Profiling the Effects of Systemic Antibiotics for Acne, Including the Narrow-Spectrum Antibiotic Sarecycline, on the Human Gut Microbiota.

Treatment for moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris relies on prolonged use of oral tetracycline-class antibiotics; however, these broad-spectrum antibiotics are often associated with off-target effects and negative gastrointestinal sequelae. Sarecycline is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic treatment option. Here, we investigated the effect of prolonged sarecycline exposure, compared with broad-spectrum tetracyclines (doxycycline and minocycline) upon the colonic microbiota.

The use of first-generation cephalosporin antibiotics, cefalexin and cefradine, is not associated with induction of simulated Clostridioides difficile infection.

Objectives: The use of broad-spectrum cephalosporins is associated with induction of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Recent knowledge on the importance of the healthy microbiota in preventing pathogen colonization/outgrowth highlights the caution needed when prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics. The use of historical narrow-spectrum antibiotics, such as first-generation cephalosporins, is gaining increased attention once more as they have a reduced impact on the microbiota whilst treating infections.

The effect of intestinal microbiota dysbiosis on growth and detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales within an in vitro gut model.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) can colonize the gut and are of major clinical concern. Identification of CPE colonization is problematic; there is no gold-standard detection method, and the effects of antibiotic exposure and microbiota dysbiosis on detection are unknown.

Aim: Based on a national survey we selected four CPE screening assays in common use.

Eravacycline, a novel tetracycline derivative, does not induce Clostridioides difficile infection in an in vitro human gut model.

Objectives: The approval of new antibiotics is essential to combat infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens; however, such agents should be tested to determine their effect on the resident microbiota and propensity to select for opportunistic pathogens, such as Clostridioides difficile. Eravacycline is a new antibiotic for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections. Here, we determined the effects of eravacycline compared with moxifloxacin on the microbiota and if these were conducive to induction of C.

Heard but not seen: Comparing bat assemblages and study methods in a mosaic landscape in the Western Ghats of India.

We used capture (mist-netting) and acoustic methods to compare the species richness, abundance, and composition of a bat assemblage in different habitats in the Western Ghats of India. In the tropics, catching bats has been more commonly used as a survey method than acoustic recordings. In our study, acoustic methods based on recording echolocation calls detected greater bat activity and more species than mist-netting.

Intra-specific variation in wing morphology and its impact on take-off performance in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) during escape flights.

Diurnal and seasonal increases in body mass and seasonal reductions in wing area may compromise a bird's ability to escape, as less of the power available from the flight muscles can be used to accelerate and elevate the animal's centre of mass. Here, we investigated the effects of intra-specific variation in wing morphology on escape take-off performance in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Flights were recorded using synchronised high-speed video cameras and take-off performance was quantified as the sum of the rates of change of the kinetic and potential energies of the centre of mass.

Predicting Species Distributions Using Record Centre Data: Multi-Scale Modelling of Habitat Suitability for Bat Roosts.

Conservation increasingly operates at the landscape scale. For this to be effective, we need landscape scale information on species distributions and the environmental factors that underpin them. Species records are becoming increasingly available via data centres and online portals, but they are often patchy and biased.

Excepting Myotis capaccinii, the wings' contribution to take-off performance does not correlate with foraging ecology in six species of insectivorous bat.

Take-off in bats is separated into two distinct phases: an initial jump and a subsequent wing powered acceleration. Here, using footage from a high-speed camera, the first comparative study of the performance during the wing induced phase of take-off in six insectivorous bat species is described. Despite distinct differences in foraging strategy, the mass specific power generated by the bats during wing induced take-off did not differ between species, with the exception of Myotis capaccinii.

Hydrodynamics of fossil fishes.

From their earliest origins, fishes have developed a suite of adaptations for locomotion in water, which determine performance and ultimately fitness. Even without data from behaviour, soft tissue and extant relatives, it is possible to infer a wealth of palaeobiological and palaeoecological information. As in extant species, aspects of gross morphology such as streamlining, fin position and tail type are optimized even in the earliest fishes, indicating similar life strategies have been present throughout their evolutionary history.

Sexual segregation and flexible mating patterns in temperate bats.

Social structure evolves from a trade-off between the costs and benefits of group-living, which are in turn dependent upon the distribution of key resources such as food and shelter. Males and females, or juveniles and adults, may have different priorities when selecting habitat due to differences in physiological or behavioural imperatives, leading to complex patterns in group composition. We studied social structure and mating behaviour in the insectivorous bat Myotis daubentonii along an altitudinal gradient, combining field studies with molecular genetics.

Do bat gantries and underpasses help bats cross roads safely?

Major roads can reduce bat abundance and diversity over considerable distances. To mitigate against these effects and comply with environmental law, many European countries install bridges, gantries or underpasses to make roads permeable and safer to cross. However, through lack of appropriate monitoring, there is little evidence to support their effectiveness.

Development of conserved microsatellite markers of high cross-species utility in bat species (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera, Mammalia).

Comparative ecological and behavioural studies of the widespread and diverse Vespertilionidae, which comprise almost 400 of the 1100 bat species, have been limited by the availability of markers. The potential of new methods for developing conserved microsatellite markers that possess enhanced cross-species utility has recently been illustrated in studies of birds. We have applied these methods to develop enhanced microsatellite markers for vespertilionid bats, in particular for the genus Myotis (103 species).

Impact of PIT tagging on recapture rates, body condition and reproductive success of wild Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii).

A successful and safe methodology for the subcutaneous insertion of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in a small- to medium-sized bat (average mass 9 g) under isoflurane-induced anaesthesia is described. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging had no significant impact on the rate of recapture, body condition index (BCI) (bodyweight/forearm length) and reproductive success of tagged individuals, and no visible injuries or health problems were observed in any of the recaptured bats. Tagging success, in terms of retention and function, was 92 per cent (n=61) by the third year of using the method.

Genetic population structure of Natterer's bats explained by mating at swarming sites and philopatry.

During autumn 'swarming', large numbers of temperate bats chase each other in and around underground sites. Swarming has been proposed to be a mating event, allowing interbreeding between bats from otherwise isolated summer colonies. We studied the population structure of the Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri), a swarming species in northern England, by sampling bats at seven sites in two swarming areas and at 11 summer colonies.

Sex and segregation in temperate bats.

Many temperate insectivorous bats show marked sexual segregation during the summer, but in spectacular, pre-hibernation swarming, gather at caves to mate. In many species, sexual segregation is probably due to a gradient in aerial insect availability that confines females to lower elevations, where high reproductive costs are met by an abundant and reliable food supply. In the hawking and trawling Myotis daubentonii, we show that alongside inter-sexual segregation, there is intra-male segregation and suggest that this results from the exclusion of most males from high-quality habitat.

Mechanical properties of the latissimus dorsi muscle after cyclic training.

Cardiomyoplasty is a procedure developed to improve heart performance in patients suffering from congestive heart failure. The latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle is surgically wrapped around the failing ventricles and stimulated to contract in synchrony with the heart. The LD muscle is easily fatigued and as a result is unsuitable for cardiomyoplasty.

How the efficiency of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ventricular muscle changes with cycle frequency.

Different species of animals require different cardiac performance and, in turn, their cardiac muscle exhibits different properties. A comparative approach can reveal a great deal about the mechanisms underlying myocardial contraction. Differences in myocardial Ca(2+) handling between fish and mammals suggest a greater energy cost of activation in fish.

Spatial variation in fast muscle function of the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during fast-starts and sprinting.

Fish fast-starts and sprints are rapid kinematic events powered by the lateral myotomal musculature. A distinction can be made between fast-starts and sprint-swimming activity. Fast-starts are kinematic events involving rapid, asymmetrical movements.

Fast muscle function in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) during aquatic and terrestrial locomotion.

Eels are capable of locomotion both in water and on land using undulations of the body axis. Axial undulations are powered by the lateral musculature. Differences in kinematics and the underlying patterns of fast muscle activation are apparent between locomotion in these two environments.

Slow muscle power output of yellow- and silver-phase European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.): changes in muscle performance prior to migration.

Eels swim in the anguilliform mode in which the majority of the body axis undulates to generate thrust. For this reason, muscle function has been hypothesised to be relatively uniform along the body axis relative to some other teleosts in which the caudal fin is the main site of thrust production. The European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.

Slow muscle function of Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis) during steady swimming.

The Pacific bonito, Sarda chiliensis, is anatomically intermediate between mackerel and tuna. The specialisations exhibited by tuna are present in the bonito, but to a lesser degree. Slow-twitch muscle strain and activity patterns were determined during steady swimming (tailbeat frequency 1.

Rate-dependent changes in cell shortening, intracellular Ca(2+) levels and membrane potential in single, isolated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ventricular myocytes.

The effects of increasing stimulation frequency (from 0.2 to 1.4 Hz) on the contractility, intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and membrane potential of single ventricular myocytes isolated from the heart of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were measured.

Fish swimming: patterns in muscle function.

Undulatory swimming in fish is powered by the segmental body musculature of the myotomes. Power generated by this muscle and the interactions between the fish and the water generate a backward-travelling wave of lateral displacement of the body and caudal fin. The body and tail push against the water, generating forward thrust.

Influence of cycle frequency, muscle strain and muscle length on work and power production of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ventricular muscle.

This study investigates the effects of cycle frequency, strain and length on work and power output of isolated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ventricular preparations using the work loop technique. These effects are discussed in the context of the whole heart using analogies with heart rate, stroke volume and end-diastolic volume. Power output was dependent on cycle frequency, increasing threefold beween 0.

Myotomal slow muscle function of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during steady swimming.

Strain and activity patterns were determined during slow steady swimming (tailbeat frequency 1.5-2.5 Hz) at three locations on the body in the slow myotomal muscle of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss using sonomicrometry and electromyography.