Grazing Cow Behavior’s Association with Mild and Moderate Lameness

peer-reviewedAccelerometer-based mobility scoring has focused on cow behaviors such as lying and walking. Accuracy levels as high as 91% have been previously reported. However, there has been limited replication of results. Here, measures previously identified as indicative of mobility, such as lying bouts and walking time, were examined. On a research farm and a commercial farm, 63 grazing cows’ behavior was monitored in four trials (16, 16, 16, and 15 cows) using leg-worn accelerometers. Seventeen good mobility (score 0), 23 imperfect mobility (score 1), and 22 mildly impaired mobility (score 2) cows were monitored. Only modest associations with activity, standing, and lying events were found. Thus, behavior monitoring appears to be insufficient to discern mildly and moderately impaired mobility of grazing cows

Structural modification of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa alkylquinoline cell–cell communication signal, HHQ, leads to benzofuranoquinolines with anti-virulence behaviour in ESKAPE pathogens

Microbial populations have evolved intricate networks of negotiation and communication through which they can coexist in natural and host ecosystems. The nature of these systems can be complex and they are, for the most part, poorly understood at the polymicrobial level. The Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS) and its precursor 4- hydroxy- 2-heptylquinoline (HHQ) are signal molecules produced by the important nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They are known to modulate the behaviour of co-colonizing bacterial and fungal pathogens such as Bacillus atropheaus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. While the structural basis for alkyl-quinolone signalling within P. aeruginosa has been studied extensively, less is known about how structural derivatives of these molecules can influ-ence multicellular behaviour and population- level decision-making in other co-colonizing organisms. In this study, we investigated a suite of small molecules derived initially from the HHQ framework, for anti-virulence activity against ESKAPE pathogens, at the species and strain levels. Somewhat surprisingly, with appropriate substitution, loss of the alkyl chain (present in HHQ and PQS) did not result in a loss of activity, presenting a more easily accessible synthetic framework for investigation. Virulence profiling uncovered significant levels of inter-strain variation among the responses of clinical and environmental isolates to small-molecule challenge. While several lead compounds were identified in this study, further work is needed to appreciate the extent of strain- level tolerance to small-molecule anti-infectives among pathogenic organisms.National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education SFI/12/IP/1315, US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation SFI/12/RC/2275, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia SFI/12/RC/2275_P2, UCC Strategic Research Fund and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) SSPC-3 12/RC/2275_2, Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC) HRB-ILP-POR-2019-004, MRCG-2018-16, Universidade do Algarve TL19UCC1481/02, OGARA1710, APP1183640 2020-5,info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efflux, Signaling and Warfare in a Polymicrobial World

The discovery void of antimicrobial development has occurred at a time when the world has seen a rapid emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, the ‘perfect storm’ as it has often been described. While the discovery and development of new antibiotics has continued in the research sphere, the pipeline to clinic has largely been fed by derivatives of existing classes of antibiotics, each prone to pre-existing resistance mechanisms. A novel approach to infection management has come from the ecological perspective whereby microbial networks and evolved communities already possess small molecular capabilities for pathogen control. The spatiotemporal nature of microbial interactions is such that mutualism and parasitism are often two ends of the same stick. Small molecule efflux inhibitors can directly target antibiotic efflux, a primary resistance mechanism adopted by many species of bacteria and fungi. However, a much broader anti-infective capability resides within the action of these inhibitors, borne from the role of efflux in key physiological and virulence processes, including biofilm formation, toxin efflux, and stress management. Understanding how these behaviors manifest within complex polymicrobial communities is key to unlocking the full potential of the advanced repertoires of efflux inhibitors

Evaluation of dairy processing wastewater biotreatment in an IASBR system: Aeration rate impacts on performance and microbial ecology

