compared to other reported works, based on the PVR, it is possible to distinguish the RRAM types. Generally, due to the higher electric field effect on the metallic bridge during RESET, the electrochemical metallization type RRAM shows much higher PVR than the valance change type RRAM.

  14. SU-8-based microneedles for in vitro neural applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altuna, Ane; Tijero, María; Berganzo, Javier; Salido, Rafa; Fernández, Luis J; Gabriel, Gemma; Guimerá, Anton; Villa, Rosa; Menéndez de la Prida, Liset

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents novel design, fabrication, packaging and the first in vitro neural activity recordings of SU-8-based microneedles. The polymer SU-8 was chosen because it provides excellent features for the fabrication of flexible and thin probes. A microprobe was designed in order to allow a clean insertion and to minimize the damage caused to neural tissue during in vitro applications. In addition, a tetrode is patterned at the tip of the needle to obtain fine-scale measurements of small neuronal populations within a radius of 100 µm. Impedance characterization of the electrodes has been carried out to demonstrate their viability for neural recording. Finally, probes are inserted into 400 µm thick hippocampal slices, and simultaneous action potentials with peak-to-peak amplitudes of 200–250 µV are detected.

  15. Highlights of SPring-8 BL23SU in 2001

    CERN Document Server

    Agui, A; Nakatani, T; Yokoya, A; Yoshigoe, A

    2002-01-01

    BL23SU in SPring-8 is a soft x-ray beamline for the material science project in JAERI. The insertion device, monochromator and other beamline equipments have been installed or developed. The beamline maintenance has also been continued. We report highlights of these activities for the BL23SU in 2001. Specially, it has proceeded with the countermeasure against the rise in the maximum radiant power, toward the low-energy operation realization. And, improvement in that precision proceeds through the COD correlation to the ID drive as well.

  16. Improved anti-stiction coating of SU-8 molds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lange, Jacob Moresco; Clausen, Casper Hyttel; Svendsen, Winnie Edith

    2010-01-01

    of the epoxy groups by oxygen plasma or sulfuric acid improves the deposition of FDTS. The deposition of FDTS on acid-activated and untreated SU-8 gave an identical well performing anti-stiction coating, as opposed to oxygen plasma activated surface which resulted in a poor FDTS coverage. In this paper...

  17. Application of Matrix Projection Exposure Using a Liquid Crystal Display Panel to Fabricate Thick Resist Molds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukasawa, Hirotoshi; Horiuchi, Toshiyuki

    2009-08-01

    The patterning characteristics of matrix projection exposure using an analog liquid crystal display (LCD) panel in place of a reticle were investigated, in particular for oblique patterns. In addition, a new method for fabricating practical thick resist molds was developed. At first, an exposure system fabricated in past research was reconstructed. Changes in the illumination optics and the projection lens were the main improvements. Using fly's eye lenses, the illumination light intensity distribution was homogenized. The projection lens was changed from a common camera lens to a higher-grade telecentric lens. In addition, although the same metal halide lamp was used as an exposure light source, the central exposure wavelength was slightly shortened from 480 to 450 nm to obtain higher resist sensitivity while maintaining almost equivalent contrast between black and white. Circular and radial patterns with linewidths of approximately 6 µm were uniformly printed in all directions throughout the exposure field owing to these improvements. The patterns were smoothly printed without accompanying stepwise roughness caused by the cell matrix array. On the bases of these results, a new method of fabricating thick resist molds for electroplating was investigated. It is known that thick resist molds fabricated using the negative resist SU-8 (Micro Chem) are useful because very high aspect patterns are printable and the side walls are perpendicular to the substrate surfaces. However, the most suitable exposure wavelength of SU-8 is 365 nm, and SU-8 is insensitive to light of 450 nm wavelength, which is most appropriate for LCD matrix exposure. For this reason, a novel multilayer resist process was proposed, and micromolds of SU-8 of 50 µm thickness were successfully obtained. As a result, feasibility for fabricating complex resist molds including oblique patterns was demonstrated.

  18. Antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in febrile neutropenic patients with cancer: current epidemiology and clinical impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trecarichi, Enrico M; Tumbarello, Mario

    2014-04-01

    In the recent years, several studies involving cancer patients have demonstrated a clear trend in the epidemiology of bacterial infections showing a shift in the prevalence from Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria and the extensive emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains among Gram-negatives isolated from the blood. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the recent trends in epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negatives recovered from neutropenic cancer patients, with particular emphasis on the impact of antimicrobial resistance on the clinical outcome of severe infections caused by such microorganisms. Overall, from 2007 to date, the rate of Gram-negative bacteria recovery ranged from 24.7 to 75.8% (mean 51.3%) in cancer patient cohorts. Escherichia coli represented the most common species (mean frequency of isolation 32.1%) among the Gram-negatives, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (mean frequency of isolation 20.1%). An increasing frequency of Acinetobacter spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was also reported. Increased rates of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative strains have been highlighted among Enterobacteriaceae and nonfermenting Gram-negative rods, despite discontinuation of fluoroquinolone-based antibacterial prophylaxis for neutropenic patients. In addition, antimicrobial resistance and/or the inadequacy of empirical antibiotic treatment have been frequently linked to a worse outcome in cancer patients with bloodstream infections caused by Gram-negative isolates. Sound knowledge of the local distribution of pathogens and their susceptibility patterns and prompt initiation of effective antimicrobial treatment for severe infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria are essential in cancer patients.

  19. SU-8 Cantilevers for Bio/chemical Sensing; Fabrication, Characterisation and Development of Novel Read-out Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anja Boisen

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Here, we present the activities within our research group over the last five yearswith cantilevers fabricated in the polymer SU-8. We believe that SU-8 is an interestingpolymer for fabrication of cantilevers for bio/chemical sensing due to its simple processingand low Young’s modulus. We show examples of different integrated read-out methodsand their characterisation. We also show that SU-8 cantilevers have a reduced sensitivity tochanges in the environmental temperature and pH of the buffer solution. Moreover, weshow that the SU-8 cantilever surface can be functionalised directly with receptormolecules for analyte detection, thereby avoiding gold-thiol chemistry.

  20. Phenotypical and Genotypical Antimicrobial Resistance of Coagulase-negative staphylococci Isolated from Cow Mastitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klimiene, I; Virgailis, M; Pavilonis, A; Siugzdiniene, R; Mockeliunas, R; Ruzauskas, M

    2016-09-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolated from dairy cows with subclinical mastitis. Antimicrobial resistance in staphylococci were evaluated by breakpoint values specific to the species (EU-CAST). The presence of resistance-encoding genes was detected by multiplex PCR. A total of 191 CNS isolates were obtained. The CNS isolates were typically resistant to penicillin (67.4%), tetracyc-line (18.9%), and erythromycin (13.7%). CNS isolates (78.0%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial compound, and 22.0% were multiresistant. The multiresistant isolates were predominantly Staphylococcus chromogenes (28.6%), Staphylococcus warneri (19%) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (14.3%). According to MIC pattern data, multiresistant isolates showed the highest resistance (p<0.05) rates to penicillin (85.7%), tetracycline (66.7%), and erythromycin (48.2%), but all of them were sensitive to daptomycin, oxacillin, qiunupristin/dalfopristin, and vancomycin. S. chromogenes (9.5%), S. haemolyticus (4.8%), and S. capitis ss capitis (2.4%) strains were resistant to methicillin; their resistance to oxacillin and penicillin was more than 8 mg/l. A high rate of resistance to penicillin was linked to a blaZ gene found in 66.6% of the isolated multiresistant CNS strains. Resistance to tetracycline via the tetK (38.1%) gene and penicillin via the mecA (23.8%) gene were detected less frequently. Gene msrAB was responsible for macrolides and lincosamides resistance and detected in 28.6% of the CNS isolates. Antimicrobial resistance genes were identified more frequently in S. epidermidis, S. chromogenes, and S. warneri.

  1. Combined electron beam and UV lithography in SU-8

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gersborg-Hansen, Morten; Thamdrup, Lasse Højlund; Mironov, Andrej

    2007-01-01

    We present combined electron beam and UV lithography (CEUL) in SU-8 as a fast and flexible lithographic technique for prototyping of functional polymer devices and pattern transfer applications. CEUL is a lithographic technique suitable for defining both micrometer and nanometer scale features...

  2. PMMA to SU-8 bonding for polymer based lab-on-a-chip systems with integrated optics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Brian Bilenberg; Nielsen, Theodor; Clausen, Bjarne Hans

    2004-01-01

    We present an adhesive bonding technique developed for SU-8 based "lab-on-a-chip"- systems with integrated optical components. Microfluidic channels and optical components (e.g. wave-guides) are defined in SU-8 photoresist on a Pyrex glass substrate. The microfluidic channels are sealed by a second...... Pyrex substrate, bonded on top of the cross-linked SU-8 structure using an inter- mediate layer of 950K molecular weight poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA). Due to a lower refractive index of PMMA, this bonding technique offers optical waveguiding in the SU-8 structures in combination with good sealing...... of the microfluidic channels. The bonding technique is investigated with respect to bonding temperature in the range of 50 - 150 degr. C and at bonding forces of 1000 N and 2000 N on a 4-inch wafer. A maximum bonding strength of 16 MPa is achieved for the PMMA to SU-8 bonding at a bonding temperature of 110 degr. C...

  3. A two-step sealing-and-reinforcement SU8 bonding paradigm for the fabrication of shallow microchannels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehboudi, Aryan; Yeom, Junghoon

    2018-03-01

    Adhesive bonding is a key technique to create microfluidic devices when two separate substrates are used to form microchannels. Among many adhesives explored in microchannel fabrication, SU8 has been widely used as an adhesive layer for sealing the microchannel sidewalls. The majority of the available SU8-based bonding methods, however, suffer from the difficulties associated with sealing of two important types of the microchannel architecture: (1) shallow microchannels with small patterns on a large area, and (2) microchannels with ultra-low aspect ratios (e.g. 6 mm in width and 2~μ m in height). In this paper, a new bonding paradigm based upon the low-temperature and low-pressure SU8 bonding, consisting of two steps of sealing using a thin-SU8-coated PET film and bonding reinforcement using a SU8-coated glass slide, is proposed to resolve the aforementioned difficulties. Since it does not need complicated instruments such as a wafer bonding machine and a lamination device, the developed bonding paradigm is convenient and economical. We successfully demonstrate the compatibility of the proposed bonding paradigm with the two microchannel fabrication approaches based on the glass wet etching and the SU8 photo-lithography, where small microchannels with the innermost surfaces fully made of SU8 are obtained. A theoretical model is employed to better investigate the flow characteristics and the structural behavior of the microchannel including the PET film deformation, strain and von Mises stress distributions, bonding strength, etc. Moreover, we demonstrate the fabrication of the multi-height deep-shallow microchannel sidewalls and their sealing using the SU8-coated PET film. Finally, as a proof-of-concept device, a microfluidic filter consisting of the double-height deep-shallow microchannel is fabricated for separation of 3 µm and 10 µm particles.

  4. Trends of 9,416 multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviane Decicera Colombo Oliveira

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Summary Objective: a resistance of hospital-acquired bacteria to multiple antibiotics is a major concern worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate multidrugresistant (MDR bacteria, clinical specimens, origin of specimen and trends, and correlate these with bacterial sensitivity and consumption of antimicrobials. Methods: 9,416 bacteria of nosocomial origin were evaluated in a tertiary hospital, from 1999 to 2008. MDR was defined for Gram-negative bacteria (GNB as resistance to two or more classes/groups of antibiotics. Results: GNB MDR increased by 3.7 times over the study period (p<0.001. Acinetobacter baumannii was the most prevalent (36.2%. Over the study period, there were significant 4.8-fold and 14.6-fold increases for A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae (p<0.001, respectively. Sixty-seven percent of isolates of MDR GNB were isolated in intensive care units. The resistance of A. baumannii to carbapenems increased from 7.4 to 57.5% during the study period and concomitant with an increased consumption. Conclusion: that decade showed prevalence of GNB and a gradual increase in MDR GNB. There was an increase in carbapenem resistance of 50.1% during the study.

  5. Multidrug resistance in enteric and other gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, A M

    1996-05-15

    In Gram-negative bacteria, multidrug resistance is a term that is used to describe mechanisms of resistance by chromosomal genes that are activated by induction or mutation caused by the stress of exposure to antibiotics in natural and clinical environments. Unlike plasmid-borne resistance genes, there is no alteration or degradation of drugs or need for genetic transfer. Exposure to a single drug leads to cross-resistance to many other structurally and functionally unrelated drugs. The only mechanism identified for multidrug resistance in bacteria is drug efflux by membrane transporters, even though many of these transporters remain to be identified. The enteric bacteria exhibit mostly complex multidrug resistance systems which are often regulated by operons or regulons. The purpose of this review is to survey molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistance in enteric and other Gram-negative bacteria, and to speculate on the origins and natural physiological functions of the genes involved.

  6. Micro-particle filter made in SU-8 for biomedical applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noeth, Nadine-Nicole; Keller, Stephan Urs; Fetz, Stefanie

    2009-01-01

    We have integrated a micro-particle filter in a polymer cantilever to filter micro-particles from a fluid while simultaneously measuring the amount of filtered particles. In a 3,8 mum thick SU-8 cantilever a filter was integrated with pore sizes between 3 and 30 mum. The chip was inserted in a mi...

  7. Fabrication of thin SU-8 cantilevers: initial bending, release and time stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keller, Stephan; Boisen, Anja; Haefliger, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    SU-8 cantilevers with a thickness of 2 µm were fabricated using a dry release method and two steps of SU-8 photolithography. The processing of the thin SU-8 film defining the cantilevers was experimentally optimized to achieve low initial bending due to residual stress gradients. In parallel, the rotational deformation at the clamping point allowed a qualitative assessment of the device release from the fluorocarbon-coated substrate. The change of these parameters during several months of storage at ambient temperature was investigated in detail. The introduction of a long hard bake in an oven after development of the thin SU-8 film resulted in reduced cantilever bending due to removal of residual stress gradients. Further, improved time-stability of the devices was achieved due to the enhanced cross-linking of the polymer. A post-exposure bake at a temperature T PEB = 50 °C followed by a hard bake at T HB = 90 °C proved to be optimal to ensure low cantilever bending and low rotational deformation due to excellent device release and low change of these properties with time. With the optimized process, the reproducible fabrication of arrays with 2 µm thick cantilevers with a length of 500 µm and an initial bending of less than 20 µm was possible. The theoretical spring constant of these cantilevers is k = 4.8 ± 2.5 mN m −1 , which is comparable to the value for Si cantilevers with identical dimensions and a thickness of 500 nm.

  8. Incidence of carbapenem resistant nonfermenting gram negative bacilli from patients with respiratory infections in the intensive care units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gladstone P

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Resistance to carbapenems is commonly seen in nonfermenting gram negative bacilli (NFGNB. We document herein the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in NFGNB isolated from patients with respiratory tract infections in the intensive care units (ICUs. A total of 460 NFGNB were isolated from 606 endotracheal aspirate specimens during January through December 2003, of which 56 (12.2% were found to be resistant to imipenem and meropenem. Of these, 24 (42.8% were Pseudomonas aeruginosa , 8 (14.2% were Acinetobacter spp. and 24 (42.8% were other NFGNB. Stringent protocols such as antibiotic policies and resistance surveillance programs are mandatory to curb these bacteria in ICU settings.

  9. Polymer SU-8 Based Microprobes for Neural Recording and Drug Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altuna, Ane; Fernandez, Luis; Berganzo, Javier

    2015-06-01

    This manuscript makes a reflection about SU-8 based microprobes for neural activity recording and drug delivery. By taking advantage of improvements in microfabrication technologies and using polymer SU-8 as the only structural material, we developed several microprobe prototypes aimed to: a) minimize injury in neural tissue, b) obtain high-quality electrical signals and c) deliver drugs at a micrometer precision scale. Dedicated packaging tools have been developed in parallel to fulfill requirements concerning electric and fluidic connections, size and handling. After these advances have been experimentally proven in brain using in vivo preparation, the technological concepts developed during consecutive prototypes are discussed in depth now.

  10. POLYMER SU-8 BASED MICROPROBES FOR NEURAL RECORDING AND DRUG DELIVERY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ane eAltuna

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This manuscript makes a reflection about SU-8 based microprobes for neural activity recording and drug delivery. By taking advantage of improvements in microfabrication technologies and using polymer SU-8 as the only structural material, we developed several microprobe prototypes aimed to: a minimize injury in neural tissue, b obtain high-quality electrical signals and c deliver drugs at a micrometer precision scale. Dedicated packaging tools have been developed in parallel to fulfill requirements concerning electric and fluidic connections, size and handling. After these advances have been experimentally proven in brain using in vivo preparation, the technological concepts developed during consecutive prototypes are discussed in depth now.

  11. A facile micropatterning method for a highly flexible PEDOT:PSS on SU-8

    KAUST Repository

    Cho, Nam Chul

    2016-04-17

    We report the micropatterning of conducting polymer on the epoxy-based photoresist to demonstrate fully organic, conducting and flexible electrodes. We show that polystyrene sulfonic acid can be covalently linked to the surface of the photoresist (SU-8) by forming sulfonyl ester at the interfaces. We also present an application of the patterned PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate)/SU-8 to the electroplating of metal electrodes. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

  12. A facile micropatterning method for a highly flexible PEDOT:PSS on SU-8

    KAUST Repository

    Cho, Nam Chul; Diekhans, Justin; Steward, Malia; Bakr, Osman; Choi, Seungkeun

    2016-01-01

    We report the micropatterning of conducting polymer on the epoxy-based photoresist to demonstrate fully organic, conducting and flexible electrodes. We show that polystyrene sulfonic acid can be covalently linked to the surface of the photoresist (SU-8) by forming sulfonyl ester at the interfaces. We also present an application of the patterned PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate)/SU-8 to the electroplating of metal electrodes. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

  13. Potential strategies for the eradication of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huwaitat, Rawan; McCloskey, Alice P; Gilmore, Brendan F; Laverty, Garry

    2016-07-01

    Antimicrobial resistance is one of the leading threats to society. The increasing burden of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infection is particularly concerning as such bacteria are demonstrating resistance to nearly all currently licensed therapies. Various strategies have been hypothesized to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections including: targeting the Gram-negative outer membrane; neutralization of lipopolysaccharide; inhibition of bacterial efflux pumps and prevention of protein folding. Silver and silver nanoparticles, fusogenic liposomes and nanotubes are potential strategies for extending the activity of licensed, Gram-positive selective, antibiotics to Gram-negatives. This may serve as a strategy to fill the current void in pharmaceutical development in the short term. This review outlines the most promising strategies that could be implemented to solve the threat of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections.

  14. Intrinsic, adaptive and acquired antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arzanlou, Mohsen; Chai, Wern Chern; Venter, Henrietta

    2017-02-28

    Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for a large proportion of antimicrobial-resistant infections in humans and animals. Among this class of bacteria are also some of the most successful environmental organisms. Part of this success is their adaptability to a variety of different niches, their intrinsic resistance to antimicrobial drugs and their ability to rapidly acquire resistance mechanisms. These mechanisms of resistance are not exclusive and the interplay of several mechanisms causes high levels of resistance. In this review, we explore the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance in Gram-negative organisms and how these different mechanisms enable them to survive many different stress conditions. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  15. [Antimicrobial therapy in severe infections with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterias].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duszyńska, Wiesława

    2010-01-01

    Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria pose a serious and rapidly emerging threat to patients in healthcare settings, and are especially prevalent and problematic in intensive therapy units. Recently, the emergence of pandrug-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria poses additional concerns. This review examines the clinical impact and epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria as a cause of increased morbidity and mortality among ITU patients. Beta-lactamases, cephalosporinases and carbapenemases play the most important role in resistance to antibiotics. Despite the tendency to increased resistance, carbapenems administered by continuous infusion remain the most effective drugs in severe sepsis. Drug concentration monitoring, albeit rarely used in practice, is necessary to ensure an effective therapeutic effect.

  16. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from healthy dogs in Nsukka, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kennedy F. Chah

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence, resistance phenotype and molecular mechanisms of resistance of methicillin-resistant staphylococci from groin swabs of 109 clinically healthy dogs in Nsukka, Nigeria were investigated. The groin swab samples were cultured on mannitol salt agar supplemented with 10 µgof cloxacillin. Sixteen methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCoNS, all harbouring the mecA gene were isolated from 14 (12.8% of the 109 dogs studied. The MRCoNS isolated were: S. sciuri subspecies rodentium, S. lentus, S. haemolyticus, and S. simulans with S. sciuri subspecies rodentium (62.5% being the predominant species. Thirteen (81.3% of the MRCoNS were resistant to tetracycline while 12 (75% and 10 (62.5% were resistant to kanamycin and trimthoprim-sulphamethoxazole respectively. None of the isolates was resistant to fusidic acid, linezolid and vancomycin. Thirteen (81.3% of the MRCoNS were multi-drug resistance (MDR. Other antimicrobial genes detected were: blaZ, tet(K, tet(M, tet(L, erm(B, lnu(A, aacA-aphD, aphA3, str, dfr(G, cat pC221,and cat pC223. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci are common colonizers of healthy dogs in Nigeria with a major species detected being S. sciuri subsp. rodentium.

  17. SU-8 Cantilevers for Bio/chemical Sensing; Fabrication, Characterisation and Development of Novel Read-out Methods

    OpenAIRE

    Anja Boisen; Mogens Havsteen-Jakobsen; Gabriela Blagoi; Daniel Haefliger; Søren Dohn; Alicia Johansson; Michael Lillemose; Stephan Keller; Maria Nordström

    2008-01-01

    Here, we present the activities within our research group over the last five years with cantilevers fabricated in the polymer SU-8. We believe that SU-8 is an interesting polymer for fabrication of cantilevers for bio/chemical sensing due to its simple processing and low Young's modulus. We show examples of different integrated read-out methods and their characterisation. We also show that SU-8 cantilevers have a reduced sensitivity to changes in the environmental temperature and pH of the bu...

  18. Will new antimicrobials overcome resistance among Gram-negatives?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassetti, Matteo; Ginocchio, Francesca; Mikulska, Małgorzata; Taramasso, Lucia; Giacobbe, Daniele Roberto

    2011-10-01

    The spread of resistance among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria represents a growing challenge for the development of new antimicrobials. The pace of antibiotic drug development has slowed during the last decade and, especially for Gram-negatives, clinicians are facing a dramatic shortage in the availability of therapeutic options to face the emergency of the resistance problem throughout the world. In this alarming scenario, although there is a shortage of compounds reaching the market in the near future, antibiotic discovery remains one of the keys to successfully stem and maybe overcome the tide of resistance. Analogs of already known compounds and new agents belonging to completely new classes of antimicrobials are in early stages of development. Novel and promising anti-Gram-negative antimicrobials belong both to old (cephalosporins, carbapenems, β-lactamase inhibitors, monobactams, aminoglycosides, polymyxin analogues and tetracycline) and completely new antibacterial classes (boron-containing antibacterial protein synthesis inhibitors, bis-indoles, outer membrane synthesis inhibitors, antibiotics targeting novel sites of the 50S ribosomal subunit and antimicrobial peptides). However, all of these compounds are still far from being introduced into clinical practice. Therefore, infection control policies and optimization in the use of already existing molecules are still the most effective approaches to reduce the spread of resistance and preserve the activity of antimicrobials.

  19. Polystyrene negative resist for high-resolution electron beam lithography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Siqi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We studied the exposure behavior of low molecular weight polystyrene as a negative tone electron beam lithography (EBL resist, with the goal of finding the ultimate achievable resolution. It demonstrated fairly well-defined patterning of a 20-nm period line array and a 15-nm period dot array, which are the densest patterns ever achieved using organic EBL resists. Such dense patterns can be achieved both at 20 and 5 keV beam energies using different developers. In addition to its ultra-high resolution capability, polystyrene is a simple and low-cost resist with easy process control and practically unlimited shelf life. It is also considerably more resistant to dry etching than PMMA. With a low sensitivity, it would find applications where negative resist is desired and throughput is not a major concern.

  20. Negative differential resistance in Josephson junctions coupled to a cavity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Filatrella, G.; Pierro, V.

    2014-01-01

    or external – is often used. A cavity may also induce a negative differential resistance region at the lower side of the resonance frequency. We investigate the dynamics of Josephson junctions with a negative differential resistance in the quasi particle tunnel current, i.e. in the McCumber curve. We find...

  1. Single-mode waveguides with SU-8 polymer core and cladding for MOEMS applications

    OpenAIRE

    Nordström, Maria; Zauner, Dan; Boisen, Anja; Hübner, Jörg

    2007-01-01

    Fabrication and optical characterization of singlemode polymeric embedded waveguides are performed. A specific material combination (SU-8 2005 as core and the modified SU-8 mr-L 6050XP as cladding) is chosen in order to obtain a small refractive index difference for single-mode propagation combined with the conventional fabrication method UV lithography to facilitate the integration of different types of optical detection methods on lab-on-a-chip systems. We analyze the behavior of the refrac...

  2. SU-8 photoresist-derived electrospun carbon nanofibres as high ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ... Refresher Courses · Symposia · Live Streaming. Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science; Volume 40; Issue 3. SU-8 photoresist-derived electrospun carbon nanofibres as high-capacity anode material for lithium ion battery. M KAKUNURI S KAUSHIK A SAINI C S SHARMA. Volume 40 Issue 3 June 2017 pp 435-439 ...

  3. Negative Differential Resistance and Astability of the Wigner Solid

    OpenAIRE

    Csathy, G. A.; Tsui, D. C.; Pfeiffer, L. N.; West, K. W.

    2005-01-01

    We report an unusual breakdown of the magnetically induced Wigner solid in an exceptional two-dimensional electron gas. The current-voltage characteristic is found to be hysteretic in the voltage biased setup and has a region of negative differential resistance in the current biased setup. When the sample is current biased in the region of negative differential resistance, the voltage on and the current through the sample develop spontaneous narrow band oscillations.

  4. SU-8 Based MEMS Process with Two Metal Layers using α-Si as a Sacrificial Material

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.

    2012-04-01

    Polymer based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micromachining is finding more interest in research and applications. This is due to its low cost and less time processing compared with silicon MEMS. SU-8 is a photo-patternable polymer that is used as a structural layer for MEMS and microfluidic devices. In addition to being processed with low cost, it is a biocompatible material with good mechanical properties. Also, amorphous silicon (α-Si) has found use as a sacrificial layer in silicon MEMS applications. α-Si can be deposited at large thicknesses for MEMS applications and also can be released in a dry method using XeF2 which can solve stiction problems related to MEMS applications. In this thesis, an SU-8 MEMS process is developed using amorphous silicon (α-Si) as a sacrificial layer. Electrostatic actuation and sensing is used in many MEMS applications. SU-8 is a dielectric material which limits its direct use in electrostatic actuation. This thesis provides a MEMS process with two conductive metal electrodes that can be used for out-of-plane electrostatic applications like MEMS switches and variable capacitors. The process provides the fabrication of dimples that can be conductive or non-conductive to facilitate more flexibility for MEMS designers. This SU-8 process can fabricate SU-8 MEMS structures of a single layer of two different thicknesses. Process parameters were tuned for two sets of thicknesses which are thin (5-10μm) and thick (130μm). Chevron bent-beam structures and different suspended beams (cantilevers and bridges) were fabricated to characterize the SU-8 process through extracting the density, Young’s Modulus and the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of SU-8. Also, the process was tested and used as an educational tool through which different MEMS structures were fabricated including MEMS switches, variable capacitors and thermal actuators.

  5. Fabrication of SU-8 low frequency electrostatic energy harvester

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.; Foulds, Ian G.

    2011-01-01

    A 1500μm × 1500μm × 150μm out-of-plane, gap closing, electrostatic energy harvester is designed and fabricated to harvest low-frequency ambient vibrations. SU-8 is used to fabricate the proof mass (1200μm × 1200μm × 150μm) and the 5 m springs

  6. Direct injection in organic SU8 nanowires and nanotubes for waveguiding properties investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigeon, J.; Huby, N.; Duvail, Jean-Luc; Bêche, Bruno

    2014-05-01

    We report photonic concepts related to injection and sub-wavelength propagation in nanofibers (nanowires and nanotubes). These nanostructures are fabricated by the wetting template method leading to aspect ratio of over 250. At first, injection into nanowires and nanotubes of SU8, a photoresist used for integrated photonics, was successfully achieved by using polymer microlensed fibers with sub-micronic radius of curvature. Theoret- ical simulation by finite domain time-dependent (FDTD) method was used to determine the sub-wavelength propagation for nanowires and nanotubes and corroborate this coupling phenomena. The original confinement of energy density into SU8 nanotubes is highlighted. Finally, characterisation of propagation losses is reported by using a cut-back method transposed to such nanotubes and determined to range between 1 and 2 dB/mm. Both injection and cut-back method developed here are compatible with any sub-micronic structures. This work on SU8 nanofibers suggests broader perspectives for future nanophotonics.

  7. On the negative resistance of double layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raadu, M.A.; Silevitch, M.B.

    1982-08-01

    It is known that large amplitudes oscillations can occur in the current flowing through a plasma diode, typically when a constant potential is applied across the device. Burger (1965) suggested via a computer simulation that the oscillation characteristics was a function of the quantities T sub (e) and T sub (i), namely the respective time for an electron and an ion to cross the electric field region inside the diode. On the rapid time scale T sub (e) the self consistent equilibrium configuration, was unstable. Norris (1964) had previously arrived at the same conclusion using analytical arguments. In that work, it was concluded that the instability occurred since the diode acted as a negative resistance on the T sub (e) scale. A positive feedback effect forced the system away from equilibrium. Silevitch (1981) used the Burger mechanism to suggest an explanation for the flickering aurora phenomenon. He extended the Norris argument and showed by a variational method that a plausible analytic model for a double layer (DL) behaved as a negative resistance on the T sub (e) scale. In this present work we re-examine the negative resistance calculation by taking a more detailed account of the constraints which are imposed on the electron distributions that exist in the DL region. Specifically, we shall focus at the high potential side of the DL. (Authors)

  8. Simulation and experimental validation of a SU-8 based PCR thermocycler chip with integrated heaters and temperature sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    El-Ali, Jamil; Perch-Nielsen, Ivan R.; Poulsen, Claus Riber

    2004-01-01

    We present a SU-8 based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chip with integrated platinum thin film heaters and temperature sensor. The device is fabricated in SU-8 on a glass substrate. The use of SU-8 provides a simple microfabrication process for the PCR chamber, controllable surface properties......C/s, respectively, the performance of the chip is comparable with the best silicon micromachined PCR chips presented in the literature. The SU-8 chamber surface was found to be PCR compatible by amplification of yeast gene ribosomal protein S3 and Campylobacter gene cadF. The PCR compatibility of the chamber...

  9. Increasing resistant coagulase negative staphylococci in bovine clinical mastitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moniri, R; Dastehgoli, K; Akramian, A

    2007-08-01

    The aim of this study was to determine Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS) and other bacteria for their resistance to antimicrobial agents approved for the control of pathogens involved in clinical bovine mastitis. This descriptive study was done on 106 milk samples obtained from clinical mastitis in dairy cattle husbandry from April 2006 through August 2006 in Kashan, Iran. From the total of 106 milk samples collected from clinical mastitis, 96 (90.6%) lead to positive culture. Coagulase negative Staphylococci isolated in 51 out of 96 samples (53.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolated in 21 out of 96 (21.9%), gram negative bacilli isolated in 14 out of 96 (14.6%) and Enterococci isolated in 4 (4.2%). The highest rate of resistant CNS observed to penicillin (56.6%) and the highest rate of sensitivity to enrofloxacin 100%, followed by kanamycin, streptomycin and neomycin, 92.2, 82.3 and 82.3%, respectively. The highest rate of resistance S. aureus exhibited to penicillin (66.6%); while the highest rate of sensitivity showed to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxasole (81%), followed by kanamycin and enrofloxacin both at 76.2%. The highest rate of resistance gram negative bacilli exhibited to ampicillin and erythromycin at 71.4%. Their highest rate of sensitivity observed to enrofloxacin (78.6%), followed by kanamycin, (71.4%). In recent years, CNS is emerging as important minor mastitis pathogens and can be the cause of substantial economic losses. The high resistance rate to penicillin and other antibiotics found in this study emphasize the importance of identification of CNS when a bovine clinical mastitis is present.

  10. SU(8) family unification with boson-fermion balance

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2014-01-01

    Grand unification has been intensively investigated for over forty years, and many different approaches have been tried. In this talk I propose a model that involves three ingredients that do not appear in the usual constructions: (1) boson--fermion balance without full supersymmetry, (2) canceling the spin 1/2 fermion gauge anomalies against the anomaly from a gauged spin 3/2 gravitino, and (3) using a scalar field representation with non-zero U(1) generator to break the SU(8) gauge symmetry through a ground state which, before dynamical symmetry breaking, has a periodic U(1) generator structure. The model has a number of promising features: (1) natural incorporation of three families, (2) incorporation of the experimentally viable flipped SU(5) model, (3) a symmetry breaking pathway to the standard model using the scalar field required by boson-fermion balance, together with a stage of most attractive channel dynamical symmetry breaking, without postulating additional Higgs fields, (4) vanishing of bare Yuk...

  11. Fabrication of high-aspect ratio SU-8 micropillar arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amato, Letizia; Keller, Stephan S.; Heiskanen, Arto

    2012-01-01

    to the resolution limit of photolithography. This paper describes process optimization for the fabrication of dense SU-8 micropillar arrays (2.5μm spacing) with nominal height ⩾20μm and nominal diameter ⩽2.5μm (AR ⩾8). Two approaches, differing in temperature, ramping rate and duration of the baking steps were...... compared as part of the photolithographic processing, in order to evaluate the effect of baking on the pattern resolution. Additionally, during the post-processing, supercritical point drying and hard baking were introduced yielding pillars with diameter 1.8μm, AR=11 and an improved temporal stability....

  12. Drift study of SU8 cantilevers in liquid and gaseous environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenje, Maria; Keller, Stephan; Dohn, Søren; Davis, Zachary J; Boisen, Anja

    2010-05-01

    We present a study of the drift, in terms of cantilever deflections without probe/target interactions, of polymeric SU8 cantilevers. The drift is measured in PBS buffer (pH 7.4) and under vacuum (1mbar) conditions. We see that the cantilevers display a large drift in both environments. We believe this is because the polymer matrix absorbs liquid in one situation whereas it is being degassed in the other. An inhomogeneous expansion/contraction of the cantilever is seen because one surface of the cantilever may still have remains of the release layer from the fabrication. To further study the effect, we coat the cantilevers with a hydrophobic coating, perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS). Fully encapsulating the SU8 cantilever greatly reduces the drift in liquid whereas a less significant change is seen in vacuum.

  13. Drift study of SU8 cantilevers in liquid and gaseous environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tenje, Maria; Keller, Stephan Sylvest; Dohn, Søren

    2010-01-01

    We present a study of the drift, in terms of cantilever deflections without probe/target interactions, of polymeric SU8 cantilevers. The drift is measured in PBS buffer (pH 7.4) and under vacuum (1 mbar) conditions. We see that the cantilevers display a large drift in both environments. We believe...... coat the cantilevers with a hydrophobic coating, perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS). Fully encapsulating the SU8 cantilever greatly reduces the drift in liquid whereas a less significant change is seen in vacuum....... this is because the polymer matrix absorbs liquid in one situation whereas it is being degassed in the other. An inhomogeneous expansion/contraction of the cantilever is seen because one surface of the cantilever may still have remains of the release layer from the fabrication. To further study the effect, we...

  14. PMMA to SU-8 Bonding for Polymer Based Lab-on-a-chip Systems with Integrated Optics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Brian Bilenberg; Nielsen, Theodor; Nilsson, Daniel

    2003-01-01

    An adhesive bonding technique for wafer-level sealing of SU-8 based lab-on-a-chip microsystems with integrated optical components is presented. Microfluidic channels and optical components, e.g. waveguides, are fabricated in cross-linked SU-8 and sealed with a Pyrex glass substrate by means...... strength of 16 MPa is achieved at bonding temperatures between 110 oC and 120oC, at a bonding force of 2000 N on a 4-inch wafer. The optical propagation loss of multi-mode 10ym (thickness)x 30ym (width)SU-8 waveguides is measured. The propagation loss in PMMA bonded waveguide struc-tures is more than 5 d......B/cm lower, at wavelengths between 600nm and 900 nm, than in similar structures bonded by an intermediate layer of SU-8. Furthermore 950K PMMA shows no tendency to flow into the bonded structures during bonding because of its high viscosity....

  15. Silicon/SU8 multi-electrode micro-needle for in vivo neurochemical monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasylieva, Natalia; Marinesco, Stéphane; Barbier, Daniel; Sabac, Andrei

    2015-10-15

    Simultaneous monitoring of glucose and lactate is an important challenge for understanding brain energetics in physiological or pathological states. We demonstrate here a versatile method based on a minimally invasive single implantation in the rat brain. A silicon/SU8-polymer multi-sensing needle-shaped biosensor, was fabricated and tested. The multi-electrode array design comprises three platinum planar microelectrodes with a surface area of 40 × 200 µm(2) and a spacing of 200 µm, which were micromachined on a single 3mm long micro-needle having a 100 × 50 µm(2) cross-section for reduced tissue damage during implantation. Platinum micro-electrodes were aligned at the bottom of micro-wells obtained by photolithography on a SU8 photoresist layer. After clean room processing, each micro-electrode was functionalized inside the micro-wells by means of a micro-dispensing device, either with glucose oxidase or with lactate oxidase, which were cross-linked on the platinum electrodes. The third electrode covered with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) was used for the control of non-specific currents. The thick SU8 photoresist layer has revealed excellent electrical insulation of the micro-electrodes and between interconnection lines, and ensured a precise localization and packaging of the sensing enzymes on platinum micro-electrodes. During in vitro calibration with concentrations of analytes in the mM range, the micro-wells patterned in the SU8 photoresist proved to be highly effective in eliminating cross-talk signals, caused by H2O2 diffusion from closely spaced micro-electrodes. Moreover, our biosensor was successfully assayed in the rat cortex for simultaneous monitoring of both glucose and lactate during insulin and glucose administration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. SU-8 hollow cantilevers for AFM cell adhesion studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Vincent; Behr, Pascal; Drechsler, Ute; Polesel-Maris, Jérôme; Potthoff, Eva; Vörös, Janos; Zambelli, Tomaso

    2016-05-01

    A novel fabrication method was established to produce flexible, transparent, and robust tipless hollow atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers made entirely from SU-8. Channels of 3 μm thickness and several millimeters length were integrated into 12 μm thick and 40 μm wide cantilevers. Connected to a pressure controller, the devices showed high sealing performance with no leakage up to 6 bars. Changing the cantilever lengths from 100 μm to 500 μm among the same wafer allowed the targeting of various spring constants ranging from 0.5 to 80 N m-1 within a single fabrication run. These hollow polymeric AFM cantilevers were operated in the optical beam deflection configuration. To demonstrate the performance of the device, single-cell force spectroscopy experiments were performed with a single probe detaching in a serial protocol more than 100 Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells from plain glass and glass coated with polydopamine while measuring adhesion forces in the sub-nanoNewton range. SU-8 now offers a new alternative to conventional silicon-based hollow cantilevers with more flexibility in terms of complex geometric design and surface chemistry modification.

  17. SU-8 hollow cantilevers for AFM cell adhesion studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Vincent; Behr, Pascal; Vörös, Janos; Zambelli, Tomaso; Drechsler, Ute; Polesel-Maris, Jérôme; Potthoff, Eva

    2016-01-01

    A novel fabrication method was established to produce flexible, transparent, and robust tipless hollow atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers made entirely from SU-8. Channels of 3 μm thickness and several millimeters length were integrated into 12 μm thick and 40 μm wide cantilevers. Connected to a pressure controller, the devices showed high sealing performance with no leakage up to 6 bars. Changing the cantilever lengths from 100 μm to 500 μm among the same wafer allowed the targeting of various spring constants ranging from 0.5 to 80 N m −1 within a single fabrication run. These hollow polymeric AFM cantilevers were operated in the optical beam deflection configuration. To demonstrate the performance of the device, single-cell force spectroscopy experiments were performed with a single probe detaching in a serial protocol more than 100 Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells from plain glass and glass coated with polydopamine while measuring adhesion forces in the sub-nanoNewton range. SU-8 now offers a new alternative to conventional silicon-based hollow cantilevers with more flexibility in terms of complex geometric design and surface chemistry modification. (paper)

  18. SU-8 based microdevices to study self-induced chemotaxis in 3D microenvironments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayuso, Jose; Monge, Rosa; Llamazares, Guillermo; Moreno, Marco; Agirregabiria, Maria; Berganzo, Javier; Doblaré, Manuel; Ochoa, Iñaki; Fernandez, Luis

    2015-05-01

    Tissues are complex three-dimensional structures in which cell behaviour is frequently guided by chemotactic signals. Although starvation and nutrient restriction induce many different chemotactic processes, the recreation of such conditions in vitro remains difficult when using standard cell culture equipment. Recently, microfluidic techniques have arisen as powerful tools to mimic such physiological conditions. In this context, microfluidic three-dimensional cell culture systems require precise control of cell/hydrogel location because samples need to be placed within a microchamber without obstruction of surrounding elements. In this article, SU-8 is studied as structural material for the fabrication of complex cell culture devices due to its good mechanical properties, low gas permeability and sensor integration capacity. In particular, this manuscript presents a SU-8 based microdevice designed to create “self-induced” medium starvation, based on the combination of nutrient restriction and natural cell metabolism. Results show a natural migratory response towards nutrient source, showing how cells adapt to their own microenvironment modifications. The presented results demonstrate the SU-8 potential for microdevice fabrication applied to cell culture.

  19. Antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative staphylococci from Nigerian traditional fermented foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowoyo, P T; Ogunbanwo, S T

    2017-01-31

    Coagulase-negative staphylococci have become increasingly recognized as the etiological agent of some infections. A significant characteristic of coagulase-negative staphylococci especially strains isolated from animals and clinical samples is their resistance to routinely used antibiotics although, resistant strains isolated from fermented foods have not been fully reported. A total of two hundred and fifty-five CoNS isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test using the disc diffusion technique. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the isolates to the tested antibiotics was determined using the microbroth dilution method. Methicillin resistant strains were confirmed by detection of methicillin resistant genes (mecA) and also employing cefoxitin screening test. The isolates were confirmed to be methicillin resistant by the detection of mecA genes and the cefoxitin screening test. The isolates demonstrated appreciable resistance to ampicillin (86.7%), sulfomethoxazole-trimethoprim (74.9%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (52.5%) and oxacillin (35.7%). Methicillin resistance was exhibited by 13 out of the 255 isolates although no mecA gene was detected. It was also observed that the methicillin resistant isolates were prevalent in these traditional foods; iru, kindirmo, nono and wara. This study has ameliorated the incidence of multiple antibiotic resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci in Nigerian fermented foods and if not tackled adequately might lead to horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance from food to man.

  20. A high aspect ratio SU-8 fabrication technique for hollow microneedles for transdermal drug delivery and blood extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhri, Buddhadev Paul; Ceyssens, Frederik; De Moor, Piet; Van Hoof, Chris; Puers, Robert

    2010-06-01

    Protein drugs, e.g. hormonal drugs, cannot be delivered orally to a patient as they get digested in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Thus, it is imperative that these kinds of drugs are delivered transdermally through the skin. To provide for real-time feedback as well as to test independently for various substances in the blood, we also need a blood sampling system. Microneedles can perform both these functions. Further, microneedles made of silicon or metal have the risk of breaking inside the skin thereby leading to complications. SU-8, being approved of as being biocompatible by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) of the United States, is an attractive alternative because firstly it is a polymer material, thereby reducing the chances of breakages inside the skin, and secondly it is a negative photoresist, thereby leading to ease of fabrication. Thus, here we present very tall (around 1600 µm) SU-8 polymer-based hollow microneedles fabricated by a simple and repeatable process, which are a very good candidate for transdermal drug delivery as well as blood extraction. The paper elaborates on the details that allow the fabrication of such extreme aspect ratios (>100).

  1. A high aspect ratio SU-8 fabrication technique for hollow microneedles for transdermal drug delivery and blood extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhri, Buddhadev Paul; Ceyssens, Frederik; Van Hoof, Chris; Puers, Robert; De Moor, Piet

    2010-01-01

    Protein drugs, e.g. hormonal drugs, cannot be delivered orally to a patient as they get digested in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Thus, it is imperative that these kinds of drugs are delivered transdermally through the skin. To provide for real-time feedback as well as to test independently for various substances in the blood, we also need a blood sampling system. Microneedles can perform both these functions. Further, microneedles made of silicon or metal have the risk of breaking inside the skin thereby leading to complications. SU-8, being approved of as being biocompatible by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) of the United States, is an attractive alternative because firstly it is a polymer material, thereby reducing the chances of breakages inside the skin, and secondly it is a negative photoresist, thereby leading to ease of fabrication. Thus, here we present very tall (around 1600 µm) SU-8 polymer-based hollow microneedles fabricated by a simple and repeatable process, which are a very good candidate for transdermal drug delivery as well as blood extraction. The paper elaborates on the details that allow the fabrication of such extreme aspect ratios (>100).

  2. SU-8 cantilevers for bio/chemical sensing; Fabrication, characterisation and development of novel read-out methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordström, M.; Keller, Stephan Urs; Lillemose, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Here, we present the activities within our research group over the last five years with cantilevers fabricated in the polymer SU-8. We believe that SU-8 is an interesting polymer for fabrication of cantilevers for bio/chemical sensing due to its simple processing and low Young's modulus. We show...

  3. The power to resist: The relationship between power, stigma, and negative symptoms in schizophrenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campellone, Timothy R.; Caponigro, Janelle M.; Kring, Ann M.

    2014-01-01

    Stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness can be a daily struggle for people with schizophrenia. While investigations into the impact of internalizing stigma on negative symptoms have yielded mixed results, resistance to stigmatizing beliefs has received little attention. In this study, we examined the linkage between internalized stigma, stigma resistance, negative symptoms, and social power, or perceived ability to influence others during social interactions among people with schizophrenia. Further, we sought to determine whether resistance to stigma would be bolstered by social power, with greater power in relationships with other possibly buffering against motivation/pleasure negative symptoms. Fifty-one people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed measures of social power, internalized stigma, and stigma resistance. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). Greater social power was associated with less internalized stigma and negative symptoms as well as more stigma resistance. Further, the relationship between social power and negative symptoms was partially mediated by stigma resistance. These findings provide evidence for the role of stigma resistance as a viable target for psychosocial interventions aimed at improving motivation and social power in people with schizophrenia. PMID:24326180

  4. The power to resist: the relationship between power, stigma, and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campellone, Timothy R; Caponigro, Janelle M; Kring, Ann M

    2014-02-28

    Stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness can be a daily struggle for people with schizophrenia. While investigations into the impact of internalizing stigma on negative symptoms have yielded mixed results, resistance to stigmatizing beliefs has received little attention. In this study, we examined the linkage between internalized stigma, stigma resistance, negative symptoms, and social power, or perceived ability to influence others during social interactions among people with schizophrenia. Further, we sought to determine whether resistance to stigma would be bolstered by social power, with greater power in relationships with other possibly buffering against motivation/pleasure negative symptoms. Fifty-one people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed measures of social power, internalized stigma, and stigma resistance. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). Greater social power was associated with less internalized stigma and negative symptoms as well as more stigma resistance. Further, the relationship between social power and negative symptoms was partially mediated by stigma resistance. These findings provide evidence for the role of stigma resistance as a viable target for psychosocial interventions aimed at improving motivation and social power in people with schizophrenia. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  5. Distribution of Gram Negative Bacteria and Evaluation of Resistance Profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serap Pamukcuoglu

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim: In this study, we aimed to examine the distributon of Gram negative bacteria isolated from urine cultures of out-patients in Afyonkarahisar State Hospital and evaluate the antimicrobial resistance rates of these pathogens. Material and Method: Urine samples of out-patients which were sent to microbiology laboratory between 2012-2013 were retrospectively evaluated. The isolates were identified using conventional methods and/or automated Vitec 2.0 system. Antibiogram sensitivities were determined by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method or automated system and interpreted on the basis of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CSI criteria. Double disc sinergy test (DDST or Vitec 2.0 system was used to detect extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL.When conventional methods could%u2019t be clarified according to their colony morphologies, gram staining patterns, biochemical test; automated system has been used. Results: A total of 671 isolates acquired from urine samples were studied. 427 Escherichia coli (63.6 %, 165 Klebsiella spp. (24.6 %, 22 Pseudomonas spp. (3.3 %, nine Acinetobacter spp. (1.3 %, 41 Proteus spp. (6.1 % and seven Serratia (1.0 % strains were identified among isolates. 97 E.coli (22.8 % and 41 Klebsiella (24.8 % isolates were ESBL positive. Most common bacteria were E.coli, 31.1 % of which were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 16 % to ciprofloxacin and 3.6 % to nitrofurantoin. Among Enterobacteriaceae, no resistance aganist carbapenems were detected. Moreover, aminoglicoside sensitivity rate was significantly high in this group. Discussion: Microorganisms that have progressively increasing antimicrobial resistance should be considered in the treatment of urinary tract infections. It is also important to use the most appropriate antibiotics to avoid unnecessary usage of these drugs in order to decrease drug resistance rates and ESBL production which may effect the success of the treatment.

  6. Tetracycline resistance phenotypes and genotypes of coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates from bubaline mastitis in Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Razik, K A Abd; Arafa, A A; Hedia, R H; Ibrahim, E S

    2017-06-01

    This study was devoted to elucidate the tetracycline resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) derived from normal and subclinical mastitic (SCM) buffaloes' milk in Egypt. A total of 81 milk samples from 46 normal buffalo milk samples and 35 SCM buffalo milk samples at private dairy farms of Egypt were used in this study. CNS were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). CNS isolates were tested for tetracycline resistance using routine methods and multiplex PCR targeting tetracycline ( tet ) resistance genes followed by sequencing of positive PCR products and phylogenetic analysis. Isolation and identification of 28 (34.5%) CNS from normal and SCM buffaloes' milk, namely, Staphylococcus intermedius (39.2%), Staphylococcus xylosus (25.0%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (10.7%), Staphylococcus hominis (10.7%), and 3.5% to each of Staphylococcus sciuri , Staphylococcus hyicus , Staphylococcus lugdunensis , and Staphylococcus simulans . Using nested PCR, all the 28 CNS isolates revealed positive for 16srRNA gene specific for genus staphylococci and negative for thermonuclease ( nuc ) gene specific for Staphylococcus aureus species. The presence of tetracycline resistance-encoding genes ( tet K, tet L, tet M, and tet O) was detected by multiplex PCR. All isolates were negative for tet L, M, and O genes while 14 (50%) CNS isolates were positive for tet K gene, namely, S. lugdunensis (100%), S. hominis (100%), S. epidermidis (66.6%), S. intermedius (45.4%), and S. xylosus (42.8%). Nucleotide sequencing of tet K gene followed by phylogenetic analysis showed the high homology between our CNS isolates genes of tetracycline resistance with S. aureus isolates including Egyptian ones. This proves the transfer of the tetracycline resistance encoding genes between coagulase-negative and coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp. CNS isolates have distinguishingly high resistance to tetracycline. Abundant tetracycline usage for

  7. Tetracycline resistance phenotypes and genotypes of coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates from bubaline mastitis in Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. A. Abd El-Razik

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study was devoted to elucidate the tetracycline resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS derived from normal and subclinical mastitic (SCM buffaloes' milk in Egypt. Materials and Methods: A total of 81 milk samples from 46 normal buffalo milk samples and 35 SCM buffalo milk samples at private dairy farms of Egypt were used in this study. CNS were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. CNS isolates were tested for tetracycline resistance using routine methods and multiplex PCR targeting tetracycline (tet resistance genes followed by sequencing of positive PCR products and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Isolation and identification of 28 (34.5% CNS from normal and SCM buffaloes' milk, namely, Staphylococcus intermedius (39.2%, Staphylococcus xylosus (25.0%, Staphylococcus epidermidis (10.7%, Staphylococcus hominis (10.7%, and 3.5% to each of Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, and Staphylococcus simulans. Using nested PCR, all the 28 CNS isolates revealed positive for 16srRNA gene specific for genus staphylococci and negative for thermonuclease (nuc gene specific for Staphylococcus aureus species. The presence of tetracycline resistance-encoding genes (tetK, tetL, tetM, and tetO was detected by multiplex PCR. All isolates were negative for tetL, M, and O genes while 14 (50% CNS isolates were positive for tetK gene, namely, S. lugdunensis (100%, S. hominis (100%, S. epidermidis (66.6%, S. intermedius (45.4%, and S. xylosus (42.8%. Nucleotide sequencing of tetK gene followed by phylogenetic analysis showed the high homology between our CNS isolates genes of tetracycline resistance with S. aureus isolates including Egyptian ones. This proves the transfer of the tetracycline resistance encoding genes between coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus spp. Conclusion: CNS isolates have distinguishingly high resistance to tetracycline

  8. Phosphorene/rhenium disulfide heterojunction-based negative differential resistance device for multi-valued logic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Jaewoo; Oh, Seyong; Kang, Dong-Ho; Jo, Seo-Hyeon; Ali, Muhammad Hasnain; Choi, Woo-Young; Heo, Keun; Jeon, Jaeho; Lee, Sungjoo; Kim, Minwoo; Song, Young Jae; Park, Jin-Hong

    2016-01-01

    Recently, negative differential resistance devices have attracted considerable attention due to their folded current–voltage characteristic, which presents multiple threshold voltage values. Because of this remarkable property, studies associated with the negative differential resistance devices have been explored for realizing multi-valued logic applications. Here we demonstrate a negative differential resistance device based on a phosphorene/rhenium disulfide (BP/ReS2) heterojunction that is formed by type-III broken-gap band alignment, showing high peak-to-valley current ratio values of 4.2 and 6.9 at room temperature and 180 K, respectively. Also, the carrier transport mechanism of the BP/ReS2 negative differential resistance device is investigated in detail by analysing the tunnelling and diffusion currents at various temperatures with the proposed analytic negative differential resistance device model. Finally, we demonstrate a ternary inverter as a multi-valued logic application. This study of a two-dimensional material heterojunction is a step forward toward future multi-valued logic device research. PMID:27819264

  9. Phosphorene/rhenium disulfide heterojunction-based negative differential resistance device for multi-valued logic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Jaewoo; Oh, Seyong; Kang, Dong-Ho; Jo, Seo-Hyeon; Ali, Muhammad Hasnain; Choi, Woo-Young; Heo, Keun; Jeon, Jaeho; Lee, Sungjoo; Kim, Minwoo; Song, Young Jae; Park, Jin-Hong

    2016-11-01

    Recently, negative differential resistance devices have attracted considerable attention due to their folded current-voltage characteristic, which presents multiple threshold voltage values. Because of this remarkable property, studies associated with the negative differential resistance devices have been explored for realizing multi-valued logic applications. Here we demonstrate a negative differential resistance device based on a phosphorene/rhenium disulfide (BP/ReS2) heterojunction that is formed by type-III broken-gap band alignment, showing high peak-to-valley current ratio values of 4.2 and 6.9 at room temperature and 180 K, respectively. Also, the carrier transport mechanism of the BP/ReS2 negative differential resistance device is investigated in detail by analysing the tunnelling and diffusion currents at various temperatures with the proposed analytic negative differential resistance device model. Finally, we demonstrate a ternary inverter as a multi-valued logic application. This study of a two-dimensional material heterojunction is a step forward toward future multi-valued logic device research.

  10. Electromagnetic characterization of strontium ferrite powders in series 2000, SU8 polymer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sholiyi, Olusegun; Williams, John

    2014-12-01

    In this article, electromagnetic characterization of strontium hexaferrite powders and composites with SU8 was carried out to determine their compatibility with micro and millimeter wave fabrications. The structures of both powders and their composites were scanned with electron microscope to produce the SEM images. Two powder sizes (0.8-1.0 μm and 3-6 μm), were mixed with SU8, spin cast and patterned on wafer, and then characterized using energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometry. In this investigation, FMRs of the samples were determined at 60 GHz while their complex permittivity and permeability were determined using rectangular waveguide method of characterization between 26.5 and 40 GHz frequency range. The results obtained show no adverse effects on the electromagnetic properties of the composites except some slight shift in the resonant frequencies due to anisotropic field of the samples.

  11. Dense vertical SU-8 microneedles drawn from a heated mold with precisely controlled volume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang, Zhuolin; Wang, Hao; Yen, Shih-Cheng; Lee, Chengkuo; Murugappan, Suresh Kanna; Pastorin, Giorgia

    2015-01-01

    Drawing lithography technology has recently become a popular technique to fabricate (3D) microneedles. The conventional drawing process shows some limitations in fabricating dense, scale-up and small microneedles. In this study, we demonstrate a new drawing lithography process from a self-loading mold which is able to overcome these challenges. Different from the conventional molds which have difficult alignment and loading issues, a released SU-8 membrane is attached onto a SU-8 coated wafer to generate an innovative self-loading mold. The physically distinct SU-8 colloid in this mold successfully avoids the merging of the microneedle tips in the drawing process. Meanwhile, the same SU-8 colloid in mold can provide microneedles with uniform lengths on a large surface area. Furthermore, a low temperature drawing process with this improved technique prevents sharp tips from bending during the solidification stage. Remarkably, this new drawing lithography technology can fabricate microneedles with various lengths and they are strong enough to penetrate the outermost skin layer, namely the stratum corneum. The spacing between two adjacent microneedles is optimized to maximize the penetration rate through the skin. Histology images and drug diffusion testing demonstrate that microchannels are successfully created and the drugs can permeate the tissue under the skin. The fabricated microneedles are demonstrated to deliver insulin in vivo and lower blood glucose levels, suggesting future possible applications for minimally invasive transdermal delivery of macromolecules. (paper)

  12. Beta-lactam resistance in the gram negatives: increasing complexity of conditional, composite and multiply resistant phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iredell, Jon; Thomas, Lee; Espedido, Björn

    2006-12-01

    The greatest impact of microbiology data on clinical care is in the critically ill. Unfortunately, this is also the area in which microbiology laboratories are most often non-contributive. Attempts to move to rapid, culture-independent diagnostics are driven by the need to expedite urgent results. This is difficult in Gram-negative infection because of the complexity of the antibiotic resistance phenotype. Here, we discuss resistance to modern beta-lactams as a case in point. Recent outbreaks of transmissible carbapenem resistance among Gram-negative enteric pathogens in Sydney and Melbourne serve to illustrate the pitfalls of traditional phenotypical approaches. A better understanding of the epidemiology and mosaic nature of antibiotic resistance elements in the microflora is needed for us to move forward.

