Using Real-Time PCR to Investigate Some of Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Streptococcus agalactiae Isolates from ewe Mastitis cases in Nineveh province

هذه الدراسة ، من بين مجموعه 856 حالة من حالات التهاب الضرع في النعاج المرضعة ، أظهرت 34 عزلة فقط من المكورات العقدية اكالكشيا أنواعًا مختلفة من المقاومة لثلاثة أنواع من المضادات الحيوية (البنسلين والإيثروميسين والتتراسيكلين). تم التعرف على عزلات المكورات العقدية اكالكشيا وفقًا للطرق القياسية, بما في ذلك تقنية جديدة مقترحة باستخدام الاكار الكروموجيني المتخصص. حيث حددت المقاومة البكتيرية للمضادات الحيوية باستخدام مقايسة الصفيحة الميكروية (بطريقة التخفيف). أيضا، تم استخدام  تقنية تقنية الوقت الحقيقي لتفاعل سلسلة البوليمر, حيث تم تحديد أن هناك ثلاثة مقاومة لمورثات الجينات (pbp2b  وtetO و mefA). اظهرت النتائج نسبة التتراسيكلين (20.59%) مرتفعة من بين العزلات التي تحمل جين واحد، يليها نسبة البنسلين (17.65%), بينما أدنى نسبة كانت في الإريثروميسين (11.77%). مع ذلك,  كان هناك العديد من العزلات التي تحمل جينين  مقاومة للمضادات الحيوية يتمثل بـ البنسلين والاريثروميسين حيث تشكل  (38.22%), في حين كانت النسبة المئوية للبنسلين والتتراسيكلين( 11.77%). في المقابل ، لم يتم الكشف عن أي جين شائع مع اثنين من المضادات الحيوية (الاريثروميسين والتتراسيكلين). من ناحية أخرى ، لم يتم العثور على اي نتائج بالنسبة  لمشاركة مع ثلاثة أنواع من الجينات المقاومة للمضادات الحيوية معا ( pbp2bو tetO و mefA). كشفت هذه الدراسة أن عزلات المكورات العقدية اكالكشيا هي السبب الحقيقي وراء التهاب الضرع المتكرّر في النعاج العراقية المرضعة وخصوصاً في هذه الدراسة للبكتيريا التي تحمل جينات مقاومة للمضادات الحيوية المختلفة.In this study, from a total of 856 mastitis cases in lactating ewes, only 34 Streptococcus agalactiae isolates showed various types of resistance to three types of antibiotics (Penicillin, Erythromycin and Tetracycline). St. agalactiae isolates were identified according to the standard methods, including a new suggested technique called specific Chromogenic agar. It was found that antibiotic bacterial resistance was clearly identified by using MIC-microplate assay (dilution method). Also, by real-time PCR technique, it was determined that there were three antibiotics genes resistance ( pbp2b, tetO and mefA ). The high percentage of isolate carried of a single gene which was the Tetracycline (20.59%) followed by percentage Penicillin was (17.65%) and the lowest was in Erythromycin (11.77%). However, there were many isolates that carried two genes of antibiotics resistance represented by Penicillin and Erythromycin with collective present of 38.22%, and for the Penicillin and Tetracycline, the percentage was found to be 11.77%. In contrast, no common gene with two antibiotics (Erythromycin and  Tetracycline) was detected. On the other hand, it was found that no bacterial sharing with three kinds of antibiotic resistance genes ( pbp2b, tetO and mefA ). This study has revealed that the St. agalactiae isolates did induce recurrent mastitis in lactating Iraqi's ewes.&nbsp

Development and testing of the Active Temperature, Ozone and Moisture Microwave Spectrometer (ATOMMS) cm and mm wavelength occultation instrument

