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Bacteriophages infecting Edwardsiella ictaluri have been less investigated, although the host bacterium is one of the most important fish pathogens causing enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). We present here two distinctly novel bacteriophages vB_EiM_PVN06 and vB_EiA_PVN09 infecting Edwardsiella ictaluri E1, with their geographical origins from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Bacteriophage vB_EiM_PVN06 native to a mud sample reveals complete differences of biological properties with the phage vB_EiA_PVN09 originated from a viscus of a healthy catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) cultured in the same area. Morphological analyses combined with genomic data indicate that phage vB_EiM_PVN06 is classified to Myoviridae family and shares high similarity with E. ictaluri phage PEi21 genome, while vB_EiA_PVN09 is a member of Teseptimavirus genus, Autographiviridae family, and mostly closes to phage vB_EcoP_IME390. The vB_EiA_PVN09 is a T7-like bacteriophage, which has been firstly found infecting to E. ictaluri, and host range analysis also evidences for the cross-infection of this phage to Escherichia coli K12 and Escherichia coli DH5α. Together, our research highlights the diversity of bacteriophages infecting the pathogen E. ictaluri and suggests further explorations of lytic phages in environmental niches, to be exploited in feasible strategies of phage therapy in ESC disease control.

Greg Asatrian,1 Dalton Pham,1,2 Winters R Hardy,3 Aaron W James,1–3 Bruno Peault3,4 1Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute and Section of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, 2Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, 3UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 4Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Abstract: Continued improvements in the understanding and application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have revolutionized tissue engineering. This is particularly true within the field of skeletal regenerative medicine. However, much remains unknown regarding the native origins of MSC, the relative advantages of different MSC populations for bone regeneration, and even the biologic safety of such unpurified, grossly characterized cells. This review will first summarize the initial discovery of MSC, as well as the current and future applications of MSC in bone tissue engineering. Next, the relative advantages and disadvantages of MSC isolated from distinct tissue origins are debated, including the MSC from adipose, bone marrow, and dental pulp, among others. The perivascular origin of MSC is next discussed. Finally, we briefly comment on pluripotent stem cell populations and their possible application in bone tissue engineering. While continually expanding, the field of MSC-based bone tissue engineering and regeneration shows potential to become a clinical reality in the not-so-distant future.Keywords: mesenchymal stem cell, pericyte, bone tissue engineering, MSC, ASC, DMSC

The growing demand for energy and fossil fuels creates increased number of difficulties, while renewable energy sources are still rarely used worldwide, particularly in Vietnam. In this article hybrid thermal power plants based on gas turbine plants are discussed, the increased efficiency of which is achieved by air heating after the compressor in solar air heaters. The basic design equations and the results of evaluating the efficiency and fuel consumption are presented for two thermal power plants of 4.6 MW and 11.8 MW. The dependence of the results on the intensity of solar extraction for the climatic conditions of the Ninh Thuan province of the Republic of Vietnam is discussed.

Group‐hunting animals have been shown to engage their prey in long pursuits (kms) to increase capture success, but the evidence for this is limited to a few terrestrial species. This predation strategy may be effective in the open‐ocean, where group‐hunts are characterised by large predator–prey size ratios and there are few places for prey to hide.However, recording the attack rates, capture rates and capture success probabilities of grouping predators during long‐distance pursuits through the open ocean, remains a significant challenge.Here we use a combination of underwater and aerial video to assess the attack and capture behaviour of striped marlin, Kajikia audax, in relation to the movement of their schooling prey ('stationary' and 'mobile' movement states) during group hunts.We found that the attack rate was higher when the prey school was 'stationary' and, during these times, individual marlin could make longer sequences of uninterrupted attacks on the prey school, effectively monopolising the prey resource for short periods over conspecifics.When the prey school was 'mobile', the attack pattern changed and individual marlin alternated their attacks on the prey school more frequently. Capture success probability (likelihood of capture per attack) was not affected by prey movement state. However, attacks on 'mobile' schools resulted in more prey fish becoming isolated from the school, and these isolated prey were easily captured—not by the attacker but by conspecifics swimming nearby.The likelihood of a prey becoming isolated from a 'mobile' school was predicted by prey school speed, with a 0.1 m s−1 increase leading to an 18.01% increase in the chance of isolation.Altogether this meant the capture rate at the group level was highest when the prey school was 'mobile' rather than 'stationary' because the predators that were pursuing the 'mobile' prey school had an increased availability of isolated and easy to capture prey.This mechanism provides evidence for a by‐product mutualism selecting for conspecific group formation and we discuss our findings in consideration of the social structure of the hunting group and the type of prey. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Knee OA (KOA) can lead to pain, loss of muscle strength, and changes in gait. Knee stiffness is a classic feature of KOA that can increase the risk of falls but has been understudied. Objective: To evaluate the impact of knee stiffness, the factors influencing the severity of stiffness, and the repercussions on participation for patients with KOA. Methods: This qualitative study used an interpretive description approach. Purposeful sampling was used for patients with KOA over 45 years of age, fluent in English, diagnosed with KOA and reported KOA stiffness within the last 6 months. Participants were recruited through social media and Ontario clinics. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted over the phone or using zoom, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to identify clinically relevant themes. Results: Twelve participants (5F, 7M) with a mean age of 60 years were included. The five themes identified include elusive and variable perceptions of joint stiffness, inactivity or too much activity exacerbates stiffness, adapting to the ebb and flow of symptoms, risk experiences and safety fears leads to reduced participation, and KOA stiffness impairs quality of life. Conclusion: This study highlights characteristics of knee stiffness, consequences on participation, and quality of life for people with KOA. Monitoring knee stiffness for KOA is recommended for more appropriate treatment intensity, which could improve adherence to a home programme and potentially reduce the risk of falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Critically ill patients are at high risk of multiple organ failure syndrome (MODS) and gastrointestinal (GI) injury and dysfunction, which are associated with increased mortality rates. The acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) scale has shown promise in assessing GI dysfunction. However, the combined utility of AGI with established disease severity scores remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the performance of AGI in conjunction with modified nutritional risk in critically ill (mNUTRIC), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores for predicting mortality in critically ill patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) from May 2021 to December 2021. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including AGI grade, mNUTRIC score, SOFA score, APACHE II score, and mortality. Results: Among 93 critically ill patients, AGI was observed in 47.3% of cases, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 30.1%. The area under the curve (AUC) for AGI in predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56, 0.79; p = 0.008], similar to the AUCs of SOFA, APACHE II, and mNUTRIC scores. The combination of AGI with mNUTRIC, APACHE II, or SOFA scores improved the predictive performance compared with AGI alone. Conclusion: The AGI grade, in conjunction with disease severity scores, such as mNUTRIC, SOFA, and APACHE II scores, shows promise in predicting mortality in critically ill patients. Integrating AGI into evaluating critically ill patients can enhance prognostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]