Downregulation of systemic immune responses by oral and intranasal antigen administration.

Digitisation of this thesis was sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin

Fiktion und Widersprüche: eine soziologische Analyse zu Basisbildung in Österreich

Wie nehmen Expert:innen aus der Basisbildung Personen mit Basisbildungsbedarf wahr? Wie gehen sie mit Stereotypen von Lai:innen um, die in der Regel nicht gut darüber informiert sind? Wie wird Wissen über geringe schriftsprachliche Kompetenzen reproduziert und auf welche Weise wird es zurückgewiesen? Diese Forschungsfragen wurden in einem soziologischen Forschungsprojekt aufgegriffen, das 2017 bis 2018 im Rahmen eines Erasmus+-Projekts des Bildungsministeriums durchgeführt wurde. Die Ergebnisse der Studie sollten einerseits den wissenschaftlichen Diskurs um Basisbildungsbedarf bereichern und andererseits das Ministerium bei der Gestaltung einer Kampagne im Bereich Basisbildung unterstützen. Elf Fokusgruppen mit Expert:innen, die entweder an Basisbildungskursen teilnehmen oder in ihrem beruflichen Kontext mit dem Thema zu tun haben, wurden mit zwei unterschiedlichen Zugängen analysiert: Ihr explizites Wissen wurde einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse unterzogen, während Aspekte ihres impliziten Wissens mittels dokumentarischer Methode rekonstruiert wurde. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die "Öffentlichkeit" über Basisbildung(sbedarf) nicht Bescheid weiß bzw. für eine Fiktion hält, aber sehr konkrete Vorstellungen dazu hat und Personen mit geringen schriftsprachlichen Kompetenzen mit einer Reihe an negativen Stereotypen konfrontiert werden.How do people who share expert knowledge perceive individuals with few reading and writing skills? How do they handle respective stereotypes from the public, who is generally badly informed about this issue? How is knowledge on illiteracy reproduced and in which ways is it rejected? Based on these research questions a sociological research project has been conducted in the context of an Erasmus+-project by the Federal Ministry for Education from 2017 to 2018. The project aimed at adding to the scientific discourse on illiteracy and people with few reading and writing skills. A second target was to provide insights for a campaign by the ministry on courses where reading, writing, mathematical or digital basic skills can be acquired. Eleven focus-groups with experts who either participate in such courses or who have professional insights were analyzed combining two qualitative methods: Qualitative content analysis allowed to investigate the explicit knowledge the experts share, while implicit aspects of this knowledge have been reconstructed applying the documentary method. Results show that people with low reading and writing skills are confronted with a range of negative stereotypes, while at the same time the public is not aware of illiteracy in Austria, or its existence is even neglected

Fiktion und Widersprüche. Eine soziologische Analyse zu Basisbildung in Österreich

Wie nehmen Expert:innen aus der Basisbildung Personen mit Basisbildungsbedarf wahr? Wie gehen sie mit Stereotypen von Lai:innen um, die in der Regel nicht gut darüber informiert sind? Wie wird Wissen über geringe schriftsprachliche Kompetenzen reproduziert und auf welche Weise wird es zurückgewiesen? Diese Forschungsfragen wurden in einem soziologischen Forschungsprojekt aufgegriffen, das 2017 bis 2018 im Rahmen eines Erasmus+-Projekts des Bildungsministeriums durchgeführt wurde. Die Ergebnisse der Studie sollten einerseits den wissenschaftlichen Diskurs um Basisbildungsbedarf bereichern und andererseits das Ministerium bei der Gestaltung einer Kampagne im Bereich Basisbildung unterstützen. Elf Fokusgruppen mit Expert:innen, die entweder an Basisbildungskursen teilnehmen oder in ihrem beruflichen Kontext mit dem Thema zu tun haben, wurden mit zwei unterschiedlichen Zugängen analysiert: Ihr explizites Wissen wurde einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse unterzogen, während Aspekte ihres impliziten Wissens mittels dokumentarischer Methode rekonstruiert wurde. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die „Öffentlichkeit“ über Basisbildung(sbedarf) nicht Bescheid weiß bzw. für eine Fiktion hält, aber sehr konkrete Vorstellungen dazu hat und Personen mit geringen schriftsprachlichen Kompetenzen mit einer Reihe an negativen Stereotypen konfrontiert werden. How do people who share expert knowledge perceive individuals with few reading and writing skills? How do they handle respective stereotypes from the public, who is generally badly informed about this issue? How is knowledge on illiteracy reproduced and in which ways is it rejected? Based on these research questions a sociological research project has been conducted in the context of an Erasmus+-project by the Federal Ministry for Education from 2017 to 2018. The project aimed at adding to the scientific discourse on illiteracy and people with few reading and writing skills. A second target was to provide insights for a campaign by the ministry on courses where reading, writing, mathematical or digital basic skills can be acquired. Eleven focus-groups with experts who either participate in such courses or who have professional insights were analyzed combining two qualitative methods: Qualitative content analysis allowed to investigate the explicit knowledge the experts share, while implicit aspects of this knowledge have been reconstructed applying the documentary method. Results show that people with low reading and writing skills are confronted with a range of negative stereotypes, while at the same time the public is not aware of illiteracy in Austria, or its existence is even neglected

