In the clinical microbiology laboratory, blood is a critical diagnostic sample that, in the majority of cases is sterile (or is it?). However, when microbes gain access to and multiply in the bloodstream, it can result in life-threatening illness including sepsis. Mortality rates from bloodstream infection and sepsis range from 25% to 80%, killing millions of people annually. Blood cultures are a vital technology used in the microbiology laboratory to isolate and identify microbes and predict their response to antimicrobial therapy. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures, edited by Wm. Michael Dunne, Jr., and Carey-Ann D. Burnham, surveys the entire field of blood culture technology, providing valuable information about every phase of the process, from drawing samples to culture methods to processing positive cultures. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures is organized around several major topics. History of blood culture methods. Details the timeline of blood culture methods from manual through automated and describes the technological development of the leading automated blood culture systems (Bactec, BacT/Alert, and VersaTREK). Manual and automated blood culture methods. Critiques manual and automated methods for setting up blood cultures for adult and pediatric patients. Detection of pathogens directly from blood specimens. Describes currently available CE marked and FDA-cleared commercial tests using both phenotypic and genotypic markers, including their strengths and limitations. The workflow of culturing blood. Includes best practices from specimen collection to culture system verification, processing positive cultures for microbe identification and antibiotic susceptibility determination, along with the epidemiology of positive blood cultures and the value of postmortem blood cultures. Microorganisms in the blood. Examines the concept of a blood microbiome in healthy and diseased individuals. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures is a resource that clinicians, laboratorians, lab directors, and hospital administrators will find engaging and extremely useful. If you are looking for online access to the latest clinical microbiology content, please visit www.wiley.com/learn/clinmicronow.

In 1920s Switzerland, vampire lovers Charlotte and Karl are drawn into turmoil as Godric Reiniger, a local filmmaker and activist with sinister ambitions, begins his rise to power. Meanwhile, fiery dancer Emil achieves his dream to partner the legendary ballerina and vampire Violette Lenoir – until his forbidden desire for her becomes an obsession. Rejected, spiralling towards madness, he seeks solace with a mysterious beauty, Fadiya. But she too is a vampire, with a hidden agenda. When Karl and Charlotte undertake the perilous journey to rescue Emil, they unearth secrets that threaten the very existence of vampire-kind.

A tale of passion, betrayal... and blood... On a First World War battlefield vampire Karl von Wultendorf struggles to free himself from his domineering maker, Kristian. The Neville sisters flourish in decadent, hedonistic London society in 1923: champagne, parties and the latest illegal substances. All except Charlotte, the middle of the three sisters who hides in a corner wishing she were back in Cambridge helping her professor father with his scientific experiments. When Charlotte meets her father's new research assistant Karl, it is the beginning of a deadly obsession that divides her from her sisters, her father and even her dearest friend. What price are they willing to pay to stay together? "Not merely one of the finest fantasy novels of recent years, but one of the finest ever. Should not be missed." Brian Stableford "A cross between Anne Rice and some of the more edgy modern paranormal romances, only with Freda Warrington 's incredible voice... This author truly has a gift for story telling." Not Your Ordinary Book Banter

For the love of her vampire suitor, Karl, Charlotte has forsaken her human life. Now her only contact with people is when she hunts them down to feed. The one light in the shadows is the passion that burns between her and Karl. A love that it seems will last for eternity - until Karl's former lover, the beautiful Katerina, returns from her grave in the icy depths of the Weisskalt to reclaim her life...and Karl.

Set during World War I, this monumental philosophical novel about human despair inspired Albert Camus' own writing and prefigured the greater existential movement. Blood Dark tells the story of a brilliant philosopher trapped in a provincial town and of his spiraling descent into self-destruction. Cripure, as his students call him—the name a mocking contraction of Critique of Pure Reason—despises his colleagues, despairs of his charges, and is at odds with his family. The year is 1917, and the slaughter of the First World War goes on and on, with French soldiers not only dying in droves but also beginning to rise up in protest. Still haunted by the memory of the wife who left him long ago, Cripure turns his fury and scathing wit on everyone around him. Before he knows it, a trivial dispute with a complacently patriotic colleague has embroiled him in a duel.

Three wolf shifters tormented by a deadly secret. Two worlds torn by a twisted legacy. One girl determined to choose her own fate. They say being called to the world's oldest magic organization is the pinnacle of achievement for a witch. The lottery is done in secret. The names appear by magic. Membership in this exclusive club is like receiving a golden ticket. When you're called—you go, because that's how it has always been. With only a trace of magical ability, I've accepted a different role… a life of service to the witching community. So when the leader of the Society of Ancient Magic arrives at my door to escort me to initiation, I’m convinced there’s been a mistake. My name doesn’t belong on their list. And yet… The first guy I meet makes me feel like a princess. The second one I meet sparks an inferno in my heart. The third feels like the reason I was born. They are the sexiest males I have ever met. Dazzled by the glamour and the fabled history, I let myself fall into a world whose mystery and intrigue are as seductive as they are secretive. But not everything is as it seems within the Society of Ancient Magic. Just because it glitters, doesn't mean it's gold. ★ SERIES COMPLETE ★ ★★★★★ "I can't get enough of Joely and her men!" ★★★★★ "So many twists and turns!" ★★★★★ "Amazing series!" Dark Arts is the first in this 6-book reverse harem paranormal romance series, Society of Ancient Magic. This series features witches, vampires, wolves, ghosts, steamy scenes, language, and death. This is book one in a series and is not a standalone. Mind the cliff! Find out more at https://www.bingeworthyfiction.com Reading Order: Dark Arts Over Hexed Witch Wars Cursed Souls Broken Spells Magic Reclaimed