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Salmonella enterica is one of the best adapted bacterial pathogens causing infections in a wide variety of vertebrate species. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella in different reptile species and to evaluate their serological variety and patterns of antimicrobial resistance. In total, 97 samples from 25 wild and domesticated reptile species were investigated in Lithuania. Serological variety, as well as phenotypical and genotypical resistance to antimicrobials, were investigated. Fifty isolates of Salmonella were obtained from the ninety-seven tested samples (51.5%; 95% CI 41.2–61.2). A significantly higher prevalence of Salmonella was detected in domesticated individuals (61.3%; 95% CI 50.0–71.5) compared with wild ones (18.2%; 95% CI 7.3–38.5). All isolates belonged to a single species, Salmonella enterica. Results demonstrated that reptiles carry a large variety of Salmonella serovars. Thirty-four isolates (68%) of Salmonella were resistant to at least one antimicrobial drug. The most frequent resistance of the isolates was to streptomycin (26%), cefoxitin, gentamicin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol (16%). Genes encoding resistance to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, sulphonamides and trimethoprim were detected. No integrons that are associated with horizontal gene transfer were found. Data obtained provided knowledge about the adaptation of Salmonella in reptiles. Healthy individuals, irrespective of their origin, often carry Salmonella, including multi-resistant strains. Due to its large serological diversity, zoonotic potential and antimicrobial resistance, Salmonella in reptiles poses a risk to other animals and humans.

In this study, a 41-day experiment was conducted using 300 (21-day-old) Large White/Norwegian Landrace piglets (100 piglets in each group). Three dietary treatments were compared: (i) a basal diet (C-I), (ii) a basal diet with the addition of extruded–fermented wheat bran (Wex130/screwspeed25Lpa) (TG-II), and (iii) a basal diet with the addition of dried sugar beet pulp (TG-III). Analyses of piglets’ blood parameters, faecal microbial and physico-chemical characteristics, and piglets’ growth performance were performed. It was found that the extrusion and fermentation combination led to an additional functional value of Wex130/screwspeed25Lpa, which showed desirable antimicrobial and antifungal properties in vitro (inhibited 5 out of 10 tested pathogenic strains and 3 out of 11 tested fungi). Both treatments reduced total enterobacteria and increased lactic acid bacteria counts in piglets’ faeces. The consistency of the piglets’ faeces (in all three groups) was within a physiological range throughout the whole experiment. Strong positive correlations were found between the LAB count in piglets’ faeces and butanoic acid; butanoic acid, 3-methyl-; butyric acid (2-methyl-); pentanoic acid. The treatment groups obtained a significantly higher body weight gain and average daily gain. Finally, substituting the piglets’ diet with Wex130/screwspeed25Lpa and sugar beet pulp led to favourable changes in micro-organism populations in the piglets’ faeces as well as better growth performance.

ABSTRACT Shigella is the second leading cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. Recently, Shigella sonnei seems to be replacing Shigella flexneri in low- and middle-income countries undergoing economic development. Despite this, studies focusing on these species at the genomic level remain largely unexplored. Here, we compared the genome sequences of S. flexneri and S. sonnei isolates from India with the publicly available genomes of global strains. Our analysis provides evidence for the long-term persistence of all phylogenetic groups (PGs) of S. flexneri and the recent dominance of the ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei lineage in India. Within S. flexneri PGs, the majority of the study isolates belonged to PG3 within the predominance of serotype 2. For S. sonnei, the current pandemic involves globally distributed multidrug-resistant (MDR) clones that belong to Central Asia lineage III. The presence of such epidemiologically dominant lineages in association with stable antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants results in successful survival in the community. IMPORTANCE Shigella is the second leading cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. This has been categorized as a priority pathogen among enteric bacteria by the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Recently, S. sonnei seems to be replacing S. flexneri in low- and middle-income countries undergoing economic development. Antimicrobial resistance in S. flexneri and S. sonnei is a growing international concern, specifically with the international dominance of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) lineage. Genomic studies focusing on S. flexneri and S. sonnei in India remain largely unexplored. This study provides information on the introduction and expansion of drug-resistant Shigella strains in India for the first time by comparing the genome sequences of S. flexneri and S. sonnei isolates from India with the publicly available genomes of global strains. The study discusses the key differences between the two dominant species of Shigella at the genomic level to understand the evolutionary trends and genome dynamics of emerging and existing resistance clones. The present work demonstrates evidence for the long-term persistence of all PGs of S. flexneri and the recent dominance of a ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei lineage in India.

