Treatment of exacerbations of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is highly challenging due to hypermutability, biofilm formation and an increased risk of resistance emergence. We evaluated the impact of ciprofloxacin and meropenem as monotherapy and in combination in the dynamic in vitro CDC biofilm reactor (CBR). Two hypermutable P. aeruginosa strains, PAOmutS (MIC_{ciprofloxacin} 0.25 mg/L, MIC_meropenem 2 mg/L) and CW44 (MIC_{ciprofloxacin} 0.5 mg/L, MIC_meropenem 4 mg/L), were investigated for 120h. Concentration-time profiles achievable in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) following FDA-approved doses were simulated in the CBR. Treatments were ciprofloxacin 0.4g every 8h as 1h-infusions (80% ELF penetration), meropenem 6 g/day as continuous infusion (CI; 30% and 60% ELF penetration) and their combinations. Counts of total and less-susceptible planktonic and biofilm bacteria and MICs were determined. Antibiotic concentrations were quantified by UHPLC-PDA. For both strains, all monotherapies failed with substantial regrowth and resistance of planktonic (≥8log₁₀ CFU/mL) and biofilm (>8log₁₀ CFU/cm²) bacteria at 120h (MIC_{ciprofloxacin} up to 8 mg/L, MIC_meropenem up to 64 mg/L). Both combination treatments demonstrated synergistic bacterial killing of planktonic and biofilm bacteria of both strains from ~48h onwards and suppressed regrowth to ≤4log₁₀ CFU/mL and ≤6log₁₀ CFU/cm² at 120h. Overall, both combination treatments suppressed amplification of resistance of planktonic bacteria for both strains, and biofilm bacteria for CW44. The combination with meropenem at 60% ELF penetration also suppressed amplification of resistance of biofilm bacteria for PAOmutS. Thus, combination treatment demonstrated synergistic bacterial killing and resistance suppression against difficult-to-treat hypermutable P. aeruginosa strains.

MASC has successfully designed and delivered critical equipment and supplies needed to protect health care workers and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olivia M. Vaz
Feb 1, 2020; 145:e20190620-e20190620
ARTICLES

Africa can be a challenging place to do business and property investment is not exempt from some, often unique, challenges, says a Nedbank expert.

• Football stars show how to practise skills without breaking safety rules – or windows!
• Federation raises funds for coronavirus and earthquake aid

• English FA launches ‘Football’s staying home’ campaign
• Captains lead Premier League teams into #PlayersTogether partnership with National Health Service Charities Together
• English Football League uses relief fund to help clubs facing cashflow problems
• Numerous club initiatives to help local communities

• Bundesliga UEFA Champions League participants show solidarity

• Free pizza for health workers
• Men’s and women’s national teams appear in StaySafeHome video
• Teaming up with mental health charities to help people cope with self-isolation

• Azzurri set #TheRulesOfTheGame for defeating COVID-19
• AS Roma’s foundation Roma Cares delivers care packs (containing essential food items and medical supplies such as face masks, protective gloves and hand sanitiser) to elderly season ticket holders

• National team and staff raise money for health service

• Football association, leading football players and a club president donate funds

• Football association announces financial package for struggling clubs
• Pro Junior System will reward clubs investing in home-grown talent
• Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Błaszczykowski make personal donations to Polish hospitals

• National players share experiences of life in isolation to help raise funds for hospital equipment
• Footballers as frontline health workers

• Footballers use popularity to advise expats to stay away to safeguard health
• Bucharest’s two biggest clubs fund life-saving equipment for capital’s hospitals
• National stadium converted to 24/7 emergency helpline centre

• La Liga clubs rally to help their local communities
• Atlético Madrid women's player and medical graduate Silvia Meseguer volunteers for local hospital
• Santiago Bernabéu stadium converted into medical supplies centre

• Allsvenskan clubs place staff at disposal of local efforts to deal with impact of COVID-19

• National association and clubs help purchase life-saving medical equipment
• Association supports self-isolating veteran footballers

• Football stadiums made available to National Health Service (NHS) for emergency facilities
• Ryan Giggs, Gareth Bale and Sophie Ingle spread NHS stay at home message
• Domestic league clubs raise funds for health care services

040 - Inaugural Best Women’s Player in Europe Award launched

UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe 2012/13 – Shortlist of top three announced

045 - 2013/14 UEFA Women’s Champions League draws for rounds of 32 and 16 in Nyon

046 - UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum takes place on Wednesday 4 September and Thursday 5 September

Award presented at Monaco ceremony

049 - Award presented during ceremony at UEFA Headquarters

The Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee will on Thursday (5 March) question the Secretary of State for Scotland regarding the Withdrawal Agreement and the future relationship between the European Union and the UK.

The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee is backing Scottish Government plans to change the law on deciding parent-child contact in family breakdown cases.

The UEFA Super Cup will be Real Madrid and Atlético's tenth European fixture; what other derbies have been played in UEFA competition?

“I was not happy when the Lord told me to go to France,” recalls one American OM worker, who soon discovered Europe’s great spiritual needs.

Source: www.youtube.com - Monday, April 20, 2020

Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Serbia and Russia all topped their groups unbeaten and the Czech Republic and Portugal also progressed to ensure all seven European sides made the last 16.

There will be two all-European quarter-finals at the FIFA Futsal World Cup with Spain meeting Russia, and Portugal up against Italy following the conclusion of the round of 16 in Thailand.

Europe's representatives Portugal, Russia, Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Spain all secured top-two finishes in the group stage to reach the last 16.

Somerset West stands out as one of the fastest growing property areas – commercial, residential and industrial - in the Western Cape, according to a new report on the state of the property sector in the Western Cape.

All three property sectors – residential, commercial and industrial – are currently experiencing a so-called buyers’ market in the Western Cape, says David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities.

The Cape Town metro scooped the highest prices paid for residential property in South Africa this year, says the MD of Seeff Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl.

Single women dominated property sales in 2017, 2018 and 2019, compared to single men and even married couples, according to data analytics firm Lightstone.

Consumers must be careful simply to assume their fortune lies in investment property, cautions Steven van Rooyen, Principal at Leapfrog Milnerton.

Property experts weigh in on the Monetary Policy Committee of the SA Reserve Bank's decision to lower interest rates.

There is a saying in the property world: find the deal and the money will come, says property investment expert and property wealth coach Andrew Walker.

While its "business unusual" in the SA residential property market, it is also the best buyer's market in a decade, says the chair of the Seeff Property Group.

Belgium, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Serbia and Spain have won their groups to join Russia in the finals, with the eight play-off teams now also confirmed.

The draw for the FIFA World Cup play-offs has been made: Northern Ireland v Switzerland, Croatia v Greece, Denmark v Republic of Ireland, Sweden v Italy.

Gianluigi Buffon won his 175th and final Italy cap on Monday, a record for a European. Could that soon be under threat, though? We check out the top ten.

Russia laid down a marker with an entertaining draw against Spain while Germany twice came from behind to deny France. Check out how Europe's FIFA World Cup hopefuls got on.

The identity of Europe's 14 representatives at next summer's FIFA World Cup is now known. We check out their pedigree.

The 32-team line-up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is complete, with holders Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Poland and France joining the hosts in Pot 1 for the draw.

Mission-Net welcomes more than 2,500 people and 110 mission organisations from Europe and other parts of the world to Erfurt, Germany, this week.

A new concession means there's a more flexible way of transferring a residence from your company, trust and CC.

Twenty sides will earn finals places via qualifying groups, with four coming through a new play-off system.

Find out how to watch the qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2020 where you are.