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Identifying farming practices that decrease susceptibility to infectious diseases and optimise food conversion efficiency is valuable for chicken welfare and productivity, the environment, and public health. Enterotypes can be used to define microbial community phenotypes that have differential, potentially significant impacts on gut health. In this study, we delineated enterotypes by analysing the microbiomes of 300 indigenous Kadaknath and 300 commercial Cobb400 broiler chickens raised across 60 farms in western India. Using a compositional data approach, we identified three distinct enterotypes: PA1 (n=290), PA2 (n=142) and PA3 (n=67). PA1 and PA2 clustered more closely with each other than with PA3, however, PA2 had significantly lower alpha diversity than PA1. PA1 had a high Firmicutes: Bacteroides ratio, was dominated by Faecalibacterium and had a higher abundance of Prevotellamassilia than other enterotypes. PA2 was characterised by its low alpha diversity, a high abundance of the common taxa Phascolarctobacterium A and Phocaeicola dorei and a significantly higher Campylobacter abundance than PA1. PA3 had the highest Bacteroidota abundance of the three enterotypes and was defined by high prevalence of lower abundance taxa such as CAG-831 and Mucispirillum schaedleri. Network analysis showed that all enterotypes have different proportions of competing Firmicutes-dominant and Bacteroidota-dominant guilds. Random Forest Modelling using defined farm characteristics was predictive for enterotype. Factors affecting enterotype include whether farms were open, enclosed or caged, the location of farms, whether visitors were allowed inside, the number of people in contact with the chickens, chicken line, the presence of dogs and whether flock thinning took place. This study suggests that enterotypes are influenced by farming practices, hence modification of practices could potentially be used to reduce the burden of zoonotic pathogens such as Campylobacter.

Abstract The rhizosphere, a narrow zone of soil near plant roots, is a hot spot for microbial activity. Rhizosphere microbiota directly or indirectly benefit plants by supplementing nutrients, producing beneficial chemicals, or suppressing pathogens. Plants attract and modulate bacteria within the rhizosphere by releasing exudates. Plants also tend to select the rhizosphere microbiota based on their needs; a phenomenon termed as “rhizosphere effect”. In this study, we characterized the rhizosphere microbiota of peanut plants across the crop development cycle from pre-sowing of seeds to post-harvest of crop under field conditions. The rhizosphere and bulk soil samples from different crop developmental stages were also compared. The composition of bulk soil microbiota resembled microbiota of pre-sowing and post-harvest soil and was markedly different from rhizosphere soil samples. Rhizosphere samples were enriched with multiple organisms mostly from the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidota phyla. Differences in diversity were observed among the rhizosphere samples but not in bulk soil across different crop development stages. Pseudomonas_M indica was highly enriched during the germination of seeds. Furthermore, Plant Growth Promoting (PGP) bacteria like Bacillus were enriched during the middle stages of crop development but there was a decline in PGP organisms in the matured crop stage. We also observed a significant association of pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) with the profiles of microbial community. Overall, this study portrayed the changes in rhizosphere microbiota of peanut during different developmental stages of crop and may help to design stage specific bio-strategies such as bio-fertilizer to improve crop yield.

Background The incidence of hyponatremia is high in supratentorial tumors. However, most studies of supratentorial tumors have included patients with sellar/suprasellar tumors. It is common knowledge that sellar tumors have higher incidence and severity of hyponatremia. Incidence of hyponatremia is not known if we exclude sellar/suprasellar tumors. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the incidence of hyponatremia in supratentorial tumors after excluding sellar/suprasellar tumors. Methods After institutional ethics committee approval and written informed consent, adult patients with supratentorial tumors (nonsellar/suprasellar) were recruited, and data were collected prospectively. In all patients, serum electrolytes were measured every 2 to 3 days. Hyponatremia was defined as serum sodium of

Abstract In dromedary camels, which are pseudo-ruminants, rumen or C1 section of stomach is the main compartment involved in fiber degradation, as in true ruminants. However, as camels are adapted to the harsh and scarce grazing conditions of desert, their ruminal microbiota makes an interesting target of study. The present study was undertaken to generate the rumen microbial profile of Indian camel using 16S rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenomics. The camels were fed three diets differing in the source of roughage. The comparative metagenomic analysis revealed greater proportions of significant differences between two fractions of rumen content followed by diet associated differences. Significant differences were also observed in the rumen microbiota collected at different time-points of the feeding trial. However, fraction related differences were more highlighted as compared to diet dependent changes in microbial profile from shotgun metagenomics data. Further, 16 genera were identified as part of the core rumen microbiome of Indian camels. Moreover, glycoside hydrolases were observed to be the most abundant among all Carbohydrate-Active enzymes and were dominated by GH2, GH3, GH13 and GH43. In all, this study describes the camel rumen microbiota under different dietary conditions with focus on taxonomic, functional, and Carbohydrate-Active enzymes profiles.

