Specific pathway abundances in the neonatal calf faecal microbiome are associated with susceptibility to Cryptosporidium parvum infection: a metagenomic analysis.

Cryptosporidium parvum is the main cause of calf scour worldwide. With limited therapeutic options and research compared to other Apicomplexa, it is important to understand the parasites' biology and interactions with the host and microbiome in order to develop novel strategies against this infection. The age-dependent nature of symptomatic cryptosporidiosis suggests a link to the undeveloped immune response, the immature intestinal epithelium, and its associated microbiota. This led us to hypothesise that specific features of the early life microbiome could predict calf susceptibility to C. parvum infection. In this study, a single faecal swab sample was collected from each calf within the first week of life in a cohort of 346 animals. All 346 calves were subsequently monitored for clinical signs of cryptosporidiosis, and calves that developed diarrhoea were tested for Rotavirus, Coronavirus, E. coli F5 (K99) and C. parvum by lateral flow test (LFT). A retrospective case–control approach was taken whereby a subset of healthy calves (Control group; n = 33) and calves that went on to develop clinical signs of infectious diarrhoea and test positive for C. parvum infection via LFT (Cryptosporidium-positive group; n = 32) were selected from this cohort, five of which were excluded due to low DNA quality. A metagenomic analysis was conducted on the faecal microbiomes of the control group (n = 30) and the Cryptosporidium-positive group (n = 30) prior to infection, to determine features predictive of cryptosporidiosis. Taxonomic analysis showed no significant differences in alpha diversity, beta diversity, and taxa relative abundance between controls and Cryptosporidium-positive groups. Analysis of functional potential showed pathways related to isoprenoid precursor, haem and purine biosynthesis were significantly higher in abundance in calves that later tested positive for C. parvum (q ≤ 0.25). These pathways are either absent or streamlined in the C. parvum parasites. Though the de novo production of isoprenoid precursors, haem and purines are absent, C. parvum has been shown to encode enzymes that catalyse the downstream reactions of these pathway metabolites, indicating that C. parvum may scavenge those products from an external source. The host has previously been put forward as the source of essential metabolites, but our study suggests that C. parvum may also be able to harness specific metabolic pathways of the microbiota in order to survive and replicate. This finding is important as components of these microbial pathways could be exploited as potential therapeutic targets for the prevention or mitigation of cryptosporidiosis in bovine neonates

Ab initio calculation of the neutron-proton mass difference

The existence and stability of atoms rely on the fact that neutrons are more massive than protons. The measured mass difference is only 0.14\% of the average of the two masses. A slightly smaller or larger value would have led to a dramatically different universe. Here, we show that this difference results from the competition between electromagnetic and mass isospin breaking effects. We performed lattice quantum-chromodynamics and quantum-electrodynamics computations with four nondegenerate Wilson fermion flavors and computed the neutron-proton mass-splitting with an accuracy of $300$ kilo-electron volts, which is greater than $0$ by $5$ standard deviations. We also determine the splittings in the $\Sigma$, $\Xi$, $D$ and $\Xi_{cc}$ isospin multiplets, exceeding in some cases the precision of experimental measurements.Comment: 57 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables, revised versio

ICON 2019: International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: Clinical Terminology

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Background Persistent tendon pain that impairs function has inconsistent medical terms that can influence choice of treatment.1 When a person is told they have tendinopathy by clinician A or tendinitis by clinician B, they might feel confused or be alarmed at receiving what they might perceive as two different diagnoses. This may lead to loss of confidence in their health professional and likely adds to uncertainty if they were to search for information about their condition. Clear and uniform terminology also assists inter-professional communication. Inconsistency in terminology for painful tendon disorders is a problem at numerous anatomical sites. Historically, the term ‘tendinitis’ was first used to describe tendon pain, thickening and impaired function (online supplementary figure S1). The term ‘tendinosis’ has also been used in a small number of publications, some of which were very influential.2 3 Subsequently, ‘tendinopathy’ emerged as the most common term for persistent tendon pain.4 5 To our knowledge, experts (clinicians and researchers) or patients have never engaged in a formal process to discuss the terminology we use. We believe that health professionals have not yet agreed on the appropriate terminology for painful tendon conditions.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Numerical simulation scheme of one-and two-dimensional neural fields involving space-dependent delays

International audienceNeural Fields describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of neural populations involving spatial axonal connections between neurons. These neuronal connections are delayed due to the finite axonal transmission speeds along the fibers inducing a distance-dependent delay between two spatial locations. The numerical simulation in 1-dimensional neural fields is numerically demanding but may be performed in a reasonable run time by implementing standard numerical techniques. However 2-dimensional neural fields demand a more sophisticated numerical technique to simulate solutions in a reasonable time. The work presented shows a recently developed numerical iteration scheme that allows to speed up standard implementations by a factor 10-20. Applications to some pattern forming systems illustrate the power of the technique

