An innovative approach using soybean residues for the production of bioflocculants through solid-state fermentation was carried out in 4.5 L near-to-adiabatic bioreactors at pilot-scale level. An added inoculum of the strain Bacillus subtilis UPMB13 was tested in comparison with control reactors without any inoculation after the thermophilic phase of the fermentation. The flocculating performances of the extracted bioflocculants were tested on kaolin suspensions, and crude bioflocculants were obtained from 20 g of fermented substrate through ethanol precipitation. The production of bioflocculants was observed to be higher during the death phase of microbial growth. The bioflocculants were observed to be granular in nature and consisted of hydroxyl, carboxyl and methoxyl groups that aid in their flocculating performance. The results show the vast potential of the idea of using wastes to produce bioactive materials that can replace the current dependence on chemicals, for future prospect in water treatment applications.
Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) is a synanthropic muscid found in tropical and subtropical zones around the world. The larvae of this species are a secondary agent of myiasis with necrophagous habits and play an important role in forensic entomology, as they are used as an indicator of post-mortem interval. Adults can be considered vectors of etiological agents such as Escherichia coli and Shigella dysenteriae. Due to its ability to adapt to different environmental conditions, its high dispersal capacity (shown by its introduction to Europe), its predatory habits in the last larval stage and the difficulty of identifying it, a very important goal is to update our knowledge about this species. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to review the identification, geographical distribution and biology of this species in order to provide better support to investigations involving this fly.
The larval development of Chrysomya albiceps and Lucilia sericata is a well-known and valuable tool for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI). The third instar larvae of Ch. albiceps are facultative predators of the larvae of other necrophagous dipterans, and this behaviour is undoubtedly an important factor to consider. Both species are found together during human autopsies in Spain and other parts of Europe, where they cohabit, so a precise knowledge of their larval coexistence data is essential. The aim of this study is to investigate their coexistence and the intraguild predation of Ch. albiceps on L. sericata under experimental conditions and in real case reports. To analyse intra- and interspecific competition, four densities were used under controlled abiotic conditions [25ºC, 60-70% RH and 12:12 (D:N)]. The experimental data were compared with data corresponding to their coexistence in natural conditions, so annual activity and forensic case reports for both species were studied. The results indicate that the mortality of immature specimens in both species, the preimaginal developmental time, and adult size were affected by competition. In natural conditions, adult coexistence during the spring-summer period was confirmed. The simultaneity of the two species colonising human corpses is frequent in the studied area, with Ch. albiceps being the dominant species, and L. sericata the relevant species for estimating the minimum postmortem interval.
To better understand the population dynamics and dispersal ability of insect species, it is often helpful to derive a life table containing fundamental demographic data. The aim of this study was to determine a life table for the predatory necrophagous species Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) on a pig liver diet and under controlled laboratory conditions (29.5 ± 2. 5°C, RH 50 ± 15%, and a photoperiod of 12:12). This species has medical and veterinary importance and its distribution extends in tropical and subtropical areas and now it has been established in the southwestern of Europe. The mean adult longevity was 36. 18 ± 2. 06 d and the net reproduction rate, R, was 27.65 offspring/female, the mean generation time, T, was 22. 09 d, the finite rate of increase, λ, was 1. 16 d-1, and the intrinsic rate of increase, r, was 0. 15 d-1. These results indicate that S. nudiseta cannot be considered an r-strategist as the most common synanthropic necrophagous blowflies due to its predatory behavior; however, its invasive and colonist abilities are discussed. This is the first life table study of this species from Palearctic region to analyze the effect of its dispersal ability.
BACKGROUND: Influenza B viruses (FLUBV) have segmented genomes which enables the virus to evolve by segment reassortment. Since the divergence of both FLUBV lineages, B/Victoria/2/87 (FLUBV/VIC) and B/Yamagata/16/88 (FLUBV/YAM), PB2, PB1 and HA have kept the same ancestor, while some reassortment events in the other segments have been reported worldwide. The aim of the present study was to find out reassortment episodes in FLUBV strains detected in cases attended at Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron and Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Spain) from 2004 to 2015 seasons.
METHODS: From October 2004 to May 2015, respiratory specimens were received from patients with respiratory tract infection suspicion. Influenza detection was carried out by either cell culture isolation, immunofluorescence or PCR-based assays. A RT-PCR was performed to distinguish both lineages by agarose gel electrophoresis. Whole genome amplification was performed using the universal primer set by Zhou et al. in 2012, and subsequently sequenced using Roche 454 GS Junior platform. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to characterise the sequences with B/Malaysia/2506/2007 and B/Florida/4/2006 corresponding sequences as reference of (B/VIC) and (B/YAM), respectively.
