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Backgrounds Staff in the hospital itself may be the source of a nosocomial outbreak (NO). But the role of undetected carriers as an outbreak source is yet unknown. Methods A systematic review was conducted to evaluate outbreaks caused by health care workers (HCW). The Worldwide Outbreak Database and PubMed served as primary sources of data. Articles in English, German or French were included. Other reviews were excluded. There were no restrictions with respect to the date of publication. Data on setting, pathogens, route of transmission, and characteristics of the HCW was retrieved. Data from large outbreaks were compared to smaller outbreaks. Results 152 outbreaks were included, mainly from surgery, neonatology, and gynecology departments. Most frequent corresponding infections were surgical site infections, infection by hepatitis B virus, and septicemia. Hepatitis B virus (27 NO), S. aureus (49 NO) and S. pyogenes (19 NO) were the predominant pathogens involved. 59 outbreaks (41.5%) derived from physicians and 56 outbreaks (39.4%) derived from nurses. Transmission mainly occurred via direct contact. Surgical and pediatric departments were significantly associated with smaller outbreaks, and gynecology with larger outbreaks. Awareness of carrier status significantly decreased the risk of causing large outbreaks. Conclusions As NO caused by HCW represent a rare event, screening of personnel should not be performed regularly. However, if certain species of microorganisms are involved, the possibility of a carrier should be taken into account.

Objectives This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of titration-guided focal selective retina therapy (SRT) for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSCR) and determine the need and effectiveness of re-treatment. Methods SRT was performed in 60 eyes of 57 patients with cCSCR, targeting focal leakage points (FLP) using a Nd:YLF-Laser at 527 nm (R:GEN®, Lutronic, South Korea) titration-guided at 80% threshold, with 140 ms irradiation time, 100 Hz frequency, 1.7 µs pulse duration, 200 µm spot size. Best documented visual acuity (BDVA), peak height of subretinal fluid (SRF), height of SRF at the fovea, central retinal thickness (cRT) and total macular retinal volume (tRV) were measured. Results A significant improvement in BDVA was observed up to 1 year compared to baseline ( p  < 0.02). A limited analysis due to the small sample size showed no significant difference between the BDVA at baseline and 2-year ( n  = 15) and 3-year ( n  = 10) follow-ups. A significant decrease in the height of the SRF at the highest point and fovea and total retinal volume up to the 3-year follow-up was observed compared to the baseline ( p  < 0.03). Thirty (50%) eyes of 30 patients required re-treatment, on average 9.2 ± 9.6 months after the initial SRT. This study found no predictors for the need of re-treatment. Conclusions The study concludes that SRT is safe and shows anatomical and functional benefits for treating cCSCR. We recommend performing regular check-ups every three months and following a zero-fluid tolerance policy for re-treatment. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register ID: DRKS00031038, registration date: 2023-01-16

PurposeCentral serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a disease presenting with detachment of the neurosensory retina and characteristic focal leakage on fluorescein angiography. The spontaneous remission rate is 84% within 6 months. In this study, the efficacy of selective retina therapy (SRT) was examined in patients with therapy refractory persistent acute CSC defined by symptoms for at least 6 months and persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) despite eplerenone therapy.Material and methodsThis is a prospective, monocentric observational study in 17 eyes (16 patients, mean age 42 years, 2 female). SRT was performed with the approved R:GEN laser (Lutronic, South Korea), a micropulsed 527-nm Nd:YLF laser device, with a train of 30 pulses of 1.7 μs at 100-Hz repetition rate at the point of focal leakage determined by fluorescein angiography (FA) at baseline (BSL). Visits on BSL, week 4 (wk4), and week 12 (wk12) included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMar), central retinal thickness (CRT) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and FA. Statistical analysis was performed by pair-by-pair comparisons of multiple observations in each case with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. (IBM SPSS Statistics 25®).ResultsMean CRT at BSL was 387.69 ± 110.4 μm. CRT significantly decreased by 106.31 μm in wk4 (95%-KI: 21.42–191.2; p = 0.01), by 133.63 μm in wk12 (95%-KI: 50.22–217.03; p = 0.001) and by 133.81 μm (95%-KI: 48.88–218.75; p = 0.001) compared to BSL. Treatment success defined as complete resolution of SRF occurred at wk4 in 7/17 eyes (35.3%) and at wk12 in 10/17 eyes (58.8%). Re-SRT was performed in 7/17 eyes (41.2%) after an average of 107.14 ± 96.59 days. Treatment success after Re-SRT was observed in 4/6 eyes (66.6%, 12 weeks after Re-SRT). Mean BCVA did not change significantly from BSL to any later timepoint after adjusting for multiple testing. Notably, eyes with treatment success showed better BCVA at all timepoints and gained more letters compared to failures.ConclusionSingle or repetitive SRT may be an effective and safe treatment in 2 of 3 patients suffering from acute persistent CSC after 6 months of symptoms or more. We observed complete resolution of SRF in around 60% of eyes 12 weeks after first SRT treatment and also 12 weeks after Re-SRT treatment in eyes with persistent or recurrent SRF. Results on the long-term course after SRT are still pending.

To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing early maturation (EM) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a genome scan was performed using 100 microsatellite loci across 29 linkage groups. Six inter-strain paternal half-sib families using three inter-strain F₁ brothers (approximately 50 progeny in each family) derived from two strains that differ in the propensity for EM were used in the study. Alleles derived from both parental sources were observed to contribute to the expression of EM in the progeny of the brothers. Four genome-wide significant QTL regions (i.e., RT-8, -17, -24, and -30) were observed. EM QTL detected on RT-8 and -24 demonstrated significant and suggestive QTL effects in both male and female progeny. Furthermore, within both male and female full-sib groupings, QTL on RT-8 and -24 were detected in two or more of the five parents used. Significant genome-wide and several strong chromosome-wide QTL for EM localized to different regions in males and females, suggesting some sex-specific control. Namely, QTL detected on RT-13, -15, -21, and -30 were associated with EM only in females, and those on RT-3, -17, and -19 were associated with EM only in males. Within the QTL regions identified, a comparison of syntenic EST markers from the rainbow trout linkage map with the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome identified several putative candidate genes that may influence EM.

