Hasil untuk "Microbiology"

D. Andersson, D. Hughes

Lilliana Radoshevich, P. Cossart

P. Hotez, S. Brooker, J. Bethony et al.

Me Aulton, K. Taylor

R., Boom, '. M. M. S. C. J. A. SOL et al.

C. Nautiyal

M. Strous, J. Heijnen, J. Kuenen et al.

L. Romani

Samantha N. Atkinson, Caron Dean, Victoria L. Woyach et al.

Childhood and adolescent obesity and its associated morbidities are increasing in part due to the ingestion of diets high in fat (HFD). Changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome have been associated with these morbidities, including insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory states. The use of dietary probiotics may mitigate these microbiome-associated morbidities and improve health during maturation. Using our established model of obesity in rats consuming an HFD from weaning, we examined the gut microbiome with a single-strain probiotic in the drinking water [<i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> 299v (Lp299v, LP299V^®)] of adolescent and adult rats. Our main finding was a differential effect of HFD and probiotic on the gut microbiome that was associated with maturation (adolescence vs. adulthood). Specifically, probiotic treatment of adolescent rats on an HFD led to alterations in the enrichment of the gut microbiome, which were associated with the morbidities of obesity, while adult rats under the same conditions exhibited minimal changes, demonstrating differences in plasticity associated with maturation. Of particular relevance in this regard is the fact that <i>Oscillospiraceae</i> and <i>Lachnospiraceae,</i> associated with beneficial short-chain fatty acid production, were enriched in adolescent rats on an HFD and treated with Lp299v. Our data suggest that the use of probiotics in childhood and adolescence may improve health in adulthood by potentially affecting the developing gastrointestinal microbiome.

I. Seguro, K. Vikström, K. Vikström et al.

<p>The balance between the uptake of CO<span class="inline-formula">₂</span> by phytoplankton photosynthesis and the production of CO<span class="inline-formula">₂</span> from prokaryoplankton, zooplankton and phytoplankton respiration controls how much carbon can be stored in the ocean and hence how much remains in the atmosphere to affect climate. Yet, despite its crucial role, knowledge on the respiration of plankton groups is severely limited because traditional methods cannot differentiate the respiration of constituent groups within the plankton community. The reduction of the iodonitrotetrazolium salt (INT) to formazan, which when converted to oxygen consumption (O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C) using an appropriate conversion equation, provides a proxy for both total and size fractionated plankton respiration. However, the method has not been thoroughly tested with prokaryoplankton. Here we present respiration rates, as O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C and formazan formation (INT<span class="inline-formula">_R</span>), for a wide range of relevant marine prokaryoplankton including the gammaproteobacteria <i>Halomonas venusta</i>, the alphaproteobacteria <i>Ruegeria pomeroyi</i> and <i>Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique</i> (SAR11), the actinobacteria <i>Agrococcus lahaulensis</i>, and the cyanobacteria <i>Synechococcus marinus</i> and <i>Prochlorococcus marinus</i>. All species imported and reduced INT, but the relationship between the rate of O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C and INT<span class="inline-formula">_R</span> was not constant between oligotrophs and copiotrophs. The range of measured O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M9" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mo>/</mo></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="880d1b22cfae9b4167ff115d05c6894c"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="bg-22-6225-2025-ie00001.svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" src="bg-22-6225-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> INT<span class="inline-formula">_R</span> conversion equations equates to an up to 40-fold difference in derived O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C. These results suggest that when using the INT method in natural waters, a constant O<span class="inline-formula">₂</span>C <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M13" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mo>/</mo></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="8550e2e9970f84100ffbfa4da4f4f543"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="bg-22-6225-2025-ie00002.svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" src="bg-22-6225-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> INT<span class="inline-formula">_R</span> relationship cannot be assumed, but must be determined for each plankton community studied.</p>

Manuel Fuertes-Recuero, José L. López-Hernández, Alejandra Ramírez-Lago et al.