Dietary calcium concentration and cereals differentially affect mineral balance and tight junction proteins expression in jejunum of weaned pigs

Ca plays an essential role in bone development; however, little is known about its effect on intestinal gene expression in juvenile animals. In the present study, thirty-two weaned pigs (9·5 (sem 0·11) kg) were assigned to four diets that differed in Ca concentration (adequate v. high) and cereal composition (wheat–barley v. maize) to assess the jejunal and colonic gene expression of nutrient transporters, tight junction proteins, cytokines and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, nutrient digestibility, Ca balance and serum acute-phase response. To estimate the impact of mucosal bacteria on colonic gene expression, Spearman's correlations between colonic gene expression and bacterial abundance were computed. Faecal Ca excretion indicated that more Ca was available along the intestinal tract of the pigs fed high Ca diets as compared to the pigs fed adequate Ca diets (P0·35; P< 0·05) indicated an association between operational taxonomic units assigned to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and bacterial metabolites and mucosal gene expression in the colon. The present results indicate that high Ca diets have the potential to modify the jejunal and colonic mucosal gene expression response which, in turn, interacts with the composition of the basal diet and mucosa-associated bacteria in weaned pigs

City-Wide Perceptions of Neighbourhood Quality using Street View Images

The interactions of individuals with city neighbourhoods is determined, in part, by the perceived quality of urban environments. Perceived neighbourhood quality is a core component of urban vitality, influencing social cohesion, sense of community, safety, activity and mental health of residents. Large-scale assessment of perceptions of neighbourhood quality was pioneered by the Place Pulse projects. Researchers demonstrated the efficacy of crowd-sourcing perception ratings of image pairs across 56 cities and training a model to predict perceptions from street-view images. Variation across cities may limit Place Pulse's usefulness for assessing within-city perceptions. In this paper, we set forth a protocol for city-specific dataset collection for the perception: 'On which street would you prefer to walk?'. This paper describes our methodology, based in London, including collection of images and ratings, web development, model training and mapping. Assessment of within-city perceptions of neighbourhoods can identify inequities, inform planning priorities, and identify temporal dynamics. Code available: https://emilymuller1991.github.io/urban-perceptions/

Impact of Intestinal Microbiota on Growth and Feed Efficiency in Pigs: A Review

peer reviewedThis review summarises the evidence for a link between the porcine intestinal microbiota and growth and feed e ciency (FE), and suggests microbiota-targeted strategies to improve productivity. However, there are challenges in identifying reliable microbial predictors of host phenotype; environmental factors impact the microbe–host interplay, sequential di erences along the intestine result in segment-specific FE- and growth-associated taxa/functionality, and it is often di cult to distinguish cause and e ect. However, bacterial taxa involved in nutrient processing and energy harvest, and those with anti-inflammatory e ects, are consistently linked with improved productivity. In particular, evidence is emerging for an association of Treponema and methanogens such as Methanobrevibacter in the small and large intestines and Lactobacillus in the large intestine with a leaner phenotype and/or improved FE. Bacterial carbohydrate and/or lipid metabolism pathways are also generally enriched in the large intestine of leaner pigs and/or those with better growth/FE. Possible microbial signalling routes linked to superior growth and FE include increased intestinal propionate production and reduced inflammatory response. In summary, the bacterial taxa and/or metabolic pathways identified here could be used as biomarkers for FE/growth in pigs, the taxa exploited as probiotics or the taxa/functionality manipulated via dietary/breeding strategies in order to improve productivity in pigs

