Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in European Wildlife

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known colonizer and cause of infection among animals and it has been described from numerous domestic and wild animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in a convenience sample of European wildlife and to review what previously has been observed in the subject field. 124 S. aureus isolates were collected from wildlife in Germany, Austria and Sweden; they were characterized by DNA microarray hybridization and, for isolates with novel hybridization patterns, by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The isolates were assigned to 29 clonal complexes and singleton sequence types (CC1, CC5, CC6, CC7, CC8, CC9, CC12, CC15, CC22, CC25, CC30, CC49, CC59, CC88, CC97, CC130, CC133, CC398, ST425, CC599, CC692, CC707, ST890, CC1956, ST2425, CC2671, ST2691, CC2767 and ST2963), some of which (ST2425, ST2691, ST2963) were not described previously. Resistance rates in wildlife strains were rather low and mecA-MRSA isolates were rare (n = 6). mecC-MRSA (n = 8) were identified from a fox, a fallow deer, hares and hedgehogs. The common cattle- associated lineages CC479 and CC705 were not detected in wildlife in the present study while, in contrast, a third common cattle lineage, CC97, was found to be common among cervids. No Staphylococcus argenteus or Staphylococcus schweitzeri-like isolates were found. Systematic studies are required to monitor the possible transmission of human- and livestock- associated S. aureus/MRSA to wildlife and vice versa as well as the possible transmission, by unprotected contact to animals. The prevalence of S. aureus/MRSA in wildlife as well as its population structures in different wildlife host species warrants further investigation

Mupirocin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Mupirocin is widely used for nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus to prevent subsequent staphylococcal infection in patients and healthcare personnel. However, the prolonged and unrestricted use has led to the emergence of mupirocin-resistant (mupR) S. aureus. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence, phenotypic and molecular characteristics, and geographic spread of mupR S. aureus in Africa. Methods We examined five electronic databases (EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Scopus) for relevant English articles on screening for mupR S. aureus from various samples in Africa. In addition, we performed random effects meta-analysis of proportions to determine the pooled prevalence of mupR S. aureus in Africa. The search was conducted until 3 August 2016. Results We identified 43 eligible studies of which 11 (26%) were obtained only through Google Scholar. Most of the eligible studies (28/43; 65%) were conducted in Nigeria (10/43; 23%), Egypt (7/43; 16%), South Africa (6/43; 14%) and Tunisia (5/43; 12%). Overall, screening for mupR S. aureus was described in only 12 of 54 (22%) African countries. The disk diffusion method was the widely used technique (67%; 29/43) for the detection of mupR S. aureus in Africa. The mupA-positive S. aureus isolates were identified in five studies conducted in Egypt (n = 2), South Africa (n = 2), and Nigeria (n = 1). Low-level resistance (LmupR) and high-level resistance (HmupR) were both reported in six human studies from South Africa (n = 3), Egypt (n = 2) and Libya (n = 1). Data on mupR-MRSA was available in 11 studies from five countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria and South Africa. The pooled prevalence (based on 11 human studies) of mupR S. aureus in Africa was 14% (95% CI =6.8 to 23.2%). The proportion of mupA-positive S. aureus in Africa ranged between 0.5 and 8%. Furthermore, the frequency of S. aureus isolates that exhibited LmupR, HmupR and mupR-MRSA in Africa were 4 and 47%, 0.5 and 38%, 5 and 50%, respectively. Conclusions The prevalence of mupR S. aureus in Africa (14%) is worrisome and there is a need for data on administration and use of mupirocin. The disk diffusion method which is widely utilized in Africa could be an important method for the screening and identification of mupR S. aureus. Moreover, we advocate for surveillance studies with appropriate guidelines for screening mupR S. aureus in Africa

Estimating the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry using data from private and national companies

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-106).Modelling the long term prices for crude oil and natural gas has been a critical undertaking of many governments, companies, and analysts. The most important goal of this exercise is to effectively project the price of crude oil and natural gas to inform and shape today's decisions. Most long-run energy models in use today are unable to quantify properly a factor for supply growth due to technical change - a component that has played a significant role in the provision of access to newer streams of crude oil and natural gas - because the measurement of productivity and technical change at the oil and gas industry aggregate level are limited to a small set of studies for few countries. This thesis attempts to measure the rate of change in technical change for the oil and gas industry using data from private and national major companies. Publicly available financial data are aggregated from eight major producers over a time period of at least fifteen years for the national oil companies and forty five years for the private oil companies. The time period chosen effectively covers three distinct periods of different crude oil price behavior. Three productivity measurement methods are applied - the growth accounting, index number theory, and regression method - to measure for the rate of change in productivity and technical change for the private and national oil companies, and for the aggregate that allows to infer the rates for the entire industry. The thesis concludes that the rate of technical change for the industry can be assessed and it proposes a reasonably estimated range (1.4-1.7 per cent per year) that can be incorporated into long-run energy models. The thesis also presents insights to the drivers that influence the rate of growth. Finally, the thesis provides a dataset containing the information about output and labor and capital inputs for major oil and gas companies that can be used by researchers to enhance studies on the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry.by Tochukwu C. Akobi.S.M. in Engineering and Managemen

Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil protects against Bisphenol A‐induced testicular mitochondrial damages

Abstract There has been increasing search for the ameliorative properties of seed oils against toxicants. bisphenol A acts as an estrogenic endocrine‐disrupting chemical capable of causing male infertility. This study aimed to explore Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil effects against mitochondrial damage in rats using bisphenol A. Forty‐eight rats were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 6) of eight rats each and fed the same food and water for 6 weeks. The group A rats were given 1 mL olive oil, while the ones in group B were given bisphenol A at 100 mL/kg body weight via oral route. Group C received C. mannii seed oil 7.5 mL/kg body weight C. mannii seed oil, while group D, group E, and group F were pre‐administered bisphenol A at 100 mL/kg body weight, followed by treatment with C. mannii seed oil at 7.5, 5, and 2.5 mL/kg body weight, respectively. Antioxidant enzymes, glutathione, reactive oxygen species, testicular volume, malondialdehyde, body weight, and testicular studies were done using standard methods. The results of the bisphenol A‐administered group showed a significant decrease in the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione, body weight, and testicular volume with elevation in the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and testicular indices. BPA + CMSO‐treated group showed a significant increase in GPx activity compared with BPA‐exposed rats. CMSO treatment significantly increased catalase activity in comparison with that of rats exposed to BPA. Remarkably, C. mannii seed oil and bisphenol A co‐administration significantly reversed the abnormalities observed in the dysregulated biochemical biomarkers. Our findings suggest that C. mannii seed oil has considerable antioxidant potential which can be explored in therapeutic development against systemic toxicity induced by exposure to bisphenol A. Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil protects against bisphenol A‐induced testicular mitochondria damages

Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil protects against bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress in rats

From Oxford University Press via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2023-07-05, accepted 2023-10-11, epub 2023-10-20, cover 2024-01, collection 2024-01-01, corrected-typeset 2024-03-05Acknowledgements: We appreciate the management of the Department of Biochemistry Institutional Research Ethics Committee, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.Publication status: PublishedObjectives: This study looked at how Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil (CMSO) affected male Wistar albino rats’ liver damage caused by bisphenol A (BPA). Methods: The standard HPLC method was used to assess the CMSO’s phenolic content. Then, six (n = 8) groups of 48 male Wistar rats (150 20 g) each received either CMSO or olive oil before being exposed to BPA for 42 days. Groups: A (1 ml of olive oil, regardless of weight), B (BPA 100 mg/kg body weight (BW)), C (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW), D (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), E (CMSO 5.0 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), and F (CMSO 2.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW). Key findings: A surprising abundance of flavonoids, totalling 17.8006 10.95 g/100 g, were found in the HPLC data. Malondialdehyde, liver enzymes, reactive oxygen species, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels were all significantly elevated by BPA (P = 0.05). Additionally, nuclear factor-B, interleukin-6, interleukin-1, tumour necrosis factor, and histological alterations were all considerably (P = 0.05) caused by BPA. The altered biochemical markers and histology were, however, noticeably recovered by CMSO to a level that was comparable to the control. Conclusions: Due to the abundance of flavonoid components in the oil, CMSO protects the liver from BPA-induced hepatotoxicity by lowering oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions

<i>Cucumeropsis mannii</i> seed oil protects against bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress in rats

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2023-10-20, issued 2023-10-20Article version: AMPublication status: PublishedOBJECTIVES This study looked at how CMSO affected male Wistar albino rats' liver damage caused by bisphenol A. METHODS The standard HPLC method was used to assess the CMSO's phenolic content. Then, six (n = 8) groups of forty-eight (48) male Wistar rats (150 20 g) each received either CMSO or olive oil before being exposed to BPA for 42 days. Groups: A (one milliliter of olive oil, regardless of weight), B (BPA 100 mg/kg body weight (BW)), C (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW), D (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), E (CMSO 5.0 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), and F (CMSO 2.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW). KEY FINDINGS A surprising abundance of flavonoids, totaling 17.8006 10.95 g/100 g, were found in the HPLC data. Malondialdehyde, liver enzymes, reactive oxygen species, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels were all significantly elevated by BPA (p 0.05). Additionally, nuclear factor-B, interleukin-6, interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, and histological alterations were all considerably (p 0.05) caused by BPA. The altered biochemical markers and histology were, however, noticeably recovered by CMSO to a level that was comparable to the control. CONCLUSION Due to the abundance of flavonoid components in the oil, CMSO protects the liver from BPA-induced hepatotoxicity by lowering oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions