Research of Klebsiella pneumoniae in dairy herds

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common environmental agent of clinical and subclinical mastitis affecting dairy herds, and may be present in the final product decreasing its quality. Mastitis caused by K. pneumoniae is even more severe due to its poor response to antibiotic therapy, rapid evolution to toxic shock and death of the animal. This paper aimed to study the prevalence of this pathogen among dairy herds in ten farms located in different municipalities of São Paulo State based on size and use of milking technology. All mammary glands of all lactating cows were screened using the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and a strip cup. A single aseptic milk sample (20mL) was collected from all CMT-positive quarters and bulk tanks, whereas swab samples were collected from feces, hind limbs of the animals, bedding and milking parlor. Identification of K. pneumoniae was performed using conventional microbiology culture, biochemical assay and Polimerase Chain Reaction. The primers were designed and tested at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology applied to Zoonoses (FMVZ, Unesp-Botucatu) targeting the 16S rRNA gene. This study included 1067 animals. Six cases of intramammary infection by K. pneumoniae were detected in six different cows in two farms. Moreover, K. pneumoniae was isolated in 77 swabs (34 from bedding in 9 farms, 7 from waiting rooms in 5 farms, 6 from milking parlors in 4 farms, 11 from rectums in six farms, and 19 from hindlimbs in 7 farms. Molecular analysis confirmed the agent was K. pneumoniae. At least one strain of the agent was identified in a certain site in all farms, showing the need of maintaining the hygiene in dairy farms

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Fungal Planet description sheets : 320–370

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Malaysia: Castanediella eucalypti from Eucalyptus pellita, Codinaea acacia from Acacia mangium, Emarcea eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana, Myrtapenidiella eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus pellita, Pilidiella eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana and Strelitziana malaysiana from Acacia mangium. Furthermore, Stachybotrys sansevieriicola is described from Sansevieria ehrenbergii (Tanzania), Phacidium grevilleae from Grevillea robusta (Uganda), Graphium jumulu from Adansonia gregorii and Ophiostoma eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus marginata (Australia), Pleurophoma ossicola from bone and Plectosphaerella populi from Populus nigra (Germany), Colletotrichum neosansevieriae from Sansevieria trifasciata, Elsinoë othonnae from Othonna quinquedentata and Zeloasperisporium cliviae (Zeloasperisporiaceae fam. nov.) from Clivia sp. (South Africa), Neodevriesia pakbiae, Phaeophleospora hymenocallidis and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola on leaves of a fern (Thailand), Melanconium elaeidicola from Elaeis guineensis (Indonesia), Hormonema viticola from Vitis vinifera (Canary Islands), Chlorophyllum pseudoglobossum from a grassland (India), Triadelphia disseminata from an immunocompromised patient (Saudi Arabia), Colletotrichum abscissum from Citrus (Brazil), Polyschema sclerotigenum and Phialemonium limoniforme from human patients (USA), Cadophora vitícola from Vitis vinifera (Spain), Entoloma flavovelutinum and Bolbitius aurantiorugosus from soil (Vietnam), Rhizopogon granuloflavus from soil (Cape Verde Islands), Tulasnella eremophila from Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Morocco), Verrucostoma martinicensis from Danaea elliptica (French West Indies), Metschnikowia colchici from Colchicum autumnale (Bulgaria), Thelebolus microcarpus from soil (Argentina) and Ceratocystis adelpha from Theobroma cacao (Ecuador). Myrmecridium iridis (Myrmecridiales ord. nov., Myrmecridiaceae fam. nov.) is also described from Iris sp. (The Netherlands). Novel genera include (Ascomycetes): Budhanggurabania from Cynodon dactylon (Australia), Soloacrosporiella, Xenocamarosporium, Neostrelitziana and Castanediella from Acacia mangium and Sabahriopsis from Eucalyptus brassiana (Malaysia), Readerielliopsis from basidiomata of Fuscoporia wahlbergii (French Guyana), Neoplatysporoides from Aloe ferox (Tanzania), Wojnowiciella, Chrysofolia and Neoeriomycopsis from Eucalyptus (Colombia), Neophaeomoniella from Eucalyptus globulus (USA), Pseudophaeomoniella from Olea europaea (Italy), Paraphaeomoniella from Encephalartos altensteinii, Aequabiliella, Celerioriella and Minutiella from Prunus (South Africa). Tephrocybella (Basidiomycetes) represents a novel genus from wood (Italy). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.Alina V. Alexandrova was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project N 14-50-00029). Ekaterina F. Malysheva, Olga V. Morozova, Alexander E. Kovalenko and Eugene S. Popov acknowledge financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 13-04-00838a and 15-04-04645a). Margarita Dueñas, María P. Martín and M. Teresa Telleria acknowledge financial support from the Plan Nacional I+D+I projects No. CGL2009-07231 and CGL2012-3559. Cony Decock gratefully acknowledges the financial support received from the FNRS / FRFC (convention FRFC 2.4544.10), the CNRS-French Guiana and the Nouragues staff, which enabled fieldwork in French Guiana, and the Belgian State – Belgian Federal Science Policy through the BCCMTM research programme.http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/pimjam201

