bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Check-In/Check-Out
Authors: Filter Kevin J.
Published: April 2019

When implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for behavior in K–12 schools, it is important to identify interventions that are effective at each tier, but it is also crucial to identify interventions that match the level of the problem in terms of intensity and resources allocated to solving the problem. Tier II interventions in MTSS systems are designed to support the behavior of 5%–15% of students in a school that are at risk. One of the most well-developed, evidence-based, and efficient Tier II behavioral interventions is Check-in/Check-out (CICO). CICO (also known as the Behavior Education Program) was designed to reduce the behavioral problems of students who are not responding to Tier I intervention strategies. This chapter describes recent research and provides a detailed how-to guide for implementation of CICO.
Behavioral Interventions for Irritability in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Sukhodolsky Denis G. , Gladstone Theresa R. , Marsh Carolyn L. , Cimino Kimberly R.
Published: April 2019

Irritability is a common and impairing problem in children and adolescents that can be viewed as a dimension of psychopathology, as well as a core or co-occurring symptom in many childhood disorders. Two forms of interventions for irritability, parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), share common behavioral principles and social information-processing theoretical underpinnings. PMT aims to ameliorate aversive patterns of family interaction that produce the antecedents and consequences that maintain a child’s noncompliance and aggression. During CBT, children learn to regulate frustration and improve social problem-solving skills to reduce the frequency and intensity of anger outbursts and aggressive behavior. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) combines training in behavioral skills for reducing interpersonal conflicts with mindfulness and acceptance techniques for emotion regulation. Treatment studies of these approaches in children with various forms of behavioral and emotion dysregulation are reviewed and implications for children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder are discussed.
NATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY SUITES IN LEBANON: A MULTICENTER SURVEY
Authors: Rizk C , Farah J , Vanhavere F , Fares G
Published: April 2019

Air kerma-area product (PKA), cumulative air kerma at patient entrance reference point, fluoroscopy time and number of images were retrospectively collected from 15 hospitals in Lebanon for 11282 fluoroscopically-guided interventional (FGI) procedures between March 2016 and November 2018. National diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs) were established based on the third quartile of the distribution of median values of exposure parameters per department for 27 types of FGI procedures. NDRLs were in line with international DRLs except for coronary angiography (CA), percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) which require optimisation. Additionally, following the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements report 168, PCI, TAVI, triple chamber pacemaker implantation, endovascular aortic repair, nephrostomy, kyphoplasty and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage were classified as potentially high-dose procedures with >5% of the patients with PKA exceeding 300 Gycm2. The established NDRLs will promote dose optimisation and patient radiation protection.
David against Goliath? Legal protection against supervisory actions in Switzerland
Authors: Studen Goran
Published: April 2019

In many respects, Swiss foundations are truly unique, also in terms of governance. Unlike other legal entities that are subject to external control by governmental bodies due to their specific activities (eg financial market regulation and supervision), Swiss foundations—with the exemption of ecclesiastical and family foundations—are supervised irrespective of the specific nature of their activities. This creates a special relationship between the supervised and the supervisor. However, problems occur when foundations find themselves exposed to supervisory actions they consider unjustified. Against this background, this article examines the instruments and the effectiveness of legal protection available to Swiss foundations.
Important considerations for women in the late reproductive and perimenopausal years desiring myomectomy
Authors: Pepin Kristen , Reddy Himabindu , Clark Nisse V.
Published: April 2019

Purpose of review

To review important considerations in the counseling and management of women over the age of 40 desiring a myomectomy for symptomatic fibroids.

Recent findings

Women in the late reproductive and perimenopausal years may choose a myomectomy over a hysterectomy for reasons of fertility preservation or a personal desire to retain their uterus. Data suggest that laparoscopic myomectomy is a low-risk procedure that can be offered to older women, though the age-related risk of uterine malignancy must be evaluated.

When assessing the surgical candidacy of older women desiring myomectomy, it is important to weigh a woman's fertility potential, surgical risk, and concerns about malignancy with her desire to preserve the uterus and autonomy to choose a procedure type.
Safety and Efficacy of Supratarsal Triamcinolone for Treatment of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis in Ireland
Authors: McSwiney Terence J. , Power Barry , Murphy Conor C. , Brosnahan Donal , Power William
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

To describe the clinical features, risk factors, and treatment outcomes after supratarsal injection of triamcinolone for vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).

Methods:

A retrospective review of all patients treated with supratarsal triamcinolone for VKC between February 2002 and May 2017 at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and Our Lady's Children Hospital Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland, was performed.

