The HUB-Robeson Galleries are proud to present "moments," an online thesis exhibition of photography by Zsuzsanna Nagy, a second-year master of fine arts student in photography.

Stuckeman School graduate student Debora Verniz, who is a doctoral candidate in architecture, has been awarded the 2020 Alumni Association Dissertation Award from the Graduate School at Penn State for her research work in planning affordable housing structures in low-income areas.

Unable to host their senior capstone showcase as an on-campus celebration of their work with family and friends in attendance, graduating students in the Graphic Design undergraduate program in the Stuckeman School at Penn State are turning to Instagram to highlight their design work in a creative way to an even larger potential audience during the week of May 4-8.

The McGregor BFA table showed surprising ‘all-rounder’ listings in the top 30 rankings.

The furore surrounding the arrival of over 200 Cuban medical doctors in South Africa to fight the coronavirus has highlighted a failure on the part of the SA government to explain the nature and drivers of our country’s relationship with Cuba, says Mills Soko.

Strategic partnerships could be used to create win-win outcomes, says Sifiso Skenjana.

Government went to war against Covid-19 with very low supplies in citizen trust and financial reserves, says Solly Moeng.

With a fledgling democratic government and a formal peace process finally in place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country will celebrate its 50th year of independence next month.

En Guinée, la période trouble sous la domination de la junte ne sera bientôt plus qu’un mauvais souvenir – si tout va bien. Le capitaine Dadis Camara, qui a été acclamé lors de son arrivée à la tête de l’Etat suite à la mort du président Conté, a fait de 2009 une année que les Guinéens veulent oublier, son évènement le plus marquant ayant été le massacre de 160 personnes dans le stade national en septembre 2009.

5 mois après la publication du rapport Burundi : du boycott électoral à l’impasse politique, la dynamique de régression que nous décrivions en détails dans ce texte produit ses effets dévastateurs. La fin du consensus d’Arusha et le pourrissement du climat politique consécutif au boycott électoral de 2010 ont conduit à une violence qui, en dépit du lénifiant discours officiel, ne cesse de prendre de l’ampleur.

La rechute est le risque majeur des pays post-conflit et l'une des principales raisons de cette rechute s'appelle la corruption.

South Africa’s efforts to foster peace and security have placed it centre stage in some of the continent’s most intractable conflicts. This is an inevitable result of the quest to promote “African solutions for African problems”.

L’indifférence internationale est un facteur aggravant pour les conflits dans les petits pays. Cependant, en ce qui concerne la République centrafricaine (RCA), le contexte est paradoxalement différent.

Los conflictos en los países pequeños suelen agravarse debido a la indiferencia internacional. Sin embargo, en el caso de la República Centroafricana (RCA), el problema es ligeramente distinto. Hay una importante presencia internacional en este Estado, pero los actores principales han decidido mantenerse al margen y esperar en vez de intervenir activamente en la crisis.

Le Burundi est l’un des pays les plus pauvres (le taux de pauvreté atteint 67 %) et les plus petits d’Afrique (27 834 kilomètres carrés) avec l’une des plus grandes densités humaines du continent (près de 400 habitants par kilomètre carré). C’est du reste un pays profondément rural où seulement 11 % de la population réside en ville. Alors que l’accès à la terre et à la propriété est un véritable enjeu socio-économique, le Burundi fait face à de sérieux problèmes agricoles.

States looking to renew NCLB waivers while they transition to new assessments ask to freeze school ratings in place for one year, the Education Department says.

More than four years after the passage of ESSA, English-language-learner education policies across the country remain "disjointed and inaccessible," a new report concludes.

