Sequence-based genotyping of extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from patients with suspected community-onset sepsis, Sweden.

Extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains are responsible for a large number of human infections globally. The management of infections caused by ExPEC has been complicated by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, most importantly the increasing recognition of isolates producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL). Herein, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on ExPEC isolates for a comprehensive genotypic characterization.

Genotypic Characterization of Clinical spp. Isolates Collected From Patients With Suspected Community-Onset Sepsis, Sweden.

is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria known to be opportunistic pathogens that may cause a variety of infections in humans. Highly drug-resistant species, especially , have emerged rapidly and are becoming a major concern in clinical management. Although is considered the most important pathogen within the genus, the true clinical significance of the other species is likely underrecognized due to the inability of conventional microbiological methods to distinguish between the species leading to high rates of misidentification.

Expression of miRNAs in Bull Spermatozoa Correlates with Fertility Rates.

Bull spermatozoa are rich in active miRNAs, and it has been shown that specific spermborne miRNAs can be linked to fertility. Thus, expression profiling of spermatozoa could be helpful for understanding male fertility and the ability of spermatozoa to initiate and sustain zygotic, embryonic and foetal development. Herein we hypothesized that bulls with moderate to high fertility can be identified by differences in amounts of certain miRNAs between their ejaculates.

Dynamic modelling of cell death during biofilm development.

Biofilms are currently recognised as the predominant bacterial life-style and it has been suggested that biofilm development is influenced by a number of different processes such as adhesion, detachment, mass transport, quorum sensing, cell death and active dispersal. One of the least understood processes and its effects on biofilm development is cell death. However, experimental studies suggest that bacterial death is an important process during biofilm development and many studies show a relationship between cell death and dispersal in microbial biofilms.

Chronic kidney disease--a common and serious complication after intestinal transplantation.

Background: Chronic kidney disease after organ transplantation is a serious complication that negatively impacts on long-term patient survival. We describe long-term renal function after intestinal transplantation by serial measurements of glomerular filtration rates (GFR) with Chromium EDTA clearance.

Materials And Methods: Ten patients with at least 6 months survival form the basis of this report.

In silico simulations suggest that Th-cell development is regulated by both selective and instructive mechanisms.

Th-cell differentiation is highly influenced by the local cytokine environment. Although cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-4 are known to polarize the Th-cell response towards Th1 or Th2, respectively, it is not known whether these cytokines instruct the developmental fate of uncommitted Th cells or select cells that have already been committed through a stochastic process. We present an individual based model that accommodates both stochastic and deterministic processes to simulate the dynamic behaviour of selective versus instructive Th-cell development.

Modeling the effect of acylated homoserine lactone antagonists in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium that causes serious illnesses, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, often with a fatal outcome. The finding that the acylated homoserine lactone quorum sensing (QS) system controls the production of virulence factors in P. aeruginosa makes this system a possible target for antimicrobial therapy.

The role of regulators in the expression of quorum-sensing signals in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Quorum-sensing systems provide Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a sensitive regulatory mechanism that allows for the induction of several phenotypic genes in a cell density fashion. In this work, a mathematical model of the acylated homoserine lactones regulatory network system in P. aeruginosa has been developed.

Kinetics of the AHL regulatory system in a model biofilm system: how many bacteria constitute a "quorum"?

Acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) regulate a wide variety of phenotypes in Gram-negative bacteria. Most research suggests that AHL-mediated phenotypes are not expressed in populations until late logarithmic phase or stationary phase. Here, we model how the concentration of AHLs inside bacterial cells and in a biofilm changes over time as a function of population growth rate, diffusion of AHLs and the rate of autoinduction.

Large-sized polysomes in Chironomus tentans salivary glands and their relation to Balbiani ring 75S RNA.

Polysomes from the salivary glands of Chironomus tentans were investigated to determine whether Balbiani ring 75S RNA is incorporated into polysomal structures, and thus probably acts as messenger RNA. A new extraction technique for obtaining ribonucleoproteins was applied that gives a high yield of polysomes with only moderate degradation of the cytoplasmic, high molecular weight RNA. The polysomes sedimented in a broad region (200-2,000S) with a peak value of about 700S, which suggested that they were partly of very large sizes.

The relationship between molecular size and electrphoretic mobility in agarose gels as determined from a single population of growing RNA molecules.

Growing RNA molecules obtained from a defined transcription unit, the 75 S RNA transcription unit in Balbiani ring 2 of Chironomus tentans, have been analysed by electrophoresis in agarose. This set of RNA molecules forms a broad distribution of molecules with sizes ranging from very small up to the final product of giant size corresponding to 75 S RNA. The relative molecular weights along the migration path were calculated from a simple activity relationship derived from the expected distribution properties of a single population of growing RNA molecules.