Observations of the temporal variation in chemical content of decomposition fluid: A preliminary study using pigs as a model system

In this paper we report the results of our preliminary studies into short chain fatty acids that have the potential to show reproducible patterns over certain postmortem intervals during decomposition in the absence of a soil matrix. Additional compounds that were detected, including several long chain fatty acids, were also investigated for their potential in estimating postmortem interval. Analysis of data was conducted to establish any distinct relationship between the levels of particular compounds produced with respect to time and temperature. Pork rashers (belly pork), whole stillborn piglets and whole adult pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses were used to model the human decomposition process in two separate locations, Western Australia (Perth) and Southern Canada (Oshawa). Thisenabled a comparison of components to be carried out under significantly different climatic conditions. Compounds were identified after analysis with gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry. Preliminary observations indicate that both short-chain and long-chain acids followed an apparent cyclic trend. All trials showed differences with respect to rate of decomposition, both between trials and between subjects in the same trial; however, the identity of the compounds detected for the pork rasher trial (Perth) and the pig trial (Canada) remained very similar

Analytical separations of mammalian decomposition products for forensic science: A review

The study of mammalian soft tissue decomposition is an emerging area in forensic science, with a major focus of the research being the use of various chemical and biological methods to study the fate of human remains in the environment. Decomposition of mammalian soft tissue is a postmortem process that, depending on environmental conditions and physiological factors, will proceed until complete disintegration of the tissue. The major stages of decomposition involve complex reactions which result in the chemical breakdown of the body's main constituents; lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. The first step to understanding this chemistry is identifying the compounds present in decomposition fluids and determining when they are produced. This paper provides an overview of decomposition chemistry andreviews recent advances in this area utilising analytical separation science

Recent Advances Spark Significant Guideline Change: Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) at High CD4+ Counts in the Treatment Naïve Patient

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets CD4+ lymphocytes, a critical component to proper functioning of the human immune system. HIV is a significant public health concern, having resulted in over 27 million deaths since its discovery. Currently, several different treatment options exist, with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the forefront. Despite the success of ART therapy, there are number of problems, including poor patient compliance. Due to this, the appropriate time to initiate therapy in the treatment naïve patient is under continuous scrutiny. Recently, several trials have demonstrated evidence suggesting that initiating ART at high CD4+ counts in the treatment naïve patient is beneficial in preventing outcomes such as progression to AIDS and death due to complications from HIV. This review will discuss two trials influential in the recent change in The National Institute of Health\u27s guidelines on therapy for treatment naïve patients. The trials reviewed here are the North Amencan AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research Design (NA-ACCORD) and the Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration (ART-CC). Despite the success of therapy, it is associated with many negative side effects and high cost which may affect patient compliance, lead to possible drug resistance and result in treatment failure. Along with the new evidence presented in clinical trials, these factors also must be considered when initiating therapy in the treatment naïve HIV patient

Para-cresol production by Clostridium difficile affects microbial diversity and membrane integrity of Gram-negative bacteria

Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive spore-forming anaerobe and a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Disruption of the commensal microbiota, such as through treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, is a critical precursor for colonisation by C. difficile and subsequent disease. Furthermore, failure of the gut microbiota to recover colonisation resistance can result in recurrence of infection. An unusual characteristic of C. difficile among gut bacteria is its ability to produce the bacteriostatic compound para-cresol (p-cresol) through fermentation of tyrosine. Here, we demonstrate that the ability of C. difficile to produce p-cresol in vitro provides a competitive advantage over gut bacteria including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Metabolic profiling of competitive co-cultures revealed that acetate, alanine, butyrate, isobutyrate, p-cresol and p-hydroxyphenylacetate were the main metabolites responsible for differentiating the parent strain C. difficile (630Δerm) from a defined mutant deficient in p-cresol production. Moreover, we show that the p-cresol mutant displays a fitness defect in a mouse relapse model of C. difficile infection (CDI). Analysis of the microbiome from this mouse model of CDI demonstrates that colonisation by the p-cresol mutant results in a distinctly altered intestinal microbiota, and metabolic profile, with a greater representation of Gammaproteobacteria, including the Pseudomonales and Enterobacteriales. We demonstrate that Gammaproteobacteria are susceptible to exogenous p-cresol in vitro and that there is a clear divide between bacterial Phyla and their susceptibility to p-cresol. In general, Gram-negative species were relatively sensitive to p-cresol, whereas Gram-positive species were more tolerant. This study demonstrates that production of p-cresol by C. difficile has an effect on the viability of intestinal bacteria as well as the major metabolites produced in vitro. These observations are upheld in a mouse model of CDI, in which p-cresol production affects the biodiversity of gut microbiota and faecal metabolite profiles, suggesting that p-cresol production contributes to C. difficile survival and pathogenesis.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Concert recording 2015-12-06

[Track 01]. Lachen und Weinen / Franz Schubert -- Zitronenfalter im April / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 02]. Ganymed / Franz Schubert -- [Track 03]. Gesang Weylas / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 04]. An Silvia / Franz Schubert -- [Track 05]. Der Gärtner / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 06]. Gott im Frühling / Franz Schubert -- [Track 07]. Elfenlied / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 08]. Schäfers Klagelied / Franz Schubert -- [Track 09]. Verborgenheit / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 10]. Gretchens Bitte / Franz Schubert -- [Track 11]. Die Zigeunerin / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 12]. Liebesbotschaft / Franz Schubert -- [Track 13]. In dem Schatten meiner Locken / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 14]. Die junge Nonne / Franz Schubert -- [Track 15]. Nimmersatte Liebe / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 16]. Liebe schwärmt auf allen Wegen / Franz Schubert -- [Track 17]. Er ist\u27s / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 18]. Der Musensohn / Franz Schubert -- [Track 19]. Storchenbotschaft / Hugo Wolf

