Complete genome sequences of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain P42 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain P43 isolated from chicken cecum.

The gut microflora contains a diverse microbial population that is influenced by the host and the environment. We report the complete circular genome sequences of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain P42 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain P43 isolated from chicken cecal samples. P42 and P43 could potentially serve as poultry probiotic strains.

On 'Intracellular production of superoxide radical and of hydrogen peroxide by redox active compounds' by H. Moustafa Hassan, Irwin Fridovich.

This commentary discusses how the idea of employing redox cycling compounds to generate partially reduced oxygen species (O2-, H2O2, HO.) to cause oxidative stress in the model organism, Escherichia coli, was born. The concept was materialized during our studies on the induction and regulation of the Mn-superoxide dismutase in this unicellular organism. I described how the findings revolutionized the field of oxygen free radicals and oxidative stress and demonstrated its continued relevance and impact to the field today and most probably in the future.

Complete Genome Sequences of Six Lactobacilli Isolated from American Quarter Horses.

We report the complete circular genome sequences of six Lactobacillus strains and their plasmids, if any, from the fecal material of quarter horses at different ages.

Complete Genome Sequences of Lactobacillus Strains C25 and P38, Isolated from Chicken Cecum.

We report the complete circular genome sequences of Lactobacillus crispatus strain C25, its plasmid, and Lactobacillus animalis strain P38; both strains were isolated from the cecum of 4-week-old chickens. These isolates represent potential probiotic strains for poultry.

Non-medical caregivers and the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the operating theatre: A survey on the perception of safety.

BACKGROUND: In the last two decades, intraperitoneal(IP) chemotherapy during surgery achieved recognition in the management of peritoneal metastases. Occupational hazard became a concern leading to standardized safety measures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the perceived level of information and protection among the non-medical caregivers involved in HIPEC and PIPAC in a high-volume center. METHODS: All non-medical caregivers in the operating theatre of our institution were asked to answer a questionnaire between April and May 2018. The questionnaire included multiple choice questions and open questions structured in four parts: demographic variables, perceived level of information, perceived level of protection, interest in further education. RESULTS: Forty-nine caregivers agreed to answer the questionnaire. All identified IP chemotherapy as an occupational risk. Thirty-eight persons (77.55%) trusted the protective value of safety measures during HIPEC compared to 32 (65.3%) during PIPAC. A total of 29 persons (59.18%) used some of the measures while 16 (32.65%) used all of them. Main reasons of non-use were slips and lapses (7 persons) and lack of comfort (4 persons). A total of 34 caregivers considered the level of information about safety protocols as good or very good (69%). A total of 46 persons considered the level of protection as satisfying or excellent (93.87%). A total of 36 (73.47%) interviewees expressed the need of receiving more information. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that non-medical caregivers in the operating theatres are aware of the occupational hazards related to the use of IP chemotherapy. The use of protective measures is associated with decreased level of perceived risk. However there is a high need of continuous education on this subject for the involved personnel.

Impact of Dietary Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS) on Chicken's Gut Microbiota, Mucosal Gene Expression, and Salmonella Colonization.

Preventing Salmonella colonization in young birds is key to reducing contamination of poultry products for human consumption (eggs and meat). While several Salmonella vaccines have been developed that are capable of yielding high systemic antibodies, it is not clear how effective these approaches are at controlling or preventing Salmonella colonization of the intestinal tract. Effective alternative control strategies are needed to help supplement the bird's ability to prevent Salmonella colonization, specifically by making the cecum less hospitable to Salmonella. In this study, we investigated the effect of the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) on the cecal microbiome and ultimately the carriage of Salmonella. Day-old pullet chicks were fed control diets or diets supplemented with GOS (1% w/w) and then challenged with a cocktail of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis. Changes in cecal tonsil gene expression, cecal microbiome, and levels of cecal and extraintestinal Salmonella were assessed at 1, 4, 7, 12, and 27 days post infection. While the Salmonella counts were generally lower in the GOS-treated birds, the differences were not significantly different at the end of the experiment. However, these data demonstrated that treatment with the prebiotic GOS can modify both cecal tonsil gene expression and the cecal microbiome, suggesting that this type of treatment may be useful as a tool for altering the carriage of Salmonella in poultry.