  13. The gradient flow running coupling in SU2 with 8 flavors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rantaharju, Jarno; Karavirta, Tuomas; Leino, Viljami

    2014-01-01

    We present preliminary results of the gradient flow running coupling with Dirichlet boundary condition in the SU(2) gauge theory with 8 fermion flavours. Improvements to the gradient flow measurement allow us to obtain a robust continuum limit. The results are consistent with perturbative running...

  14. Carbonization of SU-8 Based Electrode for MEMS Supercapacitors

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Yang

    2014-01-01

    Supercapacitors are more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources than traditional ones. To achieve the supercapacitors with both energy density and power density that mainly depend on the effective surface area of theelectrodes, SU-8 can be used for electrode material to fabricate 3D microstructures as the electrodes that increase the effective surface area significantly. The objective of this project is to fabricate the reliable electrodes of large surface area for supercapac...

  15. Fabrication of SU-8 microstructures for analytical microfluidic applications

    OpenAIRE

    Tuomikoski, Santeri

    2007-01-01

    Miniaturization of analytical devices has been an ongoing trend to improve performance of analytical tools. These systems have been microfabricated originally of silicon and glass, but polymers have become increasingly popular as alternative materials. Polymers are mostly used because the material costs are lower and fabrication processes are easier. However, those facts depend heavily on the fabrication method and particular polymer. In this thesis the usability of epoxy-polymer SU-8 has bee...

  16. Changes of the Quinolones Resistance to Gram-positive Cocci Isolated during the Past 8 Years in the First Bethune Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jiancheng; Chen, Qihui; Yao, Hanxin; Zhou, Qi

    This study was to investigate the quinolones resistance to gram-positive cocci isolated in the First Bethune Hospital during the past 8 years. Disk diffusion test was used to study the antimicrobial resistance. The data were analyzed by WHONET 5 software according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (MRCNS) were 50.8%∼83.3% and 79.4%∼81.5%during the past 8 years, respectively. In recent 8 years, the quinolones resistance to gram-positive cocci had increased. Monitoring of the quinolones resistance to gram-positive cocci should be strengthened. The change of the antimicrobial resistance should be investigated in order to guide rational drug usage in the clinic and prevent bacterial strain of drug resistance from being transmitted.

  17. A new fabrication process for uniform SU-8 thick photoresist structures by simultaneously removing edge bead and air bubbles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hun; Lee, Kangsun; Ahn, Byungwook; Xu, Jing; Xu, Linfeng; Oh, Kwang W

    2011-01-01

    This paper proposes a new SU-8 fabrication process to simultaneously remove edge bead and tiny air bubbles by spraying out edge bead removal (EBR) fluid over the entire surface of photoresist. In particular, the edge bead and air bubbles can cause an air gap between a film mask and a photoresist surface during UV exposure. The diffraction effect of UV light by the air gap leads to inaccurate and non-uniform SU-8 patterns. In this study, we demonstrate a simple method using EBR treatment to simultaneously eliminate the edge bead at the edge of wafer and tiny air bubbles inside SU-8. The profiles of thickness variation of SU-8 films with/without the EBR treatment are measured. The results show that the proposed EBR treatment can successfully remove the edge bead and air bubbles over the entire SU-8 films. The average pattern uniformity of SU-8 is improved from 50.5% to 11.3% in the case of 200 µm thickness. This method is simple and inexpensive, compared to a standard EBR process, because it does not require specialized equipment and it can be applied regardless of substrate geometry (e.g. circular wafer and rectangular slide glass).

  18. Electromagnetic characterization of strontium ferrite powders in series 2000, SU8 polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sholiyi, Olusegun; Williams, John

    2014-01-01

    In this article, electromagnetic characterization of strontium hexaferrite powders and composites with SU8 was carried out to determine their compatibility with micro and millimeter wave fabrications. The structures of both powders and their composites were scanned with electron microscope to produce the SEM images. Two powder sizes (0.8–1.0 μm and 3–6 μm), were mixed with SU8, spin cast and patterned on wafer, and then characterized using energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometry. In this investigation, FMRs of the samples were determined at 60 GHz while their complex permittivity and permeability were determined using rectangular waveguide method of characterization between 26.5 and 40 GHz frequency range. The results obtained show no adverse effects on the electromagnetic properties of the composites except some slight shift in the resonant frequencies due to anisotropic field of the samples. (paper)

  19. Incidence, adherence, and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species causing human disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needham, C A; Stempsey, W

    1984-09-01

    Fifty-two isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species recovered from the blood or intravenous catheters of patients with clinically significant disease were compared to 60 similar isolates from patients who were presumably colonized. All isolates were identified and evaluated for ability to adhere to smooth surfaces, and resistance to anti-staphylococcal penicillins. S. epidermidis, S. hominis, and S. haemolyticus were the most frequently occurring species, representing 65%, 15%, and 10%, respectively, of disease isolates and 57%, 25%, and 8% of colonizers. The seven other species recovered accounted for only 10% of the total in both groups. Differences in isolation rates of each species within the two groups were not significant and were reflective of their reported incidence in the normal flora. All species of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (except S. capitis and S. cohnii, which were isolated in very small numbers) were capable of adhering to smooth surfaces. S. hominis disease isolates were all capable of adherence, and the difference between the disease isolates and colonizers was statistically significant (p less than 0.02). This was not true for any other species that was analyzed nor for all isolates considered as a whole. Resistance to anti-staphylococcal penicillins was documented for all coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, and was more frequent in S. epidermidis disease isolates than colonizers (p less than 0.05). No correlation was found between resistance to antistaphylococcal penicillins and ability to adhere.

  20. Resist materials for proton micromachining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kan, J.A. van; Sanchez, J.L.; Xu, B.; Osipowicz, T.; Watt, F.

    1999-01-01

    The production of high aspect ratio microstructures is a potential growth area. The combination of deep X-ray lithography with electroforming and micromolding (i.e. LIGA) is one of the main techniques used to produce 3D microstructures. The new technique of proton micromachining employs focused MeV protons in a direct write process which is complementary to LIGA, e.g. micromachining with 2 MeV protons results in microstructures with a height of 63 μm and lateral sub-micrometer resolution in PMMA resist. The aim of this paper is to investigate the capabilities of proton micromachining as a lithographic technique. This involves the study of different types of resists. The dose distribution of high molecular weight PMMA is compared with three other types of resist: First the positive photo resist AZ P4620 will be discussed and then PMGI SF 23, which can be used as a deep UV, e-beam or X-ray resist. Finally SU-8, a new deep UV negative type of chemically amplified resist will be discussed. All these polymers are applied using the spin coating technique at thicknesses of between 1 and 36 μm

  1. Temperature effects in Au piezoresistors integrated in SU-8 cantilever chips

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Alicia; Hansen, Ole; Hales, Jan Harry

    2006-01-01

    We present a cantilever-based biosensor chip made for the detection of biochemical molecules. The device is fabricated entirely in the photosensitive polymer SU-8 except for integrated piezoresistors made of Au. The integrated piezoresistors are used to monitor the surface stress changes due to b...

  2. Genetic characterization of antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative staphylococci from bovine mastitis milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frey, Yvonne; Rodriguez, Joan Peña; Thomann, Andreas; Schwendener, Sybille; Perreten, Vincent

    2013-04-01

    Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS; n=417) were isolated from bovine milk and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Nineteen different species were identified, and Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus sciuri were the most prevalent species. Resistance to oxacillin (47.0% of the isolates), fusidic acid (33.8%), tiamulin (31.9%), penicillin (23.3%), tetracycline (15.8%), streptomycin (9.6%), erythromycin (7.0%), sulfonamides (5%), trimethoprim (4.3%), clindamycin (3.4%), kanamycin (2.4%), and gentamicin (2.4%) was detected. Resistance to oxacillin was attributed to the mecA gene in 9.7% of the oxacillin-resistant isolates. The remaining oxacillin-resistant CNS did not contain the mecC gene or mecA1 promoter mutations. The mecA gene was detected in Staphylococcus fleurettii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staph. haemolyticus, and Staph. xylosus. Resistance to tetracycline was attributed to the presence of tet(K) and tet(L), penicillin resistance to blaZ, streptomycin resistance to str and ant(6)-Ia, and erythromycin resistance to erm(C), erm(B), and msr. Resistance to tiamulin and fusidic acid could not be attributed to an acquired resistance gene. In total, 15.1% of the CNS isolates were multidrug resistant (i.e., resistant to 2 or more antimicrobials). The remaining CNS isolates were susceptible to antimicrobials commonly used in mastitis treatment. Methicillin-resistant CNS isolates were diverse, as determined by mecA gene sequence analysis, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Arginine catabolic mobile element types 1 and 3 were detected in both methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staph. epidermidis and were associated with sequence types ST59 and ST111. Because this study revealed the presence of multidrug-resistant CNS in a heterogeneous CNS population, we recommend antibiogram analysis

  3. Order of multiphoton excitation of sulfonium photo-acid generators used in photoresists based on SU-8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Henry E.; Diaz, Carlos; Padilla, Gabriel; Hernandez, Florencio E.; Kuebler, Stephen M.

    2017-06-01

    Multiphoton lithography (MPL), Z-scan spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations were employed to investigate the order of multiphoton excitation that occurs when femtosecond laser pulses are used to excite two sulfonium photo-acid generators (PAGs) commonly used in photoresists based on the cross-linkable epoxide SU-8. The mole-fractions of the mono- and bis-sulfonium forms of these PAGs were determined for the commercially available photoresist SU-8 2075 and for the PAGs alone from a separate source. Both were found to contain similar fractions of the mono- and bis-forms, with the mono form present in the majority. Reichert's method was used to determine the solvatochromic strength of the SU-8 matrix, so that results obtained for the PAGs in SU-8 and in solution could be reliably compared. The PAGs were found to exhibit a minimal solvatochromic shift for a series of solvents that span across the solvatochromic strength of SU-8 itself. Sub-micron-sized features were fabricated in SU-8 2075 by MPL using amplified and continuous-wave mode-locked laser pulses. Analysis of the features as a function of average laser power, scan speed, and excitation wavelength shows that the PAGs can be activated by both two- and three-photon absorption (2PA and 3PA). Which activation mode dominates depends principally upon the excitation wavelength because the average laser powers that can be used with the photoresist are limited by practical considerations. The power must be high enough to effect sufficient cross-linking, yet not so high as to exceed the damage threshold of the material. When the laser pulses have a duration on the order of 100 fs, 3PA dominates at wavelengths near 800 nm, whereas 2PA becomes dominant at wavelengths below 700 nm. These findings are corroborated by open-aperture Z-scan measurements and quantum chemical calculations of the cross-sections for 2PA and 3PA as a function of wavelength.

  4. Distribution of multi-resistant Gram-negative versus Gram-positive bacteria in the hospital inanimate environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemmen, S W; Häfner, H; Zolldann, D; Stanzel, S; Lütticken, R

    2004-03-01

    We prospectively studied the difference in detection rates of multi-resistant Gram-positive and multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in the inanimate environment of patients harbouring these organisms. Up to 20 different locations around 190 patients were surveyed. Fifty-four patients were infected or colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and 136 with multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The environmental detection rate for MRSA or VRE was 24.7% (174/705 samples) compared with 4.9% (89/1827 samples) for multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (PGram-positive bacteria were isolated more frequently than Gram-negatives from the hands of patients (PGram-positive and Gram-negative isolates. Our results suggest that the inanimate environment serves as a secondary source for MRSA and VRE, but less so for Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, strict contact isolation in a single room with complete barrier precautions is recommended for MRSA or VRE; however, for multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, contact isolation with barrier precautions for close contact but without a single room seems sufficient. This benefits not only the patients, but also the hospital by removing some of the strain placed on already over-stretched resources.

  5. The SU(3)xU(1) invariant breaking of gauged N=8 supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicolai, H.; Warner, N.P.

    1985-01-01

    The SU(3) x U(1) invariant stationary point of N=8 supergravity is described in some detail. This vacuum has N=2 supersymmetry, and it is shown how the fields of N=8 supergravity may be collected into multiplets of SU(3) x Osp(2, 4). A new kind of shortened massive multiplet is described, and the multiplet shortening conditions for this and other multiplets are used to determine, by the use of group theory alone, the masses of many of the fields in the vacuum. The remaining masses are determined by explicit calculation. The critical point realizes Gell-Mann's scheme for relating the spin-1/2 fermions of the theory to the observed quarks and leptons. (orig.)

  6. Characterization of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from Tamil Nadu.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Subramani, Ramkumar; Maray, Suresh; Gothandam, K M; Sivamangala, Karthikeyan; Manohar, Prasanth; Bozdogan, Bülent

    2016-10-01

    Carbapenem resistance is disseminating worldwide among Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify carbapenem-resistance level and to determine the mechanism of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates from two centres in Tamil Nadu. In the present study, a total of 93 Gram-negative isolates, which is found to be resistant to carbapenem by disk diffusion test in two centres, were included. All isolates are identified at species level by 16S rRNA sequencing. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isolates for Meropenem were tested by agar dilution method. Presence of blaOXA, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP and blaKPC genes was tested by PCR in all isolates. Amplicons were sequenced for confirmation of the genes. Among 93 isolates, 48 (%52) were Escherichia coli, 10 (%11) Klebsiella pneumoniae, nine (%10) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimal inhibitory concentration results showed that of 93 suspected carbapenem-resistant isolates, 27 had meropenem MICs ≥ 2 μg/ml. The MIC range, MIC50 and MIC90 were 128 μg/ml, 0.12 and 16 μg/ml, respectively. Fig. 1 . Among meropenem-resistant isolates, E. coli were the most common (9/48, 22%), followed by K. pneumoniae (7/9, 77%), P. aeruginosa (6/10, 60%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2/2, 100%), Enterobacter hormaechei (2/3, 67%) and one Providencia rettgeri (1/1, 100%). PCR results showed that 16 of 93 carried blaNDM, three oxa181, and one imp4. Among blaNDM carriers, nine were E. coli, four Klebsiella pneumoniae, two E. hormaechei and one P. rettgeri. Three K. pneumoniae were OXA-181 carriers. The only imp4 carrier was P. aeruginosa. A total of seven carbapenem-resistant isolates were negatives by PCR for the genes studied. All carbapenem-resistance gene-positive isolates had meropenem MICs >2 μg/ml. Our results confirm the dissemination of NDM and emergence of OXA-181 beta-lactamase among Gram-negative bacteria in South India. This study showed the emergence of NDM producer in clinical isolates of E

  7. Mechanisms of Linezolid Resistance among Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Determined by Whole-Genome Sequencing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tewhey, Ryan; Gu, Bing; Kelesidis, Theodoros; Charlton, Carmen; Bobenchik, April; Hindler, Janet; Schork, Nicholas J.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Linezolid resistance is uncommon among staphylococci, but approximately 2% of clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) may exhibit resistance to linezolid (MIC, ≥8 µg/ml). We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize the resistance mechanisms and genetic backgrounds of 28 linezolid-resistant CoNS (21 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates and 7 Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolates) obtained from blood cultures at a large teaching health system in California between 2007 and 2012. The following well-characterized mutations associated with linezolid resistance were identified in the 23S rRNA: G2576U, G2447U, and U2504A, along with the mutation C2534U. Mutations in the L3 and L4 riboproteins, at sites previously associated with linezolid resistance, were also identified in 20 isolates. The majority of isolates harbored more than one mutation in the 23S rRNA and L3 and L4 genes. In addition, the cfr methylase gene was found in almost half (48%) of S. epidermidis isolates. cfr had been only rarely identified in staphylococci in the United States prior to this study. Isolates of the same sequence type were identified with unique mutations associated with linezolid resistance, suggesting independent acquisition of linezolid resistance in each isolate. PMID:24915435

  8. Fabrication and characterization of microcavity lasers in rhodamine B doped SU8 using high energy proton beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venugopal Rao, S.; Bettiol, A. A.; Vishnubhatla, K. C.; Bhaktha, S. N. B.; Narayana Rao, D.; Watt, F.

    2007-03-01

    The authors present their results on the characterization of individual dye-doped microcavity polymer lasers fabricated using a high energy proton beam. The lasers were fabricated in rhodamine B doped SU8 resist with a single exposure step followed by chemical processing. The resulting trapezoidal shaped cavities had dimensions of ˜250×250μm2. Physical characterization of these structures was performed using a scanning electron microscope while the optical characterization was carried out by recording the emission subsequent to pumping the lasers with 532nm, 6 nanosecond pulses. The authors observed intense, narrow emission near 624nm with the best emission linewidth full width at half maximum of ˜9nm and a threshold ˜150μJ/mm2.

  9. Low-temperature resistivity anomaly in underdoped Pr0.8Sr0.2MnO3 manganite nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Proloy T.; Giri, S.K.; Panda, J.; Taraphder, A.; Nath, T.K.; Nigam, A.K.

    2013-01-01

    High resolution electrical resistivity measurements were carried out of under-doped Pr 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 manganite nanoparticles with grain size modulation down to 40 nm in magnetic fields H, from 0 to 9 T in the low temperature regime down to a temperature of 4.2 K. In the temperature range below 80 K, a distinct resistivity minima is observed for all the samples with different particle sizes for all H. While trying to fit low temperature resistivity data with different models for the observed resistivity minima with negative temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) for all H, it appears that all the data for different particle sizes, can be best described by electron-electron (e-e) interaction effect in comparison with other models, e.g., Kondo model, coulomb blockades etc. The low temperature data for all H have been fitted with an expression containing three terms, namely, residual resistivity, inelastic scattering, e-e interaction and Kondo effects. We conclude that the e-e interaction is the dominant transport mechanism at low temperatures for the observed negative TCR in this strongly disordered nanometric Pr 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 phase separated manganite system. (author)

  10. Negative cross resistance in atrazine resistant junglerice (Echinochloa colona (L. Link populations in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. fields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elham Elahifard

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Negative and positive cross-resistance to other herbicides have been found in triazine-resistant biotypes. Thus, negative cross-resistance has been reported to bentazone for Brassica napus L. and A. retroflexus L., and to pyridate for B. napus and Epilobium ciliatum Raf.. In contrast, positive cross-resistance to bentazone has been found in Chenopodium album L. and Solanum nigrum L.. Negative cross-resistance, i.e., herbicide-resistant plants being more sensitive to herbicides than susceptible plants, has been documented in several triazine-resistant weed biotypes. The goal of this study was to search for herbicides that exert negative cross-resistance at the whole-plant level for control of atrazine-resistant populations of E. colona. Materials and Methods Suspected resistant and susceptible seeds of junglerice to atrazine were collected from sugarcane fields and adjacent areas of Karun Agro-Industry Inc., Shushtar, southwestern of Iran in 2014 - 2015 growing season. These populations were named according to their population status and abbreviated as follows: R1, R2, R3 and S (susceptible population. All the collected seeds (R- and S-populations were stored at room temperature (25 oC. Herbicides were tebuthiuron, linuron, diuron and diuron + hexazinone. For the PRE application, 10 seeds were planted in 500-ml plastic pots containing clay:sand mix, and herbicides were applied using an flood nozzle and back sprayer calibrated to deliver 350 L ha-1 to the suspected resistant and susceptible junglerice biotypes 1 d after sowing. Plants were thinned to 4 plants per pot. The aboveground biomass was harvested 28 DAT, dried at 75 °C for 48 h, and weighed. The aboveground biomass data were expressed as a percentage of the untreated control. The experiment was a completely randomized block design with four replications and was repeated. The data were analyzed using a nonlinear regression model and R software (drc add on packeges, the three

  11. SU-8 etching in inductively coupled oxygen plasma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Kristian Hagsted; Keller, Stephan Sylvest; Jensen, Flemming

    2013-01-01

    Structuring or removal of the epoxy based, photo sensitive polymer SU-8 by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) was investigated as a function of plasma chemistry, bias power, temperature, and pressure. In a pure oxygen plasma, surface accumulation of antimony from the photo......-initiator introduced severe roughness and reduced etch rate significantly. Addition of SF6 to the plasma chemistry reduced the antimony surface concentration with lower roughness and higher etch rate as an outcome. Furthermore the etch anisotropy could be tuned by controlling the bias power. Etch rates up to 800 nm...

  12. Development of an SU-8 MEMS process with two metal electrodes using amorphous silicon as a sacrificial material

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.

    2013-02-08

    This work presents an SU-8 surface micromachining process using amorphous silicon as a sacrificial material, which also incorporates two metal layers for electrical excitation. SU-8 is a photo-patternable polymer that is used as a structural layer for MEMS and microfluidic applications due to its mechanical properties, biocompatibility and low cost. Amorphous silicon is used as a sacrificial layer in MEMS applications because it can be deposited in large thicknesses, and can be released in a dry method using XeF2, which alleviates release-based stiction problems related to MEMS applications. In this work, an SU-8 MEMS process was developed using ;-Si as a sacrificial layer. Two conductive metal electrodes were integrated in this process to allow out-of-plane electrostatic actuation for applications like MEMS switches and variable capacitors. In order to facilitate more flexibility for MEMS designers, the process can fabricate dimples that can be conductive or nonconductive. Additionally, this SU-8 process can fabricate SU-8 MEMS structures of a single layer of two different thicknesses. Process parameters were optimized for two sets of thicknesses: thin (5-10 m) and thick (130 m). The process was tested fabricating MEMS switches, capacitors and thermal actuators. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  13. Widespread Fosfomycin Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria Attributable to the Chromosomal fosA Gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryota Ito

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Fosfomycin is a decades-old antibiotic which is being revisited because of its perceived activity against many extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. FosA proteins are Mn2+ and K+-dependent glutathione S-transferases which confer fosfomycin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria by conjugation of glutathione to the antibiotic. Plasmid-borne fosA variants have been reported in fosfomycin-resistant Escherichia coli strains. However, the prevalence and distribution of fosA in other Gram-negative bacteria are not known. We systematically surveyed the presence of fosA in Gram-negative bacteria in over 18,000 published genomes from 18 Gram-negative species and investigated their contribution to fosfomycin resistance. We show that FosA homologues are present in the majority of genomes in some species (e.g., Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas they are largely absent in others (e.g., E. coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Burkholderia cepacia. FosA proteins in different bacterial pathogens are highly divergent, but key amino acid residues in the active site are conserved. Chromosomal fosA genes conferred high-level fosfomycin resistance when expressed in E. coli, and deletion of chromosomal fosA in S. marcescens eliminated fosfomycin resistance. Our results indicate that FosA is encoded by clinically relevant Gram-negative species and contributes to intrinsic fosfomycin resistance.

  14. Molecular identification of GAPDHs in cassava highlights the antagonism of MeGAPCs and MeATG8s in plant disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Hongqiu; Xie, Yanwei; Liu, Guoyin; Lin, Daozhe; He, Chaozu; Shi, Haitao

    2018-06-01

    MeGAPCs were identified as negative regulators of plant disease resistance, and the interaction of MeGAPCs and MeATG8s was highlighted in plant defense response. As an important enzyme of glycolysis metabolic pathway, glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase (GAPDH) plays important roles in plant development, abiotic stress and immune responses. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is most important tropical crop and one of the major food crops, however, no information is available about GAPDH gene family in cassava. In this study, 14 MeGAPDHs including 6 cytosol GAPDHs (MeGAPCs) were identified from cassava, and the transcripts of 14 MeGAPDHs in response to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv manihotis (Xam) indicated their possible involvement in immune responses. Further investigation showed that MeGAPCs are negative regulators of disease resistance against Xam. Through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, we found that overexpression of MeGAPCs led to decreased disease resistance against Xam. On the contrary, MeGAPCs-silenced cassava plants through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) conferred improved disease resistance. Notably, MeGAPCs physically interacted with autophagy-related protein 8b (MeATG8b) and MeATG8e and inhibited autophagic activity. Moreover, MeATG8b and MeATG8e negatively regulated the activities of NAD-dependent MeGAPDHs, and are involved in MeGAPCs-mediated disease resistance. Taken together, this study highlights the involvement of MeGAPCs in plant disease resistance, through interacting with MeATG8b and MeATG8e.

  15. Risk factors for carbapenem resistant bacteraemia and mortality due to gram negative bacteraemia in a developing country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalam, K.; Kumar, S.; Ali, S.; Baqi, S.; Qamar, F.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To identify the risk factors for carbapenem resistant bacteraemia and mortality due to gram negative bacteraemia in a developing country. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) from June to October 2012. Hospitalized patients > 15 years of age with gram negative bacteraemia were included and followed for a period of 2 weeks for in hospital mortality. Data was collected and analyzed for 243 subjects. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the risk factors for carbapenem resistant bacteraemia and mortality due to gram negative bacteraemia. Crude and adjusted odds ratio and 95% CI are reported. Results: A total of 729 out of 1535 (47.5%) cultures were positive for gram negative isolates. Out of 243 subjects, 117 (48%) had an MDR isolate. Having an MDR isolate on culture (AOR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.35 -4.0), having multiple positive cultures (AOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.94 -3.4) and stay in ICU >48 hours (AOR, 2.0 ; 95% CI, 1.12 -3.78) were identified as significant risk factors for mortality due to gram negative organisms. Risk factors for carbapenem resistant bacteraemia were age >50 years (AOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.0-3.5), septic shock on presentation (AOR 2.53; 95% CI, 1.03 -6.2) , ICU stay of >72 hours (AOR 2.40; 95% CI, 1.14-5.0) and receiving immunosuppressant medications (AOR 2.23; 95% CI, 0.74 - 6.7). Conclusion: There is a high burden of MDR and carbapenem resistant gram negative bacteraemia, with a high mortality rate. (author)

  16. Distortion of 3D SU8 photonic structures fabricated by four-beam holographic lithography withumbrella configuration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xuelian; Xu, Yongan; Yang, Shu

    2007-12-10

    We present a quantitative study of the distortion from a threeterm diamond-like structure fabricated in SU8 polymer by four-beam holographic lithography. In the study of the refraction effect, theory suggests that the lattice in SU8 should be elongated in the [111] direction but have no distortion in the (111) plane, and each triangular-like hole array in the (111) plane would rotate by ~30 degrees away from that in air. Our experiments agree with the prediction on the periodicity in the (111) plane and the rotation due to refraction effect, however, we find that the film shrinkage during lithographic process has nearly compensated the predicted elongation in the [111] direction. In study of photonic bandgap (PBG) properties of silicon photonic crystals templated by the SU8 structure, we find that the distortion has decreased quality of PBG.

  17. Organic Field-Effect Transistors Based on a Liquid-Crystalline Polymeric Semiconductor using SU-8 Gate Dielectrics onFlexible Substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetzner, Kornelius; Bose, Indranil R; Bock, Karlheinz

    2014-10-29

    In this work, the insulating properties of poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) and SU-8 (MicroChem, Westborough, MA, USA) dielectrics are analyzed and compared with each other. We further investigate the performance behavior of organic field-effect transistors based on a semiconducting liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) using both dielectric materials and evaluate the results regarding the processability. Due to the lower process temperature needed for the SU-8 deposition, the realization of organic transistors on flexible substrates is demonstrated showing comparable charge carrier mobilities to devices using PVP on glass. In addition, a µ-dispensing procedure of the LCP on SU-8 is presented, improving the switching behavior of the organic transistors, and the promising stability data of the SU-8/LCP stack are verified after storing the structures for 60 days in ambient air showing negligible irreversible degradation of the organic semiconductor.

  18. A High-Throughput SU-8Microfluidic Magnetic Bead Separator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bu, Minqiang; Christensen, T. B.; Smistrup, Kristian

    2007-01-01

    We present a novel microfluidic magnetic bead separator based on SU-8 fabrication technique for high through-put applications. The experimental results show that magnetic beads can be captured at an efficiency of 91 % and 54 % at flow rates of 1 mL/min and 4 mL/min, respectively. Integration...... of soft magnetic elements in the chip leads to a slightly higher capturing efficiency and a more uniform distribution of captured beads over the separation chamber than the system without soft magnetic elements....

  19. In vitro activity of potential old and new drugs against multidrug-resistant gram-negatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizek, Camila; Ferraz, Juliana Rosa; van der Heijden, Inneke Marie; Giudice, Mauro; Mostachio, Anna Karina; Paez, Jorge; Carrilho, Claudia; Levin, Anna Sara; Costa, Silvia F

    2015-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility of MDR gram-negatives bacteria to old drugs such as polymyxin B, minocycline and fosfomycin and new drugs such as tigecycline. One hundred and fifty-three isolates from 4 Brazilian hospitals were evaluated. Forty-seven Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to carbapenens harboring adeB, blaOxA23, blaOxA51, blaOxA143 and blaIMP genes, 48 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia including isolates resistant to levofloxacin and/or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole harboring sul-1, sul-2 and qnrMR and 8 Serratia marcescens and 50 Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to carbapenens harboring blaKPC-2 were tested to determine their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by microdilution to the following drugs: minocycline, ampicillin-sulbactam, tigecycline, and polymyxin B and by agar dilution to fosfomycin according with breakpoint criteria of CLSI and EUCAST (fosfomycin). In addition, EUCAST fosfomycin breakpoint for Pseudomonas spp. was applied for Acinetobacter spp and S. maltophilia, the FDA criteria for tigecycline was used for Acinetobacter spp and S. maltophilia and the Pseudomonas spp polymyxin B CLSI criterion was used for S. maltophilia. Tigecycline showed the best in vitro activity against the MDR gram-negative evaluated, followed by polymyxin B and fosfomycin. Polymyxin B resistance among K. pneumoniae was detected in 6 isolates, using the breakpoint of MIC > 8 ug/mL. Two of these isolates were resistant to tigecycline. Minocycline was tested only against S. maltophilia and A. baumannii and showed excellent activity against both. Fosfomycin seems to not be an option to treat infections due to the A. baumannii and S. maltophilia isolates according with EUCAST breakpoint, on the other hand, showed excellent activity against S. marcescens and K. pneumoniae. Copyright © 2014 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Emergence of linezolid-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci in an intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balandin, Bárbara; Lobo, Beatriz; Orden, Beatriz; Román, Federico; García, Elena; Martínez, Rocío; Valdivia, Miguel; Ortega, Alfonso; Fernández, Inmaculada; Galdos, Pedro

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to report the emergence of linezolid-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) in an intensive care unit. An observational study was conducted in critically ill patients with colonization or infection by linezolid-resistant CoNS between January 2010 and December 2014. We analyzed the epidemiological and clinical features, and the mechanism of resistance to linezolid. We also evaluated the association between the incidence of linezolid-resistant CoNS strains and the consumption of linezolid in the study period. During the study period 49 patients had a linezolid-resistant CoNS strain isolated from clinical samples (blood in 42 cases, urine in 6, peritoneal fluid in 1). Molecular study showed a combination of mechanisms of resistance. Most patients were critically ill (APACHE II score = 21.9 ± 8.3) and nearly all had undergone surgery and invasive procedures, and had prior exposure to antibiotics. Linezolid-resistant CoNS were considered to be contaminants in 42 patients and associated with infection in 7 patients, comprising bacteremia and septic shock in most of them. They were successfully treated with glycopeptides or daptomycin. A modest significant correlation was observed between the decrease in linezolid consumption and the lower incidence of resistant isolates. Linezolid-resistant CoNS had emerged in critically ill patients with severe underlying diseases and prior antibiotic exposure. Most isolates represented colonization; however, linezolid-resistant CoNS can produce serious infections in critically ill patients. Glycopeptides and daptomycin seem to provide useful alternatives for therapy of these infections. A relationship was found between linezolid consumption and the incidence of linezolid-resistant CoNS strains.

  1. Organic Field-Effect Transistors Based on a Liquid-Crystalline Polymeric Semiconductor using SU-8 Gate Dielectrics onFlexible Substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kornelius Tetzner

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the insulating properties of poly(4-vinylphenol (PVP and SU-8 (MicroChem, Westborough, MA, USA dielectrics are analyzed and compared with each other. We further investigate the performance behavior of organic field-effect transistors based on a semiconducting liquid-crystal polymer (LCP using both dielectric materials and evaluate the results regarding the processability. Due to the lower process temperature needed for the SU-8 deposition, the realization of organic transistors on flexible substrates is demonstrated showing comparable charge carrier mobilities to devices using PVP on glass. In addition, a µ-dispensing procedure of the LCP on SU-8 is presented, improving the switching behavior of the organic transistors, and the promising stability data of the SU-8/LCP stack are verified after storing the structures for 60 days in ambient air showing negligible irreversible degradation of the organic semiconductor.

  2. Organic Field-Effect Transistors Based on a Liquid-Crystalline Polymeric Semiconductor using SU-8 Gate Dielectrics on Flexible Substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetzner, Kornelius; Bose, Indranil R.; Bock, Karlheinz

    2014-01-01

    In this work, the insulating properties of poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) and SU-8 (MicroChem, Westborough, MA, USA) dielectrics are analyzed and compared with each other. We further investigate the performance behavior of organic field-effect transistors based on a semiconducting liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) using both dielectric materials and evaluate the results regarding the processability. Due to the lower process temperature needed for the SU-8 deposition, the realization of organic transistors on flexible substrates is demonstrated showing comparable charge carrier mobilities to devices using PVP on glass. In addition, a µ-dispensing procedure of the LCP on SU-8 is presented, improving the switching behavior of the organic transistors, and the promising stability data of the SU-8/LCP stack are verified after storing the structures for 60 days in ambient air showing negligible irreversible degradation of the organic semiconductor. PMID:28788243

  3. Biofriendly bonding processes for nanoporous implantable SU-8 microcapsules for encapsulated cell therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemani, Krishnamurthy; Kwon, Joonbum; Trivedi, Krutarth; Hu, Walter; Lee, Jeong-Bong; Gimi, Barjor

    2011-01-01

    Mechanically robust, cell encapsulating microdevices fabricated using photolithographic methods can lead to more efficient immunoisolation in comparison to cell encapsulating hydrogels. There is a need to develop adhesive bonding methods which can seal such microdevices under physiologically friendly conditions. We report the bonding of SU-8 based substrates through (i) magnetic self assembly, (ii) using medical grade photocured adhesive and (iii) moisture and photochemical cured polymerization. Magnetic self-assembly, carried out in biofriendly aqueous buffers, provides weak bonding not suitable for long term applications. Moisture cured bonding of covalently modified SU-8 substrates, based on silanol condensation, resulted in weak and inconsistent bonding. Photocured bonding using a medical grade adhesive and of acrylate modified substrates provided stable bonding. Of the methods evaluated, photocured adhesion provided the strongest and most stable adhesion.

  4. SP(6) X SU(2) and SO(8) X SU(2) - symmetric fermion-dynamic model of multinucleon systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baktybaev, K.

    2007-01-01

    In last years a new approach describing collective states of multinucleon system on the base of their fermion dynamic symmetry was developed. Such fermion model is broad and logical one in comparison with the phenomenological model of interacting bosons. In cut fermion S- and D- pair spaces complicated nucleons interactions are approximating in that way so multinucleon system Hamiltonian becomes a simple function of fermion generators forming corresponding Lie algebra. Correlation fermion pairs are structured in such form so its operators of birth and destruction together with a set multiband operators are formed Sp(6) and SO(8) algebra of these pairs and SU(2)-algebra for so named anomalous pairs. For convenience at the model practical application to concrete systems the dynamical-symmetric Hamiltonian is writing by means of independent Casimir operators of subgroup are reductions of a large group. It is revealed, that observed Hamiltonians besides the known SU 3 , and SO 6 asymptotic borders have also more complicated 'vibration-like' borders SO 7 , SO 5 XSU 2 and SU 2 XSO 3 . In the paper both advantages and disadvantages of these borders and some its applications to specific nuclear systems are discussing

  5. Carbapenem-Resistant Non-Glucose-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli: the Missing Piece to the Puzzle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gniadek, Thomas J.; Carroll, Karen C.

    2016-01-01

    The non-glucose-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii are increasingly acquiring carbapenem resistance. Given their intrinsic antibiotic resistance, this can cause extremely difficult-to-treat infections. Additionally, resistance gene transfer can occur between Gram-negative species, regardless of their ability to ferment glucose. Thus, the acquisition of carbapenemase genes by these organisms increases the risk of carbapenemase spread in general. Ultimately, infection control practitioners and clinical microbiologists need to work together to determine the risk carried by carbapenem-resistant non-glucose-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (CR-NF) in their institution and what methods should be considered for surveillance and detection of CR-NF. PMID:26912753

  6. Cfr-mediated linezolid-resistance among methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from infections of humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lanqing Cui

    Full Text Available Four methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS, one Staphylococcus haemolyticus and three Staphylococcus cohnii, from infections of humans collected via the Ministry of Health National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Net (Mohnarin program in China were identified as linezolid-resistant. These four isolates were negative for the 23S rRNA mutations, but positive for the gene cfr. Mutations in the gene for the ribosomal protein L3, which resulted in the amino acid exchanges Gly152Asp and Tyr158Phe, were identified in S. haemolyticus 09D279 and S. cohnii NDM113, respectively. In each isolate, the cfr gene was located on a plasmid of ca. 35.4 kb, as shown by S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern blotting experiments. This plasmid was indistinguishable from the previously described plasmid pSS-02 by its size, restriction pattern, and a sequenced 14-kb cfr-carrying segment. Plasmid pSS-02 was originally identified in staphylococci isolated from pigs. This is the first time that a cfr-carrying plasmid has been detected in MRCoNS obtained from intensive care patients in China. Based on the similarities to the cfr-carrying plasmid pSS-02 from porcine coagulase-negative staphylococci, a transmission of this cfr-carrying plasmid between staphylococci from pigs and humans appears to be likely.

  7. Cfr-mediated linezolid-resistance among methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from infections of humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Lanqing; Wang, Yang; Li, Yun; He, Tao; Schwarz, Stefan; Ding, Yujing; Shen, Jianzhong; Lv, Yuan

    2013-01-01

    Four methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), one Staphylococcus haemolyticus and three Staphylococcus cohnii, from infections of humans collected via the Ministry of Health National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Net (Mohnarin) program in China were identified as linezolid-resistant. These four isolates were negative for the 23S rRNA mutations, but positive for the gene cfr. Mutations in the gene for the ribosomal protein L3, which resulted in the amino acid exchanges Gly152Asp and Tyr158Phe, were identified in S. haemolyticus 09D279 and S. cohnii NDM113, respectively. In each isolate, the cfr gene was located on a plasmid of ca. 35.4 kb, as shown by S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern blotting experiments. This plasmid was indistinguishable from the previously described plasmid pSS-02 by its size, restriction pattern, and a sequenced 14-kb cfr-carrying segment. Plasmid pSS-02 was originally identified in staphylococci isolated from pigs. This is the first time that a cfr-carrying plasmid has been detected in MRCoNS obtained from intensive care patients in China. Based on the similarities to the cfr-carrying plasmid pSS-02 from porcine coagulase-negative staphylococci, a transmission of this cfr-carrying plasmid between staphylococci from pigs and humans appears to be likely.

  8. Incidence of carbapenem-resistant gram negatives in Italian transplant recipients: a nationwide surveillance study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanini, Simone; Costa, Alessandro Nanni; Puro, Vincenzo; Procaccio, Francesco; Grossi, Paolo Antonio; Vespasiano, Francesca; Ricci, Andrea; Vesconi, Sergio; Ison, Michael G; Carmeli, Yehuda; Ippolito, Giuseppe

    2015-01-01

    Bacterial infections remain a challenge to solid organ transplantation. Due to the alarming spread of carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria, these organisms have been frequently recognized as cause of severe infections in solid organ transplant recipients. Between 15 May and 30 September 2012 we enrolled 887 solid organ transplant recipients in Italy with the aim to describe the epidemiology of gram negative bacteria spreading, to explore potential risk factors and to assess the effect of early isolation of gram negative bacteria on recipients' mortality during the first 90 days after transplantation. During the study period 185 clinical isolates of gram negative bacteria were reported, for an incidence of 2.39 per 1000 recipient-days. Positive cultures for gram negative bacteria occurred early after transplantation (median time 26 days; incidence rate 4.33, 1.67 and 1.14 per 1,000 recipient-days in the first, second and third month after SOT, respectively). Forty-nine of these clinical isolates were due to carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria (26.5%; incidence 0.63 per 1000 recipient-days). Carbapenems resistance was particularly frequent among Klebsiella spp. isolates (49.1%). Recipients with longer hospital stay and those who received either heart or lung graft were at the highest risk of testing positive for any gram negative bacteria. Moreover recipients with longer hospital stay, lung recipients and those admitted to hospital for more than 48h before transplantation had the highest probability to have culture(s) positive for carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria. Forty-four organ recipients died (0.57 per 1000 recipient-days) during the study period. Recipients with at least one positive culture for carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria had a 10.23-fold higher mortality rate than those who did not. The isolation of gram-negative bacteria is most frequent among recipient with hospital stays >48 hours prior to transplant and in those

  9. Incidence of carbapenem-resistant gram negatives in Italian transplant recipients: a nationwide surveillance study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Lanini

    Full Text Available Bacterial infections remain a challenge to solid organ transplantation. Due to the alarming spread of carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria, these organisms have been frequently recognized as cause of severe infections in solid organ transplant recipients.Between 15 May and 30 September 2012 we enrolled 887 solid organ transplant recipients in Italy with the aim to describe the epidemiology of gram negative bacteria spreading, to explore potential risk factors and to assess the effect of early isolation of gram negative bacteria on recipients' mortality during the first 90 days after transplantation. During the study period 185 clinical isolates of gram negative bacteria were reported, for an incidence of 2.39 per 1000 recipient-days. Positive cultures for gram negative bacteria occurred early after transplantation (median time 26 days; incidence rate 4.33, 1.67 and 1.14 per 1,000 recipient-days in the first, second and third month after SOT, respectively. Forty-nine of these clinical isolates were due to carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria (26.5%; incidence 0.63 per 1000 recipient-days. Carbapenems resistance was particularly frequent among Klebsiella spp. isolates (49.1%. Recipients with longer hospital stay and those who received either heart or lung graft were at the highest risk of testing positive for any gram negative bacteria. Moreover recipients with longer hospital stay, lung recipients and those admitted to hospital for more than 48h before transplantation had the highest probability to have culture(s positive for carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria. Forty-four organ recipients died (0.57 per 1000 recipient-days during the study period. Recipients with at least one positive culture for carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria had a 10.23-fold higher mortality rate than those who did not.The isolation of gram-negative bacteria is most frequent among recipient with hospital stays >48 hours prior to transplant

  10. Emergence of Imipenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli in Intestinal Flora of Intensive Care Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angebault, Cécile; Barbier, François; Hamelet, Emilie; Defrance, Gilles; Ruppé, Etienne; Bronchard, Régis; Lepeule, Raphaël; Lucet, Jean-Christophe; El Mniai, Assiya; Wolff, Michel; Montravers, Philippe; Plésiat, Patrick; Andremont, Antoine

    2013-01-01

    Intestinal flora contains a reservoir of Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) resistant to cephalosporins, which are potentially pathogenic for intensive care unit (ICU) patients; this has led to increasing use of carbapenems. The emergence of carbapenem resistance is a major concern for ICUs. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the intestinal carriage of imipenem-resistant GNB (IR-GNB) in intensive care patients. For 6 months, 523 consecutive ICU patients were screened for rectal IR-GNB colonization upon admission and weekly thereafter. The phenotypes and genotypes of all isolates were determined, and a case control study was performed to identify risk factors for colonization. The IR-GNB colonization rate increased regularly from 5.6% after 1 week to 58.6% after 6 weeks in the ICU. In all, 56 IR-GNB strains were collected from 50 patients: 36 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, 12 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains, 6 Enterobacteriaceae strains, and 2 Acinetobacter baumannii strains. In P. aeruginosa, imipenem resistance was due to chromosomally encoded resistance (32 strains) or carbapenemase production (4 strains). In the Enterobacteriaceae strains, resistance was due to AmpC cephalosporinase and/or extended-spectrum β-lactamase production with porin loss. Genomic comparison showed that the strains were highly diverse, with 8 exceptions (4 VIM-2 carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa strains, 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, and 2 S. maltophilia strains). The main risk factor for IR-GNB colonization was prior imipenem exposure. The odds ratio for colonization was already as high as 5.9 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.5 to 25.7) after 1 to 3 days of exposure and increased to 7.8 (95% CI, 2.4 to 29.8) thereafter. In conclusion, even brief exposure to imipenem is a major risk factor for IR-GNB carriage. PMID:23318796

  11. On Negative Resistance Oscillators as Modified Multi-vibrators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindberg, Erik; Murali, K.; Tamasevicius, Arunas

    2015-01-01

    A tutorial discussion of negative resistance oscillators based on simple RLC circuits is presented. Two cases are based on parallel RLC circuits and two cases are based on series RLC circuits. Distortion is minimized by introducing symmetry in the movement of the complex pole-pair of the small...

  12. Community-acquired multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infective endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naha, Sowjanya; Naha, Kushal; Acharya, Vasudev; Hande, H Manjunath; Vivek, G

    2014-08-05

    We describe two cases of bacterial endocarditis secondary to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative organisms. In both cases, the diagnosis was made in accordance with the modified Duke's criteria and confirmed by histopathological analysis. Furthermore, in both instances there were no identifiable sources of bacteraemia and no history of contact with hospital or other medical services prior to the onset of symptoms. The patients were managed in similar fashion with prolonged broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention and made complete recoveries. These cases highlight Gram-negative organisms as potential agents for endocarditis, as well as expose the dissemination of such multidrug-resistant bacteria into the community. The application of an integrated medical and surgical approach and therapeutic dilemmas encountered in managing these cases are described. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

  13. Anomalous feedback and negative domain wall resistance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Ran; Xiao, Di; Zhu, Jian-Gang

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic induction can be regarded as a negative feedback effect, where the motive-force opposes the change of magnetic flux that generates the motive-force. In artificial electromagnetics emerging from spintronics, however, this is not necessarily the case. By studying the current-induced domain wall dynamics in a cylindrical nanowire, we show that the spin motive-force exerting on electrons can either oppose or support the applied current that drives the domain wall. The switching into the anomalous feedback regime occurs when the strength of the dissipative torque β is about twice the value of the Gilbert damping constant α . The anomalous feedback manifests as a negative domain wall resistance, which has an analogy with the water turbine. (paper)

  14. Novel method for chemical modification and patterning of the SU-8 photoresist

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blagoi, Gabriela; Keller, Stephan Urs; Boisen, Anja

    2007-01-01

    the wetting behaviour of SU-8. The resolution limit of the AQ photopatterning method was 20 μm when using an uncollimated light source. AQ modification followed by a reaction with amino groups of Alexa-647 cadaverine and a Biotin-amino derivative proved possible modification and patterning of polymeric...

  15. Microchannel-connected SU-8 honeycombs by single-step projection photolithography for positioning cells on silicon oxide nanopillar arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larramendy, Florian; Paul, Oliver; Blatche, Marie Charline; Mazenq, Laurent; Laborde, Adrian; Temple-Boyer, Pierre

    2015-01-01

    We report on the fabrication, functionalization and testing of SU-8 microstructures for cell culture and positioning over large areas. The microstructure consists of a honeycomb arrangement of cell containers interconnected by microchannels and centered on nanopillar arrays designed for promoting cell positioning. The containers have been dimensioned to trap single cells and, with a height of 50 µm, prevent cells from escaping. The structures are fabricated using a single ultraviolet photolithography exposure with focus depth in the lower part of the SU-8 resist. With optimized process parameters, microchannels of various aspect ratios are thus produced. The cell containers and microchannels serve for the organization of axonal growth between neurons. The roughly 2 µm-high and 500 nm-wide nanopillars are made of silicon oxide structured by deep reactive ion etching. In future work, beyond their cell positioning purpose, the nanopillars could be functionalized as sensors. The proof of concept of the novel microstructure for organized cell culture is given by the successful growth of interconnected PC12 cells. Promoted by the honeycomb geometry, a dense network of interconnections between the cells has formed and the intended intimate contact of cells with the nanopillar arrays was observed by scanning electron microscopy. This proves the potential of these new devices as tools for the controlled cell growth in an interconnected container system with well-defined 3D geometry. (paper)

  16. Processing of unattended, simple negative pictures resists perceptual load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sand, Anders; Wiens, Stefan

    2011-05-11

    As researchers debate whether emotional pictures can be processed irrespective of spatial attention and perceptual load, negative and neutral pictures of simple figure-ground composition were shown at fixation and were surrounded by one, two, or three letters. When participants performed a picture discrimination task, there was evidence for motivated attention; that is, an early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP) to negative versus neutral pictures. When participants performed a letter discrimination task, the EPN was unaffected whereas the LPP was reduced. Although performance decreased substantially with the number of letters (one to three), the LPP did not decrease further. Therefore, attention to simple, negative pictures at fixation seems to resist manipulations of perceptual load.

  17. Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Planktonic and Biofilm Cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adilson de Oliveira

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of planktonic and biofilm cells of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS. Two hundred Staphylococcus spp. strains were studied, including 50 S. aureus and 150 CoNS strains (50 S. epidermidis, 20 S. haemolyticus, 20 S. warneri, 20 S. hominis, 20 S. lugdunensis, and 20 S. saprophyticus. Biofilm formation was investigated by adherence to polystyrene plates. Positive strains were submitted to the broth microdilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC for planktonic and biofilm cells and the minimal bactericidal concentration for biofilm cells (MBCB. Forty-nine Staphylococcus spp. strains (14 S. aureus, 13 S. epidermidis, 13 S. saprophyticus, 3 S. haemolyticus, 1 S. hominis, 3 S. warneri, and 2 S. lugdunensis were biofilm producers. These isolates were evaluated regarding their resistance profile. Determination of planktonic cell MIC identified three (21.4% S. aureus strains that were resistant to oxacillin and six (42.8% that were resistant to erythromycin. Among the CoNS, 31 (88.6% strains were resistant to oxacillin, 14 (40% to erythromycin, 18 (51.4% to gentamicin, and 8 (22.8% to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. None of the planktonic isolates were resistant to vancomycin or linezolid. MICs were 2-, 4-, 8-, and up to 16-fold higher for biofilm cells than for planktonic cells. This observation was more common for vancomycin and erythromycin. The MBCB ranged from 8 to >256 µg/mL for oxacillin, 128 to >128 µg/mL for vancomycin, 256 to >256 µg/mL for erythromycin and gentamicin, >64 µg/mL for linezolid, and 32/608 to >32/608 µg/mL for sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. The results showed considerably higher MICs for S. aureus and CoNS biofilm cells compared to planktonic cells. Analysis of MBCM confirmed that even high concentrations of vancomycin were unable to eliminate the biofilms of S. aureus and Co

  18. Injection and waveguiding properties in SU8 nanotubes for sub-wavelength regime propagation and nanophotonics integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigeon, John; Huby, Nolwenn; Duvail, Jean-Luc; Bêche, Bruno

    2014-04-01

    We report photonic concepts related to injection and sub-wavelength propagation in nanotubes, an unusual but promising geometry for highly integrated photonic devices. Theoretical simulation by the finite domain time-dependent (FDTD) method was first used to determine the features of the direct light injection and sub-wavelength propagation regime within nanotubes. Then, the injection into nanotubes of SU8, a photoresist used for integrated photonics, was successfully achieved by using polymer microlensed fibers with a sub-micronic radius of curvature, as theoretically expected from FDTD simulations. The propagation losses in a single SU8 nanotube were determined by using a comprehensive set-up and a protocol for optical characterization. The attenuation coefficient has been evaluated at 1.25 dB mm-1 by a cut-back method transposed to such nanostructures. The mechanisms responsible for losses in nanotubes were identified with FDTD theoretical support. Both injection and cut-back methods developed here are compatible with any sub-micronic structures. This work on SU8 nanotubes suggests broader perspectives for future nanophotonics.

  19. Dielectric properties of ligand-modified gold nanoparticle/SU-8 photopolymer based nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toor, Anju, E-mail: atoor@berkeley.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); So, Hongyun, E-mail: hyso@berkeley.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Pisano, Albert P. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093 (United States)

    2017-08-31

    Highlights: • Ligand-modified gold NP/SU-8 nanocomposites were synthesized and demonstrated. • Particle agglomeration and dispersion were characterized with different NPs concentration. • Nanocomposites showed higher average dielectric permittivity compared to SU-8 only. • Relatively lower dielectric loss (average 0.09 at 1 kHz) was achieved with 10 % w/w NPs. - Abstract: This article reports the enhanced dielectric properties of a photodefinable polymer nanocomposite material containing sub–10 nm coated metal nanoparticles (NPs). The surface morphology of the synthesized dodecanethiol-functionalized gold NPs was characterized using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We investigated the particle agglomeration and dispersion during the various stages of the nanocomposite synthesis using TEM. Physical properties such as dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss were measured experimentally. The dependence of the dielectric permittivity and loss tangent on the particle concentration, and frequency was studied. Nanocomposite films showed an approximately three times enhancement in average dielectric constant over the polymer base value and an average dielectric loss of 0.09 at 1 kHz, at a filler loading of 10% w/w.

  20. High prevalence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from a university environment in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seng, Rathanin; Leungtongkam, Udomluk; Thummeepak, Rapee; Chatdumrong, Wassana; Sitthisak, Sutthirat

    2017-06-01

    The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize the molecular epidemiology of the methicillin-resistant staphylococci in the general university environment, where all five locations; the library, restrooms, canteens, computer rooms and outdoor surfaces, are in common use by a large population of students. We used Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) supplemented with 4 μg/ml of oxacillin to screen the methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The species level was identified by PCR of rdr (Staphylococcus epidermidis), groESL (Staphylococcus haemolyticus) and nuc (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus warneri) genes and DNA sequencing of tuf and dnaJ genes. The susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined using the disk diffusion method. Antibiotic and disinfectant resistance genes, together with SCCmec types, were detected by the PCR method. The methicillin resistant-staphylococci were isolated from 41 of 200 samples (20.5%), and all of them were found to be methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS). The library had the highest percentage of contamination, with 43.3% of the samples found to be contaminated. All isolates belonged to 6 different species including S. haemolyticus, S. epidermidis, S. warneri, S. cohnii, S. saprophyticus and S. hominis. The antimicrobial resistance rates were highest against penicillin (100%), then cefoxitin (73.1%), erythromycin (73.1%) and oxacillin (68.3%). Altogether, the isolates were approximately 61.0% multidrug resistant (MDR), with the S. epidermidis isolates being the most multidrug resistant. The prevalence of the qacA/B gene was detected in 63.4% of the isolates, and SCCmec could be typed in 43.9% (18/41) of the isolates. The type range was: II (n = 1), IVd (n = 1), I (n = 2), V (n = 6), IVa (n = 8) and untypeable (n = 23). This result indicates that these university environments are contaminated with methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci that carry various SCCmec types and

  1. Design and test of a novel isolator with negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Bo; Zhang, Xinong; Niu, Hongpan

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes a negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping vibration isolator and investigates the effectiveness of the isolator. The isolator consists of a shunt circuit and a pair of electromagnet and permanent magnets that are pasted onto a box-shaped spring. A kind of negative resistance shunt impedance is proposed to cancel the inherent resistance of the electromagnet. The electromechanical coupling coefficient and the electromagnetic damping force calculation formula are obtained by Biot–Savart’s law and Ampère’s law, respectively. A single degree of freedom system is employed to verify the performance of the proposed isolator. The governing equation is established. The performance of the proposed isolator under a half-cycle sine pulse is investigated and discussed. Experiments were carried out and the results agreed well with the numerical predictions. Both the results demonstrate that the negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping vibration isolator could suppress vibration transmitted to the structure effectively. (paper)

  2. Gradient flow and IR fixed point in SU(2) with Nf=8 flavors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leino, Viljami; Karavirta, Tuomas; Rantaharju, Jarno

    2015-01-01

    We study the running of the coupling in SU(2) gauge theory with 8 massless fundamental representation fermion flavours, using the gradient flow method with the Schr\\"odinger functional boundary conditions. Gradient flow allows us to measure robust continuum limit for the step scaling function...

  3. Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: a product of globalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkey, P M

    2015-04-01

    Global trade and mobility of people has increased rapidly over the last 20 years. This has had profound consequences for the evolution and the movement of antibiotic resistance genes. There is increasing exposure of populations all around the world to resistant bacteria arising in the emerging economies. Arguably the most important development of the last two decades in the field of antibiotic resistance is the emergence and spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) of the CTX-M group. A consequence of the very high rates of ESBL production among Enterobacteriaceae in Asian countries is that there is a substantial use of carbapenem antibiotics, resulting in the emergence of plasmid-mediated resistance to carbapenems. This article reviews the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, focuses on three particular carbapenemases--imipenem carbapenemases, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase--and highlights the importance of control of antibiotic use. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Trojan Horse Antibiotics-A Novel Way to Circumvent Gram-Negative Bacterial Resistance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tillotson, Glenn S

    2016-01-01

    Antibiotic resistance has been emerged as a major global health problem. In particular, gram-negative species pose a significant clinical challenge as bacteria develop or acquire more resistance mechanisms. Often, these bacteria possess multiple resistance mechanisms, thus nullifying most of the major classes of drugs. Novel approaches to this issue are urgently required. However, the challenges of developing new agents are immense. Introducing novel agents is fraught with hurdles, thus adapting known antibiotic classes by altering their chemical structure could be a way forward. A chemical addition to existing antibiotics known as a siderophore could be a solution to the gram-negative resistance issue. Siderophore molecules rely on the bacterial innate need for iron ions and thus can utilize a Trojan Horse approach to gain access to the bacterial cell. The current approaches to using this potential method are reviewed.