Results:

Twenty-five patients, 46 eyes, and 145 injections were included for analysis. The mean age at first injection was 9.1 ± 5.7 years. Ninety-six percent of the patients were male. A seasonal variation was noted, with 59 injections (41%) of triamcinolone administered for acute and refractive cases of VKC in the summer compared with 35 (24%), 35 (24%), and 16 (11%) in the spring, autumn, and winter months, respectively. The most common presenting complaint was red eye, which was seen in all cases. Hay fever (64%) was the most common associated systemic disease. Each eye required, on average, 3.2 injections (range 1–9 injections), and the mean duration from the onset of symptoms to final treatment was 3.03 years (range 0–7.9 years). The mean presenting and final visual acuities were 0.33 and 0.11 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, respectively (P < 0.0001). During our study period, no patient experienced intraocular pressure rise requiring treatment, development of lenticular opacity, or ptosis after supratarsal injection of triamcinolone.

Conclusions:

In this case series, supratarsal triamcinolone was used in cases of VKC in which topical medications had failed to control the disease process. All patients reported improvement after treatment. There were no cases of intraocular pressure rise, lenticular opacity, or ptosis development after treatment.
Epidemiologic Features of Systemic Vasculitides in the Southeast Region of Brazil
Authors: Belem Joice Moraes Faria Monteiro , Pereira Rosa Maria Rodrigues , Perez Mariana Ortega , do Prado Leandro Lara , Calich Ana Luisa , Sachetto Zoraida , Bacchiega Ana Beatriz Santos , Simil Fabrícia Fonseca , Pedreira Ana Luisa , Gazzeta Morgana Ohira , Dinis Valquíria G. , Mariz Henrique Ataíde , Duque Ruben Horst , Schau Bruno , Santiago Mittermayer Barreto , Ferreira Gilda Aparecida , Ochtrop Manuella Lima Gomes , Gonçalves Célio Roberto , Rêgo Jozelia , Levy Roger Abramino , de Souza Alexandre Wagner Silva
Published: April 2019

Background/Objective

The epidemiology of vasculitis is variable in different geographic areas, and this issue has not been approached in Brazil yet. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of vasculitis in specialized centers in Brazil.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed in 9 vasculitis outpatient clinics from 6 different states mainly from the Southeast and the Northeast regions of Brazil between 2015 and 2017. Diagnosis and/or classification criteria for Behçet disease (BD), Takayasu arteritis (TA), giant cell arteritis (GCA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CryoVas) were used to include patients with at least 6 months of follow-up in this hospital-based survey.

Results

A total of 1233 patients with systemic vasculitis were included from the Southeast region. Behçet disease was the most frequent vasculitis (35.0%) followed by TA (26.4%), GPA (16.2%), PAN (5.8%), GCA (5.8%), EGPA (4.3%), MPA (3.4%), and CryoVas (3.0%). Up to 7.8% of vasculitis patients had a juvenile onset, and the frequency of vasculitides found in children and adolescents was as follows: TA (52.6%), BD (24.7%), GPA (12.4%), and PAN (10.3%). No cases of EGPA, MPA, and CryoVas were diagnosed before the age of 18 years. As a comparator, 103 vasculitis patients were included in the Northeast of Brazil where TA was found in 36.9% and BD in 31.1% of vasculitis cases. No GCA cases were found in the Northeast part of Brazil.

Conclusions

Similar to the epidemiology of vasculitis in Asia, BD and TA are the most frequent vasculitis in Southeastern Brazilian referral centers.
Role of Serial 68Ga DOTANOC PET-CT Scans in Follow-up of Metastatic Bronchial Carcinoid
Authors: Tripathy Sarthak , Kumar Rakesh
Published: April 2019

Neuroendocrine tumors are slow-growing indolent tumors and often present with metastatic disease at the outset. We hereby discuss the 68Ga DOTANOC PET-CT findings of a 48-year-old man who has underwent lobectomy for bronchial carcinoid and developed multiple metastatic disease thereafter with event-free survival for the last 12 years.
Administrator Perspectives on Writing Instructional Practices for Students With Complex Learning Needs
Authors: Sturm Janet M. , Asaro-Saddler Kristie , Nitzel Audrey
Published: April 2019

The adoption of national literacy standards has resulted in writing becoming a priority for students with complex learning needs (CLN). Given extrinsic (school-based) and intrinsic (student-based) barriers, there is a need to understand how educational systems can provide innovative research- and standards-based writing instruction for these students. The creation of new educational standards and expectations, however, does not result in rapid and immediate change in how instruction occurs for these students. The purpose of this pilot study was to collect data concerning the knowledge, attitudes, and observed barriers toward writing instruction for students with CLN as perceived by educational administrators.

Method:

This preliminary study was anchored in the field of implementation science to better understand readiness, adoption, and sustainability of innovative writing instructional practices for students with CLN. Administrator perceptions were obtained through didactic interviews, and a qualitative research design was used to understand themes from the data.

Results:

Results showed that a central challenge across educators is a lack of awareness that change in instructional practice is needed, as well as a perception that these students are not capable of becoming writers. Educational administrators also identified factors that increase positive outcomes when implementing writing instruction for students with CLN.

