Bioresour Technol, 2001 Jan, 76(2), 143 - 50 Long-term effects of intercropping and bio-litter recycling on soil biological activity and fertility status of sub-tropical soils; Manna MC et al.; On-farm field experiments were carried out at two sites having 38- and 10-year-old orchard cropping systems under sub-tropical climatic regions to evaluate changes in organic carbon accumulation and chemical and microbiological properties of the soils . Under a system of different intercropped fruit trees, the cultivation of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) intercropped with guava (Psidium guajava L.) enhanced the soil microbial activity approximately 2-fold after 38 yrs over 10 yrs of the same intercropped system . Soil organic carbon increased from 3.4 to 7.8 and 2.4 to 6.2 g kg-1 after 38 and 10 yrs, respectively, following the establishment of orchards . The increase was attributed to greater recycling of bio-litters . Levels of dehydrogenase, phosphatase and soil microbial biomass under field conditions generally depended more on the nature of the cropping system than on soil types . Similarly, average carbon inputs of bio-litter to the soil in monocrop (0.98 Mg ha-1 yr-1) was less than intercropped fruit trees (2.07 Mg ha-1 yr-1) . The average level of soil microbial biomass carbon was 1158 kg ha-1 (0-0.15 m depth) and the organic carbon turnover rate was 8.5 yr-1 after 38 yrs of intercropped fruit trees, which resulted in a lower ratio (1.81) of carbon inputs to soil microbial biomass carbon. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol, 1999 Sep-Oct, 53(5), 226 - 30 Baxa MicroMacrocompounder for parenteral nutrition solutions in a pediatric hospital; Combeau D et al.; The constant increase of parenteral nutrition (PN) manufacturing in our pediatric hospital led us to look for an automatic filling system . The aim of this study was to evaluate the MicroMacrocompounder (MM23) for compounding pediatric PN solutions . MM23 volumetric accuracy was tested with its different inlets (S, D, V) for volumes of sterile water for injection from 0.2 to 2900 mL . The influence of the solution viscosity and the source solution bottle replacements during the filling operation was also investigated . Manufacturing pediatric PN solutions was eventually assessed . Time to set up the system was 30 minutes . Maximum filling speeds with sterile water for injection were 860, 330, 154 mL/min for Vx, V and D inlets, respectively . Inlet S was not tested for MM23 filling speed . Minimal flush volume of 40 mL of sterile water for injection is necessary to clear the tube of residual ions . Average MM23 volumetric accuracy was < 5% for volumes > or = 0.5 mL for S and D inlets, and for volumes > or = 20 mL for V inlet . The volumetric accuracy was equal to 6.25% for 0.2 mL . In all experiments, volumetric accuracy was < 5% . The accuracy of electrolyte measurements performed on bag samples was less than 5% for 150 (74%) samples, between 5 and 10% for 27 (13%) samples and greater than 10% for 27 (13%) samples . Microbiological analysis showed no positive culture . The average manufacturing times were 56.8 +/- 4.5, 188.2 +/- 7.7 and 447.2 +/- 13.8 seconds for 130, 660 and 1800 mL bags, respectively . The MM23 compounder is suitable for compounding pediatric admixtures with source solutions volumes > or = 0.5 mL . This system has been used daily for five months in our department. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol, 1999 Jul-Aug, 53(4), 211 - 6 Pharmaceutical container/closure integrity . IV: Development of an indirect correlation between vacuum decay leak measurement and microbial ingress; Nguyen LT et al.; The rational development of a physical test method to evaluate the microbial barrier properties of sterile containers necessitates its correlation to microbiological exclusion . This can be accomplished by direct or indirect correlation . In the former, the proposed physical test is directly compared to microbial challenges using appropriate test units that stimulate container leaks at both high and low probabilities of microbial ingress . Previous work has demonstrated the development of a direct correlation using helium leak rate methods and microbial immersion challenges . An indirect correlation can be established by comparing the proposed physical method to well-defined leakage standards that represent various known levels of microbial ingress . Thus the quality assurance properties of a physical test method can be established by comparison to another physical test method that has been previously characterized . This approach has the distinct advantages of being faster, quantitatively rigorous, and less subject to the vicissitudes, of microbial testing . This approach was demonstrated by comparing the helium leak rate method to vacuum decay testing . Additionally it was demonstrated that vacuum decay testing was a fast and reproducible method for detecting leaks of about 1 to 2 mm . Leaks were simulated by affixing micropipettes into glass vials. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol, 1999 Mar-Apr, 53(2), 70 - 4 Evaluation of the ChemScan system for rapid microbiological analysis of pharmaceutical water; Wallner G et al.; The ChemScan system is a new method for the rapid detection and enumeration of viable microbial cells . It is based on the fluorescent labeling of viable microorganisms collected on a filter membrane and their subsequent automated detection and enumeration by a laser-scanning instrument . The new method was evaluated for the testing of pharmaceutical water by comparison with the standard plate count method . The ChemScan system appeared to be at least as sensitive as the standard method . In some cases the results were equivalent for both methods, but for most water samples the ChemScan results were higher than the standard plate count and sometimes exceeded the latter by an order of magnitude or more. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol, 1999 Mar-Apr, 53(2), 60 - 9 Validation of a microwave sterilizer for injection ampules; Sasaki K et al.; A program for validating the microwave sterilizer, which is a new type of sterilizer, was established and implemented . This program includes the following tests specific to microwave sterilizers: the internal pressure strength of ampules, the acceptable range of sterilizing temperature, performance and calibration of the infrared thermometer and the plane blackbody, maintaining of sterilizing temperature, the processing speed (sterilizing time), the unacceptable ampules selection mechanism, microwave leaks, and a microbiological challenge test of the ampule head space using a biological indicator . Injectable preparations of mecobalamin and diprophylline were used as models for validation of the microwave sterilizer . The bioburden approach was used for injectable mecobalamin preparation, and the over-kill approach was used for injectable diprophylline preparation . The basis for practical use of this microwave sterilizer has been confirmed by the establishment and implementation of this validation program. J Immunol, 2000 Apr 15, 164(8), 4212 - 9 Suppression of endogenous IL-10 gene expression in dendritic cells enhances antigen presentation for specific Th1 induction: potential for cellular vaccine development; Igietseme JU et al.; A new paradigm for designing vaccines against certain microbial pathogens, including Chlamydia trachomatis, is based on the induction of local mucosal Th1 response . IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that exerts negative immunoregulatory influence on Th1 response . This study investigated whether biochemical modulation of endogenous IL-10 expression at the level of APCs is a practical strategy for enhancing the specific Th1 response against pathogens controlled by Th1 immunity . The results revealed that the high resistance of genetically engineered IL-10-/- (IL-10KO) mice to genital chlamydial infection is a function of the predilection of their APCs to rapidly and preferentially activate a high Th1 response . Thus, in microbiological analysis, IL-10KO mice suffered a shorter duration of infection, less microbial burden, and limited ascending infection than immunocompetent wild-type mice . Also, IL-10KO were resistant to reinfection after 8 wk of the primary infection . Cellular and molecular immunologic evaluation indicated that IL-10KO mice induced greater frequency of chlamydial-specific Th1 response following C . trachomatis infection . Moreover, IL-10KO APCs or antisense IL-10 oligonucleotide-treated wild-type APCs were potent activators of Th1 response from naive or immune T cells . Furthermore, both Ag-pulsed dendritic cells from IL-10KO mice and IL-10 antisense-treated dendritic cells from wild-type mice were efficient cellular vaccines in adoptive immunotherapeutic vaccination against genital chlamydial infection . These findings may furnish a novel immunotherapeutic strategy for boosting the Th1 response against T cell-controlled pathogens and tumors, using IL-10-deficient APCs as vaccine delivery agents. Crit Care Med, 2000 Mar, 28(3), 714 - 20 Changing heat and moisture exchangers after 96 hours rather than after 24 hours: a clinical and microbiological evaluation; Thomachot L et al.; OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether changing heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) every 96 hrs rather than 24 hrs would affect their efficacy to preserve the heat and moisture of inspiratory gases . The impact of a prolonged use of the HME on its microbial colonization was also assessed . DESIGN: Prospective cohort observational study . SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital . PATIENTS: Thirteen consecutive patients with no previous history of respiratory disease requiring controlled mechanical ventilation with an HME for >4 days were evaluated . INTERVENTIONS: The same HME was used for 96 hrs in each patient . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In each patient, during the inspiration phase, the following measurements were performed: peak and mean airway pressures, mean values of temperature, and relative and absolute humidity of inspired gases . In each patient, measurements were performed after 1 hr of HME use and then daily up to the fourth day . On days 1 and 4, microbiological samples were obtained from the patients' bronchial secretions and the ventilator side of the HME . After 96 hrs of ventilation with the same HME, tracheal tube occlusion was never observed . Using the same HME for 96 hrs rather than 24 hrs did not affect its technical performances: temperature at 24 hrs: 32.2 +/- 1.5 degrees C (90.0 +/- 34.7 degrees F), at 96 hrs: 32.1 +/- 1.6 degrees C (89.8 +/- 34.9 degrees F); relative humidity at 24 hrs: 97.9 +/- 2%, at 96 hrs: 98.1 +/- 1.7%; absolute humidity at 24 hrs: 33.1 +/- 2.4 mg H2O/L, at 96 hrs: 33.0 +/- 2.5 mg H2O/L . This analysis was based on a total of 312 measurements performed on the 13 patients . Peak and mean airway pressures did not change during the 96-hr study period, with identical tidal and minute volumes in the study patients . On day 1, ten patients had a positive culture of their tracheal secretions at a colony count of > or = 10(3) colony forming units/mL . After 96 hrs of use with the same HME, only seven patients had a positive culture of their tracheal secretions . Cultures from the ventilator sides of the HMEs were all sterile (13/13) after 96 hrs of use . CONCLUSIONS: In patients free from previous chronic respiratory disorder and ventilated for neurologic reasons, changing the HME after 96 hrs rather than 24 hrs did not affect its technical performance in terms of heat and water preservation of ventilatory gases . There is also some indirect evidence of very little, if any, changes in the HME resistance . No bacterial colonization of the ventilator sides of the HMEs was observed after 96 hrs of use . However, other large clinical trials should be undertaken to confirm the safety of extending the time between HME changes. J Agric Food Chem, 1998 Feb 16, 46(2), 682 - 686 Biochemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Changes of Sea Bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) under Partial Freezing and Refrigerated Storage; Chang KL et al.; Packages of fresh sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) were stored under temperatures ranging from -3 to 10 degrees C . Changes in K value, volatile basic nitrogen, aerobic plate count, and sensory acceptability were monitored . The shelf life of stored sea bass at 5 degrees C was 3 days . It was extended to about 2 weeks at 0 degrees C . Partial freezing storage at -3 degrees C increased the shelf life to >4 weeks . Ice and partial freezing temperatures increased the shelf life by lengthening the lag phase of bacterial growth and retarding the nucleotide breakdown rate . A maximum K value of 50% was appropriate for sea bass shelf life determination . In contrast, a maximum microbial population of 3 x 10(6) CFU/g of fish muscle was a good shelf life indicator only at storage temperatures >/=0 degrees C . A rapid rise in volatile basic nitrogen could serve as an indication of substantial microbial spoilage. J Agric Food Chem, 2000 Dec, 48(12), 6030 - 5 Identification of cephapirin metabolites and degradants in bovine milk by electrospray ionization--ion trap tandem mass spectrometry; Heller DN et al.; Liquid chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization was used to identify cephapirin metabolites and degradants in milk from cows dosed with cephapirin . The milk was extracted according to a previously published procedure . Structures for various components were tentatively identified by their molecular weight, product ion mass spectra, and/or correspondence to standard mass spectra . These components may have occurred as metabolites or as degradants that occurred on storage or during extraction . Compounds identified in the milk included cephapirin, desacetylcephapirin, cephapirin lactone, hydrolyzed cephapirin, and a reduced cephapirin lactone that has not previously been reported . Methylcephapirin was also identified, possibly as a trace contaminant in the formulation . Analysis of incurred milk extracts showed that cephapirin and desacetylcephapirin are the major residues in milk . Desacetylcephapirin residues persisted about as long as the parent drug . The detection limit for both residues by LC-MS/MS was approximately 1 ng/mL in milk . These results have implications for microbiological methods or rapid test kits, if such methods or kits respond to cephapirin metabolites and degradants present in the milk. Presse Med, 2000 Dec 2, 29(37), 2044 - 5 {Duration of treatment of nosocomial pneumonia . What judgement criteria to use?