  5. Antibiotic resistance patterns of coagulase-negative staphylococcus strains isolated from blood cultures of septicemic patients in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koksal, F; Yasar, H; Samasti, M

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine antibiotic resistance patterns and slime production characteristics of coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) caused nosocomial bacteremia. A total of 200 CoNS strains were isolated from blood samples of patients with true bacteremia who were hospitalized in intensive care units and in other departments of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Hospital between 1999 and 2006. Among 200 CoNS isolates, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most prevalent species (87) followed by Staphylococcus haemolyticus (23), Staphylococcus hominis (19), Staphylococcus lugdunensis (18), Staphylococcus capitis (15), Staphylococcus xylosus (10), Staphylococcus warneri (8), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (5), Staphylococcus lentus (5), Staphylococcus simulans (4), Staphylococcus chromogenes (3), Staphylococcus cohnii (1), Staphylococcus schleiferi (1), and Staphylococcus auricularis (1). Resistance to methicillin was detected in 67.5% of CoNS isolates. Methicillin-resistant CoNS strains were determined to be more resistant to antibiotics than methicillin-susceptible CoNS strains. Resistance rates of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible CoNS strains to the antibacterial agents, respectively, were as follows: gentamicin 90% and 17%, erythromycin 80% and 37%, clindamycin 72% and 18%, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 68% and 38%, ciprofloxacin 67% and 23%, tetracycline 60% and 45%, chloramphenicol 56% and 13% and fusidic acid 25% and 15%. None of the strains were resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin. Slime production was detected in 86 of 200 CoNS strains. Resistance to methicillin was found in 81% of slime-positive and in 57% of slime-negative strains. Our results indicated that there is a high level of resistance to widely used agents in causative methicillin-resistant CoNS strains. However fusidic acid has the smallest resistance ratio, with the exception of glycopeptides. Additionally, most S. epidermidis strains were slime

  6. Antibacterial agents and heavy metal resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from seawater, shrimp and sediment in Iskenderun Bay, Turkey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matyar, Fatih [Cukurova University, Faculty of Education, Department of Science and Technology Education, 01330 Balcali, Adana (Turkey)], E-mail: fmatyar@cu.edu.tr; Kaya, Aysenur; Dincer, Sadik [Cukurova University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, 01330 Balcali, Adana (Turkey)

    2008-12-15

    The aim of the present study was to determine the level of antibiotic resistance patterns and distribution of heavy metal resistance of bacterial isolates from seawater, sediment and shrimps, and to determine if there is a relationship between antibiotic and heavy metal resistance. We undertook studies in 2007 in the industrially polluted Iskenderun Bay, on the south coast of Turkey. The resistance of 236 Gram-negative bacterial isolates (49 from seawater, 90 from sediment and 97 from shrimp) to 16 different antibiotics, and to 5 heavy metals, was investigated by agar diffusion and agar dilution methods, respectively. A total of 31 species of bacteria were isolated: the most common strains isolated from all samples were Escherichia coli (11.4%), Aeromonas hydrophila (9.7%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9.3%). There was a high incidence of resistance to ampicillin (93.2%), streptomycin (90.2%) and cefazolin (81.3%), and a low incidence of resistance to imipenem (16.5%), meropenem (13.9%) and cefepime (8.0%). Some 56.8% of all bacteria isolated from seawater, sediment and shrimp were resistant to 7 or more antibiotics. Most isolates showed tolerance to different concentrations of heavy metals, and minimal inhibition concentrations ranged from 12.5 {mu}g/ml to > 3200 {mu}g/ml. The bacteria from seawater, sediment and shrimp showed high resistance to cadmium of 69.4%, 88.9%, and 81.1% respectively, and low resistance to manganese of 2%, 6.7% and 11.3% respectively. The seawater and sediment isolates which were metal resistant also showed a high resistance to three antibiotics: streptomycin, ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. In contrast, the shrimp isolates which were metal resistant were resistant to four antibiotics: cefazolin, nitrofurantoin, cefuroxime and ampicillin. Our results show that Iskenderun Bay has a significant proportion of antibiotic and heavy metal resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and these bacteria constitute a potential risk for

  7. Antibacterial agents and heavy metal resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from seawater, shrimp and sediment in Iskenderun Bay, Turkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matyar, Fatih; Kaya, Aysenur; Dincer, Sadik

    2008-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to determine the level of antibiotic resistance patterns and distribution of heavy metal resistance of bacterial isolates from seawater, sediment and shrimps, and to determine if there is a relationship between antibiotic and heavy metal resistance. We undertook studies in 2007 in the industrially polluted Iskenderun Bay, on the south coast of Turkey. The resistance of 236 Gram-negative bacterial isolates (49 from seawater, 90 from sediment and 97 from shrimp) to 16 different antibiotics, and to 5 heavy metals, was investigated by agar diffusion and agar dilution methods, respectively. A total of 31 species of bacteria were isolated: the most common strains isolated from all samples were Escherichia coli (11.4%), Aeromonas hydrophila (9.7%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9.3%). There was a high incidence of resistance to ampicillin (93.2%), streptomycin (90.2%) and cefazolin (81.3%), and a low incidence of resistance to imipenem (16.5%), meropenem (13.9%) and cefepime (8.0%). Some 56.8% of all bacteria isolated from seawater, sediment and shrimp were resistant to 7 or more antibiotics. Most isolates showed tolerance to different concentrations of heavy metals, and minimal inhibition concentrations ranged from 12.5 μg/ml to > 3200 μg/ml. The bacteria from seawater, sediment and shrimp showed high resistance to cadmium of 69.4%, 88.9%, and 81.1% respectively, and low resistance to manganese of 2%, 6.7% and 11.3% respectively. The seawater and sediment isolates which were metal resistant also showed a high resistance to three antibiotics: streptomycin, ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. In contrast, the shrimp isolates which were metal resistant were resistant to four antibiotics: cefazolin, nitrofurantoin, cefuroxime and ampicillin. Our results show that Iskenderun Bay has a significant proportion of antibiotic and heavy metal resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and these bacteria constitute a potential risk for public

  8. Intravenous Colistin Use for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections in Pediatric Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaaslan, Ayşe; Çağan, Eren; Kadayifci, Eda Kepenekli; Atıcı, Serkan; Akkoç, Gülşen; Yakut, Nurhayat; Demir, Sevliya Öcal; Soysal, Ahmet; Bakır, Mustafa

    2016-11-01

    The emergence of infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) has led to the resurrection of colistin use. The data on colistin use and drug-related adverse effects in children are scarce. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of colistin use in critically ill pediatric patients. This study has a retrospective study design. Sixty-one critically ill children were identified through the department's patient files archive during the period from January 2011 to November 2014. Twenty-nine females and thirty-two males with a mean±standard deviation (SD) age of 61±9 months (range 0-216, median 12 months) received IV colistin due to MDR-GNB infections. Bacteremia (n=23, 37.7%) was the leading diagnosis, followed by pneumonia (n=19, 31%), clinical sepsis (n=7, 11.4%), wound infection (n=6, 9.8%), urinary tract infection (n=5, 8.1%) and meningitis (n=1, 1.6%). All of the isolates were resistant to carbapenems; however, all were susceptible to colistin. The isolated microorganisms in decreasing order of frequency were: Acinetobacter baumanni (n=27, 44.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=17, 27.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=6, 9.8%), K. pneumoniae and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n=1, 1.6%), K. pneumoniae and A. baumanni (n=1, 1.6%), K. oxytoca (n=1, 1.6%) and Enterobacter cloacae (n=1, 1.6%). In seven patients, no microorganisms were detected; however, five of these patients were colonized by carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. The mean duration of colistin therapy was 12 days (range 3-45). Colistin was administered concomitantly with one of the following antibiotics: carbapenem (n=50, %82), ampicillin-sulbactam (n=5, 8%), quinolones (n=5, 8%), rifampicin (n=1, 1.6%). Carbapenem was the most frequently used antibiotic. Nephrotoxicity was observed in only 1 patient, and we did not observe neurotoxicity in this study. All the patients received intravenous colistin (colisthimethate) at a dosage of 5 mg/kg daily by dividing it

  9. Intravenous Colistin Use for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections in Pediatric Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayşe Karaaslan

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The emergence of infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB has led to the resurrection of colistin use. The data on colistin use and drug-related adverse effects in children are scarce. Aims: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of colistin use in critically ill pediatric patients. Study Design: This study has a retrospective study design. Methods: Sixty-one critically ill children were identified through the department’s patient files archive during the period from January 2011 to November 2014. Results: Twenty-nine females and thirty-two males with a mean±standard deviation (SD age of 61±9 months (range 0-216, median 12 months received IV colistin due to MDR-GNB infections. Bacteremia (n=23, 37.7% was the leading diagnosis, followed by pneumonia (n=19, 31%, clinical sepsis (n=7, 11.4%, wound infection (n=6, 9.8%, urinary tract infection (n=5, 8.1% and meningitis (n=1, 1.6%. All of the isolates were resistant to carbapenems; however, all were susceptible to colistin. The isolated microorganisms in decreasing order of frequency were: Acinetobacter baumanni (n=27, 44.2%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=17, 27.8%, Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=6, 9.8%, K. pneumoniae and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n=1, 1.6%, K. pneumoniae and A. baumanni (n=1, 1.6%, K. oxytoca (n=1, 1.6% and Enterobacter cloacae (n=1, 1.6%. In seven patients, no microorganisms were detected; however, five of these patients were colonized by carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. The mean duration of colistin therapy was 12 days (range 3-45. Colistin was administered concomitantly with one of the following antibiotics: carbapenem (n=50, %82, ampicillin-sulbactam (n=5, 8%, quinolones (n=5, 8%, rifampicin (n=1, 1.6%. Carbapenem was the most frequently used antibiotic. Nephrotoxicity was observed in only 1 patient, and we did not observe neurotoxicity in this study. All the patients received intravenous colistin

  10. Factors associated with methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci as causing organisms in deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Sommerstein

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Established preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery is ineffective against methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS. This case–control study aimed to determine factors predicting deep sternal wound infections due to methicillin-resistant CoNS. All cardiac surgery patients undergoing sternotomy between June 2009 and March 2013 prospectively documented in a Swiss tertiary care center were included. Among 1999 patients, 82 (4.1% developed deep sternal wound infection. CoNS were causal in 36 (44% patients, with 25/36 (69% being methicillin resistant. Early reintervention for noninfectious causes (odds ratio (OR 4.3; 95% confidence interval (CI 1.9–9.5 was associated with methicillin-resistant CoNS deep sternal wound infection. Among CoNS deep sternal wound infection, perioperative antimicrobial therapy (p 0.002, early reintervention for noninfectious causes (OR 7.9; 95% CI 0.9–71.1 and time between surgery and diagnosis of infection over 21 days (OR 10.8; 95% CI 1.2–97.8 were associated with methicillin resistance. These findings may help to better tailor preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis.

  11. Development of 3D out-of-plane SU-8 microlenses using modified micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llobera, A.; Wilke, R.; Johnson, D. W.; Büttgenbach, S.

    2006-04-01

    This paper describes a modification of the standard MIMIC technology, solving its main drawbacks, to define arrays of spherical or ellipsoidal microlenses. Perfectly symmetrical meniscuses have been obtained by using a XP SU-8 NO-2 layer beneath the PDMS mold. Moreover, the photostructurable properties of this polymer allow obtaining self-alignment structures for adequate fiber optics positioning. Microchannels ended with these meniscuses have been filled with standard SU-8 to obtain 3D microlenses. Agreement between theory and experimental results allows confirming the validity of the proposed technology.

  12. Antibiotic Resistance of Gram Negatives isolates from loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the central Mediterranean Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foti, M; Giacopello, C; Bottari, Teresa; Fisichella, V; Rinaldo, D; Mammina, C

    2009-09-01

    Previous studies on fish and marine mammals support the hypothesis that marine species harbor antibiotic resistance and therefore may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genetic determinants. The aim of this study was to assess the resistance to antimicrobial agents of Gram negative strains isolated from loggerhead sea turtles (Carettacaretta). Oral and cloacal swabs from 19 live-stranded loggerhead sea turtles, with hooks fixed into the gut, were analyzed. The antimicrobial resistance of the isolates to 31 antibiotics was assessed using the disk-diffusion method. Conventional biochemical tests identified Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Escherichia spp., Providencia spp., Morganella spp., Pantoea spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Shewanella spp. Highest prevalences of resistance was detected to carbenicillin (100%), cephalothin (92.6%), oxytetracycline (81.3%) and amoxicillin (77.8%). The isolates showing resistance to the widest range of antibiotics were identified as Citrobacterfreundii, Proteusvulgaris, Providenciarettgeri and Pseudomonasaeruginosa. In this study, antibiotic resistant bacteria reflect marine contamination by polluted effluents and C.caretta is considered a bioindicator which can be used as a monitor for pollution.

  13. Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Levels in Tuberculosis Patients at High Risk for Multidrug Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tri Yudani Mardining Raras

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR has been shown to be a strong prognostic biomarker for tuberculosis (TB. In the present study, the profiles of plasma suPAR levels in pulmonary TB patients at high risk for multidrug resistance were analyzed and compared with those in multidrug resistant (MDR-TB patients. Forty patients were prospectively included, consisting of 10 MDR-TB patients and 30 TB patients at high risk for MDR, underwent clinical assesment. Plasma suPAR levels were measured using ELISA (SUPARnostic, Denmark and bacterial cultures were performed in addition to drug susceptibility tests. All patients of suspected MDR-TB group demonstrated significantly higher suPAR levels compared with the healthy TB-negative group (1.79 ng/mL. Among the three groups at high risk for MDR-TB, only the relapse group (7.87 ng/mL demonstrated suPAR levels comparable with those of MDR-TB patients (7.67 ng/mL. suPAR levels in the two-month negative acid-fast bacilli conversion group (9.29 ng/mL were higher than positive control, whereas levels in the group consisting of therapy failure patients (5.32 ng/mL were lower. Our results strongly suggest that suPAR levels enable rapid screening of suspected MDR-TB patients, but cannot differentiate between groups.

  14. Negative differential resistance in nickel octabutoxy phthalocyanine and nickel octabutoxy phthalocyanine/graphene oxide ultrathin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Arup; Suresh, K. A.

    2018-04-01

    We find negative differential resistance (NDR) at room temperature in ultrathin films of nickel (II) 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine [NiPc(OBu)8] deposited on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate [NiPc(OBu)8/HOPG] and NiPc(OBu)8 on graphene oxide (GO) deposited on HOPG [NiPc(OBu)8/GO/HOPG]. For the NiPc(OBu)8/HOPG system, NiPc(OBu)8 was transferred four times onto HOPG by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. We have prepared a stable Langmuir monolayer of amphiphilic GO at the air-water interface and transferred it onto HOPG by the LB technique. Further, the monolayer of NiPc(OBu)8 was transferred four times for good coverage on GO to obtain the NiPc(OBu)8/GO/HOPG system. The current-voltage characteristics were carried out using a current sensing atomic force microscope (CSAFM) with a platinum (Pt) tip that forms Pt/NiPc(OBu)8/HOPG and Pt/NiPc(OBu)8/GO/HOPG junctions. The CSAFM, UV-visible spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry studies show that the NDR effect occurs due to molecular resonant tunneling. In the Pt/NiPc(OBu)8/GO/HOPG junction, we find that due to the presence of GO, the features of NDR become more prominent. Also, GO causes a shift in NDR voltage towards a lower value in the negative bias direction. We attribute this behavior to the role of GO in injecting holes into the NiPc(OBu)8 film.

  15. The conserved His8 of the Moloney murine leukemia virus Env SU subunit directs the activity of the SU-TM disulphide bond isomerase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Kejun; Zhang, Shujing; Kronqvist, Malin; Ekstroem, Maria; Wallin, Michael; Garoff, Henrik

    2007-01-01

    Murine leukemia virus (MLV) fusion is controlled by isomerization of the disulphide bond between the receptor-binding surface (SU) and fusion-active transmembrane subunits of the Env-complex. The bond is in SU linked to a CXXC motif. This carries a free thiol that upon receptor binding can be activated (ionized) to attack the disulphide and rearrange it into a disulphide isomer within the motif. To find out whether His8 in the conserved SPHQ sequence of Env directs thiol activation, we analyzed its ionization in MLV vectors with wtEnv and Env with His8 deleted or substituted for Tyr or Arg, which partially or completely arrests fusion. The ionization was monitored by following the pH effect on isomerization in vitro by Ca 2+ depletion or in vivo by receptor binding. We found that wtEnv isomerized optimally at slightly basic pH whereas the partially active mutant required higher and the inactive mutants still higher pH. This suggests that His8 directs the ionization of the CXXC thiol

  16. Agentes bacterianos enteropatogênicos em suínos de diferentes faixas etárias e perfil de resistência a antimicrobianos de cepas de Escherichia coli e Salmonella spp Enteropathogenic bacterial agents in pigs of different age groups and profile of resistance in strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. to antimicrobial agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Álvaro Menin

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available As enterites infecciosas bacterianas provocam severas perdas para a indústria suína em todo o mundo. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram determinar os agentes bacterianos, associados com a ocorrência de diarréia em suínos, em diferentes faixas etárias, no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, e verificar o perfil de resistência das cepas de Escherichia coli e Salmonella spp, frente aos principais antimicrobianos utilizados em granjas de suínos. Os principais gêneros/espécies bacterianos diagnosticados foram Escherichia coli, Clostridium spp, Salmonella spp Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, Brachyspira pilosicoli e Lawsonia intracellularis. Os fatores de virulência de E. coli mais prevalentes na fase de maternidade foram F5 / (K99 20%, F6 / (987P 16,3%, F42 6,8% e F41 5,7%, já nas fases de creche e terminação, predominaram cepas com fimbrias F4 (K88 11,2% e 5,4%, respectivamente. Para E. coli os maiores índices de resistência foram encontrados para oxitetraciclina (94% e tetraciclina (89,5% e os menores índices de resistência para neomicina (55%, ceftiofur (57,4%. Quanto às amostras de Salmonella spp, estas apresentaram maior resistência à oxitetraciclina (77%, e à tetraciclina (42,1% e menor à gentamicina (3,5% e amoxicilina (4,8%.Infectious bacterial enteritis causes severe losses to the swine industry worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of bacterial agents that are associated with the occurrence of diarrhea in pigs at different age groups, and to verify the profile of resistance of strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp to the main antimicrobial agents. The main bacterial species diagnosed were Escherichia coli, Clostridium spp, Salmonella spp, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, Brachyspira pilosicoli and Lawsonia intracellularis. The E. coli virulence factors of higher prevalence in preweaning piglets were F5 / (K99 20%, F6 / (987P 16.3%, F42 6.8% and F41 5.7%, whereas at the nursery and with

  17. Resistant gram-negative bacilli and antibiotic consumption in zarqa, jordan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bataineh, H.A.; Alrashed, K.M.

    2007-01-01

    To investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among gram-negative bacteria in relation to antibiotic use in Prince Hashem Hospital (PHH), Jordan. One hundred consecutive gram-negative bacterial isolates from different sites were collected from patients admitted to the ICU at PHH. The susceptibilities of the strains to 12 antibiotics were performed and interpreted. The quantities and the numbers of the patients discharged on antibiotics and the quantities consumed were obtained from the hospital pharmacy records. The most common isolate was P. aeruginosa (n=21) The most common site of isolation was the respiratory tract (65%), The highest susceptibility was to piperacillin/ tazobactam(78%), and the lowest was to cefuroxime(34%). The aminoglycosides gentamicin and amikacin were active against 71% and 73% of the isolates respectively, Ciprofloxacin was active against 75% of the isolates. The most frequently used antibiotics were the third-generation cephalosporins ceftriaxone and ceftazidime, followed by imipenem and amikacin. Antibiotic resistance surveillance programs associated with registration of antibiotic consumption are necessary to promote optimal use of antibiotics. Rational prescribing of antibiotics should be encouraged through educational programs, surveillance and audit. Proper infection control measures should be practiced to prevent horizontal transfer of drug-resistant organisms. (author)

  18. Mass anomalous dimension of SU(2) with Nf=8 using the spectral density method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suorsa, Joni M.; Leino, Viljami; Rantaharju, Jarno

    2015-01-01

    SU(2) with Nf=8 is believed to have an infrared conformal fixed point. We use the spectral density method to evaluate the coupling constant dependence of the mass anomalous dimension for massless HEX smeared, clover improved Wilson fermions with Schr\\"odinger functional boundary conditions....

  19. Antimicrobial resistance pattern of Gram –negative bacilli isolated of Vali-Asr Hospital wards in Arak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farshid Didgar

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Infectious diseases are of the most important causes of mortality all around the world particular in developing countries. Recently, the most important thing that has worried medical society is antibiotic resistance. Multi-resistant gram_negative rods are important pathogens in hospitals, causing high rate of mortality.The main goal of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns among common gram-negative bacilli isolated from patients of Vali-Asr Hospital. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted between the years 2010-2012 in Vali-Asr hospital in Arak. In this study 1120 specimen were examined. Bacterial strains were isolated by conventional methods from various clinical samples of patients including: blood, urine, wound, sputum, CSF, andetc.All isolates were examined for antimicrobial resistance using disc diffusion method. Results: In this study 737 specimen were positive cultures. A total of 332 isolates of Gram-negative bacilli were identified. The most frequent gram negative bacteria were isolated from urine, wound, blood, respiratory secretion and catheter. The most frequent pathogens were E.coli followed by k.pneumonia, entrobacter, p.oaeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp, citrobacter and proteus. High rate of resistance to third generation of cephalospoins & carbapenems observed amang isolates of Acintobacter spp.Prodution of extended spectrum beralactamases (ESBLS was found in 51.4% of all Gram negative bacteria. Conclusion: Antibiotic resistance, particularly multi-drug resistance is frequent among microorganisms of ValiAsr Hospital. Resistance in our country, like other countries have been shown to be increased, so it is highly recommended to prohibit unnecessary prescription of antibiotics.

  20. Carbon doping induced giant low bias negative differential resistance in boron nitride nanoribbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, N.; Liu, J.B.; Gao, G.Y.; Yao, K.L.

    2014-01-01

    By applying nonequilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory, we investigated the electronic transport properties of carbon-doped armchair boron nitride nanoribbons. Obvious negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior with giant peak-to-valley ratio up to the order of 10 4 –10 6 is found by tuning the doping position and concentration. Especially, with the reduction of doping concentration, NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range and even can be expected lower than mV bias. The negative differential resistance behavior is explained by the evolution of the transmission spectra and band structures with applied bias. - Highlights: • Negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior with giant peak-to-valley ratio is found. • Doping concentration changes the NDR peak position significantly. • NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range and even lower than mV bias. • The results are explained by the bias-dependent transmission spectra and band structures

  1. Extended spectrum β-lactamases, carbapenemases and mobile genetic elements responsible for antibiotics resistance in Gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Salabi, Allaaeddin; Walsh, Timothey R; Chouchani, Chedly

    2013-05-01

    Infectious diseases due to Gram-negative bacteria are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antimicrobial agents represent one major therapeutic tools implicated to treat these infections. The misuse of antimicrobial agents has resulted in the emergence of resistant strains of Gram-negatives in particular Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenters; they have an effect not only on a human but on the public health when bacteria use the resistance mechanisms to spread in the hospital environment and to the community outside the hospitals by means of mobile genetic elements. Gram-negative bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antimicrobial agents. They have developed several mechanisms by which they can withstand to antimicrobials, these mechanisms include the production of Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases, furthermore, Gram-negative bacteria are now capable of spreading such resistance between members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenters using mobile genetic elements as vehicles for such resistance mechanisms rendering antibiotics useless. Therefore, addressing the issue of mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance is considered one of most urgent priorities. This review will help to illustrate different resistance mechanisms; ESBLs, carbapenemases encoded by genes carried by mobile genetic elements, which are used by Gram-negative bacteria to escape antimicrobial effect.

  2. Automated systems in the identification and determination of methicillin resistance among coagulase negative staphylococci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Caierão

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS are an important cause of nosocomial bacteremia, specially in patients with indwelling devices or those submitted to invasive medical procedures. The identification of species and the accurate and rapid detection of methicillin resistance are directly dependent on the quality of the identification and susceptibility tests used, either manual or automated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of two automated systems MicroScan and Vitek - in the identification of CoNS species and determination of susceptibility to methicillin, considering as gold standard the biochemical tests and the characterization of the mecA gene by polymerase chain reaction, respectively. MicroScan presented better results in the identification of CoNS species (accuracy of 96.8 vs 78.8%, respectively; isolates from the following species had no precise identification: Staphylococcus haemolyticus, S. simulans, and S. capitis. Both systems were similar in the characterization of methicillin resistance. The higher discrepancies for gene mec detection were observed among species other than S. epidermidis (S. hominis, S. saprophyticus, S. sciuri, S. haemolyticus, S. warneri, S. cohnii, and those with borderline MICs.

  3. Fabrication of SU-8 low frequency electrostatic energy harvester

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.

    2011-11-01

    A 1500μm × 1500μm × 150μm out-of-plane, gap closing, electrostatic energy harvester is designed and fabricated to harvest low-frequency ambient vibrations. SU-8 is used to fabricate the proof mass (1200μm × 1200μm × 150μm) and the 5 m springs. Different harvesters were designed to harvest at 50, 75 and 110 Hz. At 110 Hz, Simulations show that with an input vibration of 10 μm amplitude at the frequency of resonance of the structure, the energy harvester should generate an average output power density of 0.032μW/mm3. This is the most area-efficient low-frequency electrostatic harvester to-date. © 2011 IEEE.

  4. CPRMethicillin resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from South Korean ducks exhibiting tremor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Jee Eun; Hwang, Sun Young; Kim, Ji Hyung; Shin, Sang Phil; Jun, Jin Woo; Chai, Ji Young; Park, Yong Ho; Park, Se Chang

    2013-12-11

    We describe coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates collected from ducklings exhibiting tremor in South Korea over the period of 2010 to 2011. Screening of antimicrobial susceptibility and analysis of SCCmec elements of CoNS were also investigated. Staphylococcus cohnii was the most frequent staphylococcus (9 isolates) and S. sciuri (4 isolates), S. lentus (3 isolate), S. simulans (1 isolate) and S. epidermidis (1 isolate) were also detected. Among the 15 antimicrobials tested in this study, resistance against oxacillin (15 isolates, 83.3%) was most frequently observed, but only one isolate (SNUDS-1) possessed mecA. This isolate was shown to possess SCCmec type III; the type 3 ccr complex and the class A mec complex. Based on these results, isolate SNUDS-1 was shown to possess SCCmec type III; the type 3 ccr complex and the class A mec complex. Although the SCCmec type III is not predominant in human, MR-CoNS (Methicillin resistance Coagulase-negative staphylococci) in food animals should be monitored to prevent the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes and resistant pathogens to the community.

  5. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from ready-to-eat food of animal origin--phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chajęcka-Wierzchowska, Wioleta; Zadernowska, Anna; Nalepa, Beata; Sierpińska, Magda; Łaniewska-Trokenheim, Łucja

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this work was to study the pheno- and genotypical antimicrobial resistance profile of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from 146 ready-to-eat food of animal origin (cheeses, cured meats, sausages, smoked fishes). 58 strains were isolated, they were classified as Staphylococcus xylosus (n = 29), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 16); Staphylococcus lentus (n = 7); Staphylococcus saprophyticus (n = 4); Staphylococcus hyicus (n = 1) and Staphylococcus simulans (n = 1) by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Isolates were tested for resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, gentamicin, cefoxitin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, tigecycline, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, linezolid, trimetoprim, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, quinupristin/dalfopristin by the disk diffusion method. PCR was used for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes encoding: methicillin resistance--mecA; macrolide resistance--erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), mrs(A/B); efflux proteins tet(K) and tet(L) and ribosomal protection proteins tet(M). For all the tet(M)-positive isolates the presence of conjugative transposons of the Tn916-Tn1545 family was determined. Most of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (41.3%) followed by clindamycin (36.2%), tigecycline (24.1%), rifampicin (17.2%) and erythromycin (13.8%). 32.2% staphylococcal isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). All methicillin resistant staphylococci harboured mecA gene. Isolates, phenotypic resistant to tetracycline, harboured at least one tetracycline resistance determinant on which tet(M) was most frequent. All of the isolates positive for tet(M) genes were positive for the Tn916-Tn1545 -like integrase family gene. In the erythromycin-resistant isolates, the macrolide resistance genes erm(C) or msr(A/B) were present. Although coagulase-negative staphylococci are not classical food poisoning bacteria, its presence in food could be of public health significance due to the possible spread of

  6. Inkjet Printing of High Aspect Ratio Superparamagnetic SU-8 Microstructures with Preferential Magnetic Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loïc Jacot-Descombes

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Structuring SU-8 based superparamagnetic polymer composite (SPMPC containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles by photolithography is limited in thickness due to light absorption by the nanoparticles. Hence, obtaining thicker structures requires alternative processing techniques. This paper presents a method based on inkjet printing and thermal curing for the fabrication of much thicker hemispherical microstructures of SPMPC. The microstructures are fabricated by inkjet printing the nanoparticle-doped SU-8 onto flat substrates functionalized to reduce the surface energy and thus the wetting. The thickness and the aspect ratio of the printed structures are further increased by printing the composite onto substrates with confinement pedestals. Fully crosslinked microstructures with a thickness up to 88.8 μm and edge angle of 112° ± 4° are obtained. Manipulation of the microstructures by an external field is enabled by creating lines of densely aggregated nanoparticles inside the composite. To this end, the printed microstructures are placed within an external magnetic field directly before crosslinking inducing the aggregation of dense Fe3O4 nanoparticle lines with in-plane and out-of-plane directions.

  7. Bidirectional negative differential thermal resistance in three-segment Frenkel–Kontorova lattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou, Ya-li; Lu, Shi-cai; Hu, Cai-tian; Ai, Bao-quan

    2016-01-01

    By coupling three nonlinear 1D lattice segments, we demonstrate a thermal insulator model, where the system acts like an insulator for large temperature bias and a conductor for very small temperature bias. We numerically investigate the parameter range of the thermal insulator and find that the nonlinear response (the role of on-site potential), the weakly coupling interaction between each segment, and the small system size collectively contribute to the appearance of bidirectional negative differential thermal resistance (BNDTR). The corresponding exhibition of BNDTR can be explained in terms of effective phonon-band shifts. Our results can provide a new perspective for understanding the microscopic mechanism of negative differential thermal resistance and also would be conducive to further developments in designing and fabricating thermal devices and functional materials. (paper)

  8. Doripenem: an expected arrival in the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poulakou, Garyphallia; Giamarellou, Helen

    2008-05-01

    Potent new drugs against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. and pan-drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, which constitute an increasing medical threat, are almost absent from the future pharmaceutical pipeline. This drug evaluation focuses on the position of doripenem, a novel forthcoming carbapenem. Mechanisms of resistance and new drugs with anti-Gram-negative activity are also briefly reviewed. Literature search was performed for new carbapenems, new antibiotics, doripenem, metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitors, multidrug-resistant pathogens, antipseudomonal antibiotics and multidrug-resistant epidemiology. Doripenem possesses a broad spectrum of activity against Gram-negative bacteria, similar to that of meropenem, while retaining the spectrum of imipenem against Gram-positive pathogens. Against P. aeruginosa, doripenem exhibits rapid bactericidal activity with 2 - 4-fold lower MIC values, compared to meropenem. Exploitation of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic applications could offer a treatment opportunity against strains exhibiting borderline resistance to doripenem. Stability against numerous beta-lactamases, low adverse event potential and more potent in vitro antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa and A. baumanni compared to the existing carbapenems, are its principal features.

  9. Identification and detection of methicillin resistance in Non-Epidermidis coagulase-negative staphylococci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carina Secchi

    Full Text Available The NCCLS (2004 presented a new methodology to detect, by disk-diffusion agar, oxacillin-resistance using a cefoxitin disk. We identified coagulase-negative staphylococci (SCoN to the species level and compared the use of cefoxitin disks (30 µg with oxacillin disks (1 µg, agar dilution (minimum inhibitory concentration of oxacillin and mecA gene detection in isolates of coagulase-negative bacteria other than Staphylococcus epidermidis (SCoNne. A total of 238 SCoNne was evaluated; oxacillin-resistance (the mecA gene was detected in 71% of the isolates. All methods gave 100% sensitivity, based on presence of the mecA gene. The specificity of the cefoxitin disk was 100%, while the oxacillin disk gave a specificity of 91% and agar dilution oxacillin gave a specificity of 88%. We conclude that the cefoxitin disk is an efficient test, and it is an easy method for use in clinical laboratories to detect oxacillin-resistance in staphylococci.

  10. Different phenotypic and molecular mechanisms associated with multidrug resistance in Gram-negative clinical isolates from Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helmy OM

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Omneya M Helmy, Mona T Kashef Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Objectives: We set out to investigate the prevalence, different mechanisms, and clonal relatedness of multidrug resistance (MDR among third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates from Egypt.Materials and methods: A total of 118 third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates were included in this study. Their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was determined using Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Efflux pump-mediated resistance was tested by the efflux-pump inhibitor-based microplate assay using chlorpromazine. Detection of different aminoglycoside-, β-lactam-, and quinolone-resistance genes was done using polymerase chain reaction. The genetic diversity of MDR isolates was investigated using random amplification of polymorphic DNA.Results: Most of the tested isolates exhibited MDR phenotypes (84.75%. The occurrence of efflux pump-mediated resistance in the different MDR species tested was 40%–66%. Acinetobacter baumannii isolates showed resistance to most of the tested antibiotics, including imipenem. The blaOXA-23-like gene was detected in 69% of the MDR A. baumannii isolates. The MDR phenotype was detected in 65% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, of which only 23% exhibited efflux pump-mediated resistance. On the contrary, efflux-mediated resistance to piperacillin and gentamicin was recorded in 47.5% of piperacillin-resistant and 25% of gentamicin-resistant MDR Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, the plasmid-mediated quinolone-resistance genes (aac(6’-Ib-cr, qnrB, and qnrS were detected in 57.6% and 83.33% of quinolone-resistant MDR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, respectively. The β-lactamase-resistance gene blaSHV-31 was detected for the first time in one MDR K. pneumoniae isolate from an endotracheal tube specimen in Egypt

  11. High Prevalence of Antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative Colonization in Hospitalized Cambodian Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Paul; Pol, Sreymom; Soeng, Sona; Sar, Poda; Neou, Leakhena; Chea, Phal; Day, Nicholas Pj; Cooper, Ben S; Turner, Claudia

    2016-08-01

    Antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative infections are a significant cause of mortality in young infants. We aimed to determine characteristics of, and risk factors for, colonization and invasive infection caused by 3rd generation cephalosporin (3GC) or carbapenem-resistant organisms in outborn infants admitted to a neonatal unit (NU) in Cambodia. During the first year of operation, patients admitted to the Angkor Hospital for Children NU, Siem Reap, Cambodia, underwent rectal swabbing on admission and twice weekly until discharge. Swabs were taken also from 7 environmental sites. Swabs were cultured to identify 3GC or carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study included 333 infants with a median age at NU admission of 10 days (range, 0-43). Colonization by ≥1 3GC-resistant organism was detected in 85.9% (286/333). Admission swabs were collected in 289 infants: 61.9% were colonized by a 3GC-resistant organism at the time of admission, and a further 23.2% were colonized during hospitalization, at a median of 4 days [95% confidence interval: 3-5]. Probiotic treatment (hazard ratio: 0.58; 95% confidence interval: 0.35-0.98) was associated with delayed colonization. Colonization by a carbapenem-resistant organism occurred in 25 (7.5%) infants. Six infants had NU-associated K. pneumoniae bacteremia; phenotypically identical colonizing strains were found in 3 infants. Environmental colonization occurred early. Colonization by antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative organisms occurred early in hospitalized Cambodian infants and was associated with subsequent invasive infection. Trials of potential interventions such as probiotics are needed.

  12. Antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from artisanal Naples-type salami.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauriello, G; Moschetti, G; Villani, F; Blaiotta, G; Coppola, S

    2000-01-01

    In the present paper 42 isolates from Italian salami were specified as Staphylococcus xylosus (30), Staph. capitis (1), Staph. saprophyticus (1), Staph. hominis (1), Staph. simulans (1), Staph. cohnii (1) and as Staph. spp. (7). These strains were coagulase-negative and were examined for resistance/sensitivity against 25 antibiotics including beta-lactams (7), macrolides (3), amynoglicosides (5), glycopeptides, lincosamides (4) and novobiocin, fusidic acid, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, tetracycline, minocycline. More than 64% of the strains were resistant to lincomycin, penicillin G, amoxicillin, fusidic acid and novobiocin. All the strains were multiresistant and displayed at least three resistances. Over 75% had a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index between 0.2 and 0.5.

  13. Electroplating moulds using dry film thick negative photoresist

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukharenka, E.; Farooqui, M. M.; Grigore, L.; Kraft, M.; Hollinshead, N.

    2003-07-01

    This paper reports on progress on the feasibility of fabricating moulds for electroplating using Ordyl P-50100 (negative) acrylate polymer based dry film photoresist, commercially available from Elga Europe (http://www.elgaeurope.it). We used this photoresist as an alternative to SU8 negative epoxy based photoresist, which is very difficult to process and remove after electroplating (Lorenz et al 1998 Microelectron. Eng. 41/42 371-4, Eyre et al 1998 Proc. MEMS'98 (Heidelberg) (Piscataway, NJ: IEEE) pp 218-22). Ordyl P-50100 is easy to work with and can be easily removed after processing. A single layer of Ordyl P-50100 was deposited by lamination up to 20 µm thickness. Thicker layers (200 µm and more) can be achieved with multilayer lamination using a manual laminator. For our applications we found that Ordyl P-50100 dry film photoresist is a very good alternative to SU8 for the realization of 100 µm high moulds. The results presented will open up new possibilities for low-cost LIGA-type processes for MEMS applications.

  14. The Growing Threat of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Thomas M.; Satlin, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    Prolonged neutropenia and chemotherapy-induced mucositis render patients with hematologic malignancies highly vulnerable to Gram-negative bacteremia. Unfortunately, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria are increasingly encountered globally, and current guidelines for empirical antibiotic coverage in these patients may not adequately treat these bacteria. This expansion of resistance, coupled with traditional culturing techniques requiring 2-4 days for bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility results, have grave implications for these immunocompromised hosts. This review characterizes the epidemiology, risk factors, resistance mechanisms, recommended treatments, and outcomes of the MDR Gram-negative bacteria that commonly cause infections in patients with hematologic malignancies. We also examine infection prevention strategies in hematology patients, such as infection control practices, antimicrobial stewardship, and targeted decolonization. Finally, we assess strategies to improve outcomes of infected patients, including gastrointestinal screening to guide empirical antibiotic therapy, new rapid diagnostic tools for expeditious identification of MDR pathogens, and use of two new antimicrobial agents, ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam. PMID:27339405

  15. [Identification of anaerobic gram-negative bacilli isolated from various clinical specimens and determination of antibiotic resistance profiles with E-test methods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demir, Cengiz; Keşli, Recep

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify gram-negative anaerobic bacilli isolated from various clinical specimens that were obtained from patients with suspected anaerobic infections and to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles by using the antibiotic concentration gradient method. The study was performed in Afyon Kocatepe University Ahmet Necdet Sezer Research and Practice Hospital, Medical Microbiology Laboratory between 1 November 2014 and 30 October 2015. Two hundred and seventyeight clinical specimens accepted for anaerobic culture were enrolled in the study. All the samples were cultivated anaerobically by using Schaedler agar with 5% defibrinated sheep blood and Schaedler broth. The isolated anaerobic gram-negative bacilli were identified by using both the conventional methods and automated identification system (VITEK 2, bioMerieux, France). Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed with antibiotic concentration gradient method (E-test, bioMerieux, France); against penicillin G, clindamycin, cefoxitin, metronidazole, moxifloxacin, imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem and doripenem for each isolate. Of the 28 isolated anaerobic gram-negative bacilli; 14 were identified as Bacteroides fragilis group, 9 were Prevotella spp., and 5 were Fusobacterium spp. The highest resistance rate was found against penicillin (78.5%) and resistance rates against clindamycin and cefoxitin were found as 17.8% and 21.4%, respectively. No resistance was found against metronidazole, moxifloxacin, imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem and doripenem. As a result, isolation and identification of anaerobic bacteria are difficult, time-consuming and more expensive when compared with the cost of aerobic culture. The rate of anaerobic bacteria isolation may be increased by obtaining the appropriate clinical specimen and appropriate transportation of these specimens. We believe that the data obtained from the study in our center may offer benefits for the follow up and treatment of infections

  16. Optimized piranha etching process for SU8-based MEMS and MOEMS construction

    OpenAIRE

    Holmes, Matthew; Keeley, Jared; Hurd, Katherine; Schmidt, Holger; Hawkins, Aaron

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate the optimization of the concentration, temperature and cycling of a piranha (H2O2:H2SO4) mixture that produces high yields while quickly etching hollow structures made using a highly crosslinked SU8 polymer sacrificial core. The effects of the piranha mixture on the thickness, refractive index and roughness of common micro-electromechanical systems and micro-opto-electromechanical systems fabrication materials (SiN, SiO2 and Si) were determined. The effectiveness of the optimal...

  17. Silver resistance in Gram-negative bacteria: a dissection of endogenous and exogenous mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randall, Christopher P; Gupta, Arya; Jackson, Nicole; Busse, David; O'Neill, Alex J

    2015-04-01

    To gain a more detailed understanding of endogenous (mutational) and exogenous (horizontally acquired) resistance to silver in Gram-negative pathogens, with an emphasis on clarifying the genetic bases for resistance. A suite of microbiological and molecular genetic techniques was employed to select and characterize endogenous and exogenous silver resistance in several Gram-negative species. In Escherichia coli, endogenous resistance arose after 6 days of exposure to silver, a consequence of two point mutations that were both necessary and sufficient for the phenotype. These mutations, in ompR and cusS, respectively conferred loss of the OmpC/F porins and derepression of the CusCFBA efflux transporter, both phenotypic changes previously linked to reduced intracellular accumulation of silver. Exogenous resistance involved derepression of the SilCFBA efflux transporter as a consequence of mutation in silS, but was additionally contingent on expression of the periplasmic silver-sequestration protein SilE. Silver resistance could be selected at high frequency (>10(-9)) from Enterobacteriaceae lacking OmpC/F porins or harbouring the sil operon and both endogenous and exogenous resistance were associated with modest fitness costs in vitro. Both endogenous and exogenous silver resistance are dependent on the derepressed expression of closely related efflux transporters and are therefore mechanistically similar phenotypes. The ease with which silver resistance can become selected in some bacterial pathogens in vitro suggests that there would be benefit in improved surveillance for silver-resistant isolates in the clinic, along with greater control over use of silver-containing products, in order to best preserve the clinical utility of silver. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

  18. Resistance in gram-negative bacilli in a cardiac intensive care unit in India: Risk factors and outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pawar Mandakini

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to compare the risk factors and outcome of patients with preexisting resistant gram-negative bacilli (GNB with those who develop sensitive GNB in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU. Of the 3161 patients ( n = 3,161 admitted to the ICU during the study period, 130 (4.11% developed health care-associated infections (HAIs with GNB and were included in the cohort study. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (37.8% was the most common organism isolated followed by Klebsiella species (24.2%, E. coli (22.0%, Enterobacter species (6.1%, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (5.7%, Acinetobacter species (1.3%, Serratia marcescens (0.8%, Weeksella virosa (0.4% and Burkholderia cepacia (0.4%. Univariate analysis revealed that the following variables were significantly associated with the antibiotic-resistant GNB: females ( P = 0.018, re-exploration ( P = 0.004, valve surgery ( P = 0.003, duration of central venous catheter ( P < 0.001, duration of mechanical ventilation ( P < 0.001, duration of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation ( P = 0.018, duration of urinary catheter ( P < 0.001, total number of antibiotic exposures prior to the development of resistance ( P < 0.001, duration of antibiotic use prior to the development of resistance ( P = 0.014, acute physiology and age chronic health evaluation score (APACHE II, receipt of anti-pseudomonal penicillins (piperacillin-tazobactam ( P = 0.002 and carbapenems ( P < 0.001. On multivariate analysis, valve surgery (adjusted OR = 2.033; 95% CI = 1.052-3.928; P = 0.035, duration of mechanical ventilation (adjusted OR = 1.265; 95% CI = 1.055-1.517; P = 0.011 and total number of antibiotic exposure prior to the development of resistance (adjusted OR = 1.381; 95% CI = 1.030-1.853; P = 0.031 were identified as independent risk factors for HAIs in resistant GNB. The mortality rate in patients with resistant GNB was significantly higher than those with sensitive GNB (13.9% vs. 1.8%; P = 0.03. HAI with

  19. Double layer resist process scheme for metal lift-off with application in inductive heating of microstructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ouattara, Lassana; Knutzen, Michael; Keller, Stephan Urs

    2010-01-01

    We present a new method to define metal electrodes on top of high-aspect-ratio microstructures using standard photolithography equipment and a single chromium mask. A lift-off resist (LOR) layer is implemented in an SU-8 photolithography process to selectively remove metal at the end of the proce......We present a new method to define metal electrodes on top of high-aspect-ratio microstructures using standard photolithography equipment and a single chromium mask. A lift-off resist (LOR) layer is implemented in an SU-8 photolithography process to selectively remove metal at the end...

  20. Clinical and molecular features of methicillin-resistant,coagulase-negative staphylococci of pets and horses

    OpenAIRE

    Kern, Andrea; Perreten, Vincent

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To determine the antibiotic resistance and fingerprint profiles of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) from animal infections among different practices and examine the history of antibiotic treatment. Methods Isolates were identified by mass spectrometry and tested for antimicrobial resistance by broth dilution, microarrays and sequence analysis of the topoisomerases. Diversity was assessed by PFGE, icaA PCR and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SC...

  1. Development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance among Gram-negative bacteria in animals and their public health impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukerji, Shewli; O'Dea, Mark; Barton, Mary; Kirkwood, Roy; Lee, Terence; Abraham, Sam

    2017-02-28

    Gram-negative bacteria are known to cause severe infections in both humans and animals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Gram-negative bacteria is a major challenge in the treatment of clinical infections globally due to the propensity of these organisms to rapidly develop resistance against antimicrobials in use. In addition, Gram-negative bacteria possess highly efficient mechanisms through which the AMR can be disseminated between pathogenic and commensal bacteria of the same or different species. These unique traits of Gram-negative bacteria have resulted in evolution of Gram-negative bacterial strains demonstrating resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobials. The evergrowing resistance issue has not only resulted in limitation of treatment options but also led to increased treatment costs and mortality rates in humans and animals. With few or no new antimicrobials in production to combat severe life-threatening infections, AMR has been described as the one of the most severe, long-term threats to human health. Aside from overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in humans, another factor that has exacerbated the emergence of AMR in Gram-negative bacteria is the veterinary use of antimicrobials that belong to the same classes considered to be critically important for treating serious life-threatening infections in humans. Despite the fact that development of AMR dates back to before the introduction of antimicrobials, the recent surge in the resistance towards all available critically important antimicrobials has emerged as a major public health issue. This review thus focuses on discussing the development, transmission and public health impact of AMR in Gram-negative bacteria in animals. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  2. Influences of pretreatment and hard baking on the mechanical reliability of SU-8 microstructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morikaku, Toshiyuki; Kaibara, Yoshinori; Inoue, Shozo; Namazu, Takahiro; Inoue, Masatoshi; Miura, Takuya; Suzuki, Takaaki; Oohira, Fumikazu

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the influences of pretreatment and hard baking on the mechanical characteristics of SU-8 microstructures are described. Four types of samples with different combinations of O 2 plasma ashing, primer coating and hard baking were prepared for shear strength tests and uniaxial tensile tests. Specially developed shear test equipment was used to experimentally measure the shear adhesion strength of SU-8 micro posts on a glass substrate. The adhesiveness was strengthened by hard baking at 200 °C for 60 min, whereas other pretreatment processes hardly affected the strength. The pretreatment and hard baking effects on the adhesive strength were compared with those on the fracture strength measured by uniaxial tensile testing. There were no influences of O 2 plasma ashing on both the strengths, and primer coating affected only tensile strength. The primer coating effect as well as the hard baking effect on stress relaxation phenomena in uniaxial tension was observed as well. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that surface degradation and epoxide-ring opening polymerization would have given rise to the primer coating effect and the hard baking effect on the mechanical characteristics, respectively. (paper)

  3. Influences of pretreatment and hard baking on the mechanical reliability of SU-8 microstructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morikaku, Toshiyuki; Kaibara, Yoshinori; Inoue, Masatoshi; Miura, Takuya; Suzuki, Takaaki; Oohira, Fumikazu; Inoue, Shozo; Namazu, Takahiro

    2013-10-01

    In this paper, the influences of pretreatment and hard baking on the mechanical characteristics of SU-8 microstructures are described. Four types of samples with different combinations of O2 plasma ashing, primer coating and hard baking were prepared for shear strength tests and uniaxial tensile tests. Specially developed shear test equipment was used to experimentally measure the shear adhesion strength of SU-8 micro posts on a glass substrate. The adhesiveness was strengthened by hard baking at 200 °C for 60 min, whereas other pretreatment processes hardly affected the strength. The pretreatment and hard baking effects on the adhesive strength were compared with those on the fracture strength measured by uniaxial tensile testing. There were no influences of O2 plasma ashing on both the strengths, and primer coating affected only tensile strength. The primer coating effect as well as the hard baking effect on stress relaxation phenomena in uniaxial tension was observed as well. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that surface degradation and epoxide-ring opening polymerization would have given rise to the primer coating effect and the hard baking effect on the mechanical characteristics, respectively.

  4. Optimized piranha etching process for SU8-based MEMS and MOEMS construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmes, Matthew; Keeley, Jared; Hurd, Katherine; Hawkins, Aaron; Schmidt, Holger

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate the optimization of the concentration, temperature and cycling of a piranha (H 2 O 2 :H 2 SO 4 ) mixture that produces high yields while quickly etching hollow structures made using a highly crosslinked SU8 polymer sacrificial core. The effects of the piranha mixture on the thickness, refractive index and roughness of common micro-electromechanical systems and micro-opto-electromechanical systems fabrication materials (SiN, SiO 2 and Si) were determined. The effectiveness of the optimal piranha mixture was demonstrated in the construction of hollow anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides

  5. Optimized piranha etching process for SU8-based MEMS and MOEMS construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Matthew; Keeley, Jared; Hurd, Katherine; Schmidt, Holger; Hawkins, Aaron

    2010-11-01

    We demonstrate the optimization of the concentration, temperature and cycling of a piranha (H2O2:H2SO4) mixture that produces high yields while quickly etching hollow structures made using a highly crosslinked SU8 polymer sacrificial core. The effects of the piranha mixture on the thickness, refractive index and roughness of common micro-electromechanical systems and micro-opto-electromechanical systems fabrication materials (SiN, SiO2 and Si) were determined. The effectiveness of the optimal piranha mixture was demonstrated in the construction of hollow anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides.

  6. Combating multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ze-Qi; Flavin, Michael T; Flavin, John

    2014-02-01

    Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, especially those caused by Gram-negative pathogens, have emerged as one of the world's greatest health threats. The development of novel antibiotics to treat MDR Gram-negative bacteria has, however, stagnated over the last half century. This review provides an overview of recent R&D activities in the search for novel antibiotics against MDR Gram-negatives. It provides emphasis in three key areas. First, the article looks at new analogs of existing antibiotic molecules such as β-lactams, tetracyclines, and aminoglycoside as well as agents against novel bacterial targets such as aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and peptide deformylase. Second, it also examines alternative strategies to conventional approaches including cationic antimicrobial peptides, siderophores, efflux pump inhibitors, therapeutic antibodies, and renewed interest in abandoned treatments or those with limited indications. Third, the authors aim to provide an update on the current clinical development status for each drug candidate. The traditional analog approach is insufficient to meet the formidable challenge brought forth by MDR superbugs. With the disappointing results of the genomics approach for delivering novel targets and drug candidates, alternative strategies to permeate the bacterial cell membrane, enhance influx, disrupt efflux, and target specific pathogens via therapeutic antibodies are attractive and promising. Coupled with incentivized business models, governmental policies, and a clarified regulatory pathway, it is hoped that the antibiotic pipeline will be filled with an effective armamentarium to safeguard global health.

  7. An isotropic suspension system for a biaxial accelerometer using electroplated thick metal with a HAR SU-8 mold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jin Seung; Lee, Seung S

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, a novel approach is developed to design an isotropic suspension system using thick metal freestanding micro-structures combining bulk micro-machining with electroplating based on a HAR SU-8 mold. An omega-shape isotropic suspension system composed of circular curved beams that have free switching of imaginary boundary conditions is proposed. This novel isotropic suspension design is not affected by geometric dimensional parameters and always achieves matching stiffness along the principle axes of elasticity. Using the finite element method, the isotropic suspension system was compared with an S-shaped meandering suspension system. In order to realize the suggested isotropic suspension system, a cost-effective fabrication process using electroplating with the SU-8 mold was developed to avoid expensive equipment and materials such as deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The fabricated isotropic suspension system was verified by electromagnetic actuation experiments. Finally, a biaxial accelerometer with isotropic suspension system was realized and tested using a vibration generator system. The proposed isotropic suspension system and the modified surface micro-machining technique based on electroplating with an SU-8 mold can contribute towards minimizing the system size, simplifying the system configuration, reducing the system price of and facilitating mass production of various types of low-cost sensors and actuators

  8. Evaluation of an expanded microarray for detecting antibiotic resistance genes in a broad range of gram-negative bacterial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Card, Roderick; Zhang, Jiancheng; Das, Priya; Cook, Charlotte; Woodford, Neil; Anjum, Muna F

    2013-01-01

    A microarray capable of detecting genes for resistance to 75 clinically relevant antibiotics encompassing 19 different antimicrobial classes was tested on 132 Gram-negative bacteria. Microarray-positive results correlated >91% with antimicrobial resistance phenotypes, assessed using British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy clinical breakpoints; the overall test specificity was >83%. Microarray-positive results without a corresponding resistance phenotype matched 94% with PCR results, indicating accurate detection of genes present in the respective bacteria by microarray when expression was low or absent and, hence, undetectable by susceptibility testing. The low sensitivity and negative predictive values of the microarray results for identifying resistance to some antimicrobial resistance classes are likely due to the limited number of resistance genes present on the current microarray for those antimicrobial agents or to mutation-based resistance mechanisms. With regular updates, this microarray can be used for clinical diagnostics to help accurate therapeutic options to be taken following infection with multiple-antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and prevent treatment failure.

  9. SU-8 Based MEMS Process with Two Metal Layers using α-Si as a Sacrificial Material

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.

    2012-01-01

    MEMS applications. α-Si can be deposited at large thicknesses for MEMS applications and also can be released in a dry method using XeF2 which can solve stiction problems related to MEMS applications. In this thesis, an SU-8 MEMS process is developed

  10. Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of coagulase negative staphylococci clinical isolates from Ethiopia: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deyno, Serawit; Fekadu, Sintayehu; Seyfe, Sisay

    2018-05-25

    Antimicrobial resistant Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) have limited treatment options, rendered diseases untreatable and made hospitals to be reservoirs of the resistant strains. The aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of clinical isolates of CoNS from Ethiopia. The electronic database search yielded 6511 articles of which 21 met predefined inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of CoNS from Ethiopia was 12% (95% confidence interval (CI): 8, 16%). The analyses revealed high level of CoNS resistance to methicilin (37%[95% CI: 21, 55%]), vancomycin (911%[95% CI: 0, 35%]), penicillin (58%[95% CI: 42, 74%]), amoxicillin (42%[95% CI: 23, 61%]), amoxicillin-clavulanate (27%[95% CI: 2, 27%]), ampicillin (64%[95% CI: 46, 80%]), tetracycline (60% [95% CI: 49, 70%]), doxycycline (36%[95% CI:19,55%]), Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (50%[95% CI: 36, 64%]), ceftriaxone (27% [95% CI: 18, 38%]), cephalothin (32% [95% CI: 7, 62%]), norfloxacin (39%[95% CI: 24, 56%]), chloramphenicol (40%[95% CI: 23, 58%]), clindamycin (11% [95% CI: 2, 27%]), ciprofloxacin (14%[95% CI: 6, 22%]), gentamicin (27%[95% CI:19,36%]) and erythromycin (30%[95% CI:20%,42%]). High heterogeneity, I 2 ranging from 69.04 to 96.88%; p-values ≤0.01, was observed. Eggers' test did not detect publication bias for the meta-analyses and low risk of bias was observed in included studies. CoNS has gotten resistant to commonly used antimicrobials from Ethiopia. There is a need of launching national antimicrobial treatment, development and implementation of policy guidelines to contain the threat. Further research focusing on factors promoting resistance and the effect of resistance on treatment outcome studies are warranted.

  11. MENA Confers Resistance to Paclitaxel in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oudin, Madeleine J; Barbier, Lucie; Schäfer, Claudia; Kosciuk, Tatsiana; Miller, Miles A; Han, Sangyoon; Jonas, Oliver; Lauffenburger, Douglas A; Gertler, Frank B

    2017-01-01

    Taxane therapy remains the standard of care for triple-negative breast cancer. However, high frequencies of recurrence and progression in treated patients indicate that metastatic breast cancer cells can acquire resistance to this drug. The actin regulatory protein MENA and particularly its invasive isoform, MENA INV , are established drivers of metastasis. MENA INV expression is significantly correlated with metastasis and poor outcome in human patients with breast cancer. We investigated whether MENA isoforms might play a role in driving resistance to chemotherapeutics. We find that both MENA and MENA INV confer resistance to the taxane paclitaxel, but not to the widely used DNA-damaging agents doxorubicin or cisplatin. Furthermore, paclitaxel treatment does not attenuate growth of MENA INV -driven metastatic lesions. Mechanistically, MENA isoform expression alters the ratio of dynamic and stable microtubule populations in paclitaxel-treated cells. MENA expression also increases MAPK signaling in response to paclitaxel treatment. Decreasing ERK phosphorylation by co-treatment with MEK inhibitor restored paclitaxel sensitivity by driving microtubule stabilization in MENA isoform-expressing cells. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of taxane resistance in highly metastatic breast cancer cells and identify a combination therapy to overcome such resistance. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(1); 143-55. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  12. Linezolid-resistant clinical isolates of meticillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci and Enterococcus faecium from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Jia Chang; Hu, Yan Yan; Zhang, Rong; Zhou, Hong Wei; Chen, Gong-Xiang

    2012-11-01

    Seventeen meticillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), including ten Staphylococcus capitis, four Staphylococcus cohnii, two Staphylococcus haemolyticus and one Staphylococcus sciuri, and an Enterococcus faecium isolate with various levels of linezolid resistance were isolated from intensive care units in a Chinese hospital. PFGE indicated that the four S. cohnii isolates belonged to a clonal strain, and that nine of the S. capitis isolates were indistinguishable (clone A1) and the other one was closely related (clone A2). A G2576T mutation was identified in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene in the E. faecium isolate. Besides the G2576T mutation, a novel C2104T mutation was detected in the nine clone A1 S. capitis isolates. The cfr gene was detected in all the staphylococci except an S. sciuri isolate, whose 23S rRNA gene contained the G2576T mutation. There was a clonal dissemination of linezolid-resistant MRCoNS in intensive care units of our hospital, and this is the first report, to our knowledge, of linezolid-resistant staphylococci and enterococci in China.

