Genomic characterization of MRSA recovered from people with cystic fibrosis during two Spanish multicentre studies (2013 and 2021).

Background: Chronic bronchopulmonary infection due to MRSA in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) has been associated with accelerated decline in lung function, increased hospitalizations and increased mortality.

Material And Methods: We studied microbiological and genomic characteristics of MRSA isolates recovered from pwCF in two Spanish multicentre studies (2013, 2021). Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed.

Impact of antibiotics, corticosteroids, and microbiota on immunotherapy efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with its high mortality rate attributed mainly to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has revolutionized its treatment, patient response is highly variable and lacking predictive markers. We conducted a prospective study on 55 patients with NSCLC undergoing ICI therapy to identify predictive markers of both response and immune-related adverse events (IrAEs) in the airway microbiota.

Resistome, Virulome, and Clonal Variation in Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) in Healthy Swine Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This cross-sectional study investigates the methicillin-resistant (MRSA): its prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and molecular characteristics in healthy swine populations in central Portugal. A total of 213 samples were collected from pigs on twelve farms, and MRSA prevalence was assessed using selective agar plates and confirmed via molecular methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) were performed to characterize resistance profiles and genetic determinants.

Reproductive system morphometry and productive parameters of beef heifers according to morphological classification.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of visual morphological classification based on body structure, maturity, and musculosity on the morphometry of the reproduction system and productive parameters of beef heifers. The study was conducted for 84 days, during winter season in Brazil. Thirty non-pregnant Nellore heifers, with an average body weight 338 kg and average age 18 months, were used for the study.

Comparison of Nanotrap Microbiome A Particles, membrane filtration, and skim milk workflows for SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA monitoring in wastewater has become an important tool for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance. Grab (quantitative) and passive samples (qualitative) are two distinct wastewater sampling methods. Although many viral concentration methods such as the usage of membrane filtration and skim milk are reported, these methods generally require large volumes of wastewater, expensive lab equipment, and laborious processes.

Magnetic hydrogel particles improve nanopore sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses.

Presented here is a magnetic hydrogel particle enabled workflow for capturing and concentrating SARS-CoV-2 from diagnostic remnant swab samples that significantly improves sequencing results using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing platform. Our approach utilizes a novel affinity-based magnetic hydrogel particle, circumventing low input sample volumes and allowing for both rapid manual and automated high throughput workflows that are compatible with Nanopore sequencing. This approach enhances standard RNA extraction protocols, providing up to 40 × improvements in viral mapped reads, and improves sequencing coverage by 20-80% from lower titer diagnostic remnant samples.

Climate teleconnections modulate global burned area.

Climate teleconnections (CT) remotely influence weather conditions in many regions on Earth, entailing changes in primary drivers of fire activity such as vegetation biomass accumulation and moisture. We reveal significant relationships between the main global CTs and burned area that vary across and within continents and biomes according to both synchronous and lagged signals, and marked regional patterns. Overall, CTs modulate 52.

Improved Detection of Herpesviruses from Diluted Vitreous Specimens Using Hydrogel Particles.

Infectious uveitis is a sight-threatening infection commonly caused by herpesviruses. Vitreous humor is often collected for molecular confirmation of the causative agent during vitrectomy and mixed in large volumes of buffered saline, diluting the pathogen load. Here, we explore affinity-capture hydrogel particles (Nanotrap) to concentrate low abundant herpesviruses from diluted vitreous.

Effect of increased serum progesterone on luteal morphology and function, pregnancy, and gestational loss in Nelore cows.

The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of different strategies for increasing the level of serum progesterone (P4) on luteal morphology and function in bovine females. The effects of increasing P4 on pregnancy rate and gestational loss (GL) in Nelore cows subjected to timed artificial insemination (TAI) were also evaluated. A total of 939 cows were divided into three groups: P4LA (n = 305), 150 mg of long-acting injectable P4 7 days after TAI; GnRH (n = 306), 10 μg of buserelin acetate 7 days after TAI; and control (n = 328), no hormone treatment after TAI.

Mitigation of low pregnancy rate in excitable Nellore cows by administration of GnRH or P4.

This research aimed to determine the effect of temperament on reproductive parameters including cortisol and progesterone (P4) in Nellore cows. Additionally, two methods for increasing plasma progesterone (P4) levels in excitable animals to enhance pregnancy rate (P/AI) and reduce pregnancy loss were investigated. In total, 939 cows were subjected to timed artificial insemination (TAI) and divided into three groups: (P4LA; n = 305) 150 mg of injectable long-acting progestogen 7 days after TAI; (GnRH; n = 306), 10 μg of buserelin acetate on day 7 after TAI; control group (CG; n = 328) without hormonal treatment.

Citrus Pulp Replacing Corn in the Supplement Decreased Fibre Digestibility with No Impacts on Performance of Cattle Grazing Marandu Palisade Grass in the Wet-Dry Transition Period.

The wet-dry transition period brings unique challenges to cattle producers in the tropics as the forage quality starts to decrease and animal performance is negatively affected unless supplementation strategies are applied. Two experiments were conducted concomitantly to evaluate the performance and metabolic parameters of cattle supplemented with two different energy sources under a C4 tropical grass continuous grazing system in the wet-dry transition period. In experiment (exp) 1, the liveweight (LW) gain of 42 growing Nellore bulls allocated to 12 paddocks of cv.

