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Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae ST23 in Ireland
No full textHypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) has emerged as a pathogen of global concern associated with invasive community-acquired infections. The combination of hypervirulence and carbapenem resistance can result in severe and difficult-to-treat infections. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the spread of hvKp sequence type 23 (ST23) in Ireland and the convergence of hypervirulent (hv) and antimicrobial resistance genotypes. Short-read sequences (PE300) for 90 K. pneumoniae ST23 isolates were generated by the Galway Reference Laboratory Services (GRLS). Isolates were from screening swabs (n=59), invasive infections (n=18), non-invasive sites (n=12) and the hospital environment (n=1). The virulence and resistance content were assessed genomically using Kleborate (v2.2.0), ABRicate (v1.0.1) and Platon (v1.6). The in vivo virulence of the isolates was assessed using a murine model. All isolates were genotypically hv with 88/90 isolates having a maximal Kleborate virulence score of 5 including carriage of key genes. Eighty-two per cent of isolates (74/90) carried a carbapenemase gene (blaOXA-48/blaOXA-181/blaNDM-1), and 42% carried resistance genes to 3 or more antimicrobial classes. Core genomic delineation revealed the isolates to be clonal with similar resistance and virulence profiles. Two distinct clusters of Irish isolates were detected consisting of 82/90 of the isolates. Isolates associated with carriage and infection demonstrated similar in vivo virulence. An established clone of hvKp ST23 is circulating within Ireland and causing both colonization and infection of patients. The lack of reliable screening methods for hvKp makes its detection and control in the healthcare setting challenging.peer-reviewe
Contignasterines, Anti-Inflammatory 2-Aminoimidazole Steroids from the Sponge Neopetrosia cf. rava Collected in the Bismarck Sea
No full textSponges of the genus Neopetrosia are known for the production of a large diversity of bioactive metabolites. Contignasterines A (1) and B (2) were isolated as major metabolites of the sponge Neopetrosia cf. rava collected in the Bismarck Sea along with the known and highly bioactive steroid contignasterol (3) possessing a similar oxidized aglycone. Contignasterines are characterized by the presence of a 2-aminoimidazole branched on the side-chains of the oxidized steroid, and 1 also contains an unusual phosphate group at C-7. The anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were investigated and revealed that all three compounds inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory mediators.We would like to acknowledge the commitment of the people and the following institutions for their financial and scientific support that made this singular Tara Pacific expedition possible: CNRS, PSL, CSM, EPHE, Genoscope/CEA, Inserm, Université Côte d’Azur, ANR, agnès b., UNESCO-IOC, the Veolia Environment Foundation, Région Bretagne, Serge Ferrari, Billerudkorsnas, Amerisource Bergen Company, Lorient Agglomeration, Oceans by Disney, the Prince Albert II de Monaco Foundation, L’Oréal, Biotherm, France Collectivités, Kankyo Station, Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM), Etienne BOURGOIS, the Tara Foundation teams and crew. Tara Pacific would not exist without the continuous support of the participating institutes. Part of this work has been funded through the Interreg project BEAP-MAR (Atlantic Area, EAPA_0032/2022) and the Horizon Europe project COMBO (HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01-11, 101135438). The research leading to the anti-inflammatory results has received grants from the following agencies: Conselleria de Cultura, Educacion e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, GRC (ED431C 2021/01); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, PID 2020-11262RB-C21, Grant CPP 2021-008447 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.peer-reviewe
Antibiotic prescribing patterns in the community and primary care settings through a gender lens: A systematic review
No full textObjectives
Gender differences affect exposure to infections, including drug-resistant ones. However, data on the relationship between gender and antibiotic use are limited. This systematic review examines gender differences in antibiotic prescribing patterns in community and primary care settings.
Study design
Systematic review.