  13. Genes de enterotoxinas e perfil antimicrobiano de Escherichia coli isoladas de suínos hígidos no Distrito Federal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V.O. Drummond

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Um total de 127 cepas de Escherichia coli foi isolado de suínos no Distrito Federal, testado para a presença de genes de enterotoxinas (STa, LT-I, LT-II, Stx1 e Stx2 e para resistência antimicrobiana. Das cepas isoladas, oito (6,3% possuíam genes para enterotoxinas, sendo quatro (3,2% positivas somente para LT-I, três (2,4% somente para STa e uma (0,8% positiva para STa e LT-I. Nenhuma das cepas isoladas apresentou genes para LT-II, Stx1 ou Stx2. Quanto ao perfil de resistência antimicrobiano, os antibióticos com maiores porcentagens de resistência foram lincomicina (100%, sulfonamidas (74,8% e tetraciclina (70,1%, enquanto os maiores índices de sensibilidade foram observados na norfloxacina (82,7%, gentamicina (75,6% e sulfametoxazol + trimetoprim (63%. Esses resultados demonstraram a presença de genes de enterotoxinas e altas taxas de resistência antimicrobiana em E. coli isoladas de suínos hígidos no DF.

  14. Identification and characterization of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in a Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive sequence type 8 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus IVa (USA300) isolate.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Shore, Anna C

    2010-12-01

    The staphylococcal cfr gene mediates resistance to phenicols, lincosamides, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A, a phenotype that has been termed PhLOPS(A). The cfr gene has mainly been associated with coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates from animals, and only a few cfr-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates have been described so far. This study reports the first description of a cfr-positive MRSA isolate (M05\\/0060) belonging to the pandemic Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive sequence type 8 MRSA IVa\\/USA300 (ST8-MRSA-IVa\\/USA300) clone. The cfr gene was detected in M05\\/0060 using a DNA microarray which was used to screen PVL-positive MRSA isolates for the presence of virulence genes, typing markers, and antimicrobial resistance genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that M05\\/0060 exhibited the cfr-associated resistance phenotype. Molecular analysis identified the presence of cfr and a second phenicol resistance gene, fexA, on a novel 45-kb conjugative plasmid, which was designated pSCFS7. Within pSCFS7, a DNA segment consisting of cfr, a truncated copy of insertion sequence IS21-558, and a region with homology to the DNA invertase gene bin3 of transposon Tn552 from Bacillus mycoides was integrated into the transposase gene tnpB of the fexA-carrying transposon Tn558. The emergence of a multidrug-resistant cfr-positive variant of ST8-MRSA-IVa\\/USA300 is alarming and requires ongoing surveillance. Moreover, the identification of a novel conjugative plasmid carrying the cfr gene indicates the ability of cfr to spread to other MRSA strains.

  15. Comparison of three different scales techniques for the dynamic mechanical characterization of two polymers (PDMS and SU8)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Rouzic, J.; Delobelle, P.; Vairac, P.; Cretin, B.

    2009-10-01

    In this article the dynamic mechanical characterization of PDMS and SU8 resin using dynamic mechanical analysis, nanoindentation and the scanning microdeformation microscope have been presented. The methods are hereby explained, extended for viscoelastic behaviours, and their compatibility underlined. The storage and loss moduli of these polymers over a wide range of frequencies (from 0.01 Hz to somekHz) have been measured. These techniques are shown fairly matching and the two different viscoelastic behaviours of these two polymers have been exhibited. Indeed, PDMS shows moduli which still increase at 5kHz whereas SU8 ones decrease much sooner. From a material point of view, the Havriliak and Negami model to estimate instantaneous, relaxed moduli and time constant of these materials has been identified.

  16. Microfabrication of pre-aligned fiber bundle couplers using ultraviolet lithography of SU-8

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Ren; Soper, Steven A.; Wang, Wanjun

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the design, microfabrication and testing of a pre-aligned array of fiber couplers using direct UV-lithography of SU-8. The fiber coupler array includes an out-of-plane refractive microlens array and two fiberport collimator arrays. With the optical axis of the pixels parallel to the substrate, each pixel of the microlens array can be pre-aligned with the corresponding pixels of the fiberport collimator array as defined by the lithography mask design. This out-of-plane pol...

  17. Integrating rapid diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship improves outcomes in patients with antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteremia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, Katherine K; Olsen, Randall J; Musick, William L; Cernoch, Patricia L; Davis, James R; Peterson, Leif E; Musser, James M

    2014-09-01

    An intervention for Gram-negative bloodstream infections that integrated mass spectrometry technology for rapid diagnosis with antimicrobial stewardship oversight significantly improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital costs. As antibiotic resistance rates continue to grow at an alarming speed, the current study was undertaken to assess the impact of this intervention in a challenging patient population with bloodstream infections caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. A total of 153 patients with antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteremia hospitalized prior to the study intervention were compared to 112 patients treated post-implementation. Outcomes assessed included time to optimal antibiotic therapy, time to active treatment when inactive, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, all-cause 30-day mortality, and total hospital expenditures. Integrating rapid diagnostics with antimicrobial stewardship improved time to optimal antibiotic therapy (80.9 h in the pre-intervention period versus 23.2 h in the intervention period, P Gram-negatives. The intervention decreased hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, total hospital costs, and reduced all-cause 30-day mortality. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from poultry farms in three regions of Ghana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boamah, Vivian Etsiapa; Agyare, Christian; Odoi, Hayford

    2017-01-01

    The use of antibiotics in animal production has been associated with the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms including commensals. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species, which were until recently considered non-pathogenic, have been associated with opportunistic...... usage in both animal production and in humans....... infections and high resistance to several antibiotics. This study sought to determine the prevalence, identity, and phenotypic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. isolated from some selected poultry farms and farm workers in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, and Greater Accra regions of Ghana...

  19. Negative resists for i-line lithography utilizing acid-catalyzed intramolecular dehydration reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueno, Takumi; Uchino, Shou-ichi; Hattori, Keiko T.; Onozuka, Toshihiko; Shirai, Seiichiro; Moriuchi, Noboru; Hashimoto, Michiaki; Koibuchi, S.

    1994-05-01

    Chemical amplification negative resist system composed of a novolak resin, a carbinol and an acid generator is investigated for i-line phase-shift lithography. The reaction in this resist is based on an acid-catalyzed intramolecular dehydration reaction. The dehydration products act as aqueous-base dissolution inhibitors, and carbinol compounds in unexposed areas work as dissolution promoters. The resist composed of a novolak resin, 1,4-bis((alpha) -hydroxyisopropyl) benzene (DIOL-1) and 2- naphthoylmethyltetramethylenesulfonium triflate (PAG-2) gives the best lithographic performance in terms of sensitivity and resolution. Line-and-space patterns of 0.275 micrometers are obtained using an i-line stepper (NA:0.45) in conjunction with a phase shifting mask.

  20. Effect of size and moisture on the mechanical behavior of SU-8 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robin, C J; Jonnalagadda, K N

    2016-01-01

    The mechanical properties of SU-8 were investigated in conjunction with size effect, mechanical anisotropy and moisture absorption. Uniaxial tensile experiments were conducted on SU-8 films of 500 nm and 2 μm thickness. A spin coating process was used to fabricate the films with one set from a single coat (single layer) and the others containing multiple coats (multilayer) with pre-baking in between. The stress versus strain response was obtained from in situ optical experiments and a digital image correlation method. Compared to single layer films, the multilayer films showed a significant increase in mechanical properties as well as in-plane anisotropy. This anisotropy was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and attributed to the spin coating process, which resulted in higher crosslinking density in the film, and molecular orientation in the radial direction. Moisture absorption studies revealed that the mechanical properties were affected by water, which exists in both the free and bonded form in the polymer and acts as a plasticizer. The effect of moisture was similar in both the single and multilayer films, but was higher for the latter due to multiple processing steps as well as the existence of higher percentage of epoxy polar groups. (paper)

  1. Effect of size and moisture on the mechanical behavior of SU-8 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robin, C. J.; Jonnalagadda, K. N.

    2016-02-01

    The mechanical properties of SU-8 were investigated in conjunction with size effect, mechanical anisotropy and moisture absorption. Uniaxial tensile experiments were conducted on SU-8 films of 500 nm and 2 μm thickness. A spin coating process was used to fabricate the films with one set from a single coat (single layer) and the others containing multiple coats (multilayer) with pre-baking in between. The stress versus strain response was obtained from in situ optical experiments and a digital image correlation method. Compared to single layer films, the multilayer films showed a significant increase in mechanical properties as well as in-plane anisotropy. This anisotropy was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and attributed to the spin coating process, which resulted in higher crosslinking density in the film, and molecular orientation in the radial direction. Moisture absorption studies revealed that the mechanical properties were affected by water, which exists in both the free and bonded form in the polymer and acts as a plasticizer. The effect of moisture was similar in both the single and multilayer films, but was higher for the latter due to multiple processing steps as well as the existence of higher percentage of epoxy polar groups.

  2. Negative Differential Resistance in Atomic Carbon Chain-Graphene Junctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An Liping; Liu Chunmei; Liu Nianhua

    2012-01-01

    We investigate the electronic transport properties of atomic carbon chain-graphene junctions by using the density-functional theory combining with the non-equilibrium Green's functions. The results show that the transport properties are sensitively dependent on the contact geometry of carbon chain. From the calculated I-V curve we find negative differential resistance (NDR) in the two types of junctions. The NDR can be considered as a result of molecular orbitals moving related to the bias window. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  3. Phenotypic and Genotypic Detection of Metallo-beta-lactamases among Imipenem-Resistant Gram Negative Isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mohammadzadeh

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Background:   Imipenem-resistant gram negative bacteria, resulting from metallo-beta-lactamase (MBLs-producing strains have been reported to be among the important causes of nosocomial infections and of serious therapeutic problem worldwide. Because of their broad range, potent carbapenemase activity and resistance to inhibitors, these enzymes can confer resistance to almost all beta-lactams. The prevalence of metallo-beta-lactamase among imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Enerobacteriaceae isolates is determined.Methods:   In this descriptive study 864 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae, were initially tested for imipenem susceptibility. The metallo-beta-lactamase production was detected using combined disk diffusion, double disk synergy test, and Hodge test. Then all imipenem resistant isolates were tested by PCR for imp, vim and ndm genes. Results:   Among 864 isolates, 62 (7.17 % were imipenem-resistant. Positive phonetypic test for metallo-beta-lactamase was 40 (64.5%, of which 24 (17.1% and 16 (9.2% isolates were Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., respectively. By PCR method 30 (48.4% of imipenem resistant Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas isolates were positive for MBL-producing genes. None of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates were positive for metallo-beta-lactamase activity. Conclusion:   The results of this study are indicative of the growing number of nosocomial infections associated with multidrug-resistant gram negative bacteria in this region leading to difficulties in antibiotic therapy. Thereby, using of phenotypic methods can be helpful for management of this problem.

  4. Antiseptic and antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria causing urinary tract infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stickler, D J; Thomas, B

    1980-01-01

    A collection of 802 isolates of Gram-negative bacteria causing urinary tract infections was made from general practice, antenatal clinics, and local hospitals. The organisms were tested for their sensitivity to chlorhexidine, cetrimide, glutaraldehyde, phenyl mercuric nitrate, a phenolic formulation, and a proprietary antiseptic containing a mixture of picloxydine, octyl phenoxy polyethoxyethanol, and benzalkonium chloride. Escherichia coli, the major species isolated, proved to be uniformly sensitive to these agents. Approximately 10% of the total number of isolates, however, exhibited a degree of resistance to the cationic agents. These resistant organisms were members of the genera Proteus, Providencia, and Pseudomonas; they were also generally resistant to five, six, or seven antibiotics. It is proposed therefore that an antiseptic policy which involves the intensive use of cationic antiseptics might lead to the selection of a flora of notoriously drug-resistant species. PMID:6769972

  5. Fermion unification model based on the intrinsic SU(8 symmetry of a generalized Dirac equation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eckart eMarsch

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A natural generalization of the original Dirac spinor into a multi-component spinor is achieved, which corresponds to the single lepton and the three quarks of the first family of the standard model of elementary particle physics. Different fermions result from similarity transformations of the Dirac equation, but apparently there can be no more fermions according to the maximal multiplicity revealed in this study. Rotations in the fermion state space are achieved by the unitary generators of the U(1 and the SU(3 groups, corresponding to quantum electrodynamics (QED based on electric charge and chromodynamics (QCD based on colour charge. In addition to hypercharge the dual degree of freedom of hyperspin emerges, which occurs due to the duplicity implied by the two related (Weyl and Dirac representations of the Dirac equation. This yields the SU(2 symmetry of the weak interaction, which can be married to U(1 to generate the unified electroweak interaction as in the standard model. Therefore, the symmetry group encompassing all the three groups mentioned above is SU(8, which can accommodate and unify the observed eight basic stable fermions.

  6. Negative feedback and adaptive resistance to the targeted therapy of cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandarlapaty, Sarat

    2012-04-01

    Mutational activation of growth factor signaling pathways is commonly observed and often necessary for oncogenic transformation. Under physiologic conditions, these pathways are subject to tight regulation through negative feedback, which limits the extent and duration of signaling events after physiologic stimulation. Until recently, the role of these negative feedback pathways in oncogene-driven cancers has been poorly understood. In this review, I discuss the evidence for the existence and relevance of negative feedback pathways within oncogenic signaling networks, the selective advantages such feedback pathways may confer, and the effects such feedback might have on therapies aimed at inhibiting oncogenic signaling. Negative feedback pathways are ubiquitous features of growth factor signaling networks. Because growth factor signaling networks play essential roles in the majority of cancers, their therapeutic targeting has become a major emphasis of clinical oncology. Drugs targeting these networks are predicted to inhibit the pathway but also to relieve the negative feedback. This loss of negative feedback can itself promote oncogenic signals and cancer cell survival. Drug-induced relief of feedback may be viewed as one of the major consequences of targeted therapy and a key contributor to therapeutic resistance.

  7. Hydrophobic coating of microfluidic chips structured by SU-8 polymer for segmented flow operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schumacher, J T; Grodrian, A; Metze, J; Kremin, C; Hoffmann, M

    2008-01-01

    We present a hydrophobization procedure for SU-8-based microfluidic chips on borofloat substrates. Different layouts of gold electrodes passivated by the polymer have been investigated. The chips are used for segmented flow in a two-fluid mode that requires a distinct hydrophobicity of the channel walls which is generated by the use of specific silane. In this paper we describe the production and silanization of the chips and demonstrate segmented flow operation

  8. Renew or die: The molecular mechanisms of peptidoglycan recycling and antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domínguez-Gil, Teresa; Molina, Rafael; Alcorlo, Martín; Hermoso, Juan A

    2016-09-01

    Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious health threats. Cell-wall remodeling processes are tightly regulated to warrant bacterial survival and in some cases are directly linked to antibiotic resistance. Remodeling produces cell-wall fragments that are recycled but can also act as messengers for bacterial communication, as effector molecules in immune response and as signaling molecules triggering antibiotic resistance. This review is intended to provide state-of-the-art information about the molecular mechanisms governing this process and gather structural information of the different macromolecular machineries involved in peptidoglycan recycling in Gram-negative bacteria. The growing body of literature on the 3D structures of the corresponding macromolecules reveals an extraordinary complexity. Considering the increasing incidence and widespread emergence of Gram-negative multidrug-resistant pathogens in clinics, structural information on the main actors of the recycling process paves the way for designing novel antibiotics disrupting cellular communication in the recycling-resistance pathway. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Paper Microzone Plates as Analytical Tools for Studying Enzyme Stability: A Case Study on the Stabilization of Horseradish Peroxidase Using Trehalose and SU-8 Epoxy Novolac Resin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganaja, Kirsten A; Chaplan, Cory A; Zhang, Jingyi; Martinez, Nathaniel W; Martinez, Andres W

    2017-05-16

    Paper microzone plates in combination with a noncontact liquid handling robot were demonstrated as tools for studying the stability of enzymes stored on paper. The effect of trehalose and SU-8 epoxy novolac resin (SU-8) on the stability of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied in both a short-term experiment, where the activity of various concentrations of HRP dried on paper were measured after 1 h, and a long-term experiment, where the activity of a single concentration of HRP dried and stored on paper was monitored for 61 days. SU-8 was found to stabilize HRP up to 35 times more than trehalose in the short-term experiment for comparable concentrations of the two reagents, and a 1% SU-8 solution was found to stabilize HRP approximately 2 times more than a 34% trehalose solution in both short- and long-term experiments. The results suggest that SU-8 is a promising candidate for use as an enzyme-stabilizing reagent for paper-based diagnostic devices and that the short-term experiment could be used to quickly evaluate the capacity of various reagents for stabilizing enzymes to identify and characterize new enzyme-stabilizing reagents.

  10. Epidemiology and molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in Southeast Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuntra Suwantarat

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGN, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs and multidrug-resistant glucose-nonfermenting Gram-negative bacilli (nonfermenters, have emerged and spread throughout Southeast Asia. Methods We reviewed and summarized current critical knowledge on the epidemiology and molecular characterization of MDRGN in Southeast Asia by PubMed searches for publications prior to 10 March 2016 with the term related to “MDRGN definition” combined with specific Southeast Asian country names (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei. Results There were a total of 175 publications from the following countries: Thailand (77, Singapore (35, Malaysia (32, Vietnam (23, Indonesia (6, Philippines (1, Laos (1, and Brunei (1. We did not find any publications on MDRGN from Myanmar and Cambodia. We did not include publications related to Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., and Vibrio spp. and non-human related studies in our review. English language articles and abstracts were included for analysis. After the abstracts were reviewed, data on MDRGN in Southeast Asia from 54 publications were further reviewed and included in this study. Conclusions MDRGNs are a major contributor of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in Southeast Asia. The high prevalence of ESBLs has been a major problem since 2005 and is possibly related to the development of carbapenem resistant organisms in this region due to the overuse of carbapenem therapy. Carbapenem–resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is the most common pathogen associated with nosocomial infections in this region followed by carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although Southeast Asia is not an endemic area for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE, recently, the rate of CRE detection has been increasing. Limited infection control measures, lack of antimicrobial control, such as the presence of

  11. Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence in Gram-negatives: the Klebsiella pneumoniae Paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, Maria S; Traglia, German M; Lin, David L; Tran, Tung; Tolmasky, Marcelo E

    Plasmids harbor genes coding for specific functions including virulence factors and antibiotic resistance that permit bacteria to survive the hostile environment found in the host and resist treatment. Together with other genetic elements such as integrons and transposons, and using a variety of mechanisms, plasmids participate in the dissemination of these traits resulting in the virtual elimination of barriers among different kinds of bacteria. In this article we review the current information about physiology and role in virulence and antibiotic resistance of plasmids from the gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae . This bacterium has acquired multidrug resistance and is the causative agent of serious communityand hospital-acquired infections. It is also included in the recently defined ESKAPE group of bacteria that cause most of US hospital infections.

  12. Evaluation of oxacillin and cefoxitin disks for detection of resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza Antunes, Ana Lúcia; Secchi, Carina; Reiter, Keli Cristine; Rodrigues Perez, Leandro Reus; Peixoto de Freitas, Ana Lúcia; Alves d'Azevedo, Pedro

    2007-09-01

    Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. was considered nonpathogenic until the emergence of multiresistance and the demonstration of their participation as infectious agents. In Brazil, oxacillin resistance may be present in over 80% of isolates, and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standardized a disk-diffusion method to predict this resistance in Staphylococcus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability among commercial disks of oxacillin (1 microg) and cefoxitin (30 microg) widely used in clinical laboratories of microbiology, compared with mecA gene and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oxacillin. The use of oxacillin and cefoxitin disks simultaneously allowed the detection of important differences, particularly, in less frequent species such as S. cohnii, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, and S. sciuri. Disks of cefoxitin of the brand 2 displayed good correlation with the mecA gene (98.7%) and oxacillin MIC (97.8%), while major discrepancies were observed using disks of brand 1. One of the critical points in the diffusion disk test is the quality of the disks: the use of better quality disks associated with molecular methods lead to better results to define the best antibiotic therapy.

  13. Evaluation of oxacillin and cefoxitin disks for detection of resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lúcia Souza Antunes

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. was considered nonpathogenic until the emergence of multiresistance and the demonstration of their participation as infectious agents. In Brazil, oxacillin resistance may be present in over 80% of isolates, and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standardized a disk-diffusion method to predict this resistance in Staphylococcus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability among commercial disks of oxacillin (1 µg and cefoxitin (30 µg widely used in clinical laboratories of microbiology, compared with mecA gene and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of oxacillin. The use of oxacillin and cefoxitin disks simultaneously allowed the detection of important differences, particularly, in less frequent species such as S. cohnii, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, and S. sciuri. Disks of cefoxitin of the brand 2 displayed good correlation with the mecA gene (98.7% and oxacillin MIC (97.8%, while major discrepancies were observed using disks of brand 1. One of the critical points in the diffusion disk test is the quality of the disks: the use of better quality disks associated with molecular methods lead to better results to define the best antibiotic therapy.

  14. Treatment and Outcome of Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli Blood-Stream Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Pooja G; Shah, Sweta R

    2015-07-01

    Infections caused by carbapenem-resistant bacteria constitute a major challenge for current medical practice. To describe treatment and outcome of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) blood-stream infection (BSI) caused by these organisms at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai. Carbapenem-resistant isolates from blood cultures were collected from January 2013 to April 2013. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using Vitek 2 analyzer (Biomerieux Ltd.). Carbapenemase production was detected by modified Hodge's test (MHT). Patient's medical history, treatment and co-morbid conditions were noted. Outcomes of BSIs were evaluated. Forty-two isolates of carbapenem-resistant GNB isolated from BSIs were Enterobacteriaceae spp. (19), Acinetobacter baumannii (15), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8). Colistin had maximum in vitro activity with 97% against Enterobacteriaceae, 100% against Acinetobacter, and 100% activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Positivity of MHT was 92.9%. Outcome of colistin mono and combination therapy was comparable with 83% and 79%, respectively. Outcome of colistin and carbapenem combination therapy was found to be 100 percent. High incidences of bacteremia by carbapenem-resistant GNB including Enterobacteriaceae is a worrisome trend. Treatment options are compromised and only available option is colistin which has its own limitation. Colistin monotherapy may be non-inferior compared to combination therapy for treating BSIs caused by isolates with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for colistin as ≤0.5 mg/l. Combined use of the colistin and carbapenem may provide good therapeutic options for BSI caused by carbapenem-resistant GNB and warrants further investigations.

  15. Resisting Negative Images and Stereotypes: One Latina Prospective Teacher’s Story

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terri L. Rodriguez

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses on one Latina prospective teacher’s act of resisting negative stereotypes regarding attire imposed upon her by a white female principal. The event is embedded within a larger life history study that explores the experiences of bilingual Latino prospective teachers in the elementary education program of a large Midwestern university. The selected narrative is contextualized in relation to resistance narratives. Patricia Morales tells about her experiences in U.S. schools. It explores how Patricia’s life history is marked by experiences of discrimination, yet how her constructions of these events represent “counterstories” (Delgado, 2000; Solorzano & Yosso, 2002 through which she “talks back” (hooks, 1989 to distorted images and stereotypes. Patricia’s narratives are shown to constitute creative acts of resistance through which she negotiates a positive and affirming identity (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001 as a Latina prospective teacher.

  16. Serum acylated ghrelin is negatively correlated with the insulin resistance in the CODING study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peyvand Amini

    Full Text Available Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid orexigenic peptide synthesized mainly in the stomach. Acute administration of ghrelin has been found to decrease insulin secretion. However, little data is available regarding whether ghrelin contributes to the long-term regulation of insulin resistance at the population level. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between circulating ghrelin and insulin resistance in a large population based study.A total of 2082 CODING study (Complex Diseases in the Newfoundland population: Environment and Genetics subjects were assessed. Subjects were of at least third generation Newfoundland descent, between the ages of 20 and 79 years, and had no serious metabolic, cardiovascular, or endocrine diseases. Ghrelin was measured with an Enzyme Immunoassay method. Insulin and fasting glucose were measured by Immulite 2500 autoanalyzer and Lx20 clinical chemistry analyzer, respectively. Homeostatic Model Assessment of β cell function (HOMA-β and Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR and Quantitative Insulin-sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI were used for measurement of insulin resistance.Partial correlation analyses showed a significant negative correlation between circulating ghrelin and insulin level and insulin resistance in the entire cohort and also in men and women separately. The aforementioned correlation was independent of age, percentage of trunk fat and HDL-cholesterol. According to menopausal status, only pre-menopausal women revealed negative correlations.Our results suggest that except for postmenopausal women, high circulating ghrelin level is associated with lower insulin resistance in the general population.

  17. Metal-insulator transition upon heating and negative-differential-resistive-switching induced by self-heating in BaCo0.9Ni0.1S1.8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, B.; Genossar, J.; Chashka, K. B.; Patlagan, L.; Reisner, G. M.

    2014-01-01

    The layered compound BaCo 1−x Ni x S 2−y (0.05  1−x Ni x S 2−y (nominal x = 0.1 and y = 0.2). These were due to the steep metal to insulator transition upon heating followed by the activated behavior of the resistivity above the transition. The major role of Joule heating in switching is supported by the absence of nonlinearity in the current as function of voltage, I(V), obtained in pulsed measurements, in the range of electric fields relevant to d.c. measurements. The voltage-controlled negative differential resistance around the threshold for switching was explained by a simple model of self-heating. The main difficulty in modeling I(V) from the samples resistance as function of temperature R(T) was the progressive increase of R(T), and to a lesser extend the decrease of the resistance jumps at the transitions, caused by the damage induced by cycling through the transitions by heating or self-heating. This was dealt with by following systematically R(T) over many cycles and by using the data of R(T) in the heating cycle closest to that of the self-heating one

  18. IL-8 expression and its possible relationship with estrogen-receptor-negative status of breast cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freund, Ariane; Chauveau, Corine; Brouillet, Jean-Paul; Lucas, Annick; Lacroix, Matthieu; Licznar, Anne; Vignon, Françoise; Lazennec, Gwendal

    2003-01-01

    Estrogen receptor (ER) status is an important parameter in breast cancer management as ER-positive breast cancers have a better prognosis than ER-negative tumors. This difference comes essentially from the lower aggressiveness and invasiveness of ER-positive tumors. Here, we demonstrate, that IL-8 was clearly overexpressed in most ER-negative breast, ovary cell lines and breast tumor samples tested, whereas no significant IL-8 level could be detected in ER-positive breast or ovarian cell lines. We have also cloned human IL-8 from ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells and we show that IL-8 produced by breast cancer cells is identical to monocyte-derived IL-8. Interestingly, the invasion potential of ER-negative breast cancer cells is associated at least in part with expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), but not with IL-8 receptors levels. Moreover, IL-8 increases the invasiveness of ER-positive breast cancer cells by 2 fold, thus confirming the invasion-promoting role of IL-8. On the other hand, exogenous expression of estrogen receptors in ER-negative cells led to a decrease of IL-8 levels. In summary, our data show that IL-8 expression is negatively linked to ER-status of breast and ovarian cancer cells. We also support the idea that IL-8 expression is associated with a higher invasiveness potential of cancer cells in vitro, which suggests that IL-8 could be a novel marker of tumor aggressiveness. PMID:12527894

  19. Add-On Therapy with Ertapenem in Infections with Multidrug Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria: Pediatric Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sevgen Tanır Basaranoglu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Optimal therapy for infections with carbapenem resistant GNB is not well established due to the weakness of data. Patients presenting with bloodstream infections caused by multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were treated with a combination treatment. Optimal therapy for infections with carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteria is a serious problem in pediatric patients. We presented three cases who were successfully treated with addition of ertapenem to the combination treatment for bacteremia with multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Dual carbapenem treatment approach is a new approach for these infections and requires more data in children.

  20. Large negative differential resistance in graphene nanoribbon superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, P.; Chen, C. H.; Hsu, S. A.; Hsueh, W. J.

    2018-05-01

    A graphene nanoribbon superlattice with a large negative differential resistance (NDR) is proposed. Our results show that the peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) of the graphene superlattices can reach 21 at room temperature with bias voltages between 90-220 mV, which is quite large compared with the one of traditional graphene-based devices. It is found that the NDR is strongly influenced by the thicknesses of the potential barrier. Therefore, the NDR effect can be optimized by designing a proper barrier thickness. The large NDR effect can be attributed to the splitting of the gap in transmission spectrum (segment of Wannier-Stark ladder) with larger thicknesses of barrier when the applied voltage increases.

  1. Surface modification of SU-8 for metal/SU-8 adhesion using RF plasma treatment for application in thermopile detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashraf, Shakeel; Mattsson, Claes G; Thungström, Göran; Fondell, Mattis; Lindblad, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on plasma treatment of SU-8 epoxy in order to enhance adhesive strength for metals. Its samples were fabricated on standard silicon wafers and treated with (O 2 and Ar) RF plasma at a power of 25 W at a low pressure of (3 × 10 −3 Torr) for different time spans (10–70 s). The sample surfaces were characterized in terms of contact angle, surface (roughness and chemistry) and using a tape test. During the contact angle measurement, it was observed that the contact angle was reduced from 73° to 5° (almost wet) and 23° for (O 2 and Ar) treated samples, respectively. The root mean square surface roughness was significantly increased by 21.5% and 37.2% for (O 2 and Ar) treatment, respectively. A pattern of metal squares was formed on the samples using photolithography for a tape test. An adhesive tape was applied to the samples and peeled off at 180°. The maximum adhesion results, more than 90%, were achieved for the O 2 -treated samples, whereas the Ar-treated samples showed no change. The XPS study shows the formation of new species in the O 2 -treated sample compared to the Ar-treated samples. The high adhesive results were due to the formation of hydrophilic groups and new O 2 species in the O 2 -treated samples, which were absent in Ar-treated samples. (paper)

  2. Material design of negative-tone polyphenol resist for EUV and EB lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Kyoko; Mori, Shigeki; Shiono, Daiju; Hada, Hideo; Onodera, Junichi

    2007-03-01

    In order to enable design of a negative-tone polyphenol resist using polarity-change reaction, five resist compounds (3M6C-MBSA-BLs) with different number of functional group of γ-hydroxycarboxyl acid were prepared and evaluated by EB lithography. The resist using mono-protected compound (3M6C-MBSA-BL1a) showed 40-nm hp resolution at an improved dose of 52 μC/cm2 probably due to removal of a non-protected polyphenol while the sensitivity of the resist using a compound of protected ratio of 1.1 on average with distribution of different protected ratio was 72 μC/cm2. For evaluation of the di-protected compound based resist, a di-protected polyphenol was synthesized by a newly developed synthetic route of 3-steps reaction, which is well-suited for mass production. The resist using di-protected compound (3M6C-MBSA-BL2b) also showed 40-nm hp resolution at a dose of 40 μC/cm2, which was faster than that of mono-protected resist. Fundamental EUV lithographic evaluation of the resist using 3M6C-MBSA-BL2b by an EUV open frame exposure tool (EUVES-7000) gave its estimated optimum sensitivity of 7 mJ/cm2 and a proof of fine development behavior without any swelling.

  3. Refractive index modulation of SU-8 polymer optical waveguides by means of hybrid photothermal process

    OpenAIRE

    Salazar-Miranda, D.; Castillón, F. F.; Sánchez-Sánchez, J. J.; Angel-Valenzuela, J. L.; Márquez, H.

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of multimode polymer optical waveguides obtained using a SU-8-2005 polymer by means of photolithographic process. Critical information about refractive index modulation of polymer waveguides as function of fabrication parameters as pre-baked and ultraviolet exposure times is presented. Physical properties of the waveguides were determined by means prism-coupling technique, optical and SEM microscopy. Este trabajo describe la fabrica...

  4. cfr-mediated linezolid-resistant clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yunjia; Lv, Yuan; Cui, Lanqing; Li, Yun; Ke, Qian; Zhao, Yixuan

    2017-03-01

    Three linezolid-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (LR-CoNS), including two Staphylococcus cohnii and one Staphylococcus capitis, were isolated from 1104 clinical staphylococcal isolates across China in 2013-2014. Antibiotic susceptibilities of the bacteria were determined by the agar dilution method. PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to determine the potential molecular mechanism of linezolid resistance. The two linezolid-resistant S. cohnii isolates were subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to investigate their genetic relatedness. Primer walking, S1 nuclease PFGE and Southern blot hybridisation were conducted to ascertain the location and environment of the cfr gene. All three isolates were positive for the cfr gene. Amino acid mutations S158F and S158Y in the ribosomal protein L3 were identified in S. cohnii 13B289 and 13L105, respectively, both of which also had an additional substitution (D159Y) in L3. PFGE indicated that the two S. cohnii isolates belonged to diverse clonal strains. S1 nuclease PFGE and Southern blotting experiments indicated that the cfr gene of the three isolates resided on plasmids of similar size (ca. 35.4kb). The cfr-harbouring segments of S. capitis 13G350 and S. cohnii 13L105 were identical to plasmid pSS-01 reported previously. The cfr-carrying fragment of S. cohnii 13B289 was indistinguishable from the formerly described plasmid pSS-02. In conclusion, the presence of the cfr gene located on a plasmid was the main mechanism contributing to resistance to linezolid in the three staphylococcal isolates. Hence, timely detection and judicious use of antibiotics are essential to prevent further transmission of this resistance mechanism. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Resisting Negative Images and Stereotypes: One Latina Prospective Teacher’s Story

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terri L. Rodriguez

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses on one Latina prospective teacher’s act of resisting negative stereotypes regarding attire imposed upon her by a white female principal.  The event is embedded within a larger life history study that explores the experiences of bilingual Latino prospective teachers in the elementary education program of a large Midwestern university.  The selected narrative is contextualized in relation to resistance narratives. Patricia Morales tells about her experiences in U.S. schools.  It explores how Patricia’s life history is marked by experiences of discrimination, yet how her constructions of these events represent “counterstories” (Delgado, 2000; Solorzano & Yosso, 2002 through which she “talks back” (hooks, 1989 to distorted images and stereotypes.  Patricia’s narratives are shown to constitute creative acts of resistance through which she negotiates a positive and affirming identity (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001 as a Latina prospective teacher.   Keywords: preservice teachers; teacher education; Latino critical race theory; narrative inquiry

  6. Investigation of a novel approach for the cross-linking characterization of SU-8 photoresist materials by means of optical dispersion measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taudt, Ch.; Baselt, T.; Koch, E.; Hartmann, P.

    2014-03-01

    The increase in efficiency and precision in the production of semiconductor structures under the use of polymeric materials like SU-8 is crucial in securing the technological innovation within this industry. The manufacturing of structures on wafers demands a high quality of materials, tools and production processes. In particular, deviations in the materials' parameters (e.g. cross-linking state, density or mechanical properties) could lead to subsequent problems such as a reduced lifetime of structures and systems. In particular problems during the soft and post-exposure bake process can lead to an inhomogeneous distribution of material properties. This paper describes a novel approach for the characterization of SU-8 material properties in relation to a second epoxy-based material of different cross-linking by the measurement of optical dispersion within the material. A white-light interferometer was used. In particular the setup consisted of a white-light source, a Michelson-type interferometer and a spectrometer. The investigation of the dispersion characteristics was carried out by the detection of the equalization wavelength for different positions of the reference arm in a range from 400 to 900 nm. The measured time delay due to dispersion ranges from 850 to 1050 ps/m. For evaluation purposes a 200μm SU-8 sample was characterized in the described setup regarding its dispersion characteristics in relation to bulk epoxy material. The novel measurement approach allowed a fast and high-resolution material characterization for SU-8 micro structures which was suitable for integration in production lines. The outlook takes modifications of the experimental setup regarding on-wafer measurements into account.

  7. Development of an SU-8 MEMS process with two metal electrodes using amorphous silicon as a sacrificial material

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Khaled S.; Nasr, Tarek Adel Hosny; Foulds, Ian G.

    2013-01-01

    method using XeF2, which alleviates release-based stiction problems related to MEMS applications. In this work, an SU-8 MEMS process was developed using ;-Si as a sacrificial layer. Two conductive metal electrodes were integrated in this process to allow

  8. Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Goats with Subclinical Mastitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Virdis

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Antimicrobial resistance patterns and gene coding for methicillin resistance (mecA were determined in 25 S. aureus and 75 Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS strains isolates from half-udder milk samples collected from goats with subclinical mastitis. Fourteen (56.0% S. aureus and thirty-one (41.3% CNS isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. S. aureus showed the highest resistance rate against kanamycin (28.0%, oxytetracycline (16.0%, and ampicillin (12.0%. The CNS tested were more frequently resistant to ampicillin (36.0% and kanamycin (6.7%. Multiple antimicrobial resistance was observed in eight isolates, and one Staphylococcus epidermidis was found to be resistant to six antibiotics. The mecA gene was not found in any of the tested isolates. Single resistance against β-lactamics or aminoglicosides is the most common trait observed while multiresistance is less frequent.

  9. Study of antibiotic resistance of staph aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci isolated from patient samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Anvary

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Drug resistant Staphylococci are the most important agents of nosocomial infections. In this survey, effect of different antibiotics on these bacteria and their drug resistance was investigated. Methods: The study included 500 strains of Staphylococci. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of all antibiotics was determined by the broth macro dilution technique and standard methods from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Result : Oxacillin resistance of S. aureus was 14.2% and that of coagulase-negative staphylococci was 53.4%. The activity of different antibiotics is presented in detail. Conclusion: Surveillance of strains resistant to methicillin is necessary.

  10. ''Positive'' and ''negative'' electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance switching effect in Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Q.; Chen, L.D.; Li, X.M.; Shang, D.S.; Wu, Z.H.

    2007-01-01

    ''Negative'' electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance (EPIR) switching phenomenon was found in In/PCMO/Pt sandwich, in which the high resistance can be written with positive voltage pulses, and the low resistance can be reset using negative voltage pulses (the positive voltage direction is defined as going from the top electrode to the bottom electrode). This is just the opposite from the ''positive'' EPIR effect in Ag/PCMO/Pt sandwich, in which the high resistance can be written only with negative voltage pulses, and the low resistance can be reset using positive voltage pulses. The I-V hysteresis curves of In/PCMO/Pt and Ag/PCMO/Pt sandwiches also show opposite directions, i.e., counterclockwise and clockwise under a negative voltage region for indium and Ag electrode systems, respectively. C-V characteristics show that the barrier does not exist in Ag/PCMO/Pt sandwich, while In/PCMO/Pt sandwich exhibits an obvious Schottky-like barrier. We suggest that in the negative EPIR behavior in In/PCMO/Pt structure, the resistance states are mainly controlled changing the Schottky-like barrier at the interface with the weak effect of carrier trapping process, while the positive EPIR behavior in Ag/PCMO/Pt sandwich mainly depends on the carrier trapping process at the interface. (orig.)

  11. The Changing Role of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Defining Resistance in Gram-negatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endimiani, Andrea; Jacobs, Michael R

    2016-06-01

    The evolution of resistance in Gram-negatives has challenged the clinical microbiology laboratory to implement new methods for their detection. Multidrug-resistant strains present major challenges to conventional and new detection methods. More rapid pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing have been developed for use directly on specimens, including fluorescence in situ hybridization tests, automated polymerase chain reaction systems, microarrays, mass spectroscopy, next-generation sequencing, and microfluidics. Review of these methods shows the advances that have been made in rapid detection of resistance in cultures, but limited progress in direct detection from specimens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Patterning characteristics of a chemically-amplified negative resist in synchrotron radiation lithography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deguchi, Kimiyoshi; Miyoshi, Kazunori; Ishii, Tetsuyoshi; Matsuda, Tadahito

    1992-01-01

    To explore the applicability of synchrotron radiation X-ray lithography for fabricating sub-quartermicron devices, we investigate the patterning characteristics of the chemically-amplified negative resist SAL601-ER7. Since these characteristics depend strongly on the conditions of the chemical amplification process, the effects of post-exposure baking and developing conditions on sensitivity and resolution are examined. The resolution-limiting factors are investigated, revealing that pattern collapse during the development process and fog caused by Fresnel diffraction, photo-electron scattering, and acid diffusion in the resist determine the resolution and the maximum aspect ratio of the lines and spaces pattern. Using the model of a swaying beam supported at one end, it is shown that pattern collapse depends on the resist pattern's flexural stiffness. Patterning stability, which depends on the delay time between exposure and baking, is also discussed. (author)

  13. Emerging Gram negative resistance to last-line antimicrobial agents fosfomycin, colistin and ceftazidime-avibactam - epidemiology, laboratory detection and treatment implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherry, Norelle; Howden, Benjamin

    2018-04-01

    Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug-resistant (XDR) Gram-negative bacteria have emerged as a major threat to human health globally. This has resulted in the 're-discovery' of some older antimicrobials and development of new agents, however resistance has also rapidly emerged to these agents. Areas covered: Here we describe recent developments in resistance to three of the most important last-line antimicrobials for treatment of MDR and XDR Gram negatives: fosfomycin, colistin and ceftazidime-avibactam. Expert commentary: A key challenge for microbiologists and clinicians using these agents for treating patients with MDR and XDR Gram negative infections is the need to ensure appropriate reference methods are being used to test susceptibility to these agents, especially colistin and fosfomycin. These methods are not available in all laboratories meaning accurate results are either delayed, or potentially inaccurate as non-reference methods are employed. Combination therapy for MDR and XDR Gram negatives is likely to become more common, and future studies should focus on the clinical effects of monotherapy vs combination therapy, as well as validation of synergy testing methods. Effective national and international surveillance systems to detect and respond to resistance to these last line agents are also critical.

  14. Chinese herbal extract Su-duxing had potent inhibitory effects on both wild-type and entecavir-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro and effectively suppressed HBV replication in mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan; Yao, Weiming; Si, Lanlan; Hou, Jun; Wang, Jiabo; Xu, Zhihui; Li, Weijie; Chen, Jianhong; Li, Ruisheng; Li, Penggao; Bo, Lvping; Xiao, Xiaohe; Lan, Jinchu; Xu, Dongping

    2018-04-24

    The present study aimed to investigate anti-HBV effect and major active compounds of Su-duxing, a medicine extracted from Chinese herbs. HBV-replicating cell lines HepG2.2.15 (wild-type) and HepG2. A64 (entecavir-resistant) were used for in vitro test. C57BL/6 mice infected by adeno-associated virus carrying 1.3 mer wild-type HBV genome were used for in vivo test. Inhibitory rates of Su-duxing (10 μg/mL) on HBV replicative intermediate and HBsAg levels were 75.1%, 51.0% in HepG2.2.15 cells and 65.2%, 42.9% in HepG2. A64 cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration of Su-duxing and entecavir on HBV replicative intermediates had 0.2-fold and 712.5-fold increase respectively for entecavir-resistant HBV compared to wild-type HBV. Mice treated with Su-duxing (45.0 mg kg -1  d -1 for 2 weeks) had 1.39 log 10 IU/mL decrease of serum HBV DNA, and 48.9% and 51.7% decrease of serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels. GeneChip and KEGG analysis proposed that anti-HBV mechanisms included relief of HBx stability and viral replication, deregulation of early cell cycle checkpoints, and induction of type I interferon. Six active compounds (Matrine, Oxymatrine, Chlorogenic acid, Sophocarpine, Baicalein, and Wogonin) against HBV were identified in Su-duxing. Greater anti-HBV effects were observed in some compound pairs compared to each single compound. In conclusion, Su-duxing had potent inhibitory effects on both wild-type and entecavir-resistant HBV. Its effects were associated with coordinated roles of active compounds in its composition. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Negative differential resistance in nanoscale transport in the Coulomb blockade regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parida, Prakash; Lakshmi, S; Pati, Swapan K

    2009-01-01

    Motivated by recent experiments, we have studied the transport behavior of coupled quantum dot systems in the Coulomb blockade regime using the master (rate) equation approach. We explore how electron-electron interactions in a donor-acceptor system, resembling weakly coupled quantum dots with varying charging energy, can modify the system's response to an external bias, taking it from normal Coulomb blockade behavior to negative differential resistance (NDR) in the current-voltage characteristics.

  16. Spread of resistant gram negatives in a Sri Lankan intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tissera, Kavinda; Liyanapathirana, Veranja; Dissanayake, Nilanthi; Pinto, Vasanthi; Ekanayake, Asela; Tennakoon, Manjula; Adasooriya, Dinuka; Nanayakkara, Dulmini

    2017-07-11

    Infections with multi drug resistant (MDR) organisms are a major problem in intensive care units (ICUs). Proper infection control procedures are mandatory to combat the spread of resistant organisms within ICUs. Well stablished surveillance programmes will enhance the adherence of the staff to infection control protocols. The study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using basic molecular typing methods and routine hospital data for laboratory surveillance of resistance organisms in resource limited settings. A retrospective study was conducted using consecutive Gram negative isolates obtained from an ICU over a six month period. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) based typing was performed on the given isolates. Of the seventy isolates included in the study, seven were E.coli. All E.coli were MDRs and Extended Spectrum β lactamse (ESBL) producers carrying bla CTX-M . Fourteen isolates were K.pneumoniae, and all were MDRs and ESBL producers. All K.pneumoniae harboured bla SHV while 13 harboured bla CTX-M . The MDR rate among P.aeruginosa was 13% (n=15) while all acinetobacters (n=30) were MDRs. Predominant clusters were identified within all four types of Gram negatives using RAPD and the ICU stay of patients overlapped temporally. We propose that simple surveillance methods like RAPD based typing and basic hospital data can be used to convince hospital staff to adhere to infection control protocols more effectively, in low and middle income countries.

  17. Sepsis due to linezolid resistant Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus kloosii: first reports of linezolid resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci from India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peer, M A; Nasir, R A; Kakru, D K; Fomda, B A; Bashir, G; Sheikh, I A

    2011-01-01

    Linezolid, a viable alternative to vancomycin against methicillin resistant staphylococcal isolates, has been in use for a decade around the globe. However, resistance against staphylococci remains extremely rare and unreported from most of the Asian countries. Herein, we report two cases of linezolid resistant, coagulase negative staphylococcal sepsis for the first time from India. The first case was an 18-year-old burn patient, who, after a major graft surgery, landed in sepsis, and linezolid resistant Staphylococcus cohnii with an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of >256 μg/ml by both broth microdilution and Etest, was isolated from multiple blood cultures. The second patient was a 60-year-old male with an intracranial bleed and sepsis, from whose blood cultures, linezolid resistant Staphylococcus kloosii was repeatedly isolated. Linezolid MIC was >32 μg/ml by broth microdilution and >16 μg/ml by Etest.

  18. Sepsis due to linezolid resistant Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus kloosii: First reports of linezolid resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci from India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M A Peer

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Linezolid, a viable alternative to vancomycin against methicillin resistant staphylococcal isolates, has been in use for a decade around the globe. However, resistance against staphylococci remains extremely rare and unreported from most of the Asian countries. Herein, we report two cases of linezolid resistant, coagulase negative staphylococcal sepsis for the first time from India. The first case was an 18-year-old burn patient, who, after a major graft surgery, landed in sepsis, and linezolid resistant Staphylococcus cohnii with an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of >256 μg/ml by both broth microdilution and Etest, was isolated from multiple blood cultures. The second patient was a 60-year-old male with an intracranial bleed and sepsis, from whose blood cultures, linezolid resistant Staphylococcus kloosii was repeatedly isolated. Linezolid MIC was >32 μg/ml by broth microdilution and >16 μg/ml by Etest.

  19. Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram-Negative Rods Causing Bacteremia in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Averbuch, Diana; Tridello, Gloria; Hoek, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Background: This intercontinental study aimed to study gram-negative rod (GNR) resistance in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods: GNR bacteremias occurring during 6 months post-HSCT (February 2014-May 2015) were prospectively collected, and analyzed for rates and risk factors...

  20. Imipenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial isolates carried by persons upon medical examination in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, So Yeon; Shin, Sang Yop; Rhee, Ji-Young; Ko, Kwan Soo

    2017-08-01

    Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) have emerged and disseminated worldwide, become a great concern worldwide including Korea. The prevalence of fecal carriage of imipenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (IR-GNB) in persons in Korea was investigated. Stool samples were collected from 300 persons upon medical examination. Samples were screened for IR-GNB by using MacConkey agar with 2 μl/ml imipenem. Species were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the broth microdilution method. In total, 82 IR-GNB bacterial isolates were obtained from 79 (26.3%) out of 300 healthy persons. Multilocus sequence typing analysis showed very high diversity among IR P. aeruginosa, S. maltophilia, and E. cloacae isolates, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed five main pulsotypes of IR P. mirabilis. As for the presence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), only one IMP-25-producing S. marcescens isolate was identified. Although only one carbapenemase-producing isolate was identified, the high colonization rates with IR-GNB isolates in this study is notable because carriers may be a reservoir for the dissemination of resistant pathogens within the community as well as in health care institutions.

  1. Bacteremia and resistant gram-negative pathogens among under-fives in Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christopher, Alexandra; Mshana, Stephen E; Kidenya, Benson R; Hokororo, Aldofineh; Morona, Domenica

    2013-05-08

    Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious public health concerns worldwide and is increasing at an alarming rate, making daily treatment decisions more challenging. This study is aimed at identifying local bacterial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns to avoid irrational antibiotic use, especially in settings where unguided management occurs and febrile illnesses are predominant. A hospital-based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2011 to February 2012. Febrile children were serially recruited and demographic and clinical data were collected using a standardized data collection tool. A blood culture was performed and identification of the isolates was undertaken using in-house biochemical tests. Susceptibility to common antibiotics was investigated using the disc diffusion methods. Of the 1081 children admitted during the study period, 317 (29.3%) met the inclusion criteria and were recruited, of whom 195 (61.5%) and 122 (38.5%) were male and female respectively. The median age was 18 months with an interquartile range of 9 to 36 months. Of the 317 children, 251 (79.2%) were below or equal to 36 months of age. The prevalence of bacteremia was 6.6%. A higher prevalence of bacteraemia was observed in children below 36 months than in those ≥ 36 months (7.5% vs. 3.0%, p = 0.001). Predictors of bacteraemia were an axillary temperature of >38.5 °C (OR =7, 95% CI = 2.2 - 14.8, p-value = 0.0001), a positive malaria slide (OR =5, 95% CI = 3.0 - 21.2, p-value = 0.0001) and a high neutrophils' count (OR =21 95% CI = 5.6 - 84, p-value = 0.0001). Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for 7 (33.3%) and 6 (28.6%) of all the isolates respectively. Others gram-negatives bacteria were Citrobacter spp 2 (9.5%), Enterobacter spp 1 (4.25%), Pseudomonas spp 2 (9.5%), Proteus spp 1 (4.25%) and Salmonella spp 1 (4.25%). These isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (95%), co

  2. Heterogeneous integration of thin film compound semiconductor lasers and SU8 waveguides on SiO2/Si

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palit, Sabarni; Kirch, Jeremy; Mawst, Luke; Kuech, Thomas; Jokerst, Nan Marie

    2010-02-01

    We present the heterogeneous integration of a 3.8 μm thick InGaAs/GaAs edge emitting laser that was metal-metal bonded to SiO2/Si and end-fire coupled into a 2.8 μm thick tapered SU8 polymer waveguide integrated on the same substrate. The system was driven in pulsed mode and the waveguide output was captured on an IR imaging array to characterize the mode. The waveguide output was also coupled into a multimode fiber, and into an optical head and spectrum analyzer, indicating lasing at ~997 nm and a threshold current density of 250 A/cm2.

  3. Coagulase-negative staphylococci causing blood stream infection at an Indian tertiary care hospital: Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterisation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Singh

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Recent years have seen a rise of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS from common contaminants to agents of nosocomial blood stream infections (BSI's. Molecular typing and establishing a correlation with antibiotic resistance is essential particularly in countries like India where genotyping studies for drug-resistant CoNS are sparse. Methods: A prospective study was done over 18 months, wherein 42,693 blood samples were received, and 59 patients with BSI due to CoNS were evaluated. The isolates recovered were identified by a biochemical test panel and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization – time of flight mass spectrometry followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby–Baur disc diffusion method and E-test strips. Staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec element was characterised by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for all methicillin-resistant (MR isolates. Results: The majority of CoNS isolated were constituted by Staphylococcus haemolyticus (47.5% followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (33.9%, Staphylococcus hominis (11.86%, Staphylococcus cohnii (5.08% and Staphylococcus warneri (1.69%. Among all isolates 57.6% were MR with statistically significant higher resistance versus methicillin sensitive-CoNS. This difference was significant for erythromycin (76% vs. 44%, P = 0.011, rifampicin (50% vs. 12%,P= 0.002 and amikacin (26.5% vs. 4%, P = 0.023, ciprofloxacin (64.7% vs. 20%, P = 0.001 and cotrimoxazole (55.9% vs. 20%, P = 0.006. SCCmec type I was predominant (61.8%, P = 0.028 and exhibited multidrug resistance (76.2%. Coexistence of SCCmec type I and III was seen in 8.82% MR isolates. Conclusion: CoNS exhibit high antimicrobial resistance thereby limiting treatment options. The presence of new variants of SCCmec type in hospital-acquired CoNS may predict the antibiotic resistance pattern. This is the first evaluation of the molecular epidemiology of CoNS causing BSI from India and can serve as a

  4. Coagulase-negative staphylococci causing blood stream infection at an Indian tertiary care hospital: Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, S; Dhawan, B; Kapil, A; Kabra, S K; Suri, A; Sreenivas, V; Das, B K

    2016-01-01

    Recent years have seen a rise of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from common contaminants to agents of nosocomial blood stream infections (BSI's). Molecular typing and establishing a correlation with antibiotic resistance is essential particularly in countries like India where genotyping studies for drug-resistant CoNS are sparse. A prospective study was done over 18 months, wherein 42,693 blood samples were received, and 59 patients with BSI due to CoNS were evaluated. The isolates recovered were identified by a biochemical test panel and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization - time of flight mass spectrometry followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby-Baur disc diffusion method and E-test strips. Staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) element was characterised by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for all methicillin-resistant (MR) isolates. The majority of CoNS isolated were constituted by Staphylococcus haemolyticus (47.5%) followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (33.9%), Staphylococcus hominis (11.86%), Staphylococcus cohnii (5.08%) and Staphylococcus warneri (1.69%). Among all isolates 57.6% were MR with statistically significant higher resistance versus methicillin sensitive-CoNS. This difference was significant for erythromycin (76% vs. 44%, P = 0.011), rifampicin (50% vs. 12%,P= 0.002) and amikacin (26.5% vs. 4%, P = 0.023), ciprofloxacin (64.7% vs. 20%, P = 0.001) and cotrimoxazole (55.9% vs. 20%, P = 0.006). SCCmec type I was predominant (61.8%, P = 0.028) and exhibited multidrug resistance (76.2%). Coexistence of SCCmec type I and III was seen in 8.82% MR isolates. CoNS exhibit high antimicrobial resistance thereby limiting treatment options. The presence of new variants of SCCmec type in hospital-acquired CoNS may predict the antibiotic resistance pattern. This is the first evaluation of the molecular epidemiology of CoNS causing BSI from India and can serve as a guide in the formulation of hospital infection

  5. 8x8 and 10x10 Hyperspace Representations of SU(3) and 10-fold Point-Symmetry Group of Quasicrystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Animalu, Alexander

    2012-02-01

    In order to further elucidate the unexpected 10-fold point-symmetry group structure of quasi-crystals for which the 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Daniel Shechtman, we explore a correspondence principle between the number of (projective) geometric elements (points[vertices] + lines[edges] + planes[faces]) of primitive cells of periodic or quasi-periodic arrangement of hard or deformable spheres in 3-dimensional space of crystallography and elements of quantum field theory of particle physics [points ( particles, lines ( particles, planes ( currents] and hence construct 8x8 =64 = 28+36 = 26 + 38, and 10x10 =100= 64 + 36 = 74 + 26 hyperspace representations of the SU(3) symmetry of elementary particle physics and quasicrystals of condensed matter (solid state) physics respectively, As a result, we predict the Cabibbo-like angles in leptonic decay of hadrons in elementary-particle physics and the observed 10-fold symmetric diffraction pattern of quasi-crystals.

  6. Negative Differential Resistance due to Nonlinearities in Single and Stacked Josephson Junctions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Filatrella, Giovanni; Pierro, Vincenzo; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

    2014-01-01

    Josephson junction systems with a negative differential resistance (NDR) play an essential role for applications. As a well-known example, long Josephson junctions of the BSCCO type have been considered as a source of terahertz radiation in recent experiments. Numerical results for the dynamics...... shapes of NDR region are considered, and we found that it is essential to distinguish between current bias and voltage bias....