The aim of this study was to apply a combination of the microbial starters Lactobacillus uvarum LUHS245, Lactobacillus casei LUHS210, Pediococcus acidilactici LUHS29, and Pediococcus pentosaceus LUHS183 for feed fermentation and to evaluate the influence of fermentation on feed acidity and microbiological characteristics, as well as on the piglet feces microbiota, health, and growth performance. Additionally, mycotoxin biotransformation was analyzed, including masked mycotoxins, in feed and piglet feces samples. The 36-day experiment was conducted using 25-day-old Large White/Norwegian Landrace (LW/NL) piglets with an initial body weight of 6.9–7.0 kg, which were randomly distributed into two groups (in each 100 piglets): control group, fed with basal diet (based on barley, wheat, potato protein, soybean protein concentrate, and whey powder), and treated group, fed with fermented feed at 500 g kg−1 of total feed. Compared to a commercially available lactic acid bacteria (LAB) combination, the novel LAB mixture effectively reduced feed pH (on average pH 3.65), produced a 2-fold higher content of L(+) lactic acid, increased viable LAB count [on average 8.8 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) g−1], and led to stable feed fermentation during the entire test period (36 days). Fecal microbiota analysis showed an increased number of probiotic bacteria in the treated group, particularly Lactobacillus, when compared with the control group at the end of experiment. This finding indicates that fermented feed can modify microbial profile change in the gut of pigs. In treated piglets' blood (at day 61), the serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides (TG) were significantly higher, but the levels of T4, glucose, K, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and urea were significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.05) compared with the control group. Mycotoxin analysis showed that alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) and altenuene were found in 61-day-old control piglets' feces and in fermented feed samples. However, AME was not found in treated piglets' feces. Feed fermentation with the novel LAB combination is a promising means to modulate piglets' microbiota, which is essential to improve nutrient absorption, growth performance, and health parameters. The new LAB composition suggests a novel dietary strategy to positively manipulate fermented feed chemicals and bio-safety and the piglet gut microbial ecology to reduce antimicrobials use in pig production and increase local feed stock uses and economical effectiveness of the process.

This study considers the use of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) tuber powder (HTT) and medium/ long-chain fatty acids (MLCFAs) in the nutrition of laying hens. A total of forty; 30-week-old laying hens were randomly distributed into four groups: control (C), 0.1% MLCFAs (T1), 2.0% HTT (T2), and both 0.1% MLCFAs and 2.0% HTT (T3). The fatty acid (FA) profile of eggs was analysed by gas chromatography, cholesterol by HPLC, and egg quality using a multifunctional automatic egg analyzer; production parameters of hens were also analysed. The results revealed that MLCFAs had a significant effect on accumulation of ô€„-linolenic acid (C18:3) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6) in egg yolk, but a higher impact on addition of HTT and MLCFAs was observed. Omega-3 FAs and omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio in egg yolk increased significantly on addition of MLCFAs alone or in combination with HTT. There were no significant effects of HTT and/or MLCFAs on body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio or egg mass output of laying hens. In addition, for HTT alone or in combination with MLCFAs, egg shell breaking strength was increased significantly (by 2%). A significant increase of Haugh unit was determined in the MLCFA group and in the HTT group. A significant decrease of cholesterol level was observed in all experimental groups. Supplementing laying hens' feed with HTT and MLCFAs facilitated the production of FAsenriched eggs. Slight effects of HTT and MLCFAs on egg quality, except Haugh unit, yolk cholesterol level and eggshell strength) and production performance of laying hens were observed.