Carbapenems are currently the preferred agents for the treatment of serious Acinetobacter infections. However, whether cefepime/cefpirome can be used to treat Acinetobacter bloodstream infection (BSI) if it is active against the causative pathogens is not clear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of cefepime/cefpirome and carbapenem monotherapy in patients with Acinetobacter BSI. The population included 360 patients with monomicrobial Acinetobacter BSI receiving appropriate antimicrobial therapy admitted to four medical centres in Taiwan in 2012–2017. The predictors of 30-day mortality were determined by Cox regression analysis. The overall 30-day mortality rate in the appropriate antibiotic treatment group was 25.0% (90/360 patients), respectively. The crude 30-day mortality rates for cefepime/cefpirome and carbapenem therapy were 11.5% (7/61 patients) and 26.3% (21/80 patients), respectively. The patients receiving cefepime/cefpirome/carbapenem therapy were infected by Acinetobacter nosocomialis (51.8%), A. baumannii (18.4%) and A. pittii (12.1%). After adjusting for age, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, invasive procedures, and underlying diseases, cefepime/cefpirome therapy was not independently associated with a higher or lower 30-day mortality compared to the carbapenem therapy. SOFA score (hazard ratio [HR], 1.324; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.137–1.543; P < 0.001) and neutropenia (HR, 7.060; 95% CI, 1.607–31.019; P = 0.010) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality of patients receiving cefepime/cefpirome or carbapenem monotherapy. The incidence density of 30-day mortality for cefepime/cefpirome versus carbapenem therapy was 0.40% versus 1.04%. The therapeutic response of cefepime/cefpirome therapy was comparable to that of carbapenems among patients with Acinetobacter BSI receiving appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients may experience ceftriaxone underexposure but clinical outcomes data are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of ceftriaxone dosing on clinical outcomes amongst ICU patients without central nervous system (CNS) infection.

Methods: A retrospective study of ICU patients receiving intravenous, empiric ceftriaxone for non-CNS infections was conducted. Patients ≥18 years of age who received ≤2 grams of ceftriaxone daily for ≥72 hours were included and categorized as receiving ceftriaxone 1 gram or 2 grams daily. The primary, composite outcome was treatment failure: inpatient mortality and/or antibiotic escalation due to clinical worsening. Propensity score matching was performed based on the probability of receiving ceftriaxone 2 grams daily. Multivariable logistic regression determined the association between ceftriaxone dose and treatment failure in a propensity-matched cohort.

Results: A total of 212 patients were included in the propensity-matched cohort. The most common diagnoses (83.0%) were pneumonia and urinary tract infection. Treatment failure occurred in 17.0% and 5.7% of patients receiving 1 gram and 2 grams daily, respectively (p=0.0156). Overall inpatient mortality was 8.5%. Ceftriaxone 2 gram dosing was associated with a reduced likelihood of treatment failure (adjusted odds ratio=0.190; 95% confidence interval: 0.059 – 0.607). Other independent predictors of treatment failure included sequential organ failure assessment score (aOR 1.440, 95% CI 1.254 – 1.653) and creatinine clearance at 72 hours from ceftriaxone initiation (aOR 0.980, 95% CI (0.971 – 0.999).

Conclusions: Ceftriaxone 2 grams daily when used as appropriate antimicrobial coverage may be appropriate for ICU patients with lower mortality risk.

Objectives: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales and specifically KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) are rapidly spreading worldwide. The prognosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is not well known. Our study tries to assess whether ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by a KPC-Kp strain is associated with higher all-cause mortality than if caused by carbapenem-susceptible isolates.

Study design and methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with VAP due to K. pneumoniae from a 35-bed polyvalent Intensive Care Unit in a university hospital (> 40,000 annual admissions) between January 2012 and December 2016. Adjusted multivariate analysis was used to study the association of KPC-Kp with 30-day all-cause mortality (Cox regression).

Results. We analyze 69 cases of K. pneumoniae VAP of which 39 were produced by a KPC-Kp strain with high-level resistance to meropenem (MIC > 16 mg/mL). All-cause mortality at 30 days was 41% in the KPC-Kp group (16/39) and 33.3% in the carbapenem-susceptible cases (10/30). KPC-Kp etiology was not associated with higher mortality when controlled for confounders (adjusted hazard ratio [lsqb]HR[rsqb] 1.25; 95% CI: 0.46–3.41). Adequate targeted therapy (HR 0.03; 95% CI: <0.01–0.23) was associated with all-cause mortality.

