Delafloxacin against Helicobacter pylori, a potential option for improving eradication success?

Increase in Helicobacter pylori resistance to fluoroquinolones has been reported in many countries. The aim of the study was to compare, for the first time to our knowledge, levofloxacin and delafloxacin activities against H. pylori, including numerous levofloxacin- and multidrug resistant strains. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of six antibiotics against 71 consecutive clinical strains were determined. Delafloxacin MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.016 and 0.125 µg/mL versus 0.125 and ≥32 µg/mL, respectively, for levofloxacin. Against the 19 levofloxacin resistant strains, delafloxacin MICs50 and MICs90 were 0.094 and 0.38 µg/mL, respectively. Delafloxacin MICs against the 21 strains with double or multidrug resistance were ≤0.75 µg/mL. The low MICs, the activity against levofloxacin resistant and multidrug resistant H. pylori strains and the increased activity of the agent in acidic conditions make delafloxacin worthy of further investigation, aiming at optimizing fluoroquinolone-based eradication regimens.

Economic leverage affords post-combustion capture of 43% of carbon emissions: Supersonic separators for methanol hydrate inhibitor recovery from raw natural gas and CO2 drying.

Offshore oil/gas productions are power intensive and CO2 emitters from gas-fired power generation. This work investigates supersonic separator as a strategy for affording post-combustion capture backed up by cost reductions. Conventional offshore gas processing usually loses thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor methanol in processing and exported gas. This work analyses a supersonic separator variant gas processing simultaneously reducing methanol losses. Such process dramatically improves gas-plant profitability via cost-reduction of methanol make-up and power-consumption, simultaneously increasing revenues from liquefied-petroleum-gas by-product. This economic leverage affords post-combustion carbon capture, including subsequent CO2 dehydration and compression for exportation of high-pressure liquid CO2. This corresponds to abate 43% of CO2 emissions boosting revenues via enhanced oil recovery. Moreover, CO2 is dehydrated via another supersonic separator operating with minimum head-loss, minimizing compression costs. Despite its much higher investment, the new process with carbon capture presents higher net value (865.63 MMUSD) than the conventional processing without carbon capture (829.31 MMUSD), being economically feasible and more environmentally adequate with cleaner natural gas production and successful CO2 management. The new process is superior in several scenarios and particularly favored by oil prices above 55 USD/bbl. Rising oil price from 40 to 100 USD/bbl, the new process net value rises 29%, whereas the conventional counterpart rises only 7.5%. In addition, as a plausible future scenario, CO2 taxation favors the new process, which always has superior economic performance, even without CO2 taxation. In summary, implementing supersonic separators in offshore natural gas processing aiming at anti-hydrate recovery and CO2 dehydration for enhanced oil recovery creates economic leverage sustaining Carbon Capture & Storage without loss of competitiveness. This result, backed up by rigorous thermodynamic simulations and economic-environmental assessments, configure an original achievement to the literature.

The efficacy of Mentha arvensis L. and M. piperita L. essential oils in reducing pathogenic bacteria and maintaining quality characteristics in cashew, guava, mango, and pineapple juices.

This study evaluated the ability of the essential oil from Mentha arvensis L. (MAEO) and M. piperita L. (MPEO) to induce ≥5-log reductions in counts (CFU/mL) of E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in Brain-Heart Infusion broth (BHIB) and cashew, guava, mango, and pineapple juices during refrigerated storage (4±0.5°C). The effects of the incorporation of these essential oils on some physicochemical and sensory parameters of juices were also evaluated. The incorporation of 5, 2.5, 1.25, or 0.625µL/mL of MAEO in BHIB caused a ≥5-log reduction in counts of E. coli and Salmonella Enteritidis after 24h of storage; but only 5µL/mL was able to cause the same reduction in counts of L.monocytogenes. The incorporation of 10µL/mL of MPEO in BHIB caused a ≥5-log reduction in counts of E. coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, and L. monocytogenes after 24h of storage; smaller reductions were observed in BHIB containing 5, 2.5, and 1.25µL/mL of MPEO. Similar reductions were observed when the MAEO or MPEO was incorporated at the same concentrations in mango juice. The incorporation of MAEO or MPEO at all tested concentrations in cashew, guava, and pineapple juices resulted in a ≥5-log reduction in pathogen counts within 1h. The incorporation of MAEO and MPEO (0.625 and 1.25µL/mL, respectively) in fruit juices did not induce alterations in °Brix, pH, and acidity, but negatively affected the taste, aftertaste, and overall acceptance. The use of MAEO or MPEO at low concentrations could constitute an interesting tool to achieve the required 5-log reduction of pathogenic bacteria in cashew, guava, mango, and pineapple fruit juices. However, new methods combining the use of MAEO or MPEO with other technologies are necessary to reduce their negative impacts on specific sensory properties of these juices.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Enteritidis by Cymbopogon citratus D.C. Stapf. Essential Oil in Pineapple Juice.