Chimpanzees (<i>Pan troglodytes</i>) rescued from the illegal wildlife trade often suffer from chronic, traumatic injuries that require specialized and prolonged medical treatment in wildlife rehabilitation centers. We present the case report of a two-year-old male chimpanzee admitted at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo with a chronic periorbital abscess, likely caused by a machete wound sustained during the poaching of his mother. Despite receiving extended antimicrobial therapy, his condition was never fully controlled and progressed to a chronic orbital infection, causing him discomfort and producing chronic purulent discharge. Enucleation was performed under general anesthesia using ketamine and medetomidine, with surgical approach adapted to the distinctive orbital anatomy of chimpanzees. During the procedure, ligation of the optic nerve and ophthalmic vessels was required due to the confined orbital apex and extensive vascularization, ensuring adequate haemostasias and procedural safety. The chimpanzee made an uneventful postoperative recovery, resuming normal feeding and social behavior within 48 h, with complete wound healing occurring within two weeks. This case report highlights the importance of prompt surgical intervention when conservative medical management fails to resolve refractory ocular infections in chimpanzees. It also emphasizes the importance of specific anesthetic protocols, refined surgical techniques and tailored postoperative care in wildlife rehabilitation centers. Documenting and sharing detailed case reports such as this contributes to the limited veterinary literature on great ape surgery and supports evidence-based clinical decision-making to improve the welfare and treatment outcomes of rescued chimpanzees.

Sibel KIZIL, Fatma Esin AYDIN, Aziz Utku ÖNEL et al.

In the study, rectal swabs taken from 300 ruminant animals including cattle (100), sheep (100), and goats (100) were inoculated into Mac Conkey Agar and incubated for 18 h at 37°C. Escherichia coli isolates were confirmed by biochemical tests and the BBL Crystal rapid diagnosis system. O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157 serotypes by PCR test following DNA isolation; ETEC (elt, Stla); EPEC (eaeA,bfpA); STEC (stx1, stx2, eaeA); EHEC (EhlyA); EAEC (CVD432) tested for virulence and/or toxigenic genes. As a result of the isolation studies, 50 E. coli from cattle feces, 92 from sheep feces, and 80 from goat feces were isolated and identified. Apart from the first 5 serotypes frequently seen in studies (O157, O26, O103, O111, and O145), higher rates were found in serogroups such as O45 and O121, and subtypes such as STECs (stx1 and stx2), EPEC (eaeA and bfpA) and EAEC (CVD432) types compared to other studies. The EAEC (CVD432) subtype was found to be very high in this study. It has been determined that serotypes and subtypes detected at high rates in cattle, sheep, and goat feces in our region may cause an increase in the incidence of some critical food-borne infections in humans. Within the framework of the concept of one health, taking the necessary precautions is important for public health.

Konstantinova Snezhinka, Konarev Asen

The world economy has met the challenges of two crises in the current century: the 2007-2008 financial crisis and the 2020-2021 COVID-19 crisis. Crises inflict enormous damage on markets, destroy supply chains, change business activity, cause collapse in important consumer categories, etc. But crises are an accelerator of processes and create many opportunities: new markets and chains of added value, new options for growth, business restructuring, changing the business model, optimizing cash flows, etc. This report presents the results of an empirical study on the impact of the COVID crisis on the economy of public industrial companies. Four quantitative and qualitative economic indicators are used. The performance of different groups of companies during the crisis is compared. Trends have been revealed, conclusions have been drawn and recommendations for using the opportunities have been formed.

Cecilia Benazzato, Fernando Lojudice, Felizia Pöehlchen et al.

Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV) infection was first reported in 2015 in Brazil as causing microcephaly and other developmental abnormalities in newborns, leading to the identification of Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). Viral infections have been considered an environmental risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders outcome, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, not only the infection per se, but maternal immune system activation during pregnancy, has been linked to fetal neurodevelopmental disorders. To understand the impact of ZIKV vertical infection on brain development, we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from Brazilian children born with CZS, some of the patients also being diagnosed with ASD. Comparing iPSC-derived neurons from CZS with a control group, we found lower levels of pre- and postsynaptic proteins and reduced functional synapses by puncta co-localization. Furthermore, neurons and astrocytes derived from the CZS group showed decreased glutamate levels. Additionally, the CZS group exhibited elevated levels of cytokine production, one of which being IL-6, already associated with the ASD phenotype. These preliminary findings suggest that ZIKV vertical infection may cause long-lasting disruptions in brain development during fetal stages, even in the absence of the virus after birth. These disruptions could contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders manifestations such as ASD. Our study contributes with novel knowledge of the CZS outcomes and paves the way for clinical validation and the development of potential interventions to mitigate the impact of ZIKV vertical infection on neurodevelopment.

