Transcriptome analysis of bacteriophage communities in periodontal health and disease.

BackgroundThe role of viruses as members of the human microbiome has gained broader attention with the discovery that human body surfaces are inhabited by sizeable viral communities. The majority of the viruses identified in these communities have been bacteriophages that predate upon cellular microbiota rather than the human host. Phages have the capacity to lyse their hosts or provide them with selective advantages through lysogenic conversion, which could help determine the structure of co-existing bacterial communities. Because conditions such as periodontitis are associated with altered bacterial biota, phage mediated perturbations of bacterial communities have been hypothesized to play a role in promoting periodontal disease. Oral phage communities also differ significantly between periodontal health and disease, but the gene expression of oral phage communities has not been previously examined.ResultsHere, we provide the first report of gene expression profiles from the oral bacteriophage community using RNA sequencing, and find that oral phages are more highly expressed in subjects with relative periodontal health. While lysins were highly expressed, the high proportion of integrases expressed suggests that prophages may account for a considerable proportion of oral phage gene expression. Many of the transcriptome reads matched phages found in the oral cavities of the subjects studied, indicating that phages may account for a substantial proportion of oral gene expression. Reads homologous to siphoviruses that infect Firmicutes were amongst the most prevalent transcriptome reads identified in both periodontal health and disease. Some genes from the phage lytic module were significantly more highly expressed in subjects with periodontal disease, suggesting that periodontitis may favor the expression of some lytic phages.ConclusionsAs we explore the contributions of viruses to the human microbiome, the data presented here suggest varying expression of bacteriophage communities in oral health and disease

Temperature and strain characterization of regenerated gratings

Both temperature and strain characterization of seed and regenerated gratings with and without post annealing is reported. The high temperature regeneration has significant impact on thermal characterization and mechanical strength of gratings while the post annealing has little effect. The observed difference is evidence of viscoelastic changes in glass structure. © 2013 Optical Society of America

The Outstanding Decisions of the United States Supreme Court in 1954

We perform a kinematic and morphological analysis of 44 star-forming galaxies at z ̃ 2 in the COSMOS legacy field using near-infrared spectroscopy from Keck/MOSFIRE and F160W imaging from CANDELS/3D-HST as part of the ZFIRE survey. Our sample consists of cluster and field galaxies from 2.0 < z < 2.5 with K-band multi-object slit spectroscopic measurements of their Hα emission lines. Hα rotational velocities and gas velocity dispersions are measured using the Heidelberg Emission Line Algorithm (HELA), which compares directly to simulated 3D data cubes. Using a suite of simulated emission lines, we determine that HELA reliably recovers input S 0.5 and angular momentum at small offsets, but V 2.2/σ g values are offset and highly scattered. We examine the role of regular and irregular morphology in the stellar mass kinematic scaling relations, deriving the kinematic measurement S 0.5, and finding {log}({S}0.5)=(0.38+/- 0.07){log}(M/{M}☉ -10)+(2.04+/- 0.03) with no significant offset between morphological populations and similar levels of scatter (̃0.16 dex). Additionally, we identify a correlation between M ⋆ and V 2.2/σ g for the total sample, showing an increasing level of rotation dominance with increasing M ⋆, and a high level of scatter for both regular and irregular galaxies. We estimate the specific angular momenta (j disk) of these galaxies and find a slope of 0.36 ± 0.12, shallower than predicted without mass-dependent disk growth, but this result is possibly due to measurement uncertainty at M ⋆ < 9.5 However, through a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test we find irregular galaxies to have marginally higher j disk values than regular galaxies, and high scatter at low masses in both populations

Statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies in the Indigenous population: a case series from North Queensland

Aim: To describe clinical and histopathological features of statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies (NAM) in Indigenous Australians and increase awareness of this condition amongst treating physicians. Methods: Cases were collected through the Rheumatology Department at The Townsville Hospital between March 2012 and January 2015. A chart review was performed to obtain retrospective information about each case. We detail patient demographics, presenting features, histopathological findings, autoimmune profile, treatment and outcomes. Results: 4 Indigenous Australians were identified as having a biopsy confirmed statin associated NAM. All patients had been on atorvastatin for at least 2 years and had significant proximal weakness with average CK level on presentation 16,820 U/L. Predisposing factors for myopathy included vitamin D deficiency and diabetes mellitus (all cases), with primary hypothyroidism and liver cirrhosis identified in two other cases. Two individuals were positive for the auto-antibody anti-HMGCR. Histopathological findings included muscle necrosis with varying degrees of inflammation, membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition and MHC-1 upregulation. Treatment involved various combinations of prednisolone, IVIG, methotrexate and mycophenolate. Recovery was slow but favourable in all cases with an average length of inpatient stay of 54 days. There was a significant delay in diagnosis of 1–3 months in two of the cases. Conclusions: The statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies are rare but important disorders that cause significant morbidity to affected individuals. Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians, further research is required to facilitate earlier diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes

Statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies in the Indigenous population: a case series from North Queensland

Aim: To describe clinical and histopathological features of statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies (NAM) in Indigenous Australians and increase awareness of this condition amongst treating physicians. Methods: Cases were collected through the Rheumatology Department at The Townsville Hospital between March 2012 and January 2015. A chart review was performed to obtain retrospective information about each case. We detail patient demographics, presenting features, histopathological findings, autoimmune profile, treatment and outcomes. Results: 4 Indigenous Australians were identified as having a biopsy confirmed statin associated NAM. All patients had been on atorvastatin for at least 2 years and had significant proximal weakness with average CK level on presentation 16,820 U/L. Predisposing factors for myopathy included vitamin D deficiency and diabetes mellitus (all cases), with primary hypothyroidism and liver cirrhosis identified in two other cases. Two individuals were positive for the auto-antibody anti-HMGCR. Histopathological findings included muscle necrosis with varying degrees of inflammation, membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition and MHC-1 upregulation. Treatment involved various combinations of prednisolone, IVIG, methotrexate and mycophenolate. Recovery was slow but favourable in all cases with an average length of inpatient stay of 54 days. There was a significant delay in diagnosis of 1–3 months in two of the cases. Conclusions: The statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies are rare but important disorders that cause significant morbidity to affected individuals. Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians, further research is required to facilitate earlier diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes

Improving the quality of set yoghurt using milk fat globule membrane fragments

Lacprodan PL20, a dairy ingredient that is rich in protein and polar lipids, was added into set yoghurts produced from nonhomogenized raw milk. The set yoghurts were prepared using concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% Lacprodan PL20, while the control sample was only supplemented with skim milk powder. The effect of Lacprodan PL20 concentrations on the physical and chemical properties, rheology, and microstructure of set yoghurt was thoroughly investigated to determine some likely improvement or changes in quality. Consequently, Lacprodan PL20 showed a gradual improvement in the set yoghurt nutritive values, water holding capacity, and apparent viscosity. The results indicated that the firmness of set yoghurt was altered which steadily improved the gel strength, especially at 4% and 6% concentrations. The fermentation process was slightly delayed at 4% and 6% concentrations and pH values were raised as Lacprodan PL20 concentration increased. The microstructures of the set yoghurts produced with Lacprodan PL20, as examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealed compacted structures with fewer and smaller holes in the gel matrices. Also, a slight color change was observed in set yoghurt using a colorimeter. These results vividly showed that Lacprodan PL20, an enriched milk fat globule membrane fragment, has the potential to improve set yoghurt quality by reducing some defects associated with set yoghurt, such as low gel strength, low dry solids, and the likes

Activity and Process Stability of Purified Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Pectin Methylesterase

Pectin methylesterase (PME) from green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) was extracted and purified by affinity chromatography on a CNBr-Sepharose-PMEI column. A single protein peak with pectin methylesterase activity was observed. For the pepper PME, a biochemical characterization in terms of molar mass (MM), isoelectric points (pI), and kinetic parameters for activity and thermostability was performed. The optimum pH for PME activity at 22 °C was 7.5, and its optimum temperature at neutral pH was between 52.5 and 55.0 °C. The purified pepper PME required the presence of 0.13 M NaCl for optimum activity. Isothermal inactivation of purified pepper PME in 20 mM Tris buffer (pH 7.5) could be described by a fractional conversion model for lower temperatures (55?57 °C) and a biphasic model for higher temperatures (58?70 °C). The enzyme showed a stable behavior toward high-pressure/temperature treatments. Keywords: Capsicum annuum; pepper; pectin methylesterase; purification; characterization; thermal and high-pressure stabilit

The Virome of Cerebrospinal Fluid: Viruses Where We Once Thought There Were None.

Traditionally, medicine has held that some human body sites are sterile and that the introduction of microbes to these sites results in infections. This paradigm shifted significantly with the discovery of the human microbiome and acceptance of these commensal microbes living across the body. However, the central nervous system (CNS) is still believed by many to be sterile in healthy people. Using culture-independent methods, we examined the virome of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a cohort of mostly healthy human subjects. We identified a community of DNA viruses, most of which were identified as bacteriophages. Compared to other human specimen types, CSF viromes were not ecologically distinct. There was a high alpha diversity cluster that included feces, saliva, and urine, and a low alpha diversity cluster that included CSF, body fluids, plasma, and breast milk. The high diversity cluster included specimens known to have many bacteria, while other specimens traditionally assumed to be sterile formed the low diversity cluster. There was an abundance of viruses shared among CSF, breast milk, plasma, and body fluids, while each generally shared less with urine, feces, and saliva. These shared viruses ranged across different virus families, indicating that similarities between these viromes represent more than just a single shared virus family. By identifying a virome in the CSF of mostly healthy individuals, it is now less likely that any human body site is devoid of microbes, which further highlights the need to decipher the role that viral communities may play in human health