Conclusions:

To effectively implement writing instruction for students with CLN, educational administrators will need to consider barriers that impact readiness, adoption, and sustainability and develop systematic solutions that increase overall success.
Ex Situ Liver Machine Perfusion as an Emerging Graft Protective Strategy in Clinical Liver Transplantation: the Dawn of a New Era
Authors: Nickkholgh Arash , Nikdad Mohammadsadegh , Shafie Saeed , Abbasi Dezfouli Sepehr , Mehrabi Arianeb , Eason James D. , Mas Valeria R. , Maluf Daniel G.
Published: April 2019

The disparity between the number of available donor livers and patients awaiting a liver transplant has led transplant centers to accept suboptimal livers. There has been no universally accepted tool to predict the posttransplant function of these organs to safely increase the donor pool, protect these livers against ischemia-reperfusion injury, or improve their quality before implantation. Ex situ liver machine preservation has emerged as a promising novel graft protective strategy in the field of liver transplantation, with remarkable ongoing research and evolving clinical trials within Europe and the United States. This technology has been shown to be safe and feasible in the clinical liver transplantation field, has shown to reduce liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, and has shown to decrease the graft discard rate compared with conventional static cold storage. This review focuses on the current status of ex situ machine preservation in clinical liver transplantation, describing the most important technical aspects with the emphasis on the findings of the most recent clinical studies.
Lifesaving Electroconvulsive Therapy for a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Severe Self-Injurious Behavior, and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Authors: González-Romero María Fernanda , Avina-Galindo Ana Michelle , Elbe Dean , Friedlander Robin , Vila-Rodriguez Fidel
Published: April 2019

We present a case of a preteen with autism spectrum disorder and severe self-injurious behavior who developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome on antipsychotics and required urgent electroconvulsive therapy and continued maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for ongoing clinical stability.
The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Eating Disorders
Authors: Pacilio Rachel M. , Livingston Robin K. , Gordon Mollie R.
Published: April 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the potential for safe and effective use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating eating disorders (EDs) in patients with and without comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Methods

A review of the literature pertaining to the use of ECT in patients with EDs was performed through PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Search terms included “Electroconvulsive Therapy,” “ECT,” and “Electroshock” each combined with “Anorexia Nervosa,” “Bulimia Nervosa,” “Binge Eating Disorder,” “Eating Disorder,” “EDNOS,” and “OSFED.” Additionally, a case in which ECT was used in treating a patient with anorexia nervosa is presented.

Results

Eighty-nine articles were reviewed, and 11 were selected for inclusion. These articles detailed 14 patients with active EDs who received ECT during their course of treatment. Of these patients, 13 were noted to have shown improvement in disordered eating after receiving ECT, and no adverse medical outcomes were reported. Our case detailed an additional patient who benefitted from ECT.

Conclusions

There are limited data supporting the use of ECT in treating EDs; however, there is evidence to support that ECT is safe in this population and has been effective in cases of patients with AN with and without psychiatric comorbidities as well as binge eating disorder. More research is needed for treatment guidelines.
Long-term evidence on cooperation and cultural differences in public goods dilemmas
Authors: Frey Ulrich J.
Published: April 2019

It is hard to isolate human cooperation features outside the prevalent experimental laboratory context in a controlled setting. Since cooperation rates are very context-sensitive, a new setting—a public goods game in an online game—is analysed. This unique dataset addresses multiple critical issues: it is more realistic, individuals have an intrinsic motivation to play, there are no observer effects, and data are available for more than 18 000 individuals playing over 10 months. Participants come from 10 countries, which allows us to test for cultural influences on cooperation. We find small differences in cooperation rates between countries, ranging from 8.5% (Argentina) to 14.1% (Greece). Moreover, cooperation remains stable over long periods of time. Different cultural, economic and religious backgrounds do not seem to have a discernible influence on cooperation rates. Instead, individual differences seem to play a larger role. Finally, cooperation levels may be lower than suggested by experiments from the classical laboratory context.
Pneumococcal puerperal mastitis in a lactating mother
Authors: Skalidis T. , Stamnidi A. , Syriopoulou V. , Kontopoulos G. , Legakis N.
Published: April 2019

Introduction. A case of pneumococcal mastitis in a breast-feeding mother 6 months postpartum is described. Mastitis is usually caused by

Staphylococcus aureus

. A review of the literature from 1950 to March 2018 revealed only four other cases in which the causative organism was

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Case presentation. The nursing mother presented with high fever and the four cardinal signs of inflammation of the left breast: calor, dolor, rubor, tumour. In milk culture

Streptococcus pneumoniae

was isolated in numbers exceeding 105  c.f.u. ml−1 . The strain was of polysaccharide serotype 11 not included in Prevnar-13. Susceptibility testing showed full sensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics as well as to macrolides, lincosamides, vancomycin and tetracycline

Conclusion.