Potential for comparative public opinion research in public administration

The public administration and public services have always taken a marginal place in the political scientists’ behavioural research. Public administration students on the other hand tend to focus on political and administrative elites and institutions, and largely ignored citizens in comparative research. In this article we make a plea for international comparative research on citizens’ attitudes towards the public administration from an interdisciplinary perspective. Available international survey material is discussed, and main trends in empirical practice and theoretical approaches are outlined, especially those with a potential impact on public sector reform

Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with increased pancreatic beta cell function independent of fatness in individuals with the metabolic syndrome: Fitness versus fatness.

The vulnerability of individuals with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) to cardiovascular events (CVEs) is attenuated by increased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), despite the presence of obesity as a usual component of MetS. To better understand the importance of CRF and body fat in treating this condition, we investigated the relationship between fitness and fatness with pancreatic beta cell function (BCF) indices that are known independent predictors of CVEs. Cross sectional study. This study included 84 individuals with MetS. BCF indices were derived from a fasted steady state (basal disposition index [DI], proinsulin, proinsulin:insulin, and proinsulin:C-peptide) and dynamic conditions via an oral glucose tolerance test (1st and 2nd phase DI). CRF and body fat percentage (BF%) were assessed via indirect calorimetry (during a maximal exercise test) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, respectively. CRF was positively associated with basal DI (r=0.40, p<0.001), 1st phase DI (r=0.49, p<0.005), and 2nd phase DI (r=0.38, p=0.02). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed CRF was associated with basal DI (β=0.18, p=0.04), 1st phase DI (β=0.36, p=0.04), and 2nd phase DI (β=0.33, p=0.03), independent of BF% and other confounding factors including age, sex, diabetic status, anthropometric measures, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity. No significant associations were found between CRF and proinsulin measures. BF% was not significantly correlated with BCF indices. Increased CRF was independently associated with enhanced BCF. This study provides evidence that equal, if not more attention should be dedicated to CRF improvement relative to fat-loss for favorable pancreatic BCF and thus possible reduction in CV risk in individuals with MetS

Laparoscopic gastric banding surgery performed in obese dialysis patients prior to kidney transplantation

Obese patients with end-stage renal disease who receive a kidney transplant experience greater rates of posttransplantation diabetes, delayed graft function, and local wound complications. Many centers exclude obese patients from transplantation programs. Diet, exercise, and medication in general are not reliable weight loss options for patients with end-stage renal disease; hence, bariatric surgery should be considered. We report 3 patients who underwent laparoscopically adjustable gastric banding, which enabled sufficient weight loss to gain eligibility for kidney transplantation. All these patients subsequently underwent successful uncomplicated kidney transplantations. Am J Kidney Dis 52:e15-e17. (C) 2008 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc

Folate supplementation fails to affect vascular function and carotid artery intima media thickness in cyclosporin A-treated renal transplant recipients

Background: Cyclosporin A (CsA)-treated renal transplant recipients (RTR) exhibit relative hyperhomocystinemia and vascular dysfunction. Folate supplementation lowers homocysteine and has been shown to improve vascular function in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of 3 months of folate supplementation (5 mg/day) on vascular function and structure in RTR. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted in 10 CsA-treated RTR. Vascular structure was measured as carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) and function was assessed as changes in brachial artery diameter during reactive hyperemia (RE) and in response to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). Function data were analyzed as absolute and percent change from baseline and area under the diameter/time curve. Blood samples were collected before and after supplementation and analyzed for total plasma homocysteine, folate, vitamin B-12 and asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) in addition to regular measures of hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and serum creatinine. Results: Folate supplementation significantly increased plasma folate by 687% (p 0.05) in vitamin B 12 or ADMA. There were no significant (p > 0.05) changes in vascular structure or function during the placebo or the folate supplementation phases; IMT; placebo pre mean +/- SD, 0.52 +/- 0.12, post 0.50 +/- 0.11; folate pre 0.55 +/- 0.17, post 0.49 +/- 10.20 mm 5% change in brachial artery diameter (RH, placebo pre 10 +/- 8, post 6 +/- 5; folate pre 9 +/- 7, post 7 +/- 5; GTN, placebo pre 18 +/- 10, post 17 +/- 9, folate pre 16 +/- 9, post-supplementation 18 +/- 8). Conclusion: Three months of folate supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine but has no effect on endothelial function or carotid artery IMT in RTR