Zebu cattle fed dry distiller's grain or cottonseed meal had greater nitrogen utilization efficiency than non-supplemented animals.

This study evaluated intake, apparent digestibility, ruminal parameters, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis in grazing beef cattle fed a mineral mix or combination of two coproducts (cottonseed meal and dried distiller's grains (DDG)) during the wet season. Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pastures were managed under continuous stocking to maintain a fixed grazing height of 25 cm using put-and-take methodology.

Effects of Replacing Cottonseed Meal with Corn Dried Distillers' Grain on Ruminal Parameters, Performance, and Enteric Methane Emissions in Young Nellore Bulls Reared in Tropical Pastures.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing cottonseed meal with DDG on ruminal parameters, methane (CH) emissions (Experiment 1), and animal performance (Experiment 2) of young Nellore bulls grazing Marandu grass during the rainy season. Four supplementation strategies were used in both experiments: (1) Mineral supplementation (MS); (2) conventional multiple supplement (energy/protein) with cottonseed meal and citrus pulp (CMS); (3) CMS with 50% cottonseed meal replaced by DDG (50DDG); and (4) CMS with 100% cottonseed meal replaced by DDG (100DDG). The 50DDG condition resulted in greater intake of dry matter ( = 0.

Black soldier fly and yellow mealworm live larvae for broiler chickens: Effects on bird performance and health status.

The commercial broiler chicken strains are the result of successful selection programmes. Most of the problems related to welfare arise from the high growth rate and body weight. The use of environmental enrichments in intensive farming could have a positive effect on birds by increasing animal welfare.

Storm types in India: linking rainfall duration, spatial extent and intensity.

We examine wet events (WEs) defined from an hourly rainfall dataset based on 64 gauged observations across India (1969-2016). More than 90% of the WEs (accounting for nearly 60% of total rainfall) are found to last less than or equal to 5 h. WEs are then clustered into six canonical local-scale storm profiles (CanWE).

Scaling and responses of extreme hourly precipitation in three climate experiments with a convection-permitting model.

It is widely recognized that future rainfall extremes will intensify. This expectation is tied to the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relation, stating that the maximum water vapour content in the atmosphere increases by 6-7% per degree warming. Scaling rates for the dependency of hourly precipitation extremes on near-surface (dew point) temperature derived from day-to-day variability have been found to exceed this relation (super-CC).

Towards advancing scientific knowledge of climate change impacts on short-duration rainfall extremes.

A large number of recent studies have aimed at understanding short-duration rainfall extremes, due to their impacts on flash floods, landslides and debris flows and potential for these to worsen with global warming. This has been led in a concerted international effort by the INTENSE Crosscutting Project of the GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Exchanges) Hydroclimatology Panel. Here, we summarize the main findings so far and suggest future directions for research, including: the benefits of convection-permitting climate modelling; towards understanding mechanisms of change; the usefulness of temperature-scaling relations; towards detecting and attributing extreme rainfall change; and the need for international coordination and collaboration.

Prediction of regional wildfire activity in the probabilistic Bayesian framework of Firelihood.

Modeling wildfire activity is crucial for informing science-based risk management and understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of fire-prone ecosystems worldwide. Models help disentangle the relative influences of different factors, understand wildfire predictability, and provide insights into specific events. Here, we develop Firelihood, a two-component, Bayesian, hierarchically structured, probabilistic model of daily fire activity, which is modeled as the outcome of a marked point process: individual fires are the points (occurrence component), and fire sizes are the marks (size component).

Effects of experimental exposure to zearalenone on reproductive system morphometry, plasma oestrogen levels, and oocyte quality of beef heifer.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of zearalenone (ZEA) on the reproductive system morphometry, oestrogen (E2) levels and oocyte quality of beef heifers. Twenty non-pregnant purebred Nellore (Bos indicus) heifers [age, ≥18 months; initial body weight, 348 ± 30 kg (mean ± standard deviation)] were used. The animals were randomly divided into experimental group and a control group of 10 animals each.

Hydrogel particles improve detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from multiple sample types.

Here we present a rapid and versatile method for capturing and concentrating SARS-CoV-2 from contrived transport medium and saliva samples using affinity-capture magnetic hydrogel particles. We demonstrate that the method concentrates virus from 1 mL samples prior to RNA extraction, substantially improving detection of virus using real-time RT-PCR across a range of viral titers (100-1,000,000 viral copies/mL) and enabling detection of virus using the 2019 nCoV CDC EUA Kit down to 100 viral copies/mL. This method is compatible with commercially available nucleic acid extraction kits (i.

Optimization of a New Design of Molten Salt-to-CO Heat Exchanger Using Exergy Destruction Minimization.

One of the ways to make cost-competitive electricity, from concentrated solar thermal energy, is increasing the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. To achieve this objective, the most promising scheme is a molten salt central receiver, coupled to a supercritical carbon dioxide cycle. A key element to be developed in this scheme is the molten salt-to-CO heat exchanger.