}; Fagon JY; AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE: Inappropriate duration of antibiotic treatment is one of the factors explaining the high mortality of nosocomial pneumonia . There are however few data on the ideal duration of treatment . An improvement in the radiological image is not a good criterion . The right duration would be one that is necessary and sufficient to achieve cure and avoid recurrence and relapse and also one that avoids the drawbacks of prolonged treatment . LIMITATIONS OF CLINICAL CRITERIA: High-grade fever, an alveolar image on the chest x-ray, and a high white cell count are synonymous with bacterial pneumonia in only 40 to 60% of the cases . PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INFECTION: Using reliable microbiological methodology is has been possible to demonstrate that the causal germs of primary infections disappear by day 3 of an adapted treatment but that early secondary infection occurs in 14% of the cases . PROSPECTS FOR PROGRESS: An open multicentric randomized study is being conducted in France to compare 7 day versus 14 day treatment against identified germs (irrespective of the strain isolated) using reliable microbial sampling techniques. Tunis Med, 2000 Nov, 78(11), 616 - 21 {Initial management of community-acquired pneumonia}; Ayoub A et al.; There continue to be major controversies in the management of community-acquires pneumonia, concerning either investigations, decision to hospitalize and antibiotic therapy . All authors agree that a chest radiography must be obtained in all cases, and two sets of blood cultures for hopitalized patients but there is there controversies about other microbiological tests . Decision to hospitalize must be based on clinical judgement but can be helped by Fine's predictive rule . Initial therapy is almost always empiric, antibiotic selection being primarily based on disease severity. Periodontol 2000, 2001, 25, 37 - 58 Periodontal risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning; Pihlstrom BL; The prevention and treatment of the periodontal diseases is based on accurate diagnosis, reduction or elimination of causative agents, risk management and correction of the harmful effects of disease . Prominent and confirmed risk factors or risk predictors for periodontitis in adults include smoking, diabetes, race, P . gingivalis, P . intermedia, low education, infrequent dental attendance and genetic influences . Several other specific periodontal bacteria, herpesviruses, increased age, male, sex, depression, race, traumatic occlusion and female osteoporosis in the presence of heavy dental calculus have been shown to be associated with loss of periodontal support and can be considered to be risk indicators of periodontitis . The presence of furcation involvement, tooth mobility, and a parafunctional habit without the use of a biteguard are associated with a poorer periodontal prognosis following periodontal therapy . An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a thorough evaluation of data that have been systematically collected by: 1) patient interview, 2) medical consultation as indicated, 3) clinical periodontal examination, 4) radiographic examination, and 5) laboratory tests as needed . Clinical signs of periodontal disease such as pocket depth, loss of clinical attachment and bone loss are cumulative measures of past disease . They do not provide the dentist with a current assessment of disease activity . In an attempt to improve the ability to predict future disease progression, several types of diagnostic tests have been studied, including host inflammatory products and mediators, enzymes, tissue breakdown products and subgingival temperature . In general, the usefulness of these tests for predicting future disease activity remains to be established in terms of sensitivity, specificity and predictive value . Although microbiological analysis of subgingival plaque is not necessary to diagnose and treat most patients with periodontitis, it is helpful when treating patients with unusual forms of periodontal disease such as early-onset, refractory and rapidly progressive disease . There appears to be a strong genetic component in some types of periodontal disease and genetic testing for disease susceptibility has potential for future use, but more research is needed to determine its utility for use in clinical practice . Treatment of the periodontal diseases may be divided into four phases: systemic, hygienic, corrective and maintenance or supportive periodontal therapy . Regardless of the type of treatment provided, periodontal therapy will fail or will be less effective in the absence of adequate supportive periodontal therapy. Eur Respir J, 2000 Nov, 16(5), 969 - 75 Diagnostic accuracy of protected catheter sampling in ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia; Bregeon F et al.; The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of protected telescoping catheter performed using: 1) protected distal aspiration, or 2) protected mini-bronchoalveolar lavage for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia . Twenty-seven patients who died after receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 72 h were included in a comparative prospective post-mortem study . The two microbiological sampling procedures were performed immediately after death . Surgical pneumonectomies and biopsies were performed within 30 min of death at the bedside for histological examination . The results of the two techniques were compared with histological post-mortem lung examination or biopsies . Histological examination of the parenchyma showed signs of pneumonia in 14 cases . Lung tissue culture was positive in nine of these 14 cases . When ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia was defined by the association of histological signs and positive lung tissue culture the sensitivity was 78% for both sampling techniques, specificity was 86% for mini-bronchoalveolar lavage and 100% for protected distal aspiration (at a threshold of 1 x 10(3) cfu x mL(-1)) . Both techniques protected the distal aspiration and mini-bronchoalveolar lavage, and provided good specificity with an acceptable sensitivity for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. Eur Respir J, 2000 Nov, 16(5), 1001 - 7 Chlamydia pneumoniae and the lung; Hammerschlag MR; Chlamydia pneumoniae is a frequently occurring respiratory pathogen affecting all age groups . It may cause 5-20% of community-acquired pneumonias in adults and children . The organism has also been implicated as an infectious trigger for asthma . Furthermore, new studies suggest that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases including atherosclerosis . However, despite the growing significance of C . pneumoniae as a pathogen, progress is hampered by the lack of standardized diagnostic methods including serology and polymerase chain reaction . This makes it practically impossible for the practitioner to make a specific microbiological diagnosis . The lack of standardized methods has also had an adverse effect on treatment trials . The dependence on serology for diagnosis in treatment studies has generated some questionable results . Unless cultures are performed, microbiological efficacy cannot be assessed and it may never be possible to survey for or document the emergence of resistance. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin, 2000 Oct, 18(8), 379 - 84 {Subacute endocarditis caused by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans}; Belloch SL et al.; BACKGROUND: We describe the cases of endocarditis caused by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (EAA) observed at our hospital . PATIENTS AND METHODS: We revised clinical records and microbiological documents from patients admitted at our hospital, with A . actinomycetemcomitans in blood cultures occurred from 1972-1998 . We used Dukes's diagnostic criterion of infectious endocarditis . RESULTS: Four patients were diagnosed of EAA for twelve years, there were males and two females . Two cases have had valvular prosthesis and three patients suffered a previous odontological manipulation . All cases were clinical subacute presentation . Two patients have had at a distance endocarditis clinical manifestation (neurological deficit and Osler nodules) . All patients were febrile and elevation of acute reactants, two cases had inflammatory anemia and one had cardiac failure . We observed growing signs after 7 days of culture and it was necessary, on solid medium, adequate atmosphere and nutritional composition to procure A . actinomycetemcomitans growing . All isolates were susceptible to studied penicillins or aminopenicillins (except one isolate with intermediate susceptibility), aminoglycosides and quinolones . Treatment with penicillin G, lone or combined with aminoglycosides, controlled infection in three patients . No case needed cardiac surgery . CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, EAA is a strange entity and there isn't a previous cardiac disease always . Usually, the place of entrance is a buccal focus . Subacute-chronic course and, sometimes, uncommon, can delay diagnostic during months . Our isolates have an uniform sensibility to penicillins and others betalactamic, anyway aminoglycosides and quinolones, therefore an antibiotic combination of two antibiotics from these families at least could be the choice treatment . Except evolutive complications in some patient, prognostic has been excellent with only antibiotic treatment, without valvular surgery. Rev Prat, 2000 Nov 1, 50(17), 1888 - 93 {Diffuse infiltrative lung diseases of infectious and neoplastic origin}; Wislez M et al.; Among the causes of chronic diffuse infiltrative lung diseases, infection and neoplasia have to be suspected in priority because of their frequency and their therapeutic specificities . Diffuse infiltrative lung diseases related to infection, often acute and feverish, are due to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, miliary tuberculosis, or virus and atypical pneumonia . Strategy for microbiological diagnosis depends on the pathogen suspected and the pulmonary disease severity . By contrast, diffuse infiltrative lung diseases due to neoplasia, mostly chronic diseases, include lymphangitic carcinomatosis and more rarely diffuse bronchoalveolar carcinoma and lymphoproliferative diseases. Waste Manag, 2001, 21(1), 79 - 84 Thermal and enzymatic recovering of proteins from untanned leather waste; Bajza Z et al.; The laboratory trials of a process to treat untanned leather waste to isolate valuable protein products are presented . In this comparative study, both thermal and enzymatic treatments of leather waste were performed . The enzymatic method utilizes commercially available alkaline protease at moderate temperatures and for short periods of time . The concentration of the enzyme was 500 units per gram of leather waste which makes the method cost-effective . Amino acid composition in the hydrolysate obtained by the enzyme hydrolysis of untanned leather waste is determined . Chemical and physical properties of protein powder products from untanned leather waste were evaluated by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods and by use of electron microscope . The results of microbiological assays confirm that these products agree to food safety standards . This relatively simple treatment of untanned leather waste may provide a practical and economical solution to the disposal of potentially dangerous waste. Rev Argent Microbiol, 2000 Oct-Dec, 32(4), 209 - 15 {Application of electrochemical methods of analysis in the microbiological field: a review}; Perez FG; This article presents a review on the application of electrochemical methods of analysis in the microbiological field . The main features of potentiometry, voltammetry and amperometry are discussed including a chronological description of the systems that have been developed so far. Ann Pharm Fr, 2000 Dec, 58(6 Suppl), 475 - 81 {Predictive microbiology . Toward an operational tool to help our appraisal}; Jolivet P; Knowledge of microbiological behavior in foods is a prerequisite to food processing quality control . From the mid eighties to the mid nineties, much research established growth and secondary models adapted to the main food pathogens, taking into consideration ecology factors such as temperature, pH, and Nacl concentration . This work led to the development of software to predict micro-organism growth . These devices were found however to be of little use because growth in limit conditions was poorly estimated and food composition or structure were not considered . More factors have to be taken into account when building a useful and informative tool for diagnosis . Food data and impact of food processing must be considered. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd, 2000 Nov, 217(5), 299 - 302 {Disciform keratatis caused by Bartonella henselae infection: detection of a rare ocular complication of cat-scratch disease with PCR}; Gabler B et al.; BACKGROUND: Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a common infectious disease, however its association with a disciforme keratitis is to our knowledge a previously unreported ocular complication . PATIENT: A 65-year old female was treated unsuccessfully with topical antibiotics, acyclovir and corticosteroids for several weeks because of a disciforme keratitis . Repeatedly, microbiological investigations (microscopy and culture) were negative . 16S rDNA-PCR with subsequent DNA-sequencing on material obtained by corneal scrape identified Bartonella henselae . Based on this result we have initiated a treatment with topical cephotaxim and within a short period of time the cornea healed with a paracentral scar . CONCLUSION: 16S rDNA-PCR was very helpful in identifying the intracellular sited bacterium Bartonella henselae as the causative pathogen of an unusual form of disciforme keratitis. Adv Contracept, 1999, 15(4), 313 - 24 Initial UK experience of the levonorgestrel-releasing contraceptive intravaginal ring; Sahota J et al.; A study was performed to establish the tolerance, acceptability and associated efficacy of a levonorgestrel-releasing intravaginal ring (IVR) in a sample of British women requiring contraception . This was achieved with an open non-randomized prospective study of 1710 women aged 18-40 years, recruited in 75 centers geographically spread around the UK using an IVR designed to release 20 microg/day of levonorgestrel . Assessments were made at baseline, after 6 weeks, after 3 months and then 3-monthly . After initial insertion of the IVR, it was changed at 3-monthly intervals . A total of 1591 women were eligible for analysis, with 572 available after 12 months and 34 after 24 months of use . Life-table analysis revealed pregnancy rates of 5.1% and 6.5% at 12 months and 24 months, respectively . The IVR was rated as acceptable or very acceptable as a form of contraceptive by 60.7% of women at 12 months . The most common adverse events were menstrual disturbance, headache and vaginal discharge . No significant pattern of biochemical, hematological, microbiological or cytological abnormalities was found but vaginal erythematous lesions were noted at some centers . This IVR was found to be a generally well-accepted method of contraception with a failure rate comparable to some other progestogenonly methods . On this basis, further development of hormone-releasing intravaginal rings is justified. Joint Bone Spine, 2000, 67(5), 481 - 4 Atlantoaxial tuberculosis: three cases; Allali F et al.; Tuberculosis of the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is exceedingly rare but carries a risk of compression of the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord . Three cases among 63 patients with spinal tuberculosis are reported . Mean age was 51 years (range, 20-69) and mean time to diagnosis was 4.6 months (range, 1-8) . Although atlantoaxial dislocation was a consistent feature, none of the patients had neurological deficits . Computed tomography of the CCJ disclosed a suggestive pattern combining osteolysis and an abscess anterior to the spine . The diagnosis was confirmed by microbiological studies in two cases and histology in one . The outcome was favorable after antituberculous therapy, immobilization of the neck, and surgical fusion . Although tuberculosis remains common in developing countries, involvement of the CCJ is rare . Tuberculosis of the CCJ carries a risk of instability and severe neuraxis compression . Consequently, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance. Eur J Epidemiol, 2000, 16(8), 719 - 24 Microbiological confirmation of tuberculosis cases at diagnosis and at the end of treatment in Italy; Migliori GB et al.; Microbiological findings at diagnosis and at the end of treatment are relevant for evaluating tuberculosis (TB) treatment programmes . The objectives of this study were to describe the microbiological findings at diagnosis and at the end of treatment in pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB patients treated under programme conditions in Italy . The study was a prospective monitoring activity based on the collection of standard recording and reporting forms from a representative sample of Italian TB Units . The forms with individual data were reviewed and analysed on a quarterly basis, 9 months after enrolment . The complete bacteriological profile of patients was analysed at diagnosis and at the completion of treatment . Individual data on 992 patients were analysed . At diagnosis 320 (32.2%) of cases were pulmonary sputum smear positive, 361 (36.4%) pulmonary smear negative or not done and 311 (33.4%) extrapulmonary; 424 (42.7%) of all TB cases were culture confirmed at diagnosis (368, 50.2%, of pulmonary cases); 575 (84.4%) of pulmonary cases had a culture done at diagnosis and 156 (22.9%) at the end of treatment (p < 0.001); 572 (84%) had a sputum smear done at diagnosis and 164 (24.1%) at the end of treatment (p < 0.001) . Although the rate of bacteriologically confirmed cases is similar to that of other European countries, the bacteriological confirmation at diagnosis and, particularly, at the end of treatment, is sub-optimal . The importance of further disseminating national guidelines among physicians managing TB is emphasized, in order to achieve a higher proportion of TB cases bacteriologically confirmed at diagnosis and monitored at the end of treatment. An Esp Pediatr, 2000 Nov, 53(5), 405 - 11 {Effectiveness of smears and cultures in gastric aspirate samples in the diagnosis of tuberculosis}; Gomez Pastrana Duran D et al.; AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of smears and cultures in gastric juice samples in the diagnosis of childhood pulmonary tuberculosis and to assess the relationship between clinical, radiological and epidemiological parameters in children with tuberculosis . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blind, prospective, controlled study of 421 gastric aspirate samples from 139 children referred because of suspected tuberculosis . Children were classified according to clinicoradiological factors, irrespective of microbiological results . To verify the clinical diagnosis an extended followup was carried out . RESULTS: Smears were positive in 6 of the 46 children with active tuberculosis (sensitivity: 13%) and in 3 of the 93 children in the control groups (specificity: 96.8%) . Cultures were positive in 15 children with active disease (sensitivity: 32.6%) and effectiveness was greater when the chest radiograph showed parenchymal involvement . Mycobacterium tuberculosis was also isolated in two children with tuberculous infection who showed no apparent signs of the disease and in one of these children, CT scan revealed mediastinal adenopathies which were not evident on the chest radiograph . Mean growth time for positive cultures was 42 days . CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of smears and cultures in gastric aspirate samples of children with pulmonary tuberculosis is low . Results of culture take several weeks and smears can give false positive results . Some children with tuberculous infection without apparent signs of the disease show microbiological activity that can be caused by mediastinal adenopathies that are not evident on chest radiographs. J Clin Periodontol, 2000 Dec, 27(12), 932 - 42 Untreated periodontal disease in Indonesian adolescents . Longitudinal clinical data and prospective clinical and microbiological risk assessment; Timmerman MF et al.; BACKGROUND, AIMS: In order to investigate the r le of various putative clinical and microbiological risk markers, a longitudinal study was initiated in a young population deprived of regular dental care . In 1987 all inhabitants in the age range 15-25 years living in a village with approximately 2,000 inhabitants at a tea estate on Western Java, Indonesia, were examined clinically and microbiologically . In total, 167 subjects of the original group of 255 adolescents were re-examined in 1994 . The material presented in this paper describes the clinical periodontal condition at baseline (1987) and at follow-up (1994), 7 years later . Furthermore, the relationship between progression of the disease and baseline clinical and microbiological data was assessed . METHODS: Plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), pocket depth (PD), and attachment loss (AL) were scored at the approximal surfaces of the vestibular aspects of all teeth . The number of approximal surfaces of the Ramfjord teeth showing subgingival calculus was recorded . At baseline, the dorsum of the tongue, the buccal gingiva in the upper jaw, the saliva and the deepest bleeding pocket without clinical loss of attachment were sampled for microbiological examination with phase contrast microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence . RESULTS: Mean values at baseline and at follow-up were PI: 1.01 and 1.15, BOP: 0.80 and 1.16, PD 3.26 mm and 3.32 mm, AL: 0.33 mm and 0.73 mm, respectively . All parameters except PD showed a statistically significant increase over the 7-year period . The prevalence of the studied bacteria irrespective of the sample site was: A . actinomycetemcomitans 53%, P . gingivalis 88%, P . intermedia 100%, spirochetes 89% and motile micro-organisms 100% . At the full mouth level, logistic regression showed significant odds ratios for progressive disease with age (1.15), subgingival calculus (1.20) and subgingival presence of A . actinomycetemcomitans (4.61) . Presence of any of the selected micro-organisms on the mucous membranes was not related with progressive disease . In order to study local factors to explain local disease activity, each subject was characterized using the sampled pocket, which was the deepest bleeding pocket without LA at baseline, as a single response site per patient . In this constrained design, the main statistical factors associated with progressive disease were presence of motile micro-organisms and the plaque score . CONCLUSIONS: This study identified 3 main risk markers for disease progression at the full mouth level: age, amount of subgingival calculus and subgingival presence of A . actinomycetemcomitans. Int J Food Microbiol, 2000 Dec 5, 62(1-2), 7 - 16 The role of microbiological testing in systems for assuring the safety of beef; Brown MH et al.; The use of microbiological testing in systems for assuring the safety of beef was considered at a meeting arranged by the International Livestock Educational Foundation as part of the International Livestock Congress, TX, USA, during February, 2000 . The 11 invited participants from industry and government research organizations concurred in concluding that microbiological testing is necessary for the implementation and maintenance of effective Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, which are the only means of assuring the microbiological safety of beef; that microbiological testing for HACCP purposes must involve the enumeration of indicator organisms rather than the detection of pathogens; that the efficacy of process control should be assessed against performance criteria and food safety objectives that refer to the numbers of indicator organisms in product; that sampling procedures should allow indicator organisms to be enumerated at very low numbers; and that food safety objectives and microbiological criteria are better related to variables, rather than attributes sampling plans. J Chemother, 2000 Nov, 12 Suppl 5, 34 - 9 The role of teicoplanin in the treatment of febrile neutropenia; Menichetti F; The clinical and microbiological efficacy, cost-per-patient and tolerability of teicoplanin were compared with those of vancomycin as empirical or second-line treatment of febrile neutropenic episodes in patients with hematologic malignancy or solid tumors . In terms of efficacy and cost teicoplanin and vancomycin were found equivalent, while teicoplanin is better tolerated and may be used effectively for treatment of out-patients. Shock, 2000 Dec, 14(6), 594 - 8 Hypertonic saline and pentoxifylline prevent lung injury and bacterial translocation after hemorrhagic shock; Yada-Langui MM et al.; Previous reports have shown beneficial effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) and hypertonic saline (HS) in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock . We compared the effects of these solutions to those of conventional lactated Ringer's (LR) treatment on bacterial translocation (BT), lung injury and total and differential cell count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) after hemorrhagic shock . Rats (280-330 g) were bled to a MAP of 35 mmHg for 1 h and then randomized into 4 groups: LR (3x shed blood); HS (7,5% NaCl, 4 mL/kg); LR+PTX (25 mg/kg) and SHAM (no shock, no treatment) . Additionally, total shed blood was reinfused . At 24 h lung injury was analyzed by a pathologist blinded to the groups, and a score was calculated . BT was determined by microbiological cultures of mesenteric lymph node complex . BAL was performed on a separate set of animals that received the same treatments . Lung score was significantly higher in LR group (11.5+/-1.4) as compared to HS (6.8+/-0.9), and PTX treated animals (7.2+/-0.9) . The percentage of neutrophils in the BAL of LR animals (15.8%) was also significantly higher as compared with HS (5.25%) and PTX groups (9.72%) . BT was noted in 50% of rats for LR group, 30% for PTX, 10% for HS and 0% for sham group . HS and PTX reduced BT and lung injury after hemorrhage . Attenuation of lung injury could be the result of less neutrophil infiltration into the lungs of HS and PTX treated animals . LR resuscitation caused pronounced lung injury and BT. J AOAC Int, 2000 Nov-Dec, 83(6), 1429 - 33 Evaluating presence/absence of target microbes in microbiological tests; Blodgett RJ et al.; A typical qualitative microbiological method performance (collaborative) study gathers a data set of responses about a test for the presence