Search

Summary: What microbiology beholds after a decade and a half in the future requires a vision based on the facts and ongoing trends in research and technological advancements. While the latter, assisted by microbial dark matter, presents a greater potential of creating an upsurge in in‐situ and ex‐situ rapid microbial detection techniques, this anticipated change will also set forth a revolution in microbial cultivation and diversity analyses. The availability of a microbial genetic toolbox at the expanse will help complement the current understanding of the microbiome and assist in real‐time monitoring of the dynamics for detecting the health status of the host with utmost precision. Alongside, in light of the emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and social demands for safer and better health care alternatives, microbiology laboratories are prospected to drift in terms of the volume and nature of research and outcomes. With today's microbiological lens, one can predict with certainty that in the years to come, microbes will play a significant role in therapeutic treatment and the designing of novel diagnostic techniques. Another area where the scope of microbial application seems to be promising is the use of novel probiotics as a method to offer health benefits whilst promoting metabolic outputs specific for microbiome replenishment. Nonetheless, the evolution of extraterrestrial microbes or the adaptation of earth microbes as extraterrestrial residents are also yet another prominent microbial event one may witness in the upcoming years. But like the two sides of the coin, there is also an urgent need to dampen the bloom of urbanization, overpopulation and global trade and adopting sustainable approaches to control the recurrence of epidemics and pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Although the gut microbiome of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has been characterized, no study has characterized the gut microbiome in acute severe colitis (ASC). We compared the gut microbiome of patients with UC, ASC, and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: Patients with mild to moderate UC (n = 24), ASC (n = 19 with 21 episodes) and HCs (n = 50) were recruited prospectively. A 16SrDNA amplicon approach was used to explore gut microbial diversity and taxonomic repertoires. UC was diagnosed using European Crohn's and Colitis Organization guidelines, and ASC was diagnosed using Truelove and Witts' criteria. Results: The normalized alpha diversity was significantly lower in ASC than mild–moderately active UC (P < 0.05) or HC (P < 0.001). The gut microbiome in ASC was highly unstable, as characterized by high intracohort variation (analyzed using J‐divergence measure), which was significantly greater than in UC or HC. On principal coordinate analysis, the microbiome of HC and UC were similar, with the ASC cohort being distinct from both. Comparison of ranked abundances identified four distinct clusters of genera (G1, G2, G3, and G4), with specific trends in their abundance across three groups: G1/G2A clusters had the least, whereas G3 had the highest abundance in the ASC cohort. Conclusions: Gut microbial diversity is lower in ASC than mild–moderate UC or HCs. Gut microbiome composition is increasingly unstable in ASC, with a distinct abundance of specific genera varying between HCs and ASC. Mild–moderate UC lies within the spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Female anorectal malformation is characterised by communication to the exterior by a fistula. There are conflicting reports of the presence of normal anus in the fistula region. This study was undertaken to assess the histopathology and immunohistochemical correlation of the terminal portion of the fistula in female patients and suitability of fistula incorporation in the reconstruction of the neo-anus.Methods: This prospective study included 13 patients of female anorectal malformation. Of these, seven had a vestibular fistula (VF), and the rest had an anterior ectopic anus (AEA). Histopathology of the fistula region was undertaken, along with immunohistochemistry. Various findings were evaluated.Results: Of seven VF patients, four showed atrophic or disrupted internal sphincter smooth muscle, whereas the remaining three showed hypertropic internal sphincteric smooth muscle. Six patients showed hypertrophic nerve bundle. Five VF patients showed subepithelial fibrosis, and none of them showed ganglion cells. Of six patients of AEA, internal sphincteric smooth muscle was normal in five. It was hypertrophic in one patient. Transitional epithelium was present in four patients. All patients showed hypertrophic nerve bundle and aganglionosis. Subepithelial fibrosis was observed in six patients.Conclusion: The fistula region in VF and AEA patients appears to be an abnormal structure. Rather than preservation of the terminal fistulous region, resection followed by anoplasty may be a viable option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tuberculosis (TB) is primarily associated with decline in immune health status. As gut microbiome (GM) is implicated in the regulation of host immunity and metabolism, here we investigate GM alteration in TB patients by 16S rRNA gene and whole‐genome shotgun sequencing. The study group constituted of patients with pulmonary TB and their healthy household contacts as controls (HCs). Significant alteration of microbial taxonomic and functional capacity was observed in patients with active TB as compared to the HCs. We observed that Prevotella and Bifidobacterium abundance were associated with HCs, whereas butyrate and propionate‐producing bacteria like Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Eubacterium and Phascolarctobacterium were significantly enriched in TB patients. Functional analysis showed reduced biosynthesis of vitamins and amino acids in favour of enriched metabolism of butyrate and propionate in TB subjects. The TB subjects were also investigated during the course of treatment, to analyse the variation of GM. Although perturbation in microbial composition was still evident after a month's administration of anti‐TB drugs, significant changes were observed in metagenome gene pool that pointed towards recovery in functional capacity. Therefore, the findings from this pilot study suggest that microbial dysbiosis may contribute to pathophysiology of TB by enhancing the anti‐inflammatory milieu in the host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are small Deltaproteobacteria that invade, kill and assimilate their prey. Metagenomic assembly analysis of the microbial