Quinolone-resistant E. coli with various CTX-M beta-lactamase genes that are common in human infections worldwide were found in imported chicken breasts, indicating a possible source for gut colonization. Samples from Brazil were commonly positive for E. coli with CTX-M-2, the dominant bla(CTX-M) genotype from human infections in South America, which is currently rare in clinical infections in the UK. CTX-M-15, the dominant CTX-M type in human infections in the UK, was not found in chicken isolates, suggesting that the UK-reared chickens are not a reservoir of CTX-M-15.

What ' s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Since the fi rst case of multidrug-resistant New Delhi metallo-β -lactamase (NDM-1) Klebsiella and Escherichia coli UTI in January 2008, there have been more reports of cases worldwide. Urology is a specialty uniquely vulnerable to these organisms because the NDM-1 carriers tend to be the common UTI-causing organisms. Further, the nature of the procedures involved in endoscopy in the urinary tract confers the potential for direct exposure and transmission of the organisms that commonly cause UTI. Although decontamination by sterilization of urological endoscopes and surgical instruments is well established in the operating theatre suite, there were no national standardized guidelines for infection control measures with respect to the video camera head in endoscopic urology in the UK. This paper reports the fi rst UK outbreak of NDM-1 Klebsiella UTI, for which the common source of infection was rapidly traced to the endoscopic camera head in the urology theatre, where single-use sterile disposable plastic camera sheaths were not routinely used and the camera head was regularly cleaned with detergent wipes. We found that infection control practices vary across UK urology units. In the context of infection control, we highlight a need for standardized practice in the use of camera sheaths and in the decontamination process for endoscopic video camera heads. Either sterilization or use of single-use sterile disposable plastic camera sheaths with regular cleaning of the camera head using approved disinfectant for all endoscopy work is recommended. OBJECTIVES• To report the fi rst UK outbreak of NDM-1 Klebsiella , for which the common source of infection was rapidly traced to the endoscopic camera head in the urology theatre, where camera sheathing was not routinely used and the camera head was regularly cleaned with detergent wipes.• To survey the use of camera sheath and infection control practices in endoscopy in urology in the UK. PATIENTS AND METHODS• A structured questionnaire was conducted via telephone interview with urological theatre sisters/charge nurses from all urological units across the UK.• Data on the use of camera sheath, cleaning practices, type of disinfectant used and choice of prophylactic antibiotics were obtained. RESULTS• Out of 206 NHS urology units, 158 (77%) units across the UK were surveyed. Forty-one (25.9%) do not use camera sheaths, 16 (10.1%) were used dependent on the consultant ' s preference, and the remaining 101 (63.9%) routinely used camera sheath.• Twenty-one (13.3%) units clean the camera head only at the end of the operating list and the remainder clean after every case.• The choice of cleaning agent/disinfectant used varied considerably. They are broadly categorised as alcoholic wipes 90 (57%), detergent wipes 46 (29.1%) and soapy water 21 (13.3%).• The choice of prophylactic antibiotic includes gentamicin alone (96.3%), augmentin alone (1.4%), gentamicin/ amoxicillin (0.7%) and cefuroxime alone (0.7%). CONCLUSIONS• ...

A new multiple hanging-drop assay has been tested with a growth inhibitor, cycloheximide, and a growth-promoter, fusicoccin. This assay has been used to examine the growth-response of pollen-tubes of Prunus avium to brassinolide, a naturally occurring promoter of plant growth. This response is compared with that of indol-3-ylacetic acid, gibberellic acid, and kinetin. Pollen tubes responded to brassinolide and fusicoccin at 1 nM and above, a concentration one order of magnitude lower than that for indol-3-ylacetic acid and gibberellic acid. Kinetin did not stimulate growth of the pollen tubes.

A marked increase in the prevalence of bacteraemia due to Escherichia coli of serogroup O15 was noted during November and December 1986 at Charing Cross Hospital. This multiresistant strain had been reported by several hospitals in south London. All isolates of E. coli from patients with bacteraemia between October 1986 and the end of September 1988 were assessed for the presence of the O15 antigen and for the unusual pattern of resistance to six antimicrobial agents. As a guide to faecal carriage, isolates from urine were similarly assessed during seven 4-week periods between January 1987 and June 1988. Of the 123 E. coli isolates from blood, 25 (20%) were serogroup O15 and 20 of these expressed the same pattern of multiresistance; 17 of these multiresistant isolates occurred in the 4-month period 1 Nov. 1986-28 Feb. 1987. During the remaining 19 months of the study only eight isolates were serogroup O15 of which only three were multiresistant. In the first 4-week period that urine isolates were studied 21 Jan. 1987-17 Feb. 1987, 26 (13.2%) of the 195 isolates were serogroup O15 of which 20 were multiresistant. The proportion of serogroup O15 isolates fell gradually until, in June 1988, the last period studied, only 8 (4.2%) of the 189 isolates were serogroup O15, of which only one was multiresistant. In a preliminary study of plasmids in six serogroup O15 isolates from blood, three multiresistant isolates and one that was sensitive to chloramphenicol appeared to carry a similar plasmid of c. 100 Mda.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The synthesis of jB-galactosidase during Brassica campestris pollen development results from the transcription of the haploid genome. A quantitative cytochemical method has been developed in which 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl-j%-Dgalactoside is used as substrate giving a bluegreen final reaction product. We have recently detected oilseed rape plants which are heterozygous for the fi-galactosidase locus, in which 50% of the pollen grains produced are Gal (having enzyme activity), while the other 50% are gal (enzyme deficient). The gal pollen grains served as a built-in control during microspectrophotometric determinations of enzyme activity. The (1,3) and the presence or absence of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in maize pollen (4), and segregation for f,-galactosidase activity in oilseed rape pollen (9). These markers all appear to be products of postmeiotic transcription of the haploid genome. However, the exact stage of pollen development at which synthesis of gametophytic proteins is initiated is not known. In the present report, we have used a recently developed quantitative cytochemical method (10) in combination with cytological stains to study the pattern of synthesis of f,-galactosidase.Plants of oilseed rape, Brassica campestris, which are heterozygous for the Gal locus, produce pollen grains where 50% carry the mutant gal allele and are therefore deficient for f-galactosidase activity (9). Anthers from such plants are particularly useful when studying the initiation of postmeiotic genetic activity because the enzyme-deficient pollen grain serve as an internal control for the visual observation and quantitation of the enzyme-specific reaction product. The presence of enzyme-deficient pollen enables ready identification of the first developmental stage where Gal grains show enzyme activity. MATERIALS AND METHODSBrassica campestris, oilseed rape, plants of Gal/gal genotype (9, 10) were raised to flowering under constant growth conditions with a 250/180 C day/night temperature regime and a 14-h photoperiod.Buds at various stages of development were removed from an inflorescence of one of these plants and the six anthers were dissected from each bud. Bud and anther lengths were recorded. For the assessment of pollen quality, two of the anthers from each bud were kept in Petri dishes lined with moist filter paper, prior to being used for the FCR' test (5). This same method was employed for identification of microspore and pollen developmental periods (12). The FCR method enables precise definition of the vacuolate period of microspore development. To identify the occurrence of pollen grain and generative cell mitosis, a modification of the method of Coleman and Goff (2) was employed. Two anthers were fixed in 3:1 ethanol:acetic acid for 2 h, washed in 70% ethanol, rinsed in water, and stained in DAPI, a nucleic acid fluorochrome (0.5 ,g/ml) and the grains viewed by incident light fluorescence microscopy.The remaining two anthers from each bud were employed for enzyme cytochemistry. The anthers were pla...