Conclussion. Assuming the limitations due to the available sample size, the prognosis of VAP caused by KPC-Kp is similar to VAPs caused by carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae when appropriate treatment is used.

QPX7728 is an ultra-broad-spectrum boronic acid beta-lactamase inhibitor with potent inhibition of key serine and metallo beta-lactamases observed in biochemical assays. Microbiological studies using characterized strains were used to provide a comprehensive characterization of the spectrum of beta-lactamase inhibition by QPX7728. The MIC of multiple IV only (ceftazidime, piperacillin, cefepime, ceftolozane and meropenem) and orally bioavailable (ceftibuten, cefpodoxime, tebipenem) antibiotics alone and in combination with QPX7728 (4 μg/ml), as well as comparator agents, were determined against the panels of laboratory strains of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae expressing over 55 diverse serine and metallo beta-lactamases. QPX7728 significantly enhanced the potency of antibiotics against the strains expressing Class A extended spectrum beta-lactamases (CTX-M, SHV, TEM, VEB, PER) and carbapenemases (KPC, SME, NMC-A, BKC-1), consistent with beta-lactamase inhibition demonstrated in biochemical assays. It also inhibits both plasmidic (CMY, FOX, MIR, DHA) and chromosomally encoded (P99, PDC, ADC) Class C beta-lactamases and Class D enzymes including carbapenemases such as OXA-48 from Enterobacteriaceae and OXA enzymes from Acinetobacter baumannii (OXA-23/24/72/58). QPX7728 is also a potent inhibitor of many class B metallo beta-lactamases (NDM, VIM, CcrA1, IMP, GIM but not SPM or L1). Addition of QPX7728 (4 μg/ml) reduced the MICs in a majority of strains to the level observed for the vector alone control, indicative of complete beta-lactamase inhibition. The ultra-broad-spectrum beta-lactamase inhibition profile makes QPX7728 a viable candidate for further development.

Contezolid (MRX-I), a new oxazolidinone, is an antibiotic in development for treating complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTI) caused by resistant Gram-positive bacteria. This was a thorough QT study conducted in 52 healthy subjects who were administered oral contezolid at a therapeutic (800 mg) dose, a supratherapeutic (1600 mg) dose, placebo, and oral moxifloxacin 400 mg in 4 separate treatment periods. The pharmacokinetic profile of contezolid was also evaluated. Time-point analysis indicated that the upper bounds of the two-sided 90% confidence interval (CI) for placebo-corrected change-from-baseline QTc (QTc) were <10 ms for the contezolid therapeutic dose at each time point. The upper bound of the 90% CI for QTc were slightly more than 10 ms with the contezolid supratherapeutic dose at 3 and 4 hours postdose, and the prolongation effect on the QT/QTc interval was less than that of the positive control, moxifloxacin 400 mg. At 3 and 4 h after the moxifloxacin dose, the moxifloxacin group met the assay sensitivity criteria outlined in ICH Guidance E14 with having a lower confidence bound ≥5 ms. The results of a linear exposure-response model which were similar to that of a time point analysis demonstrated a slightly positive relationship between contezolid plasma levels and QTcF interval with a slope of 0.227 ms per mg/L (90% CI: 0.188 to 0.266). In summary, contezolid did not prolong the QT interval at a therapeutic dose and may have a slight effect on QT interval prolongation at a supratherapeutic dose.