RESULTS: A total of 118 FLUBV (75 FLUBV/VIC and 43 FLUBV/YAM), from 2004 to 2006, 2008-2011 and 2012-2015 seasons, were studied. The whole genome of 58 FLUBV/VIC and 42 FLUBV/YAM viruses was successfully amplified. Based on HA sequences, most FLUBV/VIC viruses (37; 64%) belonged to clade 1A (B/Brisbane/60/2008) except to 11 (19%), which fell within clade 1B (B/HongKong/514/2009) and 10 (17%) to B/Malaysia/2506/2004. Nine (20%) FLUBV/YAM viruses belonged to clade 2 (B/Massachusetts/02/2012), 18 (42%) to clade 3 (B/Phuket/3073/2013) and 15 (38%) fell within Florida/4/2006. Numerous intra-lineage reassortments in PB2, PB1, NA and NS were found in 2 2010-2011 viruses. An important inter-lineage reassortment event from 2008 to 2009 (11), 2010-2011 (26) and 2012-2013 (3) FLUBV/VIC (clade 1) strains to FLUBV/YAM (clade 3) was found, in addition to 1 reassortant NS in 2010-2011 B/VIC virus.
CONCLUSIONS: Intra- and inter-lineage reassortment episodes were revealed by WGS. While PB2-PB1-HA remained in complex, NP and NS reassortant viruses were found in both lineages. Despite reassorment events are not often, the characterisation only by HA and NA sequences might be underestimating their detection.
We report the results of an International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2007-December 2012 in 503 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the 6-year study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) U.S. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 605,310 patients hospitalized in the INICC's ICUs for an aggregate of 3,338,396 days. Although device utilization in the INICC's ICUs was similar to that reported from ICUs in the U.S. in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals: the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC's ICUs, 4.9 per 1,000 central line days, is nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.9 per 1,000 central line days reported from comparable U.S. ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher (16.8 vs 1.1 per 1,000 ventilator days) as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (5.5 vs 1.3 per 1,000 catheter days). Frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (42.8% vs 10%) and imipenem (42.4% vs 26.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (71.2% vs 28.8%) and imipenem (19.6% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC's ICUs compared with the ICUs of the CDC's NHSN.
Skipping of BRCA2 exon 3 (∆E3) is a naturally occurring splicing event, complicating clinical classification of variants that may alter ∆E3 expression. This study used multiple evidence types to assess pathogenicity of 85 variants in/near BRCA2 exon 3. Bioinformatically predicted spliceogenic variants underwent mRNA splicing analysis using minigenes and/or patient samples. ∆E3 was measured using quantitative analysis. A mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) based assay was used to determine the impact of 18 variants on mRNA splicing and protein function. For each variant, population frequency, bioinformatic predictions, clinical data, and existing mRNA splicing and functional results were collated. Variant class was assigned using a gene-specific adaptation of ACMG/AMP guidelines, following a recently proposed points-based system. mRNA and mESC analysis combined identified six variants with transcript and/or functional profiles interpreted as loss of function. Cryptic splice site use for acceptor site variants generated a transcript encoding a shorter protein that retains activity. Overall, 69/85 (81%) variants were classified using the points-based approach. Our analysis shows the value of applying gene-specific ACMG/AMP guidelines using a points-based approach and highlights the consideration of cryptic splice site usage to appropriately assign PVS1 code strength.
Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Vermiculariopsiella eucalypti, Mulderomyces natalis (incl. Mulderomyces gen. nov.), Fusicladium paraamoenum, Neotrimmatostroma paraexcentricum, and Pseudophloeospora eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus spp., Anungitea grevilleae (on leaves of Grevillea sp.), Pyrenochaeta acaciae (on leaves of Acacia sp.), and Brunneocarpos banksiae (incl. Brunneocarpos gen. nov.) on cones of Banksia attenuata. Novel foliicolous taxa from South Africa include Neosulcatispora strelitziae (on Strelitzia nicolai), Colletotrichum ledebouriae (on Ledebouria floridunda), Cylindrosympodioides brabejum (incl. Cylindrosympodioides gen. nov.) on Brabejum stellatifolium, Sclerostagonospora ericae (on Erica sp.), Setophoma cyperi (on Cyperus sphaerocephala), and Phaeosphaeria breonadiae (on Breonadia microcephala). Novelties described from Robben Island (South Africa) include Wojnowiciella cissampeli and Diaporthe cissampeli (both on Cissampelos capensis), Phaeotheca salicorniae (on Salicornia meyeriana), Paracylindrocarpon aloicola (incl. Paracylindrocarpon gen. nov.) on Aloe sp., and Libertasomyces myopori (incl. Libertasomyces gen. nov.) on Myoporum serratum. Several novelties are recorded from La Réunion (France), namely Phaeosphaeriopsis agapanthi (on Agapanthus sp.), Roussoella solani (on Solanum mauritianum), Vermiculariopsiella acaciae (on Acacia heterophylla), Dothiorella acacicola (on Acacia mearnsii), Chalara clidemiae (on Clidemia hirta), Cytospora tibouchinae (on Tibouchina semidecandra), Diaporthe ocoteae (on Ocotea obtusata), Castanediella eucalypticola, Phaeophleospora eucalypticola and Fusicladium eucalypticola (on Eucalyptus robusta), Lareunionomyces syzygii (incl. Lareunionomyces gen. nov.) and Parawiesneriomyces syzygii (incl. Parawiesneriomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Syzygium jambos. Novel taxa from the USA include Meristemomyces arctostaphylos (on Arctostaphylos patula), Ochroconis dracaenae (on Dracaena reflexa), Rasamsonia columbiensis (air of a hotel conference room), Paecilomyces tabacinus (on Nicotiana tabacum), Toxicocladosporium hominis (from human broncoalveolar lavage fluid), Nothophoma macrospora (from respiratory secretion of a patient with pneumonia), and Penidiellopsis radicularis (incl. Penidiellopsis gen. nov.) from a human nail. Novel taxa described from Malaysia include Prosopidicola albizziae (on Albizzia falcataria), Proxipyricularia asari (on Asarum sp.), Diaporthe passifloricola (on Passiflora foetida), Paramycoleptodiscus albizziae (incl. Paramycoleptodiscus gen. nov.) on Albizzia falcataria, and Malaysiasca phaii (incl. Malaysiasca gen. nov.) on Phaius reflexipetalus. Two species are newly described from human patients in the Czech Republic, namely Microascus longicollis (from toenails of patient with suspected onychomycosis), and Chrysosporium echinulatum (from sole skin of patient). Furthermore, Alternaria quercicola is described on leaves of Quercus brantii (Iran), Stemphylium beticola on leaves of Beta vulgaris (The Netherlands), Scleroderma capeverdeanum on soil (Cape Verde Islands), Scleroderma dunensis on soil, and Blastobotrys meliponae from bee honey (Brazil), Ganoderma mbrekobenum on angiosperms (Ghana), Geoglossum raitviirii and Entoloma kruticianum on soil (Russia), Priceomyces vitoshaensis on Pterostichus melas (Carabidae) (Bulgaria) is the only one for which the family is listed, Ganoderma ecuadoriense on decaying wood (Ecuador), Thyrostroma cornicola on Cornus officinalis (Korea), Cercophora vinosa on decorticated branch of Salix sp. (France), Coprinus pinetorum, Coprinus littoralis and Xerocomellus poederi on soil (Spain). Two new genera from Colombia include Helminthosporiella and Uwemyces on leaves of Elaeis oleifera. Two species are described from India, namely Russula intervenosa (ectomycorrhizal with Shorea robusta), and Crinipellis odorata (on bark of Mytragyna parviflora). Novelties from Thailand include Cyphellophora gamsii (on leaf litter), Pisolithus aureosericeus and Corynascus citrinus (on soil). Two species are newly described from Citrus in Italy, namely Dendryphiella paravinosa on Citrus sinensis, and Ramularia citricola on Citrus floridana. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS nrDNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.
The emergence of COVID-19 dramatically changed social behavior across societies and contexts. Here we study whether social norms also changed. Specifically, we study this question for cultural tightness (the degree to which societies generally have strong norms), specific social norms (e.g. stealing, hand washing), and norms about enforcement, using survey data from 30,431 respondents in 43 countries recorded before and in the early stages following the emergence of COVID-19. Using variation in disease intensity, we shed light on the mechanisms predicting changes in social norm measures. We find evidence that, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing norms increased while tightness and punishing frequency slightly decreased but observe no evidence for a robust change in most other norms. Thus, at least in the short term, our findings suggest that cultures are largely stable to pandemic threats except in those norms, hand washing in this case, that are perceived to be directly relevant to dealing with the collective threat.