Orchidaceae is a central family of vascular plants in Ecuador because of its huge diversity and endemism. A prominent commercial native species well known for its richness of color is Cattleya maxima Lindl. Somatic embryogenesis is recognized as an important process for mass propagation of many ornamental crops including orchids. Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor like Kinases (SERK) genes, in particular, are highly expressed during the early phases of somatic embryogenesis and therefore, the study of their involvement in this process is of paramount importance to improve the commercial propagation of orchids. For this reason, we decided to isolate and characterize a SERK orthologue from Cattleya maxima L. The deduced amino acid sequence of a partial CmSERK cDNA shows the presence of all SERK typical domains, suggesting that it may be functionally active in C. maxima. Its role in somatic embryogenesis is further supported by its high expression level during embryogenesis and in protocorm-like bodies. Moreover, the basal expression of CmSERK in roots, leaves, and ovaries points to a broader developmental role of this gene. Keywords: CmSERK, Somatic embryogenesis, Orchids, Leucine Rich Repeat, Molecular characterization

Protocorms are unique anatomical structures; they are akin to rhizoids and are formed by young orchid seedlings under physiological conditions. Explanted orchid tissues produce similar structures called protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) when exposed to appropriate in vitro growing conditions. Both the propagative nature of PLBs and the easiness by which they can be generated, make these structures an attractive alternative to seed-mediated production for growing large numbers of plants. To increase somatic embryogenesis and optimize the procedure, PLBs of Cattleya maxima were transformed using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens method. The T-DNA carried a Hygromycin-resistance gene, a visible marker (GFP5-GUSA) and a rice gene encoding the Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor Kinase, deemed to be important for somatic embryogenesis. Treated PLBs generated somatic embryos developing Hygromycin-resistant plantlets. The insertion of T-DNA was confirmed by PCR, and GFP expression was observed using a fluorescent stereomicroscope. Transformed Cattleya maxima PLBs were more efficient in forming somatic embryos (60 - 80 %) than untransformed controls (45 - 57 %), and this contrast was maximized in hormone-free, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium (80 % of the transformed plants compared to 57 % of the untransformed ones). This finding supports the notion that SERK plays an important role in Orchid embryogenesis

Conversion disorder is characterized by the loss of one or several neurological functions, with no apparent organic cause. In such cases, vision may be compromised in up to 5% of the patients in ophthalmologic emergencies. Hypnosis is a suggestion technique that has been used for years in the treatment of conversion disorder with positive results. Reported here is the case of a patient with conversion disorder, blindness, and deafness type whose evolution was satisfactory after one session of hypnotherapy.

