Campylobacter jejuni colonization promotes the translocation of Escherichia coli to extra-intestinal organs and disturbs the short-chain fatty acids profiles in the chicken gut

For a long time Campylobacter was only considered as a commensal microorganism in avian hosts restricted to the ceca, without any pathogenic features. The precise reasons for the symptomless chicken carriers are still unknown, but investigations of the gastrointestinal ecology of broiler chickens may improve our understanding of the microbial interactions with the host. Therefore, the current studies were conducted to investigate the effects of Campylobacter jejuni colonization on Escherichia coli translocation and on the metabolic end products (short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs). Following oral infection of 14 day old broiler chickens with 1 × 108 CFU of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 12744 in two independent animal trials, it was found that C. jejuni heavily colonized the intestine and disseminate to extra-intestinal organs. Moreover, in both animal trials, the findings revealed that C. jejuni promoted the translocation of E. coli with a higher number encountered in the spleen and liver at 14 days post infection (dpi). In addition, Campylobacter affected the microbial fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract of broilers by reducing the amount of propionate, isovalerate, and isobutyrate in the cecal digesta of the infected birds at 2 dpi and, at 7 and 14 dpi, butyrate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate were also decreased. However, in the jejunum, the C. jejuni infection lowered only butyrate concentrations at 14 dpi. These data indicated that C. jejuni may utilize SCFAs as carbon sources to promote its colonization in the chicken gut, suggesting that Campylobacter cannot only alter gut colonization dynamics but might also influence physiological processes due to altered microbial metabolite profiles. Finally, the results demonstrated that C. jejuni can cross the intestinal epithelial barrier and facilitates the translocation of Campylobacter itself as well as of other enteric microorganisms such as E. coli to extra-intestinal organs of infected birds. Altogether, our findings suggest that the Campylobacter carrier state in chicken is characterised by multiple changes in the intestinal barrier function, which supports multiplication and survival within the host

Barry Smith an sich

Festschrift in Honor of Barry Smith on the occasion of his 65th Birthday. Published as issue 4:4 of the journal Cosmos + Taxis: Studies in Emergent Order and Organization. Includes contributions by Wolfgang Grassl, Nicola Guarino, John T. Kearns, Rudolf Lüthe, Luc Schneider, Peter Simons, Wojciech Żełaniec, and Jan Woleński

Collectio Mineralium

This work is the critical edition of the catalog of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold’s II mineralogical collection. The volume, unpublished and preserved at the Historical Archives of the University of Firenze Museum System, dates to 1765 and describes 242 mineralogical specimens coming primarily from the current Slovak-Hungarian mining district. This edition gives the transcription of the German manuscript and its translation into English together with an organized system of notation to illustrate the complex history of the text, the characterization of the mineralogical species, and the geographical location of the mineral extraction sites. This work represents to date the only published catalog of a mineralogical collection belonging to a member of the Habsburg-Lorraine family

Archaeometallurgical investigation of a Late Bronze Age hoard from Mahrersdorf in Lower Austria

Abstract Chemical and lead isotope analyses show that the 13 objects from the Mahrersdorf hoard (Ha B1; 11th century BCE) were primarily made from two distinct copper alloys that derived from fahlore. A third group, represented by one object, a median-winged axe, was made from recycled Osenring copper and deposited ca. 150–200 years after its manufacture. At the time, the region was surrounded by several competing copper mines located in southeastern Lower Austria, the Slovak Ore Mountains, and the Kőszeg-Guns-Mountains; other than some deposits in the Slovak Ore Mountains, the ores in these mines lack chemical and lead isotopic characterizations, which precludes their direct use in provenancing. The Mahrersdorf hoard contains several axes belonging to two typological groups: end-winged and socketed axes made in the central and southeastern European traditions, respectively. Analyses show that the two groups coincide with the chemistry of each fahlore copper alloy. Metallographic analyses identified that the bronze objects represent four different stages in the production process: ingots, cast objects without edge hardening, finished objects with edge hardening, and one recycled object. Three socketed axes with T-decoration were deserving of special attention, since they were cast in the same mould

Prevalence of comorbidities in rheumatoid arthritis and evaluation of their monitoring: results of an international, cross-sectional study (COMORA)

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of developing comorbid conditions.<p></p> Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities and compare their management in RA patients from different countries worldwide.<p></p> Methods Study design: international, cross-sectional. Patients: consecutive RA patients. Data collected: demographics, disease characteristics (activity, severity, treatment), comorbidities (cardiovascular, infections, cancer, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, osteoporosis and psychiatric disorders).<p></p> Results: Of 4586 patients recruited in 17 participating countries, 3920 were analysed (age, 56±13 years; disease duration, 10±9 years (mean±SD); female gender, 82%; DAS28 (Disease Activity Score using 28 joints)–erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 3.7±1.6 (mean±SD); Health Assessment Questionnaire, 1.0±0.7 (mean±SD); past or current methotrexate use, 89%; past or current use of biological agents, 39%. The most frequently associated diseases (past or current) were: depression, 15%; asthma, 6.6%; cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke), 6%; solid malignancies (excluding basal cell carcinoma), 4.5%; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 3.5%. High intercountry variability was observed for both the prevalence of comorbidities and the proportion of subjects complying with recommendations for preventing and managing comorbidities. The systematic evaluation of comorbidities in this study detected abnormalities in vital signs, such as elevated blood pressure in 11.2%, and identified conditions that manifest as laboratory test abnormalities, such as hyperglycaemia in 3.3% and hyperlipidaemia in 8.3%.<p></p> Conclusions: Among RA patients, there is a high prevalence of comorbidities and their risk factors. In this multinational sample, variability among countries was wide, not only in prevalence but also in compliance with recommendations for preventing and managing these comorbidities. Systematic measurement of vital signs and laboratory testing detects otherwise unrecognised comorbid conditions.<p></p&gt