We present initial results from testing a new remote sensing system called the Active Temperature, Ozone and Moisture Microwave Spectrometer (ATOMMS). ATOMMS is designed as a satellite-to-satellite occultation system for monitoring climate. We are developing the prototype instrument for an aircraft to aircraft occultation demonstration. Here we focus on field testing of the ATOMMS instrument, in particular the remote sensing of water by measuring the attenuation caused by the 22 GHz and 183 GHz water absorption lines. Our measurements of the 183 GHz line spectrum along an 820 m path revealed that the AM 6.2 spectroscopic model provdes a much better match to the observed spectrum than the MPM93 model. These comparisons also indicate that errors in the ATOMMS amplitude measurements are about 0.3%. Pressure sensitivity bodes well for ATOMMS as a climate instrument. Comparisons with a hygrometer revealed consistency at the 0.05 mb level, which is about 1% of the absolute humidity. Initial measurements of absorption by the 22 GHz line made along a 5.4 km path between two mountaintops captured a large increase in water vapor similar to that measured by several nearby hygrometers. A storm passage between the two instruments yielded our first measurements of extinction by rain and cloud droplets. Comparisons of ATOMMS 1.5 mm opacity measurements with measured visible opacity and backscatter from a weather radar revealed features simultaneously evident in all three datasets confirming the ATOMMS measurements. The combined ATOMMS, radar and visible information revealed the evolution of rain and cloud amounts along the signal path during the passage of the storm. The derived average cloud water content reached typical continental cloud amounts. These results demonstrated a significant portion of the information content of ATOMMS and its ability to penetrate through clouds and rain which is critical to its all-weather, climate monitoring capability

The effect of the menstrual cycle on physical characteristics (speed, strength, and endurance) in women in Saudi Arabia

The increasing participation of women in sports has raised interest in understanding how the menstrual cycle, specifically estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), affects athletic performance. These hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, which is divided into the early follicular phase, ovulatory period, and mid-luteal phase, each with distinct hormonal profiles. While estrogen is believed to have an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle and influence substrate metabolism, progesterone may have an antiestrogenic effect, potentially affecting physical performance. However, research on the impact of these hormone fluctuations on performance yields contradictory results. Some studies report improved performance during various menstrual cycle phases, while others find no significant differences. Additionally, the effects of oral contraceptives (OCPs) on muscle strength and function remain unclear. Menopause, characterized by a decline in skeletal muscle mass and bone density, is associated with reduced physical performance in women. More research is needed to understand the effects of estrogen and progesterone fluctuations on physical performance in women, emphasizing the importance of gender-specific research and guidelines for optimizing athletic performance.

Driving the expression of the Salmonella enterica sv Typhimurium flagellum using flhDC from Escherichia coli results in key regulatory and cellular differences

The flagellar systems of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica exhibit a significant level of genetic and functional synteny. Both systems are controlled by the flagellar specific master regulator FlhD4C2. Since the early days of genetic analyses of flagellar systems it has been known that E. coli flhDC can complement a ∆flhDC mutant in S. enterica. The genomic revolution has identified how genetic changes to transcription factors and/or DNA binding sites can impact the phenotypic outcome across related species. We were therefore interested in asking: using modern tools to interrogate flagellar gene expression and assembly, what would the impact be of replacing the flhDC coding sequences in S. enterica for the E. coli genes at the flhDC S. entercia chromosomal locus? We show that even though all strains created are motile, flagellar gene expression is measurably lower when flhDCEC are present. These changes can be attributed to the impact of FlhD4C2 DNA recognition and the protein-protein interactions required to generate a stable FlhD4C2 complex. Furthermore, our data suggests that in E. coli the internal flagellar FliT regulatory feedback loop has a marked difference with respect to output of the flagellar systems. We argue due diligence is required in making assumptions based on heterologous expression of regulators and that even systems showing significant synteny may not behave in exactly the same manner

Enteric dysbiosis and fecal calprotectin expression in premature infants.

BackgroundPremature infants often develop enteric dysbiosis with a preponderance of Gammaproteobacteria, which has been related to adverse clinical outcomes. We investigated the relationship between increasing fecal Gammaproteobacteria and mucosal inflammation, measured by fecal calprotectin (FC).MethodsStool samples were collected from very-low-birth weight (VLBW) infants at ≤2, 3, and 4 weeks' postnatal age. Fecal microbiome was surveyed using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA, and FC was measured by enzyme immunoassay.ResultsWe enrolled 45 VLBW infants (gestation 27.9 ± 2.2 weeks, birth weight 1126 ± 208 g) and obtained stool samples at 9.9 ± 3, 20.7 ± 4.1, and 29.4 ± 4.9 days. FC was positively correlated with the genus Klebsiella (r = 0.207, p = 0.034) and its dominant amplicon sequence variant (r = 0.290, p = 0.003), but not with the relative abundance of total Gammaproteobacteria. Klebsiella colonized the gut in two distinct patterns: some infants started with low Klebsiella abundance and gained these bacteria over time, whereas others began with very high Klebsiella abundance.ConclusionIn premature infants, FC correlated with relative abundance of a specific pathobiont, Klebsiella, and not with that of the class Gammaproteobacteria. These findings indicate a need to define dysbiosis at genera or higher levels of resolution

