Potential distributions of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in Africa

Background Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) is an emergent bacterium closely related to Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax. The latter has a worldwide distribution and usually causes infectious disease in mammals associated with savanna ecosystems. Bcbva was identified in humid tropical forests of Côte d’Ivoire in 2001. Here, we characterize the potential geographic distributions of Bcbva in West Africa and B. anthracis in sub-Saharan Africa using an ecological niche modeling approach. Methodology/Principal findings Georeferenced occurrence data for B. anthracis and Bcbva were obtained from public data repositories and the scientific literature. Combinations of temperature, humidity, vegetation greenness, and soils values served as environmental variables in model calibrations. To predict the potential distribution of suitable environments for each pathogen across the study region, parameter values derived from the median of 10 replicates of the best-performing model for each pathogen were used. We found suitable environments predicted for B. anthracis across areas of confirmed and suspected anthrax activity in sub-Saharan Africa, including an east-west corridor from Ethiopia to Sierra Leone in the Sahel region and multiple areas in eastern, central, and southern Africa. The study area for Bcbva was restricted to West and Central Africa to reflect areas that have likely been accessible to Bcbva by dispersal. Model predicted values indicated potential suitable environments within humid forested environments. Background similarity tests in geographic space indicated statistical support to reject the null hypothesis of similarity when comparing environments associated with B. anthracis to those of Bcbva and when comparing humidity values and soils values individually. We failed to reject the null hypothesis of similarity when comparing environments associated with Bcbva to those of B. anthracis, suggesting that additional investigation is needed to provide a more robust characterization of the Bcbva niche. Conclusions/Significance This study represents the first time that the environmental and geographic distribution of Bcbva has been mapped. We document likely differences in ecological niche—and consequently in geographic distribution—between Bcbva and typical B. anthracis, and areas of possible co-occurrence between the two. We provide information crucial to guiding and improving monitoring efforts focused on these pathogens

Transcriptional Alterations by Ischaemic Postconditioning in a Pig Infarction Model: Impact on Microvascular Protection

Although the application of cardioprotective ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) stimuli after myocardial infarction (MI) is a promising concept for salvaging the myocardium, translation to a clinical scenario has not fulfilled expectations. We have previously shown that in pigs, ischaemic postconditioning (IPostC) reduces myocardial oedema and microvascular obstruction (MVO), without influencing myocardial infarct size. In the present study, we analyzed the mechanisms underlying the IPostC-induced microvascular protection by transcriptomic analysis, followed by pathway analysis. Closed-chest reperfused MI was induced by 90 min percutaneous balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by balloon deflation in anaesthetised pigs. Animals were randomised to IPostC (n = 8), MI (non-conditioned, n = 8), or Control (sham-operated, n = 4) groups. After three hours or three days follow-up, myocardial tissue samples were harvested and subjected to RNA-seq analysis. Although the transcriptome analysis revealed similar expression between IPostC and MI in transcripts involved in cardioprotective pathways, we identified gene expression changes responding to IPostC at the three days follow-up. Focal adhesion signaling, downregulated genes participating in cardiomyopathy and activation of blood cells may have critical consequences for microvascular protection. Specific analyses of the gene subsets enriched in the endothelium of the infarcted area, revealed strong deregulation of transcriptional functional clusters, DNA processing, replication and repair, cell proliferation, and focal adhesion, suggesting sustentative function in the endothelial cell layer protection and integrity. The spatial and time-dependent transcriptome analysis of porcine myocardium supports a protective effect of IPostC on coronary microvasculature post-MI

microbeMASST: A Taxonomically-informed Mass Spectrometry Search Tool for Microbial Metabolomics Data

microbeMASST, a taxonomically informed mass spectrometry (MS) search tool, tackles limited microbial metabolite annotation in untargeted metabolomics experiments. Leveraging a curated database of >60,000 microbial monocultures, users can search known and unknown MS/MS spectra and link them to their respective microbial producers via MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Identification of microbe-derived metabolites and relative producers without a priori knowledge will vastly enhance the understanding of microorganisms’ role in ecology and human health

A Taxonomically-informed Mass Spectrometry Search Tool for Microbial Metabolomics Data

MicrobeMASST, a taxonomically-informed mass spectrometry (MS) search tool, tackles limited microbial metabolite annotation in untargeted metabolomics experiments. Leveraging a curated database of >60,000 microbial monocultures, users can search known and unknown MS/MS spectra and link them to their respective microbial producers via MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Identification of microbial-derived metabolites and relative producers, without a priori knowledge, will vastly enhance the understanding of microorganisms’ role in ecology and human health

Population-level Characterization of Nocardiosis in the United States

Nocardiosis is caused by opportunistic, soil-borne bacteria in the genus Nocardia. The disease is characterized by severe pulmonary and systemic infections, and mild to severe skin infections. People thought to be at risk are older adults and those with underlying comorbidities, particularly immunosuppressive conditions. Treatment duration can be long and may require antimicrobial and surgical interventions. Considered a rare disease, the existing literature and knowledge base regarding the clinical presentation, persons at risk, incidence, and mortality estimates are primarily from case series or limited hospital-based retrospective analyses. Evaluating the disease characteristics from more generalizable data can aid in our understanding of the disease and may aid in identifying persons who may be at greater risk of death. The purpose of this dissertation is to use population-level administrative data to develop generalizable estimates of the incidence and mortality, and to evaluate risk factors, including identifying a predictive comorbidity measure. The 100% Medicare Fee-For-Service data, and the Healthcare Utilization Project’s State Inpatient Databases and State Ambulatory and Surgery and Services Databases were used to evaluate nocardiosis among Medicare beneficiaries as well as all payer hospitalization and visit discharges. The demographics, costs, visits, and risk factors are described from each data source, and incidence and hospitalization rates are calculated. Comorbidity measures are evaluated for prediction of mortality. Time to death and covariates associated with mortality are calculated from the person-based longitudinal Medicare data and the HCUP hospital visit-based data, respectively. The findings of this dissertation describe nocardiosis that can be generalized to all Fee-for-Service Medicare beneficiaries and almost half the US population. Nocardiosis cases and nocardiosis-associated visits were more often male, older, and sicker than the general Medicare and US populations. Mortality was associated with disseminated nocardiosis, cerebrovascular disease, and the presence of additional comorbid conditions, when controlling for other factors. Additional findings will be discussed. These findings can provide additional insight into persons who may be at greater risk of developing nocardiosis and can provide clinicians with factors that are associated with mortality. These findings provide a baseline from which future population-level analyses can be compared

What the Front-Load?: Learning Language Through Complex Tasks

How do we engage new Canadians / English Language Learners in complex tasks? For the last 20 years English Language Learning pedagogy has emphasized the development of basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) through “front loading” with low level, prescribed, rote activities. At Connaught School we know that our students, regardless of their English language proficiency, are capable of successfully developing interpersonal and academic language through complex tasks. We discuss a classroom project that exemplifies a deep exploration of curriculum through robotics to support the language development of a diverse population of English Language Learners and new Canadians.YesWerklund School of Education, Galileo Educational Networ

Leptospirosis-Associated Hospitalizations, United States, 1998–2009

A small percentage of persons with leptospirosis, a reemerging zoonosis, experience severe complications that require hospitalization. The number of leptospirosis cases in the United States is unknown. Thus, to estimate the hospitalization rate for this disease, we analyzed US hospital discharge records for 1998–2009 for the total US population by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. During that time, the average annual rate of leptospirosis-associated hospitalizations was 0.6 hospitalizations/1,000,000 population. Leptospirosis-associated hospitalization rates were higher for persons >20 years of age and for male patients. For leptospirosis-associated hospitalizations, the average age of patients at admission was lower, the average length of stay for patients was longer, and hospital charges were higher than those for nonleptospirosis infectious disease–associated hospitalizations. Educating clinicians on the signs and symptoms of leptospirosis may result in earlier diagnosis and treatment and, thereby, reduced disease severity and hospitalization costs