Treatment of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum using meglumine antimoniate (MA) encapsulated in conventional liposomes (LC) in association with allopurinol has been previously reported to promote marked reduction in the parasite burden in the main infection sites. Here, a new assay in naturally infected dogs was performed using a novel liposome formulation of MA consisting of a mixture of conventional and long-circulating (PEGylated) liposomes (LCP), with expected broader distribution among affected tissues of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Experimental groups of naturally infected dogs were as follows: LCP+Allop, receiving LCP intravenously as 2 cycles of 6 doses (6.5 mg Sb/kg/dose) at 4-day intervals, plus allopurinol at 30 mg/kg/12 h p.o. during 130 days; LC+Allop, receiving LC intravenously as 2 cycles of 6 doses (6.5 mg Sb/kg/dose), plus allopurinol during 130 days; Allop, treated with allopurinol only; non-treated control. Parasite loads were evaluated by quantitative PCR in liver, spleen and bone marrow and by immunohistochemistry in the ear skin, before, just after treatment and 4 months later. LCP+Allop and LC+Allop groups, but not the Allop group, showed significant suppression of the parasites in the liver, spleen and bone marrow 4 months after treatment, compared to the pre-treatment period or the control group. Only LCP+Allop group showed significantly lower parasite burden in the skin, in comparison to the control group. On the basis of clinical staging and parasitological evaluations, LCP formulation exhibited a more favorable therapeutic profile, when compared to LC one, being therefore promising for treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Globally, mutations in the katG gene account for the majority of isoniazid-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Buyankhishig et al analyzed a limited number of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in Mongolia and found that isoniazid resistance was mainly attributable to inhA mutations. The GenoType® MTBDRplus assay was performed for isolates collected in the First National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey and the Third Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Survey to investigate genetic mutations associated with isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Mongolia. Of the 409 isoniazid-resistant isolates detected by the GenoType® MTBDRplus assay, 127 (31.1%) were resistant to rifampicin, 294 (71.9%) had inhA mutations without katG mutations, 113 (27.6%) had katG mutations without inhA mutations, and two (0.5%) strains had mutations in both the inhA and katG genes. Of the 115 strains with any katG mutation, 114 (99.1%) had mutations in codon 315 (S315T). Of the 296 trains with any inhA mutation, 290 (98.0%) had a C–15T mutation. The proportion of isoniazid-resistant strains with katG mutations was 25.3% among new cases and 36.2% among retreatment cases (p=0.03), as well as 17.0% among rifampicin-susceptible strains and 52.8% among rifampicin-resistant strains (p<0.01). Rifampicin resistance was significantly associated with the katG mutation (adjusted odds ratio 5.36, 95% CI 3.3–8.67, p<0.001). Mutations in inhA predominated in isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis in Mongolia. However, the proportion of katG mutations in isolates from previously treated cases was higher than that among new cases, and that in cases with rifampicin resistance was higher than that in cases without rifampicin resistance.

Aspergillus niger, the third species responsible for invasive aspergillosis has been considered as a homogeneous species until DNA-based identification uncovered many cryptic species. These species have been recently reclassified into the Aspergillus section Nigri. However little is yet known among the section Nigri about the species distribution and the antifungal susceptibility pattern of each cryptic species. A total of 112 clinical isolates collected from 5 teaching hospitals in France and phenotypically identified as A. niger were analyzed. Identification to the species level was carried out by nucleotide sequence analysis. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole and amphotericin B were determined by both the EUCAST and gradient concentration strips methods. Aspergillus tubingensis (n=51, 45.5%) and A. welwitschiae (n=50, 44.6%) were the most common species while A. niger accounted for only 6.3% (n=7). The MICs of azoles drugs were higher for A. tubingensis than for A. welwitschiae. The MIC of amphotericin B was 2 mg/L or less for all isolates. Importantly, MICs determined by EUCAST showed no correlation with those determined by gradient concentration strips methods, these latter being lower than the former (Spearman's rank correlation tests ranging - depending on the antifungal agent - from 0.01 to 0.25; p>0.4). In conclusion, A. niger should be considered as a minority species in the section Nigri. The differences in MICs between species for different azoles underline the importance of accurate identification. Significant divergences in the determination of MIC between EUCAST and gradient concentration strips methods require further investigation.