or absence of a target microbe . We developed 2 models that estimate false-positive and false-negative rates . One model assumes a constant probability that the tests will indicate the target microbe is present for any positive concentration in the test portion . The other model assumes that this probability follows a logistic curve . Test results from several method performance studies illustrate these estimates. J AOAC Int, 2000 Nov-Dec, 83(6), 1357 - 65 Validation of the microbiological methods hygicult dipslide, contact plate, and swabbing in surface hygiene control: a Nordic collaborative study; Salo S et al.; A collaborative study on total aerobic bacterial count was conducted to validate the Hygicult TPC dipslide against contact plates and swabbing, using stainless-steel surfaces artificially contaminated with different microbes at various levels . Twelve laboratories took part in the validation procedure . The total number of collaborative samples was 108 . The microbial level in each sample was assessed in triplicate using the 3 above-mentioned methods under 3 different incubation conditions (at 25 +/- 1 degrees C for 48 and 72 h and at 30 +/- 1 degrees C for 48 h) . Surface sampling methods detached 25-30% at the lowest (theoretical yield, 1.4 cfu/cm2), 18-20% at the middle (theoretical yield, 10.7 cfu/cm2), and 16-21% at the highest (theoretical yield, 43.6 cfu/cm2) levels of microbes from the test surfaces . The percentage of acceptable results after removing outliers was 89% . Repeatability standard deviations ranged from 27.2 to 74.6% and reproducibility standard deviations ranged from 42.1 to 97.5% . There were no significant differences between results obtained at different incubation temperatures (25 and 30 degrees C) or incubation times (48 and 72 h) for all 3 methods . The Hygicult TPC dipslide, contact plate, and swabbing methods gave similar results at all 3 microbial levels tested: 0.35-0.43 cfu/cm2 at the lowest level, 1.9-2.2 cfu/cm2 at the middle level, and 7.1-9.1 cfu/cm2 at the highest level. J AOAC Int, 2000 Nov-Dec, 83(6), 1345 - 8 Semi-automated direct epifluorescent filter technique for total bacterial count in raw milk; Hermida M et al.; The Direct Epifluorescent Filter Technique (DEFT) and the reference method of counting total bacterial colonies on Petri dishes were compared . IDF Standards 128 (1985) and 161A (1995) were applied . A total of 496 samples of milk were analyzed . Colony forming units per microL milk were transformed to decimal logarithmic units: log (cfu/microL) . The repeatability standard deviation, Sr = 0.114, was typical for a routine microbiological method . To study the carryover at different levels of bacteria, 3 tests were performed on milk samples of approximately 100, 700, and >1000 cfu/microL . For the first 2 experiments, no carryover was detected; in the milk sample with >1000 cfu/microL, the carryover was <0.12% . When the DEFT counts were regressed versus the reference method, the values of the slope and intercept were 0.92 and 0.17, respectively; the correlation coefficient was r = 0.84; and the residual standard deviation was Syx = 0.287 . The paired t-test showed that the reference method and DEFT do not give significantly different results (p = 0.05). Respir Med, 2000 Nov, 94(11), 1029 - 37 The safety and efficacy of short course (5-day) moxifloxacin vs . azithromycin in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis; DeAbate CA et al.; Chronic bronchitis is common among adults and infectious exacerbations contribute considerably to morbidity and mortality . We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of moxifloxacin to azithromycin for the treatment of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) of suspected bacterial origin . Between October 1998 and April 1999, 567 patients with AECB were enrolled at 37 centers across the United States and Canada of which 280 (49%) had acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (i.e . pretherapy pathogen) . Patients were randomized to either oral moxifloxacin 400 mg administered once daily for 5 days or azithromycin for 5 days (500 mg qd x 1, then 250 mg qd x 4) . For the purpose of study blinding, all patients received encapsulated tablets . The main outcome measure was clinical response at the test-of-cure visit (14-21 days post-therapy) . Secondary measures included bacteriologic response and a time-course of bacteriological eradication (one center only) . Three patient populations were analysed for efficacy: clinically-valid, microbiologically-valid (i.e . those with a pretherapy pathogen), and intent-to-treat (i.e . received at least one dose of study drug) . For the efficacy-valid group, clinical response at the test-of-cure visit was 88% for patients in each treatment group . In 237 microbiologically-valid patients, corresponding clinical resolution rates were 88% for 5-day moxifloxacin vs . 86% for 5-day azithromycin . Bacteriological eradication rates at the end of therapy were 95% for 5-day moxifloxacin and 94% for the azithromycin group . Corresponding eradication rates at the test-of-cure visit were 89% and 86%, respectively . Of note, eradication rates at test-of-cure for Haem . philos influenzae and H . parainfluenzae for moxifloxacin were 97% and 88% compared to 83% and 62% respectively for azithromycin . Among 567 intent-to-treat patients (283 moxifloxacin and 284 azithromycin), drug-related events were reported for 22% and 17%, respectively . Diarrhea and nausea were the most common drug-related events reported in each treatment group . Moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 5 days was found to be clinically and bacteriologically equivalent to 5-day azithromycin for the treatment of AECB of proven bacterial etiology . Given its excellent in-vitro activity, especially against antibiotic-resistant respiratory pathogens, and its acceptable safety profile, moxifloxacin should be considered an effective alternative therapy for patients with AECB of suspected bacterial origin. Acta Pol Pharm, 2000 Jul-Aug, 57(4), 257 - 60 The use of HPLC method for determination of the folic acid in multi-component vitamin preparations; Klaczkow G et al.; In the present study we tried to use HPLC method to determine the folic acid content in multivitamin and multimineral pharmaceutical preparations . The reverse phases technique was applied and measurements were made at the wavelength 282 nm . The elaborated method, because of its sufficient precision, accuracy as well as short time retention of folic acid may be used as an alternative method to microbiological. Cent Eur J Public Health, 2000 Nov, 8(4), 206 - 9 The Czech External Quality Control system in medical microbiology and parasitology; Slosarek M et al.; The External Quality Control (EQC) system in activities of laboratories engaged in medical microbiology and parasitology was established in the Czech Republic in 1993 when to the first laboratories which applied coded serum samples were sent for diagnosis of viral hepatitis and bacterial strains for identification . In the course of years the number of control areas increased and in 2000 there were 31 and the number of those interested in participation in EQC increased from 79 in 1993 to 434 in 2000 . This year a total of 13,239 samples will be sent to laboratories . Gradually thus almost all microbiological and parasitological laboratories concerned with examination of clinical material became involved . Seven-year experience with EQC in the Czech Republic revealed that gradually the results of various examinations became more accurate, that methods became standardized and the most suitable examination sets are used. Eur J Dermatol, 2000 Dec, 10(8), 596 - 603 Ingredients and safety of cellulite creams; Sainio EL et al.; There is virtually no knowledge of the ingredients of cellulite creams in the dermatological literature . In the present study, the ingredients of cellulite creams, the frequency of their use and whether the ingredients have been reported to cause allergy were investigated . In the 32 products tested, 263 ingredients were used . On average each product contained 22 ingredients (range 4 to 31) . Botanicals and emollients predominated; altogether 44 different botanicals and 39 different emollients were used in the 32 products . Caffeine, present in 14 products was the most common additive, apparently representing an "active" ingredient . In other respects the compositions of the products were similar to those of skin creams . All products contained fragrance . The creams were microbiologically pure . Concentrations of preservatives did not exceed limit values in the regulations . No formaldehyde was present (detection limit 10 ppm) . The well-known allergens isothiazolinones or dibromoglutaronitril were declared only in a few products . In spite of the large number of substances used in cellulite creams, their safety seems acceptable for most users . Because, however, one fourth of the substances used have been shown to cause allergy, the risk of adverse effects should be taken into account when using cellulite creams. Caries Res, 2001 Jan-Feb, 35(1), 8 - 11 A clinical and microbiological study of approximal carious lesions . Part 2: efficacy of caries removal following tunnel and class II cavity preparations; Ratledge DK et al.; A randomized controlled clinical study was set up to assess caries removal following tunnel preparation (test group) and class II cavity preparation (control group) . Sixty approximal lesions in adult posterior teeth, visible in the outer third of dentine on bite-wing radiographs, were referred for operative treatment . Initial dentine samples were taken on entry to the lesions in both groups . Following cavity preparation dentine samples were taken from beneath the marginal ridge in the tunnel group and at the cervical floor in both groups . Microbiological analysis was carried out to establish the level of infection of the dentine . The bacterial counts were high on entry to the lesions with a median log10 (CFU + 1) per sample of 3.07 (+/-1.24) . Following cavity preparation bacterial counts at the cervical floor were significantly reduced in both amalgam and tunnel groups (p<0.00001) . In the tunnel group, however, slightly increased bacterial counts were found beneath the marginal ridge compared to the cervical floor (p<0.01). Caries Res, 2001 Jan-Feb, 35(1), 3 - 7 A clinical and microbiological study of approximal carious lesions . Part 1: the relationship between cavitation, radiographic lesion depth, the site-specific gingival index and the level of infection of the dentine; Ratledge DK et al.; A clinical study was carried out to assess relationship between the presence of approximal cavitation, the radiographic depth of the lesion, the site-specific gingival index and the level of infection of the dentine . Adult patients assessed as needing operative treatment and presenting with approximal lesions visible in the outer third of dentine on bite-wing radiographs were included in the study . Direct lesion depth measurements were recorded from the radiographs and the site-specific gingival index adjacent to the lesion was noted . The presence or absence of a cavity was recorded on an impression following tooth separation . During operative treatment samples of dentine were taken on entry to the lesions to ascertain the level of infection of the dentine . Visual evaluation of 54 successfully recorded impressions revealed that 85% were cavitated . Cavitated lesions were found to have higher site-specific gingival index scores compared to non-cavitated lesions (p = 0.03) . The probability of cavitation was greater for lesions >0.5 mm from the enamel-dentine junction on bite-wing radiographs (p<0.01) . The level of infection of the dentine was significantly higher for cavitated lesions than for non-cavitated lesions (p = 0.02) . However, the non-cavitated lesions were still infected. J Appl Microbiol, 2000 Dec, 89(6), 951 - 9 Estimates of leucine aminopeptidase activity in different marine and brackish environments; Caruso G et al.; AIM: Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), an enzyme involved in the decomposition of natural peptides, was measured in different marine and brackish ecosystems, together with some environmental and microbiological parameters . METHODS AND RESULTS: The fluorogenic compound L-leucine-7-amido-4-methyl coumarin was specifically used for the determination of this in situ activity . The enzyme data obtained from this comparative study highlighted the strong spatial and temporal variability of the distribution of LAP in aquatic ecosystems, which was sometimes related to the course of environmental variables such as salinity and organic carbon content . CONCLUSIONS: LAP assay has proved to be a rapid method providing useful information on the microbial metabolic processes involved in the mineralization of organic matter . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The determination of the potential rates of extracellular enzyme activity is of great ecological importance to extend knowledge on the role played by bacteria in aquatic biogeochemical cycles. Br J Haematol, 2000 Nov, 111(2), 635 - 40 Prospective screening by a panfungal polymerase chain reaction assay in patients at risk for fungal infections: implications for the management of febrile neutropenia; Hebart H et al.; Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of mortality in neutropenic cancer patients . To determine whether a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay enabled the identification of patients at risk for invasive fungal infections, a prospective monitoring once per week was performed during 92 neutropenic episodes in patients receiving chemotherapy for acute leukaemia or high-dose therapy followed by allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplantation, with the investigators blinded to clinical and microbiological data . PCR positivity was documented in 34 out of 92 risk episodes . All patients developing proven invasive fungal infection were found PCR positive, and PCR was found to be the earliest indicator of invasive fungal infection preceding clinical evidence by a mean of 5.75 d (range 0-14 d) . In febrile neutropenic patients without a prior history of invasive fungal infection, a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 73% of the PCR assay for the development of proven or probable invasive fungal infection was documented . In conclusion, panfungal PCR performed prospectively once a week enabled the identification of patients at high risk for invasive fungal infections. Environ Health Perspect, 2000 Dec, 108 Suppl 6, 1015 - 22 Reducing environmental risk associated with laboratory decommissioning and property transfer; Dufault R et al.; The need for more or less space is a common laboratory problem . Solutions may include renovating existing space, leaving or demolishing old space, or acquiring new space or property for building . All of these options carry potential environmental risk . Such risk can be the result of activities related to the laboratory facility or property (e.g., asbestos, underground storage tanks, lead paint), or the research associated with it (e.g., radioactive, microbiological, and chemical contamination) . Regardless of the option chosen to solve the space problem, the potential environmental risk must be mitigated and the laboratory space and/or property must be decommissioned or rendered safe prior to any renovation, demolition, or property transfer activities . Not mitigating the environmental risk through a decommissioning process can incur significant financial liability for any costs associated with future decommissioning cleanup activities . Out of necessity, a functioning system, environmental due diligence auditing, has evolved over time to assess environmental risk and reduce associated financial liability . This system involves a 4-phase approach to identify, document, manage, and clean up areas of environmental concern or liability, including contamination . Environmental due diligence auditing includes a) historical site assessment, b) characterization assessment, c) remedial effort and d) final status survey . General practice standards from the American Society for Testing and Materials are available for conducting the first two phases . However, standards have not yet been developed for conducting the third and final phases of the environmental due diligence auditing process . Individuals involved in laboratory decommissioning work in the biomedical research industry consider this a key weakness. Ocul Immunol Inflamm, 2000 Sep, 8(3), 189 - 200 Use of PCR in endophthalmitis; Okhravi N et al.; In eyes with suspected endophthalmitis, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment have been noted to be associated with a better visual outcome . Currently, however, confirmation of the diagnosis of endophthalmitis (bacterial and/or fungal) is dependent on conventional techniques of microbiological isolation of organisms which require between one and twelve days . Furthermore, many samples prove to be culture-negative . In order to improve the rate of microbiological diagnosis, PCR technology has been successfully applied to the detection of bacteria and fungi in ocular samples . Specific oligonucleotide primers have been used to detect the presence of pathogens, which have been subsequently identified using RFLP analysis, DNA sequencing, and/or cloning techniques . Results demonstrated that PCR-based methods are rapidly able to confirm the presence of pathogens with high specificity and sensitivity . PCR-based techniques have also been used to rule out with confidence the presence of pathogens, a unique advantage of this methodology . The use of molecular methods has significantly increased the number of intraocular samples from which a confirmed diagnosis is made and reduced the time to laboratory diagnosis . PCR-based methods promise to be useful diagnostic tools in the management of these patients, especially those from whom ocular samples prove to be culture-negative. Clin Infect Dis, 2001 Jan, 32(1), 44 - 9 Epub 2000 Dec 12. Adjunctive salvage therapy with inhaled aminoglycosides for patients with persistent smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis; Sacks LV et al.; A proportion of patients with drug-resistant and drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) have sputum that is smear and culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis for a prolonged period of time, despite conventional therapy . Among such patients with refractory TB, an unblinded, observational study was undertaken that used conventional TB therapy and adjunctive aerosol aminoglycosides . Patients with persistent smear- and culture-positive sputum for M . tuberculosis (despite > or =2 months of optimal systemic therapy) were selected for adjunctive treatment via inhalation with aminoglycosides, and microbiological responses were monitored . Thirteen of 19 patients converted to smear negativity during the study: 6 of 7 with drug-susceptible TB and 7 of 12 with drug-resistant TB . Among patients with drug-susceptible TB, the median time to sputum conversion was 23 days, a shorter time than for a population of historical control patients . Recurrent infection was not observed . Adjunctive aerosol aminoglycosides may expedite sterilization of sputum among certain patients with refractory TB and diminish the risk of transmission. Epidemiol Infect, 2000 Oct, 125(2), 455 - 62 Presence of enteroviruses and reoviruses in the waters of the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea; Pianetti A et al.; EEC directive 76/160 requires member states to apply microbiological and chemico-physical standards for the quality of recreational waters . In observation of this regulation, in the present study 144 samples of seawater were taken over a 12-month period and tested to determine viral contamination . The samples were collected from the coastal waters of the Italian town of Pesaro, which is located on the Adriatic Sea . Using cell culture techniques, 32.6% of the seawater samples were found to be contaminated with enteroviruses . Isolation of these viruses was most frequent in the summer months . Thus, our results indicate the need to increase the frequency of monitoring of these waters and to eliminate the sources of contamination. Med Arh, 2000, 54(3), 143 - 6 {Typing of isolated mycobacteria}; Zvizdic S et al.; Microbiological diagnosis of causes of pulmonic or other tuberculosis localization includes microscopic analysis of disease material cause which was taken earlier, his specific elaboration and inoculation at appropriate bases . Bases are incubated until 12 weeks . In the purpose of identification of M . tuberculosis complex or some other (conditionally) potentially pathogenous king of micobacterium, depending on immunity status of the investigated one, it is necessary to apply conventional as well as modern methods of molecular biology in laboratory work . First of all this means differentiation of M . tuberculosis complex from other bacterium (MOT), that is eventually differentiation inside complex . Beside classical tests it is possible to apply some methods of molecular biology in laboratory conditions, as well as nucleus sonds or method for reproduction of one part of nucleus acid which fragments, with a help of restrictive encimes, into several parts (PCR/PRA) . With this method it is possible to do complete identification of isolated kinds of micobacterium according to the size of aplicon's fragments (part of reproduces DNA) . An appropriate time, which is necessary for execution of these tests, is measured in hours and days, and for the classical tests in weeks and months. Haematologica, 2000 Dec, 85(12), 1255 - 60 Incidence and outcome of pneumonia in patients with acute leukemia receiving first induction therapy with anthracycline-containing regimens; Rossini F et al.; BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Even though the risk of pneumonia is higher in patients with advanced disease, the potential risk of death is particularly relevant during induction therapy, when patients can be potentially cured of their hematologic disease: our study was aimed at evaluating the risk and outcome of pneumonia in these patients . DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied all 458 patients affected by acute leukemia receiving an anthracycline-containing induction regimen in the years 1984-1989 . RESULTS: Of the 458 patients, 109 (23.8%) developed pneumonia: 91 had acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and 18 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) . At univariate analysis, advanced age, AML and total blast count significantly correlated with the risk of pneumonia . At multivariate analysis, only age (p< 0.0001) and total blast count (p=0.002) retained their prognostic significance . Pneumonia responded to treatment in 67 (61.5%) patients, while 42 (38.5%) patients died . Among patients with pneumonia, 51 (46.8%) patients achieved a complete remission: 9/18 ALL and 42/91 AML . At univariate analysis, the most significant determinant of a positive outcome was the achievement of complete remission; a higher absolute neutrophil count at the onset of pneumonia, the absence of rales, a single infiltrate and the absence of microbiological demonstration of infection were also related to a positive outcome . At multivariate analysis, the achievement of complete remission and, with borderline significance, a single infiltrate maintained their prognostic value . INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia remains one of the most relevant risks of morbidity and mortality during induction therapy for acute leukemia . A fatal outcome is associated, in most cases, with a failure to achieve remission of leukemia. Phytother Res, 2000 Dec, 14(8), 644 - 6 A simple microbiological assay for the stereospecific differentiation of alpha and beta isomers of arteether; Santha Kumar TR et al.; A new rapid bioassay has been developed which can precisely differentiate between stereospecific alpha and beta isomers of the antimalarial drug arteether . This method was developed through the disc diffusion bioactivity tests wherein semisynthetically produced alpha arteether was able to inhibit the growth of E . coli strains which are defective in DNA gyrase enzyme . The wild type E . coli with intact DNA gyrase did not show this sensitivity to alpha arteether . The beta isomer of arteether was, however, ineffective against both the mutant and wild type strains . Direct experimental proof of gyrase involvement was obtained through mobilization of gyr genes by transformation of E . coli gyr- mutant strains with wild type gyrA clone pMK90 (carried on the thermo-inducible lambda Col E1 vector) . This resulted in alpha arteether resistant and nalidixic acid sensitive phenotype clearly demonstrating the use of gyrA mutant strains in differentiating alpha and beta isomers of arteether by this simple bioassay. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg, 2000, 120(10), 570 - 4 Histological and microbiological findings in non-infected and infected revision arthroplasty tissues . The OSIRIS Collaborative Study Group . Oxford Skeletal Infection Research and Intervention Service; Pandey R et al.; An assessment of clinical and laboratory findings is generally required to distinguish between septic and aseptic loosening of a hip implant . In order to evaluate the diagnostic utility of histological and microbiological investigative techniques to differentiate between these two conditions, we analysed their results in 617 patients with hip implant loosening . Histology and microbiology study confirmed the clinical diagnosis of septic loosening in approximately 98% and 89% . respectively . The clinical diagnosis of aseptic loosening was confirmed by histology in 99% of cases . In all but 2 of 81 cases of septic loosening, in which an organism was isolated on microbiological culture, the histological diagnosis of septic loosening was made on the basis of the degree of the acute inflammatory infiltrate (i.e . the presence of 1 or more neutrophil polymorphs per high power field (x 400) on average after examination of at least 10 high power fields) in periprosthetic tissues . In 10 patients for whom there was a strong clinical suspicion of septic loosening but no organisms were isolated on microbiological culture, the histological findings, using the above criteria, were in keeping with the clinical diagnosis of septic loosening . As almost 11% of cases of septic loosening would not have been diagnosed by microbiological investigation alone, our findings indicate that histological examination of periprosthetic tissues should form part of the investigative protocol to distinguish between aseptic and septic loosening. Przegl Lek, 2000, 57(7-8), 419 - 23 {Microbiological threat from buildings and rooms and its influence on human health (sick building syndrome)}; Ochmanski W et al.; In buildings we can observe many different strains of bacteria, over 400 species of mould fungi, many strains of fungus causing the rotting of wood and wood like materials, many species of algae, aphids, and other types of growths and seed plants and also over 30 types of mites especially those seen in house dust . Buildings, especially their interiors have a very specific microclimate . Within it areas of so called ecological lows are formed in which conditions for settlement, growth and reproduction of these organisms take place . A building, which is a hazard to the health of its residents, is called a "sick building" from the term "sick building syndrome" . The incidence and development of some types of mould fungus is associated with the production of very toxic metabolites which are called secondary metabolites i.e . mycotoxins . Long term human, especially in relation to children, contact with the species producing the most potent mycotoxins like aflatoxin--Apergillus flavus, ochratoxins--Aspergillus ochraceus, rubratoxins--Penicillium rubrum or strachybotrytoxins--Strachybotrys chartarum may even be the cause of death . Mould fungus or just mould is a saprophytic fungus derived from many different systemic groups (Mucor, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarinum) . Fungi can produce lethal mycotoxins such as: alternariol, aflatoxins, gliotoxins, ochratoxins, nivalenol, cytinine, dicumarol, rugulosine, trichoviridine and about 200 more which considering their mutagenicity are potentially dangerous to humans, animals, flora and microorganisms . Research which was begun by Prof . Julian Aleksandrowicz and Prof . Boleslaw Smyk in 1970 and 1971 showed that the so called "leukaemia houses" of leukaemia victims had an abundance of toxinogenic fungus in them, particularly the most potent fungus which turned out to be Aspergillus flavus . Toxinogenic funguses are abundant in many living spaces and cellars in older and also in new housing . Mycotoxins have been shown to be very toxic and harmful and it is no wonder that many inhabitants of these living spaces are constantly ill, mainly upper respiratory tract infections, lethargy, constant headaches, nausea and a general ill feeling . Inhabiting these living spaces for a considerable period may lead to cancer. J Public Health Dent, 2000 Summer, 60(3), 182 - 8 Health care savings from microbiological caries risk screening of toddlers: a cost estimation model; Zavras AI et al.; OBJECTIVES: Modeling new biomedical technologies and determining their expected cost is necessary before initiating formal clinical trials . This paper estimates an economic model for the potential cost impact of microbiological screening of toddlers for caries risk compared to the traditional method of managing pediatric caries . METHODS: Potential cost savings were calculated based on screening test properties (sensitivity and specificity) derived from a population of 1,180 children aged 1 to 3 years with a caries prevalence of 15 percent . An algorithm was then developed to allocate prevalent and anticipate incident caries, treatment effectiveness assumptions, and existing regional treatment costs . RESULTS: The cost analysis model conservatively predicts savings of 7.3 percent from screening and early intervention . Cumulative dental treatment costs for a child at age 4 years are $367.90 if the child has been screened and $396.70 otherwise . The model further predicts that cost savings increase significantly as caries prevalence increases . CONCLUSIONS: Microbiologic risk assessment for pediatric caries may be an example of a preventive public health screening technique that results in both clinical benefits and cost savings . If the model is validated by randomized clinical trials, microbiologic screening could be used by pediatric primary care providers to identify toddlers who require early referral to dentists for further risk assessment and early caries management. Med Dosw Mikrobiol, 2000, 52(2), 197 - 205 {Proportion of fungi among isolated microorganisms from blood of patients treated in the teaching departments of The University Hospital in Cracow in 1993-1998}; Kedzierska J et al.; The study was carried out of 9742 blood cultures obtained in 1993-1998 from patients of selected departments of the University Hospital . The received samples were assessed from the standpoint of the participation of fungi strains of clinical importance as aetiological factors in systemic infections and the resistance status of a selected group of pathogens . Microbiological blood studies were conducted in the system of continuous monitoring of the obtained cultures by means of the automatic ATB system using a commercially available ID 32C set . ATB Fungus tests were used for drug resistance assessment . In all, 95 strains of yeasts (5.1%) were obtained in cultures, and an increasing variety of these pathogenic species was noted in sepsis . A systematic reduction was noted in the proportion of C . albicans and a steep rise of C . parapsilosis were observed among the aetiological factors of generalized nosocomial fungal infections . A tendency was noted for a continuous rise in the frequency of invasive candidemias with a most significant rise in their proportion in patients in general surgery and haematology departments . Among the fungi isolated from septic complications the proportion of strains resistant to antifungal drugs has been rising. Vopr Pitan, 2000, 69(4), 43 - 9 {Accelerated methods for the microbiological quality control of food products in the critical control point system in the analysis of the hazard factor}; Bykova IB et al.; The rapid microbiological methods of quality control food in the HACCP systems . The paper contain the summary of the hazard analysis control point concept for the control of food microbiological safety . It characterises the express methods that can detect and identify the Food Poison Organisms, including the methods for the rapid detection and enumeration of microorganisms by means of a new impedance measuring systems, molecular-biologic methods and DNA-diagnostic methods. Assist Inferm Ric, 2000 Apr-Jun, 19(2), 112 - 9 {Comparison of two different protocols on change of medication in central venous catheterization in patients with bone marrow transplantation: results of a randomized multicenter study}; Rasero L et al.; Care of central venous catheter (CVC) in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) raises significant problems related to the high risk of local infections, to the immunodeficient status, which in itself is a predisposing factor for systematic blood stream infections . Although frequent changes of CVC dressing might theoretically reduce the incidence of infections, they are also accompanied by significant skin toxicity and patient discomfort . No study has yet addressed these points . The objective of this study was to compare two different time interval protocols for CVC dressing, in order to assess the effects on local infections and toxicity . In a multicentre study, 339 bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients with a tunnelled CVC (group A, 230 pts) or a non tunnelled one (Group B, 169 patients) were randomly allocated to receive CVC dressing changes every 5 or 10 days if belonging to group A or 2 or 5 days if in group B . Transparent impermeable polyurethane dressings were used for all patients . The rate of local infection at the site of CVC insertion was assessed by microbiological assay every 10 days, while severity of skin toxicity was measured according to the ECOG scale . Sixty-five per cent of enrolled patients were finally evaluable . Patients (in both groups) receiving CVC dressing changes at longer intervals did not show a significant increase in the rate of local infections, while those who received dressing every two days had a significant increase in local skin toxicity . Longer intervals were accompanied by a reduction in costs . The results of this study demonstrate that the increase in time interval between CVC dressing changes in BMT patients did not increment the risk of local infections, while significantly reducing patients discomfort and costs. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl, 2000 Sep 29, 747(1-2), 69 - 93 Current methodologies for the analysis of aminoglycosides; Stead DA; The aminoglycosides are a large and diverse class of antibiotics that characteristically contain two or more aminosugars linked by glycosidic bonds to an aminocyclitol component . Structures are presented for over 30 of the most important members of this family of compounds . The use of aminoglycosides in clinical and veterinary medicine and in agriculture is described . Qualitative methods for aminoglycoside analysis include X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) . The major part of this article comprises a comprehensive review of quantitative methods for the determination of aminoglycosides . These are microbiological assay, radiochemical assay, radioimmunoassay, enzyme immunoassay, fluoroimmunoassay and other immunoassays, spectrophotometric and other non-separative methods, gas chromatography (GC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) . Simple spectrophotometric methods may be adequate for the assay of bulk pharmaceuticals and their formulations . Microbiological assays make useful semi-quantitative screening tests for the analysis of veterinary drug residues in food, but rapid enzyme immunoassays are more suitable for accurate measurements of aminoglycosides in complex matrices . Automated immunoassays are the most appropriate methods for serum aminoglycoside determinations during therapeutic drug monitoring . HPLC techniques provide the specificity and sensitivity required for pharmacokinetic and other research studies, while HPLC-MS is employed for the confirmation of veterinary drug residues . The potential for further development of chromatographic and CE methods for the analysis of biological samples is outlined. FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 2000 Dec 1, 34(2), 147 - 155 Screening of sulfate-reducing bacteria in colonoscopy samples from healthy and colitic human gut mucosa; Zinkevich V V et al.; A PCR-based approach combined with microbiological cultivation methods was employed to determine the occurrence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in colon biopsy samples from ulcerative colitis patients and from non-colitic controls . The detection of mucosa-associated SRB was carried out by digoxigenin-dUTP-labelled PCR amplification, in liquid Postgate medium B and in a new liquid medium, termed VM medium I . Using Postgate medium B, the growth of SRB was confirmed in 92% of the colitic specimens and in 52% of non-colitic samples . However, PCR analysis and incubation in VM medium I detected SRB in 100% of biopsy material indicating ubiquitous presence of SRB in human colon mucosa. Hepatogastroenterology, 2000 Sep-Oct, 47(35), 1360 - 3 The value of ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count determination during therapy of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis; Ljubicic N et al.; BACKGROUND/AIMS: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is one of the most common complications attending the onset of ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis . The aim of this study was to demonstrate whether it is possible, on the basis of ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count in patients with liver cirrhosis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, to determine the optimal duration of cefotaxime therapy, as the most frequently applied empirical therapy, and possibly anticipate the disease recurrence . METHODOLOGY: In 16 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and confirmed diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, cefotaxime therapy was administered 2g t.i.d . during 5 days . Before the therapy, at 48 hours, 5 days and 15-20 days after the cefotaxime therapy was started, in all patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis diagnostic abdominal paracentesis was performed, each time determining the ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count together with microbiological analysis . RESULTS: In the course of the "primary" spontaneous bacterial peritonitis attack, 3 patients died (18.8%) . In 4 patients the recurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was observed within 15-20 days after therapy was discontinued . Two patients died during the therapy of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis recurrence . After 48 hours of therapy, 11 patients with the "primary" spontaneous bacterial peritonitis attack were without any symptoms (68.8%) . Out of these 11, 10 patients (62.5%) had the ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count lower than 250/mm3 . After 5 days of therapy, 12 patients (75%) were free of symptoms, and the number of ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count < 250/mm3 was still found in 10 (62.5%) patients . No association between the presence of symptoms 48 hours after the therapy and the recurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was established . A significant association was found between the ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count determined 48 hours after the therapy and the recurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis . A recurrence occurred in only 1 patient with the number of ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cell count < 250/mm3, 48 hours after the therapy was started . A recurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis occurred in all the patients who had an ascitic fluid PMN cell count > or = 250/mm3, 48 hours after the therapy was started . CONCLUSIONS: By monitoring the ascitic fluid PMN cell count it seems to be possible to determine the efficacy and optimal duration of cefotaxime therapy in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis when it is of most importance that the number of ascitic fluid PMN cell count should decrease below 250/mm3 during the therapy. Mycoses, 2000, 43 Suppl 1, 73 - 5 {Mycologic investigation of foodstuff}; Siesenop U et al.; This short communication presents a review on the work of the mycological laboratory of the Institute of Microbiology and Epidemics, Hannover, Germany, concerning the mycological investigation on feeding stuff . Out of the routine diagnostic work, examining more than 4000 probes in the last 10 years, some selected investigations on scientific questions will be mentioned . Different subjects as the influence of homogenisation of feeding stuff on the mycological evidence rate, the microbiological status of germinating feeding stuff for pet birds the contamination