Classic research about the effects of noise exposure on non-auditory health effects has been carried out with established sound indicators like Lden or Lnight – using the A-weighting. The relation between psychoacoustic indicators and objective health parameters is less well investigated also in soundscape studies. The two main objectives of the project “INTRANOISE” are to study the effect of road and rail traffic sound on human sleep patterns and explore the relationship between the subjective perception of 120 test persons and objectively measured psychoacoustic and physiological parameters. The crucial point is, that all measurements will be done in the free field in real-life situations. A standardized method for objective acoustic measurements in residential environments of test persons was developed based on past experiences. The total quantity and quality of a test person’s acoustic exposure is assessed by a time-synchronized comparison between the results of a traffic-noise-annoyance-questionnaire and psychoacoustic parameters. The study concept and first results of a selected sample of 45 participants will be shown. Preliminary results indicate that outdoor traffic noise is a significant factor for subjective noise ratings of people in their living area. When it comes to physiological reactions during sleep, indoor noise seems to be the dominant factor.

Knowledge concerning expression and function of Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) in chondrocytes is at present, limited. Analysis of murine growth plates and ATDC5 chondrocytes indicated peak expression of the ST2 transmembrane receptor (ST2L) and soluble (sST2) isoforms during the hypertrophic differentiation concomitant with the expression of the hypertrophic markers Collagen X (Col X), Runx2 and MMP-13. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in ATDC5 and primary human growth plate chondrocytes (PHCs), confirmed regulation of ST2 by the key transcription factor Runx2, indicating ST2 to be a novel Runx2 target. ST2 knock-out mice (ST2−/−) exhibited noticeable hypertrophic zone (HZ) reduction in murine growth plates, accompanied by lower expression of Col X and Osteocalcin (OSC) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Likewise, ST2 knockdown resulted in decreased Col X expression and downregulation of OSC and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in ATDC5 cells. The ST2 suppression was also associated with upregulation of the proliferative stage markers Sox9 and Collagen II (Col II), indicating ST2 to be a new regulator of ATDC5 chondrocyte differentiation. Runx3 was, furthermore, identified as a novel Runx2 target in chondrocytes. This study suggests that Runx2 mediates ST2 and Runx3 induction to cooperatively regulate hypertrophic differentiation of ATDC5 chondrocytes.

To examine extraaural effects as induced by 20 min of road (ROAD) and 20 min of rail (RAIL) traffic noise with same loudness (75 dBA), a laboratory study was carried out. The study (N = 54) consisted of 28 high and 26 low-annoyed healthy individuals as determined by a traffic annoyance test. To control attention, all individuals performed a nonauditory short-term memory test during the noise exposures. A within-subject design, with phases of ROAD, RAIL, and CALM (memory test only), alternated by phases of rest, was defined. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (sBP), total peripheral resistance (TPR), as well as three autonomic variables, preejection period (PEP), 0.15–0.4 Hz high-frequency component of HR variability (HF), and salivary stress biomarker alpha amylase (sAA) were measured. In relation to CALM, HR increased (RAIL +2.1%, ROAD +2.5%), sBP tended to increase against the end of noise exposure, PEP decreased (RAIL −0.7%, ROAD −0.8%), HF decreased (RAIL −3.4%, ROAD −2.9%), and sAA increased (RAIL +78%, ROAD +69%). No differences were found between RAIL and ROAD, indicating that both noise stressors induced comparable extraaural effects. Factor annoyance showed significant during CALM. Here a reduced sympathetic drive (higher PEP values) combined with an increased vascular tone (higher TPR values) was found at the high-annoyed subgroup.