A toxicity‐reduced conditioning regimen with treosulfan, fludarabine, and thiotepa in patients with high‐risk β‐thalassemia major has significantly improved hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes. However, complications resulting from regimen‐related toxicities (RRTs), mixed chimerism, and graft rejection remain a challenge. We evaluated the dose–exposure‐response relationship of treosulfan and its active metabolite S, S‐EBDM, in a uniform cohort of patients with β‐thalassemia major to identify whether therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and dose adjustment of treosulfan is feasible. Plasma treosulfan/S, S‐EBDM levels were measured in 77 patients using a validated liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using nlmixr2. The influence of treosulfan and S, S‐EBDM exposure, and GSTA1/NQO1 polymorphisms on graft rejection, RRTs, chimerism status, and 1‐year overall survival (OS), and thalassemia‐free survival (TFS) were assessed. We observed that treosulfan exposure was lower in patients with graft rejection than those without (1,655 vs. 2,037 mg•h/L, P = 0.07). Pharmacodynamic modeling analysis to identify therapeutic cutoff revealed that treosulfan exposure ≥1,660 mg•hour/L was significantly associated with better 1‐year TFS (97% vs. 81%, P = 0.02) and a trend to better 1‐year OS (90% vs. 69%, P = 0.07). Further, multivariate analysis adjusting for known pre‐HCT risk factors also revealed treosulfan exposure <1,660 mg•h/L (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.23; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12–9.34; P = 0.03) and GSTA1*B variant genotype (HR = 3.75; 95% CI = 1.04–13.47; P = 0.04) to be independent predictors for inferior 1‐year TFS. We conclude that lower treosulfan exposure increases the risk of graft rejection and early transplant‐related mortality affecting TFS. As no RRTs were observed with increasing treosulfan exposure, TDM‐based dose adjustment could be feasible and beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a feed supplement, namely milk permeate (MP) fermented with Lactobacillus uvarum LUHS245, on the newborn calves’ growth performance and blood and faecal parameters, including microbiota and volatile compound and fatty acid profiles. Ten female Holstein calves in the control group (CON group) were fed with a standard milk replacer diet and colostrum only, from day 2 to 14 of life, while 10 calves of the treated group (MP group) were fed with the same diet supplemented with 50 mL of the fermented MP. After 14 days, there were no significant differences between the groups in blood parameters, growth performance, or faecal pH. There was a significantly higher percentage of live lactic acid bacteria (by 17.02%), a lower percentage of enterobacteria (by 10.38%), a higher overall number of probiotic bacteria, a 1.7-fold higher species variety, and a higher content of dry matter in the faeces of the MP group (p < 0.05). The fatty acid and volatile compound profiles differed significantly between the groups. The results suggest that supplementing calves’ feed with fermented milk permeate has a positive effect on certain health parameters but not on blood parameters or growth performance.

Existing pH-sensitive red fluorescent protein probes don’t perform well in monitoring exocytosis and endocytosis. Here, the authors combine organic dyes with self-labeling tags or antibodies to develop semisynthetic protein conjugates that can image synaptic vesicle fusion events in living cells.

Resumen Se realizó un estudio de caso para conocer las vivencias de un trabajador minero con silicosis a través del método fenomenológico, en el último trimestre del año 2016. El criterio de inclusión más importante fue el diagnóstico de silicosis categoría 1. Se aplicó entrevista en profundidad basada en una guía de entrevista. El análisis se enfocó en los cuatro existenciales fenomenológicos. En los resultados se encontró que el trabajador describió de forma profunda sus relaciones familiares, sociales y laborales («de mi familia recibí todo el apoyo en cuanto se supo de mi enfermedad»). Percibió el apoyo de su jefatura y de sus compañeros de trabajo. Sobre la reubicación laboral manifestó: «no es solo que te cambien de lugar para trabajar, sino donde tú puedas aportar para el desarrollo de la empresa y donde tú puedas desarrollarte profesionalmente». El trabajador mostró conciencia de su enfermedad, refiriéndose a una buena cobertura de salud otorgada por la Unidad de Salud Ocupacional de la Clínica Río Blanco de la ciudad de Los Andes - Chile. Es importante continuar explorando otros casos de reubicación laboral por silicosis para comprender el fenómeno con mayor profundidad.

Nowadays personal learning environments appear as student-centered educational spaces to overcome the identified constraints in the institutional learning platforms. However, most of the published research is based only on the use of computers, without considering mobile electronic devices. This article analyses the scientific and academic production on mobile personal learning environments in Higher Education. From a methodological point of view, the research presented here was conducted through a systematic literature review using various resources such as Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, among others. A large number of documents from 2000 to 2016 were initially collected. Subsequently, selection and quality criteria were applied, and a few studies were obtained that were qualitatively analyzed. The results were described in categories according to the original research questions, including research works on mobile devices and personal learning environments, publications on projects of integrated platforms, research where external tools are used with a pedagogical approach, theoretical contributions, and research that evaluates these innovations. In conclusion, mobile personal learning environments are shown as technological scenarios that have been recently introduced in Higher Education. Although successful results have been found, more research is needed to establish generalizations that might be replicable in other contexts.