Methods
We searched Web of Science (Core Collection), PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Database, and EMBASE for studies published between January 2014 and April 2024. We included studies of any design that analyzed antibiotic prescribing patterns for patients consulting general practitioners. We excluded studies that did not examine gender differences, unpublished reports, and non-English articles. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the findings. The review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023476119).
Results
Our search identified 12,853 citations, from which we included 11 studies conducted in 10 countries. Most studies (n = 7) were cross-sectional. Gender analysis of antibiotic prescribing in the included studies did not show a consistent pattern in the likelihood of antibiotic prescription based on gender. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were azithromycin, amoxicillin, cephalexins, penicillin, clarithromycin, and metronidazole, primarily for respiratory infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, COVID-19, skin, and musculoskeletal diseases. Most studies did not report dose compliance.
Conclusions
Our systematic review identifies gender as a factor in antibiotic prescribing that remains insufficiently explored. Further research and policy discussions are needed to examine global prescribing patterns through a gender lens.peer-reviewe
A low acriflavine dose strongly potentiates the antimicrobial effect of blue light on Staphylococcus aureus
No full textStaphylococcus aureus infections are difficult to treat in chronic wounds due to biofilm formation and are frequently compounded by antibiotic resistance, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic approaches. This study investigated the antimicrobial effect of 470 nm blue light, alone and in combination with the photosensitizer, acriflavine, against S. aureus. Planktonic cells and preformed biofilms of S. aureus SH1000 (methicillin-sensitive) and BH1CC (methicillin-resistant) strains were exposed to 470 nm blue light at varying intensities. A reduction of 4.9 and 5.3 log10 was observed in the viability of BH1CC and SH1000 planktonic cells respectively when exposed to blue light at 28 mW cm-2 for 4 h compared to unexposed cells. The effectiveness of blue light inactivation was reduced at 14 and 7 mW cm-2, and no inactivation was observed at 3.5 mW cm-2. Exposure to a combination of 5 μM acriflavine and blue light (3.5 mW cm-2) significantly reduced BH1CC viability by 6 log10 (p = 0.0079) when compared to blue light alone after 1 h. No SH1000 cells survived 1 h exposure to 3.5 and 1.75 mW cm-2 combined with 5 μM acriflavine. Incubation of S. aureus strains with any of the tested concentrations of acriflavine in the dark produced no loss of viability, confirming the synergistic action of blue light combined with acriflavine. These results demonstrate that 470 nm blue light is lethal to S. aureus even at very low intensities and that this antimicrobial activity can be significantly enhanced by acriflavine at much lower concentrations than previously reported. These data also suggest that the antimicrobial mode of action for acriflavine is likely to be at least partly light mediated, a finding that has not previously been recognised.This work was funded by the Irish Research Council project GOIPG/2021/82 awarded to Rachel Allen.peer-reviewe
Teanga mheafarach Mháire ar nós ‘…mar a bheadh ‘duine/rud/ainmhí’, ‘mar a bheadh ‘duine/rud/ainmhí’ ann’; ‘mar a bheadh ‘duine/rud/ainmhí’ (ann) a bheadh’…agus na téamaí ina léirítear an ghné thábhachtach seo dá stíl liteartha
No full textIs le húsáid na Gaeilge i ngearrscéalta agus in úrscéalta Mháire (Séamus Ó Grianna), a bhaineann an t-alt seo. Baineann an t-ábhar le tionscadal taighde ag leibhéal máistreachta a cuireadh i gcrích idir Meitheamh 2002 agus Meán Fómhair 2023. Is i mBéarla a scríobhadh ina mhiontráchtas é sa chéad áit ach tiontaíodh go Gaeilge é agus cuireadh go suntasach leis an tsaothar idir Meán Fómhair 2023 agus Eanáir 2025 agus rinneadh tuilleadh léitheoireachta agus machnaimh air dá réir. D’éascaigh próiseas an aistriúcháin agus an mhachnaimh cur i bhfriotal barúlacha agus smaointe chomh maith.peer-reviewe
Nanocarrier based thermo-responsive hydrogels for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs
No full textThis thesis aims to explore nanocarrier based thermo-responsive PF127-based hydrogels for the delivery of anticancer drugs. A series of PF127-based hydrogel blends were prepared, and their sol-gel transition properties were evaluated for the employment of injectable drug delivery systems with in situ gelation mechanisms that allow for targeted and controlled drug release. Lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) were synthesised by nanoprecipitation and analysed using nanoparticle tracking analysis. Attempts were made at combining nanoparticles and hydrogels to create a hybrid system carrying gemcitabine hydrochloride (GEM). Based on the findings of this research, PF127-based hydrogels blended with carboxymethyl chitosan show enhanced structural stability in vitro and thermo responsive sol-gel transition properties compatible with the physiological environment. Envelopment of drugs in nanocarrier based hydrogels lead to decrease in gel stability. Drug loading in LPHNPs also resulted in inappropriately large particles while controlling LPHNP size, polydispersity, and particle aggregation proved a challenge. Further research is necessary to effectively combine LPHNPs and PF127-based hydrogels and drug loading in nanocarrier-hydrogel hybrid systems should be optimized
Feeding regime selectively enriching acetoclastic methanogens to enhance energy production in anaerobic digestion systems
No full textApplying the r/K selection theory to explore the distribution patterns of acetoclastic methanogens under varying conditions is rare, although it can offer a basis for optimizing community structure and enhancing methane production in anaerobic digestion systems. Different operating modes (sequencing batch reactors, SBRs; and continuous-flow reactors, CFRs) and solids retention times (SRTs; 15 and 50 days) were adopted to acclimate different acetoclastic methanogens in acetate-fed anaerobic reactors. SBRs exhibited a significantly higher CH4 production rate than CFRs (P = 0.037). Methanosarcina exhibited a higher relative abundance in SBRs (13.7 ∼ 16.1 %) than in CFRs (0.2 ∼ 0.3 %), aligning with its typical r-strategist characteristics. Methanothrix showed a higher enrichment in CFRs (33.1 ∼ 39.6 %) compared to SBRs (26.8 ∼ 29.9 %) at the same SRT, indicating K-strategist behavior. The SBRs had the potential to co-enrich both types of methanogens. Feeding regimes played a more pivotal role in the distribution of methanogens than SRT. The dominant bacteria, such as Desulfococcus and Mesotoga, as well as the archaeon Methanothrix, were auxotrophic in some essential amino acids, implying potential cross-feeding interactions. This study provides key insights into ecological strategies by linking microbiology with environmental technologies to enrich target methanogenic communities and enhance methane production.This study was supported by the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland) and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SFI Frontiers for the Future Awards Programme (22/FFP-A/10346). Huanhuan Chang thanks the scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (No. 202208620052). Guangxue Wu thanks the support from the Galway University Foundation.peer-reviewe
Ekphrasis spioradálta don Aos Óg: Alt léirmheasa ar Iontas na nIontas le Gabriel Rosenstock
No full textIs teach foilsitheoireachta é Foilseacháin Ábhair Spioradálta a bunaíodh sa bhliain 1956 ‘faoi choimirce Ord na nÍosánach, chun leabhair a sholáthar i nGaeilge ar ábhair a bhaineann le creideamh agus leis an gcultúr Críostaí’ (2025) agus is cinnte go dtagann ábhar an ailt léirmheasa seo – Iontas na nIontas – leis na haidhmeanna sin. Cnuasach de véarsaí nua-chumtha is ea é don aos óg leis an scríbhneoir bisiúil, Gabriel Rosenstock, scríbhneoir a bhfuil aitheantas idirnáisiúnta bainte amach aige dá shaothar turgnamhach filíochta agus próis do pháistí agus do dhaoine fásta araon. Is cnuasach suaithinseach é Iontas na nIontas toisc na véarsaí ann a bheith curtha i láthair in éineacht le foinsí a n-inspioráide – píosaí ealaíne ón bhFearann Poiblí. ‘Ekphrasis’ a thugann Rosenstock (2024: 13) ar an stíl atá á cleachtadh aige sa chnuasach agus ar an ábhar sin, sa léirmheas seo, tabharfar sainmhíniú ar dtús ar an téarma ekphrasis agus luafar cuid de na ceisteanna eiticiúla is gá do chriticeoirí liteartha dul i ngleic leo agus ekphrasis á mheas acu. Féachfar ansin ar an tslí a gcuireann Rosenstock ekphrasis i láthair an léitheora óig in Iontas na nIontas agus léireofar gur freagairt spioradálta ar an ealaín é saothar Rosenstock atá ag iarraidh freagairt spioradálta a spreagadh sa léitheoir óg.peer-reviewe
Rewilding German Studies: Notes from an experiment
No full textThis contribution reports on the ‘Rewilding German Studies, Rewilding Pedagogies’ event held in January 2024 at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin under the title ‘Day of Dialogue and Reflection’. As well as describing the day's proceedings, we highlight the main points of discussions that emerged between the participants and give insight into the ecocritical, literary, and philosophical sources that inspired our discussions or proved to be relevant retrospectively. A main concern, as we explain, was to explore alternative routes that help to challenge academic routines and foster self-reflexive thinking about academic practices, while special emphasis was put on embodiment, space, place and collaborative thinking. We present the insights gained on the day and reflect on how these can help to revise disciplinary practice in light of the multiple ecological predicaments of the current age.peer-reviewe
Holocene flora, vegetation and land-use changes on Dingle peninsula, Ireland, as reflected in pollen analytical, archaeological and historical records
No full textThis is a rather long article in which long-term (Holocene) vegetation dynamics and human impact on Dingle peninsula is discussed, based on new evidence and previously published information.
The main investigations were centred on the townland of Kilmore, south of the Magherees, where extensive prebog, stone walls had been the subject of archaeological survey and excavation by Mícheál Ó Coileáin.
The paper includes the first fossil record for Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) in the Dingle peninsula (AD 540), and the first published records for Fagopyrum fossil pollen in Ireland; these indicate that buckwheat was grown at Kilmore in the late eighteenth / early nineteenth centuries.
Fossil spore records for the filmy ferns, Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, H. wilsonii and Trichomanes speciosum (Killarney fern) are reported and key identification features are provided.
Main text: 43 pp, including 133 references
Supplementary information (SI) is available on the journal website (ZIP file). It includes the following files (number of files in parentheses): Text (1), Figures (15), and Tables (8).Palaeoecological investigations connected with extensive pre-bog, stone-wall, field systems at Kilmore, Dingle peninsula, Ireland, are presented. The main pollen profile, KLM I, spans the last 4000 years. When the record opens, pine (Pinus sylvestris) was already a minor tree, oak (probably Quercus petraea) was the main tall-canopy tree, and birch and alder dominated locally. Substantial farming is recorded between ca. 1530–600 BCE (Bronze Age) when the stone walls were probably constructed. From ca. 560 CE onwards, there is intensive farming for much of the time. A largely treeless landscape came into being in the late twelfth century CE. Fine-spatial reconstructions of landscape and vegetation dynamics, including the timing of blanket bog initiation, are made. Post-glacial change in the western Dingle peninsula, based on published Holocene lake profiles, and drawing on the new information presented here, is discussed. Reported are (a) fossil spores of the filmy ferns, Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, H. wilsonii and Trichomanes speciosum, (b) the first fossil pollen record for Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) in the Dingle peninsula (540 CE) and (c) the first published records for Fagopyrum fossil pollen in Ireland; these indicate that buckwheat was grown at Kilmore in the late eighteenth / early nineteenth centuries.Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit and Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) supported Steffen Wolters during 12-month research stay 1993/94 at the Palaeoenvironmental Research Unit, University of Galwaypeer-reviewe