Background Cranial surgery is associated with multiple postoperative complications varying from simple nausea and vomiting to devastating complications such as stroke and death. This multicentre collaborative effort was envisioned to collect observational data regarding postoperative complications in cranial surgeries among the Indian population. The aim of this study was to describe the postoperative neurological complications occurring within the first 24 hours after surgery and to identify the predictive factors. Methods Data was collected from three participating tertiary care academic institutions. The study was prospective, observational, multicentre design with data collected over a period of two months or 100 cases, whichever is earlier, from each participating institute. A predesigned Microsoft excel sheet was distributed among all three centers to maintain uniformity. All patients aged 18 years and above of both sexes undergoing elective or emergency craniotomies were included in the study. The postoperative neurological complications (within 24 hours) assessed were: (1) Neurological deficit (ND) defined as new focal neurological motor deficit relative to preoperative status. (2) Sensorium deterioration (SD) defined as reduction in Glasgow coma score (GCS) by 2 or more points compared with preoperative GCS. (4) Postoperative seizures (SZs) defined as any seizure activity. All possible variables associated with the above neurological complications were tested using Chi-square/Fisher exact test or Mann–Whitney U test. The predictors, which were statistically significant at p < 0.2, were entered into a multiple logistic regression model. Alpha error of 5% was taken as significant. Results Data from three institutions was collected with a total of 279 cases. In total, there were 53 (19%) neurological complications. There were 28 patients with new postoperative NDs (10.04%), 24 patients had SD (8.6%), and 17 patients had seizures (6.1%). Neurological deficits were significantly less in institution 2. Diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) was associated with very low risk of ND, and vascular pathology was associated with higher chance of a ND. The duration of anesthesia was found to be significantly predictive of SD (OR/CI = 1.01 / 1–1.02). None of the factors were predictive of PS. Conclusion The incidences of postoperative ND, SD and postoperative seizures were 10%, 8.6%, and 6.1%, respectively. Studies with a much larger sample size are required for a better and detailed analysis of these complications.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral vasospasm can complicate aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), contributing to cerebral ischemia. We explored the role of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) in reducing cerebral vasospasm and ischemia and improving outcomes after aSAH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysm undergoing surgical clipping and meeting the trial criteria were randomized to true RIPC (n = 13) (inflating upper extremity blood pressure cuff thrice to 30 mmHg above systolic pressure for 5 min) or sham RIPC (n = 12) (inflating blood pressure cuff thrice to 30 mmHg for 5 min) after ethical approval. A blinded observer assessed outcome measures-cerebral vasospasm and biomarkers of cerebral ischemia. We also evaluated the feasibility and safety of RIPC in aSAH and Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE). RESULTS: Angiographic vasospasm was seen in 9/13 (69%) patients; 1/4 patients (25%) in true RIPC group, and 8/9 patients (89%) in sham RIPC group (P = 0.05). Vasospasm on transcranial Doppler study was diagnosed in 5/25 (20%) patients and 1/13 patients (7.7%) in true RIPC and 4/12 patients (33.3%) in sham RIPC group, (P = 0.16). There was no difference in S100B and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels over various time-points within groups (P = 0.32 and 0.49 for S100B, P = 0.66 and 0.17 for NSE in true and sham groups, respectively) and between groups (P = 0.56 for S100B and P = 0.31 for NSE). Higher GOSE scores were observed with true RIPC (P = 0.009) unlike sham RIPC (P = 0.847) over 6-month follow-up with significant between group difference (P = 0.003). No side effects were seen with RIPC. CONCLUSIONS: RIPC is feasible and safe in patients with aSAH and results in a lower incidence of vasospasm and better functional outcome.