A comparison of sequencing platforms and bioinformatics pipelines for compositional analysis of the gut microbiome.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies regarding throughput, read length and accuracy had a major impact on microbiome research by significantly improving 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. As rapid improvements in sequencing platforms and new data analysis pipelines are introduced, it is essential to evaluate their capabilities in specific applications. The aim of this study was to assess whether the same project-specific biological conclusions regarding microbiome composition could be reached using different sequencing platforms and bioinformatics pipelines. RESULTS: Chicken cecum microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing using Illumina MiSeq, Ion Torrent PGM, and Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium platforms, with standard and modified protocols for library preparation. We labeled the bioinformatics pipelines included in our analysis QIIME1 and QIIME2 (de novo OTU picking [not to be confused with QIIME version 2 commonly referred to as QIIME2]), QIIME3 and QIIME4 (open reference OTU picking), UPARSE1 and UPARSE2 (each pair differs only in the use of chimera depletion methods), and DADA2 (for Illumina data only). GS FLX+ yielded the longest reads and highest quality scores, while MiSeq generated the largest number of reads after quality filtering. Declines in quality scores were observed starting at bases 150-199 for GS FLX+ and bases 90-99 for MiSeq. Scores were stable for PGM-generated data. Overall microbiome compositional profiles were comparable between platforms; however, average relative abundance of specific taxa varied depending on sequencing platform, library preparation method, and bioinformatics analysis. Specifically, QIIME with de novo OTU picking yielded the highest number of unique species and alpha diversity was reduced with UPARSE and DADA2 compared to QIIME. CONCLUSIONS: The three platforms compared in this study were capable of discriminating samples by treatment, despite differences in diversity and abundance, leading to similar biological conclusions. Our results demonstrate that while there were differences in depth of coverage and phylogenetic diversity, all workflows revealed comparable treatment effects on microbial diversity. To increase reproducibility and reliability and to retain consistency between similar studies, it is important to consider the impact on data quality and relative abundance of taxa when selecting NGS platforms and analysis tools for microbiome studies.

Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus crispatus C25 Isolated from Chicken Cecum.

Lactic acid bacteria are important members of the gut microbiota of humans and animals. Here, we present the genome sequence of Lactobacillus crispatus strain C25, originally isolated from the cecum of 4-week-old chicken fed a standard diet. This isolate represents a potential probiotic strain for poultry.

Draft Genome Sequences of Lactobacillus animalis Strain P38 and Lactobacillus reuteri Strain P43 Isolated from Chicken Cecum.

Here, we present the genome sequence of Lactobacillus animalis strain P38 and Lactobacillus reuteri strain P43, both isolated from the cecum content of a 4-week old chicken fed a diet supplemented with the prebiotic ß(1-4)galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS). These indigenous Lactobacillus isolates are potential probiotic organisms for poultry.

Complete Genome Sequence of NC983, a Live Attenuated Strain of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium.

Foodborne infections caused by Salmonella enterica serovars are a significant problem worldwide. Presented here is the genome sequence of the nontyphoidal S. enterica serovar Typhimurium mutant strain NC983, a potential vaccine candidate.

Astroblastoma: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Astroblastoma is a rare and distinct type of aggressive glial tumor for which there is much confusion regarding the diagnostic criteria. We present a case of astroblastoma and review all relevant literature, aiming to discuss astroblastoma from the clinical, pathological, management, and prognostic points of view in an attempt to discover more of its secrets and to introduce a standard approach to its diagnosis and management.

Development of the Chick Microbiome: How Early Exposure Influences Future Microbial Diversity.

The concept of improving animal health through improved gut health has existed in food animal production for decades; however, only recently have we had the tools to identify microbes in the intestine associated with improved performance. Currently, little is known about how the avian microbiome develops or the factors that affect its composition. To begin to address this knowledge gap, the present study assessed the development of the cecal microbiome in chicks from hatch to 28 days of age with and without a live Salmonella vaccine and/or probiotic supplement; both are products intended to promote gut health. The microbiome of growing chicks develops rapidly from days 1-3, and the microbiome is primarily Enterobacteriaceae, but Firmicutes increase in abundance and taxonomic diversity starting around day 7. As the microbiome continues to develop, the influence of the treatments becomes stronger. Predicted metagenomic content suggests that, functionally, treatment may stimulate more differences at day 14, despite the strong taxonomic differences at day 28. These results demonstrate that these live microbial treatments do impact the development of the bacterial taxa found in the growing chicks; however, additional experiments are needed to understand the biochemical and functional consequences of these alterations.

Characterization of the frequency and nature of bleed air contamination events in commercial aircraft.

Contamination of the bleed air used to pressurize and ventilate aircraft cabins is of concern due to the potential health and safety hazards for passengers and crew. Databases from the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and other sources were examined in detail to determine the frequency of bleed air contamination incidents. The frequency was examined on an aircraft model basis with the intent of identifying aircraft make and models with elevated frequencies of contamination events. The reported results herein may help investigators to focus future studies of bleed air contamination incidents on smaller number of aircrafts. Incident frequency was normalized by the number of aircraft, number of flights, and flight hours for each model to account for the large variations in the number of aircraft of different models. The focus of the study was on aircraft models that are currently in service and are used by major airlines in the United States. Incidents examined in this study include those related to smoke, oil odors, fumes, and any symptom that might be related to exposure to such contamination, reported by crew members, between 2007 and 2012, for US-based carriers for domestic flights and all international flights that either originated or terminated in the US. In addition to the reported frequency of incidents for different aircraft models, the analysis attempted to identify propulsion engines and auxiliary power units associated with aircrafts that had higher frequencies of incidents. While substantial variations were found in frequency of incidents, it was found that the contamination events were widely distributed across nearly all common models of aircraft.