  7. Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Investigation of H2S-Negative Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis Isolates in China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Xie

    Full Text Available Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis is a highly invasive pathogen of swine that frequently causes serious outbreaks, in particular in Asia, and can also cause severe invasive disease in humans. In this study, 21 S. Choleraesuis isolates, detected from 21 patients with diarrhea in China between 2010 and 2011, were found to include 19 H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolates and two H2S-positive isolates. This is the first report of H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolated from humans. The majority of H2S-negative isolates exhibited high resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tetracycline, ticarcillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but only six isolates were resistant to norfloxacin. In contrast, all of the isolates were sensitive to cephalosporins. Fifteen isolates were found to be multidrug resistant. In norfloxacin-resistant isolates, we detected mutations in the gyrA and parC genes and identified two new mutations in the parC gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, multilocus sequence typing (MLST, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR analysis were employed to investigate the genetic relatedness of H2S-negative and H2S-positive S. Choleraesuis isolates. PFGE revealed two groups, with all 19 H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolates belonging to Group I and H2S-positive isolates belonging to Group II. By MLST analysis, the H2S-negative isolates were all found to belong to ST68 and H2S-positive isolates belong to ST145. By CRISPR analysis, no significant differences in CRISPR 1 were detected; however, one H2S-negative isolate was found to contain three new spacers in CRISPR 2. All 19 H2S-negative isolates also possessed a frame-shift mutation at position 760 of phsA gene compared with H2S-positive isolates, which may be responsible for the H2S-negative phenotype. Moreover, the 19 H2S-negative isolates have similar PFGE patterns and same mutation site in the phsA gene, these

  8. Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Investigation of H2S-Negative Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis Isolates in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Jing; Yi, Shengjie; Zhu, Jiangong; Li, Peng; Liang, Beibei; Li, Hao; Yang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Ligui; Hao, Rongzhang; Jia, Leili; Wu, Zhihao; Qiu, Shaofu; Song, Hongbin

    2015-01-01

    Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis is a highly invasive pathogen of swine that frequently causes serious outbreaks, in particular in Asia, and can also cause severe invasive disease in humans. In this study, 21 S. Choleraesuis isolates, detected from 21 patients with diarrhea in China between 2010 and 2011, were found to include 19 H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolates and two H2S-positive isolates. This is the first report of H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolated from humans. The majority of H2S-negative isolates exhibited high resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tetracycline, ticarcillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but only six isolates were resistant to norfloxacin. In contrast, all of the isolates were sensitive to cephalosporins. Fifteen isolates were found to be multidrug resistant. In norfloxacin-resistant isolates, we detected mutations in the gyrA and parC genes and identified two new mutations in the parC gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) analysis were employed to investigate the genetic relatedness of H2S-negative and H2S-positive S. Choleraesuis isolates. PFGE revealed two groups, with all 19 H2S-negative S. Choleraesuis isolates belonging to Group I and H2S-positive isolates belonging to Group II. By MLST analysis, the H2S-negative isolates were all found to belong to ST68 and H2S-positive isolates belong to ST145. By CRISPR analysis, no significant differences in CRISPR 1 were detected; however, one H2S-negative isolate was found to contain three new spacers in CRISPR 2. All 19 H2S-negative isolates also possessed a frame-shift mutation at position 760 of phsA gene compared with H2S-positive isolates, which may be responsible for the H2S-negative phenotype. Moreover, the 19 H2S-negative isolates have similar PFGE patterns and same mutation site in the phsA gene, these results indicated

  9. Detection of macrolide resistance genes in culture-negative specimens from Bangladeshi children with invasive pneumococcal diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasanuzzaman, Md; Malaker, Roly; Islam, Maksuda; Baqui, Abdullah H; Darmstadt, Gary L; Whitney, Cynthia G; Saha, Samir K

    2017-03-01

    In recent years, an increasing prevalence of macrolide resistance among pneumococci in Bangladesh has been observed. However, the scenario remains incomplete, as few isolates (80%) are culture-negative. This study optimised a triplex PCR method to detect macrolide resistance genes (MRGs) (mefA and ermB) and cpsA from culture-negative pneumococcal cases to predict the prevalence and level of macrolide resistance. The presence of MRGs among pneumococcal strains (n=153) with a wide range of erythromycin MICs (culture-negative clinical specimens and corresponding isolates. The known impact of the presence of specific MRG(s) on MICs of strains was used to predict the MICs of non-culturable strains based on the presence/absence of MRG(s) in the specimens. None of the erythromycin-susceptible isolates possessed any of the MRGs, and all non-susceptible strains had ≥1 MRG. MICs were 2-16mg/L and ≥256mg/L for 93% of strains with mefA and ermB, respectively, whereas 100% of isolates with both genes had MICs≥256mg/L. PCR for body fluids showed 100% concordance with corresponding isolates when tested for MRG(s) in parallel. Erythromycin MICs can be predicted for non-culturable strains with 93-100% precision based on detection of ermB and/or mefA. This method will be useful for establishing comprehensive surveillance for macrolide resistance among pneumococci, specifically in the population with prior antibiotic use. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Omentin, an adipokine with insulin-sensitizing properties, is negatively associated with insulin resistance in normal gestation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Benny; Mazaki-Tovi, Shali; Hemi, Rina; Yinon, Yoav; Schiff, Eyal; Mashiach, Roy; Kanety, Hannah; Sivan, Eyal

    2015-05-01

    Omentin, a newly identified adipokine, enhances insulin mediated glucose uptake in human adipocytes, thus, inducing systemic insulin-sensitizing effect. The aims of this study were to determine whether circulating maternal omentin levels are associated with insulin resistance indices and to assess which compartment, maternal, fetal, or placental, is the source of omentin in maternal circulation. Fasting serum glucose, insulin, and omentin were determined in 25 healthy pregnant women at the third trimester, before and 3 days after elective cesarean section. Cord blood omentin was measured in the 25 term neonates. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was used to evaluate insulin sensitivity before and after delivery. Antepartum maternal omentin levels were negatively correlated with insulin levels (r=-0.41, P=0.04) and positively correlated with insulin sensitivity (HOMA%S; r=0.4, P=0.04). Postpartum omentin levels were negatively correlated with maternal body mass index (r=-0.44, P=0.02). Median maternal omentin levels was comparable before and after delivery (57.2, inter-quartile range: 38.2-76.2 ng/mL vs. 53.4, 39.8-69.4 ng/mL, respectively, P=0.25) and highly correlated (r=0.83, Pinsulin resistance indices, suggesting that this adipokine may play a role in metabolic adaptations of normal gestation. The strong correlation between anteparum and postpartum maternal omentin levels, as well as the lack of association between maternal and neonatal omentin levels, suggest that placental or fetal compartments are unlikely as the main source of circulating maternal omentin.

  11. Antimicrobial resistance and production of biofilms in clinical isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Allori, María Cristina Gaudioso; Jure, María Angela; Romero, Cintia; de Castillo, Marta Elena Cecilia

    2006-08-01

    Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) strains are frequently associated with bacteremia and hospital-acquired infections. 293 CNS strains were isolated from 744 samples from a dialysis center in S. M. de Tucumán, Argentina, from hemocultures, catheters and urine and identified as S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, S. hominis and S. cohnii. 13 antibiotics were tested for antibacterial resistance. 75% of S. saprophyticus, 66% of S. epidermidis and 57% of S. haemolyticus was resistant to erythromycin and 50% of S. haemolyticus was resistant to ciprofloxacin. OXA resistance was found in 43% of S. haemolyticus. Presence of PBP 2a in OXA-R strains was confirmed with the modified agglutination assay (MRSA) and presence of the mecA gene. 15 strains with intermediate halos for vancomycin and teicoplanin showed a MIC in solid and liquid medium resistance to methicillin and biofilm production are decisive for a prompt and appropriate antimicrobial therapy and limited use of inappropriate glycopeptides.

  12. Antimicrobial Resistance and Resistance Genes in Aerobic Bacteria Isolated from Pork at Slaughter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Lili; Olsen, Rikke Heidemann; Ye, Lei

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance, integrons, and transferability of resistance markers in 243 aerobic bacteria recovered from pork at slaughter in the People's Republic of China. The organisms belonged to 22 genera of gram-negative bac......The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance, integrons, and transferability of resistance markers in 243 aerobic bacteria recovered from pork at slaughter in the People's Republic of China. The organisms belonged to 22 genera of gram......-negative bacteria (92.2%) and gram-positive bacteria (7.8%). High levels of resistance were detected to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and ampicillin (36.2 to 54.3%), and lower levels were detected to nitrofurantoin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol (7.8 to 29.2%). Across.......6% of isolates contained class 1 integrons, and one isolate harbored class 2 integrons. Plasmid associated intI1 and androgen receptor– encoding genes were transferred into Escherichia coli J53 and E. coli DH5α by conjugation and transformation experiments, respectively. Our study highlights the importance...

  13. Risk factors for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infection in burn patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickers, Mark L; Dulhunty, Joel M; Ballard, Emma; Chapman, Paul; Muller, Michael; Roberts, Jason A; Cotta, Menino O

    2018-05-01

    Infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative organisms leads to poorer outcomes in the critically ill burn patient. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for MDR Gram-negative pathogen infection in critically ill burn patients admitted to a major tertiary referral intensive care unit (ICU) in Australia. A retrospective case-control study of all adult burn patients admitted over a 7-year period was conducted. Twenty-one cases that cultured an MDR Gram-negative organism were matched with 21 controls of similar age, gender, burn size and ICU stay. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to individually assess risk factors after adjusting for Acute Burn Severity Index. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were reported. P-values negative infection included superficial partial thickness burn size (OR: 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.16; P-value: 0.034), prior meropenem exposure (OR: 10.39; 95% CI: 0.96-112.00; P-value: 0.054), Gram-negative colonization on admission (OR: 9.23; 95% CI: 0.65-130.15; P-value: 0.10) and escharotomy (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 0.52-13.65; P-value: 0.24). For cases, mean age was 41 (SD: 13) years, mean total body surface area burned was 47% (SD: 18) and mean days in ICU until MDR specimen collection was 17 (SD: 10) days. Prior meropenem exposure, Gram-negative colonization on admission, escharotomy and superficial partial thickness burn size may be potentially important factors for increasing the risk of MDR Gram-negative infection in the critically ill burn patient. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  14. The negative temperature coefficient resistivities of Ag2S-Ag core–shell structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Mingming; Liu, Dongzhi; Li, Wei; Zhou, Xueqin

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, the conductivity of silver nanoparticle films protected by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (Ag/MPA) has been investigated. When the nanoparticles were annealed in air at 200 °C, they converted to stable Ag 2 S-Ag core–shell structures. The mechanism for the formation of the Ag 2 S-Ag core–shell structures along with the compositional changes and the microstructural evolution of the Ag/MPA nanoparticles during the annealing process are discussed. It is proposed that the Ag 2 S-Ag core–shell structure was formed through a solid-state reduction reaction, in which the Ag + ions coming from Ag 2 S were reduced by sulfonate species and sulfur ions. The final Ag 2 S-Ag films display an exponentially decreased resistivity with increasing temperature from 25 to 170 °C. The negative temperature coefficient resistivity of Ag 2 S-Ag films can be adjusted by changing the S/Ag molar ratio used for the synthesis of the Ag/MPA nanoparticles, paving the way for the preparation of negative temperature-coefficient thermistors via printing technology for use in the electronics.

  15. Simulation of a low frequency Z-axis SU-8 accelerometer in coventorware and MEMS+

    KAUST Repository

    Carreno, Armando Arpys Arevalo

    2013-04-01

    This paper presents the simulation of a z-axis SU-8 capacitive accelerometer. The study consists of a modal analysis of the modeled accelerometer, a study relating capacitance to acceleration, capacitance to deflection, an effective spring constant calculation, and a comparison of results achieved using CoventorWare® ANALYZER™ and MEMS+®. A fabricated energy harvester design from [1] was used for modeling and simulation in this study, with a four spring attachment of a 650μm×650μm; ×110μm proof mass of 4.542×10-8 kg. At rest, the spacing between electrodes is 4μm along the z-axis, and at 1.5g acceleration, there is 1.9μm spacing between electrodes, at which point pull in occurs for a 1V voltage. © 2013 IEEE.

  16. Alternative theories of the non-linear negative mass instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Channell, P.J.

    1974-01-01

    A theory non-linear negative mass instability is extended to include resistance. The basic assumption is explained physically and an alternative theory is offered. The two theories are compared computationally. 7 refs., 8 figs

  17. Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria associated with the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dandan; Wilson, Cailin; Hearlson, Jodie; Singleton, Jennifer; Thomas, R Brent; Crupper, Scott S

    2013-09-01

    Free-ranging Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) were captured from farm ponds located in the Flint Hills of Kansas and a zoo pond in Emporia, Kansas, USA, to evaluate their enteric bacterial flora and associated antibiotic resistance. Bacteria obtained from cloacal swabs were composed of six different Gram-negative genera. Although antibiotic resistance was present in turtles captured from both locations, 40 and 49% of bacteria demonstrated multiple antibiotic resistance to four of the antibiotics tested from the zoo captured and Flint Hills ponds turtles, respectively. These data illustrate environmental antibiotic resistance is widespread in the bacterial flora obtained from Red-eared Sliders in east central Kansas.

  18. Negative differential resistance in BN co-doped coaxial carbon nanotube field effect transistor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Khurshed A.; Parvaiz, M. Shunaid

    2016-12-01

    The CNTFETs are the most promising advanced alternatives to the conventional FETs due to their outstanding structure and electrical properties. In this paper, we report the I-V characteristics of zig-zag (4, 0) semiconducting coaxial carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) using the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. The CNTFET is co-doped with two, four and six boron-nitrogen (BN) atoms separately near the electrodes using the substitutional doping method and the I-V characteristics were calculated for each model using Atomistic Tool Kit software (version 13.8.1) and its virtual interface. The results reveal that all models show negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior with the maximum peak to valley current ratio (PVCR) of 3.2 at 300 K for the four atom doped model. The NDR behavior is due to the band to band tunneling (BTBT) in semiconducting CNTFET and decreases as the doping in the channel increases. The results are beneficial for next generation designing of nano devices and their potential applications in electronic industry.

  19. Low antibiotic resistance among anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria in periodontitis 5 years following metronidazole therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlen, G; Preus, H R

    2017-02-01

    The objective of this study was to assess antibiotic susceptibility among predominant Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria isolated from periodontitis patients who 5 years prior had been subject to mechanical therapy with or without adjunctive metronidazole. One pooled sample was taken from the 5 deepest sites of each of 161 patients that completed the 5 year follow-up after therapy. The samples were analyzed by culture. A total number of 85 anaerobic strains were isolated from the predominant subgingival flora of 65/161 patient samples, identified, and tested for antibiotic susceptibility by MIC determination. E-tests against metronidazole, penicillin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid and clindamycin were employed. The 73/85 strains were Gram-negative rods (21 Porphyromonas spp., 22 Prevotella/Bacteroides spp., 23 Fusobacterium/Filifactor spp., 3 Campylobacter spp. and 4 Tannerella forsythia). These were all isolated from the treated patients irrespective of therapy procedures (+/-metronidazole) 5 years prior. Three strains (Bifidobacterium spp., Propionibacterium propionicum, Parvimonas micra) showed MIC values for metronidazole over the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing break point of >4 μg/mL. All Porphyromonas and Tannerella strains were highly susceptible. Metronidazole resistant Gram-negative strains were not found, while a few showed resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics. In this population of 161 patients who had been subject to mechanical periodontal therapy with or without adjunct metronidazole 5 years prior, no cultivable antibiotic resistant anaerobes were found in the predominant subgingival microbiota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. B8B8 interaction in the SU6 quark model and its applications to few-body systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujiwara, Y.; Miyagawa, K.; Kohno, M.; Suzuki, Y.; Nakamoto, C.

    2004-01-01

    The recent QCD-inspired spin-flavor SU 6 quark model for the baryon-baryon interaction, proposed by the Kyoto-Niigata group, is a unified model for the complete baryon octet (B 8 =N, Λ, Σ and Ξ), which has achieved very accurate description of the NN and YN interactions. These quark-model interactions are now applied to realistic calculations of few-body systems in a new three-cluster Faddeev formalism which uses the 2-cluster resonating-group method kernel explicitly. We review the essential features of the most recent models, fss2 and FSS, and their predictions to few-body systems in confrontation with the available experimental data. As the few-body systems, we discuss the three-nucleon bound states, 2αΛ system for Λ 9 Be, and 2Λα system for ΛΛ 6 He. (author)

  1. Alternative signaling pathways as potential therapeutic targets for overcoming EGFR and c-Met inhibitor resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason T Fong

    Full Text Available The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs against EGFR/c-Met in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC has been shown to be effective in increasing patient progression free survival (PFS, but their efficacy is limited due to the development of resistance and tumor recurrence. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying development of drug resistance in NSCLC is necessary for developing novel and effective therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcome. This study aims to understand the mechanism of EGFR/c-Met tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI resistance in NSCLC. H2170 and H358 cell lines were made resistant to SU11274, a c-Met inhibitor, and erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor, through step-wise increases in TKI exposure. The IC50 concentrations of resistant lines exhibited a 4-5 and 11-22-fold increase for SU11274 and erlotinib, respectively, when compared to parental lines. Furthermore, mTOR and Wnt signaling was studied in both cell lines to determine their roles in mediating TKI resistance. We observed a 2-4-fold upregulation of mTOR signaling proteins and a 2- to 8-fold upregulation of Wnt signaling proteins in H2170 erlotinib and SU11274 resistant cells. H2170 and H358 cells were further treated with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the Wnt inhibitor XAV939. H358 resistant cells were inhibited by 95% by a triple combination of everolimus, erlotinib and SU11274 in comparison to 34% by a double combination of these drugs. Parental H2170 cells displayed no sensitivity to XAV939, while resistant cells were significantly inhibited (39% by XAV939 as a single agent, as well as in combination with SU11274 and erlotinib. Similar results were obtained with H358 resistant cells. This study suggests a novel molecular mechanism of drug resistance in lung cancer.

  2. Duodenal ulcer promoting gene 1 (dupA1 is associated with A2147G clarithromycin-resistance mutation but not interleukin-8 secretion from gastric mucosa in Iraqi patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N.R. Hussein

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori causes peptic ulceration and gastric adenocarcinoma. The aims were to study the influence of dupA1 positivity upon interleukin-8 (IL-8 secretion from gastric mucosa and determine the prevalence of mutations responsible for clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance. DNA was extracted from 74 biopsies and the virulence factors were studied. Levels of IL-8 in gastric mucosa were measured using ELISA and the mutations responsible for clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance were determined using a GenoType-HelicoDR assay. The prevalence of cagA in strains isolated from gastric ulcer (GU and duodenal ulcer (DU was significantly higher than those isolated from non-ulcer disease (NUD (90% and 57.9% versus 33.3%; p 0.01. The vacA s1m1 genotype was more prevalent in patients with DU (73.7% and GU (70% than in those with NUD (13.3% (p 0.01. The prevalence of dupA1 was higher in DU patients (36.8% than those with GU (10% and NUD (8.9% (p 0.01. Multivariate analysis showed that a cagA+/vacA s1i1m2 virulence gene combination was independently associated with the developing peptic ulcer disease (PUD with increased odds of developing PUD (p 0.03; OR = 2.1. We found no significant difference in the levels of IL-8 secretion in gastric mucosa infected with H. pylori dupA-negative and H. pylori dupA1-positive strains (dupA-negative: mean ± median: 28 ± 26 versus 30 ± 27.1 for dupA1; p 0.6. While 12 strains were clarithromycin resistant, only three isolates were levofloxacin resistant. A significant association was found between dupA1 genotype and A2147G clarithromycin resistance mutation (p <0.01. Further study is needed to explore the relationship between virulence factors and disease process and treatment failure.

  3. Duodenal ulcer promoting gene 1 (dupA1) is associated with A2147G clarithromycin-resistance mutation but not interleukin-8 secretion from gastric mucosa in Iraqi patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussein, N R; Tunjel, I; Majed, H S; Yousif, S T; Aswad, S I; Assafi, M S

    2015-07-01

    Helicobacter pylori causes peptic ulceration and gastric adenocarcinoma. The aims were to study the influence of dupA1 positivity upon interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from gastric mucosa and determine the prevalence of mutations responsible for clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance. DNA was extracted from 74 biopsies and the virulence factors were studied. Levels of IL-8 in gastric mucosa were measured using ELISA and the mutations responsible for clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance were determined using a GenoType-HelicoDR assay. The prevalence of cagA in strains isolated from gastric ulcer (GU) and duodenal ulcer (DU) was significantly higher than those isolated from non-ulcer disease (NUD) (90% and 57.9% versus 33.3%; p 0.01). The vacA s1m1 genotype was more prevalent in patients with DU (73.7%) and GU (70%) than in those with NUD (13.3%) (p 0.01). The prevalence of dupA1 was higher in DU patients (36.8%) than those with GU (10%) and NUD (8.9%) (p 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that a cagA+/vacA s1i1m2 virulence gene combination was independently associated with the developing peptic ulcer disease (PUD) with increased odds of developing PUD (p 0.03; OR = 2.1). We found no significant difference in the levels of IL-8 secretion in gastric mucosa infected with H. pylori dupA-negative and H. pylori dupA1-positive strains (dupA-negative: mean ± median: 28 ± 26 versus 30 ± 27.1 for dupA1; p 0.6). While 12 strains were clarithromycin resistant, only three isolates were levofloxacin resistant. A significant association was found between dupA1 genotype and A2147G clarithromycin resistance mutation (p <0.01). Further study is needed to explore the relationship between virulence factors and disease process and treatment failure.

  4. SU(3) chiral symmetry for baryons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dmitrasinovic, V.

    2011-01-01

    Three-quark nucleon interpolating fields in QCD have well-defined SU L (3)xSU R (3) and U A (1) chiral transformation properties, viz. [(6,3)+(3,6)], [(3,3-bar)+(3-bar,3)], [(8,1)+(1,8)] and their 'mirror' images. It has been shown (phenomenologically) in Ref. [2] that mixing of the [(6,3)+(3,6)] chiral multiplet with one ordinary ('naive') and one 'mirror' field belonging to the [(3,3-bar)+(3-bar,3)], [(8,1)+(1,8)] multiplets can be used to fit the values of the isovector (g A (3) ) and the flavor-singlet (isoscalar) axial coupling (g A (0) ) of the nucleon and then predict the axial F and D coefficients, or vice versa, in reasonable agreement with experiment. In an attempt to derive such mixing from an effective Lagrangian, we construct all SU L (3)xSU R (3) chirally invariant non-derivative one-meson-baryon interactions and then calculate the mixing angles in terms of baryons' masses. It turns out that there are (strong) selection rules: for example, there is only one non-derivative chirally symmetric interaction between J 1/2 fields belonging to the [(6,3)+(3,6)] and the [(3,3-bar)+(3-bar,3)] chiral multiplets, that is also U A (1) symmetric. We also study the chiral interactions of the [(3,3-bar)+(3-bar,3)] and [(8,1)+(1,8)] nucleon fields. Again, there are selection rules that allow only one off-diagonal non-derivative chiral SU L (3)xSU R (3) interaction of this type, that also explicitly breaks the U A (1) symmetry. We use this interaction to calculate the corresponding mixing angles in terms of baryon masses and fit two lowest lying observed nucleon (resonance) masses, thus predicting the third (J = 1/2, I = 3/2)Δ resonance, as well as one or two flavor-singlet Λ hyperon(s), depending on the type of mixing. The effective chiral Lagrangians derived here may be applied to high density matter calculations.

  5. Development of a miniaturised microarray-based assay for the rapid identification of antimicrobial resistance genes in Gram-negative bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Batchelor, Miranda; Hopkins, Katie L; Liebana, Ernesto

    2008-01-01

    We describe the development of a miniaturised microarray for the detection of antimicrobial resistance genes in Gram-negative bacteria. Included on the array are genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, sulphonamides, tetracyclines and beta-lactams, including extended-spectrum ...

  6. In vitro antimicrobial activity of five essential oils on multi-drug resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates

    OpenAIRE

    Hercules Sakkas; Panagiota Gousia; Vangelis Economou; Vassilios Sakkas; Stefanos Petsios; Chrissanthy Papadopoulou

    2016-01-01

    Aim/Background: The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens has drawn attention on medicinal plants for potential antimicrobial properties. The objective of the present study was the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of five plant essential oils on multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Materials and Methods: Basil, chamomile blue, origanum, thyme, and tea tree oil were tested against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 4), Klebsiella pneum...

  7. Clinical study of carbapenem sensitive and resistant Gram-negative bacteremia in neutropenic and nonneutropenic patients: The first series from India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghafur, A K; Vidyalakshmi, P R; Kannaian, P; Balasubramaniam, R

    2014-01-01

    Carbapenem resistance is a growing global concern. There is a lack of published clinical studies on the topic from Indian subcontinent. Aim of this study was to analyze clinical profile of patients with carbapenem sensitive and resistant bacteremia among neutropenic and nonneutropenic patients. Retrospective analysis of 141 patients who had carbapenem resistant or sensitive Gram-negative bacteremia, identified over a period of 1-year was done by medical records review, in Apollo Specialty Hospital, a 300-bedded tertiary care Oncology, neurosurgical and orthopedic center in South India. Of the total 141 patients with Gram-negative bacteremia, 44 had carbapenem resistant ones. Of these 44 patients, 17 were neutropenics (resistant neutropenic group) and 27 nonneutropenic patients (resistant nonneutropenic group). Of the 97 patients with carbapenem sensitive bacteremia, 43 were neutropenic (sensitive neutropenic group) and 54 nonneutropenics (sensitive nonneutropenic group). The 28 days mortality was significantly higher in carbapenem resistant bacteremic group compared to the sensitive one (P = 0.008). This is the first study from India comparing clinical features of patients with carbapenem sensitive and resistant blood stream infections. Patients with carbapenem resistant bacteremia had higher mortality compared to patients with sensitive bacteremia.

  8. Thin film free-standing PEDOT:PSS/SU8 bilayer microactuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taccola, S; Greco, F; Mazzolai, B; Mattoli, V; Jager, E W H

    2013-01-01

    Several smart active materials have been proposed and tested for the development of microactuators. Among these, conjugated polymers are of great interest because miniaturization improves their electrochemical properties, such as increasing the speed and stress output of microactuators, with respect to large-scale actuators. Recently we developed a novel fabrication process to obtain robust free-standing conductive ultra-thin films made of the conjugated polymer poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with the polyanion poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). These conductive free-standing nanofilms, with thicknesses ranging between a few tens to several hundreds of nm, allow the realisation of new all polymer microactuators using facile microfabrication methods. Here, we report a novel processing method for manufacturing all polymer electrochemical microactuators. We fabricated and patterned free-standing PEDOT:PSS/SU8 bilayer microactuators in the form of microfingers of a variety of lengths using adapted microfabrication procedures. By imposing electrochemical oxidation/reduction cycles on the PEDOT:PSS we were able to demonstrate reversible actuation of the microactuators resulting in bending of the microfingers. A number of possible applications can be envisaged for these small, soft actuators, such as microrobotics and cell manipulation. (technical note)

  9. Changes of Antimicrobial Resistance among Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated in 8 Consecutive Years in the First Bethune Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wei; Zhou, Qi; Yang, Chunguang; Yao, Hanxin; Xu, Jiancheng

    This study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated in 8 consecutive years in the First Bethune Hospital. Disk diffusion test was used to study the antimicrobial resistance. The data were analyzed by WHONET 5 software according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Most of 1469 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were collected from sputum 705 (18.0%), secretions 206 (14.0%), pus 177 (12.0%) during the past 8 years. The rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were between 50.8% and 83.3% during the past 8 years, respectively. In recent 8 years, the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus had increased. Monitoring the antimicrobial resistance to Staphylococcus aureus should be strengthened. The change of the antimicrobial resistance should be investigated in order to direct rational drug usage in the clinic and prevent bacterial strain of drug resistance from being transmitted.

  10. Impact of ertapenem on antimicrobial resistance in a sentinel group of Gram-negative bacilli: a 6 year antimicrobial resistance surveillance study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Osorio, Carlos A; Sanchez-Martinez, Cesar O; Araujo-Melendez, Javier; Criollo, Elia; Macias-Hernandez, Alejandro E; Ponce-de-Leon, Alfredo; Ponce-de-Leon, Sergio; Sifuentes-Osornio, Jose

    2015-03-01

    To determine the association between ertapenem and resistance of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex to different antimicrobials while adjusting for relevant hospital factors. This was a retrospective time-series study conducted at a tertiary care centre from September 2002 to August 2008. The specific impact of ertapenem on the resistance of these Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) was assessed by multiple linear regression analysis, adjusting for the average length of stay, rate of hospital-acquired infections and use of 10 other antimicrobials, including type 2 carbapenems. Unadjusted analyses revealed significant increases over the duration of the study in the number of GNB resistant to meropenem/imipenem among 1000 isolates each of E. coli (0.46 ± 0.22, P  0.05) with changes in resistance for any pathogen/antimicrobial combination. After controlling for confounders, ertapenem was not associated with changes in resistance in a group of sentinel GNB, although significant variations in resistance to different antimicrobials were observed in the unadjusted analyses. These results emphasize the importance of implementation of local resistance surveillance platforms and stewardship programmes to combat the global emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Charge effects controlling the current hysteresis and negative differential resistance in periodical nanosize Si/CaF sub 2 structures

    CERN Document Server

    Berashevich, Y A; Kholod, A N; Borisenko, V E

    2002-01-01

    A kinetic model of charge carrier transport in nanosize periodical Si/CaF sub 2 structures via localized states in dielectric is proposed. Computer simulation of the current-voltage characteristics of such structures has shown that the built-in field arises in a dielectric due to polarization of the trapped charge by localized centers. This results in current hysteresis and negative differential resistance region at the current-voltage characteristics when the bias polarity is changed. At temperature below 250 K, the portion of negative differential resistance vanishes

  12. Abscisic acid negatively regulates post-penetration resistance of Arabidopsis to the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Xiang; Cheng, Xi; Yin, Kangquan; Li, Huali; Qiu, Jin-Long

    2017-08-01

    Pytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in defense responses. Nonetheless, how ABA regulates plant resistance to biotrophic fungi remains largely unknown. Arabidopsis ABA-deficient mutants, aba2-1 and aba3-1, displayed enhanced resistance to the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum. Moreover, exogenously administered ABA increased the susceptibility of Arabidopsis to G. cichoracearum. Arabidopsis ABA perception components mutants, abi1-1 and abi2-1, also displayed similar phenotypes to ABA-deficient mutants in resistance to G. cichoracearum. However, the resistance to G. cichoracearum is not changed in downstream ABA signaling transduction mutants, abi3-1, abi4-1, and abi5-1. Microscopic examination revealed that hyphal growth and conidiophore production of G. cichoracearum were compromised in the ABA deficient mutants, even though pre-penetration and penetration growth of the fungus were not affected. In addition, salicylic acid (SA) and MPK3 are found to be involved in ABA-regulated resistance to G. cichoracearum. Our work demonstrates that ABA negatively regulates post-penetration resistance of Arabidopsis to powdery mildew fungus G. cichoracearum, probably through antagonizing the function of SA.

  13. Ectopic expression of Arabidopsis broad-spectrum resistance gene RPW8.2 improves the resistance to powdery mildew in grapevine (Vitis vinifera).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yang; Li, Yajuan; Hou, Fengjuan; Wan, Dongyan; Cheng, Yuan; Han, Yongtao; Gao, Yurong; Liu, Jie; Guo, Ye; Xiao, Shunyuan; Wang, Yuejin; Wen, Ying-Qiang

    2018-02-01

    Powdery mildew is the most economically important disease of cultivated grapevines worldwide. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis broad-spectrum disease resistance gene RPW8.2 could improve resistance to powdery mildew in Vitis vinifera cv. Thompson Seedless. The RPW8.2-YFP fusion gene was stably expressed in grapevines from either the constitutive 35S promoter or the native promoter (NP) of RPW8.2. The grapevine shoots and plantlets transgenic for 35S::RPW8.2-YFP showed reduced rooting and reduced growth at later development stages in the absence of any pathogens. Infection tests with an adapted grapevine powdery mildew isolate En NAFU1 showed that hyphal growth and sporulation were significantly restricted in transgenic grapevines expressing either of the two constructs. The resistance appeared to be attributable to the ectopic expression of RPW8.2, and associated with the enhanced encasement of the haustorial complex (EHC) and onsite accumulation of H 2 O 2 . In addition, the RPW8.2-YFP fusion protein showed focal accumulation around the fungal penetration sites. Transcriptome analysis revealed that ectopic expression of RPW8.2 in grapevines not only significantly enhanced salicylic acid-dependent defense signaling, but also altered expression of other phytohormone-associated genes. Taken together, our results indicate that RPW8.2 could be utilized as a transgene for improving resistance against powdery mildew in grapevines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Characterization of sulfonylurea-resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides having a target-site Asp(376)Glu mutation in the acetolactate synthase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sada, Yoshinao; Ikeda, Hajime; Yamato, Seiji; Kizawa, Satoru

    2013-09-01

    Schoenoplectus juncoides, a noxious weed for paddy rice, is known to become resistant to sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides by a target-site mutation in either of the two acetolactate synthase (ALS) genes (ALS1 and ALS2). SU-resistant S. juncoides plants having an Asp376Glu mutation in ALS2 were found from a paddy rice field in Japan, but their resistance profile has not been quantitatively investigated. In this study, dose-response of the SU-resistant accession was compared with that of a SU-susceptible accession at in vivo whole-plant level as well as at in vitro enzymatic level. In whole-plant tests, resistance factors (RFs) based on 50% growth reduction (GR50) for imazosulfuron (ISF), bensulfuron-methyl (BSM), metsulfuron-methyl (MSM), bispyribac-sodium (BPS), and imazaquin (IMQ) were 176, 40, 14, 5.2 and 1.5, respectively. Thus, the accession having an Asp376Glu mutation in ALS2 was highly resistant to the three SU herbicides and moderately resistant to BPS, but was not substantially resistant to IMQ. This is slightly different from the earlier results reported from other weeds with an Asp376Glu mutation, in which the mutation confers resistance to broadly all the chemical classes of ALS-inhibiting herbicides. In enzymatic tests, ALS2 of S. juncoides was expressed in E. coli; the resultant ALS2 was subjected to an in vitro assay. RFs of the mutated ALS2 based on 50% enzymatic inhibition (I50) for ISF, BSM, MSM, BPS, and IMQ were 3699, 2438, 322, 80, and 4.8, respectively. The RFs of ALS2 were highly correlated with those of the whole-plant; this suggests that the Asp376Glu mutation in ALS2 is a molecular basis for the whole-plant resistance. The presence of two ALS genes in S. juncoides can at least partially explain why the whole-plant RFs were less than those of the expressed ALS2 enzymes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A resurgence of β-lactamase inhibitor combinations effective against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bush, Karen

    2015-11-01

    β-Lactamase inhibitors (BLIs) have played an important role in combatting β-lactam resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, but their effectiveness has diminished with the evolution of diverse and deleterious varieties of β-lactamases. In this review, a new generation of BLIs and inhibitor combinations is presented, describing epidemiological information, pharmacodynamic studies, resistance identification and current clinical status. Novel serine BLIs of major interest include the non-β-lactams of the diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octanone (DBO) series. The DBOs avibactam, relebactam and RG6080 inhibit most class A and class C β-lactamases, with selected inhibition of class D enzymes by avibactam. The novel boronic acid inhibitor RPX7009 has a similar inhibitory profile. All of these inhibitors are being developed in combinations that are targeting primarily carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative pathogens. Two BLI combinations (ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam) were recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the designation of a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP). Other inhibitor combinations that have at least completed phase 1 clinical trials are ceftaroline fosamil/avibactam, aztreonam/avibactam, imipenem/relebactam, meropenem/RPX7009 and cefepime/AAI101. Although effective inhibitor combinations are in development for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria with serine carbapenemases, better options are still necessary for pathogens that produce metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs). The aztreonam/avibactam combination demonstrates inhibitory activity against MBL-producing enteric bacteria owing to the stability of the monobactam to these enzymes, but resistance is still an issue for MBL-producing non-fermentative bacteria. Because all of the inhibitor combinations are being developed as parenteral drugs, an orally bioavailable combination would also be of interest. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and the

  16. Resistance to oral antibiotics in 4569 Gram-negative rods isolated from urinary tract infection in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calzi, Anna; Grignolo, Sara; Caviglia, Ilaria; Calevo, Maria Grazia; Losurdo, Giuseppe; Piaggio, Giorgio; Bandettini, Roberto; Castagnola, Elio

    2016-09-01

    To investigate antibiotic resistance among pathogens isolated from urines in a tertiary care children's hospital in Italy. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on antibiotic susceptibility of Gram-negatives isolated from urines at the Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa - Italy from 2007 to 2014. Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated. By means of CLSI criteria from 2007 to 2010, while from 2011 EUCAST criteria were adopted. Data on susceptibility to amoxicillin-clavulanate, co-trimoxazole, cefuroxime, nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin and ciprofloxacin were evaluated for Escherichia coli, while for other Enterobacteriaceae data were collected for amoxicillin-clavulanate, co-trimoxazole and ciprofloxacin and for ciprofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed for risk factors associated with resistance. A total of 4596 Gram-negative strains were observed in 3364 patients. A significant increase in the proportion of resistant strains was observed for E.coli against amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin and for others Enterobacteriaceae against co-trimoxazole and ciprofloxacin. Resistance to nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin was very infrequent in E.coli. Logistic regression analysis showed that repeated episode of urinary tract infections was a risk factor for E.coli resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate, co-trimoxazole and cefuroxime, while admission in one of the Units usually managing children with urinary tract malformations was significantly associated to resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefuroxime. In conclusion the present study shows an increase in antibiotic resistance in pediatric bacteria isolated from urines in children, especially in presence of repeated episodes and/or urinary tract malformations. This resistance is worrisome for beta-lactams and cotrimoxazole, and start to increase also for fluoroquinolones while nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin still could represent useful

  17. Bias changing molecule–lead couple and inducing low bias negative differential resistance for electrons acceptor predicted by first-principles study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Y.; Fang, J.H.; Zhong, C.G.; Dong, Z.C.; Zhao, Z.Y.; Zhou, P.X.; Yao, K.L.

    2015-01-01

    A first-principles study of the transport properties of 3,13-dimercaptononacene–6,21-dione molecule sandwiched between two gold leads is reported. The strong effect of negative differential resistance with large peak-to-valley ratio of 710% is present under low bias. We found that bias can change molecule–lead couple and induce low bias negative differential resistance for electrons acceptor, which may promise the potential applications in molecular devices with low-power dissipation in the future. - Highlights: • Acceptor is constructed to negative differential resistor (NDR). • NDR effect is present under low bias. • Bias change molecule–lead couple and induce NDR effect

  18. Extended spectrum beta-lactamases in urinary gram-negative bacilli and their susceptibility pattern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mumtaz, S.

    2008-01-01

    Beta-lactamases of gram-negative bacteria are the most important mechanism of resistance against beta lactams. Two types of beta-lactamases can confer resistance against third generation cephalosporins inducible Chromosomal beta -lactamases and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. The extended-spectrum beta lactamases producing Strains of Enterobacteriaceae have emerged as a major problem in hospitalized as well as community based infections resulting in range of infections from uncomplicated urinary tract infection to life threatening sepsis. The study was conducted at the Microbiology Department of Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi over a period of two years (April 2004-March 2006). Multidrug resistance and extended spectrum beta-lactamases production was studied in 111 enteric Gram-negative bacilli isolated from urine of symptomatic patients (1- 70 years) including males and females from indoor and outdoor patients by using double disc diffusion technique. Prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases production was seen in 71 (61.2%) enteric gram-negative organisms, the most prevalent gram-negative organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae 40 (71.4%) followed by Escherichia coli 27 (62.8%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3 (25%). The extended-spectrum beta-lactamases producers were more prevalent in indoor patients 63 (88.7%) compared to outdoor patients 8 (11.3%), more in females 43 (60.6%) than males, 28 (39.4%). The extended-spectrum beta-lactamases producing gram-negative rods had more antibiotic-resistant profile than non-producers. All enteric gram negative rods should be tested for the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in routine microbiology laboratory. (author)

  19. Metallo- β-lactamases among Multidrug Resistant (MDR Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated from Clinical Specimens during 2009 in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Himen Salimizand

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Today, there are numerous reports about emerging multi drug resistant gram negative bacteria all around the world, especially in ICUs. Rarely, Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL enzymes are responsible for these cases. Study of MBLs for diagnosing and preventing distribution of the origin of infection are critical issues. In addition, we would like to compare the efficacy of Iranian and foreign- made antibiotic disks. Materials and Methods: During 2009 all entered clinical specimens to the laboratory tested for detecting gram negative bacteria. Isolated bacteria were tested by Kirby-Bauer method to antibiotic susceptibility test by Iranian and foreign (MAST disks. For gram negative carbapenem resistant isolates, PCR technique used to detect VIM, GIM, and SIM variants of MBLs.Results: During one year, 17890 clinical specimens referred Besat laboratory. The most specimen was Urine (8172 followed by blood culture (5190 that in which 1110 gram negative and positives isolated. Out of which, 778 (70% of isolates were gram negatives. MDR gram negatives were 157 (20.2%. Imipenem and meropenem were the most efficient antibiotics (all susceptible and ceftriaxone was the least (19 % susceptible. E. coli was the most prevalent isolate. 79 Gram negative isolates (10.1% were resistant to Iranian-made discs but all susceptible for foreign ones. All 79 isolates were tested by PCR for MBL genes, that, all were negative. Besides, Iranian imipenem and cefepime disks have had distinguishable difference in susceptibility of isolates.Conclusion: Fortunately, none of gram negative isolates were MBL producer, which revealed no colonization of MBL producing bacteria. Iranian-made disks appear efficient except for imipenem and cefepime.

  20. Strain-induced tunable negative differential resistance in triangle graphene spirals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Jie; Zhang, Xiaoming; Liu, Wenguan; He, Xiujie; Zhao, Mingwen

    2018-05-01

    Using non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism combined with density functional theory calculations, we investigate the significant changes in electronic and transport properties of triangle graphene spirals (TGSs) in response to external strain. Tunable negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior is predicted. The NDR bias region, NDR width, and peak-to-valley ratio can be well tuned by external strain. Further analysis shows that these peculiar properties can be attributed to the dispersion widths of the p z orbitals. Moreover, the conductance of TGSs is very sensitive to the applied stress, which is promising for applications in nanosensor devices. Our findings reveal a novel approach to produce tunable electronic devices based on graphene spirals.

  1. Coleman-Weinberg symmetry breaking in SU(8) induced by a third rank antisymmetric tensor scalar field II: the fermion spectrum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adler, Stephen L.

    2017-07-01

    We continue our study of Coleman-Weinberg symmetry breaking induced by a third rank antisymmetric tensor scalar, in the context of the SU(8) model (Adler 2014 Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 29 1450130) we proposed earlier. We focus in this paper on qualitative features that will determine whether the model can make contact with the observed particle spectrum. We discuss the mechanism for giving the spin \\frac{3}{2} field a mass by the BEH mechanism, and analyze the remaining massless spin \\frac{1}{2} fermions, the global chiral symmetries, and the running couplings after symmetry breaking. We note that the smallest gluon mass matrix eigenvalue has an eigenvector suggestive of U(1) B-L , and conjecture that the theory runs to an infrared fixed point at which there is a massless gluon with 3 to  -1 ratios in generator components. Assuming this, we discuss a mechanism for making contact with the standard model, based on a conjectured asymmetric breaking of Sp(4) to SU(2) subgroups, one of which is the electroweak SU(2), and the other of which is a ‘technicolor’ group that binds the original SU(8) model fermions, which play the role of ‘preons’, into composites. Quarks can emerge as 5 preon composites and leptons as 3 preon composites, with consequent stability of the proton against decay to a single lepton plus a meson. A composite Higgs boson can emerge as a two preon composite. Since anomaly matching for the relevant conserved global symmetry current is not obeyed by three fermion families, emergence of three composite families requires formation of a Goldstone boson with quantum numbers matching this current, which can be a light dark matter candidate.

  2. Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Common Gram-negative ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: The resistance of bacteria causing urinary tract infection (UTI) to commonly prescribed antibiotics is increasing both in developing and developed countries. Resistance has emerged even to more potent antimicrobial agents. This study was undertaken to determine the current antibiotic resistance pattern ...

  3. Cefepime restriction improves gram-negative overall resistance patterns in neonatal intensive care unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orlei Ribeiro de Araujo

    Full Text Available Antibiotic restriction can be useful in maintaining bacterial susceptibility. The objective of this study was verify if restriction of cefepime, the most frequently used cephalosporin in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU, would ameliorate broad-spectrum susceptibility of Gram-negative isolates. Nine hundred and ninety-five premature and term newborns were divided into 3 cohorts, according to the prevalence of cefepime use in the unit: Group 1 (n=396 comprised patients admitted from January 2002 to December 2003, period in which cefepime was the most used broad-spectrum antibiotic. Patients in Group 2 (n=349 were admitted when piperacillin/tazobactam replaced cefepime (January to December 2004 and in Group 3 (n=250 when cefepime was reintroduced (January to September 2005. Meropenem was the alternative third-line antibiotic for all groups. Multiresistance was defined as resistance to 2 or more unrelated antibiotics, including necessarily a third or fourth generation cephalosporin, piperacillin/tazobactam or meropenem. Statistics involved Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and logrank tests, Kaplan-Meier analysis. Groups were comparable in length of stay, time of mechanical ventilation, gestational age and birth weight. Ninety-eight Gram-negative isolates were analyzed. Patients were more likely to remain free of multiresistant isolates by Kaplan-Meier analysis in Group 2 when compared to Group 1 (p=0.017 and Group 3 (p=0.003. There was also a significant difference in meropenem resistance rates. Cefepime has a greater propensity to select multiresistant Gram-negative pathogens than piperacillin/tazobactam and should not be used extensively in neonatal intensive care.

  4. 8D oscillator as a hidden SU(2)-monopole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mardoyan, L.G.; Sisakyan, A.N.; Ter-Antonyan, V.M.

    1998-01-01

    In the framework of an analytical approach and with the help of the generalized version of the Hurwitz transformation the five-dimensional SU(2)-monopole model is constructed from the eight-dimensional quantum oscillator. The Clebsch-Gordan expansion stimulated by the space-gauge coupling, the hyperangle and the radial parts of the total wave function, the energy spectrum of the charge-monopole bound system and the corresponding degeneracy are calculated

  5. SU (N) lattice integrable models and modular invariance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuber, J.B.; Di Francesco, P.

    1989-01-01

    We first review some recent work on the construction of RSOS SU (N) critical integrable models. The models may be regarded as associated with a graph, extending from SU (2) to SU (N) an idea of Pasquier, or alternatively, with a representation of the fusion algebra over non-negative integer valued matrices. Some consistency conditions that the Boltzmann weights of these models must satisfy are then pointed out. Finally, the algebraic connections between (a subclass of) the admissible graphs and (a subclass of) modular invariants are discussed, based on the theory of C-algebras. The case of G 2 is also treated

  6. Pressure-induced positive electrical resistivity coefficient in Ni-Nb-Zr-H glassy alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuhara, M.; Gangli, C.; Matsubayashi, K.; Uwatoko, Y.

    2012-06-01

    Measurements under hydrostatic pressure of the electrical resistivity of (Ni0.36Nb0.24Zr0.40)100-xHx (x = 9.8, 11.5, and 14) glassy alloys have been made in the range of 0-8 GPa and 0.5-300 K. The resistivity of the (Ni0.36Nb0.24Zr0.40)86H14 alloy changed its sign from negative to positive under application of 2-8 GPa in the temperature range of 300-22 K, coming from electron-phonon interaction in the cluster structure under pressure, accompanied by deformation of the clusters. In temperature region below 22 K, the resistivity showed negative thermal coefficient resistance by Debye-Waller factor contribution, and superconductivity was observed at 1.5 K.

  7. Study of functional viability of SU-8-based microneedles for neural applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernández, Luis J; Altuna, Ane; Tijero, Maria; Vilares, Roman; Berganzo, Javier; Blanco, F J; Gabriel, Gemma; Villa, Rosa; Rodríguez, Manuel J; Batlle, Montse

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the design, fabrication, packaging and first test results of SU-8-based microneedles for neural applications. By the use of photolithography, sputtering and bonding techniques, polymer needles with integrated microchannels and electrodes have been successfully fabricated. The use of photolithography for the patterning of the fluidic channel integrated in the needle allows the design of multiple outlet ports at the needle tip, minimizing the possibility of being blocked by the tissue. Furthermore, the flexibility of the polymer reduces the risk of fracture and tissue damage once the needle is inserted, while it is still rigid enough to allow a perfect insertion into the neural tissue. Fluidic and electric characterization of the microneedles has shown their viability for drug delivery and monitoring in neural applications. First drug delivery tests in ex vivo tissue demonstrated the functional viability of the needle to deliver drugs to precise points. Furthermore, in vivo experiments have demonstrated lower associated damages during insertion than those by stereotaxic standard needles

  8. Bi-directional triplexer with butterfly MMI coupler using SU-8 polymer waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mareš, David; Jeřábek, Vítězslav; Prajzler, Václav

    2015-01-01

    We report about a design of a bi-directional planar optical multiplex/demultiplex filter (triplexer) for the optical part of planar hybrid WDM bi-directional transceiver in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) PON applications. The triplex lightwave circuit is based on the Epoxy Novolak Resin SU-8 waveguides on the silica-on-silicon substrate with Polymethylmethacrylate cladding layer. The triplexer is comprised of a linear butterfly concept of multimode interference (MMI) coupler separating downstream optical signals of 1490 nm and 1550 nm. For the upstream channel of 1310 nm, an additional directional coupler (DC) is used to add optical signal of 1310 nm propagating in opposite direction. The optical triplexer was designed and optimized using beam propagation method. The insertion losses, crosstalk attenuation, and extinction ratio for all three inputs/outputs were investigated. The intended triplexer was designed using the parameters of the separated DC and MMI filter to approximate the idealized direct connection of both devices.

  9. Drug resistance detection and mutation patterns of multidrug resistant tuberculosis strains from children in Delhi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyoti Arora

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available A total of 312 sputum samples from pediatric patients presumptive of multidrug resistant tuberculosis were tested for the detection of drug resistance using the GenoTypeMTBDRplus assay. A total of 193 (61.8% patients were smear positive and 119 (38.1% were smear negative by Ziehl–Neelsen staining. Line probe assay (LPA was performed for 208 samples/cultures (193 smear positive samples and 15 cultures from smear negative samples. Valid results were obtained from 198 tests. Of these, 125/198 (63.1% were sensitive to both rifampicin (RIF and isoniazid (INH. 73/198 (36.9% were resistant to at least INH/RIF, out of which 49 (24.7% were resistant to both INH and RIF (multidrug resistant. Children with tuberculosis are often infected by someone close to them, so strengthening of contact tracing in the program may help in early diagnosis to identify additional cases within the household. There is a need to evaluate newer diagnostic assays which have a high sensitivity in the case of smear negative samples, additional samples other than sputum among young children not able to expectorate, and also to fill the gap between estimated and reported cases under the program.

  10. Insulin Resistance Negatively Influences the Muscle-Dependent IGF-1-Bone Mass Relationship in Premenarcheal Girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kindler, J M; Pollock, N K; Laing, E M; Jenkins, N T; Oshri, A; Isales, C; Hamrick, M; Lewis, R D

    2016-01-01

    IGF-1 promotes bone growth directly and indirectly through its effects on skeletal muscle. Insulin and IGF-1 share a common cellular signaling process; thus, insulin resistance may influence the IGF-1-muscle-bone relationship. We sought to determine the effect of insulin resistance on the muscle-dependent relationship between IGF-1 and bone mass in premenarcheal girls. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a university research center involving 147 girls ages 9 to 11 years. Glucose, insulin, and IGF-1 were measured from fasting blood samples. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated from glucose and insulin. Fat-free soft tissue (FFST) mass and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Our primary outcome was BMC/height. In our path model, IGF-1 predicted FFST mass (b = 0.018; P = .001), which in turn predicted BMC/height (b = 0.960; P IGF-1 predicted BMC/height (b = 0.001; P = .002), but not after accounting for the mediator of this relationship, FFST mass. The HOMA-IR by IGF-1 interaction negatively predicted FFST mass (b = -0.044; P = .034). HOMA-IR had a significant and negative effect on the muscle-dependent relationship between IGF-1 and BMC/height (b = -0.151; P = .047). Lean body mass is an important intermediary factor in the IGF-1-bone relationship. For this reason, bone development may be compromised indirectly via suboptimal IGF-1-dependent muscle development in insulin-resistant children.

  11. Metal-insulator transition upon heating and negative-differential-resistive-switching induced by self-heating in BaCo{sub 0.9}Ni{sub 0.1}S{sub 1.8}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fisher, B.; Genossar, J.; Chashka, K. B.; Patlagan, L.; Reisner, G. M. [Physics Department, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000 (Israel)

    2014-04-14

    The layered compound BaCo{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}S{sub 2−y} (0.05 < x < 0.2 and 0.05 < y < 0.2) exhibits an unusual first-order structural and electronic phase transition from a low-T monoclinic paramagnetic metal to a high-T tetragonal antiferromagnetic insulator around 200 K with huge hysteresis (∼40 K) and large volume change (∼0.01). Here, we report on unusual voltage-controlled resistive switching followed by current-controlled resistive switching induced by self-heating in polycrystalline BaCo{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}S{sub 2−y} (nominal x = 0.1 and y = 0.2). These were due to the steep metal to insulator transition upon heating followed by the activated behavior of the resistivity above the transition. The major role of Joule heating in switching is supported by the absence of nonlinearity in the current as function of voltage, I(V), obtained in pulsed measurements, in the range of electric fields relevant to d.c. measurements. The voltage-controlled negative differential resistance around the threshold for switching was explained by a simple model of self-heating. The main difficulty in modeling I(V) from the samples resistance as function of temperature R(T) was the progressive increase of R(T), and to a lesser extend the decrease of the resistance jumps at the transitions, caused by the damage induced by cycling through the transitions by heating or self-heating. This was dealt with by following systematically R(T) over many cycles and by using the data of R(T) in the heating cycle closest to that of the self-heating one.

  12. Single Mode SU8 Polymer Based Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for Bio-Sensing Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boiragi, Indrajit; Kundu, Sushanta; Makkar, Roshan; Chalapathi, Krishnamurthy

    2011-10-01

    This paper explains the influence of different parameters to the sensitivity of an optical waveguide Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) for real time detection of biomolecules. The sensing principle is based on the interaction of evanescence field with the biomolecules that get immobilized on sensing arm. The sensitivity has been calculated by varying the sensing window length, wavelength and concentration of bio-analyte. The maximum attainable sensitivity for the preferred design is the order of 10-8 RIU at 840 nm wavelength with a sensing window length of 1cm. All the simulation work has been carried out with Opti-BPMCAD for the optimization of MZI device parameters. The SU8 polymers are used as a core and clad material to fabricate the waveguide. The refractive index of cladding layer is optimized by varying the curing temperature for a fixed time period and the achieved index difference between core and clad is Δn = 0.0151. The fabricated MZI device has been characterized with LASER beam profiler at 840 nm wavelength. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the different parameter to the sensitivity of a single mode optical waveguide Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for bio-sensing application.

  13. Nonlinear numerical analysis and experimental testing for an electrothermal SU-8 microgripper with reduced out-of-plane displacement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voicu, Rodica-Cristina; Zandi, Muaiyd Al; Müller, Raluca; Wang, Changhai

    2017-11-01

    This paper reports the results of numerical nonlinear electro-thermo-mechanical analysis and experimental testing of a polymeric microgripper designed using electrothermal actuators. The simulation work was carried out using a finite element method (FEM) and a commercial software (Coventorware 2014). The biocompatible SU-8 polymer was used as structural material for the fabrication of the microgripper. The metallic micro-heater was encapsulated in the polymeric actuation structures of the microgripper to reduce the undesirable out-of-plane displacement of the microgripper tips, and to electrically isolate the micro-heater, and to reduce the mechanical stress as well as to improve the thermal efficiency. The electro- thermo-mechanical analysis of the actuator considers the nonlinear temperature-dependent properties of the SU-8 polymer and the gold thin film layers used for the micro-heater fabrication. An optical characterisation of the microgripper based on an image tracking approach shows the thermal response and the good repeatability. The average deflection is ~11 µm for an actuation current of ~17 mA. The experimentally obtained tip deflection and the heater temperature at different currents are both shown to be in good agreement with the nonlinear electro-thermo-mechanical simulation results. Finally, we demonstrate the capability of the microgripper by capture and manipulation of cotton fibres.

  14. The Morphology of Silver Layers on SU8 polymers prepared by Electroless Deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Aniruddha; Yuan, Biao; Heinrich, Helge; Grabill, Chris; Williams, Henry; Kuebler, Stephen; Bhattacharya, Aniket

    2010-03-01

    Silver was deposited onto the functionalized surface of polymeric SU-8 where gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) act as nucleation sites using electroless metallization chemistry. Here we report on the evolution of the nanoscale morphology of deposited Ag studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). In TEM of sample cross sections correlations between the original gold and the silver nanoparticles were obtained while plan-view TEM results showed the distribution of nanoparticles on the surface. Scanning TEM with a high-angle annular dark field detector was used to obtain atomic number contrast. The morphology of the deposited Ag was controlled through the presence and absence of gum Arabic. The thickness and height fluctuations of the Ag layer were determined as a function of time and a statistical analysis of the growth process was conducted for the initial deposition periods.

  15. Studies on tridecaptin B(1), a lipopeptide with activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cochrane, Stephen A; Lohans, Christopher T; van Belkum, Marco J; Bels, Manon A; Vederas, John C

    2015-06-07

    Previously other groups had reported that Paenibacillus polymyxa NRRL B-30507 produces SRCAM 37, a type IIA bacteriocin with antimicrobial activity against Campylobacter jejuni. Genome sequencing and isolation of antimicrobial compounds from this P. polymyxa strain show that the antimicrobial activity is due to polymyxins and tridecaptin B1. The complete structural assignment, synthesis, and antimicrobial profile of tridecaptin B1 is reported, as well as the putative gene cluster responsible for its biosynthesis. This peptide displays strong activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, a finding that is timely to the current problem of antibiotic resistance.

  16. d=8 supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salam, A.; Sezgin, E.