In salmonid fishes, life-history changes may often be coupled to early individual growth trajectories. We identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for body weight (BW), condition factor (K) and age at sexual maturation (MT) in two full-sib families of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) to ascertain if QTL for MT were confounded with BW QTL intervals. Three significant QTL for BW, three QTL for MT and one significant QTL for K were identified. A BW QTL with major effect was localized to linkage group 8 (AC-8) and explained more than 34% of the phenotypic variation. Markers on AC-8 have previously been identified as being associated with variation in fork length and BW in this species. Similarly, a major QTL (PEV = 23%) with an influence on the female MT was localized to AC-23. Some of these regions are homologous to those in the genomes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), where similar QTL effects have been detected. Our results also suggest the conservation of MT QTL on the homeologous linkage group pair AC-3/24 in Arctic charr. We further identified chromosomal regions that harbor QTL for multiple traits. In particular, markers on AC-4, -20 and -36 had detectable QTL for all traits studied. Significant MT QTL detected on AC-23, -24, and -27 were autonomous of any BW QTL regions, suggesting that the regulation of MT may be more independent of BW control within this species than in other species of salmonids.

LISA Pathfinder, the European Space Agency's technology demonstrator mission for future spaceborne gravitational wave observatories, was launched on 3 December 2015, from the European space port of Kourou, French Guiana. After a short duration transfer to the final science orbit, the mission has been gathering science data since. This data has allowed the science community to validate the critical technologies and measurement principle for low frequency gravitational wave detection and thereby confirming the readiness to start the next generation gravitational wave observatories, such as LISA. This paper will briefly describe the mission, followed by a description of the science operations highlighting the performance achieved. Details of the various experiments performed during the nominal science operations phase can be found in accompanying papers in this volume.

LISA Pathfinder is perhaps the most precise accelerometry instrument ever flown in space. The drag-free control system can sense and react to external disturbances of an extremely small magnitude. One class of such disturbances are the impacts of micrometeoroids or dust. A simple model of the LPF system suggests that individual impacts with transferred momentum exceeding a few tens of nanoNewton-meters are detectable. Furthermore, the ability of LPF to resolve both the linear and angular momentum transfer as vector quantities allows information such as the sky location and the impact location of the impactor to be reconstructed. This novel approach to micrometeoroid detection and characterization, as well as the location of LPF at L1, provide an opportunity to improve our understanding of the dust environment in the inner solar system. Here we present some preliminary findings from LPF, including four candidate impact events.

LISA Pathfinder was a mission designed to test key technologies required for gravitational wave detection in space. Magnetically driven forces play a key role in the instrument sensitivity in the low-frequency regime, which corresponds to the measurement band of interest for future space-borne gravitational wave observatories. Magnetic-induced forces couple to the test mass motion, introducing a contribution to the relative acceleration noise between the free falling test masses. In this Letter we present the first complete estimate of this term of the instrument performance model. Our results set the magnetic-induced acceleration noise during the February 2017 noise run of \\( 0.25_-0.08^+0.15\\,fm\\,s^-2/Hz\\) at 1 mHz and \\( 1.01_-0.24^+0.73\\, fm\\,s^-2/Hz\\) at 0.1 mHz. We also discuss how the non-stationarities of the interplanetary magnetic field can affect these values during extreme space weather conditions.

A precise characterization of the magnetic properties of LISA Pathfinder free falling test-masses is of special interest for future gravitational wave observatory in space. Magnetic forces have an important impact on the instrument sensitivity in the low frequency regime below the millihertz. In this paper we report on the magnetic injection experiments performed throughout LISA Pathfinder operations. We show how these experiments allowed a high precision estimate of the instrument magnetic parameters. The remanent magnetic moment was found to have a modulus of \\((0.2450.081)\\,nAm^2\\), the x-component of the background magnetic field within the test masses position was measured to be \\((414 74)\\) nT and its gradient had a value of \\((-7.4 2.1)\\,\\)T/m. Finally, we also measured the test mass magnetic susceptibility to be \\((-3.350.15)\\)10\\(^-5\\) in the low frequency regime. All results are in agreement with on-ground estimates.

A comprehensive summary of the measurements made to characterize test mass charging due to the space environment during the LISA Pathfinder mission is presented. Measurements of the residual charge of the test mass after release by the grabbing and positioning mechanism, show that the initial charge of the test masses was negative after all releases, leaving the test mass with a potential in the range \\(-12\\) mV to \\(-512\\) mV. Variations in the neutral test mass charging rate between \\(21.7\\) e s\\(^-1\\) and \\(30.7\\) e s\\(^-1\\) were observed over the course of the 17-month science operations produced by cosmic ray flux changes including a Forbush decrease associated with a small solar energetic particle event. A dependence of the cosmic ray charging rate on the test mass potential between \\(-30.2\\) e s\\(^-1\\) V\\(^-1\\) and \\(-40.3\\) e s\\(^-1\\) V\\(^-1\\) was observed and this is attributed to a contribution to charging from low-energy electrons emitted from the gold surfaces of the gravitational reference sensor. Data from the on-board particle detector show a reliable correlation with the charging rate and with other environmental monitors of the cosmic ray flux. This correlation is exploited to extrapolate test mass charging rates to a 20-year period giving useful insight into the expected range of charging rate that may be observed in the LISA mission.