Microbiota of the Gut-Lymph Node Axis: Depletion of Mucosa-Associated Segmented Filamentous Bacteria and Enrichment of Methanobrevibacter by Colistin Sulfate and Linco-Spectin in Pigs

Microorganisms are translocated from the gut to lymphatic tissues via immune cells, thereby challenging and training the mammalian immune system. Antibiotics alter the gut microbiome and consecutively might also affect the corresponding translocation processes, resulting in an imbalanced state between the intestinal microbiota and the host. Hence, understanding the variant effects of antibiotics on the microbiome of gut-associated tissues is of vital importance for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and animal health. In the present study, we analyzed the microbiome of (i) pig feces, ileum, and ileocecal lymph nodes under the influence of antibiotics (Linco-Spectin and Colistin sulfate) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for high-resolution community profiling and (ii) ileocecal lymph nodes in more detail with two additional methodological approaches, i.e., cultivation of ileocecal lymph node samples and (iii) metatranscriptome sequencing of a single lymph node sample. Supplementation of medicated feed showed a local effect on feces and ileal mucosa-associated microbiomes. Pigs that received antibiotics harbored significantly reduced amounts of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) along the ileal mucosa (p = 0.048; 199.17-fold change) and increased amounts of Methanobrevibacter, a methanogenic Euryarchaeote in fecal samples (p = 0.005; 20.17-fold change) compared to the control group. Analysis of the porcine ileocecal lymph node microbiome exposed large differences between the viable and the dead fraction of microorganisms and the microbiome was altered to a lesser extent by antibiotics compared with feces and ileum. The core microbiome of lymph nodes was constituted mainly of Proteobacteria. RNA-sequencing of a single lymph node sample unveiled transcripts responsible for amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein turnover, DNA replication and signal transduction. The study presented here is the first comparative study of microbial communities in feces, ileum, and its associated ileocecal lymph nodes. In each analyzed site, we identified specific phylotypes susceptible to antibiotic treatment that can have profound impacts on the host physiological and immunological state, or even on global biogeochemical cycles. Our results indicate that pathogenic bacteria, e.g., enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, could escape antibiotic treatment by translocating to lymph nodes. In general ileocecal lymph nodes harbor a more diverse and active community of microorganisms than previously assumed

Fecal Microbiota Transplant From Highly Feed Efficient Donors Affects Cecal Physiology and Microbiota in Low- and High-Feed Efficient Chickens

Publication history: Accepted - 25 June 2019; Published online - 9 July 2019Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) may be used to improve chicken’s feed efficiency (FE) via modulation of the intestinal microbiota and microbe-host signaling. This study investigated the effect of the administration of FMT from highly feed efficient donors early in life on the jejunal and cecal microbiota, visceral organ size, intestinal morphology, permeability, and expression of genes for nutrient transporters, barrier function and innate immune response in chickens of diverging residual feed intake (RFI; a metric for FE). Chicks (n = 110) were inoculated with the FMT or control transplant (CT) on 1, 6, and 9 days posthatch (dph), from which 56 chickens were selected on 30 dph as the extremes in RFI, resulting in 15 low and 13 high RFI chickens receiving the FMT and 14 low and 14 high RFI chickens receiving the CT. RFI rank and FMT only caused tendencies for alterations in the jejunal microbiota and only one unclassified Lachnospiraceae genus in cecal digesta was indicative of high RFI. By contrast, the FMT caused clear differences in the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile in the crop and cecal microbiota composition compared to the CT, which indicated alterations in amylolytic, pullulanolytic and hemicellulolytic bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Dorea, and Ruminococcus. Moreover, the FMT caused alterations in intestinal development as indicated by the longer duodenum and shallower crypts in the ceca. From the observed RFI-associated variation, energy-saving mechanisms and moderation of the mucosal immune response were indicated by higher jejunal permeability, shorter villi in the ileum, and enhanced cecal expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 in low RFI chickens. Relationships obtained from supervised multigroup data integration support that certain bacteria, including Ruminococcocaceae-, Lactobacillus-, and unclassified Clostridiales-phylotypes, and SCFA in jejunal and cecal digesta modulated expression levels of cytokines, tight-junction protein OCLN and nutrient transporters for glucose and SCFA uptake. In conclusion, results suggest that the intestine only Frontiers in Microbiology | www.frontiersin.org 1 July 2019 | Volume 10 | Article 1576 fmicb-10-01576 July 5, 2019 Time: 15:15 # 2 Metzler-Zebeli et al. Fecal Microbiota Transplant and Gut Functions played a moderate role for the RFI-associated variation of the present low and high RFI phenotypes, whereas modulating the early microbial colonization resulted in longlasting changes in bacterial taxonomic and metabolite composition as well as in host intestinal development.This project (ECO-FCE) has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under Grant Agreement No. 311794

