The microbiological quality of rainwater used for toilet flushing, cleaning and watering the garden- pilot study 2005

Regenwater opgevangen in reservoirs en toegepast voor onder andere toiletspoeling is vaak fecaal verontreinigd en bevat soms ziekteverwekkende bacterien. Om het infectierisico bij toepassing van dit water te kunnen schatten is aanvullend onderzoek nodig waarbij ziekteverwekkers worden gekwantificeerd en getypeerd en waarbij onderzocht wordt in welke mate gebruikers worden blootgesteld aan het besmette water.Regenwater is aanvankelijk onbesmet, maar bij afstromen langs oppervlakken en tijdens opslag in reservoirs kan besmetting optreden met micro-organismen die ziekte bij de mens kunnen veroorzaken. Dit kan gebeuren wanneer bijvoorbeeld vogelfeces van het dak wordt gespoeld of ratten of andere dieren toegang hebben tot het reservoir of open leidingen. Onderzoek van opgevangen hemelwater op vier verschillende locaties in Nederland toonde de aanwezigheid van de indicatoren voor fecale verontreiniging, bacterien van de coligroep, E. coli en enterococcen, in respectievelijk 28, 27 en 27 van de 28 onderzochte monsters aan. De potentieel ziekteverwekkende bacterien Campylobacter en Legionella pneumophila werden elk een maal op een locatie aangetroffen. Aeromonas en Clostridium perfringens, die ook ziekte bij de mens kunnen veroorzaken, werden in respectievelijk 20 en 23 van de 28 monsters gevonden. Salmonella en Vibrio werden op geen van de locaties aangetroffen. De aanwezigheid van ziekteverwekkende micro-organismen in regenwater toegepast voor toiletspoeling kan negatieve gevolgen voor de volksgezondheid hebben. Op basis van de verkregen resultaten is het nog niet mogelijk om het risico op het oplopen van een infectie bij blootstelling aan dit water te schatten omdat daarvoor nog aanvullende typerings- en blootstellingsgegevens nodig zijn.Rainwater collected in reservoirs and used for toilet flushing, for example, is often fecally contaminated and sometimes contains pathogenic bacteria. Estimating risk of infection caused by use of this water, will require additional research for enumerating and typing pathogens and for determining exposure to the contaminated water. Rainwater at the source is not contaminated with potential human pathogenic micro-organisms, but may become so at surface run-off and during storage in containers. This may occur when bird faeces runs off roofs, or rats or other animals have access to rainwater reservoirs or open mains. Examination of collected rainwater at four different sites in the Netherlands showed the presence of faecal indicator bacteria as total coliforms, E. coli and intestinal enterococci in 28, 27 and 27, respectively, of the 28 samples examined. Each of the potential human pathogenic bacteria, Campylobacter and Legionella pneumophila, was detected once at one sampling site. Aeromonas and Clostridium perfringens, which may also cause disease in humans, were detected in 20 and 23 of the 28 tested samples, respectively. Salmonella and Vibrio were not detected in any of the samples. The presence of potential pathogenic micro-organisms in rainwater used for toilet flushing may have adverse health effects. However, on the basis of the above results, and because additional typing and exposure data are required, it is not yet possible to estimate the risk of infection at exposure to this water.VROM Inspecti

The microbiological quality of rainwater used for toilet flushing, cleaning and watering the garden- pilot study 2005