    1984-10-01

    SU(2) gauged N=2 supergravity in d=8 is constructed by generalized dimensional reduction of d=11 supergravity on SU(2) group manifold. The relation between the field equations of the d=8 and those of d=11 supergravities is established. As a byproduct of this, it is shown that certain compactifications of d=11 supergravity give rise to anti-de Sitter space-time (AdS)xS 4 or AdSxCP 2 (with or without SU(2) instanton) or AdSxS 2 xS 2 compactifications of d=8 supergravity. The latter two solutions have no supersymmetry, while AdSxS 4 has N=0 or N=1 supersymmetry. (author)

  17. Identification of Variable Traits among the Methicillin Resistant and Sensitive Coagulase Negative Staphylococci in Milk Samples from Mastitic Cows in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudipta Mahato

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing bovine mastitis has been very well investigated worldwide. However, there are only limited reports on the characterization of methicillin resistant and sensitive coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS across the globe. Hence, in the present study, we aim to determine the phenotypic traits based on antimicrobial susceptibility profile and genotypic characterization by verifying the presence of resistance determinants, virulence and toxin genes present in the CoNS causing clinical mastitis. We obtained 62 CoNS isolates from 167 mastitic milk samples collected from three different states of India. The 62 isolates comprises of 10 different CoNS species S. sciuri, S. haemolyticus, S. chromogenes, S. saprophyticus, S. xylosus, S. simulans, S. agnetis, S. epidermidis, S. gallinarum, and S. cohinii. Susceptibility screening against 11 antibiotics determined 45.16% isolates as multidrug resistant (resistant to more than two class of antibiotic, 46.74% resistant (one or two antibiotic class and 8.06% isolates were pan-sensitive (sensitive to all drugs. High resistance was observed against oxacillin and cefoxitin, whereas all isolates were susceptible toward vancomycin and linezolid. Fifty three isolates were methicillin resistant and 9 isolates were sensitive as determined by oxacillin susceptibility assay. The methicillin resistance gene, mecA was found in 95.16% isolates and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec typing predominantly revealed Type III (n = 34 and Type V (n = 18. Interestingly, 11.9% of mecA positive isolates were oxacillin susceptible and referred as oxacillin susceptible mecA positive staphylococci (OS-MRS. Additionally, genes encoding for enterotoxin, (sea, seb, seh, see toxic shock syndrome (tsst, exfoliatin (eta, etb, etd and virulence (pvl, Y-hlg were also screened. Of all the genes examined, 67.74% of isolate were positive for the Y-hlg gene, followed by the sea gene in

  18. Virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance, and plasmid content of Escherichia coli isolated in swine commercial farms Fatores de virulência, resistência aos antimicrobianos, presença de plasmídeos em Escherichia coli isoladas de amostras clínicas e ambientais de suínos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.M. Costa

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates were evaluated. A total of 80 E. coli isolates were evaluated, being 64 from clinical samples (intestinal content and fragments of organs from diarrheic piglets, seven from feces of clinically healthy piglets and sows, and nine environmental samples (five from facilities, two from feed, one from insect, and one from waste. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR detection of fimbriae and toxin genes and plasmid content determination. The isolates were also characterized according to their resistance or sensitivity to the following drugs: ampicillin, trimethoprim:sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, amikacine, colistin, norfloxacin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, cefalexin, trimethoprim, neomycin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. From 80 E. coli isolates, 53.8% were classified as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC, 2.5% were shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC, and 43.8% showed a non specific pattern and were unclassified. One fecal isolate from non-diarrheic piglet was classified as ETEC by PCR. Clinical isolates showed resistance mainly for tetracycline and trimethoprim:sulfamethoxazole. Plasmidial DNA was observed in 70 isolates, being 78.5% of clinical isolates, 8.57% of non-diarrheic feces, and 12.8% of environment.Os fatores de virulência e a resistência aos antimicrobianos foram avaliados em Escherichia coli. Um total de 80 isolados de E. coli, sendo 64 de amostras clínicas (conteúdo intestinal e fragmentos de órgãos de leitões diarreicos, sete das fezes de porcas e leitões saudáveis e nove de amostras ambientais (cinco de instalações, dois de alimentos, um de inseto e um de esterqueira. A caracterização molecular feita pela PCR objetivou detectar fimbrias e toxinas, bem como a determinação do conteúdo de plasmídeos. Os isolados foram caracterizados quanto à resistência ou sensibilidade às seguintes drogas: ampicilina, sulfazotrim

  19. Negative branes, supergroups and the signature of spacetime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dijkgraaf, Robbert; Heidenreich, Ben; Jefferson, Patrick; Vafa, Cumrun

    2018-02-01

    We study the realization of supergroup gauge theories using negative branes in string theory. We show that negative branes are intimately connected with the possibility of timelike compactification and exotic spacetime signatures previously studied by Hull. Isolated negative branes dynamically generate a change in spacetime signature near their worldvolumes, and are related by string dualities to a smooth M-theory geometry with closed timelike curves. Using negative D3-branes, we show that SU(0| N) supergroup theories are holographically dual to an exotic variant of type IIB string theory on {dS}_{3,2}× {\\overline{S}}^5 , for which the emergent dimensions are timelike. Using branes, mirror symmetry and Nekrasov's instanton calculus, all of which agree, we derive the Seiberg-Witten curve for N=2 SU( N | M ) gauge theories. Together with our exploration of holography and string dualities for negative branes, this suggests that supergroup gauge theories may be non-perturbatively well-defined objects, though several puzzles remain.

  20. Antibacterial and antibiotic resistance modifying activity of the extracts from Allanblackia gabonensis, Combretum molle and Gladiolus quartinianus against Gram-negative bacteria including multi-drug resistant phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fankam, Aimé G; Kuiate, Jules R; Kuete, Victor

    2015-06-30

    Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is becoming a serious problem worldwide. The discovery of new and effective antimicrobials and/or resistance modulators is necessary to tackle the spread of resistance or to reverse the multi-drug resistance. We investigated the antibacterial and antibiotic-resistance modifying activities of the methanol extracts from Allanblackia gabonensis, Gladiolus quartinianus and Combretum molle against 29 Gram-negative bacteria including multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotypes. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the samples meanwhile the standard phytochemical methods were used for the preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant extracts. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and tannins in all studied extracts. Other chemical classes of secondary metabolites were selectively presents. Extracts from A. gabonensis and C. molle displayed a broad spectrum of activity with MICs varying from 16 to 1024 μg/mL against about 72.41% of the tested bacteria. The extract from the fruits of A. gabonensis had the best activity, with MIC values below 100 μg/mL on 37.9% of tested bacteria. Percentages of antibiotic-modulating effects ranging from 67 to 100% were observed against tested MDR bacteria when combining the leaves extract from C. molle (at MIC/2 and MIC/4) with chloramphenicol, kanamycin, streptomycin and tetracycline. The overall results of the present study provide information for the possible use of the studied plant, especially Allanblackia gabonensis and Combretum molle in the control of Gram-negative bacterial infections including MDR species as antibacterials as well as resistance modulators.

  1. Prevalence of the antibiotic resistance genes in coagulase-positive- and negative-Staphylococcus in chicken meat retailed to consumers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamelia Mahmoud Osman

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The use of antibiotics in farm management (growing crops and raising animals has become a major area of concern. Its implications is the consequent emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB and accordingly their access into the human food chain with passage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG to the normal human intestinal microbiota and hence to other pathogenic bacteria causative human disease. Therefore, we pursued in this study to unravel the frequency and the quinolone resistance determining region, mecA and cfr genes of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS and methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative staphylococci (MSCNS isolated from the retail trade of ready-to-eat raw chicken meat samples collected during one year and sold across the Great Cairo area. The 50 Staphylococcus isolated from retail raw chicken meat were analyzed for their antibiotic resistance phenotypic profile on 12 antibiotics (penicillin, oxacillin, methicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, erythromycin, tetracycline, clindamycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and vancomycin and their endorsement of the quinolone resistance determining region, mecA and cfr genes. The isolation results revealed 50 isolates, CPS (14 and CNS (36, representing ten species (S. aureus, S. hyicus, S. epidermedius, S. lugdunensis, S. haemolyticus, S. hominus, S. schleiferi, S. cohnii, S. intermedius and S. lentus. Twenty seven isolates were methicillin-resistant. Out of the characterized 50 staphylococcal isolates, three were MRSA but only 2/3 carried the mecA gene. The ARG that bestows resistance to quinolones, β-lactams, macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B (MLS(B in MRSA and MR-CNS were perceived. According to the available literature, the present investigation was a unique endeavor into the identification of the quinolone-resistance

  2. Prevalence of the Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Coagulase-Positive-and Negative-Staphylococcus in Chicken Meat Retailed to Consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osman, Kamelia; Badr, Jihan; Al-Maary, Khalid S; Moussa, Ihab M I; Hessain, Ashgan M; Girah, Zeinab M S Amin; Abo-Shama, Usama H; Orabi, Ahmed; Saad, Aalaa

    2016-01-01

    The use of antibiotics in farm management (growing crops and raising animals) has become a major area of concern. Its implications is the consequent emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and accordingly their access into the human food chain with passage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) to the normal human intestinal microbiota and hence to other pathogenic bacteria causative human disease. Therefore, we pursued in this study to unravel the frequency and the quinolone resistance determining region, mec A and cfr genes of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS) and methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative staphylococci (MSCNS) isolated from the retail trade of ready-to-eat raw chicken meat samples collected during 1 year and sold across the Great Cairo area. The 50 Staphylococcus isolated from retail raw chicken meat were analyzed for their antibiotic resistance phenotypic profile on 12 antibiotics (penicillin, oxacillin, methicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, erythromycin, tetracycline, clindamycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and vancomycin) and their endorsement of the quinolone resistance determining region, mec A and cfr genes. The isolation results revealed 50 isolates, CPS (14) and CNS (36), representing ten species ( S. aureus, S. hyicus, S. epidermedius, S. lugdunensis, S. haemolyticus, S. hominus, S. schleiferi, S. cohnii, S. intermedius , and S. lentus ). Twenty seven isolates were methicillin-resistant. Out of the characterized 50 staphylococcal isolates, three were MRSA but only 2/3 carried the mec A gene. The ARG that bestows resistance to quinolones, β-lactams, macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramin B [MLS( B )] in MRSA and MR-CNS were perceived. According to the available literature, the present investigation was a unique endeavor into the identification of the quinolone-resistance

  3. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from poultry farms in three regions of Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boamah, Vivian Etsiapa; Agyare, Christian; Odoi, Hayford; Adu, Francis; Gbedema, Stephen Yao; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2017-01-01

    The use of antibiotics in animal production has been associated with the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms including commensals. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species, which were until recently considered non-pathogenic, have been associated with opportunistic infections and high resistance to several antibiotics. This study sought to determine the prevalence, identity, and phenotypic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. isolated from some selected poultry farms and farm workers in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. Poultry litter samples and oral swabs of poultry farm workers were collected, from which bacterial species were isolated, identified, and analyzed. Various selective media were used for the presumptive identification of the different species. Confirmation of bacterial identity was done using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Zones of growth inhibition were interpreted based on the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines. Two hundred and fifty-six coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., comprising S. sciuri (42.97%), S. lentus (35.94%), S. gallinarum (6.64%), S. xylosus (4.30%), S. haemolyticus (3.91%), S. saprophyticus (1.95%), and S. cohnii (0.39%) were confirmed by MALDI-TOF. CoNS were isolated from samples from the Brong Ahafo (48.83%), Ashanti (33.59%), and Greater Accra (17.78%) regions. Isolates from poultry litter constituted 55.47%, and farm workers 44.53%. All the isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and amikacin. The isolates exhibited high resistance toward tetracycline (57.03%), doxycycline (43.75%), and oxacillin (43.36%). Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in 19.14% of the isolates. MDR was higher in isolates obtained from poultry farm

  4. Tagging microsatellite marker to a blast resistance gene in the irrigated rice cultivar Cica-8

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Martins Pinheiro

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The rice cultivar Cica-8 exhibit differential reaction to several pathotypes of Magnaporthe oryzae. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the number of alleles involved in the expression of resistance to leaf blast and identify microsatellite markers linked to these alleles. A cross between cultivar Metica-1 and Cica-8 susceptible and resistant, respectively, to pathotype IB-1 (Py1049 was made to obtain F1, F2, BC1:1 and BC1:2 progenies. Greenhouse tests for leaf blast reaction showed that resistance is controlled by a monogenic dominant gene. For testing microsatellite markers, DNA of both resistant and susceptible parents and F1 and F2 populations was extracted. As expected for single dominant gene the F2 populations segregated at a ratio of 3:1. Of the 11 microsatellite markers tested, one marker RM 7102 was found to be closely linked to the resistant allele at a distance of 2.7 cM, in the cultivar Cica-8 to pathotype IB-1.

  5. A superhydrophobic chip based on SU-8 photoresist pillars suspended on a silicon nitride membrane

    KAUST Repository

    Marinaro, Giovanni; Accardo, Angelo; De Angelis, Francesco; Dane, Thomas; Weinhausen, Britta; Burghammer, Manfred; Riekel, Christian

    2014-01-01

    We developed a new generation of superhydrophobic chips optimized for probing ultrasmall sample quantities by X-ray scattering and fluorescence techniques. The chips are based on thin Si3N4 membranes with a tailored pattern of SU-8 photoresist pillars. Indeed, aqueous solution droplets can be evaporated and concentrated at predefined positions using a non-periodic pillar pattern. We demonstrated quantitatively the deposition and aggregation of gold glyconanoparticles from the evaporation of a nanomolar droplet in a small spot by raster X-ray nanofluorescence. Further, raster nanocrystallography of biological objects such as rod-like tobacco mosaic virus nanoparticles reveals crystalline macro-domain formation composed of highly oriented nanorods. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

  6. A superhydrophobic chip based on SU-8 photoresist pillars suspended on a silicon nitride membrane

    KAUST Repository

    Marinaro, Giovanni

    2014-07-28

    We developed a new generation of superhydrophobic chips optimized for probing ultrasmall sample quantities by X-ray scattering and fluorescence techniques. The chips are based on thin Si3N4 membranes with a tailored pattern of SU-8 photoresist pillars. Indeed, aqueous solution droplets can be evaporated and concentrated at predefined positions using a non-periodic pillar pattern. We demonstrated quantitatively the deposition and aggregation of gold glyconanoparticles from the evaporation of a nanomolar droplet in a small spot by raster X-ray nanofluorescence. Further, raster nanocrystallography of biological objects such as rod-like tobacco mosaic virus nanoparticles reveals crystalline macro-domain formation composed of highly oriented nanorods. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

  7. The distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria from the Tamil Nadu region in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manohar, Prasanth; Shanthini, Thamaraiselvan; Ayyanar, Ramankannan; Bozdogan, Bulent; Wilson, Aruni; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Lopes, Bruno S

    2017-07-01

    The occurrence of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance among Gram-negative bacteria is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in two areas in Tamil Nadu, India. The clinical isolates (n=89) used in this study were collected from two diagnostic centres in Tamil Nadu, India. The bacterial isolates were screened for meropenem- and colistin-resistance. Further, resistance genes blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48-like, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaKPC, mcr-1 and mcr-2 and integrons were studied. The synergistic effect of meropenem in combination with colistin was assessed. A total of 89 bacterial isolates were studied which included Escherichia coli (n=43), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=18), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=10), Enterobacter cloacae (n=6), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=5), Klebsiella oxytoca (n=4), Proteus mirabilis (n=2) and Salmonella paratyphi (n=1). MIC testing showed that 58/89 (65 %) and 29/89 (32 %) isolates were resistant to meropenem and colistin, respectively, whereas 27/89 (30 %) isolates were resistant to both antibiotics. Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae isolates were blaNDM-1-positive (n=20). Some strains of Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca were blaOXA-181-positive (n=4). Class 1, 2 and 3 integrons were found in 24, 20 and 3 isolates, respectively. Nine NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strains could transfer carbapenem resistance via plasmids to susceptible Escherichia coli AB1157. Meropenem and colistin showed synergy in 10/20 (50 %) isolates by 24 h time-kill studies. Our results highlight the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from the Tamil Nadu region in South India.

  8. Intersecting Branes Flip SU(5)

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, Jonathan Richard; Nanopoulos, Dimitri V; Ellis, John

    2002-01-01

    Within a toroidal orbifold framework, we exhibit intersecting brane-world constructions of flipped SU(5) \\times U(1) GUT models with various numbers of generations, other chiral matter representations and Higgs representations. We exhibit orientifold constructions with integer winding numbers that yield 8 or more conventional SU(5) generations, and orbifold constructions with fractional winding numbers that yield flipped SU(5) \\times U(1) models with just 3 conventional generations. Some of these models have candidates for the 5 and {\\bar 5} Higgs representations needed for electroweak symmetry breaking, but not for the 10 and {\\bar 10} representations needed for GUT symmetry breaking, or vice-versa.

  9. Defining Multidrug Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria in the Dutch-German Border Region-Impact of National Guidelines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Köck, Robin; Siemer, Philipp; Esser, Jutta; Kampmeier, Stefanie; Berends, Matthijs S; Glasner, Corinna; Arends, Jan P; Becker, Karsten; Friedrich, Alexander W

    2018-01-01

    Preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) is a public health priority. However, the definition of MDRGNB applied for planning infection prevention measures such as barrier precautions differs depending on national guidelines. This is particularly relevant in the

  10. Negative differential resistance behavior in phosphorus-doped armchair graphene nanoribbon junctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Yuhong; Zhang, Daoli; Zhang, Jianbing; Miao, Xiangshui; Ye, Cong

    2014-01-01

    In this present work, we investigate the electronic transport properties of phosphorus-doped armchair graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) junctions by employing nonequilibrium Green's functions in combination with the density-function theory. Two phosphorus (P) atoms are considered to substitute the central carbon atom with the different width of AGNRs. The results indicate that the electronic transport behaviors are strongly dependent on the width of the P-doped graphene nanoribbons. The current-voltage characteristics of the doped AGNR junctions reveal an interesting negative differential resistance (NDR) and exhibit three distinct family (3 n, 3 n + 1, 3 n + 2) behaviors. These results display that P doping is a very good way to achieve NDR of the graphene nanoribbon devices

  11. Diagnostic accuracy of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) for prediction of bacteremia in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoenigl, Martin; Raggam, Reinhard B; Wagner, Jasmin; Valentin, Thomas; Leitner, Eva; Seeber, Katharina; Zollner-Schwetz, Ines; Krammer, Werner; Prüller, Florian; Grisold, Andrea J; Krause, Robert

    2013-02-01

    Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) serum concentrations have recently been described to reflect the severity status of systemic inflammation. In this study, the diagnostic accuracy of suPAR, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) to predict bacteremia in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) was compared. A total of 132 patients with SIRS were included. In 55 patients blood cultures had resulted positive (study group 1, Gram positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp., n=15; study group 2, Gram-negative bacteria, n=40) and 77 patients had negative blood culture results (control group, n=77). Simultaneously with blood cultures suPAR, CRP, PCT, IL-6 and white blood count (WBC) were determined. SuPAR values were significantly higher in study group 1 (median 8.11; IQR 5.78-15.53; p=0.006) and study group 2 (median 9.62; IQR 6.52-11.74; p<0.001) when compared with the control group (median 5.65; IQR 4.30-7.83). ROC curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.726 for suPAR in differentiating SIRS patients with bacteremia from those without. The biomarkers PCT and IL-6 showed comparable results. Regarding combinations of biomarkers multiplying suPAR, PCT and IL-6 was most promising and resulted in an AUC value of 0.804. Initial suPAR serum concentrations were significantly higher (p=0.028) in patients who died within 28 days than in those who survived. No significant difference was seen for PCT, IL-6 and CRP. In conclusion, suPAR, IL-6 and PCT may contribute to predicting bacteremia in SIRS patients. Copyright © 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Oral Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli as a reservoir of β-lactam resistance genes facilitating infections with multiresistant bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupin, Clarisse; Tamanai-Shacoori, Zohreh; Ehrmann, Elodie; Dupont, Anais; Barloy-Hubler, Frédérique; Bousarghin, Latifa; Bonnaure-Mallet, Martine; Jolivet-Gougeon, Anne

    2015-02-01

    Many β-lactamases have been described in various Gram-negative bacilli (Capnocytophaga, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, etc.) of the oral cavity, belonging to class A of the Ambler classification (CepA, CblA, CfxA, CSP-1 and TEM), class B (CfiA) or class D in Fusobacterium nucleatum (FUS-1). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of β-lactams are variable and this variation is often related to the presence of plasmids or other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that modulate the expression of resistance genes. DNA persistence and bacterial promiscuity in oral biofilms also contribute to genetic transformation and conjugation in this particular microcosm. Overexpression of efflux pumps is facilitated because the encoding genes are located on MGEs, in some multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, similar to conjugative transposons harbouring genes encoding β-lactamases. All these facts lead us to consider the oral cavity as an important reservoir of β-lactam resistance genes and a privileged place for genetic exchange, especially in commensal strictly anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  13. Theory of asymptotic matching for resistive magnetohydrodynamic stability in a negative magnetic shear configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokuda, Shinji; Watanabe, Tomoko.

    1996-11-01

    A theory and a numerical method are presented for the asymptotic matching analysis of resistive magnetohydrodynamic stability in a negative magnetic shear configuration with two rational surfaces. The theory formulates the problem of solving both the Newcomb equations in the ideal MHD region and the inner-layer equations around rational surfaces as boundary value/eigenvalue problems to which the finite element method and the finite difference method can be applied. Hence, the problem of stability analysis is solved by a numerically stable method. The present numerical method has been applied to model equations having analytic solutions in a negative magnetic shear configuration. Comparison of the numerical solutions with the analytical ones verifies the validity of the numerical method proposed. (author)

  14. HER2 in Breast Cancer Stemness: A Negative Feedback Loop towards Trastuzumab Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babak Nami

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available HER2 receptor tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in approximately 20% of all breast cancers (BCs is a poor prognosis factor and a precious target for BC therapy. Trastuzumab is approved by FDA to specifically target HER2 for treating HER2+ BC. However, about 60% of patients with HER2+ breast tumor develop de novo resistance to trastuzumab, partially due to the loss of expression of HER2 extracellular domain on their tumor cells. This is due to shedding/cleavage of HER2 by metalloproteinases (ADAMs and MMPs. HER2 shedding results in the accumulation of intracellular carboxyl-terminal HER2 (p95HER2, which is a common phenomenon in trastuzumab-resistant tumors and is suggested as a predictive marker for trastuzumab resistance. Up-regulation of the metalloproteinases is a poor prognosis factor and is commonly seen in mesenchymal-like cancer stem cells that are risen during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT of tumor cells. HER2 cleavage during EMT can explain why secondary metastatic tumors with high percentage of mesenchymal-like cancer stem cells are mostly resistant to trastuzumab but still sensitive to lapatinib. Importantly, many studies report HER2 interaction with oncogenic/stemness signaling pathways including TGF-β/Smad, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, JAK/STAT and Hedgehog. HER2 overexpression promotes EMT and the emergence of cancer stem cell properties in BC. Increased expression and activation of metalloproteinases during EMT leads to proteolytic cleavage and shedding of HER2 receptor, which downregulates HER2 extracellular domain and eventually increases trastuzumab resistance. Here, we review the hypothesis that a negative feedback loop between HER2 and stemness signaling drives resistance of BC to trastuzumab.

  15. Mutations in COQ8B (ADCK4) found in patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome alter COQ8B function

    OpenAIRE

    Fonseca, Luis Vazquez; Doimo, Mara; Calderan, Cristina; Desbats, Maria Andrea; Acosta, Manuel J.; Cerqua, Cristina; Cassina, Matteo; Ashraf, Shazia; Hildebrandt, Friedhelm; Sartori, Geppo; Navas, Placido; Trevisson, Eva; Salviati, Leonardo

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Mutations in COQ8B cause steroid‐resistant nephrotic syndrome with variable neurological involvement. In yeast, COQ8 encodes a protein required for coenzyme Q (CoQ) biosynthesis, whose precise role is not clear. Humans harbor two paralog genes: COQ8A and COQ8B (previously termed ADCK3 and ADCK4). We have found that COQ8B is a mitochondrial matrix protein peripherally associated with the inner membrane. COQ8B can complement a ΔCOQ8 yeast strain when its mitochondrial targeting sequenc...

  16. Observation of negative differential resistance and single-electron tunneling in electromigrated break junctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noguchi, Yutaka; Ueda, Rieko; Kubota, Tohru; Kamikado, Toshiya; Yokoyama, Shiyoshi; Nagase, Takashi

    2008-01-01

    We observed a negative differential resistance (NDR) along with single-electron tunneling (SET) in the electron transport of electromigrated break junctions with metal-free tetraphenylporphyrin (H 2 BSTBPP) at a temperature of 11 K. The NDR strongly depended on the applied gate voltages, and appeared only in the electron tunneling region of the Coulomb diamond. We could explain the mechanism of this new type of electron transport by a model assuming a molecular Coulomb island and local density of states of the source and the drain electrodes

  17. Ferroelectric negative capacitance domain dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Michael; Khan, Asif Islam; Serrao, Claudy; Lu, Zhongyuan; Salahuddin, Sayeef; Pešić, Milan; Slesazeck, Stefan; Schroeder, Uwe; Mikolajick, Thomas

    2018-05-01

    Transient negative capacitance effects in epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 capacitors are investigated with a focus on the dynamical switching behavior governed by domain nucleation and growth. Voltage pulses are applied to a series connection of the ferroelectric capacitor and a resistor to directly measure the ferroelectric negative capacitance during switching. A time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau approach is used to investigate the underlying domain dynamics. The transient negative capacitance is shown to originate from reverse domain nucleation and unrestricted domain growth. However, with the onset of domain coalescence, the capacitance becomes positive again. The persistence of the negative capacitance state is therefore limited by the speed of domain wall motion. By changing the applied electric field, capacitor area or external resistance, this domain wall velocity can be varied predictably over several orders of magnitude. Additionally, detailed insights into the intrinsic material properties of the ferroelectric are obtainable through these measurements. A new method for reliable extraction of the average negative capacitance of the ferroelectric is presented. Furthermore, a simple analytical model is developed, which accurately describes the negative capacitance transient time as a function of the material properties and the experimental boundary conditions.

  18. Changes in Gram Negative Microorganisms' Resistance Pattern During 4 Years Period in a Referral Teaching Hospital; a Surveillance Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Khalili

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background and purpose Surveillance studies evaluating antimicrobial susceptibilities are of great value in preventing the spread of resistant pathogens by elucidating the trend of resistance in commonly used antibiotics and as a consequence providing information for prescribing the most appropriate agent. This study is a longitudinal antimicrobial resistance surveillance study designed to evaluate the trend in antimicrobial resistance to gram negative microorganisms from 2007 to 2010. Method:During a four-year period (2007-2010 isolates derived from all patients admitted to infectious diseases ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, the major referral center for infectious disease in Iran with the highest admission rates, were evaluated. Based on disk diffusion method and zone of inhibition size, the microorganism was regarded as to be sensitive, resistant or has intermediate susceptibility to the antimicrobial agents. Results:The widest spread Gram-negative microorganism in all of isolates taken together in our study was E.coli (30% followed by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in 28.6% and Enterobacter spp. in 11.9%, respectively. The susceptibility to amikacin, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, and nitrofurantoin was equal or above 50% for all microorganisms over four years. However, the susceptibility to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefotaxim, and ceftriaxone was less than 50% in derived isolates during the study period.Conclusion:In conclusion, the finding of the present study revealed that resistance rate to common antimicrobial agents in Iran is growing and isolates were susceptible mostly to broadspectrum antibiotics including imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam

  19. Investigational drugs for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avery, Lindsay M; Nicolau, David P

    2018-04-01

    Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) are associated with significant mortality and costs. New drugs in development to combat these difficult-to-treat infections primarily target carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and MDR Acinetobacter baumannii. Areas covered: The authors summarize in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, as well as available clinical trial findings, for new agents in development for treatment of infection caused by MDR-GNB. Information regarding dosage regimens utilized in clinical trials and key pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations are provided if available. A summary of recently approved agents, delafloxacin and meropenem/vaborbactam, is also included. Expert opinion: The development of multiple novel agents to fight MDR-GNB is promising to help save the lives of patients who acquire infection, and judicious use of these agents is imperative once they come to market to prevent the development of resistance. The other component paramount to this field of research is implementation of effective infection control policies and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) carrier screening protocols to mitigate the worldwide spread of MDR-GNB. Further investigation of anti-infective synergistic combinations will also be important, as well as support for economic research to reveal the true cost-benefit of utilization of the new agents discussed herein.

  20. Induction of resistance to blast disease (Pyricularia oryzae) in the high yielding variety, Ratna (IR8xTKM6)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaur, S.; Padmanabhan, S.Y.; Kaur, P.

    1977-01-01

    The high yielding variety, Ratna (IR8 x TKM6), susceptible to blast disease (Pyricularia oryzae Cav.), was taken up for induction of resistance to the disease through EMS treatment. The seeds of individual M 1 plants were harvested and grown as M 2 generation in a ''uniform blast nursery''. The scoring and classification of blast reaction was done according to the method described by Padmanabhan and Ganguly. The seeds of ''resistant'' selections and ''susceptible'' selections were harvested, grown and tested again in the ''uniform blast nursery'' for M 3 , M 4 and M 5 generations. Ratna (untreated) developed 'B', 'C', and 'D' type of spots whereas the EMS-treated populations in all generations, i.e. M 2 -M 4 , developed 'O', 'A' and 'E' types of spot, in addition to 'B', 'C' and 'D' types, in both resistant and susceptible selections. This indicated that the chemical mutagen EMS induced variability in both negative and positive directions. In M 5 generation, 50 out of 1500 originally selected lines were found to be breeding true for disease resistance. Some mutants retain the grain characters of Ratna, and the high yield. The mutagen treatment also induced variability in grain characters. Ratna has a long slender grain. Some mutants have medium slender, short bold or long bold grain. (author)

  1. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from poultry farms in three regions of Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boamah VE

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Vivian Etsiapa Boamah,1 Christian Agyare,1 Hayford Odoi,1 Francis Adu,1 Stephen Yao Gbedema,1 Anders Dalsgaard2 1Microbiology Section, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; 2Section of Food Safety and Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederisksberg, Denmark Abstract: The use of antibiotics in animal production has been associated with the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms including commensals. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS species, which were until recently considered non-pathogenic, have been associated with opportunistic infections and high resistance to several antibiotics. This study sought to determine the prevalence, identity, and phenotypic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. isolated from some selected poultry farms and farm workers in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. Poultry litter samples and oral swabs of poultry farm workers were collected, from which bacterial species were isolated, identified, and analyzed. Various selective media were used for the presumptive identification of the different species. Confirmation of bacterial identity was done using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Zones of growth inhibition were interpreted based on the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST guidelines. Two hundred and fifty-six coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., comprising S. sciuri (42.97%, S. lentus (35.94%, S. gallinarum (6.64%, S. xylosus (4.30%, S. haemolyticus (3.91%, S. saprophyticus (1.95%, and S. cohnii (0.39% were confirmed by MALDI-TOF. CoNS were isolated from samples

  2. Laws of trigonometry on SU(3)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aslaksen, H.

    1988-01-01

    In this paper we will study triangles in SU(3). The orbit space of congruence classes of triangles in SU(3) has dimension 8. Each corner is made up of a pair of tangent vectors (X,Y), and we consider the 8 functions trX 2 , i trX 3 , trY 2 , i trY 3 , trXY, i trY 2 Y, i trXY 2 , trX 2 Y 2 which are invariant under the full isometry group of SU(3). We show that these 8 corner invariants determine the isometry class of the triangle. We give relations (laws of trigonometry) between the invariants at the different corners, enabling us to determine the invariants at the remaining corners, including the values of the remaining side and angles, if we know one set of corner invariants. The invariants that only depend on one tangent vector we will call side invariants, while those that depend on two tangent vectors will be called angular invariants. For each triangle we then have 6 side invariants and 12 angular invariants. Hence we need 18 - 8 = 10 laws of trigonometry. The basic tool for deriving these laws is a formula expressing tr(exp X exp Y) in terms of the corner invariants

  3. Antimicrobial resistance and detection of the mecA gene besides enterotoxin-encoding genes among coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from clam meat of Anomalocardia brasiliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batista, Jacqueline Ellen Camelo; Ferreira, Ewerton Lucena; Nascimento, Danielle Cristina de Oliveira; Ventura, Roberta Ferreira; de Oliveira, Wagner Luis Mendes; Leal, Nilma Cintra; Lima-Filho, José Vitor

    2013-12-01

    The marine clam Anomalocardia brasiliana is a candidate as a sentinel animal to monitor the contamination levels of coliforms in shellfish-harvesting areas of Brazil's northeastern region. The aim of the present study was to search enterotoxin-encoding genes plus the mecA gene among coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolates from shellfish meats of A. brasiliana. The specimen clam (n=48; 40 clams per sample) was collected during low tide in the bay area of Mangue Seco from April through June 2009, and random samples of chilled and frozen shelled clam meat (n=33; 250 g per sample) were obtained from retail shops from January through March 2012. Seventy-nine CNS isolates were identified, including Staphylococcus xylosus, S. cohnii spp. urealyticus, S. sciuri, and S. lentus. A high percentage of isolates resistant to erythromycin (58.5%), penicillin (51.2%), and tetracycline (43.9%), and the fluoroquinolones levofloxacin (39%) and ciprofloxacin (34.1%) were recorded from those environmental samples. Isolates from retail shops were particularly resistant to oxacillin (55.3%) and penicillin (36.8%). All CNS resistant to oxacillin and/or cefoxitin were positive for the presence of the mecA gene, but phenotypically susceptible to vancomycin. Also, the enterotoxin-encoding genes seg and seh were detected through multiplex-polymerase chain reaction in 77.7% and 88.8% of the isolates from environmental samples, versus 90.5% and 100% of the isolates from retail shops, respectively. The data reveal the risk to public health due to consuming raw or undercooked shellfish containing enterotoxigenic plus methicillin-resistant CNS.

  4. Specific Clinical Profile and Risk Factors for Mortality in General Surgery Patients with Infections by Multi-Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio-Perez, Ines; Martin-Perez, Elena; Domingo-García, Diego; Garcia-Olmo, Damian

    2017-07-01

    The incidence of gram-negative multi-drug-resistant (MDR) infections is increasing worldwide. This study sought to determine the incidence, clinical profiles, risk factors, and mortality of these infections in general surgery patients. All general surgery patients with a clinical infection by gram-negative MDR bacteria were studied prospectively for a period of five years (2007-2011). Clinical, surgical, and microbiologic parameters were recorded, with a focus on the identification of risk factors for MDR infection and mortality. Incidence of MDR infections increased (5.6% to 15.2%) during the study period; 106 patients were included, 69.8% presented nosocomial infections. Mean age was 65 ± 15 years, 61% male. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) Escherichia coli was the most frequent MDR bacteria. Surgical site infections and abscesses were the most common culture locations. The patients presented multiple pre-admission risk factors and invasive measures during hospitalization. Mortality was 15%, and related to older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.07), malnutrition (OR 13.5), chronic digestive conditions (OR 4.7), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 3.9), and surgical re-intervention (OR 9.2). Multi-drug resistant infections in the surgical population are increasing. The most common clinical profile is a 65-year-old male, with previous comorbidities, who has undergone a surgical intervention, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and invasive procedures and who has acquired the MDR infection in the nosocomial setting.

  5. Hysteresis and negative differential resistance of the current-voltage characteristic of a water bridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshurko, V. B.; Fedorov, A. N.; Ropyanoi, A. A.; Fedosov, M. V.

    2014-06-01

    It is found experimentally that the properties of nanoporous ion-exchange membranes (hysteresis of the current-voltage characteristic in the solution and negative differential resistance), which have been discussed in recent years, are not associated with the properties of the membrane. It is shown that these effects are also observed in a floating water bridge and in water-filled tubes and are apparently determined by the geometrical shape of the liquid conductor. The observed effects are explained qualitatively.

  6. Design of a Negative Differential Resistance Circuit Element Using Single-Electron Transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, D. C.; Heij, C. P.; Hadley, P.; Mooij, J. E.

    1998-03-01

    Electronic circuit elements displaying negative differential resistance (NDR), such as tunnel diodes, have a wide variety of device applications, including oscillators, amplifiers, logic, and memory. We present a two-terminal device using two single-electron transistors (SET's) that demonstrates an NDR profile tuneable with gate voltages. If the capacitive coupling between the SET's is sufficiently larger than the junction capacitances, the device exhibits multiply-peaked NDR, allowing its use as a multi-valued digital element. We will also report recent experimental progress in measurements of such a device, fabricated using standard Al tunnel junctions, but with an additional overlap capacitor to allow the required inter-SET coupling.

  7. High-Field Quasiparticle Tunneling in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ : Negative Magnetoresistance in the Superconducting State

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morozov, N.; Krusin-Elbaum, L.; Shibauchi, T.; Bulaevskii, L. N.; Maley, M. P.; Latyshev, Yu. I.; Yamashita, T.

    2000-01-01

    We report on the c -axis resistivity ρ c (H) in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ that peaks in quasistatic magnetic fields up to 60 T. By suppressing the Josephson part of the two-channel (Cooper pair/quasiparticle) conductivity σ c (H) , we find that the negative slope of ρ c (H) above the peak is due to quasiparticle tunneling conductivity σ q (H) across the CuO 2 layers below H c2 . At high fields (a) σ q (H) grows linearly with H , and (b) ρ c (T) tends to saturate (σ c ≠0 ) as T→0 , consistent with the scattering at the nodes of the d -wave gap. A superlinear σ q (H) marks the normal state above T c . (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  8. XAP5 CIRCADIAN TIMEKEEPER Positively Regulates RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW8.1–Mediated Immunity in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong-Ju Xu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ectopic expression of the Arabidopsis RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW8.1 (RPW8.1 boosts pattern-triggered immunity leading to enhanced resistance to different pathogens in Arabidopsis and rice. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains largely elusive. Here, we report that XAP5 CIRCADIAN TIMEKEEPER (XCT, At2g21150 positively regulates RPW8.1-mediated cell death and disease resistance. Forward genetic screen identified the b3-17 mutant that exhibited less cell death and susceptibility to powdery mildew and bacterial pathogens. Map-based cloning identified a G-to-A point mutation at the 3′ splice site of the 8th intron, which resulted in splice shift to 8-bp down-stream of the original splice site of XCT in b3-17, and introduced into a stop codon after two codons leading to a truncated XCT. XCT has previously been identified as a circadian clock gene required for small RNA biogenesis and acting down-stream of ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3 in the ethylene-signaling pathway. Here we further showed that mutation or down-regulation of XCT by artificial microRNA reduced RPW8.1-mediated immunity in R1Y4, a transgenic line expressing RPW8.1-YFP from the RPW8.1 native promoter. On the contrary, overexpression of XCT in R1Y4 background enhanced RPW8.1-mediated cell death, H2O2 production and resistance against powdery mildew. Consistently, the expression of RPW8.1 was down- and up-regulated in xct mutant and XCT overexpression lines, respectively. Taken together, these results indicate that XCT positively regulates RPW8.1-mediated cell death and disease resistance, and provide new insight into the regulatory mechanism of RPW8.1-mediated immunity.

  9. Rapid diagnosis of pyrazinamide-resistant multidrug-resistant tuberculosis using a molecular-based diagnostic algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simons, S O; van der Laan, T; Mulder, A; van Ingen, J; Rigouts, L; Dekhuijzen, P N R; Boeree, M J; van Soolingen, D

    2014-10-01

    There is an urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnosis of pyrazinamide-resistant multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). No diagnostic algorithm has been validated in this population. We hypothesized that pncA sequencing added to rpoB mutation analysis can accurately identify patients with pyrazinamide-resistant MDR-TB. We identified from the Dutch national database (2007-11) patients with a positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture containing a mutation in the rpoB gene. In these cases, we prospectively sequenced the pncA gene. Results from the rpoB and pncA mutation analysis (pncA added to rpoB) were compared with phenotypic susceptibility testing results to rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide (reference standard) using the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube 960 system. We included 83 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates containing rpoB mutations in the primary analysis. Rifampicin resistance was seen in 72 isolates (87%), isoniazid resistance in 73 isolates (88%) and MDR-TB in 65 isolates (78%). Phenotypic reference testing identified pyrazinamide-resistant MDR-TB in 31 isolates (48%). Sensitivity of pncA sequencing added to rpoB mutation analysis for detecting pyrazinamide-resistant MDR-TB was 96.8%, the specificity was 94.2%, the positive predictive value was 90.9%, the negative predictive value was 98.0%, the positive likelihood was 16.8 and the negative likelihood was 0.03. In conclusion, pyrazinamide-resistant MDR-TB can be accurately detected using pncA sequencing added to rpoB mutation analysis. We propose to include pncA sequencing in every isolate with an rpoB mutation, allowing for stratification of MDR-TB treatment according to pyrazinamide susceptibility. © 2014 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  10. Molecular characterization of Als1, an acetohydroxyacid synthase mutation conferring resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides in soybean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghio, Cecilia; Ramos, María Laura; Altieri, Emiliano; Bulos, Mariano; Sala, Carlos A

    2013-12-01

    The AHAS gene family in soybean was characterized. The locus Als1 for sulfonylurea resistance was mapped and the resistant allele was characterized at the molecular level. Sulfonylurea (SU) resistance in soybean is controlled by Als1, a semi-dominant allele obtained by EMS mutagenesis over the cultivar Williams 82. The overall objective of this research was to map Als1 in the soybean genome and to determine the nucleotidic changes conferring resistance to SU. Four nucleotide sequences (GmAhas1-4) showing high homology with the Arabidopsis thaliana acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS, EC 4.1.3.18) gene sequence were identified by in silico analysis, PCR-amplified from the SU-resistant line BTK323STS and sequenced. Expression analysis showed that GmAhas1, located on chromosome 4 by in silico analysis, is the most expressed sequence in true leaves. F2:3 families derived from the cross between susceptible and resistant lines were evaluated for SU resistance. Mapping results indicate that the locus als1 is located on chromosome 4. Sequence comparison of GmAhas1 between BTK323STS and Williams 82 showed a single nucleotide change from cytosine to thymine at position 532. This transversion generates an amino acid change from proline to serine at position 197 (A. thaliana nomenclature) of the AHAS catalytic subunit. An allele-specific marker developed for the GmAhas1 mutant sequence cosegregated with SU resistance in the F2 population. Taking together, the mapping, expression and sequencing results indicate that the GmAhas1 sequence corresponds to the Als1 gene sequence controlling SU resistance in soybean. The molecular breeding tools described herein create the basis to speed up the identification of new mutations in soybean AHAS leading to enhanced levels of resistance to SU or to other families of AHAS inhibitor herbicides.

  11. An unusual class of anthracyclines potentiate Gram-positive antibiotics in intrinsically resistant Gram-negative bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Georgina; Koteva, Kalinka; Wright, Gerard D.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives An orthogonal approach taken towards novel antibacterial drug discovery involves the identification of small molecules that potentiate or enhance the activity of existing antibacterial agents. This study aimed to identify natural-product rifampicin adjuvants in the intrinsically resistant organism Escherichia coli. Methods E. coli BW25113 was screened against 1120 actinomycete fermentation extracts in the presence of subinhibitory (2 mg/L) concentrations of rifampicin. The active molecule exhibiting the greatest rifampicin potentiation was isolated using activity-guided methods and identified using mass and NMR spectroscopy. Susceptibility testing and biochemical assays were used to determine the mechanism of antibiotic potentiation. Results The anthracycline Antibiotic 301A1 was isolated from the fermentation broth of a strain of Streptomyces (WAC450); the molecule was shown to be highly synergistic with rifampicin (fractional inhibitory concentration index = 0.156) and moderately synergistic with linezolid (FIC index = 0.25) in both E. coli and Acinetobacter baumannii. Activity was associated with inhibition of efflux and the synergistic phenotype was lost when tested against E. coli harbouring mutations within the rpoB gene. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed that other anthracyclines do not synergize with rifampicin and removal of the sugar moiety of Antibiotic 301A1 abolishes activity. Conclusions Screening only a subsection of our natural product library identified a small-molecule antibiotic adjuvant capable of sensitizing Gram-negative bacteria to antibiotics to which they are ordinarily intrinsically resistant. This result demonstrates the great potential of this approach in expanding antibiotic effectiveness in the face of the growing challenge of resistance in Gram-negatives. PMID:24627312

  12. Prevalence of enterotoxin-encoding genes and antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus isolates from black pudding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiane Martin de Moura

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcal species are pathogens that are responsible for outbreaks of foodborne diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxin-genes and the antimicrobial resistance profile in staphylococcus coagulase-negative (CoNS and coagulasepositive (CoPS isolates from black pudding in southern Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred typical and atypical colonies from Baird-Parker agar were inoculated on mannitol salt agar. Eighty-two mannitol-positive staphylococci were submitted to conventional biochemical tests and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling. The presence of coagulase (coa and enterotoxin (se genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The isolates were divided into 2 groups: 75.6% (62/82 were CoNS and 24.4% (20/82 were CoPS. The biochemical tests identified 9 species, of which Staphylococcus saprophyticus (37.8% and Staphylococcus carnosus (15.9% were the most prevalent. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed resistance phenotypes to antibiotics widely administered in humans, such as gentamicin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. The coa gene was detected in 19.5% (16/82 of the strains and 4 polymorphic DNA fragments were observed. Five CoNS isolates carrying the coa gene were submitted for 16S rRNA sequencing and 3 showed similarity with CoNS. Forty strains were positive for at least 1 enterotoxin-encoding gene, the genes most frequently detected were sea (28.6% and seb (27.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of antimicrobial resistant and enterotoxin-encoding genes in staphylococci isolates from black pudding indicated that this fermented food may represent a potential health risk, since staphylococci present in food could cause foodborne diseases or be a possible route for the transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans.

  13. Acquired IFNγ resistance impairs anti-tumor immunity and gives rise to T-cell-resistant melanoma lesions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sucker, Antje; Zhao, Fang; Pieper, Natalia; Heeke, Christina; Maltaner, Raffaela; Stadtler, Nadine; Real, Birgit; Bielefeld, Nicola; Howe, Sebastian; Weide, Benjamin; Gutzmer, Ralf; Utikal, Jochen; Loquai, Carmen; Gogas, Helen; Klein-Hitpass, Ludger; Zeschnigk, Michael; Westendorf, Astrid M.; Trilling, Mirko; Horn, Susanne; Schilling, Bastian; Schadendorf, Dirk; Griewank, Klaus G.; Paschen, Annette

    2017-01-01

    Melanoma treatment has been revolutionized by antibody-based immunotherapies. IFNγ secretion by CD8+ T cells is critical for therapy efficacy having anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on tumour cells. Our study demonstrates a genetic evolution of IFNγ resistance in different melanoma patient models. Chromosomal alterations and subsequent inactivating mutations in genes of the IFNγ signalling cascade, most often JAK1 or JAK2, protect melanoma cells from anti-tumour IFNγ activity. JAK1/2 mutants further evolve into T-cell-resistant HLA class I-negative lesions with genes involved in antigen presentation silenced and no longer inducible by IFNγ. Allelic JAK1/2 losses predisposing to IFNγ resistance development are frequent in melanoma. Subclones harbouring inactivating mutations emerge under various immunotherapies but are also detectable in pre-treatment biopsies. Our data demonstrate that JAK1/2 deficiency protects melanoma from anti-tumour IFNγ activity and results in T-cell-resistant HLA class I-negative lesions. Screening for mechanisms of IFNγ resistance should be considered in therapeutic decision-making. PMID:28561041

  14. Negative differential resistance of InGaAs dual channel transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugaya, T; Yamane, T; Hori, S; Komori, K; Yonei, K

    2006-01-01

    We demonstrate a new type of velocity modulation transistor (VMT) with an InGaAs dual channel structure fabricated on an InP (001) substrate. The dual channel structure consists of a high mobility 10 nm In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As quantum well, a 2 nm In 0.52 Al 0.48 As barrier layer, and a low mobility 1 nm In 0.26 Ga 0.74 As quantum well. The VMTs have a negative differential resistance (NDR) effect with a low source-drain voltage of 0.38 V. The NDR characteristics can be clearly seen in the temperature range of 50 to 220 K with a gate voltage of 5 V. The NDR mechanism is thought to be the carrier transfer from the high mobility to the low mobility channels. Three-terminal VMTs are favorable for applications to highfrequency, high-speed, and low-power consumption devices

  15. Study the Origin and Mechanisms of Castration Resistance Characterized by Outgrowth of Prostate Cancer Cells with Low/Negative Androgen Receptor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    Prostate Cancer Cells with Low/Negative Androgen Receptor 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0540 5c. PROGRAM...role of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in disease progression, the current approach to treat prostate cancer is AR-targeted therapy. While this... Prostate cancer ; Androgen receptor ; Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); Enzalutamide resistance; GREB1; p300 6 Accomplishments Specific

  16. [Antimicrobial resistance in gram negative bacteria isolated from intensive care units of Colombian hospitals, WHONET 2003, 2004 and 2005].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, María Consuelo; Pérez, Federico; Zuluaga, Tania; Olivera, María del Rosario; Correa, Adriana; Reyes, Sandra Lorena; Villegas, Maria Virginia

    2006-09-01

    Surveillance systems play a key role in the detection and control of bacterial resistance. It is necessary to constantly collect information from all institutions because the mechanisms of bacterial resistance can operate in different ways between countries, cities and even in hospitals in the same area. Therefore local information is important in order to learn about bacterial behaviour and design appropriate interventions for each institution. Between January 2003 and December 2004, the Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) developed a surveillance project in 10 tertiary hospitals in 6 cities of Colombia. Describe the trends of antibiotic resistance among the isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacter cloacae, five of the most prevalent nosocomial Gram negative pathogens. The susceptibility tests were performed by automated methods in 9 hospitals and by Kirby Bauer in 1 hospital. Antibiotics with known activity against Gram negatives, according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, were selected. The laboratories performed internal and external quality controls. During the study period, the information was downloaded monthly from the databases of each microbiology laboratory and sent to CIDEIM where it was centralized in a database using the system WHONET 5.3. The high resistance rates reported especially for A. baumannii, evidenced the presence of multidrug resistant bacteria in both ICUs and wards at every studied institution. The creation of a national surveillance network to improve our capabilities to detect, follow up, and control the antibiotic resistance in Colombia is urgently needed.

  17. Anomalous low temperature resistivity in CeCr0.8V0.2Ge3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Durgesh; Patidar, Manju Mishra; Mishra, A. K.; Krishnan, M.; Ganesan, V.

    2018-04-01

    Resistivity (8T) and heat capacity (0T) of CeCr0.8V0.2Ge3 at low temperatures and high magnetic fields are reported. Resistivity curve shows a Kondo like behavior at an anomalously high temperature of 250K. A broad peak at 20K is observed in resistivity. A sharp change in resistivity around 7.3K is due to magnetic ordering mediated by coherence effects. Similar low temperature peak is also observed in heat capacity around 7.2K. A small magnetic field of the order of 1T shifts the peak towards lower temperatures confirming the antiferromagnetic ordering. A broad feature, which appears in resistivity at 20K, is absent in heat capacity. This feature shift towards higher temperatures with magnetic field, and may be due to the partial ferromagnetic ordering or due to geometrical frustration which opposes the magnetic ordering. The system shows a moderate heavy fermion behavior with Sommerfeld coefficient (γ) of 111mJ/mol-K2. Debye temperature of the compound is 250K. Shifting of TN in magnetic fields towards 0K indicates a possibility of quantum criticality in this system.

  18. Trends of Bloodstream Infections in a University Greek Hospital during a Three-Year Period: Incidence of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Seasonality in Gram-negative Predominance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolonitsiou, Fevronia; Papadimitriou-Olivgeris, Matthaios; Spiliopoulou, Anastasia; Stamouli, Vasiliki; Papakostas, Vasileios; Apostolopoulou, Eleni; Panagiotopoulos, Christos; Marangos, Markos; Anastassiou, Evangelos D; Christofidou, Myrto; Spiliopoulou, Iris

    2017-07-06

    The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiology, the incidence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and bloodstream infections' (BSIs) seasonality in a university hospital. This retrospective study was carried out in the University General Hospital of Patras, Greece, during 2011-13 y. Blood cultures from patients with clinical presentation suggestive of bloodstream infection were performed by the BacT/ALERT System. Isolates were identified by Vitek 2 Advanced Expert System. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion method and E-test. Resistance genes (mecA in staphylococci; vanA/vanB/vanC in enterococci; bla KPC /bla VIM /bla NDM in Klebsiella spp.) were detected by PCR. In total, 4607 (9.7%) blood cultures were positive from 47451 sets sent to Department of Microbiology, representing 1732 BSIs. Gram-negative bacteria (52.3%) were the most commonly isolated, followed by Gram-positive (39.5%), fungi (6.6%) and anaerobes bacteria (1.8%). The highest contamination rate was observed among Gram-positive bacteria (42.3%). Among 330 CNS and 150 Staphylococcus aureus, 281 (85.2%) and 60 (40.0%) were mecA-positive, respectively. From 113 enterococci, eight were vanA, two vanB and two vanC-positives. Of the total 207 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (73.4%), 202 carried bla KPC , four bla KPC and bla VIM and one bla VIM . A significant increase in monthly BSIs' incidence was shown (R2: 0.449), which may be attributed to a rise of Gram-positive BSIs (R2: 0.337). Gram-positive BSIs were less frequent in spring (P period. The increasing incidence of BSIs can be attributed to an increase of Gram-positive BSI incidence, even though Gram-negative bacteria remained the predominant ones. Seasonality may play a role in the predominance of Gram-negative's BSI.

  19. Negative snakes in JET: evidence for negative shear

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gill, R.D.; Alper, B.; Edwards, A.W.

    1994-01-01

    The signature of the negative snakes from the soft X-ray cameras is very similar to the more usual snakes except that the localised region of the snake has, compared with its surroundings, decreased rather than increased emission. Circumstances where negative snakes have been seen are reviewed. The negative snake appears as a region of increased resistance and of increased impurity density. The relationship between the shear and the current perturbation is shown, and it seem probable that the magnetic shear is reversed at the point of the negative snake, i.e. that q is decreasing with radius. 6 refs., 6 figs

  20. Negative snakes in JET: evidence for negative shear

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gill, R D; Alper, B; Edwards, A W [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Pearson, D [Reading Univ. (United Kingdom)

    1994-07-01

    The signature of the negative snakes from the soft X-ray cameras is very similar to the more usual snakes except that the localised region of the snake has, compared with its surroundings, decreased rather than increased emission. Circumstances where negative snakes have been seen are reviewed. The negative snake appears as a region of increased resistance and of increased impurity density. The relationship between the shear and the current perturbation is shown, and it seem probable that the magnetic shear is reversed at the point of the negative snake, i.e. that q is decreasing with radius. 6 refs., 6 figs.

  1. Giant negative magnetoresistance in Ni(quinoline-8-selenoate)2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Nicholas; Daiki, Tonouchi; Matsushita, Michio M; Woollins, J Derek; Awaga, Kunio; Robertson, Neil

    2017-12-20

    The magnetic, structural, conductivity and magnetoresistance properties of [Ni(quinoline-8-selenoate) 2 ] ([Ni(qs) 2 ]) have been studied. Despite the insolubility of the material necessitating its study as a powdered sample, a remarkably high conductivity has been measured. The conductivity is an order of magnitude greater than the thin-film processable thiol analogue previously reported and has been interpreted through the same space-charge limited conduction mechanism with charges injected from the electrodes. The introduction of selenium, results in a material with conductivity approaching metallic due to the enhanced interaction between adjacent molecules. Additionally, under an applied magnetic field, the material displays a negative magnetoresistance effect above 35% at 2 K. The effect can still be observed at 200 K and is interpreted in terms of a double-exchange mechanism.

  2. Collateral sensitivity to cisplatin in KB-8-5-11 drug-resistant cancer cells.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Doherty, Ben

    2014-01-01

    KB-8-5-11 cells are a drug-resistant cervical cell model that overexpresses ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein). KB-8-5-11 has become sensitive to non-ABCB1 substrate cisplatin. Understanding the mechanism of collateral sensitivity to cisplatin may lead to biomarker discovery for platinum sensitivity in patients with cancer.

  3. Negative differential resistance in the Peierls insulating phases of TTF-TCNQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonouchi, Daiki; Matsushita, Michio M.; Awaga, Kunio

    2017-07-01

    Negative differential resistance (NDR) was observed in the most well known organic conductor, TTF-TCNQ, in its low-temperature Peierls insulator phase below 53 K. The voltage-current (V -I ) characteristics below this temperature, measured by a four-probe method, exhibited unique NDR behavior, in which the d V /d I versus conductivity (σ) plots had the inflection points at the three σ values without depending on temperature. These σ values were found to coincide with the conductivities at the three transition temperatures (53, 49, and 38 K) for the formation of the charge-density waves in TTF-TCNQ. This suggests that the electronic structure of the Peierls insulating phase of TTF-TCNQ is governed by the total carrier density, which is determined by not only thermal excitation but also carrier injection.

  4. Changes in gram negative microorganisms’ resistance pattern during 4 years period in a referral teaching hospital; a surveillance study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalili Hossein

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background and purpose Surveillance studies evaluating antimicrobial susceptibilities are of great value in preventing the spread of resistant pathogens by elucidating the trend of resistance in commonly used antibiotics and as a consequence providing information for prescribing the most appropriate agent. This study is a longitudinal antimicrobial resistance surveillance study designed to evaluate the trend in antimicrobial resistance to gram negative microorganisms from 2007 to 2010. Method During a four-year period (2007–2010 isolates derived from all patients admitted to infectious diseases ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, the major referral center for infectious disease in Iran with the highest admission rates, were evaluated. Based on disk diffusion method and zone of inhibition size, the microorganism was regarded as to be sensitive, resistant or has intermediate susceptibility to the antimicrobial agents. Results The widest spread Gram-negative microorganism in all of isolates taken together in our study was E.coli (30% followed by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in 28.6% and Enterobacter spp. in 11.9%, respectively. The susceptibility to amikacin, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, and nitrofurantoin was equal or above 50% for all microorganisms over four years. However, the susceptibility to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefotaxim, and ceftriaxone was less than 50% in derived isolates during the study period. Conclusion In conclusion, the finding of the present study revealed that resistance rate to common antimicrobial agents in Iran is growing and isolates were susceptible mostly to broad-spectrum antibiotics including imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam.

  5. Fine mapping and identification of a candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zang, Wen; Eckstein, Peter E; Colin, Mark; Voth, Doug; Himmelbach, Axel; Beier, Sebastian; Stein, Nils; Scoles, Graham J; Beattie, Aaron D

    2015-07-01

    The candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene encodes a deduced protein containing two tandem protein kinase domains. In North America, durable resistance against all known isolates of barley true loose smut, caused by the basidiomycete pathogen Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr. (U. nuda), is under the control of the Un8 resistance gene. Previous genetic studies mapped Un8 to the long arm of chromosome 5 (1HL). Here, a population of 4625 lines segregating for Un8 was used to delimit the Un8 gene to a 0.108 cM interval on chromosome arm 1HL, and assign it to fingerprinted contig 546 of the barley physical map. The minimal tilling path was identified for the Un8 locus using two flanking markers and consisted of two overlapping bacterial artificial chromosomes. One gene located close to a marker co-segregating with Un8 showed high sequence identity to a disease resistance gene containing two kinase domains. Sequence of the candidate gene from the parents of the segregating population, and in an additional 19 barley lines representing a broader spectrum of diversity, showed there was no intron in alleles present in either resistant or susceptible lines, and fifteen amino acid variations unique to the deduced protein sequence in resistant lines differentiated it from the deduced protein sequences in susceptible lines. Some of these variations were present within putative functional domains which may cause a loss of function in the deduced protein sequences within susceptible lines.

