Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST8 in raw milk and traditional dairy products in the Tizi Ouzou area of Algeria.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the leading causes of food-borne illness worldwide. Raw milk and dairy products are often contaminated with enterotoxigenic strains of this bacterium. Some of these strains carry antimicrobial resistance, leading to a potential risk for consumers. The aim of this study was to characterize S. aureus strains circulating in raw milk and traditional dairy products for carriage of staphylococcal enterotoxin (se) genes and antimicrobial resistance. Overall, 62 out of 270 samples (23%) were contaminated with S. aureus, and 69 S. aureus strains were identified. We studied the enterotoxin genes using 2 multiplex PCR targeting 11 se genes. Seventeen (24.6%) isolates carried one or more genes encoding for staphylococcal enterotoxins. The most commonly detected se genes were seb and sep, followed by seh, sea, and see. Using the disk diffusion method, we found that resistance to penicillin G and tetracycline was the most common. Eleven isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carried the mecA gene. All MRSA isolates belonged to the same spa type (t024) and sequence type (ST8), and carried the seb and sep enterotoxin genes. However, none of them carried the Panton Valentine leukocidin gene (lukF/S-PV). The presence of enterotoxigenic S. aureus strains, including MRSA, in raw milk and dairy products, raises a serious public health concern, because these strains may cause food poisoning outbreaks, be disseminated to the population, or both.

Biosorption of Ni(II) by Fig Male: Optimization and Modeling Using a Full Factorial Design.

The fig male (FM) is successfully used as biosorbent for Ni(2+) removal. The maximum removal efficiency (96.6%) is obtained at pH ~ 5 for a concentration of 1.70 mmol L(-1) and catalyst dose of 5 g L(-1) in less than 10 minutes. The Ni(2+) uptake follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic, the rate constants increase with increasing temperature, and an activation energy of 55.48 kJ mol(-1) is found. The thermodynamic parameters indicate a spontaneous endothermic bisorption. The isotherm data are fitted by the Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich models. The former indicates a maximum Ni(2+) uptake of 0.459 mmol g(-1), which is higher than that of most biosorbents investigated to date. The FTIR spectra reveal the biosorption mechanism between Ni(2+) and FM functional groups. An empirical modeling is performed by using a 2(3) full factorial design, and a regression equation for Ni(2+) biosorption is determined. The biosorbent mass and pH are the most significant parameters affecting the Ni(2+) biosorption.

[Ultrasonic diagnosis and follow-up of aneurysms of the ampulla of Galen in infants]. / Diagnostic et surveillance de l'anévrysme de l'ampoule de Galien (AAG) du nourrisson par les ultrasons.

An aneurysm of the vein of Galen can have a varied sonographic appearance in infancy. The classical picture is a spherical posterior third ventricular mass with no internal echoes. With varying degrees of thrombosis of the aneurysm which may occur spontaneously or after surgery, the mass became hyper-echogenic. Our experience in two patients with this spectrum of echographic findings will be demonstrated and correlated with clinical findings CT scan, and angiography.

[Echographic monitoring of post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatations in premature newborn infants. Value of the determination of a ventricular index]. / Surveillance échographique des dilatations ventriculaires post-hémorragiques chez le nouveau-né prématuré. Intérêt de la détermination d'un index ventriculaire.

The target of this work was the determination of a quantifiable measurement of the ventricular dilatation with an index during the ultrasonographic supervision of intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) in premature infants. An investigation by cerebral ultrasonography through the fontanelles was performed in 63 non hypotrophic prematures. Thirty-one children (mean gestational age 32 +/- 1.8 weeks) had an IVH. All had ventricular dilatation at one time during evolution. The 32 other children (mean gestational age 34 +/- 2 weeks) showed normal ultrasonographic data and a ventricular index between 0.15 and 0.25 (mean 0.23 +/- 0.02). Post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation can be classified into 3 stages: slight dilatation: ventricular index between 0.26 and 0.30; moderate dilatation: ventricular index between 0.31 and 0.40; severe dilatation: ventricular index greater than 0.40. The use of a ventricular index allows precise following of the ventricular dilatation during the supervision of intraventricular hemorrhages.

[Non invasive measurement of the cerebral blood flow in infants with hydrocephalus]. / Mesure non invasive du flux sanguin cérébral chez le nourrisson hydrocéphale.

The present study was undertaken to verify by a non invasive Doppler technique the effect of ventricular dilatation on cerebral blood flow in infants with hydrocephalus. The measurement of pulsatile flow in cerebral arteries is also a valuable parameter for determination of optimal timing of corrective intervention.