Abstract Background Exercise is recommended in guidelines for asthma management and has beneficial effects on symptom control, inflammation and lung function in patients with sub-optimally controlled asthma. Despite this, physical activity levels in patients with difficult asthma are often impaired. Understanding the barriers to exercise in people with difficult asthma is crucial for increasing their activity, and in implementing successful, disease modifying, and holistic approaches to improve their health. Methods 62 Patients within the WATCH Difficult Asthma Cohort (Southampton, UK) completed an Exercise Therapy Burden Questionnaire (ETBQ). The results were analyzed with contemporaneous asthma-related data to determine relationships between perceived exercise barriers and asthma and comorbidity characteristics Results Patients were reflective of a difficult asthma cohort, 66% were female, and 63% were atopic. They had a high BMI (median [inter-quartile range]) of 29.3 [25.5–36.2], age of 53.5 [38.75, 65.25], impaired spirometry with FEV1 73% predicted [59.5, 86.6%] and FEV/FVC ratio of 72 [56.5, 78.0] and poor symptom control, as defined by an Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ6) result of 2.4 [1.28, 3.2]. A high perceived barriers to exercise score was significantly correlated with increased asthma symptoms (r = 0.452, p

Muscular Dystrophies (MDs) are a group of inherited diseases and heterogeneous in nature. To date, 40 different genes have been reported for the occurrence and/or progression of MDs. This study was conducted to demonstrate the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in developing a time-saving and cost-effective diagnostic method to detect single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in a single test. A total of 123 cases clinically suspected of MD were enrolled in this study. Amplicon panel-based diagnosis was carried out for 102 (DMD/BMD) cases and the results were further screened using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Whilst in the case of LGMD (N = 19) and UMD (N = 2), only NGS panel-based analysis was carried out. We identified the large deletions in 74.50% (76/102) of the cases screened with query DMD or BMD. Further, the large deletion in CAPN3 gene (N = 3) and known SNV mutations (N = 4) were identified in LGMD patients. Together, the total diagnosis rate for this amplicon panel was 70.73% (87/123) which demonstrated the utility of panel-based diagnosis for high throughput, affordable, and time-saving diagnostic strategy. Collectively, present study demonstrates that the panel based NGS sequencing could be superior over to MLPA.

Abstract Background Asthma is now widely recognised to be a heterogeneous disease. The last two decades have seen the identification of a number of biological targets and development of various novel therapies. Despite this, asthma still represents a significant health and economic burden worldwide. Why some individuals should continue to suffer remains unclear. Methods The Wessex Asthma Cohort of Difficult Asthma (WATCH) is an ongoing ‘real-life’, prospective study of patients in the University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust (UHSFT) Difficult Asthma service. Research data capture is aligned with the extensive clinical characterisation required of a commissioned National Health Service (NHS) Specialist Centre for Severe Asthma. Data acquisition includes detailed clinical, health and disease-related questionnaires, anthropometry, allergy and lung function testing, radiological imaging (in a small subset) and collection of biological samples (blood, urine and sputum). Prospective data are captured in parallel to clinical follow up appointments, with data entered into a bespoke database. Discussion The pragmatic ongoing nature of the WATCH study allows comprehensive assessment of the real world clinical spectrum seen in a Specialist Asthma Centre and allows a longitudinal perspective of deeply phenotyped patients. It is anticipated that the WATCH cohort would act as a vehicle for potential collaborative asthma studies and will build upon our understanding of mechanisms underlying difficult asthma.

Abstract Pre-bronchodilator lung function including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow in 1 second (FEV1), their ratio (FEV1/FVC), and forced expiratory flow 25–75% (FEF25–75) measured at age 10, 18, and 26 years in the Isle of Wight birth cohort was analyzed for developmental patterns (trajectories). Early life risk factors before the age of 10 years were assessed for the trajectories. Method Members of the birth cohort (1989/90) were followed at age 1, 2, 4, 10, 18, and 26 years. Allergic sensitization and questionnaire data were collected. Spirometry tests were performed and evaluated according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria at 10, 18, and 26 years. To identify developmental trajectories for FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25–75 from 10 to 26 years, a finite mixture model was applied to the longitudinal lung function data, separately for males and females. Associations of early life factors with the respective lung function trajectories were assessed using log-linear and logistic regression analyses. Results Both high and low lung function trajectories were observed in men and women. FVC continued to grow beyond 18 years in men and women, whereas FEV1 peaked at age 18 years in female trajectories and in one male trajectory. For the FEV1/FVC ratios and FEF25–75 most trajectories appeared highest at age 18 and declined thereafter. However, the low FEV1/FVC trajectory in both sexes showed an early decline at 10 years. Lower birth weight was linked with lower lung function trajectories in males and females. Eczema in the first year of life was a risk factor for later lung function deficits in females, whereas the occurrence of asthma at 4 years of age was a risk factor for later lung function deficits in males. A positive skin prick test at age four was a risk for the low FEV1 trajectory in females and for the low FEV1/FVC trajectory in males. Conclusion Men and women showed distinctive lung function trajectories and associated risk factors. Lower lung function trajectories can be explained by not achieving maximally attainable function at age 18 years and by a function decline from 18 to 26 years.

