scholarly journals Cladosporium Species Recovered from Clinical Samples in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 2990-3000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Sandoval-Denis ◽  
Deanna A. Sutton ◽  
Adela Martin-Vicente ◽  
José F. Cano-Lira ◽  
Nathan Wiederhold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Opportunistic Infections ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
The United States ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Nuclear Ribosomal Dna ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Anatomic Site ◽  
Content Type

Cladosporiumspecies are ubiquitous, saprobic, dematiaceous fungi, only infrequently associated with human and animal opportunistic infections. We have studied a large set ofCladosporiumisolates recovered from clinical samples in the United States to ascertain the predominant species there in light of recent taxonomic changes in this genus and to determine whether some could possibly be rare potential pathogens. A total of 92 isolates were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods, which included sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and a fragment of the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA), as well as fragments of the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) and actin (Act) genes. The most frequent species wasCladosporium halotolerans(14.8%), followed byC. tenuissimum(10.2%),C. subuliforme(5.7%), andC. pseudocladosporioides(4.5%). However, 39.8% of the isolates did not correspond to any known species and were deemed to comprise at least 17 new lineages forCladosporium. The most frequent anatomic site of isolation was the respiratory tract (54.5%), followed by superficial (28.4%) and deep tissues and fluids (14.7%). Species of the two recently described cladosporiumlike generaToxicocladosporiumandPenidiellaare reported for the first time from clinical samples.In vitrosusceptibility testing of 92 isolates against nine antifungal drugs showed a variety of results but high activity overall for the azoles, echinocandins, and terbinafine.

scholarly journals Identification and Antifungal Susceptibility of Penicillium-Like Fungi from Clinical Samples in the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 2155-2161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Guevara-Suarez ◽  
Deanna A. Sutton ◽  
José F. Cano-Lira ◽  
Dania García ◽  
Adela Martin-Vicente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Content Type

Penicilliumspecies are some of the most common fungi observed worldwide and have an important economic impact as well as being occasional agents of human and animal mycoses. A total of 118 isolates thought to belong to the genusPenicilliumbased on morphological features were obtained from the Fungus Testing Laboratory at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (United States). The isolates were studied phenotypically using standard growth conditions. Molecular identification was made using two genetic markers, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and a fragment of the β-tubulin gene. In order to assess phylogenetic relationships, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference assessments were used. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed according to CLSI document M38-A2 for nine antifungal drugs. The isolates were identified within three genera, i.e.,Penicillium,Talaromyces, andRasamsonia. The most frequent species in our study werePenicillium rubens,P. citrinum, andTalaromyces amestolkiae. The potentin vitroactivity of amphotericin B (AMB) and terbinafine (TRB) and of the echinocandins againstPenicilliumandTalaromycesspecies might offer a good therapeutic alternative for the treatment of infections caused by these fungi.

scholarly journals Coelomycetous Fungi in the Clinical Setting: Morphological Convergence and Cryptic Diversity

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 552-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicomedes Valenzuela-Lopez ◽  
Deanna A. Sutton ◽  
José F. Cano-Lira ◽  
Katihuska Paredes ◽  
Nathan Wiederhold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Subunit ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Molecular Study ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Anatomical Site ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Neoscytalidium Dimidiatum

ABSTRACTHuman infections by coelomycetous fungi are becoming more frequent and range from superficial to systemic dissemination. Traumatic implantation of contaminated plant material is the most common cause. The typical morphological feature of these fungi is the production of asexual spores (conidia) within fruiting bodies called conidiomata. This study aimed to determine the distribution of the coelomycetes in clinical samples by a phenotypic and molecular study of a large set of isolates received from a U.S. reference mycological institution and by obtaining thein vitroantifungal susceptibility pattern of nine antifungals against a selected group of isolates. A total of 230 isolates were identified by sequencing the D1 and D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) nuclear ribosomal RNA (nrRNA) gene and by morphological characterization. Eleven orders of the phylumAscomycotawere identified:Pleosporales(the largest group; 66.1%),Botryosphaeriales(19.57%),Glomerellales(4.35%),Diaporthales(3.48%),Xylariales(2.17%),HysterialesandValsariales(0.87%), andCapnodiales,Helotiales,HypocrealesandMagnaporthales(0.43% each). The most prevalent species wereNeoscytalidium dimidiatum,Paraconiothyriumspp.,Phoma herbarum,Didymella heteroderae, andEpicoccum sorghinum. The most common anatomical site of isolation was superficial tissue (66.5%), followed by the respiratory tract (17.4%). Most of the isolates tested were susceptible to the majority of antifungals, and only flucytosine showed poor antifungal activity.