Mitochondrial DNA Fragmentation to Monitor Processing Parameters in High Acid, Plant-Derived Foods.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragmentation was assessed in acidified foods. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Ct values measured from fresh, fermented, pasteurized, and stored cucumber mtDNA were determined to be significantly different (P > 0.05) based on processing and shelf-life. This indicated that the combination of lower temperature thermal processes (hot-fill at 75 °C for 15 min) and acidified conditions (pH = 3.8) was sufficient to cause mtDNA fragmentation. In studies modeling high acid juices, pasteurization (96 °C, 0 to 24 min) of tomato serum produced Ct values which had high correlation to time-temperature treatment. Primers producing longer amplicons (approximately 1 kb) targeting the same mitochondrial gene gave greater sensitivity in correlating time-temperature treatments to Ct values. Lab-scale pasteurization studies using Ct values derived from the longer amplicon differentiated between heat treatments of tomato serum (95 °C for <2 min). MtDNA fragmentation was shown to be a potential new tool to characterize low temperature (<100 °C) high acid processes (pH < 4.6), nonthermal processes such as vegetable fermentation and holding times of acidified, plant-derived products.

Poultry body temperature contributes to invasion control through reduced expression of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 genes in Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis.

Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) are foodborne pathogens, and outbreaks are often associated with poultry products. Chickens are typically asymptomatic when colonized by these serovars; however, the factors contributing to this observation are uncharacterized. Whereas symptomatic mammals have a body temperature between 37°C and 39°C, chickens have a body temperature of 41°C to 42°C. Here, in vivo experiments using chicks demonstrated that numbers of viable S. Typhimurium or S. Enteritidis bacteria within the liver and spleen organ sites were ≥4 orders of magnitude lower than those within the ceca. When similar doses of S. Typhimurium or S. Enteritidis were given to C3H/HeN mice, the ratio of the intestinal concentration to the liver/spleen concentration was 1:1. In the avian host, this suggested poor survival within these tissues or a reduced capacity to traverse the host epithelial layer and reach liver/spleen sites or both. Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) promotes localization to liver/spleen tissues through invasion of the epithelial cell layer. Following in vitro growth at 42°C, SPI-1 genes sipC, invF, and hilA and the SPI-1 rtsA activator were downregulated compared to expression at 37°C. Overexpression of the hilA activators fur, fliZ, and hilD was capable of inducing hilA-lacZ at 37°C but not at 42°C despite the presence of similar levels of protein at the two temperatures. In contrast, overexpression of either hilC or rtsA was capable of inducing hilA and sipC at 42°C. These data indicate that physiological parameters of the poultry host, such as body temperature, have a role in modulating expression of virulence.

Mitochondrial DNA Fragmentation as a Molecular Tool to Monitor Thermal Processing of Plant-Derived, Low-Acid Foods, and Biomaterials.

Cycle threshold (Ct) increase, quantifying plant-derived DNA fragmentation, was evaluated for its utility as a time-temperature integrator. This novel approach to monitoring thermal processing of fresh, plant-based foods represents a paradigm shift. Instead of using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect pathogens, identify adulterants, or authenticate ingredients, this rapid technique was used to quantify the fragmentation of an intrinsic plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene over time-temperature treatments. Universal primers were developed which amplified a mitochondrial gene common to plants (atp1). These consensus primers produced a robust qPCR signal in 10 vegetables, 6 fruits, 3 types of nuts, and a biofuel precursor. Using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) puree as a model low-acid product and simple linear regression, Ct value was highly correlated to time-temperature treatment (R(2) = 0.87); the logarithmic reduction (log CFU/mL) of the spore-forming Clostridium botulinum surrogate, Geobacillus stearothermophilus (R(2) = 0.87); and cumulative F-value (min) in a canned retort process (R(2) = 0.88), all comparisons conducted at 121 °C. D121 and z-values were determined for G. stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 and were 2.71 min and 11.0 °C, respectively. D121 and z-values for a 174-bp universal plant amplicon were 11.3 min and 9.17 °C, respectively, for mtDNA from sweet potato puree. We present these data as proof-of-concept for a molecular tool that can be used as a rapid, presumptive method for monitoring thermal processing in low-acid plant products.