Objectives: The molecular mechanisms of highly orchestrated process of longitudinal bone growth and growth related disorders happening in the children's growth plate have not yet been fully understood. A novel signaling pathway, i.e. the ST2/IL-33 pathway has lately been shown to be involved[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

For many years, extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria were a problem mainly located in medical facilities. Within the last decade however, ESBL-producing bacteria have started spreading into the community and the environment. In this study, ESBL-producing Escherichia coli from sewage sludge were collected, analysed and compared to ESBL-E. coli from human urinary tract infections (UTIs). The dominant ESBL-gene-family in both sample groups was blaCTX-M, which is the most prevalent ESBL-gene-family in human infection. Still, the distribution of ESBL genes and the frequency of additional antibiotic resistances differed in the two sample sets. Nevertheless, phenotyping did not divide isolates of the two sources into separate groups, suggesting similar strains in both sample sets. We speculate that an exchange is taking place between the ESBL E. coli populations in infected humans and sewage sludge, most likely by the entry of ESBL E. coli from UTIs into the sewage system.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic lung diseases worldwide. The production of sticky viscous mucus leads to enhanced bacterial colonization and infection, but yeasts and filamentous fungi are also found abundantly in the mucus of patients suffering from CF. The role of fungi in the airways of CF patients is still not understood completely. Furthermore, recent investigations have shown that the spectrum of fungi isolated from the airways of CF patients depends strongly on the methods used. In this study, different mycological culture methods were compared: culture with a native inoculum, culture with homogenization of CF sputum, and culture after homogenization and serial dilutions of CF sputum. Altogether, 934 sputum samples from 113 patients were examined from July 2009 through December 2011. A total of 1,744 fungal isolates was recovered; 20 different yeasts and 14 filamentous fungal species were identified. Candida albicans, C. dubliniensis, and C. parapsilosis were the most common species of yeast. For the filamentous fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common, followed by Scedosporium apiospermum/Pseudallescheria boydii group and A. terreus. Many fungal, species such as Exophiala dermatitidis, Rasamsonia (Geosmithia) argillacea, and others, were isolated only from homogenized sputum samples. The longitudinal data also show that fungal colonization of CF patients is quite stable, even when treated with itraconazole. In conclusion, we recommend homogenizing CF sputa with a mucolyticum, to prepare serial dilutions, and to use appropriate fungal culture media with added antibiotics.

In this evaluation study, 180 faecal specimens were tested in parallel with the new BD MAX™ Cdiff assay, the Premier™ Toxins A&B, and toxigenic culture as reference method. BD MAX™ Cdiff presented a high sensitivity (96.0%) and specificity (99.4%) with a negative predictive value of 99.4%.

Over the last decades, European rivers have mostly shared the same fate. Until the mid 1980s many of them were in rather bad shape. Nobody would have thought about using the waters for recreation. However, continuous efforts over the last three decades have achieved success and today's water quality has changed to the better. This obvious change in water quality, which was proved by investigations done on the basis of the European Directive 2000/60/EC framework for Community action in the field of water policy, made people consider using the rivers for recreation or irrigation. In the present study a Central European River was investigated from hygienic perspectives (faecal indicators), and its toxicological status was examined — both of which are parameters which are not included in the Directive 2000/60/EC. The pivotal question was whether these parameters provide essential and additional information about the river's status and its quality. In general, the monthly values for all sampling points from the toxicological tests correlated with the determined physical and chemical statuses according to the national water management plan. Once, however, the toxicological values did increase significantly. This detection of a single toxicological burst within a year of observation underlines the applicability of the tests as screening methods for the detection of toxic substances. Moreover, our microbiological investigations show high numbers of faecal indicators and Salmonellae. These results are not consistent with the apparently good quality of the river. Therefore faecal indicators, which are directly related to the discharge of waste water, should be an integral part of the procedure of water classification.

For some time now, antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have been found in the human population, in foods, in livestock and wild animals, as well as in surface waters. The entry of antibiotics and resistant bacterial strains into the environment plays an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. The goal of the present study was to monitor the entry of antibiotic resistances into the environment through the contamination of wastewater. To assess the extent of transmission of antibiotic resistances from human sources into the environment, the resistance patterns of Escherichia coli strains isolated from human patients have been compared to those found in strains isolated from sewage sludge. Our results may indicate if resistances to particular antibiotics are more prone than others to spread into the environment. To monitor the increase of specific resistances over time, samples taken in the years 2000 and 2009 were analysed. Our study shows that for some antibiotics a parallel development of resistance patterns has taken place in both patient and environmental samples over time. For other sets of antibiotics, independent developments have occurred in the samples. A clear increase of multi-resistant E. coli strains over time was observed in samples from both sources.