scholarly journals Mycoplasma genitalium Detection in Urogenital Specimens from Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Men and Women by Use of the cobas TV/MG Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Van Der Pol ◽  
Ken B. Waites ◽  
Li Xiao ◽  
Stephanie N. Taylor ◽  
Arundhati Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Trichomonas Vaginalis ◽  
Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
Asymptomatic Men

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infections are a growing concern within the field of sexually transmitted infections. However, diagnostic assays for M. genitalium have been limited in the United States. As most infections are asymptomatic, individuals can unknowingly pass the infection on, and the prevalence is likely to be underestimated. Diagnosis of M. genitalium infection is recommended using a nucleic acid test. This multicenter study assessed the performance of the cobas Trichomonas vaginalis (TV)/MG assay (cobas) for the detection of M. genitalium, using 22,150 urogenital specimens from both symptomatic and asymptomatic men and women collected at geographically diverse sites across the United States. The performance was compared to a reference standard of three laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). The specificity of the cobas assay for M. genitalium ranged from 96.0% to 99.8% across symptomatic and asymptomatic men and women. The sensitivities in female vaginal swabs and urine samples were 96.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.5 to 99.1%) and 86.4% (95% CI, 75.5 to 93.0%), respectively. The sensitivities in male urine and meatal swab samples were 100% (95% CI, 94.0 to 100%) and 85.0% (95% CI, 73.9 to 91.9%), respectively. This study demonstrated that the cobas assay was highly sensitive and specific in all relevant clinical samples for the detection of M. genitalium.

scholarly journals Multilocus Phylogeny and Antifungal Susceptibility of Aspergillus Section Circumdati from Clinical Samples and Description of A. pseudosclerotiorum sp. nov.

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 947-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Z. Siqueira ◽  
D. A. Sutton ◽  
J. Gené ◽  
D. García ◽  
N. Wiederhold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Phylogenetic Study ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTA multilocus phylogenetic study was carried out to assess species identity of a set of 34 clinical isolates fromAspergillussectionCircumdatifrom the United States and to determine theirin vitroantifungal susceptibility against eight antifungal drugs. The genetic markers used were the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and fragments of the beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. The drugs tested were amphotericin B, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, and terbinafine. The most common species sampled wasA. westerdijkiae(29.4%), followed by a novel species, which was described here asA. pseudosclerotiorum(23.5%). Other species identified wereA. sclerotiorum(17.6%),A. ochraceus(8.8%),A. subramanianii(8.8%), andA. insulicolaandA. ochraceopetaliformis, with two isolates (5.9%) of each. The drugs that showed the most potent activity were caspofungin, micafungin, and terbinafine, while amphotericin B showed the least activity.

scholarly journals Ceftobiprole Activity against Gram-Positive and -Negative Pathogens Collected from the United States in 2006 and 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Pfaller ◽  
Robert K. Flamm ◽  
Rodrigo E. Mendes ◽  
Jennifer M. Streit ◽  
Jennifer I. Smart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Coagulase Negative Staphylococci ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Serious Infections

ABSTRACT Ceftobiprole is an advanced cephalosporin with potent activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that has been approved in many European and non-European countries to treat community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia (excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia). This study reports on the activity of ceftobiprole against a large set of clinical isolates obtained from hospitalized patients in the United States in 2016 that caused serious infections, including pneumonia, bacteremia, and skin and skin structure infections. To assess any potential temporal changes in ceftobiprole activity, the 2016 results were compared to corresponding MIC data from a 2006 U.S. survey that included key target pathogens. Ceftobiprole exhibited potent activity against Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates, which were 99.3% susceptible), coagulase-negative staphylococci (100% susceptible), Enterococcus faecalis (100% susceptible), Streptococcus pneumoniae (99.7% susceptible), and other tested streptococci. Similarly, ceftobiprole was highly active against Enterobacteriaceae isolates that did not exhibit an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype, including Escherichia coli (99.8% susceptible) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (99.6% susceptible). A total of 99.6% of all Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis isolates were inhibited at ≤1 mg/liter ceftobiprole, and 72.7% of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were susceptible to ceftobiprole. With the exception of decreased cephalosporin susceptibility among Enterobacteriaceae isolates, which correlates with an increased prevalence of ESBL-producing isolates, ceftobiprole had similar activities against the isolate sets collected in 2006 and 2016. Therefore, ceftobiprole remains highly active when tested in vitro against a large number of current Gram-positive or Gram-negative pathogens that cause serious infections.

scholarly journals Schizophyllum radiatum, an Emerging Fungus from Human Respiratory Tract