Streptococcus pneumoniae

should be considered as a possible causative agent of puerperal mastitis
Biosynthesis and antimicrobial activities of Allium cepa silver nanoparticles against some clinical isolates
Authors: Senbadejo Tosin , Bunu Muhammad Abba
Published: April 2019

The synthesis of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles is an expanding research area due to the potential applications for the development of novel technologies. Generally, nanoparticles are prepared by a variety of chemical methods which are not environmentally friendly. This study revealed the convenient and extracellular method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by reducing silver nitrate with the help of onion (Allium cepa) extract. In this study preparation of silver nanoparticles by using plants extract of onion (Allium cepa) has been investigated. Characterization of different properties of the prepared nanoparticles by techniques such as, UV spectroscopy and FTIR are carried out. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared silver nanoparticles on different microorganisms such as
Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was carried out. The silver nanoparticles showed antimicrobial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. From the experiment it was found that the synthesized nanoparticles have a significant antimicrobial activity.
Bioinformatics technology in clinical and public health microbiology applying computational methods
Authors: Kim Hyunjo
Published: April 2019

The role of clinical genomics in infectious disease diagnostics and public health microbiology is the topic of discussion during a recent decade. Although much of this work is aimed at describing the structure of outbreak communities, the methodology works equally well to identify pathogens in clinical samples. Clinical genomics is the exploitation of genome sequence data for diagnostic, therapeutic, and public health purposes. Central to this field is the high-throughput DNA sequencing of genomes and metagenomes. The key concept in using clinical genomics methodology is that detection of microbes is independent of culture and is not limited to targets used for in-depth PCR assays. Rather, it is a process of generating large-scale sequence data sets that adequately sample a specimen for microbial content and then of applying computational methods to resolve the sequences into individual species, genes, pathways, or other features.
The effect of epinephrine and norepinephrine on the growth and pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni
Authors: Truccollo Brendha , Whyte Paul , Bolton Declan J.
Published: April 2019

Campylobacter spp. is a leading cause of foodborne illness globally. The pathogen colonises the gastrointestinal tract of the host, where small concentrations of neuroendocrine hormones are also secreted. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are neuroendocrine hormones involved in the stress response that have been shown to promote the expression of virulence factors in pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Campylobacter spp. In our study Campylobacter jejuni strains from human infection and broiler farms that were supplemented with epinephrine and norepinephrine showed increased growth characterised by shorter lag phases and higher maximum OD595, and enhanced pathogenicity characterised by increased motility, attachment to and invasion of Caco-2 cells. The data obtained suggests that host stress may promote C. jejuni proliferation and pathogenicity.
Mathematical modelling to characterise the in vivo dynamics of Salmonella in the naïve and immunised host
Authors: Vlazaki Myrto , Restif Olivier
Published: April 2019

Systemic salmonellosis encompasses typhoid and paratyphoid fever, and invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis, with high mortality and morbidity amongst children and the immunocompromised in low-resource settings. Immunisation efforts remain hampered by the unavailability of safe vaccines with cross-protectivity against causative Salmonella strains. Characterisation of the within-host Salmonella dynamics in the naïve and immunised host can elucidate the mechanisms by which different vaccine types exert their protective effect, and help in vaccine selection and design. Experimental data tracking the changes in bacterial population composition in the different tissues of the host at different timepoints can be coupled with mechanistic mathematical models to estimate the parameters governing the processes of bacterial replication, killing and inter-organ migration. Using a recently described minimisation-divergence estimation approach, we extend a three-compartmental mechanistic model and re-analyse existing datasets to better characterise the bacterial migratory processes between the blood, liver and spleen in the early stages of infection, and the overall Salmonella dynamics in the later phases in the naïve host. We apply the same model to published data from mice immunised with either a live-attenuated or killed whole-cell vaccine to identify their in vivo differential impacts on Salmonella migration, replication and death. Finally, we identify alternative experimental designs to improve the statistical qualities of the mathematical model and allow better inference of parameters governing the unobserved processes of bacterial dynamics.
Enhancing protective efficacy of poultry vaccines through targeted delivery of antigens to antigen presenting cells
Authors: Shrestha Angita , Iqbal Munir
Published: April 2019

In recent years, poultry production has been under constant threat of infectious diseases such as avian influenza and Newcastle disease resulting in the poultry trade reduction and zoonotic infection risk. Vaccination has become one of the important measures in controlling such diseases. One way of increasing the efficacy of these vaccines is to deliver specific antigens selectively targeting antigen presenting cells (APCs). This could be achieved by coupling APC receptor-specific antibody to the antigen of choice. To achieve this, we are targeting avian influenza hemagglutinin (HA) protein to the chicken dendritic cell (DC) surface receptors. We have recombinantly produced H9HA antigen fused to single chain fragment variable antibodies (scFv) against the chicken DC surface receptors. To assess the HA activity of our recombinantly produced H9HA fused to scFv antibody, hemagglutination assay was adopted. Our constructs were able to agglutinate chicken red blood cells and therefore retained HA activity. Furthermore, the scFv antibodies fused to HA were able to detect their respective antigens via western blot indicating that these scFv antibodies are functional. To further characterise our H9HA fused scFv antibodies in vitro, their binding ability to chicken DCs will be assessed using flow cytometry. Therefore, we have created functional H9HA antigen targeting to chicken DCs which we aim to use in developing enhanced vaccines towards avian influenza virus. In future, we will clone our constructs into herpesvirus of turkey to generate a recombinant viral vector vaccine which we hypothesise would enhance the immune response in chickens.
Molecular identification of Bacillus spp. as starter culture for the production of ugba (Pentraclethra macrophylla), a Nigerian fermented condiment
Authors: Nwanekwu Kenneth
Published: April 2019