Aim: In the present study the background spore concentrations of airborne culturable xerophilic fungi and particulate matter of 0.3-10.0 µm were evaluated in the urban air. Also, the concentrations of the most important fungal genera Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Penicillium were measured in relation to the particulate matter. Method: The particle counter APC M3 and the one stage impactor MAS®100 were used for collecting 354 air samples with a flow rate of 100L/min. Airborne xerophilic fungi were collected on Dichloran Glycerol Agar (DG18) and incubated at 25°C for 7 days. Result: The spore concentrations of xerophilic fungi were between 3.0x101 and 2.3x10³ cfu/m³ air and reached the maximum in the summer months. The total particle counts reached their maximum of 8.9x107 pa/m³ in winter. It was found that the fungal spore concentrations were high at a temperature of 30°C and a relative humidity (RH) of 70-80%. The spore concentrations of Cladosporium spp. in the air was in line with the fungal spore concentrations. The spore concentrations of Cladosporium spp. increased with rising air temperature but were independent of RH. The spore concentrations of Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus spp. increased with increasing concentrations of fine particles and reached a maximum at RH of 70%, whereas the air temperature did not show a significant impact. Conclusion: The background values of the fungal spore concentrations in the ambient air were rising during summer months and they did no correlate to the particle counts. The seasonal, meteorological and environmental factors play an important role in the release and distribution of particles and fungi in the air. Further studies are needed to explicate tangible background values of microorganisms at different environmental conditions. Moreover the concentration and identification of other fungal species could be investigated.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major pathogen in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, the predominant source of its acquisition, however, is under discussion. In order to study the molecular epidemiology, we evaluated 86 P. aeruginosa isolates from 43 CF patients from southeast Austria. The DiversiLab system was used to identify genetic relationships among the isolates. Antibiotic susceptibilities were tested with a broth microdilution method (Micronaut Merlin). A total of 39 unrelatedP. aeruginosa genotypes were found of which 34 were unique to a single patient and one was unique to a sibling pair. We found low rates of resistance for β-lactams with resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam and ceftazidime ranging from 4 to 6%. Resistance rates for meropenem and ciprofloxacin were 11% and 15%, respectively. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant isolates was 2%. We conclude that the majority ofP. aeruginosa isolates from CF patients originate from environmental sources and patient-to-patient spread is very uncommon in our centre.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Indirect fluorescent antibody assays are still the gold standard for the detection of Epstein-Barr-virus-specific antibodies; however, this technique requires several manual steps and an experienced technician. This retrospective study investigated the performance of the new VIDAS® enzyme-linked fluorescent assays for automated qualitative detection of EBV VCA IgM, VCA/EA IgG, and EBNA IgG antibodies in routine diagnostics. METHODS: 174 serum samples were tested first with the gold standard. In context with the clinical status, 60 samples IFA IgG/IgM positive and with clinical symptoms compatible with infectious mononucleosis, 26 samples IFA IgG/IgM negative and missing any clinical symptoms and 88 samples with varying IFA status and without any clinical information were defined. In a second step all samples were retested with the new assays. RESULTS: In the overall agreement between VIDAS® and IFA for evaluable results, almost perfect agreement was observed (kappa = 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86–0.97). Estimating all indeterminate VIDAS® results as discordant or concordant the observed kappa values were 0.71 (CI 0.63–0.79) and 0.93 (CI 0.88–0.98), respectively. With the new assays 45, 22, and 70 identical results were obtained, respectively. Western blot analysis of the discrepant samples showed a quasi similar performance of both assays. CONCLUSIONS: The new VIDAS® assays can be an alternative to IFA testing especially in high-throughput laboratories. Full automation of EBV serological diagnostis by the new VIDAS assays is of major importance for routine diagnostic laboratories.

