R. ornithinolytica is an underreported, emerging hospital-acquired infection and is particularly associated with invasive procedures. R. ornithinolytica should never be considered simply a saprophytic bacterium that occasionally contaminates bronchial lavage or other deep respiratory samples or surgical sites. Physicians should be aware of the high rates of antimicrobial resistance of R. ornithinolytica isolates so that immediate broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment can be established before accurate microbiological results are obtained.

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In chronic kidney disease (CKD), oxidative stress (OS) plays a central role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. This pilot program aimed to determine whether an intradialytic aerobic cycling training protocol, by increasing physical fitness, could reduce OS and improve other CKD-related disorders such as altered body composition and lipid profile. Eighteen hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to either an intradialytic training (cycling: 30 min, 55%-60% peak power, 3 days/week) group (EX; n = 8) or a control group (CON; n = 10) for 3 months. Body composition (from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), physical fitness (peak oxygen uptake and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)), lipid profile (triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)), and pro/antioxidant status (15-F2α-isoprostanes (F2-IsoP) and oxidized LDL in plasma; superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced/oxidized glutathione in erythrocytes) were determined at baseline and 3 months later. The intradialytic training protocol did not modify body composition but had significant effects on physical fitness, lipid profile, and pro/antioxidant status. Indeed, at 3 months: (i) performance on the 6MWT was increased in EX (+23.4%, p < 0.001) but did not change in CON, (ii) plasma TG were reduced in EX (-23%, p < 0.03) but were not modified in CON, and (iii) plasma F2-IsoP concentrations were lower in EX than in CON (-35.7%, p = 0.02). In conclusion, our results show that 30 min of intradialytic training, 3 times per week for 3 months, are enough to exert beneficial effects on the most sensitive and reliable marker of lipid peroxidation (IsoP) while improving CKD-associated disorders (lipid profile and physical fitness). Intradialytic aerobic cycling training represents a useful and easy strategy to reduce CKD-associated disorders. These results need to be confirmed with a larger randomized study.

The microbiological epidemiology was noted by an increasing the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria and anaerobic bacteria detected with the advent of MALDI-TOF MS and molecular identification for diagnosis.

Nosocomial influenza outbreaks increase charges and alter the quality of care delivered in acute care settings. Strategies for their prevention need to be evaluated in acute care settings.

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Semen from 10 932 male partners of infertile couples was analysed and sperm parameter trends were evaluated at the Reproduction Biology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Marseille (France) between 1988 and 2007. After 3-6 days of abstinence, semen samples were collected. Measurements of seminal fluid volume, pH, sperm concentration, total sperm count, motility and detailed morphology of spermatozoa were performed. Sperm parameters were analysed on the entire population and in men with normal total numeration (o40 million per ejaculate). The whole population demonstrated declining trends in sperm concentration (1.5% per year), total sperm count (1.6% per year), total motility (0.4% per year), rapid motility (5.5% per year) and normal morphology (2.2% per year). In the group of selected samples with total normal sperm count, the same trends of sperm quality deterioration with time were observed. Our results clearly indicate that the quality of semen decreased in this population over the study period. Keywords: environment; male infertility; regional differences; semen quality; sperm parameters INTRODUCTION Numerous studies suggest a decline in semen quality in some parts of the world. 1-8 By contrast, other studies have shown no evidence of deteriorating semen quality. 9-16 Some studies concern infertile couples, while others analyse normal sperm parameters. Thus, a worldwide decreasing trend in semen parameter values can be neither confirmed nor rejected. 17 It was recently reported that fecundity is affected by this decrease. 18,19 It was speculated that decreasing sperm parameters are in response to adverse environmental factors. Nevertheless, the observed discrepancies between studies suggest regional differences in semen quality. [20][21][22] Variations in environmental factors, industrial pollution and/or lifestyle could explain these discrepancies. A large number of environmental factors can pollute air, drinking water and food. This can directly alter the male gonad by blood-testis barrier disruption and cellular toxicity, or disrupt androgen biosynthesis and action. Among these environmental factors, oestrogenic or anti-androgenic endocrine disrupting compounds inhibit critical cellular process controlling steroidogenesis in Leydig cells and androgen binding to the androgen receptor. 23 It has been hypothesized that endocrine disrupting compounds play a major role in the aetiology of increased incidence of testicular dysgenesis syndrome which gathers decreased quality of semen, cryptorchidism, hypospadias and testicular cancer. 24 Chemicals with hormone-like activity can also

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