Diletta Mazzantini, Mariacristina Massimino, Marco Calvigioni et al.

IntroductionAntibiotic resistance represents one of the most significant threats to public health in the 21st century. Polyphenols, natural molecules with antibacterial activity produced by plants, are being considered as alternative antimicrobial strategies to manage infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of a polyphenol mixture extracted from citrus fruits, against both antibiotic-susceptible and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.MethodsBroth microdilution and time-kill curve experiments were used to test the extract anti-staphylococcal activity. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the hemolysis assay. The interaction between the mixture and antibiotics was investigated by the checkerboard assay. The effect of B alone and in combination with oxacillin on the membrane potential was investigated by the 3,3′-dipropylthiadicarbocyanine iodide assay. The ability of the extract to induce the development of resistance was verified by propagating S. aureus for 10 transfers in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations.ResultsThe citrus extract was found to be active against all Staphylococcus strains at remarkably low concentrations (0.0031 and 0.0063%), displaying rapid bactericidal effects without being toxic on erythrocytes. In particular, B was found to rapidly cause membrane depolarization. When combined with methicillin, meropenem, and oxacillin, the mixture displayed synergistic activity exclusively against methicillin-resistant strains. We additionally show that the sequential exposure of S. aureus to sub-inhibitory concentrations did not induce the development of resistance against the extract.DiscussionOverall, these findings support the potential use of the citrus extract as promising option to manage staphylococcal infections and suggest that it may counteract the mechanism behind methicillin-resistance.

Ana Torres, Lorena Bernardo, Carmen Sánchez et al.

Abstract Background The lack of standardized protocols for isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially from biobank-stored blood plasma, translates to limitations for the study of new biomarkers. This study examines whether a combination of current isolation methods could enhance the specificity and purity of isolated EVs for diagnosis and personalized medicine purposes. Results EVs were isolated from healthy human plasma stored for one year by ultracentrifugation (UC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), or SEC and UC combined (SEC + UC). The EV isolates were then characterized by transmission electron microscopy imaging, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and western blotting. Proteomic procedures were used to analyze protein contents. The presence of EV markers in all isolates was confirmed by western blotting yet this analysis revealed higher albumin expression in EVs-UC, suggesting plasma protein contamination. Proteomic analysis identified 542 proteins, SEC + UC yielding the most complex proteome at 364 proteins. Through gene ontology enrichment, we observed differences in the cellular components of EVs and plasma in that SEC + UC isolates featured higher proportions of EV proteins than those derived from the other two methods. Analysis of proteins unique to each isolation method served to identify 181 unique proteins for the combined approach, including those normally appearing in low concentrations in plasma. This indicates that with this combined method, it is possible to detect less abundant plasma proteins by proteomics in the resultant isolates. Conclusions Our findings reveal that the SEC + UC approach yields highly pure and diverse EVs suitable for comprehensive proteomic analysis with applications for the detection of new biomarkers in biobank-stored plasma samples.

Mirza Abrar, Tanveer Ahmad, Shahid Iqbal et al.

Abstract The genus amaranth is comprised of 60–70 species. This climate hardy plant is grown as a vegetable as well as cereal crop in many areas of the world. Current study multivariate analysis was used to characterize the exotic vegetable amaranth genotypes. The experiment was conducted in the research area of Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan under RCBD design with three replications of 50 exotic amaranth genotype. 22 different variables were investigated for the principal component and cluster analysis using different software packages in R studio. According to the results of principal component analysis the first five PCs had eigenvalues greater than one and they explained the 84.59% diversity in exotic vegetable amaranth accessions. First two principal components explained 57.31% of variation. Traits that loaded highly for first PC include moisture (-0.892), carbohydrates (0.938), energy (0.920), stomatal conductance (0.803), net photosynthesis (0.795) and dry weight (0.770). The traits which impacted the second PC highly include protein (0.692), fat (-0.571), nitrogen (0.692), calcium (0.545), phosphorus (0.908), zinc (0.960), iron (0.826) and potassium (0.872). For future breeding program the selection based on these results will be effective for crop enhancement drive in exotic vegetable amaranth genotypes. Hierarchical clustering was done and dendrogram split the 50 genotypes into 5 groups using silhouette method. The pairwise clustering revealed that intra cluster distance is smaller than inter cluster distance. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster I and II (9.88); between cluster I and III (9.47); between cluster II and IV (9.27). Clinical trial number Clinical trial number not applicable.