Background Hypernatremia is known to have high mortality and morbidity in patients with neurological disorders. However, in most studies, it is not clear whether hypernatremia associated with brain death has been excluded. Including brain-dead patients will spuriously give a very high mortality rate. Therefore, in this study, we have evaluated the mortality of hypernatremic patients after excluding the brain-dead patients on the first day of hypernatremia. Methods All neurological patients admitted to the hospital who developed hypernatremia (serum Na > 150 mEq/L) were included in the study. Brain-dead patients and patients with Glasgow coma score (GCS) 3 on the first day of detection of hypernatremia were excluded. Demographic variables, clinical variables, and outcome variables were collected from the case files retrospectively. Results In total, 100 patients developed hypernatremia during the study period. Among them, 14 patients were excluded because of GCS 3 or unavailability of GCS data on the day of detection of hypernatremia. There were 37 mild, 28 moderate, and 21 severe hypernatremic patients. The mortality was 32%, 39%, and 52% in the mild, moderate, and severe hypernatremic patients, respectively. Patients with traumatic brain injury had higher mortality in comparison to all other disease conditions (56% vs. 29.6%, p < 0.02). Conclusion The mortality is high even in mild cases of hypernatremia. Very high mortality (52%) is seen in severe hypernatremic patients. Therefore, it is important to monitor, identify, and treat these patients aggressively.

Abstract Background Identifying patients at risk of severe asthma is vitally important given the disproportionate burden of disease imposed by that state. However, biomarkers to support such needs remain elusive. Methods In this letter, we assessed whether specific panels of circulating miRNAs (microRNAs) can differentiate between mild and severe asthma patients as well as between healthy subjects and severe asthma patients. Results To our knowledge, the miRNAs identified in our work such as miR‐28‐3p, miR‐16‐2‐3p, and miR‐210‐3p have not been previously reported as differentially expressed in the serum of severe asthma patients. Conclusion Our findings suggest that miRNA expression profiles may have the capability as potential biomarkers that signal the risk of having severe asthma. As such, these findings have significant novelty and merit wider dissemination to facilitate further work in this field.

Abstract Background Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated associations between acetaminophen use and asthma. This investigation sought to determine whether sex modifies the acetaminophen-asthma association and whether leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) gene polymorphisms modulate the sex-specific associations. Methods Data from the Isle of Wight birth cohort (IOW; n = 1456, aged 18 years) and Kuwait University Allergy (KUA; n = 1154, aged 18–26 years) studies were analyzed. Acetaminophen use and current asthma were self-reported. Genotype information for eighteen polymorphisms in LEP and LEPR genes were available in the IOW study. Associations between acetaminophen use and asthma were stratified by sex and genotype. Poisson regression models with robust variance estimation were evaluated to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Acetaminophen use was dose-dependently associated with an increased prevalence of current asthma in the IOW and KUA studies. In both studies, sex-stratified analysis showed that acetaminophen use was associated with asthma among males, but not in females (P interaction

Abstract Background The caecal microbiota plays a key role in chicken health and performance, influencing digestion and absorption of nutrients, and contributing to defence against colonisation by invading pathogens. Measures of productivity and resistance to pathogen colonisation are directly influenced by chicken genotype, but host driven variation in microbiome structure is also likely to exert a considerable indirect influence. Methods Here, we define the caecal microbiome of indigenous Indian Aseel and Kadaknath chicken breeds and compare them with the global commercial broiler Cobb400 and Ross 308 lines using 16S rDNA V3-V4 hypervariable amplicon sequencing. Results Each caecal microbiome was dominated by the genera Bacteroides, unclassified bacteria, unclassified Clostridiales, Clostridium, Alistipes, Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium and Blautia. Geographic location (a measure recognised to include variation in environmental and climatic factors, but also likely to feature varied management practices) and chicken line/breed were both found to exert significant impacts (p

