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Next generation sequencing provides new insights into the diversity and ecophysiology of bacteria communities throughout wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), as well as the fate of pathogens in wastewater treatment system. In the present study, we investigated the bacterial communities and human-associated Bacteroidales (HF183) marker in two WWTPs in North America that utilize Bardenpho treatment processes. Although, most pathogens were eliminated during wastewater treatment, some pathogenic bacteria were still observed in final effluents. The HF183 genetic marker demonstrated significant reductions between influent and post-Bardenpho treated samples in each WWTP, which coincided with changes in bacteria relative abundances and community compositions. Consistent with previous studies, the major phyla in wastewater samples were predominantly comprised by Proteobacteria (with Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria among the top two classes), Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Dominant genera were often members of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, including several pathogens of public health concern, such as Pseudomonas, Serratia, Streptococcus, Mycobacterium and Arcobacter. Pearson correlations were calculated to observe the seasonal variation of relative abundances of gene sequences at different levels based on the monthly average temperature. These findings profile how changes in bacterial communities can function as a robust method for monitoring wastewater treatment quality and performance for public and environmental health purposes.

The intestinal microbiota of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were investigated following consumption of diets containing refined high-amylose cornstarch (RS), waxy whole-grain flour from maize (WG), or high-amylose whole-grain flour (WG + RS) together with moderate (MF, 30% of energy) or high (HF, 42% of energy) levels of fat. Compared with control (CON) diets, RS reduced bacterial alpha-diversity and enriched Bacteroidetes and WG increased Lactobacillus proportions by three-fold. WG + RS conferred a combined effect, but the changes were attenuated and greater inter-individual variation was observed. Proportions of fiber-degrading bacterial taxa were inversely correlated with cecal pH. Notably, there was little influence of fat intake on the cecal microbiota. Examination of cecal metatranscriptomes showed that WG and CON diets resulted in similar microbiomes. RS consumption was associated with an increased abundance of either Bacteroides or Prevotella transcripts. Metatranscriptomes of RS-fed rats were consistently enriched in transcripts encoding chaperones, glutamate decarboxylases and glutaminases, and starch degradative enzymes.

Insect activity, survival, and development are affected by climatic conditions that elicit effects at multiple scales. Pruning small fruit crop canopies alters the microclimate, which in turn may influence insect pest activity. We investigated the effect of three canopy density treatments (high, medium, low) on Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) fruit infestation in blueberries and caneberries using a two-year, multi-state experiment. We quantified the effect of canopy density on canopy microclimate, fruit quality (total soluble solids, fruit firmness), and yield. To better understand heterogeneity in canopy microclimate, parameters were further separated by canopy location (exterior vs. interior) in Maryland. In both crops, meta-analyses reveal small magnitude effects of the plant canopy on microclimate, whereas analysis of variance did not separate these effects, with mean canopy differences of 0.1–0.7 °C and 0.5–1.3 % relative humidity (RH) between caneberry canopy densities and locations. In caneberry multi-state trials, 0.14 fewer D. suzukii larvae (g fruit)−1 occurred on average in the low canopy density treatment, and 0.2 fewer D. suzukii larvae (g fruit)−1 occurred in exterior raspberries in Maryland compared with the canopy interior. Artificially infested blueberry fruit indicated immature D. suzukii survival within fruit can vary across canopy densities and locations. Although lower total yield was produced in low density canopies, canopy density did not influence berry quality or marketable yield. Microhabitats provide important shelter from extreme environmental conditions; the availability of shelter and ability to locate it affects insect pest populations and distributions. Understanding how crop canopy microclimate affects D. suzukii infestation can inform efforts to develop habitat manipulation tactics and improve the efficiency of fruit production.