Ruthenium polypyridyl TG6 dye for the sensitization of nanoparticle and nanocrystallite spherical aggregate photoelectrodes.

A ruthenium polypyridyl dye containing a hexasulfanyl-styryl modified bipyridyl group as ancillary ligand, coded TG6, is investigated as a sensitizer for ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The advantages of this dye are a broad wavelength absorption spectrum, a large loading in ZnO photoelectrodes, a significantly larger extinction coefficient compared to more classical Ru-polypyridyl dyes, and the formation of less agglomerate in the pores of the ZnO layers. TG6 has been used to sensitize ZnO nanorod particle layers of high structural quality and ZnO layers made of submicrometer spheres composed of aggregated nanocrystallites and that develop an internal surface area. The latter are highly light-scattering in the visible wavelength region but more difficult to sensitize correctly. The TG6 dye has been compared with the metal-free D149 dye and has been shown more efficient for photoconversion. The best performances have been obtained by combining TG6 with the nanorod layer, the optimal power conversion efficiency being measured at 5.30% in that case. The cells have been investigated by impedance spectroscopy over a large applied voltage range. We especially show that the submicrometer sphere layers exhibit lower conductivity and lower charge collection efficiency as compared to the nanorod particle ones.

A Novel early pregnancy assessment unit/Gynaecology assessment unit dashboard: An experience from a UK district general hospital.

The establishment of early pregnancy assessment units (EPAUs)/Gynaecology assessment units (GAUs) started more than 20 years ago in the UK to decrease hospital admissions of patients with early pregnancy problems. However, there are still wide variations in the quality of services provided by these units. The objective of this study was to create a method that can be used for continuous assessment of these units on a regular basis. We designed a dashboard covering all aspects of EPAU/GAU activities depending upon the early pregnancy unit association guidelines, and the department of health data and statistics. The EPAU/GAU dashboard has been used successfully in the early assessment pregnancy unit of Yeovil District hospital for few years and is still implemented until now. It is an excellent tool for continuous audit. It is a simple method that should be adopted by different EPAUs/GAUs for their objective assessment in order to improve the services provided by these units.

Pyruvate protects pathogenic spirochetes from H2O2 killing.

Pathogenic spirochetes cause clinically relevant diseases in humans and animals, such as Lyme disease and leptospirosis. The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, and the causative agent of leptospirosis, Leptospria interrogans, encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) during their enzootic cycles. This report demonstrated that physiologically relevant concentrations of pyruvate, a potent H2O2 scavenger, and provided passive protection to B. burgdorferi and L. interrogans against H2O2. When extracellular pyruvate was absent, both spirochetes were sensitive to a low dose of H2O2 (≈0.6 µM per h) generated by glucose oxidase (GOX). Despite encoding a functional catalase, L. interrogans was more sensitive than B. burgdorferi to H2O2 generated by GOX, which may be due to the inherent resistance of B. burgdorferi because of the virtual absence of intracellular iron. In B. burgdorferi, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathways were important for survival during H2O2 challenge since deletion of the uvrB or the mutS genes enhanced its sensitivity to H2O2 killing; however, the presence of pyruvate fully protected ΔuvrB and ΔmutS from H2O2 killing further demonstrating the importance of pyruvate in protection. These findings demonstrated that pyruvate, in addition to its classical role in central carbon metabolism, serves as an important H2O2 scavenger for pathogenic spirochetes. Furthermore, pyruvate reduced ROS generated by human neutrophils in response to the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonist zymosan. In addition, pyruvate reduced neutrophil-derived ROS in response to B. burgdorferi, which also activates host expression through TLR2 signaling. Thus, pathogenic spirochetes may exploit the metabolite pyruvate, present in blood and tissues, to survive H2O2 generated by the host antibacterial response generated during infection.

Ectoparasites infestation of free-ranging hedgehog (Etelerix algirus) in north western Libya.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ectoparasites in hedgehogs (Etelerix algirus) in north western region of Libya. Seventy hedgehogs were sampled, and 39 (55.7%) were infested with external parasites. A total of 44 ticks, 491 fleas were collected from the infested hedgehogs and four species of ectoparasites were identified, one mite (Sarcoptes scabiei), one tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) and two fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis and Ctenocephalides canis). For ectoparasites, 10/39 (25.6%) were infested by S. scabiei, 8/39 (20.5%) by Rh. appendiculatus and 11/39 (28.2%) by fleas. The prevalence of mixed infestation with S. scabiei and C. canis was 3(7.7%), Rh. appendiculatus and C. canis was 2 (5.1%) and infestation by two species of fleas was 5 (12.8%). The overall mixed infestation was 10 (25.6%). We concluded that the hedgehogs may play an important role in spreading external parasites and transmission of diseases from one region to another and from wildlife animals to domestic animals and human.