Comparative Genomics of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Pediatric Patients with and without Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome from 2000 to 2016 in Finland

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Bai et al.Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection can cause mild to severe illness, such as nonbloody or bloody diarrhea, and the fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The molecular mechanism underlying the variable pathogenicity of STEC infection is not fully defined so far. Here, we performed a comparative genomics study on a large collection of clinical STEC strains collected from STEC-infected pediatric patients with and without HUS in Finland over a 16-year period, aiming to identify the bacterial genetic factors that can predict the risk to cause HUS and poor renal outcome. Of 240 STEC strains included in this study, 52 (21.7%) were from pediatric patients with HUS. Serotype O157:H7 was the main cause of HUS, and Shiga toxin gene subtype stx2a was significantly associated with HUS. Comparative genomics and pangenome-wide association studies identified a number of virulence and accessory genes overrepresented in HUS-associated STEC compared to non-HUS STEC strains, including genes encoding cytolethal distending toxins, type III secretion system effectors, adherence factors, etc. No virulence or accessory gene was significantly associated with risk factors for poor renal outcome among HUS patients assessed in this study, including need for and duration of dialysis, presence and duration of anuria, and leukocyte counts. Whole-genome phylogeny and multiple-correspondence analysis of pangenomes could not separate HUS STEC from non-HUS STEC strains, suggesting that STEC strains with diverse genetic backgrounds may independently acquire genetic elements that determine their varied pathogenicity. Our findings indicate that nonbacterial factors, i.e., characteristics of the host immunity, might affect STEC virulence and clinical outcomes.Peer reviewe

Functional Subunits of Eukaryotic Chaperonin CCT/TRiC in Protein Folding

Molecular chaperones are a class of proteins responsible for proper folding of a large number of polypeptides in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Newly synthesized polypeptides are prone to nonspecific interactions, and many of them make toxic aggregates in absence of chaperones. The eukaryotic chaperonin CCT is a large, multisubunit, cylindrical structure having two identical rings stacked back to back. Each ring is composed of eight different but similar subunits and each subunit has three distinct domains. CCT assists folding of actin, tubulin, and numerous other cellular proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. The catalytic cooperativity of ATP binding/hydrolysis in CCT occurs in a sequential manner different from concerted cooperativity as shown for GroEL. Unlike GroEL, CCT does not have GroES-like cofactor, rather it has a built-in lid structure responsible for closing the central cavity. The CCT complex recognizes its substrates through diverse mechanisms involving hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions. Upstream factors like Hsp70 and Hsp90 also work in a concerted manner to transfer the substrate to CCT. Moreover, prefoldin, phosducin-like proteins, and Bag3 protein interact with CCT and modulate its function for the fine-tuning of protein folding process. Any misregulation of protein folding process leads to the formation of misfolded proteins or toxic aggregates which are linked to multiple pathological disorders

Post-Consumer Carpet Fibers in Concrete: Fiber Behavior in Alkaline Environments and Concrete Durability

The widespread use of carpets in residential and commercial buildings and their relatively short life span result in large volumes of carpet being landfilled. A potential solution to this problem is the use of post-consumer carpet fibers in concrete. To this end, this paper systematically identifies the common fiber types in a typical post-consumer carpet fiber bale and evaluates their durability under exposure to varying levels of alkalinity. The tensile strengths and toughness of the fibers belonging to the nylon and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) families (the dominant fibers in most post-consumer carpets) are reduced by up to 50% following exposure to extreme alkalinity, the reasons for which are determined using spectroscopic and microscopic evaluations. The chloride ion transport resistance of concretes (~40 MPa strength) containing 2.5% carpet fibers by volume (~25 kg of fibers per cubic meter of concrete) is comparable to that of the control mixture, while mortar mixtures containing the same volume fraction of carpet fibers demonstrate negligible enhancement in expansion and loss of strength when exposed to 1 N NaOH. This study shows that moderate-strength concretes (~40 MPa) for conventional building and infrastructure applications can be proportioned using the chosen volume of carpet fibers without an appreciable loss of performance. Consideration of low volume fractions of carpet fibers in low-to-moderate-strength concretes thus provides a sustainable avenue for the use of these otherwise landfilled materials in construction applications

Optimization of absorption/desorption parameters of Brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 for oxygen storage