of wheat with Fusarium spp . after fungicidal treatment will be discussed . Out of the great number of diagnostic investigations the most often examined feeding stuffs, those for pigs, will be looked at more closely . The evidence rate of yeasts and moulds and the number of isolated fungi are demonstrated. C R Acad Sci III, 2000 Oct, 323(10), 853 - 65 {Massive mortality of marine invertebrates: an unprecedented event in northwestern Mediterranean}; Perez T et al.; An unprecedented mass mortality event has been observed at the end of the summer 1999 along the coasts of Provence (France) and Ligury (Italy) . This event has severely affected a wide array of sessile filter-feeder invertebrates from hard-substratum communities, such as sponges (particularly the keratose sponges Hippospongia and Spongia), cnidarians (particularly the anthozoans Corallium, Paramuricea, Eunicella and Cladocora), bivalves, ascidians and bryozoans . Along the Provence coasts, the outbreak spread from east to west . Exceptionally high and constant temperatures of the whole water column (23-24 degrees C, for over one month, down to 40 m) could have determined an environmental context favourable to the mass mortality event . Like the thermal anomaly, the mortality is limited in depth . However, we cannot ascertain whether temperature had a direct effect on organisms or acted in synergy with a latent and/or waterborne agent (microbiological or chemical) . Taking into account the global warming context in the NW-Mediterranean, monitoring programs of physical-chemical parameters and vulnerable populations should rapidly be set up. Curr Infect Dis Rep, 2000 Dec, 2(6), 484 - 489 Hand Hygiene Revisited: Lessons from the Past and Present; Hugonnet S et al.; Hand hygiene is the most effective measure to prevent cross-transmission of microorganisms . Adequate hand hygiene can be achieved by standard handwashing--with water alone or with soap--or by the use of an alcohol-based hand-rub solution . Despite considerable efforts, compliance with this simple infection-control measure remains low . Factors predicting non-compliance have been extensively studied, and include physician status, procedures associated with a high risk of cross-transmission, and an important workload . Future interventions to improve compliance should consider complex behavioral theories and the use of multimodal and multidisciplinary strategies . We believe that one of the key components of these interventions should be the wide use of alcohol-based hand-rub, which is microbiologically effective and less time-consuming than standard handwashing. Int J Antimicrob Agents, 2000 Nov, 16(3), 323 - 9 Making the diagnosis of fungal infection: when to start treatment; Martino P et al.; Fungal infections continue to cause major complications in cancer patients . With the increasing use of aggressive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation causing profound, prolonged depressed immunity, the risk of invasive mycoses has increased . The prognosis of these infections is poor unless they are diagnosed and treated promptly . The management of opportunistic fungal infections is characterized by a series of unresolved problems, including initial difficulties in obtaining an early diagnosis . Clinical signs indicating a definite diagnosis of fungal infection is frequently absent in cancer patients . There are no distinctive symptoms and fever is the most common and, frequently, the only sign . In only a minority of cases, and usually after recovery from neutropenia, can some clinical features, such as pulmonary pseudomycetoma and hepatosplenic lesions, be suggestive of an invasive mycosis . Thus, laboratory procedures are necessary to reveal or confirm the diagnosis of invasive mycosis and establish disease etiology . Cultures are often negative and positive results need a careful evaluation to determine clinical importance . The significance of fungi isolated from mucosal surfaces and from the respiratory tract in diagnosing invasive mycoses is controversial . The problem in interpreting these microbiological data is the differentiation between fungal infection and colonization . Detection of fungal antigens by molecular methods appears to be promising, but the significance in various clinical settings is still under evaluation . In most cases, the diagnosis depends on a combination of clinical, microbiological, histological and serological results. G Ital Med Lav Ergon, 2000 Jul-Sep, 22(3), 229 - 35 {Proposed microbiological indexes for the assessment of air quality in buildings}; Dacarro C et al.; An assessment of biological risk in the workplace requires the measurement of microorganisms present in the air . Although it is currently difficult to establish a dose-response relationship on the basis of existing epidemiological data, the number and types of microorganisms present offer a useful index when evaluating the quality of the air . Using the results obtained from a study of 226 different offices located in buildings equipped with forced ventilation we propose an assessment of contamination levels based on a Global Index of Microbial Contamination/m3 (GIMC/m3) . This index is calculated as the sum of the values of the total microbial count determined for mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria and fungi in all sampled areas . GIMC/m3 fluctuates between a minimum value of 23 and a maximum value of 18.069: the mean value varies depending on the ventilation system mode setting, with a value of 145 when operating in the heating mode, 265 in the air-conditioning mode and 258 under simple forced ventilation . 95.5% of the offices under study had a GIMC/m3 value of below 1000: this value is proposed as a threshold limit above which a more extensive assessment of contamination levels based on the measurement of further microbiological indexes should be carried out . To this aim we propose an Index of Mesophilic bacterial Contamination (IMC), obtained by calculating the ratio between the CFU/m3 value measured for mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria in the same sampling point . The measurement of the Amplification Index (AI) completes the evaluation and this is determined by calculating the ratio between the GICM/m3 values measured inside the building and those measured outside . When considering these observations as a whole we are able to classify the various work areas under study into groups and categories according to the observed values of the proposed microbial contamination indexes. Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb, 2000 Sep-Oct, 138(5), 430 - 5 {Significance of postoperative fever after hip prosthesis implantation}; Than P et al.; INTRODUCTION: Postoperative fever is a phenomenon well-known by every orthopedic surgeon, yet its etiological background and its relation to wound infections is still unclear . The number of publications related to this topics in general and in the special field of orthopedics is quite limited . METHOD: The incidence of postoperative fever in 177 patients who underwent total hip replacement was investigated; its nature and connections to possible bacterial wound infections are described . Moreover, the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy was also taken into consideration . RESULTS: In 39% of the sample, fever exceeding 38 degrees C was noted in the immediate postoperative period; in 87% of these cases, the fever was of unknown etiology, its background could not be specified by clinical tests and examinations . In four cases of the total 177 patients, microbiologically proven wound infection occurred during the period of hospital stay, but only three of these patients had fever . The results of patients treated with antibiotics because of fever did not differ significantly from those of patients who did not receive antibiotics . This was true from the aspect of both the disappearance of fever and the frequency of complications . CONCLUSION: The results emphasise that postoperative fever is only a minor predictive factor of wound infections; at the same time absence of fever does not mean absence of septic complications . In the case of immediate postoperative fever of unknown etiology and without clinical symptoms, it is inexpedient to start antibiotic treatment or to increase the prophylactic antibiotic dosage. J Microbiol Methods, 2000 Dec 1, 43(1), 33 - 44 Training radial basis function neural networks: effects of training set size and imbalanced training sets; Al-Haddad L et al.; Obtaining training data for constructing artificial neural networks (ANNs) to identify microbiological taxa is not always easy . Often, only small data sets with different numbers of observations per taxon are available . Here, the effect of both size of the training data set and of an imbalanced number of training patterns for different taxa is investigated using radial basis function ANNs to identify up to 60 species of marine microalgae . The best networks trained to discriminate 20, 40 and 60 species respectively gave overall percentage correct identification of 92, 84 and 77% . From 100 to 200 patterns per species was sufficient in networks trained to discriminate 20, 40 or 60 species . For 40 and 60 species data sets an imbalance in the number of training patterns per species always affected training success, the greater the imbalance the greater the effect . However, this could be largely compensated for by adjusting the networks using a posteriori probabilities, estimated as network output values. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000 Dec, 44(12), 3408 - 13 Randomized comparison of linezolid (PNU-100766) versus oxacillin-dicloxacillin for treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections; Stevens DL et al.; This randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial compared the efficacy and safety of linezolid, an oxazolidinone, with those of oxacillin-dicloxacillin in patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections . A total of 826 hospitalized adult patients were randomized to receive linezolid (600 mg intravenously {i.v.}) every 12 h or oxacillin (2 g i.v.) every 6 h; following sufficient clinical improvement, patients were switched to the respective oral agents (linezolid {600 mg orally} every 12 h or dicloxacillin {500 mg orally} every 6 hours) . Primary efficacy variables were clinical cure rates in both the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and clinically evaluable (CE) patients and microbiological success rate in microbiologically evaluable (ME) patients . Safety and tolerability were evaluated in the ITT population . Demographics and baseline characteristics were similar across treatment groups in the 819 ITT patients . In the ITT population, the clinical cure rates were 69.8 and 64.9% in the linezolid and oxacillin-dicloxacillin groups, respectively (P = 0.141; 95% confidence interval -1.58 to 11 . 25) . In 298 CE linezolid-treated patients, the clinical cure rate was 88.6%, compared with a cure rate of 85.8% in 302 CE patients who received oxacillin-dicloxacillin . In 143 ME linezolid-treated patients, the microbiological success rate was 88.1%, compared with a success rate of 86.1% in 151 ME patients who received oxacillin-dicloxacillin . Both agents were well tolerated; most adverse events were of mild-to-moderate intensity . No serious drug-related adverse events were reported in the linezolid group . These data support the use of linezolid for the treatment of adults with complicated skin and soft tissue infections. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax, 2000 Oct 12, 89(41), 1643 - 6 {Chronic diarrhea: therapy with antibiotics}; Bauer TM; Chronic diarrhoea in developed countries is most frequently caused by organic or functional disorders . Infectious agents are infrequently involved, and antibiotic chemotherapy should therefore generally rest on a microbiological diagnosis . However, there may be a role for empirical antibiotic treatment in well defined circumstances such as persistent traveller's diarrhoea or suspected small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Microb Ecol, 2000 Aug, 40(3), 223 - 237 Microbial Biomass and Community Structure in a Sequence of Soils with Increasing Fertility and Changing Land Use; Yao H et al.; The microbial biomass and community structure of eight Chinese red soils with different fertility and land use history was investigated . Two community based microbiological measurements, namely, community level physiological profiling (CLPP) using Biolog sole C source utilization tests and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, were used to investigate the microbial ecology of these soils and to determine how land use alters microbial community structure . Microbial biomass-C and total PLFAs were closely correlated to organic carbon and total nitrogen, indicating that these soil microbial measures are potentially good indices of soil fertility in these highly weathered soils . Metabolic quotients and C source utilization were not correlated with organic carbon or microbial biomass . Multivariate analysis of sole carbon source utilization patterns and PLFAs demonstrated that land use history and plant cover type had a significant impact on microbial community structure . PLFAs showed these differences more than CLPP methods . Consequently, PLFA analysis was a better method for assessing broad-spectrum community differences and at the same time attempting to correlate changes with soil fertility . Soils from tea orchards were particularly distinctive in their CLPP . A modified CLPP method, using absorbance readings at 405 nm and different culture media at pH values of 4.7 and 7.0, showed that the discrimination obtained can be influenced by the culture conditions . This method was used to show that the distinctive microbial community structure in tea orchard soils was not, however, due to differences in pH alone. J Trop Pediatr, 2000 Oct, 46(5), 259 - 63 Impact of zinc supplementation in malnourished children with acute watery diarrhoea; Dutta P et al.; A double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 80 malnourished children with acute dehydrating diarrhoea to evaluate the efficacy of oral supplementation of zinc as an adjunct therapy to oral rehydration solution (ORS) . After decoding it was observed that 44 children received zinc sulphate (177 mg/kg/day in three divided doses equivalent to 40 mg elemental zinc) in a syrup form and 36 children received only syrup placebo . Clinical parameters and microbiological findings of stool samples were comparable in the two groups at the time of enrollment . All the children (100 per cent) in the zinc supplemented group and 32 (89 per cent) children in the placebo group recovered within 5 days of hospitalization (p = 0.04) . The zinc supplemented group had a significantly shorter duration of diarrhoea (70.4 +/- 10.0 vs . 