Skull base osteomyelitis: Incidence of resistance, morbidity, and treatment strategy

Objectives/Hypothesis The pathogeny of osteomyelitis of the skull base has evolved over time with the emergence of ciprofloxacin‐resistant Pseudomonas strains and significant fungal infections, both of which seem to bring a higher morbidity. The aims of this study were 1) to document the incidence of ciprofloxacin‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa over the past 7 years; 2) to assess morbidity by a radiologic score, the occurrence of cranial nerve palsies, and the duration of the hospital stay, according to the pathogenesis; and 3) to propose a treatment strategy. Study Design Retrospective chart review of necrotizing external otitis cases from 2004 to 2011. The setting was the Department of ENT Surgery, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris. Methods Thirty‐one patients were included. Radiological scores were assessed based on the initial computed tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging, which specified the anatomical territory involved. Nerve palsies, the duration of hospitalization, and the radiological scores were analyzed with regard to the pathogen. Results Twenty‐eight patients had a bacterial disease. Of the 20 strains of P. aeruginosa identified, five (25%) were ciprofloxacin‐resistant P. aeruginosa . Three patients (10%) had a fungal infection due to Aspergillus flavus . Nerve palsies, radiological scores, and hospitalization durations were significantly higher for patients with resistant strains and A. flavus . Conclusions In our series, the prevalence of ciprofloxacin‐resistant Pseudomonas strains increased over time. Along with fungal infections, they formed a group with a higher morbidity than that of ciprofloxacin‐sensitive Pseudomonas infections that furthermore did not respond to oral outpatient treatment. This is why pathogen identification using biopsies is sometimes required to start a prolonged treatment. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope , 124:2013–2016, 2014

IN HAWAII, A PILOT COURSE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FULFILLS AN UNMET NEED IN GRADUATE EDUCATION

IN HAWAII, A PILOT COURSE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FULFILLS AN UNMET NEED IN GRADUATE EDUCATION Michele L. Guannel, Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE), University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road MSB 205, Honolulu, HI 96822, mguannel@hawaii. edu; Barbara C. Bruno, Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE), University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road MSB 205, Honolulu, HI 96822, [email protected]; Maxime M. Grand, Marine Geology and Geochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road MSB 205, Honolulu, HI 96822, [email protected]; Nicholas Lee, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, [email protected]; Elizabeth A. Day-Miller, BridgeWater Education Consulting, LLC, 222 Holly Hill Drive, Bridgewater, VA 22812, [email protected]

Solution to recurrent suprahepatic caval stenosis after liver transplantation: Cardiac surgery after repeated dilatations and stenting

Carbapenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae colonization at liver transplantation: A management challenge

Influence of Melt Viscosity on the Structure and Properties of Electrically Conductive Nanocomposites Produced by Masterbatch Process

Electrically conductive polypropylene nanocomposites containing multi‐walled carbon nanotubes were produced by melt blending by dilution of a concentrate masterbatch containing 10 wt.% of filler. In order to promote polymer infiltration within primary agglomerates a ultra‐low melt viscosity polypropylene grade has been used for masterbatch production. Moreover, three polypropylenes with different melt viscosities have been used for successive dilutions. Filler dispersion has been assessed by both indirect macroscale analyses and direct morphological investigations. Characterization showed percolation thresholds occurring for very low filler contents. During dilution, lower polymer viscosities lead to more effective residue agglomerates dispersion, hence better electrical properties.

Notes on the peripheral volume of hyperbolic 3‐manifolds

We consider orientable hyperbolic 3‐manifolds with either non‐empty compact geodesic boundary, or some toric cusps, or both. For any such M we analyze what portion of the volume of M can be recovered by inserting in M boundary collars and cusp neighbourhoods with disjoint embedded interiors. Our main result is that this portion can only be maximal in some combinatorially extremal configurations. The techniques we employ are very elementary but the result is in our opinion of some interest.

Hierarchical Self‐Assembly of PDMA‐ b ‐PS Chains into Granular Nanoparticles: Genesis and Fate

The hierarchical self‐assembly of an amphiphilic block copolymer, poly( N,N ‐dimethylacrylamide)‐ block ‐polystyrene with a very short hydrophilic block (PDMA 10 ‐ b ‐PS 62 ), in large granular nanoparticles is reported. While these nanoparticles are stable in water, their disaggregation can be induced either mechanically (i.e., by applying a force via the tip of the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM)) or by partial hydrolysis of the acrylamide groups. AFM force spectroscopy images show the rupture of the particle as a combination of collapse and flow, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of partly hydrolyzed nanoparticles provide a clear picture of the granular structure.

Macromol. Rapid Commun. 23/2014

Back Cover: Poly( N , N ‐dimethylacrylamide)‐block‐polystyrene copolymers with a very short hydrophilic block (PDMA10‐ b ‐PS62) self‐assemble in large nanoparticles with hierarchical structure. Primary micelles with a diameter of about 15 nm and thin PDMA coronas stick together with coronas of other micelles generating larger objects. The possibility to disassemble these hierarchical nanoparticles, either by a mechanical or chemical stimulus, can be exploited for developing new drug carriers. Further details can be found in the article by A. Bianchi, M. Mauri, S. Bonetti, K. Koynov, M. Kappl, I. Lieberwirth, H.‐J. Butt, and R. Simonutti* on page 1994.

Crystalline Nanoporous Materials Based on Poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)oxide

Summary Different types of crystalline nanoporous materials (powders, films, aerogels) based on poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)oxide can be easily obtained depending on the preparation procedures. The nanoporous nature of the crystalline phase confers to these materials peculiar transport properties which make them particularly interesting for a potential use as a sorption medium to remove traces of pollutants from water and air or for membrane based gas separation processes. Different aspects relative to the structure and the transport properties of these new polymeric materials are described.

Strain‐specific nuclear genetic background differentially affects mitochondria‐related phenotypes in S accharomyces cerevisiae

In the course of our studies on mitochondrial defects, we have observed important phenotypic variations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains suggesting that a better characterization of the genetic variability will be essential to define the relationship between the mitochondrial efficiency and the presence of different nuclear backgrounds. In this manuscript, we have extended the study of such relations by comparing phenotypic assays related to mitochondrial functions of three wild‐type laboratory strains. In addition to the phenotypic variability among the wild‐type strains, important differences have been observed among strains bearing identical mitochondrial tRNA mutations that could be related only to the different nuclear background of the cells. Results showed that strains exhibited an intrinsic variability in the severity of the effects of the mitochondrial mutations and that specific strains might be used preferentially to evaluate the phenotypic effect of mitochondrial mutations on carbon metabolism, stress responses, and mitochondrial DNA stability. In particular, while W303‐1B and MCC123 strains should be used to study the effect of severe mitochondrial tRNA mutations, D273‐10B/A1 strain is rather suitable for studying the effects of milder mutations.