Mapping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Genetic Diversity Profiles in Tanzania and Other African Countries

The aim of this study was to assess and characterize Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) genotypic diversity in Tanzania, as well as in neighbouring East and other several African countries. We used spoligotyping to identify a total of 293 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates (one isolate per patient) collected in the Bunda, Dar es Salaam, Ngorongoro and Serengeti areas in Tanzania. The results were compared with results in the SITVIT2 international database of the Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe. Genotyping and phylogeographical analyses highlighted the predominance of the CAS, T, EAI, and LAM MTBC lineages in Tanzania. The three most frequent Spoligotype International Types (SITs) were: SIT21/CAS1-Kili (n = 76; 25.94%), SIT59/LAM11-ZWE (n = 22; 7.51%), and SIT126/EAI5 tentatively reclassified as EAI3-TZA (n = 18; 6.14%). Furthermore, three SITs were newly created in this study (SIT4056/EAI5 n = 2, SIT4057/T1 n = 1, and SIT4058/EAI5 n = 1). We noted that the East-African-Indian (EAI) lineage was more predominant in Bunda, the Manu lineage was more common among strains isolated in Ngorongoro, and the Central-Asian (CAS) lineage was more predominant in Dar es Salaam (p-value<0.0001). No statistically significant differences were noted when comparing HIV status of patients vs. major lineages (p-value = 0.103). However, when grouping lineages as Principal Genetic Groups (PGG), we noticed that PGG2/3 group (Haarlem, LAM, S, T, and X) was more associated with HIV-positive patients as compared to PGG1 group (Beijing, CAS, EAI, and Manu) (p-value = 0.03). This study provided mapping of MTBC genetic diversity in Tanzania (containing information on isolates from different cities) and neighbouring East African and other several African countries highlighting differences as regards to MTBC genotypic distribution between Tanzania and other African countries. This work also allowed underlining of spoligotyping patterns tentatively grouped within the newly designated EAI3-TZA lineage (remarkable by absence of spacers 2 and 3, and represented by SIT126) which seems to be specific to Tanzania. However, further genotyping information would be needed to confirm this specificity

Treatment outcomes of fixed-dose combination versus separate tablet regimens in pulmonary tuberculosis patients with or without diabetes in Qatar

Background: Tuberculosis is considered the second most common cause of death due to infectious agent. The currently preferred regimen for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, which has been used either as separate tablets (ST) or as fixed-dose combination (FDC). To date, no studies have compared both regimens in Qatar. We aim to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of FDC and ST regimen for treating PTB, in addition to comparing safety and efficacy of FDC and ST regimens in patients with diabetes treated for TB. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in two general hospitals in Qatar. Patients diagnosed with PTB received anti-tuberculosis medications (either as FDC or ST) administered by the nurse. Sputum smears were tested weekly. We assessed the time to negative sputum smear and incidence of adverse events among FDC and ST groups. Results: The study included 148 patients. FDC was used in 90 patients (61%). Effectiveness was not different between FDC and ST regimens as shown by mean time to sputum conversion (29.9 ± 18.3 vs. 35.6 ± 23 days, p = 0.12). Similarly, there was no difference in the incidence of adverse events, except for visual one that was higher in ST group. Among the 33 diabetic patients, 19 received the FDC and had faster sputum conversion compared to those who received ST (31 ± 12 vs. 49.4 ± 30.9 days, p = 0.05). Overall, diabetic patients needed longer time for sputum conversion and had more hepatotoxic and gastric adverse events compared to non-diabetics. Conclusion: ST group had higher visual side effects compared to FDC. FDC may be more effective in diabetic patients; however, further studies are required to confirm such finding.PublishedN/