This study determined long-term changes in fish assemblages, river discharge, salinity, and local precipitation, and examined hydrological drivers of biotic homogenization in a dryland river ecosystem, the Trans-Pecos region of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (USA/Mexico). Historical (1977–1989) and current (2010–2011) fish assemblages were analyzed by rarefaction analysis (species richness), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (composition/variability), multiresponse permutation procedures (composition), and paired t -test (variability). Trends in hydrological conditions (1970s–2010s) were examined by Kendall tau and quantile regression, and associations between streamflow and specific conductance (salinity) by generalized linear models. Since the 1970s, species richness and variability of fish assemblages decreased in the Rio Grande below the confluence with the Rio Conchos (Mexico), a major tributary, but not above it. There was increased representation of lower-flow/higher-salinity tolerant species, thus making fish communities below the confluence taxonomically and functionally more homogeneous to those above it. Unlike findings elsewhere, this biotic homogenization was due primarily to changes in the relative abundances of native species. While Rio Conchos discharge was > 2-fold higher than Rio Grande discharge above their confluence, Rio Conchos discharge decreased during the study period causing Rio Grande discharge below the confluence to also decrease. Rio Conchos salinity is lower than Rio Grande salinity above their confluence and, as Rio Conchos discharge decreased, it caused Rio Grande salinity below the confluence to increase (reduced dilution). Trends in discharge did not correspond to trends in precipitation except at extreme-high (90th quantile) levels. In conclusion, decreasing discharge from the Rio Conchos has led to decreasing flow and increasing salinity in the Rio Grande below the confluence. This spatially uneven desertification and salinization of the Rio Grande has in turn led to a region-wide homogenization of hydrological conditions and of taxonomic and functional attributes of fish assemblages.

Background The diagnosis of GERD is made by using a combination of clinical symptoms, pH study, endoscopy, and histology. Histologic changes include basal cell hyperplasia and papillary elongation. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) enables surface and subsurface imaging of living cells in vivo at ×1000 magnification and up to 250 μm below the tissue surface. In the esophagus, the distance between the surface to papillary (S-P) tip can be measured by using CLE. Objective To measure the S-P distance in the esophagus in patients with reflux esophagitis and controls by using CLE and comparing with histologic measurements. Design Retrospective analysis of a prospective database. Setting Endoscopy unit of a tertiary-care children's hospital. Patients This study involved 7 patients (5 female) with a median age of 7.6 years (range 1.8-15.5 years) and median weight of 23 kg (range 13.2-71 kg) and 16 controls with a median age of 12.0 years (range 2.2-15.3 years) and median weight of 38.2 kg (range 10.7-83 kg). Intervention S-P distance was measured both by CLE and histology and was corrected for height for both patients and controls and the results compared. Main Outcome Measurements To determine if there were significant differences in the S-P distance in patients with esophagitis and controls. Results The median confocal and histologic measurements for S-P distance, corrected for patient height, were 0.19 μm/cm (range 0.10-0.49 μm/cm) and 0.58 μm/cm (range 0.29-0.76 μm/cm) and for controls were 0.44 μm/cm (range 0.20-0.93 μm/cm) and 1.07 μm/cm (range 0.76-0.1.57 μm/cm), respectively. Limitations Small numbers involved in the study, reliance on only papillary elongation in arriving at a diagnosis. Conclusion Measurement of the S-P distance by CLE will enable real-time diagnosis of GERD-related esophagitis during ongoing endoscopy.

Antibody-induced demyelination is an important component of pathology in multiple sclerosis. In particular, antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) are elevated in multiple sclerosis patients, and they have been implicated as mediators of demyelination. We have shown previously that antibody cross-linking of MOG in oligodendrocytes results in the repartitioning of MOG into glycosphingolipid-cholesterol membrane microdomains ("lipid rafts"), followed by changes in the phosphorylation of specific proteins, including dephosphorylation of beta-tubulin and the beta subunit of the trimeric G protein and culminating in rapid and dramatic morphological alterations. In order to further elucidate the mechanism of anti-MOG-mediated demyelination, we have carried out a proteomic analysis to identify the set of proteins for which the phosphorylation states or expression levels are altered upon anti-MOG treatment. We demonstrate that treatment of oligodendrocytes with anti-MOG alone leads to an increase in calcium influx and activation of the MAPK/Akt pathways that is independent of MOG repartitioning. However, further cross-linking of anti-MOG.MOG complexes with a secondary anti-IgG results in the lipid raft-dependent phosphorylation of specific proteins related to cellular stress response and cytoskeletal stability. Oligodendrocyte survival is not compromised by these treatments. We discuss the possible significance of the anti-MOG-induced signaling cascade in relation to the initial steps of MOG-mediated demyelination.

