Predominant pathogen competition and core microbiota divergence in chronic airway infection

© 2015 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved. Chronic bacterial lung infections associated with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis represent a substantial and growing health-care burden. Where Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the numerically dominant species within these infections, prognosis is significantly worse. However, in many individuals, Haemophilus influenzae predominates, a scenario associated with less severe disease. The mechanisms that determine which pathogen is most abundant are not known. We hypothesised that the distribution of H. influenzae and P. aeruginosa would be consistent with strong interspecific competition effects. Further, we hypothesised that where P. aeruginosa is predominant, it is associated with a distinct 'accessory microbiota' that reflects a significant interaction between this pathogen and the wider bacterial community. To test these hypotheses, we analysed 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing data generated previously from 60 adult bronchiectasis patients, whose airway microbiota was dominated by either P. aeruginosa or H. influenzae. The relative abundances of the two dominant species in their respective groups were not significantly different, and when present in the opposite pathogen group the two species were found to be in very low abundance, if at all. These findings are consistent with strong competition effects, moving towards competitive exclusion. Ordination analysis indicated that the distribution of the core microbiota associated with each pathogen, readjusted after removal of the dominant species, was significantly divergent (analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), R=0.07, P=0.019). Taken together, these findings suggest that both interspecific competition and also direct and/or indirect interactions between the predominant species and the wider bacterial community may contribute to the predominance of P. aeruginosa in a subset of bronchiectasis lung infections

Postfire recovery of forest litter in Scots pine forests in two different regions of boreal zone.

Part I Climate ChangeInvestigations carried out in the Kola peninsula (northern taiga) and in the South-western part of Western Siberia (southern taiga and forest-steppe) revealed identical course of the postfire restoration process of forest litter thickness in Scots pine forests. Despite the differences in mean annual temperature (2 °C) and other climatic characteristics the recovery time for thickness of forest litter in both regions amounts to 90–100 years after fire in pine forests of lichen site type and 120–140 years – in green moss type; the thickness of forest litter therewith corresponds 3–4 cm and 7–8 cm respectively. That means that within the natural borders of pine forests, communities of a specific type possess uniform characteristics of restoration. On the basis of empirical data it appears that the predicted increase of mean annual temperature of earth surface by (2 °C) will not bring changes into the character of postfire recovery of forest litter thickness. It was shown that during the period of the recovery, which spans about 90 years after fire in pine forests of lichen and green moss–lichen site types and 140 years in ones of green moss site types, the rate of increasing of carbon store in the forest litter averaged 0.6 t ha–1 year–1, 0.1 t ha–1 year–1 and 0.2 t ha–1 year–1, respectively

Effects of ozone oxidative preconditioning on radiation-induced organ damage in rats

Because radiation-induced cellular damage is attributed primarily to harmful effects of free radicals, molecules with direct free radical scavenging properties are particularly promising as radioprotectors. It has been demonstrated that controlled ozone administration may promote an adaptation to oxidative stress, preventing the damage induced by reactive oxygen species. Thus, we hypothesized that ozone would ameliorate oxidative damage caused by total body irradiation (TBI) with a single dose of 6 Gy in rat liver and ileum tissues. Rats were randomly divided into groups as follows: control group; saline-treated and irradiated (IR) groups; and ozone oxidative preconditioning (OOP) and IR groups. Animals were exposed to TBI after a 5-day intraperitoneal pretreatment with either saline or ozone (1 mg/kg/day). They were decapitated at either 6 h or 72 h after TBI. Plasma, liver and ileum samples were obtained. Serum AST, ALT and TNF-? levels were elevated in the IR groups compared with the control group and were decreased after treatment with OOP. TBI resulted in a significant increase in the levels of MDA in the liver and ileal tissues and a decrease of SOD activities. The results demonstrated that the levels of MDA liver and ileal tissues in irradiated rats that were pretreated with ozone were significantly decreased, while SOD activities were significantly increased. OOP reversed all histopathological alterations induced by irradiation. In conclusion, data obtained from this study indicated that ozone could increase the endogenous antioxidant defense mechanism in rats and there by protect the animals from radiation-induced organ toxicity. © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

Madde bağimliliği olan hastada görülen miyokardiyal infarktüs

Amongst the illicit drugs, heroin, cocaine and cannabis have been studied and documented well to cause sudden death by different mechanisms. Cocaine-related myocardial infarction is well-known phenomenon. Heroin-induced myocardial infarction has been seldom reported. In this article we presented a case of drug abuse such as heroin, cocaine, bonsai and arrest after heroin injection with literature. A 28-year-old young male was brought to the emergency with sudden cardiac arrest after eroin injection intravenously. Myocardial infarction with left ventricular failure was diagnosed. Coronary angiography showed 100% occlusion of left ascending coronary artery. On day 7, cardiac arrest occured after recurrent attacks of ventricular fibrillation and resuscitation was unsuccessful

Madde bağimliliği ve miyokardiyal infarktüs

Amongst the illicit drugs, heroin, cocaine and cannabis have been studied and documented well to cause sudden death by different mechanisms. Cocaine-related myocardial infarction is a well-known phenomenon. Heroin-induced myocardial infarction has seldom beenreported. In this article we presented a case of drug abuse such as heroin, cocaine, bonsai and arrest after heroin injection with literature. A 28-year-old young male was brought to the emergency with sudden cardiac arrest after eroin injection intravenously. Myocardial infarction with left ventricular failure was diagnosed. Coronary angiography showed 100% occlusion of left ascending coronary artery. On day 7, cardiac arrest was occured after recurrent attacks of ventricular fibrillation and ressussitation was unsuccessful

Marine Applications of Natural Fibre-Reinforced Composites: A Manufacturing Case Study

The rising concern towards environmental issues and the need to find a realistic alternative to glass or carbon reinforced composites has led to an increased interest about polymer composites filled with natural-organic fillers, hence derived from renewable and biodegradable sources. The scope of this article is to raise awareness regarding the scientific and technological knowledge of the so-called green composite materials in order to support their larger application in a number of industry sectors. A general state of art of green composites is proposed, together with some experimental evidences on the mechanical proprieties for various ecological materials. As a practical demonstrator of this sustainable technology, the adoption of green composites as valid replacement of fiberglass in sailing and ships applications is also described here. This article will illustrate, in fact, step by step and in great detail, the Wet Lay-up Hand Laminating process used to realize a yacht deck hatch in ecological composite materials