Rainwater collected in reservoirs and used for toilet flushing, for example, is often fecally contaminated and sometimes contains pathogenic bacteria. Estimating risk of infection caused by use of this water, will require additional research for enumerating and typing pathogens and for determining exposure to the contaminated water. Rainwater at the source is not contaminated with potential human pathogenic micro-organisms, but may become so at surface run-off and during storage in containers. This may occur when bird faeces runs off roofs, or rats or other animals have access to rainwater reservoirs or open mains. Examination of collected rainwater at four different sites in the Netherlands showed the presence of faecal indicator bacteria as total coliforms, E. coli and intestinal enterococci in 28, 27 and 27, respectively, of the 28 samples examined. Each of the potential human pathogenic bacteria, Campylobacter and Legionella pneumophila, was detected once at one sampling site. Aeromonas and Clostridium perfringens, which may also cause disease in humans, were detected in 20 and 23 of the 28 tested samples, respectively. Salmonella and Vibrio were not detected in any of the samples. The presence of potential pathogenic micro-organisms in rainwater used for toilet flushing may have adverse health effects. However, on the basis of the above results, and because additional typing and exposure data are required, it is not yet possible to estimate the risk of infection at exposure to this water.Regenwater opgevangen in reservoirs en toegepast voor onder andere toiletspoeling is vaak fecaal verontreinigd en bevat soms ziekteverwekkende bacterien. Om het infectierisico bij toepassing van dit water te kunnen schatten is aanvullend onderzoek nodig waarbij ziekteverwekkers worden gekwantificeerd en getypeerd en waarbij onderzocht wordt in welke mate gebruikers worden blootgesteld aan het besmette water.Regenwater is aanvankelijk onbesmet, maar bij afstromen langs oppervlakken en tijdens opslag in reservoirs kan besmetting optreden met micro-organismen die ziekte bij de mens kunnen veroorzaken. Dit kan gebeuren wanneer bijvoorbeeld vogelfeces van het dak wordt gespoeld of ratten of andere dieren toegang hebben tot het reservoir of open leidingen. Onderzoek van opgevangen hemelwater op vier verschillende locaties in Nederland toonde de aanwezigheid van de indicatoren voor fecale verontreiniging, bacterien van de coligroep, E. coli en enterococcen, in respectievelijk 28, 27 en 27 van de 28 onderzochte monsters aan. De potentieel ziekteverwekkende bacterien Campylobacter en Legionella pneumophila werden elk een maal op een locatie aangetroffen. Aeromonas en Clostridium perfringens, die ook ziekte bij de mens kunnen veroorzaken, werden in respectievelijk 20 en 23 van de 28 monsters gevonden. Salmonella en Vibrio werden op geen van de locaties aangetroffen. De aanwezigheid van ziekteverwekkende micro-organismen in regenwater toegepast voor toiletspoeling kan negatieve gevolgen voor de volksgezondheid hebben. Op basis van de verkregen resultaten is het nog niet mogelijk om het risico op het oplopen van een infectie bij blootstelling aan dit water te schatten omdat daarvoor nog aanvullende typerings- en blootstellingsgegevens nodig zijn

Heterogeneity of the humoral immune response following Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

Expanding knowledge on the humoral immune response in Staphylococcus aureus-infected patients is a mandatory step in the development of vaccines and immunotherapies. Here, we present novel insights into the antibody responses following S. aureus bacteremia. Fifteen bacteremic patients were followed extensively from diagnosis onwards (median 29 days, range 9-74). S. aureus strains (median 3, range 1-6) and serial serum samples (median 16, range 6-27) were collected. Strains were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and genes encoding 19 staphylococcal proteins were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM directed to these proteins were determined using bead-based flow cytometry. All strains isolated from individual patients were PFGE-identical. The genes encoding clumping factor (Clf) A, ClfB, and iron-responsive surface-determinant (Isd) A were detected in all isolates. Antigen-specific IgG levels increased more frequently than IgA or IgM levels. In individual patients, different proteins induced an immune response and the dynamics clearly differed. Anti-ClfB, anti-IsdH, and anti-fibronectin-binding protein A IgG levels increased in 7 of 13 adult patients (p < 0.05). The anti-IsdA IgG level increased in 12 patients (initial to peak level: 1.13-10.72 fold; p < 0.01). Peak level was reached 7-37 days after diagnosis. In a bacteremic 5-day-old newborn, antistaphylococcal IgG levels declined from diagnosis onwards. In conclusion, each bacteremic patient develops a unique immune response directed to different staphylococcal proteins. Therefore, vaccines should be based on multiple components. IsdA is immunogenic and, therefore, produced in nearly all bacteremic patients.

