Epidemiology and factors associated with candidaemia following Clostridium difficile infection in adults within metropolitan Atlanta, 2009-2013.

We assessed prevalence of and risk factors for candidaemia following Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) using longitudinal population-based surveillance. Of 13 615 adults with CDI, 113 (0·8%) developed candidaemia in the 120 days following CDI. In a matched case-control analysis, severe CDI and CDI treatment with vancomycin + metronidazole were associated with development of candidaemia following CDI.

Comparison of adrenal vein sampling and computed tomography in the differentiation of primary aldosteronism.

Determination of the etiology of primary aldosteronism remains a diagnostic challenge. The most common types of primary aldosteronism are bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH), aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA), and primary adrenal hyperplasia. Computed tomography (CT) and adrenal vein sampling (AVS) are the primary modalities used to differentiate these subtypes. The purpose of this study was to compare AVS and CT imaging of the adrenal glands in patients with hyperaldosteronism in whom CT imaging was normal or in whom focal unilateral or bilateral adrenal abnormalities were detected. The diagnosis of primary aldosteronism was made in 62 patients based on an elevated plasma aldosterone to PRA ratio and an elevated urinary aldosterone excretion rate. Thirty-eight patients had CT imaging and successful bilateral adrenal vein sampling and were included in the final analysis. AVS was considered the gold standard in determining the specific subtype of primary aldosteronism. There were 15 patients with APA, 21 patients with BAH, and 2 patients with primary adrenal hyperplasia. Plasma aldosterone was significantly higher in patients with APA (46.3 +/- 8.5 ng/dL; 1284 +/- 235 pmol/L) than in those with BAH (29.3 +/- 2.4 ng/dL; 813 +/- 11 pmol/L; P < 0.05). Plasma potassium was significantly lower in patients with APA (3.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/L) than in patients with BAH (3.5 +/- 0.1 mmol/L; P < 0.02). There was considerable overlap in the other biochemical indices (e.g. PRA and urinary aldosterone) in patients with the different subtypes. In patients with APA proven by AVS, eight had concordant findings with CT imaging, four had discordant findings, and three had normal CT imaging. In patients with BAH proven by AVS, four had concordant findings with CT imaging, eight had discordant findings, and nine had normal CT imaging. Compared with AVS, CT imaging was either inaccurate or provided no additional information in 68% of the patients with primary aldosteronism. We conclude that adrenal CT imaging is not a reliable method to differentiate primary aldosteronism. Adrenal vein sampling is essential to establish the correct diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.

High affinity binding of the calcium channel blocker, (+)-[methyl-3H]PN200-110(3HPN) in rat brain.

PN200-110 is a recently introduced 1,4-dihydropyridine which has been demonstrated to be a potent calcium channel blocker. 3HPN has been shown to bind in a specific saturable manner to P2 fractions obtained from brain homogenates from male Sprague-Dawley rats. 3HPN binding was found to be temperature-dependent. Specific 3HPN binding was maximal at 25 degrees C; binding decreased at 2 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The KD calculated from Scatchard analysis was 0.0943 +/- 0.0038 nM while the Bmax was found to be 109.1 +/- 2.3 fmol/mg protein. A concentration dependent inhibition of 3HPN binding by various cations was determined and found to be as follows: ZN2+ greater than La3+ greater than Rh3+, Al3+ greater than Co2+, Ni2+, Mn2+ greater than Ca2+, Mg2+ greater than Ba2+ greater than Sr2+. These results provide evidence for the existence of central high affinity dihydropyridine receptor sites in rat brain.

Investigation of a cluster of cutaneous aspergillosis in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Between December 2007 and July 2008, three neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Salford, UK, were diagnosed with primary cutaneous aspergillosis (PCA) due to Aspergillus fumigatus. The first PCA case, in December 2007, developed multi-organ failure leading to death within a short time frame: the other two cases survived after treatment with intravenous antifungal therapy followed by oral posaconazole. Air, surface, and water samples were collected within the NICU and from the incubators that were occupied by the neonates. All recovered fungal isolates were confirmed as A. fumigatus by sequencing the beta-tubulin region. Microsatellite strain typing demonstrated genotypically related A. fumigatus isolates from the neonates and the humidity chambers (HCs) of the neonates' incubators, suggesting that the source of the infection may have been the HCs/incubators used in the NICU. Aspergillus strain typing may be a useful tool in clinical outbreak settings to help understand the source of exposure and to design targeted environmental interventions to prevent future infections.

Inclusive K(S);(0)K(S);(0) resonance production in ep collisions at HERA.

Inclusive K_{S};{0}K_{S};{0} production in ep collisions at the DESY ep collider HERA was studied with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 0.5 fb;{-1}. Enhancements in the mass spectrum were observed and are attributed to the production of f_{2}(1270)/a_{2};{0}(1320), f_{2};{'}(1525) and f_{0}(1710). Masses and widths were obtained using a fit which takes into account theoretical predictions based on SU(3) symmetry arguments, and are consistent with the Particle Data Group values. The f_{0}(1710) state, which has a mass consistent with a glueball candidate, was observed with a statistical significance of 5 standard deviations. However, if this state is the same as that seen in gammagamma-->K_{S};{0}K_{S};{0}, it is unlikely to be a pure glueball state.