Microbiological examinations and in-vitro testing of different antibiotics in therapeutic endoscopy of the biliary system

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Prior to endoscopic therapeutic procedures, no antibiotic prophylaxis is administered routinely. Because of the reported incidence of infectious complications, which may reach up to 10%, a prospective study was undertaken to investigate the effects of a prophylactic dose of cefuroxime on the incidence of bacteremia and clinical signs of infection, but no significant effects could be demonstrated. In addition to this published work, blood and bile cultures obtained in this trial were also investigated, and the in-vitro susceptibility to several antibiotics was tested in order to recommend the appropriate substances. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-nine consecutive patients (51 men, 48 women; mean age 61.4 +/- 17 years) with biliary obstruction who underwent an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography with drainage (PTCD) were included. Sequential blood cultures were taken before and up to 60 minutes after the endoscopic intervention. Bile cultures were obtained in 56 patients with biliary drainage. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were prepared from all obtained specimens and the isolated organisms were identified. In the case of positive cultures, an in-vitro resistance test for 15 different antibiotics was performed. RESULTS: The incidence of bacteremia was 11.1% (n = 11), and 16 bacteria were isolated. Twelve different microorganisms were detected, with Escherichia coli found in four cases. From 41 positive out of 56 prepared bile cultures (73.2%), 91 isolates were found with 25 different species. A single agent was detected in eight cases (19.5%), while a mixed growth, with pathogens ranging from two to six species, was found in 33 cases (80.5%). The seven most frequently isolated germs were E. coli and Enterococcus (each n = 19), Klebsiella (n = 10), Streptococcus viridans (n = 9), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 5), Morganella morganii (n = 4), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 3), representing 76% of all agents. Examination for fungal infection revealed positive cultures of Candida albicans in 16.1% of bile cultures (nine of 56). Interestingly, the use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), with a consequent rise in the gastric pH value, led to an increase in the rate of bacteremia to 26.2% (five of 19) compared to the other patients not on PPIs (n = 80), who developed bacteremia in only six cases (7.5%; p = 0.02). In-vitro testing of different antibiotics was carried out in 73 isolates. Imipenem showed the best antimicrobial activity (98.4%), followed by trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (90%), amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid (87.3%), vancomycin (82.4%), and ofloxacin (76.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Escherichia coli was found to be the pathogen most frequently detected in blood and bile following endoscopic interventions in the biliary tract. Enterococci, Klebsiella and Streptococcus viridans were found in bile cultures with an incidence exceeding 10%. In view of the in-vitro test results, possible side effects, and contraindications, amoxicillin plus beta-lactamase inhibitors or quinolones are considered to be suitable antibiotics for the prophylaxis of biliary infections.     

Preparation, Hardness, and Fracture Toughness of Tantalum Oxynitride Ceramics

Tantalum oxynitride powder with a baddeleyite crystal structure was synthesized and densified by hot pressing in Ar and under high pressure using a belt-type high-pressure apparatus. The tantalum oxynitride powder could not be densified completely under hot-pressing conditions at 1400°C. The use of high pressure resulted in dense materials. The samples showed a hardness of 16–17 GPa and a fracture toughness of 3–4 MPa·m^1/2. The hardness is higher compared with that of ZrO₂ and HfO₂ ceramics. The fracture toughness corresponds to the value of fully stabilized ZrO₂ due to the absence of any transformation toughening mechanism.     

Influence of arsenate adsorption to ferrihydrite, goethite, and boehmite on the kinetics of arsenate reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN-32

The kinetics of As(V) reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN-32 was investigated in suspensions of 0.2, 2, or 20 g L(-1) ferrihydrite, goethite, or boehmite at low As (10 μM) and lactate (25 μM) concentrations. Experimental data were compared with model predictions based on independently determined sorption isotherms and rates of As(V) desorption, As(III) adsorption, and microbial reduction of dissolved As(V), respectively. The low lactate concentration was chosen to prevent significant Fe(III) reduction, but still allowing complete As(V) reduction. Reduction of dissolved As(V) followed first-order kinetics with a 3 h half-life of As(V). Addition of mineral sorbents resulted in pronounced decreases in reduction rates (32-1540 h As(V) half-life). The magnitude of this effect increased with increasing sorbent concentration and sorption capacity (goethite < boehmite < ferrihydrite). The model consistently underestimated the concentrations of dissolved As(V) and the rates of microbial As(V) reduction after addition of S. putrefaciens (～5 × 10(9) cells mL(-1)), suggesting that attachment of S. putrefaciens cells to oxide mineral surfaces promoted As(V) desorption and thereby facilitated As(V) reduction. The interplay between As(V) sorption to mineral surfaces and bacterially induced desorption may thus be critical in controlling the kinetics of As reduction and release in reducing soils and sediments.     

