Kulturelna i metagenomska identifikacija mikrobioma kod supkliničkog mastitisa u krava.

Metagenomic and traditional microbial culture based analyses of milk samples from cows harbouring subclinical mastitis pathogens were carried out to identify the microbial community structure of milk. A total of 77 Triple cross (TP), Kankrej and Gir lactating cows and 301 quarters were screened for subclinical mastitis. A total of 106 isolates belonging to five different microbial genera were recovered from 91 quarters of 41 cows, including 15 quarters having mixed bacterial infections by cultural examination. Pyrosequencing readings obtained from the breed wise pooled DNA of subclinical mastitis milk samples were analyzed using the SEED subsystem database of Meta Genome Rapid Annotation with Subsystem Technology (MG-RAST). Among the five genera, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus and Escherichia, detected in the subclinical mastitis milk samples by culture based methods, four genera, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Escherichia, were identified in the corresponding pyrosequencing data, while Micrococcus was not found. In contrast, the pyrosequencing yielded 28 bacterial species, of which only two species, S. aureus and E. coli, were identified by the cultural method. S. agalactiae, the third species identified by cultural method, was not found in the pyrosequencing data. Metagenomic analysis additionally identified 19 genera and 26 species in comparison with the routine cultural methods. Many of the fastidious / anaerobic bacterial organisms, which are difficult to cultivate by routine methods, were identified by metagenomic analyses.Radi identifikacije mikrobne zajednice u mlijeku provedena je metagenomska i uobičajena kulturelna pretraga uzoraka mlijeka krava sa supkliničkim mastitisom. Ukupno je 77 trostruko križanih Kankrej i Gir mliječnih krava i 301 četvrt vimena bilo pretraženo na supklinički mastitis. Izdvojeno je bilo 106 izolata svrstanih u pet različitih rodova iz 91 četvrti od 41 krave uključujući i 15 četvrti kod kojih je kulturelnom pretragom bila ustanovljena mješovita bakterijska infekcija. Sljedovi mješavine DNA izdvojeni iz uzoraka mlijeka kod supkliničkog mastitisa očitani pirosekvenciranjem bili su analizirani po podsustavu SEED baze podataka „Meta Genome Rapid Annotation with Subsystem Technology (MG-RAST)“. Iz pretraženih uzoraka mlijeka bilo je izdvojeno pet rodova: Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus i Escherichia. Četiri su bila dokazana postupkom pirosekvenciranja: Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus i Escherichia, dok Micrococcus nije bio dokazan. S druge strane, pirosekvenciranjem je bilo dokazano 28 bakterijskih vrsta, od kojih su samo dvije, S. aureus i E. coli, bile dokazane klasičnom kulturelnom pretragom. S. agalactiae, treća vrsta identificirana kulturelnom pretragom nije bila dokazana postupkom pirosekvenciranja. Metagenomskom analizom dodatno je bilo dokazano 19 rodova i 26 vrsta u usporedbi s rutinskom kulturelnom pretragom. Mnoge anaerobne bakterije, koje je vrlo teško uzgojiti rutinskim metodama, bile su identificirane metagenomskom analizom

Spring cleaning as a safety risk: results of a population-based study in two consecutive years

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spring cleaning is a popular tradition in Iran as well as in many other countries. The purpose of our study was to determine the pattern and compare the incidence of spring cleaning related injuries in Tehran, in the years 2007 and 2008.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the year 2007, a household survey was performed in Tehran by random cluster sampling. The survey was repeated in May 2008 with the same clusters and starting points, but different households. The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries, the age and sex of injured person(s), the mechanism, type and cost of injuries were recorded through semi-structured interviews. The incidence rates of injuries and injuries leading to health visits (severe) according to sex and age groups were calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA statistical softwares.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of all and severe spring cleaning related injuries were 3.8 (3.0 - 4.8) and 1.6 (1.1-2.3) per 1000, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injuries were falls, followed by cutting and lifting heavy objects or overexertion. Falls were also the main mechanism of severe injuries. The most common injuries were open wounds, followed by superficial injuries (including contusions) and sprain and strain. Among severe injuries, the most frequent injuries were open wounds and contusions, followed by dislocations. The injuries were most common among women with an incidence of about 8.4 per 1000 in women older than 18 years of age (severe injuries: 3.4 per 1000 (2.2-5.1)).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries is high enough to raise concern in health system authorities. It could be estimated that about 23,927 to 38,283 persons get injured during the spring cleaning in Tehran at the beginning of every Persian new year. In addition, about 8,773-18,344 of these cases are expected to be severe enough to lead to medical attention (considering 7,975,679 as the population of Tehran at the time of study). Improving awareness of families, especially young women, regarding the scope and importance of spring cleaning safety can be suggested as the first population-based strategy to decrease the incidence of these injuries.</p