  6. Molecular epidemiology of carbapenem resistant gram-negative bacilli from infected pediatric population in tertiary - care hospitals in Medellín, Colombia: an increasing problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanegas, Johanna M; Parra, O Lorena; Jiménez, J Natalia

    2016-09-01

    Gram-negative bacilli are a cause of serious infections in the pediatric population. Carbapenem are the treatment of choice for infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli, but the emergence of carbapenem resistance has substantially reduced access to effective antimicrobial regimens. Children are a population vulnerable to bacterial infections and the emergence of resistance can worsen prognosis. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in pediatric patients from five tertiary-care hospitals in Medellín, Colombia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five tertiary-care hospitals from June 2012 to June 2014. All pediatric patients infected by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli were included. Clinical information for each patient was obtained from medical records. Molecular analyses included PCR for detection of bla VIM, bla IMP bla NDM, bla OXA-48 and bla KPC genes and PFGE and MLST for molecular typing. A total of 59 patients were enrolled, most of them less than 1 year old (40.7 % n = 24), with a previous history of antibiotic use (94.9 %; n = 56) and healthcare-associated infections - predominately urinary tract infections (31.0 %; n = 18). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent bacteria (47.4 %), followed by Enterobacter cloacae (40.7 %) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.9 %). For K. pneumoniae, KPC was the predominant resistance mechanism (85.7 %; n = 24) and ST14 was the most common clone (39.3 % n = 11), which included strains closely related by PFGE. In contrast, E. cloacae and P. aeruginosa were prevailing non-carbapenemase-producing isolates (only KPC and VIM were detected in 1 and 3 isolates, respectively) and high genetic diversity according to PFGE and MLST was found in the majority of the cases. In recent years, increasing carbapenem-resistant bacilli in children has become in a matter

  7. The Effects of 8 Eight Weeks Resistance Versus Endurance Training on Lipocalin-2 level in Non-Athlete Male Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Mohammadi Domiyeh

    2012-12-01

    Resistance training performed 3 three d/wk at an intensity corresponding to 65–80% of one-repetition maximum, 8-12 repetitions and 2-4 sets for 8 weeks. Endurance training group, underwent an 8-week intervention with a frequency of 3 d/wk at an intensity corresponding to 65, – 80% maximum heart rate for 20- – 38 minutes. Expressing lipocalin-2 plasma levels in samples were measured before and after intervention. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: Plasma expressing level of lipocalin 2 in the control group before and after intervention, were respectively 11./1 ± 4./5 & 13./05 ± 2/.04, µg/L, respectively. The plasma level of lipocalin 2 and in the endurance training group, were 22./7 ± 8/.3 & and 17/.7 ± 6/.8 , and while these level werein the resistance training group 22/.2 ± 6/.2 & 19/.9 ± 6/.5 in the resistance training group. micrograms per liter, which was not statistically different.The differences between three groups were not statistically significant (p>0/.05. Conclusion: This study showed that 8 eight weeks of endurance & and resistance exercise training has no effect on lipocalin-2 plasma levels. Key words: Resistance training, Endurance training, Lipocalin-2, Insulin Resistance

  8. Carbon-doping-induced negative differential resistance in armchair phosphorene nanoribbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Caixia; Xia, Congxin; Wang, Tianxing; Liu, Yufang

    2017-03-01

    By using a combined method of density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism, we investigate the electronic transport properties of carbon-doped armchair phosphorene nanoribbons (APNRs). The results show that C atom doping can strongly affect the electronic transport properties of the APNR and change it from semiconductor to metal. Meanwhile, obvious negative differential resistance (NDR) behaviors are obtained by tuning the doping position and concentration. In particular, with reducing doping concentration, NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range. These results provide a theoretical support to design the related nanodevice by tuning the doping position and concentration in the APNRs. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11274096), the University Science and Technology Innovation Team Support Project of Henan Province (No. 13IRTSTHN016), the University key Science Research Project of Henan Province (No.16A140043). The calculation about this work was supported by the High Performance Computing Center of Henan Normal University.

  9. Clinical and molecular features of methicillin-resistant, coagulase-negative staphylococci of pets and horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Andrea; Perreten, Vincent

    2013-06-01

    To determine the antibiotic resistance and fingerprint profiles of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) from animal infections among different practices and examine the history of antibiotic treatment. Isolates were identified by mass spectrometry and tested for antimicrobial resistance by broth dilution, microarrays and sequence analysis of the topoisomerases. Diversity was assessed by PFGE, icaA PCR and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) and multilocus sequence typing. Clinical records were examined retrospectively. MRCoNS were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=20), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n=17), Staphylococcus hominis (n=3), Staphylococcus capitis (n=1), Staphylococcus cohnii (n=1) and Staphylococcus warneri (n=1). PFGE identified one clonal lineage in S. hominis isolates and several in S. haemolyticus and S. epidermidis. Fourteen sequence types were identified in S. epidermidis, with sequence type 2 (ST2) and ST5 being predominant. Ten isolates contained SCCmec IV, seven contained SCCmec V and the others were non-typeable. ACMEs were detected in 11 S. epidermidis isolates. One S. hominis and 10 S. epidermidis isolates were icaA positive. In addition to mecA-mediated β-lactam resistance, the most frequent resistance was to gentamicin/kanamycin [aac(6')-Ie-aph(2')-Ia, aph(3')-III] (n=34), macrolides/lincosamides [erm(C), erm(A), msr, lnu(A)] (n=31), tetracycline [tet(K)] (n=22), streptomycin [str, ant(6)-Ia] (n=20), trimethoprim [dfr(A), dfr(G)] (n=17), sulfamethoxazole (n = 34) and fluoroquinolones [amino acid substitutions in GyrA and GrlA] (n=30). Clinical data suggest selection through multiple antibiotic courses and emphasize the importance of accurate diagnosis and antibiograms. MRCoNS from animal infection sites are genetically heterogeneous multidrug-resistant strains that represent a new challenge in the prevention and therapy of infections in veterinary

  10. Antimicrobial resistance profiles of common mastitis pathogens on Canadian dairy farms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saini, V; McClure, J T; Léger, D; Keefe, G P; Scholl, D T; Morck, D W; Barkema, H W

    2012-08-01

    Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria has clinical and public health significance. The present study determined prevalence of AMR in common mastitis pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA; n=1,810), Escherichia coli (n=394), and Klebsiella species (n=139), including extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli and Klebsiella species, isolated from milk samples on 89 dairy farms in 6 Canadian provinces. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined using the Sensititer bovine mastitis plate (Trek Diagnostic Systems Inc., Cleveland, OH) and a National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System gram-negative panel containing antimicrobials commonly used for mastitis treatment and control. Denim blue chromogenic agar and real-time PCR were used to screen and confirm MRSA, respectively. Resistance proportion estimates ranged from 0% for cephalothin and oxacillin to 8.8% for penicillin in Staph. aureus isolates, and 15% of the resistant Staph. aureus isolates were multidrug resistant. One MRSA isolate was confirmed (prevalence: 0.05%). Resistance proportion estimates ranged from 0% for ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin to 14.8% for tetracycline in E. coli, and 0% for amikacin, ceftiofur, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid to 18.6% for tetracycline in Klebsiella species isolates. Further, 62.8 and 55% of the resistant E. coli and Klebsiella species isolates were multidrug resistant, respectively. Resistance to >5 and >2 antimicrobials was most common in E. coli and Klebsiella species isolates, respectively, and no ESBL producers were found. Prevalence of AMR in bovine mastitis pathogens was low. Most gram-negative udder pathogens were multidrug resistant; MRSA was rarely found, and ESBL E. coli and Klebsiella species isolates were absent in Canadian milk samples. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Heterogeneity of Carbapenem Resistance Mechanisms Among Gram-Negative Pathogens in Lebanon: Results of the First Cross-Sectional Countrywide Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammoudi Halat, Dalal; Moubareck, Carole Ayoub; Sarkis, Dolla Karam

    2017-09-01

    Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens have progressively disseminated to different countries worldwide, presenting a serious public health concern. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria in Lebanon, to elucidate molecular mechanisms, and to identify genetic relatedness of incriminated strains. Carbapenem nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas were collected from 11 Lebanese hospitals in 2012. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed with phenotypic tests, genes encoding carbapenemases were screened via PCR-sequencing, and genetic relatedness was examined by PGFE and ERIC-PCR. A total of 398 nonrepetitive carbapenem nonsusceptible isolates were studied, of which 44 were Enterobacteriaceae, 142 were A. baumannii, and 212 were Pseudomonas. Among Enterobacteriaceae, 70.4% carried bla OXA-48-like gene on IncL/M-type plasmids, while acquired AmpC cephalosporinases, extended-spectrum-β-lactamases, and efflux-pump were additional contributors to carbapenem resistance. Among A. baumannii, 90% produced OXA-23 and GES-11 and carried insertion sequence ISAba1 upstream and adjacent to bla OXA-23 and bla Acinetobacter -derived cephalosporinases . Among Pseudomonas, 16% harbored VIM-2, 4.2% IMP-2, and 1.4% IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamases. Fingerprint analysis indicated that the spread of OXA-48-like carbapenemases was mostly mediated by horizontal transfer, while OXA-23 and GES-11 diffusion in A. baumannii and VIM-2 diffusion in P. aeruginosa were primarily due to clonal dissemination. This study is the first nationwide investigation of carbapenem resistance in Lebanon, showing low level of resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, and higher levels in A. baumannii and Pseudomonas. With current changes in the region, continuous surveillance of carbapenem resistance is crucial.

  12. High resistance rate against 15 different antibiotics in aerobic gram-negative bacteria isolates of cardiology intensive care unit patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Küçükates E

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Aerobic gram negative bacteria were isolated and examined microbiologically from various clinical samples of 602 patients hospitalized between January 1997 and December 2000 in surgical and coronary intensive care units (ICUs. A total of 827 isolates were obtained from 602 patients. The majority of microorganisms were isolated from the respiratory tract (50.3% and blood (39.9%. Pseudomonas spp. were the most frequently isolated gram negative species (32.7%, followed by Acinetobacter spp. (24.0% and Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.4%. High resistance rates to all antibiotics studied were observed. Imipenem and meropenem were the most effective antibiotics against gram negatives.

  13. In vitro antimicrobial activity of five essential oils on multidrug resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakkas, Hercules; Gousia, Panagiota; Economou, Vangelis; Sakkas, Vassilios; Petsios, Stefanos; Papadopoulou, Chrissanthy

    2016-01-01

    The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens has drawn attention on medicinal plants for potential antimicrobial properties. The objective of the present study was the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of five plant essential oils on multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Basil, chamomile blue, origanum, thyme, and tea tree oil were tested against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 7), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 5) using the broth macrodilution method. The tested essential oils produced variable antibacterial effect, while Chamomile blue oil demonstrated no antibacterial activity. Origanum, Thyme, and Basil oils were ineffective on P. aeruginosa isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged from 0.12% to 1.50% (v/v) for tea tree oil, 0.25-4% (v/v) for origanum and thyme oil, 0.50% to >4% for basil oil and >4% for chamomile blue oil. Compared to literature data on reference strains, the reported MIC values were different by 2SD, denoting less successful antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant isolates. The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils are influenced by the strain origin (wild, reference, drug sensitive, or resistant) and it should be taken into consideration whenever investigating the plants' potential for developing new antimicrobials.

  14. Dimensional Reduction of N=1, E_8 SYM over SU(3)/U(1) x U(1) x Z_3 and its four-dimensional effective action

    CERN Document Server

    Irges, Nikos; Zoupanos, George

    2011-01-01

    We present an extension of the Standard Model inspired by the E_8 x E_8 Heterotic String. In order that a reasonable effective Lagrangian is presented we neglect everything else other than the ten-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills sector associated with one of the gauge factors and certain couplings necessary for anomaly cancellation. We consider a compactified space-time M_4 x B_0 / Z_3, where B_0 is the nearly-Kaehler manifold SU(3)/U(1) x U(1) and Z_3 is a freely acting discrete group on B_0. Then we reduce dimensionally the E_8 on this manifold and we employ the Wilson flux mechanism leading in four dimensions to an SU(3)^3 gauge theory with the spectrum of a N=1 supersymmetric theory. We compute the effective four-dimensional Lagrangian and demonstrate that an extension of the Standard Model is obtained with interesting features including a conserved baryon number and fixed tree level Yukawa couplings and scalar potential. The spectrum contains new states such as right handed neutrinos and heavy ...

  15. Negative differential resistance and rectifying performance induced by doped graphene nanoribbons p–n device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Yuhong; Qiu, Nianxiang; Li, Runwei; Guo, Zhansheng; Zhang, Jian; Fang, Junfeng; Huang, Aisheng; He, Jian; Zha, Xianhu; Luo, Kan; Yin, Jingshuo; Li, Qiuwu; Bai, Xiaojing; Huang, Qing; Du, Shiyu

    2016-01-01

    Employing nonequilibrium Green's Functions in combination with density functional theory, the electronic transport properties of armchair graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices with various widths are investigated in this work. In the adopted model, two semi-infinite graphene electrodes are periodically doped with boron or nitrogen atoms. Our calculations reveal that these devices have a striking nonlinear feature and show notable negative differential resistance (NDR). The results also indicate the diode-like properties are reserved and the rectification ratios are high. It is found the electronic transport properties are strongly dependent on the width of doped nanoribbons and the positions of dopants and three distinct families are elucidated for the current armchair GNR devices. The NDR as well as rectifying properties can be well explained by the variation of transmission spectra and the relative shift of discrete energy states with applied bias voltage. These findings suggest that the doped armchair GNR is a promising candidate for the next generation nanoscale device. - Highlights: • The negative differential resistance (NDR) and rectification phenomena have been observed for the B- and N-doping armchair graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices. • The electronic transport properties are strongly dependent on the width of doped nanoribbons and exhibit three distinct families. • The NDR as well as rectifying properties can be well explained by the variation of transmission spectra and the relative shift of discrete energy states with applied bias voltage.

  16. Negative differential resistance and rectifying performance induced by doped graphene nanoribbons p–n device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Yuhong; Qiu, Nianxiang; Li, Runwei [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Guo, Zhansheng [Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai 200072 (China); Zhang, Jian; Fang, Junfeng; Huang, Aisheng [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); He, Jian [Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Zha, Xianhu; Luo, Kan; Yin, Jingshuo; Li, Qiuwu; Bai, Xiaojing; Huang, Qing [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Du, Shiyu, E-mail: dushiyu@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China)

    2016-03-06

    Employing nonequilibrium Green's Functions in combination with density functional theory, the electronic transport properties of armchair graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices with various widths are investigated in this work. In the adopted model, two semi-infinite graphene electrodes are periodically doped with boron or nitrogen atoms. Our calculations reveal that these devices have a striking nonlinear feature and show notable negative differential resistance (NDR). The results also indicate the diode-like properties are reserved and the rectification ratios are high. It is found the electronic transport properties are strongly dependent on the width of doped nanoribbons and the positions of dopants and three distinct families are elucidated for the current armchair GNR devices. The NDR as well as rectifying properties can be well explained by the variation of transmission spectra and the relative shift of discrete energy states with applied bias voltage. These findings suggest that the doped armchair GNR is a promising candidate for the next generation nanoscale device. - Highlights: • The negative differential resistance (NDR) and rectification phenomena have been observed for the B- and N-doping armchair graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices. • The electronic transport properties are strongly dependent on the width of doped nanoribbons and exhibit three distinct families. • The NDR as well as rectifying properties can be well explained by the variation of transmission spectra and the relative shift of discrete energy states with applied bias voltage.

  17. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and SCCmec types of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from subclinical bovine mastitis in Hatay, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aslantaş Özkan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Eighty-nine isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS of eight species from subclinical bovine mastitis were screened for the phenotypic and genotypic methicilline-resistance. In addition, all methicillin-resistant (MR isolates indicating the mecA gene were examined by PCR for the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec types were also determined by multiplex PCR. A total of 21 (23.6% CoNS isolates were found to be resistant to oxacillin in broth microdilution assay. All isolates phenotypically resistant to oxacillin did not have the mecA gene, which was only found in 14.6% (13 of the isolates. Most MR-CoNS isolates were highly resistant to erythromycin (92.3%, fusidic acid (84.6%, penicillin (76.9%, and rifampycin (61.5%, and susceptible to mupirocin (100%, tetracycline (100%, vancomycin (100%, clindamycin (92.3%, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (69.2%. In conclusion, a high rate of antimicrobial resistance among MR-CoNS isolated from food producing animals emphasises the need for periodic surveillance of their resistance.

  18. Synergistic antibacterial effect of silver and ebselen against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Lili; Lu, Jun; Wang, Jun; Ren, Xiaoyuan; Zhang, Lanlan; Gao, Yu; Rottenberg, Martin E; Holmgren, Arne

    2017-08-01

    Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria account for a majority of fatal infections, and development of new antibiotic principles and drugs is therefore of outstanding importance. Here, we report that five most clinically difficult-to-treat MDR Gram-negative bacteria are highly sensitive to a synergistic combination of silver and ebselen. In contrast, silver has no synergistic toxicity with ebselen on mammalian cells. The silver and ebselen combination causes a rapid depletion of glutathione and inhibition of the thioredoxin system in bacteria. Silver ions were identified as strong inhibitors of Escherichia coli thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase, which are required for ribonucleotide reductase and DNA synthesis and defense against oxidative stress. The bactericidal efficacy of silver and ebselen was further verified in the treatment of mild and acute MDR E. coli peritonitis in mice. These results demonstrate that thiol-dependent redox systems in bacteria can be targeted in the design of new antibacterial drugs. The silver and ebselen combination offers a proof of concept in targeting essential bacterial systems and might be developed for novel efficient treatments against MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  19. Integrated Active and Passive Polymer Optical Components with nm to mm Features

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Mads Brøkner; Schøler, Mikkel; Kristensen, Anders

    2007-01-01

    We present wafer-scale fabrication of integrated active and passive polymer optics with nm to mm features. First order DFB lasers, defined in dye doped SU-8 resist are integrated with SU-8 waveguides.......We present wafer-scale fabrication of integrated active and passive polymer optics with nm to mm features. First order DFB lasers, defined in dye doped SU-8 resist are integrated with SU-8 waveguides....

  20. Association between Genes BoLA-DRB3.2*8 and BoLA-DRB3.2*12 with Resistance and BoLA-DRB3.2*16 with Susceptibility to Infection by Bovine Leukemia Virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C Úsuga-Monroy*, JJ Echeverri Zuluaga and A López-Herrera

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV is a retrovirus that affects the immune system of cattle as their target cells are B lymphocytes. Some polymorphisms at the BoLA-DRB 3.2 gene have been associated with resistance/susceptibility to diseases. The objective of this research was to determine the polymorphisms at the BoLA-DRB 3.2 gene and associate them with resistance (R, neutrality (N or susceptibility (S to BLV in a Holstein cow population.500 blood samples were taken. Nested PCR was performed for detecting BLV virus and PCR-RFLP was performed to identify alleles of gene BoLA-DRB 3.2. Susceptibility was determined using odds ratio (OR and P value. According to their genotype, cows were classified in homozygous (R/R, N/N, or S/S and heterozygous (R/N, R/S, N/S. BLV molecular prevalence was 44%. The most frequent allele was BoLA-DRB3.2*22 (16.8%, alleles associated with resistance to BLV were BoLA-DRB3.2*8 (OR=1.489; P<0.10 and BoLA-DRB3.2*12 (OR=3.897; P<0.10 and allele BoLA-DRB3.2*16 (OR=0.710; P<0.10 was associated with susceptibility. Allele BoLA-DRB3.2*8 had the highest allelic frequency for negative cows (0.19. 63.7% of cows with genotype RN and 70% of cows with genotype RR were resistant to infection by BLV. Alleles R and S have a dominant effect on allele N (P<0.05. The use of reliable diagnostic techniques in conjunction with identification of resistant or susceptible animals can monitor the progress of the disease in dairy herds. Alleles BoLA-DRB3.2*8 and *12 were positively related to the disease and therefore cows have low risk of infection, unlike allele BoLA-DRB3.2*16 which was negatively related and animals have high risk for the disease.

  1. SU(N,1) inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.; Enqvist, K.; Nanopoulos, D.V.; Olive, K.A.; Srednicki, M.

    1985-01-01

    We present a simple model for primordial inflation in the context of SU(N, 1) no-scale n=1 supergravity. Because the model at zero temperature very closely resembles global supersymmetry, minima with negative cosmological constants do not exist, and it is easy to have a long inflationary epoch while keeping density perturbations of the right magnitude and satisfying other cosmological constraints. We pay specific attention to satisfying the thermal constraint for inflation, i.e. the existence of a high temperature minimum at the origin. (orig.)

  2. A randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of a symbiotic product to decolonize patients harboring multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Correa Coelho Salomão

    Full Text Available Abstract INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a symbiotic product to decolonize the intestinal tract of patients harboring multidrug-resistant (MDR Gram-negative bacilli and to prevent nosocomial infections. METHODS: This was a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, conducted in a tertiary-care university hospital. All adult hospitalized patients with a positive clinical culture and a positive rectal swab for any MDR Gram-negative bacilli were potentially eligible. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, immunosuppression, and bowel obstruction/perforation. The intervention consisted of administering a symbiotic product (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and fructo-oligosaccharides twice a day for seven days via the oral/enteral route. RESULTS: Between August 1, 2012 and December 22, 2013, 116 of 275 eligible patients were allocated to treatment (n=57 and placebo (n=59. Overall, 101 patients received at least four doses of the study products and were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The primary study outcome, a negative rectal swab for MDR Gram-negative bacilli after treatment, was identified in 16.7% (8/48 and 20.7% (11/53 of patients in the experimental and placebo group, respectively (p=0.60. The secondary outcome, the combined incidence of nosocomial respiratory and urinary tract infections, was 37.5% (18/48 in the experimental group versus 22.6% (12/53 in the control group (adjusted odds ratio: 1.95, 95% confidence interval: 0.69-5.50, p=0.21. Length of stay after the beginning of the intervention, incidence of adverse events, and in-hospital mortality rates were similar in both study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Under the present study conditions, symbiotic administration was not effective for decolonizing hospitalized patients harboring MDR Gram-negative bacilli.

  3. Influence of C3H8O3 in the electrolyte on characteristics and corrosion resistance of the microarc oxidation coatings formed on AZ91D magnesium alloy surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Di; Liu Xiangdong; Lu Kai; Zhang Yaping; Wang Huan

    2009-01-01

    Ceramic coatings were fabricated on AZ91D Mg-alloy substrate by microarc oxidation in Na 2 SiO 3 -NaOH-Na 2 EDTA electrolytes with and without C 3 H 8 O 3 addition. The effects of different concentrations of C 3 H 8 O 3 contained in the electrolyte on coatings thickness were investigated. The surface morphologies, RMS roughness, phase compositions and corrosion resistance property of the ceramic coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical corrosion test respectively. It is found that the addition of C 3 H 8 O 3 into silicate electrolyte leads to increase of the unit-area adsorptive capacity of the negative ions at anode-electrolyte interface and thus improves the compactness and corrosion resistance of the MAO coating. The coating thickness decreases gradually with the increase of concentrations of C 3 H 8 O 3 in the electrolyte. The oxide coating formed in base electrolyte containing 4 mL/L C 3 H 8 O 3 exhibits the best surface appearance, the lowest surface RMS roughness (174 nm) and highest corrosion resistance. In addition, both ceramic coatings treated in base electrolyte with and without C 3 H 8 O 3 are mainly composed of periclase MgO and forsterite Mg 2 SiO 4 phase, but no diffraction peak of Mg phase is found in the patterns.

  4. Early repeated infections with Trichomonas vaginalis among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kissinger, Patricia; Secor, W Evan; Leichliter, Jami S; Clark, Rebecca A; Schmidt, Norine; Curtin, Erink; Martin, David H

    2008-04-01

    The purpose of the study was to examine whether early repeated infections due to Trichomonas vaginalis among human immunuodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative women are reinfections, new infections, or cases of treatment failure. Women attending an HIV outpatient clinic and a family planning clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana, who had culture results positive for T. vaginalis were treated with 2 g of metronidazole under directly observed therapy. At 1 month, detailed sexual exposure and sexual partner treatment information was collected. Isolates from women who had clinical resistance (i.e., who tested positive for a third time after treatment at a higher dose) were tested for metronidazole susceptibility in vitro. Of 60 HIV-positive women with trichomoniasis, 11 (18.3%) were T. vaginalis positive 1 month after treatment. The 11 recurrences were classified as 3 probable reinfections (27%), 2 probable infections from a new sexual partner (18%), and 6 probable treatment failures (55%); 2 of the 6 patients who experienced probable treatment failure had isolates with mild resistance to metronidazole. Of 301 HIV-negative women, 24 (8.0%) were T. vaginalis positive 1 month after treatment. The 24 recurrences were classified as 2 probable reinfections (8%) and 22 probable treatment failures (92%); of the 22 patients who experienced probable treatment failure, 2 had strains with moderate resistance to metronidazole, and 1 had a strain with mild resistance to metronidazole. HIV-positive women were more likely to have sexual re-exposure than were HIV-negative women, although the rate of treatment failure was similar in both groups. High rates of treatment failure among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women indicate that a 2-g dose of metronidazole may not be adequate for treatment of some women and that rescreening should be considered.

  5. Bystander chronic infection negatively impacts development of CD8+ T cell memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stelekati, Erietta; Shin, Haina; Doering, Travis A.; Dolfi, Douglas V.; Ziegler, Carly G.; Beiting, Daniel P.; Dawson, Lucas; Liboon, Jennifer; Wolski, David; Ali, Mohammed-Alkhatim A.; Katsikis, Peter D.; Shen, Hao; Roos, David S.; Haining, W. Nicholas; Lauer, Georg M.; Wherry, E. John

    2014-01-01

    Summary Epidemiological evidence suggests that chronic infections impair immune responses to unrelated pathogens and vaccines. The underlying mechanisms, however, are unclear and distinguishing effects on priming versus development of immunological memory has been challenging. We investigated whether bystander chronic infections impact differentiation of memory CD8+ T cells, the hallmark of protective immunity against intracellular pathogens. Chronic bystander infections impaired development of memory CD8+ T cells in several mouse models and humans. These effects were independent of initial priming and were associated with chronic inflammatory signatures. Chronic inflammation negatively impacted the number of bystander CD8+ T cells and their memory development. Distinct underlying mechanisms of altered survival and differentiation were revealed with the latter regulated by the transcription factors T-bet and Blimp-1. Thus, exposure to prolonged bystander inflammation impairs the effector to memory transition. These data have relevance for immunity and vaccination during persisting infections and chronic inflammation. PMID:24837104

  6. An unusual class of anthracyclines potentiate Gram-positive antibiotics in intrinsically resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Georgina; Koteva, Kalinka; Wright, Gerard D

    2014-07-01

    An orthogonal approach taken towards novel antibacterial drug discovery involves the identification of small molecules that potentiate or enhance the activity of existing antibacterial agents. This study aimed to identify natural-product rifampicin adjuvants in the intrinsically resistant organism Escherichia coli. E. coli BW25113 was screened against 1120 actinomycete fermentation extracts in the presence of subinhibitory (2 mg/L) concentrations of rifampicin. The active molecule exhibiting the greatest rifampicin potentiation was isolated using activity-guided methods and identified using mass and NMR spectroscopy. Susceptibility testing and biochemical assays were used to determine the mechanism of antibiotic potentiation. The anthracycline Antibiotic 301A(1) was isolated from the fermentation broth of a strain of Streptomyces (WAC450); the molecule was shown to be highly synergistic with rifampicin (fractional inhibitory concentration index = 0.156) and moderately synergistic with linezolid (FIC index = 0.25) in both E. coli and Acinetobacter baumannii. Activity was associated with inhibition of efflux and the synergistic phenotype was lost when tested against E. coli harbouring mutations within the rpoB gene. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that other anthracyclines do not synergize with rifampicin and removal of the sugar moiety of Antibiotic 301A(1) abolishes activity. Screening only a subsection of our natural product library identified a small-molecule antibiotic adjuvant capable of sensitizing Gram-negative bacteria to antibiotics to which they are ordinarily intrinsically resistant. This result demonstrates the great potential of this approach in expanding antibiotic effectiveness in the face of the growing challenge of resistance in Gram-negatives. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Reciprocal regulation of annexin A2 and EGFR with Her-2 in Her-2 negative and herceptin-resistant breast cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Praveenkumar K Shetty

    Full Text Available Alternative survival pathways are commonly seen to be upregulated upon inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK, including Her-2. It is established that treatment with Herceptin leads to selective overexpression and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR and Src which further contributes to oncogenesis in Herceptin resistant and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC patients. Here, we show a co-regulated upregulation in the expression of Annexin A2 (AnxA2, a known substrate of Src and one of the regulators of EGFR receptor endocytosis, in Herceptin resistant and Her-2 negative breast cancer. Immunohistochemical expression analysis revealed a reciprocal regulation between Her-2 and AnxA2 in breast cancer clinical samples as well as in cell lines as confirmed by protein and RNA analysis. The siRNA and Herceptin mediated downregulation/inhibition of Her-2 in Her-2 amplified cells induced AnxA2 expression and membrane translocation. In this study we report a possible involvement of AnxA2 in maintaining constitutively activated EGFR downstream signaling intermediates and hence in cell proliferation, migration and viability. This effect was consistent in Herceptin resistant JIMT-1 cells as well as in Her-2 negative breast cancer. The siRNA mediated AnxA2 downregulation leads to increased apoptosis, decreased cell viability and migration. Our studies further indicate the role of AnxA2 in EGFR-Src membrane bound signaling complex and ligand induced activation of downstream signaling pathways. Targeting this AnxA2 dependent positive regulation of EGFR signaling cascade may be of therapeutic value in Her-2 negative breast cancer.

  8. Resistance switching mechanism of La_0_._8Sr_0_._2MnO_3_−_δ thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, X.D.; Gao, R.L.; Fu, C.L.; Cai, W.; Chen, G.; Deng, X.L.; Zhang, H.R; Sun, J.R.

    2016-01-01

    Effects of oxygen vacancies on the electrical transport properties of oxygen stoichiometric La_0_._8Sr_0_._2MnO_3 and oxygen-deficient La_0_._8Sr_0_._2MnO_3_−_δ films have been investigated. The result presents that the oxygen-deficient films annealed in vacuum show obvious increase of resistance and lattice parameter. With the sweeping voltage or temperature increasing, the resistance exhibits obvious bipolar switching effect, no forming process was needed. Oxygen deficiency in the annealed film leads to the formation of a structural disorder in the Mn–O–Mn conduction channel due to the accumulation of oxygen vacancies under high external electric field or temperatures and hence is believed to be responsible for the bipolar resistance switching effect and the enhanced resistivity compared with oxygen stoichiometric La_0_._8Sr_0_._2MnO_3 film. These results may be important for practical applications in photoelectric or storage devices and point to a useful direction for other oxidizing materials.

  9. A New Take on an Old Remedy: Generating Antibodies against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in a Postantibiotic World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motley, Michael P; Fries, Bettina C

    2017-01-01

    With the problem of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens becoming increasingly dire, new strategies are needed to protect and treat infected patients. Though abandoned in the past, monoclonal antibody therapy against Gram-negative bacteria remains a potential solution and has potential advantages over the broad-spectrum antibiotics they were once replaced by. This Perspective reviews the prospect of utilizing monoclonal antibody therapy against these pathogens, as well as the challenges of doing so and the current therapy targets under investigation.

  10. Microfluidic sensors based on perforated cantilevers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noeth, Nadine-Nicole

    Arbejdet presenteret i denne PhD afhandling omhandler udviklingen af en mikrofluide sensor basered på bjælke teknologi. Bjælkerne er fremstillet i den negative photo-resist SU-8 og i SiN. I bjælkerne er der inkorporeret et array af huller. To nye sensorer er udviklet på baggrund af de perforerede...

  11. Engineering and Characterizing Light-Matter Interactions in Photonic Crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    SU8 monomer has, on average, eight epoxy groups, that under go a ring-opening polymerization in the presence of an acid catalyst. SU8 falls into...copper oxide [49] into colloidal and SU8 polymer photonic crystal templates, respectively. 1.5.2 Gas-Phase Infilling Gas-phase deposition typically...resist using direct laser writing. 78 Figure 2. Scanning electron micrograph of an over- polymerized woodpile structure fabricated in SU8 photo-resist

  12. Absolute Negative Resistance Induced by Directional Electron-Electron Scattering in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Ismet I.; Eberl, Karl

    2007-05-01

    A three-terminal device formed by two electrostatic barriers crossing an asymmetrically patterned two-dimensional electron gas displays an unusual potential depression at the middle contact, yielding absolute negative resistance. The device displays momentum and current transfer ratios that far exceed unity. The observed reversal of the current or potential in the middle terminal can be interpreted as the analog of Bernoulli’s effect in a Fermi liquid. The results are explained by directional scattering of electrons in two dimensions.

  13. Emergence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci resistant to linezolid with rRNA gene C2190T and G2603T mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cidral, Thiago André; Carvalho, Maria Cícera; Figueiredo, Agnes Marie Sá; de Melo, Maria Celeste Nunes

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this article were to determinate the mechanism of linezolid resistance in coagulase-negative methicillin-resistant staphylococci from hospitals in the northeast of Brazil. We identified the isolates using VITEK(®) 2 and MALDI-TOF. Susceptibility to antibiotics was measured by the disk-diffusion method and by Etest(®) . Extraction of the whole genome DNA was performed, followed by screening of all the strains for the presence of mecA and cfr genes. The domain V region of 23S rRNA gene was sequenced and then aligned with a linezolid-susceptible reference strain. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) macro-restriction analysis was performed. Three linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus hominis and two linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains were analyzed. The isolates showed two point mutations in the V region of the 23S rRNA gene (C2190T and G2603T). We did not detect the cfr gene in any isolate by PCR. The S. hominis showed the same pulsotype, while the S. epidermidis did not present any genetic relation to each other. In conclusion, this study revealed three S. hominis and two S. epidermidis strains with resistance to linezolid due to a double mutation (C2190T and G2603T) in the domain V of the 23S rRNA gene. For the first time, the mutation of C2190T in S. epidermidis is described. This study also revealed the clonal spread of a S. hominis pulsotype between three public hospitals in the city of Natal, Brazil. These findings highlight the importance of continued vigilance of linezolid resistance in staphylococci. © 2015 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. A novel fabrication technique for free-hanging homogeneous polymeric cantilever waveguides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordström, Maria; Hübner, Jörg; Boisen, Anja; Calleja, Montserrat

    2008-01-01

    We present a novel bonding technique developed for the fabrication of a cantilever-based biosensing system with integrated optical read-out. The read-out mechanism is based on single-mode waveguides fabricated monolithically in SU-8. For optimal operation of the read-out mode, the cantilever waveguides should be homogenous and this bonding technique ensures free-hanging cantilevers that are surrounded by the same material for bottom and top claddings. The bonding step is necessary because SU-8 is a negative resist where free-hanging structures cannot be fabricated directly. This paper gives details on the processing aspects and the parameters of the fabrication steps

  15. Detecção do gene mecA em estafilococos coagulase negativa resistentes à oxacilina isolados da saliva de profissionais da enfermagem Detection of mecA gene in oxacillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from the saliva of nursing professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana de Oliveira Rosa

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Estafilococos coagulase negativa estão frequentemente associados às infecções nosocomiais e os profissionais da saúde podem ser reservatório e dissemina-los no hospital e comunidade. O objetivo desse estudo foi identificar espécies de estafilococos coagulase negativa isolados da saliva de profissionais da enfermagem, determinar o perfil de resistência e detectar o gene mecA. Foram selecionados 100 estafilococos coagulase negativa, sendo 41 identificados como Staphylococcus epidermidis, 25 Staphylococcus saprophyticus, 18 Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 8 Staphylococcus cohnii, 4 Staphylococcus lugdunenses, 3 Staphylococcus capitis, e 1 Staphylococcus Simulans. Desses, 32% apresentaram resistência à oxacilina, 84,4% à mupirocina, 32% à cefoxitina, e todos sensíveis a vancomicina. Dos estafilococos coagulase negativa resistentes à oxacilina, 93,7% desenvolveram-se no agar oxacilina (6µg/ml e o gene mecA foi detectado em 75%. Os resultados sinalizam que maiores investimentos devem ser direcionados a identificação das espécies de estafilococos coagulase negativa nas instituições de saúde e na comunidade.Coagulase-negative staphylococci are frequently associated with nosocomial infections, and healthcare professionals can be reservoirs and spread them in hospitals and in the community. The aim of this study was to identify species of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from the saliva of nursing professionals, determine the resistance profile and detect the mecA gene. One hundred coagulase-negative staphylococci were selected: 41 were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis, 25 as Staphylococcus saprophyticus, 18 as Staphylococcus haemolyticus, eight as Staphylococcus cohnii, four as Staphylococcus lugdunenses, three as Staphylococcus capitis and one as Staphylococcus simulans. Of these, 32% presented oxacillin resistance, 84.4% mupirocin resistance and 32% cefoxitin resistance, and all were vancomycin sensitive. Among the

  16. Presence, distribution and molecular epidemiology of multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli from medical personnel of intensive care units in Tianjin, China, 2007-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, H; Fei, C N; Zhang, Y; Liu, G W; Liu, J; Dong, J

    2017-06-01

    Multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) have become an important cause of nosocomial infection in intensive care units (ICUs). To investigate the molecular epidemiology of MDRGNB isolated from medical personnel (MP) and non-medical personnel (NMP) at 69 ICUs in Tianjin, China. From April 2007 to October 2015, 2636 nasal and hand swab samples from 1185 MP and 133 NMP were cultured for GNB (including MDRGNB), meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The susceptibilities of GNB to 14 antimicrobial agents were determined, and 80 MDRGNB were characterized using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and dendrogram analysis. In total, 301 GNB were identified in 269 MP, including 109 MDRGNB isolates in 104 MP. Forty-two GNB were isolated from 39 NMP, which included 20 NMP with MDRGNB. Overall, 8.8% of MP were colonized with MDRGNB, which greatly exceeded colonization rates with MRSA (0.9%) and VRE (0.1%). Three pairs of Klebsiella pneumoniae and one pair of Enterobacter aerogenes were indistinguishable from each other, but the majority of isolate tests had distinct PFGE profiles. The prevalence of MDRGNB was high among ICU MP in Tianjin, and greatly exceeded that of VRE and MRSA. There was no difference in the rates of nasal carriage of MDRGNB between MP and NMP, but NMP were significantly more likely to have hand colonization with MDRGNB. PFGE profiles showed that there was only limited sharing of strains of MDR E. aerogenes and K. pneumoniae between personnel. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. SU(4)

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. We introduce in this paper embedded Gaussian unitary ensemble of random matrices, for m fermions in Ω number of single particle orbits, generated by random two- body interactions that are SU(4) scalar, called EGUE(2)-SU(4). Here the SU(4) algebra corresponds to Wigner's supermultiplet SU(4) symmetry in ...

  18. Antibiotic Resistance in Haemophilus influenzae Decreased, except for β-Lactamase-Negative Amoxicillin-Resistant Isolates, in Parallel with Community Antibiotic Consumption in Spain from 1997 to 2007▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Cobos, Silvia; Campos, José; Cercenado, Emilia; Román, Federico; Lázaro, Edurne; Pérez-Vázquez, María; de Abajo, Francisco; Oteo, Jesús

    2008-01-01

    The susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents and the mechanisms of aminopenicillin resistance were studied in 197 clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae—109 isolated in 2007 (study group) and 88 isolated in 1997 (control group). Community antibiotic consumption trends were also examined. H. influenzae strains were consecutively isolated from the same geographic area, mostly from respiratory specimens from children and adults. Overall, amoxicillin resistance decreased by 8.4% (from 38.6 to 30.2%). β-Lactamase production decreased by 15.6% (from 33 to 17.4%, P = 0.01), but amoxicillin resistance without β-lactamase production increased by 7.1% (from 5.7 to 12.8%). All β-lactamase-positive isolates were TEM-1, but five different promoter regions were identified, with Pdel being the most prevalent in both years, and Prpt being associated with the highest amoxicillin resistance. A new promoter consisting of a double repeat of 54 bp was detected. Community consumption of most antibiotics decreased, as did the geometric means of their MICs, but amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and azithromycin consumption increased by ca. 60%. For amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, a 14.2% increase in the population with an MIC of 2 to 4 μg/ml (P = 0.02) was observed; for azithromycin, a 21.2% increase in the population with an MIC of 2 to 8 μg/ml (P = 0.0005) was observed. In both periods, the most common gBLNAR (i.e., H. influenzae isolates with mutations in the ftsI gene as previously defined) patterns were IIc and IIb. Community consumption of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole decreased by 54%, while resistance decreased from 50 to 34.9% (P = 0.04). Antibiotic resistance in H. influenzae decreased in Spain from 1997 to 2007, but surveillance should be maintained since new forms of resistances may be developing. PMID:18505850

  19. The powdery mildew resistance gene Pm8 derived from rye is suppressed by its wheat ortholog Pm3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurni, Severine; Brunner, Susanne; Stirnweis, Daniel; Herren, Gerhard; Peditto, David; McIntosh, Robert A; Keller, Beat

    2014-09-01

    The powdery mildew resistance gene Pm8 derived from rye is located on a 1BL.1RS chromosome translocation in wheat. However, some wheat lines with this translocation do not show resistance to isolates of the wheat powdery mildew pathogen avirulent to Pm8 due to an unknown genetically dominant suppression mechanism. Here we show that lines with suppressed Pm8 activity contain an intact and expressed Pm8 gene. Therefore, the absence of Pm8 function in certain 1BL.1RS-containing wheat lines is not the result of gene loss or mutation but is based on suppression. The wheat gene Pm3, an ortholog of rye Pm8, suppressed Pm8-mediated powdery mildew resistance in lines containing Pm8 in a transient single-cell expression assay. This result was further confirmed in transgenic lines with combined Pm8 and Pm3 transgenes. Expression analysis revealed that suppression is not the result of gene silencing, either in wheat 1BL.1RS translocation lines carrying Pm8 or in transgenic genotypes with both Pm8 and Pm3 alleles. In addition, a similar abundance of the PM8 and PM3 proteins in single or double homozygous transgenic lines suggested that a post-translational mechanism is involved in suppression of Pm8. Co-expression of Pm8 and Pm3 genes in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves followed by co-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the two proteins interact. Therefore, the formation of a heteromeric protein complex might result in inefficient or absent signal transmission for the defense reaction. These data provide a molecular explanation for the suppression of resistance genes in certain genetic backgrounds and suggest ways to circumvent it in future plant breeding. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Antimicrobial resistance in gram-negative hospital isolates: results of the Turkish HITIT-2 Surveillance Study of 2007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gur, D; Hascelik, G; Aydin, N; Telli, M; Gültekin, M; Ogülnç, D; Arikan, O A; Uysal, S; Yaman, A; Kibar, F; Gülay, Z; Sumerkan, B; Esel, D; Kayacan, C B; Aktas, Z; Soyletir, G; Altinkanat, G; Durupinar, B; Darka, O; Akgün, Y; Yayla, B; Gedikoglu, S; Sinirtas, M; Berktas, M; Yaman, G

    2009-08-01

    Resistance rates to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, cefoperazone/sulbactam and piperacillin/tazobactam in Escherichia coli (n= 438), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n= 444), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n= 210) and Acinetobacter baumanni (n=200) were determined with e-test in a multicenter surveillance study (Hitit-2) in 2007. ESBL production in Escherichia coli and K. pneumoniae was investigated following the CLSI guidelines. Overall 42.0% of E.coli and 41.4% of K. pneumoniae were ESBL producers. In E. coli , resistance to imipenem was not observed, resistance to ciprofloxacin and amikacin was 58.0% and 5.5% respectively. In K. pneumoniae resistance to imipenem, ciprofloxacin and amikacin was 3.1%, 17.8% 12.4% respectively. In P. aeruginosa the lowest rate of resistance was observed with piperacillin/tazobactam (18.1%). A. baumanni isolates were highly resistant to all the antimicrobial agents, the lowest level of resistance was observed against cefoperazone/sulbactam (52.0%) followed by imipenem (55.5%). this study showed that resistance rates to antimicrobials are high in nosocomial isolates and show variations among the centers.

  1. Motuporamine Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents and Antibiotic Enhancers against Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borselli, Diane; Blanchet, Marine; Bolla, Jean-Michel; Muth, Aaron; Skruber, Kristen; Phanstiel, Otto; Brunel, Jean Michel

    2017-02-01

    Dihydromotuporamine C and its derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities and antibiotic enhancement properties against Gram-negative bacteria and clinical isolates. The mechanism of action of one of these derivatives, MOTU-N44, was investigated against Enterobacter aerogenes by using fluorescent dyes to evaluate outer-membrane depolarization and permeabilization. Its efficiency correlated with inhibition of dye transport, thus suggesting that these molecules inhibit drug transporters by de-energization of the efflux pump rather than by direct interaction of the molecule with the pump. This suggests that depowering the efflux pump provides another strategy to address antibiotic resistance. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  2. Bacterial Contamination of Iranian Paper Currency and Their Antibiotic Resistance Patterns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzaneh Firoozeh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Paper currency is used in exchange for services, and thisis why the circulation of paper currency from person to person expandsmicroorganisms. Objectives:: Paper banknotes would be a vector for transmission of pathogenic microorganisms through handling. This study aimed to determine bacterial contamination of Iranian paper currencies in circulation and their antibiotic resistance patterns. Materials and Methods: In this study, 337 currency notes of different value were collected from markets, shops, restaurants, bus stations and banks in Kashan, Iran during April 2015 to March 2016. The currency notes transferred to microbiology laboratory and were tested for bacterial contamination using standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated bacteria were determined by disk diffusion method according to CLSI standards. The results and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of 337 currency notes, 262 (77.7% were identified with bacterial contamination. Bacteria isolated from currency notes were as follows: Bacillus spp 113 (43.1%, coagulase-negative Staphylococci 99 (37.7%, Escherichia coli 20 (7.6%, Enterococci species 14 (5.3%, Staphylococcus aureus 8 (3.1%, Klebsiella spp 4 (1.5%, Shigella species 2 (0.8%, Pseudomonas species 2 (0.8%. The most and least contaminated currency notes were 50000 and 500 Rials, respectively. The most resistance rates in gram negative rods were against nalidixicacid, and ampicillin. Also most resistance rates in Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Enterococci species were against ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the bacterial contamination among Iranian paper currency in circulation especially those obtained from certain sources including shops and bus stations is high and in most cases these bacterial isolates are antibiotic resistant strains.

  3. Strategy of gene silencing in cassava for validation of resistance genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortes, Simon; Lopez, Camilo

    2010-01-01

    Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a major source of food for more than 1000 million people in the world and constitutes an important staple crop. Cassava bacterial blight, caused by the gram negative bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis, is one of the most important constraints for this crop. A candidate resistance gene against cassava bacterial blight, named RXam1, has been identified previously. In this work, we employed the gene silencing approach using the African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) to validate the function of the RXam1 gene. We used as positive control the su gen, which produce photo blanching in leaves when is silenced. Plants from the SG10735 variety were bombardment with the ACMV-A-SU+ACMV-B y ACMV-A-RXam1+ACMV-B constructions. The silencing efficiency employing the su gene was low, only one of seven plants showed photo blanching. In the putative silenced plants for the RXam1 gene, no presence of siRNAs corresponding to RXam1 was observed; although a low diminution of the RXam1 gene expression was obtained. The growth curves for the Xam strain CIO136 in cassava plants inoculated showing a little but no significance difference in the susceptibility in the silenced plants compared to not silenced

  4. Dynamical Negative Differential Resistance in Antiferromagnetically Coupled Few-Atom Spin Chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolf-Pissarczyk, Steffen; Yan, Shichao; Malavolti, Luigi; Burgess, Jacob A. J.; McMurtrie, Gregory; Loth, Sebastian

    2017-11-01

    We present the appearance of negative differential resistance (NDR) in spin-dependent electron transport through a few-atom spin chain. A chain of three antiferromagnetically coupled Fe atoms (Fe trimer) was positioned on a Cu2 N /Cu (100 ) surface and contacted with the spin-polarized tip of a scanning tunneling microscope, thus coupling the Fe trimer to one nonmagnetic and one magnetic lead. Pronounced NDR appears at the low bias of 7 mV, where inelastic electron tunneling dynamically locks the atomic spin in a long-lived excited state. This causes a rapid increase of the magnetoresistance between the spin-polarized tip and Fe trimer and quenches elastic tunneling. By varying the coupling strength between the tip and Fe trimer, we find that in this transport regime the dynamic locking of the Fe trimer competes with magnetic exchange interaction, which statically forces the Fe trimer into its high-magnetoresistance state and removes the NDR.

  5. Room temperature negative differential resistance in terahertz quantum cascade laser structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albo, Asaf, E-mail: asafalbo@gmail.com; Hu, Qing [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Reno, John L. [Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, MS 1303, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1303 (United States)

    2016-08-22

    The mechanisms that limit the temperature performance of GaAs/Al{sub 0.15}GaAs-based terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs) have been identified as thermally activated LO-phonon scattering and leakage of charge carriers into the continuum. Consequently, the combination of highly diagonal optical transition and higher barriers should significantly reduce the adverse effects of both mechanisms and lead to improved temperature performance. Here, we study the temperature performance of highly diagonal THz-QCLs with high barriers. Our analysis uncovers an additional leakage channel which is the thermal excitation of carriers into bounded higher energy levels, rather than the escape into the continuum. Based on this understanding, we have designed a structure with an increased intersubband spacing between the upper lasing level and excited states in a highly diagonal THz-QCL, which exhibits negative differential resistance even at room temperature. This result is a strong evidence for the effective suppression of the aforementioned leakage channel.

  6. MEMS flexible artificial basilar membrane fabricated from piezoelectric aluminum nitride on an SU-8 substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Jongmoon; Choi, Hongsoo; Jang, Jeong Hun

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we present a flexible artificial basilar membrane (FABM) that mimics the passive mechanical frequency selectivity of the basilar membrane. The FABM is composed of a cantilever array made of piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) on an SU-8 substrate. We analyzed the orientations of the AlN crystals using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The AIN crystals are oriented in the c -axis (0 0 2) plane and effective piezoelectric coefficient was measured as 3.52 pm V −1 . To characterize the frequency selectivity of the FABM, mechanical displacements were measured using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer. When electrical and acoustic stimuli were applied, the measured resonance frequencies were in the ranges of 663.0–2369 Hz and 659.4–2375 Hz, respectively. These results demonstrate that the mechanical frequency selectivity of this piezoelectric FABM is close to the human communication frequency range (300–3000 Hz), which is a vital feature of potential auditory prostheses. (paper)

  7. Molecular Cloning and Functional Analysis of UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (PeUVR8 from Populus euphratica.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke Mao

    Full Text Available Ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm light, which is an integral part of the solar radiation reaching the surface of the Earth, induces a broad range of physiological responses in plants. The UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8 protein is the first and only light photoreceptor characterized to date that is specific for UV-B light and it regulates various aspects of plant growth and development in response to UV-B light. Despite its involvement in the control of important plant traits, most studies on UV-B photoreceptors have focused on Arabidopsis and no data on UVR8 function are available for forest trees. In this study, we isolated a homologue of the UV receptor UVR8 of Arabidopsis, PeUVR8, from Populus euphratica (Euphrates poplar and analyzed its structure and function in detail. The deduced PeUVR8 amino acid sequence contained nine well-conserved regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1 repeats and the region 27 amino acids from the C terminus (C27 that interact with COP1 (CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1. Secondary and tertiary structure analysis showed that PeUVR8 shares high similarity with the AtUVR8 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. Using heterologous expression in Arabidopsis, we showed that PeUVR8 overexpression rescued the uvr8 mutant phenotype. In addition, PeUVR8 overexpression in wild-type background seedlings grown under UV-B light inhibited hypocotyl elongation and enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, we examined the interaction between PeUVR8 and AtCOP1 using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC assay. Our data provide evidence that PeUVR8 plays important roles in the control of photomorphogenesis in planta.

  8. [A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to infective endocarditis by methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kajikawa, Shunsuke; Oeda, Tomoko; Park, Kwiyoung; Yamamoto, Kenji; Sugiyama, Hiroshi; Sawada, Hideyuki

    2017-12-27

    A 77-year-old man visited our hospital with unstable gait following 2 months of anorexia. Brain MRI showed multiple infarcts; cardiac echocardiography revealed mitral-valve vegetation; and blood culture revealed methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci. The patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE). Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) developed ten days after antibiotic treatment. Intracranial aneurysm was not found. We speculated that chronic inflammation of the cerebral arterial walls by bacteria of low virulence was associated with SAH complication. The vegetation disappeared following additional gentamicin administration and the patient recovered to walk.

  9. Relación entre el virus humano herpes 8 y el sarcoma de Kaposi en pacientes positivos y negativos para el VIH Relationship between human herpes virus 8 and Kaposi sarcomain HIV positive and negative patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BEATRIZ OROZCO

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Introducción. Parece existir una relación de causalidad entre la infección por el virus humano herpes 8 ( human Herpesvirus 8, HHV-8 y el desarrollo de sarcoma de Kaposi, especialmente en la población positiva para virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH. Objetivo. Fue determinar la relación entre los resultados serológicos positivos para HHV-8 y el sarcoma de Kaposi en pacientes positivos y negativos para VIH de Medellín, buscando la relación con distintas variables. Materiales y métodos. Es un estudio descriptivo, de cohorte, prospectivo, del suero de 98 pacientes de diferentes instituciones de salud de Medellín, los cuales se dividieron en cuatro grupos para determinar por inmunofluorescencia su seropositividad frente a HHV-8 y poder asociar en forma univariada y bivariada con diferentes variables. Resultados. Se estudiaron 98 sueros. En el grupo de pacientes con sarcoma de Kaposi y VIH, 83,3% fueron positivos para HHV- 8, en el grupo sin sarcoma de Kaposi pero con sífilis, 20,8% fueron positivos para HHV-8, en el grupo sin sarcoma de Kaposi pero VIH positivos, 8% fueron positivos para HHV-8 y en el grupo de sueros de banco de sangre, 4% fueron positivos para HHV-8. La presencia de sarcoma de Kaposi no tuvo relación con la evolución de la enfermedad por VIH ni con el recuento de CD4/ml. Conclusiones. El HHV-8 circula en nuestro medio y existe una relación entre la infección por este virus y el desarrollo de sarcoma de Kaposi, especialmente en pacientes con enfermedades de transmisión sexual y VIH positivos.Background: Apparently, there is a relationship between human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8 infection and Kaposi´ sarcoma, especially in HIV-positive population. Objectives: To define the relationship between seropositivity against HHV- 8 and Kaposi´ sarcoma in an HIV positive and negative population from Medellín, looking for its relationship with different variables. Methods: It is a descriptive, cohort, prospective study which

  10. From Farms to Markets: Gram-Negative Bacteria Resistant to Third-Generation Cephalosporins in Fruits and Vegetables in a Region of North Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesbah Zekar, Ferielle; Granier, Sophie A.; Marault, Muriel; Yaici, Lydia; Gassilloud, Benoit; Manceau, Charles; Touati, Abdelaziz; Millemann, Yves

    2017-01-01

    The role of food in human exposure to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a growing food safety issue. The contribution of fruits and vegetables eaten raw to this exposure is still unclear. The evaluation of contamination levels of fruits, vegetables and the agricultural environment by third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Gram-negative bacteria was performed by analyzing 491 samples of fruits and vegetables collected from 5 markets and 7 farms in Bejaia area, north-eastern Mediterranean coast of Algeria. Ninety soil samples and 45 irrigation water samples were also sampled in farms in order to assess them as potential inoculum sources. All samples were investigated at the same time on ceftazidime-containing selective media for 3GC-resistant Gram-negative bacteria detection and on Hektoen media, for Salmonella spp. presence. The bacteria isolated (n = 30) from fruits and vegetables, soil and irrigation water collected in the farms were almost all non-fermenting bacterial species (Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Ochrobactrum) except one strain of Enterobacter cloacae and two strains of Citrobacter murliniae, isolated on one cucumber and two tomato samples in the same farm. Greater diversity in bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance profiles was observed at markets: Enterobacteriaceae (n = 41) were as strongly represented as non-fermenting bacteria (n = 37). Among Enterobacteriaceae, E. cloacae (n = 21), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 13) were the most common isolates. Most of the K. pneumoniae isolates were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers (n = 11). No Salmonella spp. was recovered in any sample. This study showed that fruits and vegetables including those which may be eaten up raw constitute a reservoir of 3GC-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and multi-drug resistant-bacteria in general that can be transferred to humans through food. The general public should be informed of this hazard for health in order to encourage

  11. From Farms to Markets: Gram-Negative Bacteria Resistant to Third-Generation Cephalosporins in Fruits and Vegetables in a Region of North Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferielle Mesbah Zekar

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The role of food in human exposure to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a growing food safety issue. The contribution of fruits and vegetables eaten raw to this exposure is still unclear. The evaluation of contamination levels of fruits, vegetables and the agricultural environment by third-generation cephalosporin (3GC-resistant Gram-negative bacteria was performed by analyzing 491 samples of fruits and vegetables collected from 5 markets and 7 farms in Bejaia area, north-eastern Mediterranean coast of Algeria. Ninety soil samples and 45 irrigation water samples were also sampled in farms in order to assess them as potential inoculum sources. All samples were investigated at the same time on ceftazidime-containing selective media for 3GC-resistant Gram-negative bacteria detection and on Hektoen media, for Salmonella spp. presence. The bacteria isolated (n = 30 from fruits and vegetables, soil and irrigation water collected in the farms were almost all non-fermenting bacterial species (Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Ochrobactrum except one strain of Enterobacter cloacae and two strains of Citrobacter murliniae, isolated on one cucumber and two tomato samples in the same farm. Greater diversity in bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance profiles was observed at markets: Enterobacteriaceae (n = 41 were as strongly represented as non-fermenting bacteria (n = 37. Among Enterobacteriaceae, E. cloacae (n = 21, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 13 were the most common isolates. Most of the K. pneumoniae isolates were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL producers (n = 11. No Salmonella spp. was recovered in any sample. This study showed that fruits and vegetables including those which may be eaten up raw constitute a reservoir of 3GC-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and multi-drug resistant-bacteria in general that can be transferred to humans through food. The general public should be informed of this hazard for health in order

  12. Observation and Measurement of Negative Differential Resistance on PtSi Schottky Junctions on Porous Silicon

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    Mansor Mohtashamifar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanosize porous Si is made by two step controlled etching of Si. The first etching step is carried on the Si surface and the second is performed after deposition of 75 Å of platinum on the formed surface. A platinum silicide structure with a size of less than 25 nm is formed on the porous Si surface, as measured with an Atomic Forced Microscope (AFM. Differential resistance curve as a function of voltage in 77 K and 100 K shows a negative differential resistance and indicates the effect of quantum tunneling. In general form, the ratio of maximum to minimum tunneling current (PVR and the number of peaks in I-V curves reduces by increasing the temperature. However, due to accumulation of carriers behind the potential barrier and superposition of several peaks, it is observed that the PVR increases at 100 K and the maximum PVR at 100 K is 189.6.