Distances and ages of globular clusters using Hipparcos parallaxes of local subdwarfs

We discuss the impact of Population II and Globular Cluster (GCs) stars on the derivation of the age of the Universe, and on the study of the formation and early evolution of galaxies, our own in particular. The long-standing problem of the actual distance scale to Population II stars and GCs is addressed, and a variety of different methods commonly used to derive distances to Population II stars are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is given to the discussion of distances and ages for GCs derived using Hipparcos parallaxes of local subdwarfs. Results obtained by different authors are slightly different, depending on different assumptions about metallicity scale, reddenings, and corrections for undetected binaries. These and other uncertainties present in the method are discussed. Finally, we outline progress expected in the near future.Comment: Invited review article to appear in: `Post-Hipparcos Cosmic Candles', A. Heck & F. Caputo (Eds), Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordrecht, in press. 22 pages including 3 tables and 2 postscript figures, uses Kluwer's crckapb.sty LaTeX style file, enclose

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in p+pp+p and Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}= 200 GeV

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$= 200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in $p+p$ at the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, $v_2$, is found to reach its maximum at $p_t \sim 3$ GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to $p_t\approx 7$ -- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-$p_t$ particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of $v_2$ at intermediate $p_t$ is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.Comment: 4 figures. Published version as PRL 93, 252301 (2004

Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV

The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow (v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and quark coalescence is discussed.Comment: 26 pages. As accepted by Phys. Rev. C. Text rearranged, figures modified, but data the same. However, in Fig. 35 the hydro calculations are corrected in this version. The data tables are available at http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/ by searching for "flow" and then this pape

Performance of Oxoid Brilliance™ MRSA medium for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro study

Oxoid Brilliance™ MRSA was evaluated for its ability to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A well-defined collection of staphylococci was used (n = 788). After 20 h incubation, the sensitivity was 99.6% and the specificity was 97.3%. This new medium is a highly sensitive method of screening for MRSA

Rising incidence of breast cancer among female cancer survivors: implications for surveillance

The number of female cancer survivors has been rising rapidly. We assessed the occurrence of breast cancer in these survivors over time. We computed incidence of primary breast cancer in two cohorts of female cancer survivors with a first diagnosis of cancer at ages 30+ in the periods 1975–1979 and 1990–1994. Cohorts were followed for 10 years through a population-based cancer registry. Over a period of 15 years, the incidence rate of breast cancer among female cancer survivors increased by 30% (age-standardised rate ratio (RR-adj): 1.30; 95% CI: 1.03–1.68). The increase was significant for non-breast cancer survivors (RR-adj: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04–2.75). During the study period, the rate of second breast cancer stage II tripled (RR-adj: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.73–5.78). Non-breast cancer survivors had a significantly (P value=0.005) more unfavourable stage distribution (62% stage II and III) than breast cancer survivors (32% stage II and III). A marked rise in breast cancer incidence among female cancer survivors was observed. Research to optimise follow-up strategies for these women to detect breast cancer at an early stage is warranted

Alignment of the ALICE Inner Tracking System with cosmic-ray tracks

37 pages, 15 figures, revised version, accepted by JINSTALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) experiment devoted to investigating the strongly interacting matter created in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the LHC energies. The ALICE ITS, Inner Tracking System, consists of six cylindrical layers of silicon detectors with three different technologies; in the outward direction: two layers of pixel detectors, two layers each of drift, and strip detectors. The number of parameters to be determined in the spatial alignment of the 2198 sensor modules of the ITS is about 13,000. The target alignment precision is well below 10 micron in some cases (pixels). The sources of alignment information include survey measurements, and the reconstructed tracks from cosmic rays and from proton-proton collisions. The main track-based alignment method uses the Millepede global approach. An iterative local method was developed and used as well. We present the results obtained for the ITS alignment using about 10^5 charged tracks from cosmic rays that have been collected during summer 2008, with the ALICE solenoidal magnet switched off.Peer reviewe