Recently, several plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes conferring low levels of quinolone resistance have been discovered. To evaluate the temporal change in the prevalence of PMQR genes over a decade in a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea, we selected every fifth isolate of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and every third isolate of Enterobacter cloacae between...

Sixty extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolated from rivers and lakes in Switzerland were screened for individual strains additionally exhibiting a reduced quinolone susceptibility phenotype. Totally, 42 such isolates were found and further characterized for their molecular (fluoro)quinolone resistance mechanisms. PCR and sequence analysis were performed to identi...

Plasmid-mediated qnr genes provide only a modest decrease in quinolone susceptibility but facilitate the selection of higher-level resistance. In Escherichia coli strain J53 without qnr, ciprofloxacin resistance often involves mutations in the GyrA subunit of DNA gyrase. Mutations in gyrA were absent, however, when 43 mutants with decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility were selected from J53(pM...

Worldwide, conservation agencies employ rangers to protect conservation areas from poachers. However, agencies lack the manpower to have rangers effectively patrol these vast areas frequently. While past work has modeled poachers behavior so as to aid rangers in planning future patrols, those models predictions were not validated by extensive field tests. In my thesis, I present a spatio-tempor...