Measurement of ambient radon progeny decay rates and energy spectra in liquid argon using the MicroBooNE detector

We report measurements of radon progeny in liquid argon within the MicroBooNE time projection chamber (LArTPC). The presence of specific radon daughters in MicroBooNE’s 85 metric tons of active liquid argon bulk is probed with newly developed charge-based low-energy reconstruction tools and analysis techniques to detect correlated $^{214}Bi−^{214}Po$ radioactive decays. Special datasets taken during periods of active radon doping enable new demonstrations of the calorimetric capabilities of single-phase neutrino LArTPCs for $$and$$ particles with electron-equivalent energies ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 MeV. By applying $^{214}Bi−^{214}Po$ detection algorithms to data recorded over a 46-day period, no statistically significant presence of radioactive $^214_Bi$ is detected, and a limit on the activity is placed at $<0.35 mBq/kg$ at the 95% confidence level. This bulk $^214Bi$ radiopurity limit—the first ever reported for a liquid argon detector incorporating liquid-phase purification—is then further discussed in relation to the targeted upper limit of $1 mBq/kg$ on bulk $^222Rn$ activity for the DUNE neutrino detector

Calibration of the charge and energy loss per unit length of the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber using muons and protons

We describe a method used to calibrate the position- and time-dependent response of the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber anode wires to ionization particle energy loss. The method makes use of crossing cosmic-ray muons to partially correct anode wire signals for multiple effects as a function of time and position, including cross-connected TPC wires, space charge effects, electron attachment to impurities, diffusion, and recombination. The overall energy scale is then determined using fully-contained beam-induced muons originating and stopping in the active region of the detector. Using this method, we obtain an absolute energy scale uncertainty of 2% in data. We use stopping protons to further refine the relation between the measured charge and the energy loss for highly-ionizing particles. This data-driven detector calibration improves both the measurement of total deposited energy and particle identification based on energy loss per unit length as a function of residual range. As an example, the proton selection efficiency is increased by 2% after detector calibration

Reconstruction and measurement of (100) MeV energy electromagnetic activity from π0 arrow γγ decays in the MicroBooNE LArTPC

We present results on the reconstruction of electromagnetic (EM) activity from photons produced in charged current νμ interactions with final state π0s. We employ a fully-automated reconstruction chain capable of identifying EM showers of (100) MeV energy, relying on a combination of traditional reconstruction techniques together with novel machine-learning approaches. These studies demonstrate good energy resolution, and good agreement between data and simulation, relying on the reconstructed invariant π0 mass and other photon distributions for validation. The reconstruction techniques developed are applied to a selection of νμ + Ar → μ + π0 + X candidate events to demonstrate the potential for calorimetric separation of photons from electrons and reconstruction of π0 kinematics

First application of a liquid argon time projection chamber for the search for intranuclear neutron-antineutron transitions and annihilation in 40 Ar using the MicroBooNE detector