103.4 +/- 17.1 h; p = 0.0001), passed less liquid stool (1.5 +/- 0.7 vs . 2.4 +/- 0.7kg; p=0.0001), consumed less oral rehydration solution (2.5 +/- 1.0 vs . 3.6 +/- 0.8 litre; p = 0.0001) and other liquids (867.0 +/- 466.1 vs . 1354.7 +/- 675.6 ml; p = 0.0001) as compared to the placebo group . Our findings suggest that zinc supplementation as an adjunct therapy to ORS has beneficial effects on the clinical course of dehydrating acute diarrhoea. Probl Tuberk, 2000, (5), 32 - 5 {The economic aspects of the system of organizing antitubercular measures in Tomsk Province}; Polivakho VV et al.; To reduce the cost of detection, diagnosis, and hospital stay by reasonably decreasing bed-days, by developing microbiological methods for diagnosing the disease in a general hospital, by making a differential prophylactic fluorography is a requisite measure . The DOTS strategy used by primary health care staff by the world at large is an optimal way of distribution of limited resources . Its efficiency is confirmed by practice in Tomsk Province. Voen Med Zh, 2000 Sep, 321(9), 51 - 6, 96 {The clinico-microbiological and epidemiological aspects of hospital infections in a surgical clinic}; Badikov VD et al.; Complex clinical and microbiological and epidemiological study of specificity of hospital infections was conducted in surgical clinics of Military and Medical Academy . Analysis of the materials obtained has permitted to develop the classification of agents of modern hospital surgical infections, to study the variety and specificity of forming of microorganism hospital strains . To optimize the system of sanitary and epidemiological inspection on hospital infections and to improve their prophylaxis it is proposed to introduce into the practice of bacteriological laboratories of military medical and prophylactic institutions the quantitative microbiological examinations of clinical material . Besides it is reasonable to have in the stuff of multipurpose military hospitals the post of hospital epidemiologist trained in the actual problems of clinical microbiology, hospital hygiene and surgical infection. Przegl Epidemiol, 2000, 54(1-2), 93 - 102 {Dysentery in 1998}; Stypulkowska-Misiurewicz H et al.; Since the year 1992 a dramatic decrease of dysentery cases notified every year has been observed in Poland . In 1994 the microbiological examination of diarrhoea stool specimens stopped to be free of charge . Dysentery started to be recognised only in the cases suspected as foodborne disease outbreak investigated for epidemiological reason . This practise influenced the change in the epidemiological feature of dysentery in 1998: increase of cases due to S . flexneri infection (all together 36% of cases) mostly serological type 4a, and decrease of cases due to S . sonnei infection (from 90% to 60%) . There were no more summer-autumn seasonal increase in number of monthly registered dysentery cases in July-September but spring increase March-May was observed that is rather unusual in Poland . We suggest that free of charge microbiological examination of diarrhoea stool specimens should be reintroduced due to epidemiological interest--surveillance of infectious diseases. Pediatr Radiol, 2000 Oct, 30(10), 659 - 64 External and internal-external biliary drainage in children with malignant obstructive jaundice; Roebuck DJ et al.; BACKGROUND: Obstructive jaundice is an uncommon but important clinical problem in children with cancer . Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is widely used to relieve malignant biliary obstruction in adults, but its use in children has not been well described . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients aged between 1 and 17 years underwent external or internal-external biliary drainage to relieve malignant obstructive jaundice . Biochemical, haematological and microbiological parameters were measured before the procedure and repeated 7-9 days later . RESULTS: External or internal-external biliary drainage was technically successful in all patients . No patient developed clinically significant biliary sepsis . Asymptomatic duodenal perforation occurred in one patient with bulky duodenal tumour following conversion from external to internal-external drainage . CONCLUSIONS: External biliary drainage may be successfully performed in children with malignant obstructive jaundice. Infection, 2000 Sep, 28(5), 267 - 71 A waterborne outbreak of gastroenteritis in the Golan Heights due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Huerta M et al.; BACKGROUND: Over a period of 4 days between May 18-21, 1998, a multifocal outbreak of diarrhea, involving 175 Israel Defence Force soldiers and at least 54 civilians, occurred in the Golan Heights . PATIENTS AND METHODS: Stool samples from 40 affected soldiers were collected for microbiological testing . In addition, a rapid PCR technique was employed for the direct detection of the heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable toxin (ST) genes of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in stool samples . RESULTS: All 40 stool specimens taken from patients with diarrhea was negative by culture . However, ETEC was detected in 16 stool specimens using the rapid PCR method . The epidemiological investigation found no association between the food items consumed prior to the onset of the outbreak and the attack rate of diarrhea . A review of the water distribution system revealed that all affected military posts and civilian communities were supplied by a common water pipeline . Water sampled from various points along the distribution system showed inadequate chlorination and high concentrations of E . coli . CONCLUSION: This report suggests that the involvement of ETEC in the etiology of waterborne diarrheal outbreaks may be underestimated, probably due to the difficulties involved in the laboratory identification of this enteropathogen . Adoption of our rapid method for the identification of ETEC, which is applicable to routine diagnostic laboratories, facilitates pathogen detection within hours, and allows early intervention in cases of widespread diarrheal epidemics. J Clin Periodontol, 2000 Nov, 27(11), 793 - 8 Microbiology of destructive periodontal disease in adolescent patients with congenital neutropenia . A report of 3 cases; van Winkelhoff AJ et al.; BACKGROUND, AIMS: Congenital neutropenia is one condition that may predispose for destructive periodontal disease at a young age . In this report, we describe the microbiology of 3 adolescent patients with congenital neutropenia two of whom suffered from severe periodontitis . METHOD: Microbiological testing of the parents was also performed in 1 case . DNA fingerprinting was used to study transmission of putative periodontal pathogens in this case . From 1 patient with periodontitis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were isolated; a 2nd periodontitis patient was infected with P . gingivalis . A 3rd patient had gingivitis only and no A . actinomycetemcomitans or P . gingivalis were found . RESULTS: Using the amplified fragment length polymorphism DNA fingerprinting technique, bacterial transmission between the father and a patient was shown for A . actinomycetemcomitans but not for P . gingivalis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2000 Nov, 162(5), 1731 - 7 Value of gram stain examination of lower respiratory tract secretions for early diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia; Blot F et al.; Except for bronchoalveolar lavage, the value of the Gram stain examination of respiratory tract samples for the diagnosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and their potential impact on empiric antibiotic treatment have rarely been assessed . During a 14-mo period, both plugged telescoping catheter (PTC) and endotracheal aspirate (EA) were performed when an HAP was suspected in mechanically ventilated patients . The results of Gram stain examinations and cultures and previous and subsequent antibiotic treatment were prospectively recorded . Two criteria for pneumonia were considered: (1) clinically diagnosed pneumonia, according to attending physicians, based on clinical and radiological evolution and the PTC culture results, and (2) microbiologically proven pneumonia (solely based on the result of quantitative PTC culture) . Of 91 episodes of suspected HAP in 51 patients, 27 (30%) episodes were clinically diagnosed as pneumonia . When considering clinically diagnosed pneumonia, the sensitivity and specificity of Gram stain examination were similar (respectively, 89% and 62% for EA and 67% and 95% for PTC) . When considering microbiologically proven pneumonia, the sensitivity and specificity of Gram stain examination were, respectively, 91% and 64% for EA and 70% and 96% for PTC . The negative predictive value of Gram stain examination of EA and the positive predictive value of Gram stain examination of PTC were high . Our results suggest that the combination of Gram stain examination of paired PTC and EA may contribute to the early diagnosis of HAP in about two-thirds of mechanically ventilated patients, and guide the empiric therapy when needed . In the remaining one-third of patients, the Gram stain examination is not helpful in predicting HAP. Biodegradation, 1999, 10(6), 415 - 20 Photochemical mineralization of synthetic lignin in lake water indicates enhanced turnover of aromatic organic matter under solar radiation Vahatalo AV, Salonen K, Salkinoja-Salonen M, Hatakka A. The degradation of 14C-{ring}-labelled synthetic lignin (14C-DHP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from lake water were studied simultaneously . 14C-DHP was incubated in humic lake water (colour 173 mg Pt 1(-1)) for 7 d in the dark or under solar radiation . In the dark <0.4% of the introduced 14C-DHP label and 4% of the indigenous DOC were mineralized, indicating that the 14C-labelled aromatic rings of DHP and the humic DOC were microbiologically recalcitrant . Under solar radiation (116 MJ m(-2)), 17-21% of the 14C-labelled carbons in DHP and 18-23% of the indigenous DOC were mineralized in 7 d . Simultaneously the water solubility of 14C-DHP increased . Solar radiation converted the aromatic cores of synthetic lignin to CO2 and soluble organic photoproducts . The results suggest that solar radiation plays a key role in the decomposition of natural polyaromatic matter. Vet J, 2000 Nov, 160(3), 202 - 19 Tuberculosis in deer: perceptions, problems and progress; Griffin JF et al.; Since the emergence of deer farming as an alternative farming enterprise over the past 30 years, there has been an increasing awareness of the potential threat posed by tuberculosis (TB) to domesticated deer . TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, has been found in deer in every country involved with deer farming . Different types of TB control policies, which vary from whole-herd depopulation to selective testing and slaughter of reactor animals, have been implemented . Extensive research has been carried out, incorporating modern microbiological and immunological concepts and advanced molecular methodologies, to find new solutions for the eradication of TB from domesticated deer . This work has resulted in valuable new insights into the aetiology, transmission, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and heritability of resistance to M . bovis infection in ruminants . This knowledge has complemented the existing literature database on bovine and human TB and will provide new strategies for improved diagnosis, vaccination and selective breeding to control TB, which should be relevant for human, domestic livestock and wildlife populations . New Microbiol, 2000 Oct, 23(4), 445 - 8 Absence of Helicobacter pylori in tonsillar swabs from dyspeptic patients; Di Bonaventura G et al.; Aim of this study was to evaluate whether tonsils might be a potential reservoir for Helicobacter pylori (H . pylori) infection . A total of 72 consecutive dyspeptic patients undergoing endoscopy for the first time were studied . For each patient, a bilateral tonsillar swab was performed, before endoscopy, for microbiological culture and immunochemical analysis . Antral biopsies were also collected at endoscopy for microbiological culture, rapid urease test, and histological examination . Helicobacter pylori infection was detected in 42 of 72 (58.3%) patients . All tonsillar specimens were negative for H . pylori on both microbiological culture and immunochemical analysis, suggesting that the tonsils are not an extragastric reservoir for H . pylori infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2000 Sep, 19(9), 699 - 703 Infrequency of pulmonary microbial colonisation prior to respiratory disease in HIV-infected individuals; Lipman MC et al.; To determine whether organisms are present in the HIV-infected lung prior to clinical respiratory disease, a cross-sectional bronchoscopic comparative analysis of 39 asymptomatic HIV-positive subj