The isolation, physiological and molecular identification of Bacillus spp. for the development of starter culture in Ugba production were carried out. Sixty two bacteria were isolated and 55 Phynotypically characterized as Gram positive, rod shaped, motile, spore-forming and catalase positive typical characteristics of Bacillus spp. Seven isolates were suspected to be Micrococcus and Staphylococcus spp. They were Gram negative, cocci and catalase negative. The genotypic identification of the suspected Bacillus spp. was done using amplification and partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragment analyzed from isolates confirmed the organisms as Bacillus cereus (30), Bacillus subtilis (17) and Bacillus licheniformis (8). Bacillus subtilis was the dominant species in Ugba fermentation as it had the highest recorded number of isolates. This study indicated that molecular characterization of organisms as a good tool for the identification of organisms for the development of starter culture for use in food fermentation.
The emergent properties of streptomyces observed during co-culture and the genomic and morphological characterisation of a Streptomyces lydicus strain
Authors: Murray Jordan , Salih Talal , Tucker Nicholas
Published: April 2019

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global threats to human health in the modern day. No new classes of antibiotics have been approved for clinical use in over 20 years, and so called resistant ‘superbugs’ – such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa are becoming more resistant to even last resort antibiotics. Streptomyces spp. are the most valuable source of antibiotics to date, and genetic analyses has suggested that each strain is capable of producing upwards of thirty secondary metabolites. However, these genes are not all expressed in laboratory monoculture. In this study, four strains of Streptomyces were co-cultured in pairs on five different agar media. It was found that out of 108 conditions, 17 were capable of producing antimicrobial compounds that were bioactive against the ATCC ESKAPE pathogens that neither strain was capable of producing alone. Interestingly, instances of loss of phenotype were also observed, where isolates capable of bioactivity had this activity reversed when in co-culture with another streptomycete. A wild isolate of Streptomyces lydicus was also the subject of genomic and morphological characterisation in this study. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) of this strain was carried out using Ion Torrent, and after assembly was composed of 380 scaffolds. AntiSMASH analysis of this strain predicted 27 secondary metabolite gene clusters within the genome. Furthermore, CARD predicted 23 genes associated with antimicrobial resistance. Also presented here is a novel approach to liquid co-culture, in which modified glassware allows for the chemical interactions of two strains across a membrane, while the bacteria themselves are segregated.
Inter-species transmission of avian influenza virus to dogs: 10 years experience
Authors: Song Daesub , Na Woonsung , Yeom Minjoo
Published: April 2019

Influenza viruses have continuously evolved into multiple mutant strains from several regions, resulting in aggravated endemic or epidemic outbreak conditions. In the 2000s, several outbreaks of inter-species transmission were reported, such as, the avian H3N2 influenza virus that crossed the host barrier to dogs. The inter-species transmission gave rise to the H3N2 canine influenza virus (CIV) that spread from East Asia to North America. The newly emerged H3N2 CIV was likely to infect to cats; however, ferrets, which had a SA receptor-binding pattern similar to that of humans, were not suitable natural hosts. In addition to avian-to-dog transmission, the infectivity of pdm H1N1 and seasonal H3N2 viruses in dogs was proven when artificial inoculation of the viruses with active viral shedding in dogs caused pathologic changes in the lungs. Studies on sero-prevalence and artificial infection suggested the possibility of co-infection of and reassortment between the two viruses in dogs; later, H3N1 and variants of M-variant H3N2 reassortants between pandemic H1N1/2009 and prototype H3N2 CIV were isolated. Notably, the H3N2 CIV with the matrix gene of the pdm H1N1 virus showed more efficient transmission in ferrets than the classic H3N2 CIV. These results implied that this primary companion animal, which lives in closer proximity to humans than pigs, might act as a mixing vessel or a source of novel influenza A virus in humans. Our findings emphasized the necessity of intensive monitoring for influenza infection in companion animals for investigating the potential for the emergence of novel human influenza strains.
Starter culture development using selected strains of Bacillus spp. associated with “kantong” production in Ghana
Authors: Madilo Felix Kwashie , Glover Richard Kwame , Terlabie Lawer
Published: April 2019