The reduction of implant related infections plays a pivotal role in orthopaedic surgery as an increasing number of people require implants (up to 200,000 per year in the United States (source: Joint Implant Surgery & Research Foundation 2010)). The aim of the current study is to prevent and thus decrease the number of bacterial infections. Both pre and post operative systemic antibiotic treatment and gentamicin containing bone cements (polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA) are commonly used strategies to overcome infections. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of gentamicin sulfate loaded bone cement was compared with titan discs coated with a new form of gentamicin, gentamicin palmitate. Adherence prevention, killing rates and killing kinetics were compared in an in vitro model, using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which together with Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) represents 60% of bacteria found responsible for hip implant infections (An and Friedman, 1996, J Hosp Infect 33(2):93–108). In our experiments gentamicin, which was applied as gentamicin palmitate on the surface of the implants, showed a high efficacy in eliminating bacteria. In contrast to gentamicin sulfate containing bone cements, gentamicin palmitate is released over a shorter period of time thus not inducing antibiotic resistance. Another benefit for clinical application is that it achieves high local levels of active ingredient which fight early infections and minimize toxic side effects. Furthermore, the short term hydrophobic effect of gentamicin palmitate can successfully impede biofilm formation. Thus, the use of self-adhesive antibiotic fatty acid complexes like gentamicin palmitate represents a new option for the anti-infective coating of cementless titan implants.

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of contamination of sewage sludge with ESBL-producing Escherichia coli strains and the effectiveness of different sewage sludge treatment methods.Monthly sewage sludge samples were collected between January and September 2009 in 5 different sewage treatment plants and tested for the presence of ESBL E. coli. in addition, the number of colony forming units (CFU) of E. coli and coliform, bacteria before and after the different sludge treatment methods (aerobic/anaerobic digestion, lime stabilization, and thermal treatment) was investigated.Of the 72 sewage sludge samples investigated, ESBL-positive E. coli were found in 44 (61.1%) sewage sludge samples. The classification of beta-lactamase groups was carried out in 15 strains resulting in the detection of 2 different groups (CTX-M and TEM) of bla genes. All 15 of them had a CTX-M gene and 4 of these strains furthermore carried a TEM gene.With regard to the CFU of E. coli and coliform bacteria, thermal treatment and lime stabilization following dehydration sufficiently reduced pathogen concentrations. The plants using merely stabilization and dehydration showed an increase of E. coli and coliform bacteria and thus also an increase in ESBL-producing E. coli. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are highly conserved molecules, which are both constitutively expressed and up-regulated in response to various stress conditions. In particular, fungal Hsp60 can act as immunodominant antigens and facilitate powerful immunological properties. A possible cellular heat shock response was investigated in eight fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Scedosporium apiospermum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Fully automated RNA extraction was followed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR targeting fungus-specific Hsp60 mRNA and sequencing of the amplicon. Levels of temperature-dependent gene expression were evaluated and rates of similarity and identity were compared. While Hsp60 mRNA was constitutively expressed in all the samples tested, a temperature-dependent induction was not shown in C. cladosporioides. In the 80-amino acid fragment from the hypothetical protein, 66% of the amino acids were identical, 20% showed a conserved and 8% a semi-conserved substitution. Our findings should contribute to a better understanding of host pathogen relationship and suggest that fungal Hsp60 under temperature-related stress conditions might act as an immunogenic trigger in orchestrating fungi-related diseases.

Objective: Rapid and reliable diagnosis of genetic relatedness of clinical isolates in microbiologic laboratory is essential in case of nosocomial outbreak investigation. Most molecular techniques used to type microorganisms are technically demanding and time consuming. Currently repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) technique has been adapted to an automated format on the DiversiLab system (bioMerieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France). Aim of this study was to compare the performance of the DiversiLab system to that of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in nosocomial outbreaks.Methods: 122 clinical isolates (28 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 26 Acinetobacter baumannii, 45 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and 13 ESBL-producing Klebsiella oxytoca) were investigated. 70 isolates originated from six well-documented outbreaks, 52 were non-outbreak isolates.Results: Concordant results for identification of outbreak and non-outbreak MRSA, A. baumannii and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae strains were achieved with both methods. In the outbreak of ESBL-producing K. oxytoca automated rep-PCR was slightly more discriminatory than PFGE. Rep-PCR identified investigated ESBL-producing K. oxytoca outbreak-strains as indistinguishable or closely related, showing similarity of >90%, while PFGE identified these strains as indistinguishable.Conclusion: Automated rep-PCR assays on the DiversiLab system were used for MRSA, A. baumannii and for the first time ESBL-producing Klebsiella spp. and proved as a rapid and reliable method for molecular analysis of nosocomial outbreaks. (C) 2009 The British Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.