Dairy processing generates large volumes of wastewater that require extensive nutrient remediation prior to discharge. Significant commercial opportunities exist therefore for cost-effective biotechnologies capable of achieving this requirement. In this study the authors evaluated the use of intermittently aerated sequencing batch reactors, (IASBRs), as a single-tank biotreatment system for co-removal of COD, nitrogen and phosphorus from synthetic dairy processing wastewater. Variation of the IASBR aeration rates, (0.8, 0.6 and 0.4 L/min), had significant impacts on the respective nutrient removal efficiencies and underlying microbial diversity profiles. Aeration at 0.6 L/min was most effective and resulted in >90% co-removal of orthophosphate and ammonium. 16S rRNA based pyrosequencing of biomass DNA samples revealed the family Comamonadaceae was notably enriched (>80% relative abundance) under these conditions. In silico predictive metabolic modelling also identified Comamonadaceae as the major contributor of several known genes for nitrogen and phosphorus assimilation (nirK, nosZ, norB, ppK, ppX and phbC). Keywords: Biotreatment, Dairy wastewater, Sludge biomass, Intermittently aerated sequencing batch reactor (IASBR), Biological nutrient removal (BNR), Comamonadacea

Illness Severity, Social and Cognitive Ability, and EEG Analysis of Ten Patients with Rett Syndrome Treated with Mecasermin (Recombinant Human IGF-1)

Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by an apparently normal development followed by an arrest and subsequent regression of cognitive and psychomotor abilities. At present, RTT has no definitive cure and the treatment of RTT represents a largely unmet clinical need. Following partial elucidation of the underlying neurobiology of RTT, a new treatment has been proposed, Mecasermin (recombinant human Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1), which, in addition to impressive evidence from preclinical murine models of RTT, has demonstrated safety in human studies of patients with RTT. The present clinical study examines the disease severity as assessed by clinicians (International Scoring System: ISS), social and cognitive ability assessed by two blinded, independent observers (RSS: Rett Severity Score), and changes in brain activity (EEG) parameters of ten patients with classic RTT and ten untreated patients matched for age and clinical severity. Significant improvement in both the ISS (p=0.0106) and RSS (p=0.0274) was found in patients treated with IGF1 in comparison to untreated patients. Analysis of the novel RSS also suggests that patients treated with IGF1 have a greater endurance to social and cognitive testing. The present clinical study adds significant preliminary evidence for the use of IGF-1 in the treatment of RTT and other disorders of the autism spectrum

The Effects of the Marine-Derived Polysaccharides Laminarin and Chitosan on Aspects of Colonic Health in Pigs Challenged with Dextran Sodium Sulphate

This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation with laminarin or chitosan on colonic health in pigs challenged with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). Weaned pigs were assigned to: (1) a basal diet (n = 22); (2) a basal diet + laminarin (n = 10); and (3) a basal diet + chitosan (n = 10). On d35, the basal group was split, creating four groups: (1) the basal diet (control); (2) the basal diet + DSS; (3) the basal diet + laminarin + DSS; and (4) the basal diet + chitosan + DSS. From d39–42, the pigs were orally challenged with DSS. On d44, colonic tissue/digesta samples were collected. The basal DSS group had reduced growth, higher pathology score and an increased expression of MMP1, IL13 and IL23 compared with the controls (p < 0.05); these parameters were similar between the DSS-challenged groups (p > 0.05). In the basal DSS group, the relative abundance of beneficial taxa including Prevotella and Roseburia were reduced while Escherichia/Shigella were increased, compared with the controls (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Escherichia/Shigella was reduced and the molar proportions of acetate were increased in the laminarin DSS group compared with the basal DSS group (p < 0.01), suggesting that laminarin has potential to prevent pathogen proliferation and enhance the volatile fatty acid profile in the colon in a porcine model of colitis

Aquimarina amphilecti sp. nov., isolated from the sponge Amphilectus fucorum

A Gram staining negative, rod-shaped orange-coloured, catalase and oxidase positive, non-motile bacterium designated as 92VT was isolated from the marine sponge, Amphilectus fucorum, collected from Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, Ireland. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain 92VT clustered with members of the family Flavobacteriaceae, the closest member being Aquimarina latercula NCIMB 1399T, with a gene sequence similarity of 97.5%. Strain 92VT requires seawater for growth with optimal growth occurring at 25°C, pH 6-7 and 3 % (w/v) NaCl. MK-6 is the sole respiratory quinone present and the major fatty acids are iso-C17:0 3-OH, iso-C15:0, iso-C17:1 ?9c and iso-C15:0 3-OH. The DNA G+C content is 36.1 Mol%. Combined phenotypic differences and phylogenetic analysis indicate that strain 92VT represents a novel species of the genus Aquimarina, for which the name Aquimarina amphilecti sp. nov is proposed with strain 92VT as the type strain (=NCIMB 14723T = DSM 25232 T)