Perfil clínico da Enterocolite por Citomegalovírus (CMV) na síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (Aids) Clinical profile of Cytomegalovirus Colitis in AIDS

Múltiplos agentes estão envolvidos na etiopatogenia da diarréia em Aids. O exame de fezes e a colonoscopia são elementos decisivos para o diagnóstico específico. A enterocolite por CMV pode cursar com febre, emagrecimento, diarréia intermitente e hematoquesia. Outros agentes causadores de diarréia podem ter o mesmo espectro de apresentação. OBJETIVO: Definir o perfil clínico da enterocolite por CMV em pacientes com Aids, comparando os parâmetros clínicos, endoscópicos e de tempo de sobrevida entre dois grupos com diarréia crônica, grupo A com CMV e grupo B sem CMV. MÉTODOS: Foram acompanhados 48 pacientes com Aids e diarréia de duração maior que 30 dias, sendo 27 do grupo A e 21 do grupo B. Os parâmetros analisados foram idade, situação de risco, duração da diarréia, hematoquesia, intervalo de tempo entre diagnóstico da infecção por HIV e início de diarréia, achados endoscópicos e sobrevida. Foram realizados exames parasitológicos, culturas e colonoscopia com biópsias. Foi utilizado o teste "t-student" para amostras não pareadas e o teste Qui-Quadrado com correção de Yates para variáveis não paramétricas. Foram construídas curvas de sobrevida pelo método descrito por Kaplan-Meier e aplicado o teste de Mantel - Haenszel. Foi assumido como nível de significância estatística o valor de P menor que 0.05. RESULTADOS: O padrão endoscópico da infecção por CMV correspondeu a ulcerações associadas a hemorragia de submucosa 14 (51.8%) P < 0.01. O tempo de sobrevida do grupo B após o diagnóstico do HIV e após o diagnóstico específico da diarréia foi maior que o do grupo A (0.005 > P > 0.001). Os outros parâmetros estudados não mostraram significância estatística. CONCLUSÕES: A presença de enterocolite por CMV em Aids é marcador de mau prognóstico e menor sobrevida. Existe um padrão endoscópico sugestivo da infecção por CMV.<br>OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical profile of CMV colitis in AIDS patients, comparing clinical, endoscopic parameters and survival time between 2 groups of AIDS patients having chronic diarrhea. Group A being CMV colitis and group B without CMV colitis. METHODS: 48 patients with diarrhea that lasted more than 30 days, being 27 in Group A and 21 in Group B, were studied. Age, risk factors, interval time between the diagnosis of HIV infection and the beginning of diarrhea, hematochesia, the endoscopic findings and life table in both groups, were analysed. All of them were diagnosed by stool culture and stools for ovum and parasites, along colonoscopy with biopsies. The unpaired t test was used to assess statistical significance of differences observed in the means of continuous and the chi-square with Yates correction for non-parametric variables. The survival curves were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier and the Mantel-Haenszel's tests. A P value of less than 0,05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: The mucosal lesions associated with the CMV infection are tipically ulcerative on a background of hemorrhagic erythema 14 (51,8%) p < 0,01. The life table analysis disclosed shorter survival time in the CMV colitis group 0,005> P>0,001.The others studied data did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: AIDS patients with CMV colitis have a poorer long-term survival. Among the colonoscopic findings, ulcerations with hemorrhagic background were the most common lesions

Community HIV testing for men who have sex with men: results of a pilot project and comparison of service users with those testing in genitourinary medicine clinics.