In this study, Golden Syrian hamsters were fed a nonpurified hypercholesterolemic diet containing 10% coconut oil, 0.05% cholesterol and 20% wheat bran for 2 weeks (HCD) and based on mean plasma cholesterol levels were divided into four groups of 15. Hamsters were then fed the HCD or the HCD containing either 20% de-fatted rice bran (rice fiber), 20% heat-stabilized whole fat rice bran (WFRB), or 20% oat bran in place of wheat bran for 10 weeks. The rice fiber, WFRB, and oat bran diets significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol and very low- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to the wheat bran diet with no reductions in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Also, the WFRB diet significantly lowered plasma nonHDL-C levels compared to the rice fiber and oat bran diets. Aortic fatty streak formation was significantly reduced by WFRB diet compared to the wheat bran and rice fiber diets but not the oat bran. This study shows that whole fat rice bran reduces plasma cholesterol levels and the development of early aortic atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic hamsters similar to oat bran.

The best ICU monitors are physicians and nurses, who integrate all of the physiologic parameters of patients with the known pathophysiology of the disease process. Over-reliance on raw electronic data, with their inherent errors, jeopardizes the safe and efficient care of patients. Data must be interpreted in the context of the history, repetitive physical examinations, response to therapy, and a background of experience. New modalities and the application of artificial intelligence may facilitate the interpretation of data, but the role of the bedside medical practitioner remains as the heart of pediatric critical care.

A mesoscale version of the UK Meteorological Office Unified Model has been used to study the evolution of the planetary boundary layer over heterogeneous terrain in the HAPEX-Sahel region. The model simulates a typical diurnal cycle during the dry down period of the intensive observation period on 8 October 1992. The model has a grid length of 10 km, with a domain covering a region of approximately 1000 km2, centred on the HAPEX experiment. Satellite images are used to generate a mesoscale land cover map over the region. To initialise the soil moisture, a simple soil moisture accounting model was developed. This generates soil moisture patterns from daily rainfall estimates over the entire mesoscale domain. Where possible, the land surface scheme has been calibrated with measurements taken during the experiment. Moisture availability is the principle component in determining the partition of energy at the surface. The mean midday Bowen ratio of the square is 0.82. However, spatial contrasts in soil moisture availability lead to a range of midday sensible heat fluxes of between 100 W m−2 and 280 W m−2. The pattern of surface fluxes is closely related to the mesoscale variation of the seasonal rainfall. Comparisons of the model output with surface meteorology, surface fluxes, sonde and aircraft measurements are encouraging. Both model and climate observations show similar gradients at the surface across the square. Features of the aircraft measurements are well represented by the model. Anomalous increases in latent heat flux with height measured by the aircraft are also found in the model. This may be related to high entrainment fluxes at the inversion separating contrasting air flows. Heat and moisture budget calculations show the importance of large scale flow in the evolution of the boundary layer. Periods of low level south-westerly flow for example produce considerably larger inputs of moisture into the planetary boundary layer than surface evaporation. In this study, the influence of surface flux variability on the boundary layer is limited. However, scaling surface fluxes up to larger scales must take some account of the considerable variation in soil moisture.

We report a case of acute post-traumatic snapping of the biceps femoris tendon following a soccer injury. Surgical stabilisation, achieved by re-routing the tendon insertion through a tunnel in the fibular head, resolved the symptoms after conservative management failed. We believe this is the first report of a ‘snapping knee’ resulting from direct injury to the biceps femoris tendon insertion.

Glucose electrodes based on hydrogels made by crosslinking glucose oxidase and the redox polymer formed upon complexing polyvinyl imidazole (PVI) with [Os(dmo-bpy) 2 Cl] +/2+ (dmo-bpy= 4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-bipyridine) on vitreous carbon electrode surfaces were investigated. The redox potential of the hydrogels was −69 mV (SCE) and their glucose electrooxidation current reached a plateau at +50 mV (SCE). Urate and acetaminophen were not electrooxidized at this potential at rates that would interfere with the glucose assays. At 32 mM glucose concentration switching of the atmosphere from argon to O 2 reduced the current only by 5%.

An inhibitor of angiogenic activity similar to that described by Raymond and Jacobson (1) has been partially purified and shown to be a glycoprotein of molecular mass 5,700. This inhibitor gave rise to an avascular zone on the chick vitelline plexus and also negated the action of a low Mr angiogenic factor. When the angiogenic inhibitor was incubated with mammalian collagenase it inhibited the enzyme activity by nearly 70%. The relevance of these findings to the role of collagenase in angiogenesis is discussed.