We present a novel methodology to search for intranuclear neutron-antineutron transition (n⟶n̅) followed by n̅-nucleon annihilation within an 40Ar nucleus, using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detector. A discovery of n⟶n̅ transition or a new best limit on the lifetime of this process would either constitute physics beyond the Standard Model or greatly constrain theories of baryogenesis, respectively. The approach presented in this paper makes use of deep learning methods to select n⟶n̅ events based on their unique features and differentiate them from cosmogenic backgrounds. The achieved signal and background efficiencies are (70.22 ± 6.04)% and (0.0020 ± 0.0003)%, respectively. A demonstration of a search is performed with a data set corresponding to an exposure of 3.32 ×1026 neutron-years, and where the background rate is constrained through direct measurement, assuming the presence of a negligible signal. With this approach, no excess of events over the background prediction is observed, setting a demonstrative lower bound on the n⟶n̅ lifetime in 40Ar of τm ≳ 1.1×1026 years, and on the free n⟶n̅ transition time of τn⟶n̅ ≳ 2.6×105 s, each at the 90% confidence level. This analysis represents a first-ever proof-of-principle demonstration of the ability to search for this rare process in LArTPCs with high efficiency and low background

Measurement of nuclear effects in neutrino-argon interactions using generalized kinematic imbalance variables with the MicroBooNE detector

We present a set of new generalized kinematic imbalance variables that can be measured in neutrino scattering. These variables extend previous measurements of kinematic imbalance on the transverse plane and are more sensitive to modeling of nuclear effects. We demonstrate the enhanced power of these variables using simulation and then use the MicroBooNE detector to measure them for the first time. We report flux-integrated single- and double-differential measurements of charged-current muon neutrino scattering on argon using a topology with one muon and one proton in the final state as a function of these novel kinematic imbalance variables. These measurements allow us to demonstrate that the treatment of charged current quasielastic interactions in genie version 2 is inadequate to describe data. Further, they reveal tensions with more modern generator predictions particularly in regions of phase space where final state interactions are important

Effect of Body Mass Index on work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational stress of computer workers in a developed ergonomic setup

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Work urgency, accuracy and demands compel the computer professionals to spend longer hours before computers without giving importance to their health, especially body weight. Increase of body weight leads to improper Body Mass Index (BMI) may aggravate work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational-psychosocial stress. The objective of the study was to find out the effect of BMI on work related musculoskeletal discomforts and occupational stress of computer workers in a developed ergonomic setup.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A descriptive inferential study has been taken to analyze the effect of BMI on work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational-psychosocial stress. A total of 100 computer workers, aged 25-35 years randomly selected on convenience from software and BPO companies in Bangalore city, India for the participation in this study. BMI was calculated by taking the ratio of the subject's height (in meter) and weight (in kilogram). Work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational stress of the subjects was assessed by Cornell University's musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire (CMDQ) and occupational stress index (OSI) respectively as well as a relationship was checked with their BMI.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A significant association (p < 0.001) was seen among high BMI subjects with their increase scores of musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational stress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From this study, it has been concluded that, there is a significant effect of BMI in increasing of work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational-psychosocial stress among computer workers in a developed ergonomic setup.</p

Identification of priority health conditions for field-based screening in urban slums in Bangalore, India

BACKGROUND: Urban slums are characterised by unique challenging living conditions, which increase their inhabitants' vulnerability to specific health conditions. The identification and prioritization of the key health issues occurring in these settings is essential for the development of programmes that aim to enhance the health of local slum communities effectively. As such, the present study sought to identify and prioritise the key health issues occurring in urban slums, with a focus on the perceptions of health professionals and community workers, in the rapidly growing city of Bangalore, India. METHODS: The study followed a two-phased mixed methods design. During Phase I of the study, a total of 60 health conditions belonging to four major categories: - 1) non-communicable diseases; 2) infectious diseases; 3) maternal and women's reproductive health; and 4) child health - were identified through a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews conducted with health professionals and other relevant stakeholders with experience working with urban slum communities in Bangalore. In Phase II, the health issues were prioritised based on four criteria through a consensus workshop conducted in Bangalore. RESULTS: The top health issues prioritized during the workshop were: diabetes and hypertension (non-communicable diseases category), dengue fever (infectious diseases category), malnutrition and anaemia (child health, and maternal and women's reproductive health categories). Diarrhoea was also selected as a top priority in children. These health issues were in line with national and international reports that listed them as top causes of mortality and major contributors to the burden of diseases in India. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will be used to inform the development of technologies and the design of interventions to improve the health outcomes of local communities. Identification of priority health issues in the slums of other regions of India, and in other low and lower middle-income countries, is recommended