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2491-2497 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Z. Siqueira ◽  
D. Sutton ◽  
J. Gené ◽  
D. García ◽  
M. Guevara-Suarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Schizophyllum Commune ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Human Respiratory Tract ◽  
Content Type

Schizophyllumis an important genus of basidiomycetes that, apart from being of genetic and biotechnological interest, is also reported to be a plant and animal pathogen.Schizophyllum communeis the best-known species and the only one reported from clinical specimens thus far, being recovered mainly from the respiratory tract. The aim of this study was to determine the species diversity of 23 clinical isolates ofSchizophyllumfrom the United States using multilocus phylogenetic analysis and theirin vitrosusceptibilities to six drugs. The markers used for sequencing were the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), a portion of the nuclear large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA, the RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) gene. The analyses revealed that 22 of the clinical isolates were in theSchizophyllum radiatumclade with high support values and 1 isolate was in theS. communeclade. This is the first report of this species in clinical samples. The two species mentioned above showed very similar morphological features in culture (i.e., white, cottony, unsporulated colonies composed of hyphae with clamp connections), making morphological discrimination between the two impossible. An epitype is designed forS. radiatum, and its sequences have been deposited in GenBank. The antifungal that showed the greatestin vitroactivity against the strains tested was shown to be amphotericin B. In general, the strains ofS. radiatumshowed higher MICs thanS. commune.

NCSS notable trade book lesson plan: the girl who buried her dreams in a can

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Takisha Durm
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
The United States ◽  
Elementary Grades ◽  
Effect Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Future Date

PurposeThe Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can, written by Dr Tererai, profiles a cultural, yet global experience of the power of believing in one's dream. Through this study of the similarities and differences of how children in the United States and abroad live and dream of a better life, this lesson seeks to enhance students' understandings of the power and authority they possess to effect change not only within their own lives but also in the lives of countless others in world. After reading the text, students will work to create vision boards illustrating their plans to effect change within their homes, schools, communities, states or countries. They will present their plans to their peers. To culminate the lesson, the students will bury their dreams in can and collectively decide on a future date to revisit the can to determine how far they have progressed in accomplishing their goals.Design/methodology/approachThis is an elementary grades 3–6 lesson plan. There was no research design/methodology/approach included.FindingsAs this is a lesson plan and no actual research was represented, there are no findings.Originality/valueThis is an original lesson plan completed by the first author Takisha Durm.

Washington will rethink its foreign chip strategy

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Export Controls ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Technology Competition ◽  
Business In China

Significance Follow-on action from Washington and responses from foreign actors will shape the US government’s adversarial policy towards China in semiconductors and other strategic technologies. Impacts The Biden administration will likely conclude that broad-based diversion of the semiconductor supply chain away from China is not feasible. The United States will rely on export controls and political pressure to prevent diffusion to China of cutting-edge chip technologies. The United States will focus on persuading foreign semiconductor leaders to help develop US capabilities, thereby staying ahead of China. Washington will focus on less direct approaches to strategic technology competition with China, notably technical standards-setting. Industry leaders in the semiconductor supply chain worldwide will continue expanding business in China in less politically sensitive areas.

Canada-US ties will see fewer irritants under Biden

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Federal Election ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
Keystone Xl ◽  
Keystone Xl Pipeline

Significance Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is preparing to welcome a more predictable and stable partner in Biden than outgoing Republican President Donald Trump. However, Biden is also expected quickly to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, cutting another lifeline to Canada’s oil industry and creating some strain in Canada-US ties. Impacts Improved Canada-US ties will persist even if Trudeau loses the next federal election to Conservative Erin O’Toole. Canada will re-engage militarily with UN peacekeeping and NATO deployments. Trudeau will encourage Biden to end US prosecution of Meng Wanzhou, allowing Canada to release her; Biden may agree. Canada’s border with the United States will open in stages as COVID-19 recedes. Ottawa will push Biden to end ‘Buy American’ procurement policies, with little success.

Washington will engage more with South-east Asia

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
East Asia ◽  
The United States ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Set Up

Significance She addressed two key issues during her trip: tensions in post-coup Myanmar and China’s growing regional footprint. Shortly after she left the region, the United States announced that it would donate unused COVID-19 vaccines abroad, including to South-east Asia. Impacts Washington will tighten its sanctions on the Myanmar military while supporting ASEAN’s five-point plan to ease the country’s crisis. The National Unity Government, a parallel administration to Myanmar’s junta set up by its opponents, will try to attract greater US backing. Manila and Washington may extend negotiations over renewing their Visiting Forces Agreement to prevent the pact expiring in August.

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