The order-disorder transition of Brownmillerite (BM)-type oxides have gained attraction for oxygen enrichment applications. Herein, BM SrCoO2.5 is exploited for oxygen storage and separation across its order-disorder transition. Optimized temperature and duration of heat treatment in an oxygen atmosphere for obtaining maximum oxygen storage is explored. A maximum of 15.28 cm(3) of O-2 per gram of the material can be stored in the sample at STP by a heat-treatment at 673-693 K. A drastic increase in ionic conductivity of the sample above a certain temperature gave rise to a threshold temperature for oxygen absorption. Kinetics of oxygen release appeared to follow nucleation and growth model and the rate of desorption was found to increase with rise in temperature. The oxygen intake/release of BM SrCoO2.5 occurs within minutes in a completely reversible manner facilitating a low cost O-2 separation through vacuum swing adsorption

Stabilization of Brownmillerite-Type SrCoO2.5 by a Cost-Effective Quenching Method for Oxygen-Scavenging Applications

Brownmillerite (BM)-type oxide sorbents have gained attention recently for producing oxygen-enriched streams. Herein, a cost-effective method of quenching with the use of an Al foil pad is adapted for the synthesis of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5. The oxygen storage capacity of this oxide has been investigated using a simple home-built volumetric setup. The oxygen-rich phase was formed by a pressurized heat-treatment of a BM sample. The oxygen storage capacity of the sample has been calculated from the pressure change during desorption. The effect of oxygen pressure on the amount of oxygen stored inside the sample has also been evaluated. Furthermore, selective absorption of oxygen is confirmed by performing the absorption in compressed air. The results indicate that 15.28 cm(3) O-2 g(-1) can be stored in the sample at STP. The change in oxygen content in SrCoO2.5+delta varied reversibly up to a delta value of 0.26, which is confirmed by iodometric titration. It is shown that the new method of quenching proposed does not deteriorate the oxygen storage property of the material

Carpet fiber recycling in regular-use concrete mixtures and associated life cycle analysis

This paper reports the characterization of post-consumer carpet fibers and optimization of concrete mixtures containing high volumes (2.5% and 5% as compared to ≤ 2% reported in past work) of carpet fibers, in an effort to contribute to the efficient management of such wastes. This study identifies the different fiber types in a typical post-consumer carpet bale using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the range of tensile strengths demonstrated by the fibers. In order to quantify the sustainability of concretes containing carpet fibers, a cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis is carried out. The results demonstrate that the use of carpet fibers along with fly ash helps reduce the CO2 emission potential by ∼ 12.5% compared to conventional concrete, in addition to saving critical land area that would otherwise be needed to dispose of the ever-increasing amounts of carpet waste. Notable reductions (of up to 10%) in other environmental impact categories (e.g., acidification, eutrophication, etc.) are also observed with respect to conventional concrete. Even with the additional energy required to process the fibers, the overall energy consumption to produce carpet fiber reinforced concretes is similar to that of conventional concretes. The conditions under which carpet fibers become an environmentally sustainable approach for concretes designed to achieve a particular compressive strength are also outlined. It is expected that this work will pave the way for the management and beneficial utilization of otherwise landfilled shredded carpets in concrete applications such as slabs-on-grade

Composition of subgingival microbiota associated with periodontitis and diagnosis of malignancy-a cross-sectional study

Periodontitis is one of the world's most prevalent infectious conditions, affecting between 25 and 40% of the adult population. It is a consequence of the complex interactions between periodontal pathogens and their products, which trigger the host inflammatory response, chronic inflammation, and tissue destruction. Chronic systemic low-grade inflammation is involved in numerous diseases, and it is also known that long-lasting inflammation and chronic infections predispose one to cancer. Here, we characterized and compared the subgingival microbiota associated with periodontitis and diagnosis of malignancy in a longitudinal 10-year follow-up study. The study was conducted on 50 patients with periodontitis and 40 periodontally healthy individuals. The recorded clinical oral health parameters were periodontal attachment loss (AL), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and plaque index (PI). Subgingival plaque was collected from each participant, from which DNA was extracted, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing performed. Cancer diagnoses data were collected between the years 2008-2018 from the Swedish Cancer Registry. The participants were categorized based on having cancer at the time of sample collection (CSC), having developed cancer later (DCL), and controls without any cancer. The most abundant phyla across all 90 samples were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria. At the genus level, Treponema, Fretibacterium, and Prevotella were significantly more abundant in samples of periodontitis patients compared to non-periodontitis individuals. With regard to samples of cancer patients, Corynebacterium and Streptococcus were more abundant in the CSC group; Prevotella were more abundant in the DCL group; and Rothia, Neisseria, and Capnocytophaga were more abundant in the control group. In the CSC group, we also found that the presence of periodontal inflammation, in terms of BOP, GI, and PLI, significantly correlated with species belonging to the genera Prevotella, Treponema, and Mycoplasma. Our results revealed that several subgingival genera were differentially enriched among the studied groups. These findings underscore the need for further research to fully understand the role that oral pathogens may play in the development of cancer.Peer reviewe