Many transferable quinolone-resistance mechanisms have been already identified in Gram-negative bacteria. The plasmid-encoded 65 amino-acid long ciprofloxacin-modifying enzyme, namely CrpP, was recently identified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We analyzed a collection of 100 clonally-unrelated and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates among which 46 (46%) were found positive for crpP-like genes, encoding five CrpP variants conferring variable levels of reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. Those crpP-like genes were chromosomally located, as part of PAGI-like pathogenicity genomic islands.

The off-label use of third generation cephalosporin (3GC) during in ovo vaccination or vaccination of newly hatched chicks, was a common practice worldwide. CMY-2-producing Escherichia coli have been disseminated among broiler production. The objectives of this study were to determine the epidemiological linkage of bla_CMY-2-positive plasmids among broilers both within and outside Japan because grandparent stock and parent stock were imported in Japan. We examined the whole genome sequences of 132 3GC-resistant E. coli isolates collected from healthy broilers during 2002-2014. The predominant 3GC-resistance gene was bla_CMY-2, which was detected in the plasmids of 87 (65.9%) isolates. The main plasmid replicon types were IncI1-I (n=21; 24.1%), IncI (n=12; 13.8%), IncB/O/K/Z (n=28; 32.2%), and IncC (n=22; 25.3%). Those plasmids were subjected to gene clustering and network analyses and plasmid multi-locus sequence typing (pMLST). The chromosomal DNA of isolates was subjected to MLST and single nucleotide variant (SNV)-based phylogenetic analysis.

MLST and SNV-based phylogenetic analysis revealed high diversity of E. coli isolates. ST429 harboring bla_CMY-2-positive IncB/O/K/Z was closely related to isolates from broiler in Germany harboring bla_CMY-2-positive IncB/O/K/Z. pST55-IncI and pST12-IncI1-I and pST3-IncC were prevalent in western Japan. pST12-IncI1-I and pST3-IncC were closely related to those detected in E. coli isolates from chicken in American continent, whereas 26 IncB/O/K/Z were related to those in Europe. These data will be useful to reveal the whole picture of transmission of CMY-2-producing bacteria in and out of Japan.

Security researchers are demonstrating how you can use the Windows 10 flaw, CVE-2020-0601, to spoof the trusted digital certificates for official website domains on Google's Chrome browser. These same certificates can warn you about hacking attempts.

The records involved conversation logs between Microsoft support agents and customers across the globe, dating back to 2005. Most of the records were redacted of customer contact information, but not all.

Parenting styles run the gamut and so do the features in parental control and monitoring utilities. We've tested the top hardware- and software-based services to help you choose the right one for your family.

Infusionsoft by Keap combines robust analytics with an intuitive interface and easily customizable dashboards to help you track your customers and email marketing campaigns.

UEFA.com delves into the numbers and finds clean sheets were at a premium in the first legs.

The start of the knockout rounds provided a reminder there is still plenty of value to be found at the defensive end of the field.

Key differentials were once again to the fore in the round of 16 first legs, although Serge Gnabry took the headlines again.

Erling Braut Haaland and Robert Lewandowski continued to hit the net, although injury means the latter is likely to miss the second leg.

Second year teacher, Christine Pinto, shares some reasons she integrates technology in her classroom.

Rachel Hooker, who will graduate May 9 with a 3.99 GPA in supply chain and information systems, has been selected as the Smeal College of Business’ spring 2020 supply chain and information systems student marshal.

Penn State University Libraries has developed a curated guide to COVID-19 related resources for researchers, including ongoing research at Penn State.

Reducing indebtedness and improving savings in South Africa is a major socio-economic challenge, warns an industry expert.

Sabric, a financial crime information centre, shares its tips on staying safe over the festive season.

Marco Denina
Apr 21, 2020; 0:peds.2020-1157v1-e20201157
Research Brief