The incidence and severity of respiratory diseases in commercial broiler chicken flocks have increased recently in India because of intensification of the broiler industry. Viral population are predominant in respiratory tract infections and they pose continuous economic burden to poultry industry by causing severe economic losses through decreased productivity [1, 2]. To understand viral metagenome of poultry associated with respiratory infections, we performed DNA virome sequencing and data analysis of broilers from 8 districts of Gujarat State in India. We report high quality sequencing reads and highly abundant DNA viral population present in the infected broiler birds. The raw sequencing data used to perform metagenomic analysis is available in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under the BioProject No. PRJNA322592 and Accession No. MAUZ00000000, MAVA00000000, MAVB00000000, MAVC00000000, MAVD00000000, MAVE00000000, MAVF00000000, MAVG00000000 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA322592). Keywords: DNA Virome, Metagenomics, Next generation sequencing

Abstract Breastfeeding undoubtedly provides important benefits to the mother-infant dyad and should be encouraged. Mastitis, one of the common but major cause of premature weaning among lactating women, is an inflammation of connective tissue within the mammary gland. This study reports the influence of mastitis on human milk microbiota by utilizing 16 S rRNA gene sequencing approach. We sampled and sequenced microbiome from 50 human milk samples, including 16 subacute mastitis (SAM), 16 acute mastitis (AM) and 18 healthy-controls. Compared to controls, SAM and AM microbiota were quite distinct and drastically reduced. Genera including, Aeromonas, Staphylococcus, Ralstonia, Klebsiella, Serratia, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas were significantly enriched in SAM and AM samples, while Acinetobacter, Ruminococcus, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium were consistently depleted. Further analysis of our samples revealed positive aerotolerant odds ratio, indicating dramatic depletion of obligate anaerobes and enrichment of aerotolerant bacteria during the course of mastitis. In addition, predicted functional metagenomics identified several gene pathways related to bacterial proliferation and colonization (e.g. two-component system, bacterial secretion system and motility proteins) in SAM and AM samples. In conclusion, our study confirmed previous hypothesis that mastitis women have lower microbial diversity, increased abundance of opportunistic pathogens and depletion of commensal obligate anaerobes.

Up to 10% of asthmatics have “difficult asthma”; however, they account for 80% of asthma-related expenditure and run the highest risk of acute severe exacerbations. An estimated 75% of admissions for asthma are avoidable. Guidelines advise that these patients be managed by an experienced specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT). We aimed to assess the impact of a case management strategy delivered via specialist MDTs on acute healthcare utilisation of patients with frequent asthma admissions. An MDT (consultant, specialist nurse, physiotherapist and psychologist) case management strategy was introduced in 2010 at University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust (Southampton, UK) to support patients with frequent asthma admissions during admission and then in clinic. To assess efficacy, we systematically searched the hospital database for patients acutely admitted for asthma on two or more occasions in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Data were collected retrospectively covering patient demographics, admission details, asthma severity and comorbidity. From 2010 to 2012, 84 patients were admitted on two or more occasions per year (80% female, mean body mass index 31 kg·m−2 and 55% psychological comorbidity). After introducing an MDT approach repeat asthma admissions fell by 33% from 127 in 2010 to 84 in 2012 (p=0.0004). In addition, bed days fell by 52% from 895 in 2010 to 430 in 2010 (p=0.015). An MDT case management approach significantly reduces hospitalisation in difficult asthma patients with prior frequent admission.

To improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft, the article focuses on optimizing the L/D ratio through postponement of flow separation. Elevating the L/D ratio leads to diminished drag and delays stall occurrence at high angles of attack (α). The wing geometry adopts NACA 6-digit airfoils, specifically NACA 63418 and NACA 63415. Various aerodynamic devices are explored for their ability to defer flow separation, with passive aerodynamic devices being the prevalent choice. The primary goal of the research is to integrate rotational thin wire elements into the aerodynamic components of the wing, aiming to diminish drag, amplify lift, and enhance overall aerodynamic performance. The analysis spans a range of α, from 0° to 20°. The study encompasses two scenarios: one without the incorporation of aerodynamic devices and the other with their implementation. Comparative analyses of increases in CL and reductions in CD, with notable improvements observed at a 15o angle of attack, 28.47% increase in CL and 15.07% decrease in CD. Furthermore, the improved performance in the CL/CD, which increases substantially in stall conditions, thereby demonstrating the potential of these aerodynamic modifications to enhance overall aircraft performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]