Technological properties of Bacillus spp. involved in fermenting Ceiba pentandra seeds into ‘kantong’ a condiment prepared and consumed in the northern part of Ghana were invested so as to develop starter cultures with the predominant species for commercial production of ‘kantong’. The Bacillus species which predominated 205 Bacillus strains isolated from 11 stages of ‘kantong’ production includes: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. safensis, B. altitudinis, B. thuringiensis, B. pumilus, B. megaterium, B. cereus, B. circulans, B. coagulans, B. firmus, B. subtilis and B. licheniformis. These predominant species were assessed for some technological properties such as proliferation at different temperatures and pH; substrate utilization preferences including ‘kantong’ formulated media (i.e. 48 h sample, dried pellet and the final product) and inhibitory activity against 12 selected pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. The strains proliferated at different temperatures between 10 °C and 55 °C and pH of 2 to 9. Substrate utilization preferences were Nutrient Agar with 5–9 % Sodium Chloride (NA/NaCl C, and ordinary Nutrient Broth [NB], Nutrient Agar (NA), Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Tryptone Soya Agar (TSA), MacConkey Agar (MCA) and ‘kantong’ formulated media. All strains exhibited inhibitory activity against one or more pathogenic and spoilage organisms. Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, E. faecium and Proteus vulgaris were the most susceptible indicator microorganisms. Many strains qualified as potential candidates for selection and development as starter cultures to be used in the large scale commercial production of ‘kantong’ of consistent and acceptable organoleptic quality.
Characterization and identification of corrosive bacterium isolated from petroleum product transporting pipelines
Authors: Pedramfar Arezoo , Maal Keivan Beheshti , Mirdamadian Sayed Hossein
Published: April 2019

Corrosion is the main feature of the oil pipelines destruction. Biocorrosion has been detected in various industries, especially in the oil industry. The rusted pipes samples were obtained from the Gandomkar petroleum pipeline station, Iran. For screening the corrosion producing bacteria, the samples were cultured in the selective culture medium, manganese agar and Iron oxidizing agar incubated at 30 °C for 18 h. The purified individual colonies were subjected to macroscopic, microscopic and molecular examinations, respectively. The cultivation of corrosion based material on manganese agar isolated cream-coloured colonies, convex with the surrounding smooth. The microscopic examinations showed Gram-negative coccobacilli. Based on macroscopic, microscopic and molecular examinations the bacterial isolate was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains PBM-IAUF-4 with the accession number of KU145280.1 in Gene Bank. The cultivation of corrosion based material on Iron oxidizing agar isolated cream-coloured colonies cream-coloured colonies that had swarming, convex. The results showed Gram-negative bacilli. Based on macroscopic, microscopic and molecular examinations the bacterial isolate was identified as Kluyvera intermedia strains PBM-IAUF-1 with the accession number of KU145277.1 in Gene Bank. This is the first report of isolation and identification of corrosion-producing bacteria from, Gandomkar, Iran. The first isolated bacterium was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The second isolated bacterium was identified Kluyvera intermedia. Both bacteria were isolated for the first time in the world from pipeline corrosion samples. This study confirmed the role of bacteria in the corrosion of oil pipelines.
Investigating the effect of tobramycin dry powder inhaler on the eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Authors: Aljalamdeh Reham , Price Robert , Jones Matthew D , Bolhuis Albert
Published: April 2019

Biofilms are sessile communities of microorganisms embedded within a self-generated extracellular polymeric matrix. Such biofilms are found for instance in adults with cystic fibrosis, with pulmonary infections with the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa being particularly common. This infection in CF patients is commonly managed with antibiotic dry powder inhalers, one of which is the aminoglycoside tobramycin. The activity of tobramycin has been well characterized in vitro, but current models that have been used are not very representative for lung infections, and better models would provide a significant advantage as these could be used, for instance, to improve the formulation of dry powder inhalers. For instance, one question that has not been addressed with current models is whether the size of drug particles emitted from a dry powder inhaler influences the efficacy of the anti-biofilm activity of the antibiotic. In this project, we utilized the Next Generation Impactor (NGI), which is a pharmaceutical instrument used to separate particles into size fractions. We used the NGI to separate tobramycin particles into different sizes and tested the influence of these particles on eradication of P. aeruginosa biofilms, which were grown using as colony biofilms that closely mimics conditions in the lung where biofilms are grown on a substrate-air interface. Preliminary evidence indicated smaller tobramycin particles are better in eradication of P. aeruginosa biofilms as compared to larger particles. Our results may represent a step towards improving the formulation of tobramycin dry powder inhalers to be effective in eradicating P. aeruginosa biofilms.
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) isolated from pigs in China
Authors: Tong Man-Ki , Chun-Jiao Liu Melissa , Ling-Yi Lai Eileen , Chow Kin-Hung , Ho Pak-Leung
Published: April 2019

Background

The increasing prevalence of CPE is a global concern in public health. CPE were found to be present in livestock. Food animals act as a reservoir for NDM-producing bacteria. However, there is limited information about CPE in food animals. Here we screen the carbapenemase-producing bacteria in pig samples.

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in swine from China.