  13. Multiple Evolutionary Events Involved in Maintaining Homologs of Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8 in Brassica napus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qin; Li, Jing; Sun, Jin-Long; Ma, Xian-Feng; Wang, Ting-Ting; Berkey, Robert; Yang, Hui; Niu, Ying-Ze; Fan, Jing; Li, Yan; Xiao, Shunyuan; Wang, Wen-Ming

    2016-01-01

    The Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8 (RPW8) locus confers broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew in Arabidopsis thaliana. There are four Homologous to RPW8s (BrHRs) in Brassica rapa and three in Brassica oleracea (BoHRs). Brassica napus (Bn) is derived from diploidization of a hybrid between B. rapa and B. oleracea, thus should have seven homologs of RPW8 (BnHRs). It is unclear whether these genes are still maintained or lost in B. napus after diploidization and how they might have been evolved. Here, we reported the identification and sequence polymorphisms of BnHRs from a set of B. napus accessions. Our data indicated that while the BoHR copy from B. oleracea is highly conserved, the BrHR copy from B. rapa is relatively variable in the B. napus genome owing to multiple evolutionary events, such as gene loss, point mutation, insertion, deletion, and intragenic recombination. Given the overall high sequence homology of BnHR genes, it is not surprising that both intragenic recombination between two orthologs and two paralogs were detected in B. napus, which may explain the loss of BoHR genes in some B. napus accessions. When ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis, a C-terminally truncated version of BnHRa and BnHRb, as well as the full length BnHRd fused with YFP at their C-termini could trigger cell death in the absence of pathogens and enhanced resistance to powdery mildew disease. Moreover, subcellular localization analysis showed that both BnHRa-YFP and BnHRb-YFP were mainly localized to the extra-haustorial membrane encasing the haustorium of powdery mildew. Taken together, our data suggest that the duplicated BnHR genes might have been subjected to differential selection and at least some may play a role in defense and could serve as resistance resource in engineering disease-resistant plants.

  14. Antimicrobial resistance and detection of mecA and blaZ genes in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolated from bovine mastitis

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    Lidiane C. Soares

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The present study evaluated the pheno- and genotypical antimicrobial resistance profile of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS species isolated from dairy cows milk, specially concerning to oxacillin. Of 100 CNS isolates, the S. xylosus was the prevalent species, followed by S. cohnii, S. hominis, S. capitis and S. haemolyticus. Only 6% were phenotypically susceptible to the antimicrobial agents tested in disk diffusion assay. Penicillin and ampicillin resistance rates were significantly higher than others antimicrobials. Four isolates were positive to mecA gene (4%, all represented by the S. xylosus species. The blaZ gene was detected in 16% of the isolates (16/100. It was noticed that all mecA + were also positive to this gene and the presence of both genes was correlated to phenotypic beta-lactamic resistance. We conclude that CNS species from bovine milk presented significantly distinct antimicrobial resistance profiles, evaluated by phenotypic and genotypic tests, which has implications for treatment and management decisions.

  15. Negative pion irradiation of mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dertinger, H.; Luecke-Huhle, C.; Schlag, H.; Weibezahn, K.F.

    1976-01-01

    Monolayers and spheroids of Chinese hamster cells (V79) were subjected to negative pion irradiation under aerobic conditions. R.b.e. values in the pion peak of 1.8 and 1.5 were obtained for monolayers and spheroids, respectively, whereas the r.b.e. for the plateau was found to be slightly higher than 1. In addition, it was observed that the higher resistance of the V79 spheroid cells than the monolayers to γ-irradiation is not diminished in the pion peak, suggesting that the underlying phenomenon of intercellular communication influences cell survival even after high-LET irradiation. (author)

  16. New gauged N = 8, D = 4 supergravities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hull, C M

    2003-01-01

    New gaugings of four-dimensional N = 8 supergravity are constructed, including one which has a Minkowski space vacuum that preserves N = 2 supersymmetry and in which the gauge group is broken to SU(3) x U(1) 2 . Previous gaugings used the form of the ungauged action which is invariant under a rigid SL (8,R) symmetry and promoted a 28-dimensional subgroup (SO(8), SO(p, 8 - p) or the non-semi-simple contraction CSO(p, q, 8 - p - q)) to a local gauge group. Here, a dual form of the ungauged action is used which is invariant under SU*(8) instead of SL (8,R) and new theories are obtained by gauging 28-dimensional subgroups of SU*(8). The gauge groups are non-semi-simple and are different real forms of the CSO(2p, 8 - 2p) groups, denoted as CSO*(2p, 8 - 2p), and the new theories have a rigid SU(2) symmetry. The five-dimensional gauged N = 8 supergravities are dimensionally reduced to D = 4. The D = 5, SO(p, 6 - p) gauge theories reduce, after a duality transformation, to the D = 4, CSO(p, 6 - p, 2) gauging while the SO*(6) gauge theory reduces to the D = 4, CSO*(6, 2) gauge theory. The new theories are related to the old ones via an analytic continuation. The non-semi-simple gaugings can be dualized to forms with different gauge groups

  17. Terceros retenidos según su ubicación

    OpenAIRE

    Barreto, Milena Natalia

    2017-01-01

    Los terceros molares empiezan su formación alrededor de los 8 años de edadterminando su amelogénesis a los 18 o 20 años y completando su ápico-formación entre los 20 a 23 años. En la retención interósea (el diente esta rodeado por tejido óseo) o extra ósea (el diente esta rodeado por mucosa gingival) de los terceros molares, la causa principal es por la falta de espacio dentro de la boca. Los signos y síntomas que se presentan son: encías inflamadas y dolorosas disminución apertura bucal, dol...

  18. The Toll pathway underlies host sexual dimorphism in resistance to both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in mated Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duneau, David F; Kondolf, Hannah C; Im, Joo Hyun; Ortiz, Gerardo A; Chow, Christopher; Fox, Michael A; Eugénio, Ana T; Revah, J; Buchon, Nicolas; Lazzaro, Brian P

    2017-12-21

    Host sexual dimorphism is being increasingly recognized to generate strong differences in the outcome of infectious disease, but the mechanisms underlying immunological differences between males and females remain poorly characterized. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster to assess and dissect sexual dimorphism in the innate response to systemic bacterial infection. We demonstrated sexual dimorphism in susceptibility to infection by a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We found that both virgin and mated females are more susceptible than mated males to most, but not all, infections. We investigated in more detail the lower resistance of females to infection with Providencia rettgeri, a Gram-negative bacterium that naturally infects D. melanogaster. We found that females have a higher number of phagocytes than males and that ablation of hemocytes does not eliminate the dimorphism in resistance to P. rettgeri, so the observed dimorphism does not stem from differences in the cellular response. The Imd pathway is critical for the production of antimicrobial peptides in response to Gram-negative bacteria, but mutants for Imd signaling continued to exhibit dimorphism even though both sexes showed strongly reduced resistance. Instead, we found that the Toll pathway is responsible for the dimorphism in resistance. The Toll pathway is dimorphic in genome-wide constitutive gene expression and in induced response to infection. Toll signaling is dimorphic in both constitutive signaling and in induced activation in response to P. rettgeri infection. The dimorphism in pathway activation can be specifically attributed to Persephone-mediated immune stimulation, by which the Toll pathway is triggered in response to pathogen-derived virulence factors. We additionally found that, in absence of Toll signaling, males become more susceptible than females to the Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis. This reversal in susceptibility between male and female Toll

  19. The role of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-8 receptors in platinum response in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stronach, Euan A; Cunnea, Paula; Turner, Christina; Guney, Tankut; Aiyappa, Radhika; Jeyapalan, Senthuran; de Sousa, Camila H; Browne, Alacoque; Magdy, Nesreen; Studd, James B; Sriraksa, Ruethairat; Gabra, Hani; El-Bahrawy, Mona

    2015-10-13

    Platinum based drugs are the cornerstone of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, however the development of chemoresistance hinders its success. IL-8 is involved in regulating several pro-survival pathways in cancer. We studied the expression of IL-8 and IL-8 receptors in platinum sensitive and resistant cell lines. Using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, both platinum sensitive (PEA1, PEO14) and resistant (PEA2, PEO23) show increased expression of IL-8 and IL-8 receptors. IL-8RA shows nuclear and cytoplasmic expression, whilst IL-8RB is present solely in the cytoplasm. Knockdown of IL-8 increased sensitivity to cisplatin in platinum sensitive and reversed platinum resistance in resistant cell lines, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and decreased inhibitory phosphorylation of pro-apoptotic Bad. IL-8 receptor antagonist treatment also enhanced platinum sensitivity. Nuclear localisation of IL-8RA was only detected in platinum resistant tumours. Inhibition of IL-8 signalling can enhance response in platinum sensitive and resistant disease. Nuclear IL-8RA may have potential as a biomarker of resistant disease.

  20. Prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in bovine mastitis in Zimbabwe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Kudinha

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in clinical and subclinical mastitis in commercial and small-scale farms in Zimbabwe. Thirty five quarter milk samples from clinical mastitis cases and 371 quarter milk samples from cows with subclinical mastitis were cultured for bacterial pathogens. The most frequent pathogens isolated in clinical mastitis were the enteric bacteria (31.4 %, followed by coagulase negative staphylococci (22.9 % and then Staphylococcus aureus (17.1 %, whereas in subclinical mastitis S. aureus (34.2 % and coagulase-negative staphylococci were (33.2 % the most common. Bacillus species were only isolated in milk samples from subclinical mastitis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were observed in mixed infections with other bacteria in only 2.2 % of the 406 milk samples from clinical and subclinical mastitis where they were isolated together with Bacillus species in 6 of the 9 mixed infection cases. About 95 % of the milk samples from which 131 coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated had correspondingly high somatic cell counts. The coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated most frequently were S. chromogenes (7.9 %, S. epidermidis (7.4 % and S. hominis (5.9 %. They were all associated with high somatic cell counts. All the coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates were susceptible to cloxacillin and erythromycin, and more than 90 %of the isolates were susceptible to neomycin, penicillin and streptomycin. The highest resistance was to tetracycline (17.6 %, followed by lincomycin (13.7 %. About 8 % of the isolates were resistant to both penicillin and streptomycin.

  1. Effect of 8 Weeks Resistance Training on Some Antioxidant/Oxidative Indexes in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Fathollahi Shoorabeh

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women that usually begins with abnormal growth and division of different breast cells. There is some evidence that there is an inverse relationship between levels of antioxidants and the risk of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks resistance training on some antioxidant/oxidative indexes in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Materials & Methods: In this semi-experimental study, in 2014, 30 postmenopausal women with breast cancer in Khorramabad city were selected by available sampling method and randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group (n=16 and control group (n=14. The experimental group performed resistance training for 8 weeks, which started from 30% 1RM (one repetition maximum and reached 45-50% 1RM at the end of the eighth week. Blood samples were taken from subjects for the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPX and malondialdehyde (MDA serum levels, 48 hours before and after the training protocol. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software using independent t-test and dependent t-test. Findings: After performing 8 weeks of resistance training, serum levels of SOD and GPX significantly increased and MDA levels decreased significantly (p0.05. Conclusion: Resistance training for 8 weeks increases antioxidant indexes and decreases oxidative indexes in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

  2. Effect of 8 Weeks Resistance Training on Some Antioxidant/Oxidative Indexes in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fathollahi Shoorabeh F.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aims Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women that usually begins with abnormal growth and division of different breast cells. There is some evidence that there is an inverse relationship between levels of antioxidants and the risk of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks resistance training on some antioxidant/oxidative indexes in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Materials & Methods In this semi-experimental study, in 2014, 30 postmenopausal women with breast cancer in Khorramabad city were selected by available sampling method and randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group (n=16 and control group (n=14. The experimental group performed resistance training for 8 weeks, which started from 30% 1RM (one repetition maximum and reached 45-50% 1RM at the end of the eighth week. Blood samples were taken from subjects for the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPX and malondialdehyde (MDA serum levels, 48 hours before and after the training protocol. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software using independent t-test and dependent t-test. Findings After performing 8 weeks of resistance training, serum levels of SOD and GPX significantly increased and MDA levels decreased significantly (p0.05. Conclusion Resistance training for 8 weeks increases antioxidant indexes and decreases oxidative indexes in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

  3. Acquisition of 5-fluorouracil resistance induces epithelial-mesenchymal transitions through the Hedgehog signaling pathway in HCT-8 colon cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yanjun; DU, Fangfang; Zhao, Qiannan; Jin, Jian; Ma, Xin; Li, Huazhong

    2015-06-01

    Colon cancer has a high incidence in individuals >60-years-old. The commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), has gradually lost its potency in treating colorectal cancer following the acquisition of resistance. Drug resistance is usually associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) in cancer cells. In the present study, the EMT phenotypes of two colon cancer cell lines, wild-type (HCT-8/WT) and 5-FU-resistant (HCT-8/5-FU), were characterized following the analysis of cellular migration, proliferation, morphology and molecular changes. In order to further clarify the mechanism of EMT in HCT-8/5-FU cells, the effect of EMT pathway inhibitors upon drug sensitivity was investigated. The results revealed that the Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor, GDC0449, reversed drug resistance. Therefore, inhibition of the Hedgehog pathway may provide a novel chemotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with 5-FU-resistant colon cancer.

  4. Hydrostatic pressure (8 GPa) dependence of electrical resistivity of BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganguli, Chandreyee; Matsubayashi, Kazuyuki; Ohgushi, Kenya [Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan); Uwatoko, Yoshiya, E-mail: uwatoko@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan); Kanagaraj, Moorthi [Centre for High Pressure Research, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Arumugam, Sonachalam, E-mail: sarumugam1963@yahoo.com [Centre for High Pressure Research, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India)

    2013-10-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Single crystals of BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} were grown by CoAs self-flux method. • We have studied pressure effects (8 GPa) on dc electrical resistivity of BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2}. • On applied external pressure BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} remains a metallic state up to 8 GPa. • Superconductivity is absent in BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} because of its proximity to ferromagnetism. - Abstract: The pressure dependence of the electrical resistivity of BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystal as a function of temperature was measured at ambient and high pressures up to 8 GPa for the first time using cubic anvil high pressure cell. It is observed that at room temperature the resistivity monotonically decreases with increasing pressure and it remains in the metallic state even at an applied pressure of 8 GPa. From the temperature dependence of the resistivity measurements under pressure, we found that superconductivity is absent up to 8 GPa. The value of the electron's scattering factor (A) is found to be large at ambient pressure and it decreases with the application of pressure, indicating that the substantial electron correlation effect of BaCo{sub 2}As{sub 2} is reduced under pressure, revealing a dramatic change of density of states at the Fermi energy.

  5. Negative Role of RIG-I Serine 8 Phosphorylation in the Regulatin of Interferon-beta Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    E Nistal-Villan; M Gack; G Martinez-Delgado; N Maharaj; K Inn; H Yang; R Wang; A Aggarwal; J Jung; A Garcia-Sastre

    2011-12-31

    RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene I) and TRIM25 (tripartite motif protein 25) have emerged as key regulatory factors to induce interferon (IFN)-mediated innate immune responses to limit viral replication. Upon recognition of viral RNA, TRIM25 E3 ligase binds the first caspase recruitment domain (CARD) of RIG-I and subsequently induces lysine 172 ubiquitination of the second CARD of RIG-I, which is essential for the interaction with downstream MAVS/IPS-1/CARDIF/VISA and, thereby, IFN-beta mRNA production. Although ubiquitination has emerged as a major factor involved in RIG-I activation, the potential contribution of other post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, to the regulation of RIG-I activity has not been addressed. Here, we report the identification of serine 8 phosphorylation at the first CARD of RIG-I as a negative regulatory mechanism of RIG-I-mediated IFN-beta production. Immunoblot analysis with a phosphospecific antibody showed that RIG-I serine 8 phosphorylation steady-state levels were decreased upon stimulation of cells with IFN-beta or virus infection. Substitution of serine 8 in the CARD RIG-I functional domain with phosphomimetic aspartate or glutamate results in decreased TRIM25 binding, RIG-I ubiquitination, MAVS binding, and downstream signaling. Finally, sequence comparison reveals that only primate species carry serine 8, whereas other animal species carry an asparagine, indicating that serine 8 phosphorylation may represent a primate-specific regulation of RIG-I activation. Collectively, these data suggest that the phosphorylation of RIG-I serine 8 operates as a negative switch of RIG-I activation by suppressing TRIM25 interaction, further underscoring the importance of RIG-I and TRIM25 connection in type I IFN signal transduction.

  6. Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Laser-Clad (Co, Ni61.2B26.2Si7.8Ta4.8 Coatings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luan Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available It has been reported that a quaternary Co61.2B26.2Si7.8Ta4.8 alloy is a good glass former and can be laser-clad to an amorphous composite coating with superior hardness and wear resistance. In this paper, alloys with varying Ni contents to substitute for Co are coated on the surface of #45 carbon steel using a 5-kW CO2 laser source for the purpose of obtaining protective coatings. In contrast to the quaternary case, the clad layers are characterized by a matrix of α-(Fe, Co, Ni solid solution plus CoB, Co3B, and Co3Ta types of precipitates. The cladding layer is divided into four regions: Near-surface dendrites, α-(Fe, Co, Ni solid solution plus dispersed particles in the middle zone, columnar bonding zone, and heat-affected area that consists of martensite. The hardness gradually decreases with increasing Ni content, and the maximum hardness occurs in the middle zone. Both the friction coefficient and wear volume are minimized in the alloy containing 12.2% Ni. Compared with the previous cobalt-based quaternary alloy Co61.2B26.2Si7.8Ta4.8, the addition of the Ni element reduces the glass-forming ability and henceforth the hardness and wear resistance of the clad layers.

  7. Prevalence of Resistance Mechanisms against Macrolides and Lincosamides in Methicillin-Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in the Czech Republic and Occurrence of an Undefined Mechanism of Resistance to Lincosamides

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Novotná, Gabriela; Adámková, V.; Janata, Jiří; Melter, O.; Spížek, Jaroslav

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 49, č. 8 (2005), s. 3586-3589 ISSN 0066-4804 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/04/0801; GA AV ČR IAA600200519 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : resistance * macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 4.379, year: 2005

  8. Emerging quinolones resistant transfer genes among gram-negative bacteria, isolated from faeces of HIV/AIDS patients attending some Clinics and Hospitals in the City of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enabulele IO

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available A survey of 1431 gram-negative bacilli from June 2001 to September 2005 were obtained from the faeces of 920 HIV/AIDS patients attending some Clinics and Hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria, were screened for quinolones resistance gene. The HIV/AIDS patients CD4 cells range was ≤14/mm3 ≥800/mm3 of blood. Out of the 1431 isolates, 343 (23.9% were resistance to quinolones with a MIC ≥4μg/ml for norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin while a MIC of ≥32 µg/ml for nalidixic acid. The screened isolates include Pseudomonas aeruginosa 64(18.7%, E coli 92(26.8%, Klebsiella pneumoniae 53(15.4%, Salmonella typhi 39(11.4%, Shigella dysenteriae 36(10.5%, Proteus mirabilis 34(9.9% and Serratia marcescens 25(7.3%. The average resistance of the isolates to the various quinolones ranged from 42.7% to 66.7%. Klebsiella were the most resistant isolates with a mean resistance of 66.7% while Proteus were the less resistant isolates with a mean resistance of 42.7%. Most isolates were resistant to Nalidixic acid followed by norfloxacin while the less resistant were to the pefloxacin. The frequency of qnr genes transfer to EJRifr as recipient ranged from 2 x 10-2 to 6 x 10-6 with an average of 2 plasmids per cell. The molecular weight of the plasmids ranged from <2.9kbp to <5.5 kbp. This indicated that plasmids allowed the movement of genetic materials including qnr resistant genes between bacteria species and genera in Benin City, Nigeria.

  9. Unconstrained SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills classical mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahmen, B.; Raabe, B.

    1992-01-01

    A systematic study of contraints in SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills classical mechanics is performed. Expect for the SU(2) case with spatial angular momenta they turn out to be nonholonomic. The complete elimination of the unphysical gauge and rotatinal degrees of freedom is achieved using Dirac's constraint formalism. We present an effective unconstrained formulation of the general SU(2) Yang-Mills classical mechanics as well as for SU(3) in the subspace of vanishing spatial angular momenta that is well suited for further explicit dynamical investigations. (orig.)

  10. Prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci and determination of antimicrobial resistance in accompany with types of SCCmec in isolated of nosocomial infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reza Arabestani

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS were considered as contaminats previously, but, during the past decade considered as one of the most common photogenic bacteria in hospital. Resistance to beta-lactams especially methicillin in staphylococcus species is being worrying in hospitals. Rapid identification of mechanisms of resistance and confirmation of their resistance to methicillin is a basic principle for antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance, frequency of mecA gene, and determination of SCCmec types in CoNS isolates from teaching hospitals in Iran. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out one hundred clinical samples isolated from patients with an average age of 7-69 years at teaching hospitals in Hamadan City, Iran, from September 2014 to February 2015. After confirmation of isolates by microbiological standard biochemical tests, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk agar diffusion (DAD method. After extraction of isolated genomicm, mecA gene was detected. Then, the types of SCCmec were performed by PCR. Results: In this study, 387 clinical samples were collected which among 100 CoNS isolated, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most prevalent species with frequency 55 (55%, followed by S. haemolyticus 40(40% and S. saprophyticus 5(5%. The highest antibiotic susceptibility was to rifampin 96(96% and the lowest resistance was detected for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX 47(47%. None of the strains were resistant to vancomycin. Resistance to methicillin was detected in 50% of CoNS isolates. Typing of SCCmec was performed by The polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Frequency types of SCCmec was type III with frequency 13(13%, type V 11(11%, type II 6(6%, type IV 4 (4%, type I 3(3% respectively. Thirteen isolated was not typable in this study. Conclusion: The result of this study showed that a large percentage of coagulase-negative

  11. Methicillin resistance of airborne coagulase-negative staphylococci in homes of persons having contact with a hospital environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lis, Danuta O; Pacha, Jerzy Z; Idzik, Danuta

    2009-04-01

    The persons having contact with a hospital environment (hospital personnel workers and discharged patients) are highly exposed to colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the airborne Staphylococcus genus features in homes in which inhabitants have had contact with the hospital environment. Airborne bacteria were collected using a 6-stage Anderson impactor. The Staphylococcus species composition and resistance to methicillin, and other antimicrobial agents among 3 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) species (S cohnii spp cohnii, S epidermidis, S hominis), were determined. Antibiotic resistance of isolates was tested using the agar screen method with methicillin, the polymerase chain reaction technique to detect the mecA gene, and the disk diffusion method. A higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant (MR) strains among the species isolated (40% of S epidermidis, 40% of S hominis, and 60% of S cohnii spp cohnii) was found in homes of persons who had contact with a hospital environment compared with the reference homes (only 12% of S hominis). The mecA gene was revealed in all MR S epidermidis strains and in some MR S hominis (50%) and S cohnii spp cohnii (33%) strains. All isolated MR CNS strains were susceptible to vancomycin, rifampicin, and linezolid. High numbers of airborne multidrug-resistant MR CNS in the homes of persons having contact with a hospital environment indicates that such inhabitants pose a risk of intrafamilial spreading of MR strains via air.

  12. The negative-differential-resistance (NDR) mechanism of a hydroelastic microfluidic oscillator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xia, H M; Wu, J W; Wang, Z P

    2017-01-01

    A microfluidic oscillator is of interest because it converts a stable laminar flow to oscillatory flow, especially in view of the fact that turbulence is typically absent in miniaturized fluidic devices. One important design approach is to utilize hydroelastic effect-induced autonomous oscillations to modify the flow, so to reduce the reliance on external controllers. However, as complex fluid-structure interactions are involved, the prediction of its mechanism is rather challenging. Here, we present a simple equivalent circuit model and investigate the negative-differential-resistance (NDR) mechanism of a hydroelastic microfluidic oscillator. We show that a variety of complex flow behaviors including the onset of oscillation, formation of different oscillation patterns, collapse of the channel, etc can be well explained by this model. It provides a generic approach for construction of microfluidic NDR oscillators, following which a new design is also proposed. Relevant findings give more insights into the hydroelastic instability problems in microfluidics, and enrich the study of microfluidic flow control devices based on the electric circuit theory. (paper)

  13. Physico-Chemical-Managed Killing of Penicillin-Resistant Static and Growing Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Vegetative Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richmond, Robert Chaffee (Inventor); Schramm, Jr., Harry F. (Inventor); Defalco, Francis G. (Inventor); Farris, III, Alex F. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    Systems and methods for the use of compounds from the Hofmeister series coupled with specific pH and temperature to provide rapid physico-chemical-managed killing of penicillin-resistant static and growing Gram-positive and Gram-negative vegetative bacteria. The systems and methods represent the more general physico-chemical enhancement of susceptibility for a wide range of pathological macromolecular targets to clinical management by establishing the reactivity of those targets to topically applied drugs or anti-toxins.

  14. Multiple Roles for UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 in Regulating Gene Expression and Metabolite Accumulation in Arabidopsis under Solar Ultraviolet Radiation1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, Luis O.; Brosché, Mikael; Vainonen, Julia; Jenkins, Gareth I.; Wargent, Jason J.; Sipari, Nina; Strid, Åke; Lindfors, Anders V.; Tegelberg, Riitta; Aphalo, Pedro J.

    2013-01-01

    Photomorphogenic responses triggered by low fluence rates of ultraviolet B radiation (UV-B; 280–315 nm) are mediated by the UV-B photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8). Beyond our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of UV-B perception by UVR8, there is still limited information on how the UVR8 pathway functions under natural sunlight. Here, wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and the uvr8-2 mutant were used in an experiment outdoors where UV-A (315–400 nm) and UV-B irradiances were attenuated using plastic films. Gene expression, PYRIDOXINE BIOSYNTHESIS1 (PDX1) accumulation, and leaf metabolite signatures were analyzed. The results show that UVR8 is required for transcript accumulation of genes involved in UV protection, oxidative stress, hormone signal transduction, and defense against herbivores under solar UV. Under natural UV-A irradiance, UVR8 is likely to interact with UV-A/blue light signaling pathways to moderate UV-B-driven transcript and PDX1 accumulation. UVR8 both positively and negatively affects UV-A-regulated gene expression and metabolite accumulation but is required for the UV-B induction of phenolics. Moreover, UVR8-dependent UV-B acclimation during the early stages of plant development may enhance normal growth under long-term exposure to solar UV. PMID:23250626

  15. Unconstrained SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills clasical mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahmen, B.; Raabe, B.

    1992-01-01

    A systematic study of constraints in SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills classical mechanics is performed. Expect for the SU(2) case with vanishing spatial angular momenta they turn out to be non-holonomic. Using Dirac's constraint formalism we achieve a complete elimination of the unphysical gauge and rotational degrees of freedom. This leads to an effective unconstrained formulation both for the full SU(2) Yang-Mills classical mechanics and for the SU(3) case in the subspace of vanishing spatial angular momenta. We believe that our results are well suited for further explicit dynamical investigations. (orig.)

  16. From Farms to Markets: Gram-Negative Bacteria Resistant to Third-Generation Cephalosporins in Fruits and Vegetables in a Region of North Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Mesbah Zekar, Ferielle; Granier, Sophie A.; Marault, Muriel; Yaici, Lydia; Gassilloud, Benoit; Manceau, Charles; Touati, Abdelaziz; Millemann, Yves

    2017-01-01

    The role of food in human exposure to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a growing food safety issue. The contribution of fruits and vegetables eaten raw to this exposure is still unclear. The evaluation of contamination levels of fruits, vegetables and the agricultural environment by third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Gram-negative bacteria was performed by analyzing 491 samples of fruits and vegetables collected from 5 markets and 7 farms in Bejaia area, north-eastern Mediterra...

  17. A novel and simple fabrication method of embedded SU-8 micro channels by direct UV lithography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, C; Hung, C; Huang, H

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, we presents a novel and simple method to fabricate embedded micro channels. The method based on different light absorption properties of the SU-8 thick photoresist under different incident UV wavelengths. The channel structures are defined by the ordinary I-line, while the cover layer is patterned by the deep UV. Because the deep UV is obtained directly on the same aligner with a set of filter mirrors, the embedded channel can be easily produced without other rare facilities. Besides, the relationship between the thickness of the top layer and the exposure dose of the deep UV has been measured by an ingeniously designed experiment. The specific thickness of the top layer of the embedded micro channel can then be secured by the specific deep-UV exposure dose. Further more, many meaningful mechanical structures have been realized by this method, the material property of the top layer are also measured

  18. Multiple evolutionary events involved in maintaining homologs of Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8 in Brassica napus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Li

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8 (RPW8 locus confers broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew in Arabidopsis thaliana. There are four Homologous to RPW8s (BrHRs in Brassica rapa and three in B. oleracea (BoHRs. B. napus (Bn is derived from diploidization of a hybrid between B. rapa and B. oleracea, thus should have seven homologs of RPW8 (BnHRs. It is unclear whether these genes are still maintained or lost in B. napus after diploidization and how they might have been evolved. Here we reported the identification and sequence polymorphisms of BnHRs from a set of B. napus accessions. Our data indicated that while the BoHR copy from B. oleracea is highly conserved, the BrHR copy from B. rapa is relatively variable in the B. napus genome owing to multiple evolutionary events, such as gene loss, point mutation, insertion, deletion and intragenic recombination. Given the overall high sequence homology of BnHR genes, it is not surprising that both intragenic recombination between two orthologs and two paralogs were detected in B. napus, which may explain the loss of BoHR genes in some B. napus accessions. When ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis, a C-terminally truncated version of BnHRa and BnHRb, as well as the full length BnHRd fused with YFP at their C-termini could trigger cell death in the absence of pathogens and enhanced resistance to powdery mildew disease. Moreover, subcellular localization analysis showed that both BnHRa-YFP and BnHRb-YFP were mainly localized to the extra-haustorial membrane (EHM encasing the haustorium of powdery mildew. Taken together, our data suggest that the duplicated BnHR genes might have been subjected to differential selection and at least some may play a role in defense and could serve as resistance resource in engineering disease-resistant plants.

  19. Negative differential resistance effect induced by metal ion implantation in SiO2 film for multilevel RRAM application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Facai; Si, Shuyao; Shi, Tuo; Zhao, Xiaolong; Liu, Qi; Liao, Lei; Lv, Hangbing; Long, Shibing; Liu, Ming

    2018-02-01

    Pt/SiO2:metal nanoparticles/Pt sandwich structure is fabricated with the method of metal ion (Ag) implantation. The device exhibits multilevel storage with appropriate R off/R on ratio, good endurance and retention properties. Based on transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer analysis, we confirm that Pt nanoparticles are spurted into SiO2 film from Pt bottom electrode by Ag implantation; during electroforming, the local electric field can be enhanced by these Pt nanoparticles, meanwhile the Ag nanoparticles constantly migrate toward the Pt nanoparticles. The implantation induced nanoparticles act as trap sites in the resistive switching layer and play critical roles in the multilevel storage, which is evidenced by the negative differential resistance effect in the current-voltage (I-V) measurements.

  20. Time dependent enhanced resistance against antibiotics & metal salts by planktonic & biofilm form of Acinetobacter haemolyticus MMC 8 clinical isolate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharvari Vijaykumar Gaidhani

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives: Available literature shows paucity of reports describing antibiotic and metal resistance profile of biofilm forming clinical isolates of Acinetobacter haemolyticus. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antibiotic and metal resistance profile of Indian clinical isolate of A. haemolyticus MMC 8 isolated from human pus sample in planktonic and biofilm form. Methods: Antibiotic susceptibility and minimum inhibitory concentration were determined employing broth and agar dilution techniques. Biofilm formation was evaluated quantitatively by microtiter plate method and variation in complex architecture was determined by scanning electron microscopy. Minimum biofilm inhibiting concentration was checked by Calgary biofilm device. Results: Planktonic A. haemolyticus MMC 8 was sensitive to 14 antibiotics, AgNO 3 and HgC1 2 resistant to streptomycin and intermediately resistant to netilmycin and kanamycin. MMC 8 exhibited temporal variation in amount and structure of biofilm. There was 32 - 4000 and 4 - 256 fold increase in antibiotic and metal salt concentration, respectively to inhibit biofilm over a period of 72 h as against susceptible planktonic counterparts. Total viable count in the range of 10 5 -10 6 cfu / ml was observed on plating minimum biofilm inhibiting concentration on Muller-Hinton Agar plate without antimicrobial agents. Biofilm forming cells were several folds more resistant to antibiotics and metal salts in comparison to planktonic cells. Presence of unaffected residual cell population indicated presence of persister cells. Interpretation & conclusions: The results indicate that biofilm formation causes enhanced resistance against antibiotics and metal salts in otherwise susceptible planktonic A. haemolyticus MMC 8.

  1. Antimicrobial Resistance and Resistance Genes in Aerobic Bacteria Isolated from Pork at Slaughter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lili; Heidemann Olsen, Rikke; Ye, Lei; Yan, He; Nie, Qing; Meng, Hecheng; Shi, Lei

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance, integrons, and transferability of resistance markers in 243 aerobic bacteria recovered from pork at slaughter in the People's Republic of China. The organisms belonged to 22 genera of gram-negative bacteria (92.2%) and gram-positive bacteria (7.8%). High levels of resistance were detected to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and ampicillin (36.2 to 54.3%), and lower levels were detected to nitrofurantoin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol (7.8 to 29.2%). Across species, genes conferring antimicrobial resistance were observed with the following frequencies: blaTEM, 40.7%; blaCMY-2, 15.2%; blaCTX-M, 11.5%; sul2, 27.2%; sul1, 14.4%; tet(A), 5.4%; tet(L), 5.4%; tet(M), 5.0%; tet(E), 3.7%; tet(C), 3.3%; tet(S), 2.5%; and tet(K), 0.8%. Various antimicrobial resistance genes were found in new carriers: blaTEM in Lactococcus garvieae, Myroides odoratimimus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Staphylococcus sciuri, Raoultella terrigena, Macrococcus caseolyticus, Acinetobacter ursingii, Sphingobacterium sp., and Oceanobacillus sp.; blaCMY-2 in Lactococcus lactis, Klebsiella oxytoca, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Myroides phaeus; tet(L) in M. caseolyticus; sul1 in Vibrio cincinnatiensis; sul2 in Acinetobacter bereziniae, Acinetobacter johnsonii, and V. cincinnatiensis; and the class 1 integron and gene cassette aadA2 in V. cincinnatiensis. Approximately 6.6% of isolates contained class 1 integrons, and one isolate harbored class 2 integrons. Plasmid associated intI1 and androgen receptor- encoding genes were transferred into Escherichia coli J53 and E. coli DH5α by conjugation and transformation experiments, respectively. Our study highlights the importance of aerobic bacteria from pork as reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements that can readily be transferred intra- and interspecies.

  2. Plasmids in Gram negatives: molecular typing of resistance plasmids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carattoli, Alessandra

    2011-12-01

    A plasmid is defined as a double stranded, circular DNA molecule capable of autonomous replication. By definition, plasmids do not carry genes essential for the growth of host cells under non-stressed conditions but they have systems which guarantee their autonomous replication also controlling the copy number and ensuring stable inheritance during cell division. Most of the plasmids confer positively selectable phenotypes by the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Plasmids evolve as an integral part of the bacterial genome, providing resistance genes that can be easily exchanged among bacteria of different origin and source by conjugation. A multidisciplinary approach is currently applied to study the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistance in clinically relevant bacterial pathogens and the established surveillance can be implemented by replicon typing of plasmids. Particular plasmid families are more frequently detected among Enterobacteriaceae and play a major role in the diffusion of specific resistance genes. For instance, IncFII, IncA/C, IncL/M, IncN and IncI1 plasmids carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes and acquired AmpC genes are currently considered to be "epidemic resistance plasmids", being worldwide detected in Enterobacteriaceae of different origin and sources. The recognition of successful plasmids is an essential first step to design intervention strategies preventing their spread. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Defining Multidrug Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria in the Dutch–German Border Region—Impact of National Guidelines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robin Köck

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB is a public health priority. However, the definition of MDRGNB applied for planning infection prevention measures such as barrier precautions differs depending on national guidelines. This is particularly relevant in the Dutch–German border region, where patients are transferred between healthcare facilities located in the two different countries, because clinicians and infection control personnel must understand antibiograms indicating MDRGNB from both sides of the border and using both national guidelines. This retrospective study aimed to compare antibiograms of Gram-negative bacteria and classify them using the Dutch and German national standards for MDRGNB definition. A total of 31,787 antibiograms from six Dutch and four German hospitals were classified. Overall, 73.7% were no MDRGNB according to both guidelines. According to the Dutch and German guideline, 7772/31,787 (24.5% and 4586/31,787 (12.9% were MDRGNB, respectively (p < 0.0001. Major divergent classifications were observed for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL -producing Enterobacteriaceae, non-carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The observed differences show that medical staff must carefully check previous diagnostic findings when patients are transferred across the Dutch–German border, as it cannot be assumed that MDRGNB requiring special hygiene precautions are marked in the transferred antibiograms in accordance with both national guidelines.

  4. In vitro activity of XF-73, a novel antibacterial agent, against antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, David J; Robbins, Marion; Rhys-Williams, William; Love, William G

    2010-06-01

    The antibacterial activity of XF-73, a dicationic porphyrin drug, was investigated against a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with known antibiotic resistance profiles, including resistance to cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, and DNA and RNA synthesis inhibitors as well as cell membrane-active antibiotics. Antibiotic-sensitive strains for each of the bacterial species tested were also included for comparison purposes. XF-73 was active [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 0.25-4 mg/L] against all of the Gram-positive bacteria tested, irrespective of the antibiotic resistance profile of the isolates, suggesting that the mechanism of action of XF-73 is unique compared with the major antibiotic classes. Gram-negative activity was lower (MIC 1 mg/L to > 64 mg/L). Minimum bactericidal concentration data confirmed that the activity of XF-73 was bactericidal. Time-kill kinetics against healthcare-associated and community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates demonstrated that XF-73 was rapidly bactericidal, with > 5 log(10) kill obtained after 15 min at 2 x MIC, the earliest time point sampled. The post-antibiotic effect (PAE) for XF-73 under conditions where the PAE for vancomycin was 5.4 h. XF-73 represents a novel broad-spectrum Gram-positive antibacterial drug with potentially beneficial characteristics for the treatment and prevention of Gram-positive bacterial infections. 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Improving Blast Resistance of a Thermo-Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Rice Line GD-8S by Molecular Marker-Assisted Selection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu-ge LIU

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The broad-spectrum blast resistance gene Pi-1, from donor line BL122, was introduced into a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line GD-8S, which possessed good grain quality but high susceptibility to rice blast, by using backcross breeding and molecular marker-assisted selection. Five elite improved male sterile lines, RGD8S-1, RGD8S-2, RGD8S-3, RGD8S-4 and RGD8S-5, were selected based on the results of molecular marker analysis, spikelet sterility, recovery rate of genetic background and agronomic traits. Thirty-three representative blast isolates collected from Guangdong Province, China were used to inoculate the improved lines and the original line GD-8S artificially. The resistance frequencies of the improved lines ranged from 76.47% to 100%, much higher than that of the original line GD-8S (9.09%. On the agronomic characters, there were no significant differences between the improved lines and GD-8S except for flag leaf length and panicle number per plant. The improved lines could be used for breeding hybrid rice with high blast resistance.

  6. The micromachined logo of Atomki

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajta, I.; Szilasi, S.Z.

    2006-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. Proton Beam Micromachining, also known as P-beam Writing, is a direct write 3- dimensional lithographic technique. Conventional resist types are PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), and SU-8 (of MicroChem Corp.); they are positive and negative resists, respectively. In this work we used SU-8, the most common negative resist material. SU-8 was spun on a flat surface, typically Silicon or glass. A direct write proton beam was scanned over an arbitary structure (the Atomki logo can be replaced by any other structure), which produces chain scissioning in the polymer. Post exposure bake (PEB) is usually needed in case of conventional optical lithography, but using protons this bake is done in situ as the ions heat up the sample in vacuum. Subsequently chemical etching takes place, the solvent is available at MicroChem Corp. The schematic diagram of the above described micromachining process is shown on Fig. 1. The irradiation requires a scanning proton microbeam system equipped with suitable beam scanning and blanking facilities. This is available in the Institute, our setup has been upgraded from doublet to triplet focusing system (Oxford Microbeams Ltd.). For scanning we use a DIO card (PCI-6731 of National Instruments), and the IonScan software [1]. Sample preparation was carried out at our 'semi clean' room. This is also where chemical development of the samples and the optical microscopy have been done too. A Zeiss Axio Imager microscope is available (equipped with 5 objective lenses, 4 different contrast methods, transmitted or reflected light illumination). Fig. 2. shows a typical example of the Atomki logo. This is a bright field image, a number of different nice and colourful images can be produced with the other contrast techniques (for more images see the Institute website: http://www.atomki.hu/ ). (author)

  7. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Assay On Antibiotics Resistant Clinical Isolates Of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    R, Maria Lina; S, Dadang; Suhadi, F.

    2000-01-01

    To detect to DNA of 9 drug-resistant isolates of m. tuberculosis such as isoniazid, streptomycin, isoniazid + streptomycin and isoniazid + rifampisin- resistant isolates, the DNA amplification by using PCR assay was carried out after lysing the bacterial cells. Two primer pairs for amplification used were Pt8 and Pt9 and Pt3 and Pt6. The amplified DNA taeget of 8 drug-resistant isolates and 1 drug-resistant isolate by means Pt8 8 Pt9 primer, gave the positive and negative result, respectively. Presence of amplified DNA target fragmens/bands on agarose gel, showed the positive result and vice verse. PCR process by using Pt3 and Pt6 primer revealed the positive results on 2 drug-resistant islates, whereas there was no amplified DNA bands from the other 7 isolates. DNA amplification by using either Pt8 and Pt9 or Pt3 and Pt6 primers occurred on H sub.37Rv strain DNA. Size of the amplified DNA products with Pt8 and Pt9 and Pt3 and Pt6 primers were 541 bp and 188 bp, respectively

  8. SPIN1, negatively regulated by miR-148/152, enhances Adriamycin resistance via upregulating drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xu; Wang, Ya-Wen; Gao, Peng

    2018-05-09

    Spindlin1 (SPIN1), a protein highly expressed in several human cancers, has been correlated with tumorigenesis and development. Alterations of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters are major determinants of chemoresistance in tumor cells. However, whether the metabolizing enzymes and transporters are under the control of SPIN1 in breast cancer chemoresistance has not yet been defined. SPIN1 expression in breast cancer cells and tissues was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Chemosensitivity assays in vitro and in vivo were performed to determine the effect of SPIN1 on Adriamycin resistance. Downstream effectors of SPIN1 were screened by microarray and confirmed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Luciferase assay and Western blot were used to identify miRNAs regulating SPIN1. We showed that SPIN1 was significantly elevated in drug-resistant breast cancer cell lines and tissues, compared with the chemosensitive ones. SPIN1 enhanced Adriamycin resistance of breast cancer cells in vitro, and downregulation of SPIN1 by miRNA could decrease Adriamycin resistance in vivo. Mechanistically, drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter CYP2C8, UGT2B4, UGT2B17 and ABCB4 were proven to be downstream effectors of SPIN1. Notably, SPIN1 was identified as a direct target of the miR-148/152 family (miR-148a-3p, miR-148b-3p and miR-152-3p). As expected, miR-148a-3p, miR-148b-3p or miR-152-3p could increase Adriamycin sensitivity in breast cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, high expression of SPIN1 or low expression of the miR-148/152 family predicted poorer survival in breast cancer patients. Our results establish that SPIN1, negatively regulated by the miR-148/152 family, enhances Adriamycin resistance in breast cancer via upregulating the expression of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporter.

  9. Heavy metal and disinfectant resistance genes among livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Argudin, Maria Angeles; Lauzat, Birgit; Kraushaar, Britta

    2016-01-01

    Livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) has emerged in animal production worldwide. Most LA-MRSA in Europe belong to the clonal complex (CC)398. The reason for the LA-MRSA emergence is not fully understood. Besides antimicrobial agents used for therapy, other su...

  10. Novel pharmacotherapy for the treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by resistant gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidd, James M; Kuti, Joseph L; Nicolau, David P

    2018-03-01

    Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) are among the most prevalent infections in hospitalized patients, particularly those in the intensive care unit. Importantly, the frequency of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative (GN) bacteria as the bacteriologic cause of HABP/VABP is increasing. These include MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Few antibiotics are currently available when such MDR Gram-negatives are encountered and older agents such as polymyxin B, colistin (polymyxin E), and tigecycline have typically performed poorly in HABP/VABP. Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarize novel antibiotics which have reached phase 3 clinical trials including patients with HABP/VABP. For each agent, the spectrum of activity, pertinent pharmacological characteristics, clinical trial data, and potential utility in the treatment of MDR-GN HABP/VABP is discussed. Expert opinion: Novel antibiotics currently available, and those soon to be, will expand opportunities to treat HABP/VABP caused by MDR-GN organisms and minimize the use of more toxic, less effective drugs. However, with sparse clinical data available, defining the appropriate role for each of the new agents is challenging. In order to maximize the utility of these antibiotics, combination therapy and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring should be investigated.

  11. Ink-jet printing technology enables self-aligned mould patterning for electroplating in a single step

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meissner, M V; Spengler, N; Mager, D; Wang, N; Kiss, S Z; Höfflin, J; While, P T; Korvink, J G

    2015-01-01

    We present a new self-aligned, mask-free micro-fabrication method with which to form thick-layered conductive metal micro-structures inside electroplating moulds. Seed layer patterning for electroplating was performed by ink-jet printing using a silver nano-particle ink deposited on SU-8 or Ordyl SY permanent resist. The silver ink contact angle on SU-8 was adjusted by oxygen plasma followed by a hard bake. Besides functioning as a seed layer, the printed structures further served as a shadow mask during patterning of electroplating moulds into negative photoresist. The printed silver tracks remained in strong adhesion to the substrate when exposed to the acidic chemistry of the electroplating bath. To demonstrate the process, we manufactured rectangular, low-resistivity planar micro-coils for use in magnetic resonance microscopy. MRI images of a spring onion with an in-plane resolution down to 10 µm × 10 µm were acquired using a micro-coil on an 11.7 T MRI scanner. (paper)

  12. Design and fabrication of an ac-electro-osmosis micropump with 3D high-aspect-ratio electrodes using only SU-8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rouabah, Hamza A; Morgan, Hywel; Green, Nicolas G; Park, Benjamin Y; Zaouk, Rabih B; Madou, Marc J

    2011-01-01

    Lab-on-a-chip devices require integrated pumping and fluid control in microchannels. A recently developed mechanism that can produce fluid flow is an integrated ac-electro-osmosis micropump. However, like most electrokinetic pumps, ac-electro-osmotic pumps are incapable of handling backpressure as the pumping force mechanism acts on the surface of the fluid rather than the bulk. This paper presents a novel 3D electrode structure designed to overcome this limitation. The electrodes are fabricated using carbon-MEMS technology based on the pyrolysis of the photo-patternable polymer SU-8. The novel ac-electro-osmosis micropump shows an increase in the flow velocity compared to planar electrodes.

  13. A Comparison of the Molecular Organization of Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Common Bacterial Blight in Two Phaseolus vulgaris Genotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory E. Perry

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Resistance to common bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, in Phaseolus vulgaris is conditioned by several loci on different chromosomes. Previous studies with OAC-Rex, a CBB-resistant, white bean variety of Mesoamerican origin, identified two resistance loci associated with the molecular markers Pv-CTT001 and SU91, on chromosome 4 and 8, respectively. Resistance to CBB is assumed to be derived from an interspecific cross with Phaseolus acutifolius in the pedigree of OAC-Rex. Our current whole genome sequencing effort with OAC-Rex provided the opportunity to compare its genome in the regions associated with CBB resistance with the v1.0 release of the P. vulgaris line G19833, which is a large seeded bean of Andean origin, and (assumed to be CBB susceptible.. In addition, the genomic regions containing SAP6, a marker associated with P. vulgaris-derived CBB-resistance on chromosome 10, were compared. These analyses indicated that gene content was highly conserved between G19833 and OAC-Rex across the regions examined (>80%. However, fifty-nine genes unique to OAC Rex were identified, with resistance gene homologues making up the largest category (10 genes identified. Two unique genes in OAC-Rex located within the SU91 resistance QTL have homology to P. acutifolius ESTs and may be potential sources of CBB resistance. As the genomic sequence assembly of OAC-Rex is completed, we expect that further comparisons between it and the G19833 genome will lead to a greater understanding of CBB resistance in bean.

  14. Damping of resistive instability in UNK-1 with digital electronics in feedback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhabitskij, V.M.; Ivanov, I.N.; Korenev, I.L.; Yudin, L.A.

    1991-01-01

    The basis of resistive instability damper system for the UNK-1 is obtained. The system for each of two directions of beam transverse oscillations includes two pairs of pick-up electrodes and damping kickers connected by delayed negative feedback with digital electronics. The requirements for digital electronics in feedback are discussed. The influence of a notch filter is under consideration. In turns out that a 0.8 MHz feedback system damps the resistive instability in the UNK-1 with increment of 0.7 revolution frequency (for low frequencies). 7 refs.; 8 figs

  15. ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE SPECTRUM OF NON FERMENTING GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLI ISOLATED IN THE ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMATOLOGY CLINIC OF "SF. SPIRIDON" CLINICAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL IAŞI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucaliuc, D; Alexa, O; Tuchiluş, Cristina Gabriela; Ursu, Ramona Gabriela; Tucaliuc, Elena Simona; Jelihovsky, I; Iancu, Luminiţa Smaranda

    2015-01-01

    The retro-prospective analysis of antibiotic sensitivity of non-fermenting gram negative bacilli strains circulating in the Orthopedics-Traumatology Clinic from "Sf. Spiridon" Emergency Clinical Hospital in view of determining the trend of the resistance phenomenon and indicating the most useful treatment for the infections caused by these strains. The retrospective component was conducted from 01.01.2003 to 31.12.2012, and the result of the diffusimetric antibiograms was taken from the hospital's informatics system; the prospective component of the study involved the collection of pathological products from the patients admitted during January-December 2013, who showed clinical suspicion of infection, in compliance with the general collection norms for the products destined for the bacteriological exam. From the total 167 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated and identified from the patients, 48 (28.74%) were sensitive to at least one antibiotic from each tested class, 29 (17.39%) were resistant to a single antibiotic and the rest of 90 (53.89%) showed multiple resistance. We noticed a statistically significant difference between the number of strains sensitive to at least one antibiotic from each tested class and those with multiple resistance (p < 0.05). For the strains of Acinetobacter baumanii combined resistance was identified for 121 (87.04%), out of which 55 (39.56%) were resistant to two classes of antibiotics and the other (47.48%) to all three classes. The most frequently met was the association of resistance to quinolones and aminoglycosides, namely for a number of 49 strains (35.25%); only 3.59% of them were simultaneously sensitive to the three classes of antibiotics. The already high percentages and the rising trends of antibiotic resistance of non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria described in this study confirm the continuous decrease of the efficiency of antimicrobial agents and underline the necessity of a global strategy which aims at all

  16. String derived exophobic SU(6)×SU(2) GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernard, Laura; Faraggi, Alon E.; Glasser, Ivan; Rizos, John; Sonmez, Hasan

    2013-01-01

    With the apparent discovery of the Higgs boson, the Standard Model has been confirmed as the theory accounting for all sub-atomic phenomena. This observation lends further credence to the perturbative unification in Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) and string theories. The free fermionic formalism yielded fertile ground for the construction of quasi-realistic heterotic-string models, which correspond to toroidal Z 2 ×Z 2 orbifold compactifications. In this paper we study a new class of heterotic-string models in which the GUT group is SU(6)×SU(2) at the string level. We use our recently developed fishing algorithm to extract an example of a three generation SU(6)×SU(2) GUT model. We explore the phenomenology of the model and show that it contains the required symmetry breaking Higgs representations. We show that the model admits flat directions that produce a Yukawa coupling for a single family. The novel feature of the SU(6)×SU(2) string GUT models is that they produce an additional family universal anomaly free U(1) symmetry, and may remain unbroken below the string scale. The massless spectrum of the model is free of exotic states.

  17. Use of geological mapping tools to improve the hydraulic performance of SuDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bockhorn, Britta; Klint, Knud Erik Strøyberg; Jensen, Marina Bergen; Møller, Ingelise

    2015-01-01

    Most cities in Denmark are situated on low permeable clay rich deposits. These sediments are of glacial origin and range among the most heterogeneous, with hydraulic conductivities spanning several orders of magnitude. This heterogeneity has obvious consequences for the sizing of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS). We have tested methods to reveal geological heterogeneity at field scale to identify the most suitable sites for the placement of infiltration elements and to minimize their required size. We assessed the geological heterogeneity of a clay till plain in Eastern Jutland, Denmark measuring the shallow subsurface resistivity with a geoelectrical multi-electrode system. To confirm the resistivity data we conducted a spear auger mapping. The exposed sediments ranged from clay tills over sandy clay tills to sandy tills and correspond well to the geoelectrical data. To verify the value of geological information for placement of infiltration elements we carried out a number of infiltration tests on geologically different areas across the field, and we observed infiltration rates two times higher in the sandy till area than in the clay till area, thus demonstrating that the hydraulic performance of SuDS can be increased considerably and oversizing avoided if field geological heterogeneity is revealed before placing SuDS.

  18. Diversity of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec structures in coagulase-negative staphylococci and relationship to drug resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garza-González, Elvira; López, Daniel; Pezina, Cesar; Muruet, Walter; Bocanegra-García, Virgilio; Muñoz, Ivan; Ramírez, Camilo; Llaca-Díaz, Jorge M

    2010-03-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements in meticillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS) isolated from a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico and to examine the relationship to drug resistance. Fifty selected MR-CoNS isolates collected from catheters (n=15), blood (n=15), bone (n=9), bronchial lavage (n=2) and urine (n=2) and one isolate each from an abscess, cerebrospinal fluid, eye, pleural effusion, synovial fluid, tracheal aspirate and wound secretion were examined. Susceptibility testing was performed by the broth microdilution method. SCCmec types were determined by multiplex PCR and PFGE was carried out as described previously for Staphylococcus aureus. Among the MR-CoNS strains studied, the most frequently isolated species were Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=26) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n=13). Staphylococcus cohnii (n=5), Staphylococcus hominis (n=3), Staphylococcus sciuri (n=1), Staphylococcus pasteuri (n=1) and the recently described species Staphylococcus pettenkoferi (n=1) were also identified. The most frequent MR-CoNS genotype identified was SCCmec type IVa in S. epidermidis isolates, which also showed a high diversity in their PFGE patterns. A clone was found that amplified both SCCmec III and V elements in five isolates examined. The single MR S. pettenkoferi isolate harboured SCCmec type IVd and the single MR S. pasteuri isolate harboured SCCmec type I. The carriage of SCCmec type III was associated with resistance or intermediate resistance to meropenem (P <0.05). These results confirm the high prevalence of S. epidermidis SCCmec IVa and the high genetic diversity among MR-CoNS strains. As far as is known, this is the first report describing the newly identified S. pettenkoferi possessing SCCmec IVd and S. pasteuri harbouring SCCmec type I. MR-CoNS harbouring SCCmec type III were found to be more resistant to meropenem.

  19. Entanglement in SU(2)-invariant quantum systems: The positive partial transpose criterion and others

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schliemann, John

    2005-01-01

    We study entanglement in mixed bipartite quantum states which are invariant under simultaneous SU(2) transformations in both subsystems. Previous results on the behavior of such states under partial transposition are substantially extended. The spectrum of the partial transpose of a given SU(2)-invariant density matrix ρ is entirely determined by the diagonal elements of ρ in a basis of tensor-product states of both spins with respect to a common quantization axis. We construct a set of operators which act as entanglement witnesses on SU(2)-invariant states. A sufficient criterion for ρ having a negative partial transpose is derived in terms of a simple spin correlator. The same condition is a necessary criterion for the partial transpose to have the maximum number of negative eigenvalues. Moreover, we derive a series of sum rules which uniquely determine the eigenvalues of the partial transpose in terms of a system of linear equations. Finally we compare our findings with other entanglement criteria including the reduction criterion, the majorization criterion, and the recently proposed local uncertainty relations

  20. Complete Circular Genome Sequence of Successful ST8/SCCmecIV Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (OC8 in Russia: One-Megabase Genomic Inversion, IS256's Spread, and Evolution of Russia ST8-IV.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsai-Wen Wan

    Full Text Available ST8/SCCmecIV community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA has been a common threat, with large USA300 epidemics in the United States. The global geographical structure of ST8/SCCmecIV has not yet been fully elucidated. We herein determined the complete circular genome sequence of ST8/SCCmecIVc strain OC8 from Siberian Russia. We found that 36.0% of the genome was inverted relative to USA300. Two IS256, oppositely oriented, at IS256-enriched hot spots were implicated with the one-megabase genomic inversion (MbIN and vSaβ split. The behavior of IS256 was flexible: its insertion site (att sequences on the genome and junction sequences of extrachromosomal circular DNA were all divergent, albeit with fixed sizes. A similar multi-IS256 system was detected, even in prevalent ST239 healthcare-associated MRSA in Russia, suggesting IS256's strong transmission potential and advantage in evolution. Regarding epidemiology, all ST8/SCCmecIVc strains from European, Siberian, and Far Eastern Russia, examined had MbIN, and geographical expansion accompanied divergent spa types and resistance to fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, and often rifampicin. Russia ST8/SCCmecIVc has been associated with life-threatening infections such as pneumonia and sepsis in both community and hospital settings. Regarding virulence, the OC8 genome carried a series of toxin and immune evasion genes, a truncated giant surface protein gene, and IS256 insertion adjacent to a pan-regulatory gene. These results suggest that unique single ST8/spa1(t008/SCCmecIVc CA-MRSA (clade, Russia ST8-IVc emerged in Russia, and this was followed by large geographical expansion, with MbIN as an epidemiological marker, and fluoroquinolone resistance, multiple virulence factors, and possibly a multi-IS256 system as selective advantages.