Concert recording 2015-03-15a

[Track 01]. Bel piacere / George Frederick Handel -- [Track 02]. Non é ver! / Tito Mattei -- [Track 03]. Caro mio ben / Giuseppe Giordani -- [Track 04]. Flow, my tears / John Dowland -- [Track 05]. Si mes vers avaient des ailes / Reynaldo Hahn -- [Track 06]. Do not go, my love / Richard Hageman -- [Track 07]. Italienisches Liederbuch. Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken ; [Track 08]. Du denkst mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen ; [Track 09]. Schweig einmal still, du garst\u27ger Schwätzer dort ; [Track 10]. Ich hab\u27 in Penna einen liebsten wohnnen / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 11]. Erbarme dich, mein Gott from St. Matthew passion / Johann Sebastian Bach -- [Track 12]. Faites-lui mes aveux from Faust / Charles Gounod -- [Track 13]. La mi sola, Laureola / Fernando Obradors -- [Track 14]. Air vif / Francis Poulenc -- [Track 15]. Money, O! / Michael Head -- [Track 16]. Chason à boire / Maurice Ravel -- [Track 17]. De soir / Claude Debussy -- [Track 18]. Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre from Les contes d\u27Hoffmann / Jacques Offenbach

Concert recording 2016-02-19

[Track 01]. My Johann / Edvard Grieg -- [Track 02]. Batti, batti bel Masetto / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- [Track 03]. Ah mio cor / George Frideric Handel -- [Track 04]. Bright is the ring of words / Ralph Vaughan Williams -- [Track 05]. Le colibri / Ernest Chausson -- [Track 06]. Do not go, my love / Richard Hageman -- [Track 07]. Go, lovely rose / Roger Quilter -- [Track 08]. Sonntag / Johannes Brahms -- [Track 09]. O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi / Giacomo Puccini -- [Track 10]. Spiel auf deine Geige from Venus in Seide / Robert Stolz -- [Track 11]. Die Spröde / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 12]. I want magic! from A streetcar named desire / Andre Previn -- [Track 13]. What if... / Lee Hoiby -- [Track 14]. Va! laisse couler mes larmes from Werther / Jules Massenet

Concert recording 2017-11-07

[Track 1]. Sitzzoso, mio stizzoso / Giovanni Pergolesi -- [Track 2]. Widmung / Robert Schumann -- [Track 3]. The roadside fire / Ralph Vaughan Williams -- [Track 4]. La promessa / Gioachino Rossini -- [Track 5]. Non é ver / Tito Mattei -- [Track 6]. Les Chemins d\u27amour / Francis Poulenc -- [Track 7]. Una donna a quindici anni from Cosi fan tutte / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- [Track 8]. Non più andrai from The marriage of Figaro / Mozart -- [Track 9]. Botschaft / Johannes Brahms -- [Track 10]. Du bist die Ruh / Franz Schubert -- [Track 11]. Gualitier Maldè...Caro nome from Reigoletto / Giuseppe Verdi -- [Track 12]. Mondnacht / Robert Schumann -- [Track 13]. Les Roses d\u27Ispahan / Gabriel Fauré -- [Track 14]. An Chloe / Mozart -- [Track 15]. Sogno / Francesco Tosti -- [Track 16]. Er ist\u27s / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 17]. Ah, je ris de me voir from Faust / Charles Gounod -- [Track 18]. Claire du lune / Claude Debussy -- [Track 19]. Kling! / Richard Strauss -- [Track 20]. Erstarrung / Schubert -- [Track 21]. I\u27m glad I\u27m not a tenor / Ben Moore -- -- [Track 22]. Apparition / Debussy

Antigenic Characterization of a Novel Recombinant GII.P16-GII.4 Sydney Norovirus Strain with Minor Sequence Variation Leading to Antibody Escape

Background Human noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. Strains of the GII.4 genotype cause pandemic waves associated with viral evolution and subsequent antigenic drift and ligand-binding modulation. In November 2015, a novel GII.4 Sydney recombinant variant (GII.P16-GII.4 Sydney) emerged and replaced GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney as the predominant cause of acute gastroenteritis in the 2016–2017 season in the United States. Methods Virus-like particles of GII.4 2012 and GII.4 2015 were compared for ligand binding and antibody reactivity, using a surrogate neutralization assay. Results Residue changes in the capsid between GII.4 2012 and GII.4 2015 decreased the potency of human polyclonal sera and monoclonal antibodies. A change in epitope A resulted in the complete loss of reactivity of a class of blockade antibodies and reduced levels of a second antibody class. Epitope D changes modulated monoclonal antibody potency and ligand-binding patterns. Conclusions Substitutions in blockade antibody epitopes between GII.4 2012 and GII.4 2015 influenced antigenicity and ligand-binding properties. Although the impact of polymerases on fitness remains uncertain, antigenic variation resulting in decreased potency of antibodies to epitope A, coupled with altered ligand binding, likely contributed significantly to the spread of GII.4 2015 and its replacement of GII.4 2012 as the predominant norovirus outbreak strain