Methods

A total of 138 rectal swabs from pigs imported from China were collected in Hong Kong between June 2017 and Oct 2018. Bacterial identification was conducted by MALDI-TOF for all isolates. Carba-NP test and disc diffusion method were performed to detect carbapenemase and determine the antibiotic susceptibility. Identification of carbapenemase gene and replicon type of plasmid, and further characterization of isolates were performed through PCR and next-generation sequencing respectively.

Results

Twenty-one CPE isolates including Escherichia coli (n=20) and Enterobacter cloacae (n=1) were isolated from 20 pigs, which were resistant to carbapenem (meropenem, ertapenem and imipenem). The prevalence rate of carbapenemase producers was 14 % (20/138). All isolates were positive in carba-NP test and harboured carbapenemase gene bla
NDM. Two-third of IncX3 (14/21) plasmid appeared in bla
NDM-producing isolates. Different resistance patterns were discovered among NDM-carrying isolates, but all of them were susceptible to fosfomycin and azithromycin.

Conclusion

Our data show that the prevalence of carbapenem-resistance Enterobacteriaceae among swine in China during 2017 to 2018 . It is also observed that NDM carbapenemases is still circulating in pigs over times.
Redefining a new genomic blueprint of the human gut microbiota
Authors: Almeida Alexandre , Mitchell Alex , Boland Miguel , Forster Samuel , Gloor Gregory , Tarkowska Aleksandra , Thomson Nicholas , Lawley Trevor , Finn Robert
Published: April 2019

The human gut microbiota composition is linked to both health and disease, but knowledge of individual microbial species is needed to decipher their biological role. Despite extensive culturing and sequencing efforts, the complete bacterial repertoire of the human gut microbiota remains undefined. Here we identify 1952 uncultured candidate bacterial species by reconstructing 92 143 metagenome-assembled genomes from 11 850 human gut microbiomes. These uncultured genomes substantially expand the known species repertoire of the collective human gut microbiota, with a 281 % increase in phylogenetic diversity. Whilst the newly identified species are less prevalent in well-studied populations compared to reference isolate genomes, they improve classification of understudied African and South American samples by over 200 %. These candidate species encode hundreds of novel biosynthetic gene clusters and possess a distinctive functional capacity that might explain their elusive nature. We also highlight newly identified species overrepresented in patients with gastrointestinal diseases, suggesting an underappreciated role in human health and disease. Our work uncovers the uncultured gut bacterial diversity, providing unprecedented resolution for taxonomic and functional characterization of the intestinal microbiota.
Athlete’s foot: associated microbes and risk factors of infection transmission among football players
Authors: Ogba Ofonime , Idoo-Bube Barilee
Published: April 2019

Background

Tinea pedis is one of the most common superficial skin infections and represents a major public health problem globally. It is common among athletes especially soccer players. This cross sectional prospective study was carried out to determine the degree of occurrence of tinea pedis and the associated risk factors among soccer players.

Methods

Eighty subjects with visible lesion of tinea pedis were enrolled for the study after obtaining informed consent and Ethical clearance from the subjects and relevant authorities respectively. A structured questionnaire was administered to the subjects for data on risk factors for infection and demography. The AFSI was used to assess the lesions. Skin scrapings were obtained from lesions for analysis. Samples were subjected to microscopy, culture and physiologic testing.

Results

A total of 52/80 (65.0 %) athlete’s foot infection rate was recorded in the study. Dermatophytes recovery rate was 29/52 (55.8 %) while yeasts and non-dermatophytes moulds’ recovery rate was 23/52 (44.2 %). Subjects with AFSI > 1  had (38.5%) infection rates but there was no significant association between AFSI and athletes’ foot (χ2=5.4; P≥0.05). Fungal and bacterial co-infection rate was 42.5 %. Trichophyton meantagrophyte 8 (15.5 %) was the most common dermatophyte while Aspergillus niger 6 (11.5 %) was the most common non-dermatophyte. The highest risk factor of infection transmission among subjects was the use of public gym 28 (35.0 %).

Conclusion

Dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes were associated with the athlete’s foot. The name tinea pedis should be reconsidered. The use of public sports facility may foster infection transmission.
When the metabolic model says NO: untangling the Gordian knot of TB’s intracellular metabolism
Authors: Basu Piyali , Sandhu Noor , Bhatt Apoorva , Singh Albel , Balhana Ricardo , Gobe Irene , Crowhurst Nicola , Mendum Tom , Gao Liang , Ward Jane , Beale Mike , McFadden Johnjoe , Beste Dany
Published: April 2019

The causative agent of TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is once again the world’s number one infectious killer. M. tuberculosis resides primarily within macrophages and metabolic reprogramming within this intracellular niche is a crucial determinant of virulence. We previously applied the metabolic modelling-based tool 13C-flux spectral analysis (13C-FSA) to show that intracellular M. tuberculosis co-metabolises multiple gluconeogenic and glycolytic carbon substrates by utilizing the reactions of the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-pyruvate-oxaloacetate (OAA) or anaplerotic (ANA) node. However, predicting the metabolic mode of operation required for intracellular survival is chellenging using a metabolic network as the ANA node consists of several apparently functionally redundant bidirectional reactions. Here we use multiple techniques including 13C isotopomer profiling, lipid analysis and fluorescent reporter strains to dissect the role of the ANA node. We show that this node has unexpected roles in the life cycle of M. tuberculosis including lipid biosynthesis, protection from known toxic intracellular carbon sources and redox regulation. Inhibiting enzymes at this node with novel therapeutic compounds restricts the growth of M. tuberculosis and limits the ability of this formidable pathogen to survive within the human host cell identifying the ANA node as a potential druggable pathway for controlling TB.
The chemical ecology of protective microbiomes in plant roots and leafcutter ants
Authors: Worsley Sarah , Hutchings Matt , Murrell Colin
Published: April 2019

Actinobacteria are ubiquitous in soil and well-known for producing antimicrobial compounds. Increasingly, members of this phylum are found to form symbiotic relationships, for example with plants and insects, and are thought to provide protection against host infection. However, it remains poorly understood how Actinobacteria are recruited to microbiomes and whether secondary metabolites are produced in vivo. Acromyrmex echinatior leaf cutter ants transmit Pseudonocardia bacteria between generations and also recruit Streptomyces to their cuticular microbiome. We show that Pseudonocardia species isolated from the ant cuticle inhibit the fungal nest pathogen Escovopsisweberi and dual RNA-sequencing confirmed that Pseudonocardia secondary metabolite gene clusters are expressed in vivo on the ant cuticle. RNA stable isotope probing showed that ants supply cuticular resources to their microbiome which may fuel interference competition and select for antibiotic-producing bacteria. Similar to leaf cutter ants we also show that plant roots recruit growth-promoting and antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria, but appear not to transmit them via their seeds. Root exudates are hypothesized to play a major role in root microbiome recruitment and DNA stable isotope probing coupled with Illumina sequencing showed that these were actively metabolized by many bacterial genera. However, Streptomyces appeared to be outcompeted by more abundant Proteobacteria, despite the fact that isolates could grow on purified exudates in the absence of competition. Streptomyces root exudate preferences are now being evaluated using comparative metabolomics. Defining the factors that influence the competitiveness of protective bacteria when colonizing microbiomes has implications for the development of more consistent biocontrol strategies and prebiotic techniques.
Production of fluorinated fengycins in Bacillus spp.
Authors: Phelan Aoife , Murphy Cormac , Cobb Steven , Gimenez-Ibanez Diana
Published: April 2019

Bacillus spp. produces lipopeptides that are of pharmaceutical and agricultural interest and include iturins, surfactins and fengycins. Their antimicrobial mechanism has been well studied but the role of the lipid chain and its biosynthesis is relatively unknown, especially in fengycin. In this project, we aim to fully understand the mechanisms of fengycin’s antimicrobial activity and generate new fengycins with fluorine in the lipid chain. We have already produced fluorinated lipopeptides via precursor-directed biosynthesis using fluorinated amino acids. The Bacillus genome was sequenced by MicrobesNG and a total of 34 gene clusters were identified, of which 19 were fully characterised using anti SMASH. Genes within the fengycin cluster were cleaved during the sequencing process and iturin biosynthetic genes were also present. Four fatty acyl-CoA ligases within the genome were identified using Artemis in an aim to heterologously express them, and carry out activity assays with fluorinated lipid tails. Lipopeptide production was optimised by altering culture conditions (pH, aeration and temperature) and it was found that 37 °C is the optimum temperature for biosynthesis.
Construction and test of an efficient biophotonic imaging (BPI) reporter system to study pneumococcal biology in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Alkhorayef Nada
Published: April 2019

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common nasopharyngeal resident in healthy persons, but remains a major cause of pneumonia, bacteremia and otitis media despite vaccines and effective antibiotics. There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches, but such advances require a detailed knowledge of S. pneumoniae biology and its shift from commensal to pathogen. To better understand pneumococcal biology and infections, we need sensitive in vivo imaging technologies. To this end, bioluminescence imaging can be used, for example, to evaluate anti-infectives, intraspecies interaction and pneumococcal virulence non-invasively. A click beetle luciferase (CBR-luc) containing vector pPP3 under the control of putative highly expressed pneumococcal promoters was constructed. The CBRluc providing red-shifted light production was integrated into known sites in the S. pneumoniae genome. The constructs were compared to a lux-based exist system expressing bacterial luciferase using in vitro growth experiments. The results revealed that CBRluc tagged bacteria, PphrA::luc-wt, showed robust activity of bioluminescence in exponential phase that is maintained during stationary phase, whereas, lux-expressing pneumococci emitted a light signal with high background that peaked during exponential phase and was significantly reduced in intensity during stationary phase. Initial findings demonstrate that the CBRluc reporter system is more efficient than lux, providing a potential platform for utilization in understanding of the mechanisms of pneumococcal pathogenesis in vivo system.