Chicken caecal enterotypes in indigenous Kadaknath and commercial Cobb chicken lines are associated with Campylobacter abundance and influenced by farming practices

Identifying farming practices that decrease susceptibility to infectious diseases and optimise food conversion efficiency is valuable for chicken welfare and productivity, the environment, and public health. Enterotypes can be used to define microbial community phenotypes that have differential, potentially significant impacts on gut health. In this study, we delineated enterotypes by analysing the microbiomes of 300 indigenous Kadaknath and 300 commercial Cobb400 broiler chickens raised across 60 farms in western India. Using a compositional data approach, we identified three distinct enterotypes: PA1 (n=290), PA2 (n=142) and PA3 (n=67). PA1 and PA2 clustered more closely with each other than with PA3, however, PA2 had significantly lower alpha diversity than PA1. PA1 had a high Firmicutes: Bacteroides ratio, was dominated by Faecalibacterium and had a higher abundance of Prevotellamassilia than other enterotypes. PA2 was characterised by its low alpha diversity, a high abundance of the common taxa Phascolarctobacterium A and Phocaeicola dorei and a significantly higher Campylobacter abundance than PA1. PA3 had the highest Bacteroidota abundance of the three enterotypes and was defined by high prevalence of lower abundance taxa such as CAG-831 and Mucispirillum schaedleri. Network analysis showed that all enterotypes have different proportions of competing Firmicutes-dominant and Bacteroidota-dominant guilds. Random Forest Modelling using defined farm characteristics was predictive for enterotype. Factors affecting enterotype include whether farms were open, enclosed or caged, the location of farms, whether visitors were allowed inside, the number of people in contact with the chickens, chicken line, the presence of dogs and whether flock thinning took place. This study suggests that enterotypes are influenced by farming practices, hence modification of practices could potentially be used to reduce the burden of zoonotic pathogens such as Campylobacter

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Acute aluminium phosphide poisoning, what is new?

Aluminium phosphide (AlP) is a cheap solid fumigant and a highly toxic pesticide that is commonly used for grain preservation. AlP has currently generated interest with increasing number of cases in the past four decades because of its increased use for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes, and also its easy availability in the markets has led to its increased misuse to commit suicide. Ingestion is usually suicidal in intent, uncommonly accidental and rarely homicidal. The poison affects all systems, shock, cardiac arrhythmias with varied ECG changes and gastrointestinal features being the most prominent. Diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical suspicion, a positive silver nitrate paper test to phosphine, and gastric aspirate and viscera biochemistry. Treatment includes early gastric lavage with potassium permanganate or a combination of coconut oil and sodium bicarbonate, administration of charcoal and palliative care. Specific therapy includes intravenous magnesium sulphate and oral coconut oil. Unfortunately, the lack of a specific antidote Results in very high mortality and the key to treatment lies in rapid decontamination and institution of resuscitative measures. This article aims to identify the salient features and mechanism of AlP poisoning along with its management strategies and prognostic variables

Synthesis and <i style="">in vitro</i> antibacterial activity of <i style="">N</i>-alkyl and <i style="">N</i>-aryl piperazine derivatives

196-200A series of N-alkyl and N-aryl substituted piperazine derivatives have been synthesized in order to evaluate their antibacterial activity against four Gram-positive (Streptococcus mutans MTCC 890, Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 121, Staphylococcus epidermidis MTCC 435) and one Gram-negative (Escherichia coli MTCC 723) bacteria by disc diffusion and microbroth dilution methods. These compounds have been characterized by their MS, IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectral data. The benzyl piperazine derivatives 2-(4-benzylpiperazin-1-yl)-1-p-tolylethanone  and 2-(4-benzylpiperazin-1-yl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) ethanone show remarkable antibacterial activity even at low concentration against S. epidermidis, S. mutans and B. subtilis bacterial strains and are even close to the standard antibiotic, ampicillin. Furthermore, benzyl substitution increases antibacterial activity as compared to methyl and phenyl substituents under identical conditions

The effect of addition of interstitial brachytherapy for improving the local control rate in advanced carcinoma of cervix

[no abstract available

Transcriptomic comparison of primary bovine horn core carcinoma culture and parental tissue at early stage

Aim: Squamous cell carcinoma or SCC of horn in bovines (bovine horn core carcinoma) frequently observed in Bos indicus affecting almost 1% of cattle population. Freshly isolated primary epithelial cells may be closely related to the malignant epithelial cells of the tumor. Comparison of gene expression in between horn’s SCC tissue and its early passage primary culture using next generation sequencing was the aim of this study. Materials and Methods: Whole transcriptome sequencing of horn’s SCC tissue and its early passage cells using Ion Torrent PGM were done. Comparative expression and analysis of different genes and pathways related to cancer and biological processes associated with malignancy, proliferating capacity, differentiation, apoptosis, senescence, adhesion, cohesion, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metabolic pathways were identified. Results: Up-regulated genes in SCC of horn’s early passage cells were involved in transporter activity, catalytic activity, nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity, biogenesis, cellular processes, biological regulation and localization and the down-regulated genes mainly were involved in focal adhesion, extracellular matrix receptor interaction and spliceosome activity. Conclusion: The experiment revealed similar transcriptomic nature of horn’s SCC tissue and its early passage cells

Evaluation and optimization of DNA extraction methods for benthic foraminifera from the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, India

288-292India has a vast coastline of 7460 km and prolific presence of foraminifers which are significant paleoclimatic proxies. However, no research has been carried out to extract genomic DNA from foraminifer and sequencing it for DNA barcoding. To initiate molecular study on benthic foraminifers from the Gulf of Kachchh, India, we tested out various kits based protocols and extract the foraminiferal DNA from Ammonia sp. Though most of the earlier methods yielded moderate amount of mean genomic DNA yield (0.87-9.07 ng/µL) they failed to amplify the DNA. Possibly, this is the first attempt in India wherein standardization of foraminiferal DNA extraction and PCR amplification is performed. This standardized protocol (modified protocol) yielded the highest quantity of mean genomic DNA yield (28.41 ng/µL) and its PCR amplification was also successful

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Not AvailableEnvironmental temperature is one of the important abiotic factors that influence the normal physiological function and productive performance of dairy cattle. Temperature stress evokes complex responses that are essential for safeguarding of cellular integrity and animal health. Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by miRNA plays a key role cellular stress responses. The present study investigated the differential expression of miRNA in Frieswal (Holstein Friesian × Sahiwal) crossbred dairy cattle that are distinctly adapted to environmental temperature stress as they were evolved by using the temperate dairy breed Holstein Friesian. The results indicated that there was a significant variation in the physiological and biochemical indicators estimated under summer stress. The differential expression of miRNA was observed under heat stress when compared to the normal winter season. Out of the total 420 miRNAs, 65 were differentially expressed during peak summer temperatures. Most of these miRNAs were found to target heat shock responsive genes especially members of heat shock protein (HSP) family, and network analysis revealed most of them having stress-mediated effects on signaling mechanisms. Being greater in their expression profile during peak summer, bta-miR-2898 was chosen for reporter assay to identify its effect on the target HSPB8 (heat shock protein 22) gene in stressed bovine PBMC cell cultured model. Comprehensive understanding of the biological regulation of stress responsive mechanism is critical for developing approaches to reduce the production losses due to environmental heat stress in dairy cattle.Science and Engineering Research 712 Board, Government of Indi