Genomic Determination of Relative Risks for Clostridioides difficile Infection From Asymptomatic Carriage in Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Background: Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are among the most prevalent hospital-associated infections (HAIs), particularly for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The risks for developing active CDI from asymptomatic carriage of C. difficile are not well understood.

Interval analysis of blood filtration efficacy in novel device for autotransfusion in postpartum hemorrhage.

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal mortality, is particularly problematic in low resource settings where access to safe blood supplies and definitive medical treatment is limited. We describe the continued development of an autotransfusion device designed to treat PPH by collection, filtration and infusion of maternal blood. Previous study has demonstrated that the device effectively moves blood through a filtration apparatus and removes up to 97% of aerobic bacteria but had poor anaerobic bacteria reduction.

Increasing humidity affects thermoregulation during low-intensity exercise in women.

Introduction: Women increasingly occupy manual labor jobs. However, research examining women working under hot-humid conditions is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to assess how increasing relative humidity (RH) affects women's thermoregulation during low-intensity exercise characteristic of 8 h self-paced manual labor.

Dynamics of the microbiota in response to host infection.

Longitudinal studies of the microbiota are important for discovering changes in microbial communities that affect the host. The complexity of these ecosystems requires rigorous integrated experimental and computational methods to identify temporal signatures that promote physiologic or pathophysiologic responses in vivo. Employing a murine model of infectious colitis with the pathogen Citrobacter rodentium, we generated a 2-month time-series of 16S rDNA gene profiles, and quantitatively cultured commensals, from multiple intestinal sites in infected and uninfected mice.

Influence of rest intervals after assisted jumping on bodyweight vertical jump performance.

Assisted jumping (an overspeed concept) is a method used to improve vertical jump performance. However, research is lacking on the optimal program design to maximize performance outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of rest intervals after assisted jumping on bodyweight (BW) vertical jumps.

Maternal microbe-specific modulation of inflammatory response in extremely low-gestational-age newborns.

The fetal response to intrauterine inflammatory stimuli appears to contribute to the onset of preterm labor as well as fetal injury, especially affecting newborns of extremely low gestational age. To investigate the role of placental colonization by specific groups of microorganisms in the development of inflammatory responses present at birth, we analyzed 25 protein biomarkers in dry blood spots obtained from 527 newborns delivered by Caesarean section in the 23rd to 27th gestation weeks. Bacteria were detected in placentas and characterized by culture techniques.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis fermented milk product reduces inflammation by altering a niche for colitogenic microbes.

Intestinal health requires the coexistence of eukaryotic self with the gut microbiota and dysregulated host-microbial interactions can result in intestinal inflammation. Here, we show that colitis improved in T-bet(-/-)Rag2(-/-) mice that consumed a fermented milk product containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DN-173 010 strain.

Enterobacteriaceae act in concert with the gut microbiota to induce spontaneous and maternally transmitted colitis.

Disruption of homeostasis between the host immune system and the intestinal microbiota leads to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whether IBD is instigated by individual species or disruptions of entire microbial communities remains controversial. We characterized the fecal microbial communities in the recently described T-bet(-/-) ×Rag2(-/-) ulcerative colitis (TRUC) model driven by T-bet deficiency in the innate immune system.

Detection of bacteria in placental tissues obtained from extremely low gestational age neonates.

Objective: The objective of the study was to quantify and identify aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma in the chorionic parenchyma.

Study Design: A sample of the chorionic parenchyma from neonates delivered between 23-27 completed weeks was cultured and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods using universal bacterial primers for the presence of bacteria and mycoplasmas.

Results: The culture positive rate was higher for vaginal deliveries (333/489; 68%) than for cesarean sections (363/876; 41%).

Mode of delivery and cord blood cytokines: a birth cohort study.

Background: The mechanisms for the association between birth by cesarean section and atopy and asthma are largely unknown.

Objective: To examine whether cesarean section results in neonatal secretion of cytokines that are associated with increased risk of atopy and/or asthma in childhood. To examine whether the association between mode of delivery and neonatal immune responses is explained by exposure to the maternal gut flora (a marker of the vaginal flora).