Microbiota of the Gut-Lymph Node Axis: Depletion of Mucosa-Associated Segmented Filamentous Bacteria and Enrichment of Methanobrevibacter by Colistin Sulfate and Linco-Spectin in Pigs

Microorganisms are translocated from the gut to lymphatic tissues via immune cells, thereby challenging and training the mammalian immune system. Antibiotics alter the gut microbiome and consecutively might also affect the corresponding translocation processes, resulting in an imbalanced state between the intestinal microbiota and the host. Hence, understanding the variant effects of antibiotics on the microbiome of gut-associated tissues is of vital importance for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and animal health. In the present study, we analyzed the microbiome of (i) pig feces, ileum, and ileocecal lymph nodes under the influence of antibiotics (Linco-Spectin and Colistin sulfate) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for high-resolution community profiling and (ii) ileocecal lymph nodes in more detail with two additional methodological approaches, i.e., cultivation of ileocecal lymph node samples and (iii) metatranscriptome sequencing of a single lymph node sample. Supplementation of medicated feed showed a local effect on feces and ileal mucosa-associated microbiomes. Pigs that received antibiotics harbored significantly reduced amounts of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) along the ileal mucosa (p = 0.048; 199.17-fold change) and increased amounts of Methanobrevibacter, a methanogenic Euryarchaeote in fecal samples (p = 0.005; 20.17-fold change) compared to the control group. Analysis of the porcine ileocecal lymph node microbiome exposed large differences between the viable and the dead fraction of microorganisms and the microbiome was altered to a lesser extent by antibiotics compared with feces and ileum. The core microbiome of lymph nodes was constituted mainly of Proteobacteria. RNA-sequencing of a single lymph node sample unveiled transcripts responsible for amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein turnover, DNA replication and signal transduction. The study presented here is the first comparative study of microbial communities in feces, ileum, and its associated ileocecal lymph nodes. In each analyzed site, we identified specific phylotypes susceptible to antibiotic treatment that can have profound impacts on the host physiological and immunological state, or even on global biogeochemical cycles. Our results indicate that pathogenic bacteria, e.g., enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, could escape antibiotic treatment by translocating to lymph nodes. In general ileocecal lymph nodes harbor a more diverse and active community of microorganisms than previously assumed

Feed Restriction Reveals Distinct Serum Metabolome Profiles in Chickens Divergent in Feed Efficiency Traits

Publication history: Accepted - 20 February 2019; Published - 25 February 2019.Restrictive feeding influences systemic metabolism of nutrients; however, this impact has not been evaluated in chickens of diverging feed efficiency. This study investigated the effect of ad libitum versus restrictive feeding (85% of ad libitum) on the serum metabolome and white blood cell composition in chickens of diverging residual feed intake (RFI; metric for feed efficiency). Blood samples were collected between days 33 and 37 post-hatch. While serum glucose was similar, serum uric acid and cholesterol were indicative of the nutritional status and chicken’s RFI, respectively. Feed restriction and RFI rank caused distinct serum metabolome profiles, whereby restrictive feeding also increased the blood lymphocyte proportion. Most importantly, 10 amino acids were associated with RFI rank in birds, whereas restrictive feeding affected almost all detected lysophosphatidylcholines, with 3 being higher and 6 being lower in restrictively compared to ad libitum fed chickens. As indicated by relevance networking, isoleucine, lysine, valine, histidine, and ornithine were the most discriminant for high RFI, whereas 3 biogenic amines (carnosine, putrescine, and spermidine) and 3 diacyl-glycerophospholipids (38:4, 38:5, and 40:5) positively correlated with feed intake and body weight gain, respectively. Only for taurine, feed intake mostly explained the RFI-associated variation, whereas for most metabolites, other host physiological factors played a greater role for the RFI-associated differences, and was potentially related to insulin-signaling, phospholipase A2, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Alterations in the hepatic synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and the need for precursors for gluconeogenesis due to varying energy demand may explain the marked differences in serum metabolite profiles in ad libitum and restrictively fed birds.This project (ECO-FCE) has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreement no. 311794