High specific activity of radium isotopes in baryte from the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Basin- An example of spontaneous mine water treatment

Radium-bearing barytes (radiobarytes) have been known since the beginning of the 20th century. They are mainly found as precipitates of low-temperature hydrothermal solutions. In anthropogenic environments, they frequently occur as crusts on oil industry equipment used for borehole extraction, in leachates from uranium mill tailings, and as a by-product of phosphoric acid manufacturing. Recently, we recognized Ra-rich baryte as a precipitate in the water drainage system of a bituminous coal mine in the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Basin. The precipitate is a relatively pure baryte, with the empirical formula (Ba0.934Sr0.058Ca0.051Mg0.003)(Sigma 1.046)S0.985O4.000. The mean specific activity of Ra-226 was investigated by the two-sample method and it equals 39.62(22) Bq/g, a level that exceeds known natural occurrences. The values for Ra-228 and Ra-224 are 23.39(26) Bq/g and 11.03(25) Bq/g. The radium content in the baryte is 1.071 ng/g. It is clear that the Ra-rich baryte results from the mixing of two different mine waters-brines rich in Ba, Sr, and isotopes Ra-226 and Ra-228 and waters that are affected by sulfide weathering in mine works. When this mixing occurs in surface watercourses, it could present a serious problem due to the half-life of Ra-226, which is 1600 years. If such mixing spontaneously happens in a mine, then the environmental risks will be much lower and will be, to a great, extent eliminated after the closure of the mine.Web of Science102art. no. 10

Enhancement of confined blasting of ore

Underground mining of ore deposits features worsening of geological and geotechnical conditions, exclusive standards of environmental protection and subsoil conservation as well as more stringent requirements of life safety in the influence zones of mining. This study focuses on higher efficiency of confined blasting through justification of blast design with regard to a required grain-size composition of broken ore (average linear size of ore particle after confined blasting) and safety of guarded objects in terms of industrial and residential infrastructure in the influence zone of mining (the Ingul River underflow, domestic buildings and social framework objects in the settlement of Kizelgur in the suburb of the Kropyvnytskyi city, Ukraine, etc.). The study used analytical, mathematical, in-mine, laboratory and experimental research methods, mathematical and physical modeling, as well as the analysis and assessment of the confined blasting technologies, implementation analysis of pilot confined blasting at the preset grain-size composition, and the analysis of geological and geomechanical conditions on Level 280–210 m in the Michurin deposit (Ukraine) by standard and new procedures (developed with participation of the present article authors). The novelty of this study is justification of the ratio of fragmentation by confined blasting as 1.2–1.3. The fragmentation ratio is one of the main parameters in calculation of length of a section composed of layers (rows). After confined blasting in such section, fragmentation is limiting and equals on average 3.0 kg/m3 at rock hardness of 12–18 and more on Protodyakonov’s scale. As a result of the implemented research, a seismically safe confined blasting technology was developed to be applied in extraction of ore bodies 1, 4, 5 and 10, as well as residual reserves on level 280–210 m of the Michurin deposit. The ecological and social efficiency of the engineering solutions is evaluated

Species richness in dry grassland patches of eastern Austria: A multi-taxon study on the role of local, landscape and habitat quality variables

AbstractAccording to island biogeography theory, the species richness of patches is determined by their size and spatial isolation, while in conservation practice, it is patch quality that determines protection and guides management. We analysed whether size, isolation or habitat quality are most important for the species richness in a set of 50 dry grassland fragments in agricultural landscapes of eastern Austria. We studied two plant taxa (vascular plants, bryophytes) and 11 invertebrate taxa (gastropods, spiders, springtails, grasshoppers, true bugs, leafhoppers and planthoppers, ground beetles, rove beetles, butterflies and burnets, ants and wild bees). The species richness of three categories was analysed: (1) dry grassland specialist species, (2) all grassland species and (3) all species. We used regression and hierarchical partitioning techniques to determine the relationship between species richness and environmental variables describing patch size and shape, patch quality, landscape configuration and landscape quality. The area-isolation paradigm was only applicable for dry grassland specialists, which comprised 12% of all species. Richness of all grassland species was determined mostly by landscape heterogeneity parameters. Total species richness was highly influenced by spillover from adjacent biotopes, and was significantly determined by the percentage of arable land bordering the patches. When analysing all taxa together, species richness of dry grassland specialists was significantly related to historical patch size but not to current patch size, indicating an extinction debt. At the landscape scale, the variable ‘short-grass area’ was a better predictor than the less specific variable ‘area of extensively used landscape elements’. ‘Distance to mainland’ was a good predictor for specialists of mobile animal taxa. Plant specialists showed a pronounced dependence on quality measures at the patch scale and at the landscape scale, whereas animal specialists were influenced by patch size, patch quality, landscape quality and isolation measures. None of the taxa benefited from linear structures in the surroundings. In conclusion, high patch quality and a network of high-quality areas in the surrounding landscape should be the best conservation strategy to ensure conservation of dry grassland specialists. This goal does not conflict with the specific demands of single taxa