In the present study, the efficacy of Cymbopogon citratus D.C. Stapf. essential oil (CCEO) to provoke a 5-log CFU/ml (5-log) inactivation in a mixed composite of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merril) juice (4°C) was assessed. Moreover, the effects of CCEO on the physicochemical and sensory quality parameters of pineapple juice were evaluated. The MIC of CCEO was 5 µl/ml against the composite mix examined. For L. monocytogenes and E. coli inoculated in juice containing CCEO (5, 2.5, and 1.25 µl/ml), a ≥5-log reduction was detected after 15 min of exposure. This same result was obtained for Salmonella Enteritidis incubated alone in pineapple juice containing CCEO at 5 and 2.5 µl/ml. Overall, Salmonella Enteritidis was the most tolerant and L. monocytogenes was the most sensitive to CCEO. The physicochemical properties (pH, titratable acidic [citric acid per 100 g], and soluble solids) of pineapple juice containing CCEO (2.5 and 1.25 µl/ml) were maintained. Juice containing CCEO (2.5 and 1.25 µl/ml) exhibited similar scores for odor, appearance, and viscosity compared with juice without CCEO. However, unsatisfactory changes in taste and aftertaste were observed in juices containing CCEO. These results suggest that CCEO could be used as an alternative antimicrobial compound to ensure the safety of pineapple juice, although CCEO at the tested concentrations negatively impacted its taste. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the balance between microbial safety and taste acceptability of pineapple juice containing CCEO.

Extração de cinco cabos-eletrodos antigos em um mesmo tempo cirúrgico por técnica híbrida: tração simples e acesso femoral / Extraction of 5 old leads in a same surgical appproach by hybrid technique: simple traction and femoral access

Paciente de 59 anos, do sexo feminino, submetida a cinco cirurgias prévias, sendo três para trocade cabos-eletrodos em virtude de elevação inexplicada do limiar de comando. Foi indicada nova troca doscabos-eletrodos atrial e ventricular e extração de três outros cabos-eletrodos não funcionais. Os dois primeiros,de fixação ativa, foram extraídos por técnica convencional de tração simples. Os demais, dois de fixação passiva,um atrial e um ventricular, implantados 22 anos antes, e outro ventricular de fixação ativa, implantado havia 14anos, foram extraídos por nova técnica via femoral. O implante de um novo sistema no lado oposto foi realizadojá no dia seguinte.

Patient, 59, female, underwent five surgeries in exchange for being 3 electrodes because of unexplainedelevation of threshold command. New exchange of atrial and ventricular extraction and 3 other functionalelectrodes was not indicated. The first two, active fixation, were extracted by conventional technique of simpletraction. The other, taken by new technique via the femoral artery, treated up to two passive fixation with 22 yearsof implant, 1 and 1 ventricular fibrillation, ventricular and other active fixation with 14 years of implantation. Anew system has been already implanted on the other side the next day.

Paciente, 59 años, sexo femenino, sometida a cinco cirugías previas, siendo tres para cambio deelectrodos en virtud de elevación inexplicada del umbral de comando. Se indicó un nuevo cambio de electrodosauricular y ventricular y la extracción de tres otros electrodos no funcionales. Los dos primeros, de fijación activa,fueron retirados por técnica convencional de simple tracción. Los demás, extraídos por nueva técnica vía femoral, setrataban de dos de fijación pasiva con 22 años de implante, el uno auricular y el otro ventricular, y otro ventricularde fijación activa con 14 años de implante. Un nuevo sistema fue implantado en la otra cara pronto el día siguiente.

Laser application effects on the bite strength of the masseter muscle, as an orofacial pain treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The present research studies the effects of AsGaAl (low-intensity laser) on the bite strength of the masseter muscle in order to evaluate the contribution of laser therapy in patients with orofacial pain. BACKGROUND DATA: Studies on laser therapy suggest its usefulness in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. This paper presents the effects of low-intensity laser in the contraction of the masseter muscle in patients with neuromuscular discomfort. METHODS: Fifteen patients of both genders, ages 19-29, suffering from pain in the masseter muscle, were exposed to laser application (AsGaAl) applied from a 2-mm distance. RESULTS: All patients showed improvement in muscle contraction strength of about 2.51-3.01 kgf on the right and left masseter muscle. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that low-level laser application is an effective tool for the treatment of patients with orofacial pain.