Results of a community HIV testing pilot (fasTest) targeting men who have sex with men (MSM) in Brighton are reported and service users are compared with those testing in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics. FasTest offers rapid HIV testing in a weekly evening drop-in session staffed by GUM professionals in a community organisation. It was prospectively evaluated from November 2004 to March 2006 using a self-completed paper questionnaire assessing demographics, previous use of GUM, HIV testing history and sexual behaviour. Follow-up through GUM/HIV services was monitored. A simplified questionnaire was completed by MSM accessing the GUM clinic over the same time period. Men were included in the analysis if they identified as gay or bisexual or had recent sex with a man, tested for HIV and received a result. In both the fastest and GUM groups, men reported high rates of unprotected anal sex in the last 3 months. fasTest clients were significantly younger and less likely to test positive for HIV. This difference was independent of age and HIV testing history. There was no difference in rates of recent infection between the two. We conclude that community HIV testing is feasible and reaches the target group of high risk MSM

Fungal Planet description sheets: 320–370

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Malaysia: Castanediella eucalypti from Eucalyptus pellita, Codinaea acacia from Acacia mangium, Emarcea eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana, Myrtapenidiella eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus pellita, Pilidiella eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana and Strelitziana malaysiana from Acacia mangium. Furthermore, Stachybotrys sansevieriicola is described from Sansevieria ehrenbergii (Tanzania), Phacidium grevilleae from Grevillea robusta (Uganda), Graphium jumulu from Adansonia gregorii and Ophiostoma eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus marginata (Australia), Pleurophoma ossicola from bone and Plectosphaerella populi from Populus nigra (Germany), Colletotrichum neosansevieriae from Sansevieria trifasciata, Elsinoë othonnae from Othonna quinquedentata and Zeloasperisporium cliviae (Zeloasperisporiaceae fam. nov.) from Clivia sp. (South Africa), Neodevriesia pakbiae, Phaeophleospora hymenocallidis and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola on leaves of a fern (Thailand), Melanconium elaeidicola from Elaeis guineensis (Indonesia), Hormonema viticola from Vitis vinifera (Canary Islands), Chlorophyllum pseudoglobossum from a grassland (India), Triadelphia disseminata from an immunocompromised patient (Saudi Arabia), Colletotrichum abscissum from Citrus (Brazil), Polyschema sclerotigenum and Phialemonium limoniforme from human patients (USA), Cadophora vitícola from Vitis vinifera (Spain), Entoloma flavovelutinum and Bolbitius aurantiorugosus from soil (Vietnam), Rhizopogon granuloflavus from soil (Cape Verde Islands), Tulasnella eremophila from Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Morocco), Verrucostoma martinicensis from Danaea elliptica (French West Indies), Metschnikowia colchici from Colchicum autumnale (Bulgaria), Thelebolus microcarpus from soil (Argentina) and Ceratocystis adelpha from Theobroma cacao (Ecuador). Myrmecridium iridis (Myrmecridiales ord. nov., Myrmecridiaceae fam. nov.) is also described from Iris sp. (The Netherlands). Novel genera include (Ascomycetes): Budhanggurabania from Cynodon dactylon (Australia), Soloacrosporiella, Xenocamarosporium, Neostrelitziana and Castanediella from Acacia mangium and Sabahriopsis from Eucalyptus brassiana (Malaysia), Readerielliopsis from basidiomata of Fuscoporia wahlbergii (French Guyana), Neoplatysporoides from Aloe ferox (Tanzania), Wojnowiciella, Chrysofolia and Neoeriomycopsis from Eucalyptus (Colombia), Neophaeomoniella from Eucalyptus globulus (USA), Pseudophaeomoniella from Olea europaea (Italy), Paraphaeomoniella from Encephalartos altensteinii, Aequabiliella, Celerioriella and Minutiella from Prunus (South Africa). Tephrocybella (Basidiomycetes) represents a novel genus from wood (Italy). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa