A high-frequency quad-modulus prescaler for fractional-N frequency synthesizer

Master'sMASTER OF ENGINEERIN

Antibiogram i otpornost na teške metale bakterije Vibrio alginolyticus izdvojene iz atlantske bijele kozice (Litopenaeus vannamei).

This paper describes the antibiogram and heavy metal resistancepattern of Vibrio alginolyticus isolated from farmed white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). V. alginolyticus has been recognized as a causative agent of vibriosis in shrimp culture and can devastate an entire shrimp farm. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the suitability of using antibiotics against V. alginolyticus, as well as its tolerance to heavy metals, to reveal the exposure level of cultured shrimp to heavy metals. In the present study, a total of 14 antibiotics; oxolinic acid (2 μg), ampicillin (10 μg), erythromycin (15 μg), furazolidone (15 μg), lincomycin (15 μg), colistin sulphate (25 μg), oleandomycin (15 μg), doxycycline (30 μg), fosfomycin (50 μg), florfenicol (30 μg), flumequine (30 μg), tetracycline (30 μg), fosfomycin (50 μg) and spiramycin (100 μg) as well as four heavy metals; mercury (Hg2+), cadmium (Cd2+), chromium (Cr6+) and copper (Cu2+) were applied. Based on the results for antibiotic sensitivity, it was shown that oxolinic acid is the most effective antibiotic in controlling V. alginolyticus, where 92.8% of the bacterial isolates present were sensitive to it. It was followed by furazolidone (85.6%), nitrofuratoin (79.8%), tetracycline (78.8%), doxycycline (72.2%) and florfenicol (71.2%). On the other hand, all the bacterial isolates present were resistant to lincomycin. In the heavy metal tolerance test, all the bacterial isolates present were resistant to Hg2+, Cd2+ and Cr6+ whereas only 26.7% of them were resistant to Cu2+.U radu je opisan antibiogram bakterije Vibrio alginolyticus izdvojene iz farmski uzgajane atlantske bijele kozice (Litopenaeus vannamei) i njezina otpornost na teške metale. Kao uzročnik vibrioze V. alginolyticus može dovesti do propadanja cijele farme. Stoga je poduzeto istraživanje s ciljem da se pronađe djelotvoran antibiotik protiv bakterije V. alginolyticus te da se ustanovi razina njezine podnošljivosti na teške metale kako bi se ustanovila razina izloženosti uzgajanih kozica tim metalima. Istražena je osjetljivost na 14 antimikrobnih tvari: oksolinsku kiselinu (2 μg), ampicilin (10 μg), eritromicin (15 μg), furazolidon (15 μg), linkomicin (15 μg), kolistin sulfat (25 μg), oleandomicin (15 μg), doksiciklin (30 μg), fosfomicin (50 μg), florfenikol (30 μg), flumekvin (30 μg), tetraciklin (30 μg) i spiramicin (100 μg), te na četiri teška metala: živu (Hg2+), kadmij (Cd2+), krom (Cr6+) i bakar (Cu2+). Najučinkovitijom se pokazala oksolinska kiselina na koju je bilo osjetljivo 92,8% izolata V. alginolyticus. Na furazolidon je bilo osjetljivo 85,6%, na nitrofuratoin 79,8%, na tetracillin 78,8%, na doksiciklin 72,2% i na florfenikol 71,2% izolata. S druge strane, svi su izolati bili otporni na linkomicin. U testu podnošljivosti na teške metale svi su bakterijski izolati bili otporni na ione žive, kadmija i kroma, dok je samo 26,7% bilo otporno na ione bakra

Proširenost bakterije Edwardsiella tarda u azijske školjke Corbicula fluminea na području Pasir Mas, Kelantan u Maleziji s naglaskom na antibiogram, podnošljivost na teške metale i genetsku raznolikost.

This paper deals with the antibiogram, heavy metal tolerance and genetic properties of Edwardsiella tarda colonizing live Asian Clam, Corbicula fluminea from Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Malaysia. Asian Clam is a popular snack for Malaysians. An antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out using the disc diffusion method against 19 types of antibiotics, namely: oxolinic acid, ampicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, oleandomycin, amoxicillin, colistin sulphate, sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, florfenicol, flumequine, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, novobiocin, tetracycline, fosfomycin, spiramycin and compound sulphonamides, whereas heavy metal tolerance of bacteria to Hg2+, Cd2+, Cr6+ and Cu2+ was tested using the two fold agar dilution method. The RAPD PCR profile of the bacteria was characterized using three different types of universal primers. It was found that there were most cases of antibiotic sensitivity (56.1%), followed by antibiotic resistance (38.6%) and antibiotic intermediate sensitivity (5.3%). Only kanamycin was found to be able to inhibit all the bacterial isolates present, whereas other bacterial isolates were resistant to fosfomycin, lincomycin, novobiocin and sulphamethoxazole. Additionally, all bacterial isolates were also resistant to all the heavy metals tested. The bacterial isolates present showed a percentage of genetic similarity ranging from 37.5% to 100%. In conclusion, the findings of the present study revealed that the sampled C. fluminea were highly exposed to antibiotic and heavy metal residues.U radu je prikazan antibiogram, podnošljivost na teške metale i genetska svojstva bakterije Edwardsiella tarda naseljene na živoj azijskoj školjci Corbicula fluminea na području Pasir Mas, Kelantan u Maleziji. Azijska se školjka često upotrebljava za zakusku prilikom razonode u Maleziji. Osjetljivost na antibiotike određena je disk difuzijskim postupkom na 19 vrsta antimikrobnih tvari: oksolinsku kiselinu, ampicilin, eritromicin, linkomicin, oleandomicin, amoksicilin, kolistin sulfat, sulfametoksazol, kloramfenikol, doksiciklin, florfenikol, flumekvin, kanamicin, nalidiksičnu kiseinu, novobiocin, tetraciklin, fosfomicin, spiramicin i sulfonamide. Podnošljivost bakterije na Hg2+, Cd2+, Cr6+ i Cu2+ određena je postupkom dvostrukog razrjeđenja agara. PCRom nasumično umnožena polimorfna DNA bakterije bila je određena upotrebom različitih tipova univerzalnih početnica. Ustanovljeno je da je 56,1% izolata bakterije bilo osjetljivo na antimikrobne tvari, 38,6% otporno, a 5,3% umjereno osjetljivo. Samo je kanamicin bio djelotvoran na sve pretražene izolate. Neki izolati bili su otporni na fosfomicin, linkomicin, novobiocin i sulfametoksazol. Svi bakterijski izolati bili su otporni na sve pretraživane teške metale. Genetska srodnost pretraženih izolata kretala se od 37,5% do 100%. Može se zaključiti da su uzorci školjke C. fluminea izloženi ostacima antibiotika i teških metala

Testis maturation stages of mud crab (Scylla olivacea) broodstock on different diets

The aim of this study was to investigate how various diets influence testis maturation stages in mud crab (Scylla olivacea) broodstock. Morphological and histological assessments were performed in triplicate (10 male crabs each). Daily, subject crabs were fed a squid (Loligo sp.) and a fish (Decapterus sp.) diet at 5-10% of body weight. Diets were analyzed following methods from the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). In comparison to control (wild) crabs, the two diets generally did not cause significant differences (p>0.05) in body weight, carapace width and gonadosomatic index (GSI), except in the GSI of squid-fed crabs (p<0.05). At the end of the experiment, crabs that reached Stage 3 testis maturation included were 6 fish-fed individuals and 23 squid-fed individuals. Additionally, differences in crude protein and fat levels across diets influenced the nature of male gonadal development. In conclusion, a squid diet was sufficient to induce Stage 3 testis maturation in Scylla olivacea within 60 days of culture. Our results prove the usefulness in developing appropriate feeding regimes for male Scylla olivacea broodstock

Adaptive Introgression across Semipermeable Species Boundaries between Local Helicoverpa zea and Invasive Helicoverpa armigera Moths.

Hybridization between invasive and native species has raised global concern, given the dramatic increase in species range shifts and pest outbreaks due to anthropogenic dispersal. Nevertheless, secondary contact between sister lineages of local and invasive species provides a natural laboratory to understand the factors that determine introgression and the maintenance or loss of species barriers. Here, we characterize the early evolutionary outcomes following secondary contact between invasive Helicoverpa armigera and native H. zea in Brazil. We carried out whole-genome resequencing of Helicoverpa moths from Brazil in two temporal samples: during the outbreak of H. armigera in 2013 and 2017. There is evidence for a burst of hybridization and widespread introgression from local H. zea into invasive H. armigera coinciding with H. armigera expansion in 2013. However, in H. armigera, the admixture proportion and the length of introgressed blocks were significantly reduced between 2013 and 2017, suggesting selection against admixture. In contrast to the genome-wide pattern, there was striking evidence for adaptive introgression of a single region from the invasive H. armigera into local H. zea, including an insecticide resistance allele that increased in frequency over time. In summary, despite extensive gene flow after secondary contact, the species boundaries are largely maintained except for the single introgressed region containing the insecticide-resistant locus. We document the worst-case scenario for an invasive species, in which there are now two pest species instead of one, and the native species has acquired resistance to pyrethroid insecticides through introgression

Genomic profiling of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders using cell-free DNA

Diagnosing post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is challenging and often requires invasive procedures. Analyses of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from plasma is minimally invasive and highly effective for genomic profiling of tumors. We studied the feasibility of using cfDNA to profile PTLD and explore its potential to serve as a screening tool. We included seventeen patients with monomorphic PTLD after solid organ transplantation in this multi-center observational cohort study. We used low-coverage whole genome sequencing (lcWGS) to detect copy number variations (CNVs) and targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load and somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in cfDNA from plasma. Seven out of seventeen (41%) patients had EBV-positive tumors, and 13/17 (76%) had stage IV disease. Nine out of seventeen (56%) patients showed CNVs in cfDNA, with more CNVs in EBV-negative cases. Recurrent gains were detected for 3q, 11q, and 18q. Recurrent losses were observed at 6q. The fraction of EBV reads in cfDNA from EBV-positive patients was 3-log higher compared to controls and EBV-negative patients. 289 SNVs were identified, with a median of 19 per sample. SNV burden correlated significantly with lactate dehydrogenase levels. Similar SNV burdens were observed in EBV-negative and EBV-positive PTLD. The most commonly mutated genes were TP53 and KMT2D (41%), followed by SPEN, TET2 (35%), and ARID1A, IGLL5, and PIM1 (29%), indicating DNA damage response, epigenetic regulation, and B-cell signaling/NFkB pathways as drivers of PTLD. Overall, CNVs were more prevalent in EBV-negative lymphoma, while no difference was observed in the number of SNVs. Our data indicated the potential of analyzing cfDNA as a tool for PTLD screening and response monitoring.</p

Homozygous Deletion of Six Olfactory Receptor Genes in a Subset of Individuals with Beta-Thalassemia

Progress in the functional studies of human olfactory receptors has been largely hampered by the lack of a reliable experimental model system. Although transgenic approaches in mice could characterize the function of individual olfactory receptors, the presence of over 300 functional genes in the human genome becomes a daunting task. Thus, the characterization of individuals with a genetic susceptibility to altered olfaction coupled with the absence of particular olfactory receptor genes will allow phenotype/genotype correlations and vindicate the function of specific olfactory receptors with their cognate ligands. We characterized a 118 kb β-globin deletion and found that its 3′ end breakpoint extends to the neighboring olfactory receptor region downstream of the β-globin gene cluster. This deletion encompasses six contiguous olfactory receptor genes (OR51V1, OR52Z1, OR51A1P, OR52A1, OR52A5, and OR52A4) all of which are expressed in the brain. Topology analysis of the encoded proteins from these olfactory receptor genes revealed that OR52Z1, OR52A1, OR52A5, and OR52A4 are predicted to be functional receptors as they display integral characteristics of G-proteins coupled receptors. Individuals homozygous for the 118 kb β-globin deletion are afflicted with β-thalassemia due to a homozygous deletion of the β-globin gene and have no alleles for the above mentioned olfactory receptors genes. This is the first example of a homozygous deletion of olfactory receptor genes in human. Although altered olfaction remains to be ascertained in these individuals, such a study can be carried out in β-thalassemia patients from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines where this mutation is common. Furthermore, OR52A1 contains a γ-globin enhancer, which was previously shown to confer continuous expression of the fetal γ-globin genes. Thus, the hypothesis that β-thalassemia individuals, who are homozygous for the 118 kb deletion, may also have an exacerbation of their anemia due to the deletion of two copies of the γ-globin enhancer element is worthy of consideration

Redefining palliative care-a new consensus-based definition

Context: The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care developed a consensus-based definition of palliative care (PC) that focuses on the relief of serious health-related suffering, a concept put forward by the Lancet Commission Global Access to Palliative Care and Pain Relief. Objective: The main objective of this article is to present the research behind the new definition. Methods: The three-phased consensus process involved health care workers from countries in all income levels. In Phase 1, 38 PC experts evaluated the components of the World Health Organization definition and suggested new/revised ones. In Phase 2, 412 International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care members in 88 countries expressed their level of agreement with the suggested components. In Phase 3, using results from Phase 2, the expert panel developed the definition. Results: The consensus-based definition is as follows: Palliative care is the active holistic care of individuals across all ages with serious health-related suffering due to severe illness and especially of those near the end of life. It aims to improve the quality of life of patients, their families and their caregivers. The definition includes a number of bullet points with additional details as well as recommendations for governments to reduce barriers to PC. Conclusion: Participants had significantly different perceptions and interpretations of PC. The greatest challenge faced by the core group was trying to find a middle ground between those who think that PC is the relief of all suffering and those who believe that PC describes the care of those with a very limited remaining life span

Exploring the roles of phytobiotics in relieving the impacts of Edwardsiella tarda infection on fish: a mini-review

Edwardsiellosis caused by Edwardsiella tarda resulted in significant economic losses in aquaculture operations worldwide. This disease could infect a wide range of hosts, including freshwater, brackish water, and marine aquatic animals. Currently, antibiotics and vaccines are being used as prophylactic agents to overcome Edwardsiellosis in aquaculture. However, application of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria, and the antibiotic residues pose a threat to public health. Meanwhile, the use of vaccines to combat Edwardsiellosis requires intensive labor work and high costs. Thus, phytobiotics were attempted to be used as antimicrobial agents to minimize the impact of Edwardsiellosis in aquaculture. These phytobiotics may also provide farmers with new options to manage aquaculture species' health. The impact of Edwardsiellosis in aquaculture worldwide was elaborated on and highlighted in this review study, as well as the recent application of phytobiotics in aquaculture and the status of vaccines to combat Edwardsiellosis. This review also focuses on the potential of phytobiotics in improving aquatic animal growth performance, enhancing immune system function, and stimulating disease resistance