A systematic review of approaches for continuous quality improvement capacity-building

Context: Continuous quality improvement (CQI) has become prominent in public health settings; yet, little consolidated guidance exists for building CQI capacity of community-based organizations. Objective: To synthesize relevant literature to identify guiding principles and core components critical to building the capacity of organizations to adopt and use CQI. Design: We employed a systematic review approach to assess guiding principles and core components for CQI capacity-building as outlined in the literature. Eligibility Criteria: Studies meeting the following criteria were eligible for review: (1) empirical, peer-reviewed journal article, evaluation study, review, or systematic review; (2) published in 2010 or later; and (3) capacity-building activities were described in enough detail to be replicable. Studies not including human subjects, published in a language other than English, or for which full text was not available were excluded. Study Selection: The initial return of records included 6557 articles, of which 1455 were duplicates. The research team single-screened titles and abstracts of 5102 studies, resulting in the exclusion of 4842 studies. Two hundred sixty-two studies were double-screened during full-text review, yielding a final sample of 61 studies from which data were extracted. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures of interest were operationalized descriptions of guiding principles and core components of the CQI capacity-building approach. Results: Results yielded articles from medical education, health care, and public health settings. Findings included guiding principles and core components of CQI capacity-building identified in current practice, as well as infrastructural and contextual elements needed to build CQI capacity. Conclusions: This consolidation of guiding principles and core components for CQI capacity-building is valuable for public health and related workforces. Despite the uneven distribution of articles from health care, medical education, and public health settings, our findings can be used to guide public health organizations in building CQI capacity in a well-informed, systematic manner

Comparative genomics of plant-asssociated Pseudomonas spp.: Insights into diversity and inheritance of traits involved in multitrophic interactions

We provide here a comparative genome analysis of ten strains within the Pseudomonas fluorescens group including seven new genomic sequences. These strains exhibit a diverse spectrum of traits involved in biological control and other multitrophic interactions with plants, microbes, and insects. Multilocus sequence analysis placed the strains in three sub-clades, which was reinforced by high levels of synteny, size of core genomes, and relatedness of orthologous genes between strains within a sub-clade. The heterogeneity of the P. fluorescens group was reflected in the large size of its pan-genome, which makes up approximately 54% of the pan-genome of the genus as a whole, and a core genome representing only 45–52% of the genome of any individual strain. We discovered genes for traits that were not known previously in the strains, including genes for the biosynthesis of the siderophores achromobactin and pseudomonine and the antibiotic 2-hexyl-5-propyl-alkylresorcinol; novel bacteriocins; type II, III, and VI secretion systems; and insect toxins. Certain gene clusters, such as those for two type III secretion systems, are present only in specific sub-clades, suggesting vertical inheritance. Almost all of the genes associated with multitrophic interactions map to genomic regions present in only a subset of the strains or unique to a specific strain. To explore the evolutionary origin of these genes, we mapped their distributions relative to the locations of mobile genetic elements and repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) elements in each genome. The mobile genetic elements and many strain-specific genes fall into regions devoid of REP elements (i.e., REP deserts) and regions displaying atypical tri-nucleotide composition, possibly indicating relatively recent acquisition of these loci. Collectively, the results of this study highlight the enormous heterogeneity of the P. fluorescens group and the importance of the variable genome in tailoring individual strains to their specific lifestyles and functional repertoir

Illuminating the detection chain of bacterial bioreporters.

Engineering bacteria for measuring chemicals of environmental or toxicological concern (bioreporter bacteria) has grown slowly into a mature research area. Despite many potential advantages, current bioreporters do not perform well enough to comply with environmental detection standards. Basically, the reasons for this are the lack of engineering principles in the detection chain in the bioreporters. Here, we dissect critical steps in the detection chain and illustrate how bioreporter design could be improved by mutagenizing specificity and selectivity of the sensing and regulatory proteins, by newer expression strategies and application of different signalling networks. Furthermore, we describe how redesigning bioreporter assays with respect to pollutant transport into the cells and application of other detection devices can decrease detection limits and increase the speed of detection

Controle biológico da murcha bacteriana do tomateiro, por Pseudomonas spp. fluorescentes Biological control of bacterial wilt of tomato by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp

Esta revisão bibliográfica teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial de antagonismo de espécies de Pseudomonas fluorescentes a Pseudomonas solanacearum, agente causal da murcha bacteriana do tomateiro. Devido a dificuldade encontrada nas estratégias utilizadas para o controle da Murcha Bacteriana por meio de métodos convencionais, alguns outros tem sido estudados, como o uso de microrganismos benéficos. As rizobactérias vem proporcionando solução viável a algumas doenças consideradas de difícil manejo. Dentre os mecanismos que tem sido sugeridos para o controle microbiano de patógenos de plantas, através do uso de rizobactérias fluorescentes, citamse produção de antibióticos, bactericinas, enzimas titicas, competição por espaço e nutrientes. Possuem uma alta capacidade de colonização e sobrevivência no hospedeiro, falares que são importantes no estabelecimento e introdução de microrganismos na rizosfera. Estas bactérias podem também incitar um aumento no desenvolvimento e na produção do hospedeiro, sendo denominadas de rizobactérias promotoras de crescimento de plantas.<br>This literature review has the objetive of evaluating the antagonism potential of species of florescem Pseudomonas to Pseudomonas solanacearum which is the causal agent of bacterial wilt on the tomato crop. Due to serious limitation in the ejficiency of conventional methods of contrai, other strategies have been siudied, such as the use o/beneficiai microrganisms. Rhizobacteria have shown to be a viable alternative in the contrai of some diseases of difficult managmenl. Among the mechanisms which have been suggestedfor microbian control of plantpathogens with fluorescent rhizobacteria, can be used antibiotic production, bacteriocin, uric emimes and competition for colonization and survival capacity on the host. The survival capacity is very important in the introduction and stablishment ofthe microrganisms in the rhizosphere. These bacteria can aiso increse the development and yield of the host and can be calledplant growth promete rhizobacteria