Shana Yi, David Truong, Brian Conway

Background: To eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) infection as a public health concern by 2030, there is a need to develop comprehensive programs among key populations such as people who use drugs (PWUD). Two highly effective regimens are available for initial therapy: glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) given as 3 tablets/day for 8 weeks and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (S/V) given as 1 tablet/day for 12 weeks. Data evaluating the safety and efficacy comparing one regimen over another in a population of PWUD is limited. Methods: Patients were identified through outreach events. Viremic patients were offered HCV treatment within a multidisciplinary program. This retrospective comparison analysis focuses on the first 120 sequential individuals who chose either treatment and in whom a definitive outcome of treatment was available between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2024. The primary outcomes of the analysis were cure of HCV infection and its corelates, as well as safety of the individual regimens. Results: We successfully identified 120 within each of the G/P and S/V treatment groups. Of those on G/P, we note 28.3 % female, 20.9 % Indigenous, 70.8 % using fentanyl, and 51.3 % with unstable housing. Of those on S/V, we note 25.8 % female, 20.8 % Indigenous, and 75 % using fentanyl and 56.7 % with unstable housing. Overall, 118 and 115 patients completed therapy on G/P and S/V, respectively. A total of 118 and 115 completed therapy on G/P and S/V, with virologic relapse documented in 3 and 2 participants on G/P and S/V, respectively. The ITT/mITT cure rates for G/P and S/V were 95.0 %/97.4 % and 94.2 %/98.3 %, respectively. There were 5 drug overdose deaths among those who initiated treatment, one on G/P and 4 on S/V. Conclusion: We have evaluated two highly effective regimens in a group of inner-city PWUD, with comparable success rates well in excess of 90 %. Our data supports the offer of both options for the treatment of PWUD with HCV infection.

Hayet Elkolli, Meriem Elkolli, Farid S. Ataya et al.

<i>Eucalyptus</i>, a therapeutic plant mentioned in the ancient Algerian pharmacopeia, specifically two species belonging to the <i>Myrtaceae</i> family, <i>E</i>. <i>radiata</i> and <i>E</i>. <i>cinerea</i>, were investigated in this study for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The study used aqueous extracts (AE) obtained from these plants, and the extraction yields were found to be different. The in vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated using a disc diffusion assay against three typical bacterial strains. The results showed that the two extracts were effective against all three strains. Both extracts displayed significant antioxidant activity compared to BHT. The anti-inflammatory impact was evaluated using a protein (BSA) inhibition denaturation test. The <i>E</i>. <i>radiata</i> extract was found to inhibit inflammation by 85% at a concentration of 250 µg/mL, significantly higher than the Aspirin. All phytoconstituents present good pharmacokinetic characteristics without toxicity except very slight toxicity of terpineol and cineol and a maximum binding energy of −7.53 kcal/mol for its anti-TyrRS activity in silico. The study suggests that the extracts and their primary phytochemicals could enhance the efficacy of antibiotics, antioxidants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As pharmaceutical engineering experts, we believe this research contributes to developing natural-based drugs with potential therapeutic benefits.

Jane K.J. Lee, Yun-Tao Liu, Jason J. Hu et al.

Propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) is a multienzyme complex consisting of up to six α-subunits and six β-subunits. Belonging to a metabolic pathway converging on the citric acid cycle, it is present in most forms of life and irregularities in its assembly lead to serious illness in humans, known as propionic acidemia. Here, we report the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) structures and assembly of different oligomeric isomers of endogenous PCC from the parasitic protozoan Leishmania tarentolae (LtPCC). These structures and their statistical distribution reveal the mechanics of PCC assembly and disassembly at equilibrium. We show that, in solution, endogenous LtPCC β-subunits form stable homohexamers, to which different numbers of α-subunits attach. Sorting LtPCC particles into seven classes (i.e., oligomeric formulae α0β6, α1β6, α2β6, α3β6, α4β6, α5β6, α6β6) enables formulation of a model for PCC assembly. Our results suggest how multimerization regulates PCC enzymatic activity and showcase the utility of cryoEM in revealing the statistical mechanics of reaction pathways.