Search

ABSTRACT: Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize the blaKPC-33 in a ST15-K19 ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI)-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain after the antibiotic CAZ-AVI was approved for use in Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, China. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the microdilution broth method. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using PacBio II and MiSeq sequencers. High-quality reads were assembled using the SOAPdenovo and GapCloser v1.12, and genome annotation was performed using the NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline (PGAP). Genomic characteristics were analysed by using bioinformatics methods. Results: K. pneumoniae strain KPHRJ showed resistance to CAZ-AVI. WGS analysis showed that strain KPHRJ had one 5 536 506 bp chromosome (57.25% G+C content) and one plasmid (133 451 bp, G+C 54.29%). KPHRJ was classified as ST15 and K19 serotype. Resistome analysis showed that KPHRJ carries seven antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). WGS analysis and conjugation experiments demonstrated that the blaKPC-33 gene was carried by plasmid pKPHRJ, flanked by two copies of IS26 mobile elements (IS26-ISKpn27-blaKPC-33-ISKpn6-korC-TnAs1-tetR-tetA-Tn3-IS26). Besides these acquired resistance genes, mutations in porin protein-coding genes, such as OmpK36 and OmpK37, which may reduce susceptibility to the CAZ-AVI, were also identified from the genome. Conclusion: Here, we present the WGS of a CAZ-AVI resistant K. pneumoniae isolate, strain KPHRJ, with capsular serotype K19 and belonging to ST15. CAZ-AVI resistance is likely conferred by a KPC-2 variant, blaKPC-33 and mutations in porin-coding genes. We speculate that the approval of the CAZ-AVI in hospital could contribute to the emergence of these genomic features by providing a selective pressure leading to the emergence of CAZ-AVI resistant bacteria.

The copolymer P(AM-DMC), one kind of cationic polyacrylamide, was synthesized by using acrylamide (AM) and methacryloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) as monomers with ultraviolet initiation. The copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composition of the copolymer was determined from the chlorine content by silver nitrate titration. The effects of monomer feed ratio and conversion on the composition of copolymer were discussed. Reactivity ratios were determined by the Fineman-Ross, Kelen-Tudos and Yezrielev-Brokhina-Roskin methods, indicating that their positive order calculation results were very different with those of reverse order, when the reactivity ratios were determined by Fineman-Ross. However, their positive order and reverse order calculation results were similar when the reactivity ratios were determined by the Kelen-Tudos and Yezrielev-Brokhina-Roskin methods. Therefore, the reactivity ratios were determined using the average results of the Kelen-Tudos and Yezrielev-Brokhina-Roskin methods. The reactivity ratios of AM and DMC were 2.3398 and 0.2285, respectively. This result showed that the copolymerization of AM and DMC was a non-ideal random copolymerization. Furthermore, the content of AM segments decreased with the increase of AM feed content, but the content of DMC segments increased. Moreover, the sequence length distribution was irregular and narrow, because AM was prone to homopolymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

new single step, efficient, and scalable process was developed for synthesis of olivary carbon microparticles with a diameter of 4-6 μm at the middle and a length 8-12 μm by pyrolysis (under 600 °C) of ethanol with manganese acetate as the promoter. The physical and chemical structures of the olivary carbon were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The content of the olivary carbon in the product is related to the pyrolysis temperature, the reaction time, and the dosage of the promoter. The content of the olivary carbon was over 90% of the product under the optimum condition. A possible formation process of the olivary carbon has been put forward according to the experimental data available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the coating of nano- to submicron-sized hollow nickel particles onto Al powders to optimize the thermal and combustion properties of Al-based energetic materials. Different wt% of hollow nickel particles coated onto Al particles was synthesized using an autocatalytic aqueous reduction method. X-ray diffraction results showed distinct crystalline Al and Ni phases indicating that a pure coating process was achieved. Homogeneous coating of hollow nickel particles onto individual Al particles was also reflected from the scanning electron microscope images. All the samples showed significant improvements in terms of their ignition and kinetics of combustion as compared to untreated Al. The most promising candidate produced was the 30wt%Ni-Al sample whereby the %complete combustion of Al exhibited the largest improvement. The hollow Ni-coated Al samples were also found to perform better than their physically mixed Ni-Al powder samples, as there is more intimate contact between the two components to hasten the overall combustion kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]