We determined the population genetic structures of feline and canine Staphylococcus aureus strains in Japan by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Ecological analyses suggested that multiple feline-related S. aureus clones, including ST133, naturally occur as commensals and can cause endogenous infections in felines. In contrast, S. aureus populations do not likely include any clone that exhibit...

Methods Prospective multicenter study of characteristics for repeated blood culture sampling in neonates admitted to three tertiary-referral intensive care units (period 7/201312/2014). Repeated blood culture samples were included when obtained within 14 days after the previous sample. Clinical sepsis is defined as the presence of 2 clinical signs and the duration of antibiotic therapy for ≥5 d...

iPath is an open-access online tool (http://pathways.embl.de) for visualizing and analyzing metabolic pathways. An interactive viewer provides straightforward navigation through various pathways and enables easy access to the underlying chemicals and enzymes. Customized pathway maps can be generated and annotated using various external data. For example, by merging human genome data with two im...

Corynebacterium species are ubiquitous and capable of residing in different ecological niches. In healthcare settings, they are found as commensals of the skin and mucous membranes which often appear as contaminants in clinical specimens [1]. C. pseudodiptheriticum, in particular, is a member of the oropharyngeal flora and it can potentially cause infection in the respiratory system [2, 3]. In ...

Summary Neonates are born with an immature immune system and rely on the transfer of immunity from their mothers. Maternal antibodies transferred via placenta breast milk. Although role placentally immunoglobulin G (IgG) is established, less known about selection milk mechanisms by which they provide protection against neonatal disease. Evidence suggests that play multifaceted roles, p...

OBJECTIVE Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs used to suppress gastric acid production and treat GI disorders such as peptic ulcers and gastro-oesophageal reflux. They have been considered low risk, have been widely adopted, and are often over-prescribed. Recent studies have identified an increased risk of enteric and other infections with their use. Small studies have identified possible a...

It is a truism that antimicrobial drugs select for resistance, but explaining pathogen- and population-specific variation in patterns of resistance remains an open problem. Like other common commensals, Streptococcus pneumoniae has demonstrated persistent coexistence of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains. Theoretically, this outcome is unlikely. We modelled the dynamics of competing stra...

Fibronectin is a multidomain glycoprotein found ubiquitously in human body fluids and extracellular matrices of a variety of cell types from all human tissues and organs, including intestinal epithelial cells. Fibronectin plays a major role in the regulation of cell migration, tissue repair, and cell adhesion. Importantly, fibronectin also serves as a common target for bacterial adhesins in the...