mats of an arsenic rich, hot spring was performed to describe the genotypes of the predator Bdellovibrio and the ecogenetically adapted taxa Enterobacter. The microbial mats were enriched with Bdellovibrio (1.3%) and several Gram-negative bacteria including Bordetella (16%), Enterobacter (6.8%), Burkholderia (4.8%), Acinetobacter (2.3%) and Yersinia (1%). A high-quality (47 contigs, 25X coverage; 3.5 Mbp) draft genome of Bdellovibrio (strain ArHS; Arsenic Hot Spring) was reassembled, which lacked the marker gene Bd0108 associated with the usual method of prey interaction and invasion for this genus, while maintaining genes coding for the hydrolytic enzymes necessary for prey assimilation. By filtering microbial mat samples (< 0.45 μm) to enrich for small predatory cell sizes, we observed Bdellovibrio-like cells attached side-on to E. coli through electron microscopy. Furthermore, a draft pan-genome of the dominant potential host taxon, Enterobacter cloacae ArHS (4.8 Mb), along with three of its viral genotypes (n = 3; 42 kb, 49 kb and 50 kb), was assembled. These data were further used to analyse the population level evolutionary dynamics (taxonomical and functional) of reconstructed genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Back-contacted, ultrathin (<10 µm), and submillimeter-sized solar cells made with microsystem tools are a new type of cell that has not been optimized for performance. The literature reports efficiencies up to 15% using thicknesses of 14 µm and cell sizes of 250 µm. In this paper, we present the design, conditions, and fabrication parameters necessary to optimize these devices. The optimization was performed using commercial simulation tools from the microsystems arena. A systematic variation of the different parameters that influence the performance of the cell was accomplished. The researched parameters were resistance, Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) lifetime, contact separation, implant characteristics (size, dosage, energy, and ratio between the species), contact size, substrate thickness, surface recombination, and light concentration. The performance of the cell was measured with efficiency, open-circuit voltage, and short-circuit current. Among all the parameters investigated, surface recombination and SRH lifetime proved to be the most important. Through completing the simulations, an optimized concept solar cell design was introduced for two scenarios: high and low quality materials/passivation. Simulated efficiencies up to 23.4% (1 sun) and 26.7% (100 suns) were attained for 20-µm-thick devices. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-thirds of the world's population make less than $2,000 a year. There is increasing attention paid to how private firms can play a role in improving the quality of life of people at the bottom of the economic pyramid in ways that are mutually beneficial. But despite the promise of mutual benefit, many firms have not been able to serve very poor customers profitably. In this article, we present a two-stage business strategy that will help firms to serve customers at the base of the pyramid. We suggest that in the first stage, firms need a deep cost management strategy, involving a focus on core customer value, and holistic operations reengineering. In the second stage, we suggest that firms need to consider a deep benefit management strategy, involving value reengineering, partnering for excellence, and creating inclusive channels. We support our ideas with examples of successful and unsuccessful cases of firms that have tried to serve the poor. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to validate the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of four candidate genes ( TCF7L2, HHEX, KCNJ11, and ADIPOQ) related to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in an endogamous population of north India; the Aggarwal population, having 18-clans. This endogamous population model was heavily supported by recent land mark work and we also verified the homogeneity of this population by clan-based stratification analysis. Two SNPs (rs4506565; rs7903146) in TCF7L2 were found to be significant (p-value = 0.00191; p-value = 0.00179, respectively), and odds ratios of 2.1 (dominant-model) and 2.0 (recessive-model) respectively, were obtained for this population. The TTT haplotype in the TCF7L2 gene was significantly associated with T2D. Waist-Hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and age were significant covariates for increasing risk of T2D. Single-SNP, combined-SNPs and haplotype analysis provides clear evidence that the causal mutation is near to or within the significant haplotype (TTT) of the TCF7L2 gene. In spite of a culturally-learned sedentary lifestyle and fat-enriched dietary habits, WHR rather than body-mass-index emerged as a robust predictor of risk for T2D in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene, with its known human-specific derived alleles that can facilitate haplotype reconstruction, presents an important locus for anthropological studies. The three sites (TaqIA, TaqIB, and TaqiD) of the DRD2 gene are widely studied in various world populations. However, no work has been previously published on DRD2 gene polymorphisms among North Indian populations. Thus, the present study attempts to understand the genetic structure of North Indian upper caste populations using the allele and haplotype frequencies and distribution patterns of the three TaqI sites of the DRD2 gene. Two hundred forty-six blood samples were collected from five upper caste populations of Himachal Pradesh (Brahmin, Rajput and Jat) and Delhi (Aggarwal and Sindhi), and analysis was performed using standard protocols. All three sites were found to be polymorphic in all five of the studied populations. Uniform allele frequency distribution patterns, low heterozygosity values, the sharing of five common haplotypes, and the absence of two of the eight possible haplotypes observed in this study suggest a genetic proximity among the selected populations. The results also indicate a major genetic contribution from Eurasia to North Indian upper castes, apart from the common genetic unity of Indian populations. The study also demonstrates a greater genetic inflow among North Indian caste populations than is observed among South Indian caste and tribal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 33-year-old man who was investigated with episodes of biliary colic and mentions T2-weighted coronal image reveals the multiple small hyperintense lesions of similar size scattered in both lobes of the liver which are biliary microhamartomas.