Flavonolglykoside der Pflaumen der Species Prunus domestica L. und Prunus salicina Lindley

Zusammenfassung Blätter wie Früchte von 6 SortenPrunus domestica-Pflaumen enthalten hauptsächlich 3-Rutinoside, in geringerer Konzentration 3-Glucoside und 3-Galaktoside von Kämpferol und Quercetin Bowie Quercetin-3-rhamnosid. Dagegen weisen Pflaumen vonPrunus salicina (2 untersuchte Sorten) Kämpferol-3,7-bisrhamnosid und Kämpferol-3-arabinosyl-7-rhamnosid als Hauptflavonole auf. Hierdurch ist eine Unterscheidung beider Arten leicht and sicher mög-lich. Weiterhin konnten inSalicina-Pflaumen Kämpfe-rol-3-rutinosid sowie Quercetin-3-rhamnosid, -xylosid,-glucosid, -galaktosid, --l-arabinofuranosid and -rutinosid, auch Quercetin-7-rhamnosid and Kämpferol-7-glucosid nachgewiesen werden.Die Gesamtgehalte an Flavonolglykosiden lagen bei den untersuchten Pflaumensorten vonPrunus domestica (P. salicina) bei 2500–3340 (7170, 10350) ppm in Blättern and 20–52 (8, 24) in Früchten, jeweils bezogen auf Frischgewicht.

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Flavonol glycosides of plums of the species Prunus domestica L. and Prunus salicina lindley12. Phenolics of fruits

Summary Leaves and fruits from 6 cultivars ofPrunus domestica plums contain mainly 3-rutinosides; in smaller concentrations the 3-glycosides and 3-galactosides of kaempferol and quercetin as well as quercetin-3-rhamnoside are present. On the other hand, in plums ofPrunus salicina (2 examined cultivars) main flavonols are kaempferol-3,7-bisrhamnoside and kaempferol-3arabinosyl-7-rhamnoside. Due to the difference in composition, differentiation of these species will be easy and reliable. Additionally kaempferol-3-rutinoside and quercetin-3-rhamnoside, -xyloside,-glucoside, -galactoside, --l-arabinofuranoside and-rutinoside, and also quercetin-7-rhamnoside and kaempferol-7-glucoside could be detected inP. salicina plums. The total content of flavonol glycosides in the investigated plums ofPrunus domestica (P. salicina) were based on fresh weight about 2500–3340 (7170, 10350) ppm in the leaves and 20–52 (8, 24) ppm in the fruits.

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11. Mitt.: Henning W, Herrmann K (1980) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 170:433–444

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Auszug aus der Promotionsarbeit von W. Henning: Bestimmung der in Pflaumen, Kirschen, Pfirsichen and Aprikosen vorkommenden Flavonolglykoside unter Anwendung der Hochdruckflüssigkeitschromatographie. Diss. Univ. Hannover 1980     

Liquid phase formation in the system AlN–Al2O3–Y2O3. Part I: Experimental investigations

The liquid phase formation in the system AlN–Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ was investigated via differential thermal analysis (DTA) combined with thermogravimetry (TG). For this purpose 17 samples covering a broad composition area of the quasi-ternary system were densified and heat-treated to achieve the equilibrium state. Melting temperatures were determined by DTA. SEM, EDX and XRD were used to study the phase assemblages and microstructures formed. The results were compared with thermodynamic calculations.     

The calculations of dispersion coefficients inside two‐dimensional randomly packed beds of circular particles

The longitudinal (D_L) and transverse (D_T) dispersion coefficients in two‐dimensional (2‐D) randomly packed beds of circular particles in a laminar flow regime are derived. A 2‐D discrete system of particles is divided into cells using modified Voronoi diagrams. The relationship between the variation of the stream function and the averaged vorticity is obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The whole flow pattern is then obtained by using the principle of energy dissipation rate minimization. The obtained values of D_L agree well with 3‐D experimental data for all velocities investigated. At very high velocities, D_T in 2‐D appears to be higher than 3‐D experimental data. In addition, the effects of particle‐size distributions, packing structure, and porosity on the D_L and D_T were studied. One result was that an increase in the width of the particle‐size distribution resulted in higher values of D_L and D_T at high velocities. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1002–1011, 2013     

Study on the adsorption of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) nanostructured films using atomic force microscopy

Nanostructured films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) (POEA) were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which indicated a globular morphology for films containing one or more layers of POEA. Consistent with the nucleation and growth model for the adsorption process, the mean roughness and fractal dimension were found to increase with the time of adsorption and with the number of POEA layers in the initial stages of adsorption, reached maximum values and then decreased after 10 min of adsorption or after deposition of five POEA layers. Such behavior has been explained in terms of the decrease in the film irregularities, with voids being filled with polymeric material leading to smoother surfaces.     

Photocurrents and degradation rates on particulate TiO2 layers: Effect of layer thickness, concentration of oxidizable substance and illumination direction

Different routes for immobilization of TiO₂ on conducting substrates were compared to find active and stable photocatalysts, which could either be operated in open circuit (photocatalysis) or with applied electric potential (photoelectrocatalysis). The advantage of applying an electric potential was investigated. Polarization curves and photoelectrochemical degradation reactions served to characterize catalysts and to find a way of predicting the optimum synthesis conditions. The difference between front side (EE) and back side (SE) illumination is discussed as a function of layer thickness, as well as the influence of oxidizable substance concentration on photocurrents. Stability of catalysts was investigated in repetitive degradation experiments.