Assessing the legal, illegal, and gray ornamental trade of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill.

Monitoring wildlife trade dynamics is an important initial step for conservation action and demand reduction campaigns to reduce illegal wildlife trade. Studies often rely on one data source to assess a species' trade, such as seizures or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data. Each database provides useful information but is often incomplete.

Decadal stability in coral cover could mask hidden changes on reefs in the East Asian Seas.

Coral reefs in the Central Indo-Pacific region comprise some of the most diverse and yet threatened marine habitats. While reef monitoring has grown throughout the region in recent years, studies of coral reef benthic cover remain limited in spatial and temporal scales. Here, we analysed 24,365 reef surveys performed over 37 years at 1972 sites throughout East Asia by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network using Bayesian approaches.

Culture-negative Capnocytophaga canimorsus meningitis diagnosed by 16s ribosomal RNA polymerase chain reaction in an immunocompetent veterinarian and a review of the literature.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a fastidious, capnophilic and facultative anaerobic Gram-negative rod found commonly in the oral flora of dogs that may cause zoonotic infections such as cellulitis and eye infections. In immunocompromised patients, it may cause fulminant sepsis. Meningitis due to C.

'Is Insulin Right for Me?': Web-based intervention to reduce psychological barriers to insulin therapy among adults with non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes-A randomised controlled trial.

Aims: To test 'Is Insulin Right for Me?', a theory-informed, self-directed, web-based intervention designed to reduce psychological barriers to insulin therapy among adults with type 2 diabetes. Further, to examine resource engagement and associations between minimum engagement and outcomes.

Methods: Double-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial (1:1), comparing the intervention with freely available online information (control).

Rothia Mucilaginosa Endophthalmitis Associated With iStent Inject Implantation.

Postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Rothia mucilaginosa, a gram-positive, coagulase-negative Micrococcaceae of the oropharyngeal flora, is rare and all previously reported intraocular implant-related cases have resulted in evisceration. R. mucilaginosa endophthalmitis has also not been described with any glaucoma implant device.

Assessment of heavy metal and metalloid levels and screening potential of tropical plant species for phytoremediation in Singapore.

Heavy metal or metalloid contamination is a common problem in soils of urban environments. Their introduction can be due to unpremeditated anthropogenic activities like atmospheric deposition produced by diffuse sources, construction activities and landscape maintenance. Phytoremediation is a rapidly evolving, sustainable approach to remediate the contaminated lands where metals and metalloids are highly persistent in the environment.

Hypotensive effect of captopril on deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertensive rat is associated with gut microbiota alteration.

The role of the gut microbiota in various metabolic diseases has been widely studied. This study aims to test the hypothesis that gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with DOCA-salt-induced hypertension, while captopril, an antihypertensive drug, is able to rebalance the gut microbiota alterations caused by hypertension. Treatment with captopril resulted in an approximate 32 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (162.

The Impact of Acne Treatment on Skin Bacterial Microbiota: A Systematic Review.

Background: Microbial strains such as have been examined as contributors to the pathogenesis of acne. Given the prevalence of the disease among adolescents and adults, the overutilization of antimicrobial agents may breed resistance and alter commensal microflora.

Objectives: To characterize the impact of acne treatment on the diversity and relative abundance of the cutaneous microbial community, particularly of the bacterial flora.

Longitudinal evaluation of azithromycin and cytokine concentrations in amniotic fluid following one-time oral dosing in pregnancy.

To utilize noninvasive collection of amniotic fluid in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROMs) to report the time concentration profile of azithromycin in amniotic fluid over 7 days from a single dose, and evaluate the correlation between azithromycin concentration and inflammatory markers in amniotic fluid. Prospective cohort study of five pregnant patients admitted with PPROMs and treated with a single 1 g oral azithromycin dose. Amniotic fluid was collected from pads and used to quantify azithromycin concentration as well as TNFa, IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 concentrations.

Neutralization of IL-1α ameliorates Crohn's disease-like ileitis by functional alterations of the gut microbiome.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic and progressive inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) that are attributed to dysregulated interactions between the gut microbiome and the intestinal mucosa-associated immune system. There are limited studies investigating the role of either IL-1α or IL-1β in mouse models of colitis, and no clinical trials blocking either IL-1 have yet to be performed. In the present study, we show that neutralization of IL-1α by a specific monoclonal antibody against murine IL-1α was highly effective in reducing inflammation and damage in SAMP mice, mice that spontaneously develop a Crohn's-like ileitis.

Cationic Branched Polyethylenimine (BPEI) Disables Antibiotic Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE).

Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the most prevalent prokaryotic species on human skin and mucosal membranes that constitute the commensal flora. S. epidermidis has become one of the most common causes of primary bacteremia.

Perioperative antibiotic use in vagus nerve stimulator implantation: a clinical series.

Purpose: Preoperative antibiosis contributes up to one third of total antibiotic use in major hospitals. Choice of antibiotic is not uniformly standardized, and polypharmacy regimens may be used without knowing the effect on rates of surgical site infection, nonsurgical infections, or antibiotic resistance. Careful examination of trends in surgical prophylaxis is warranted.

Pasteurella multocida non-native joint infection after a dog lick: A case report describing a complicated two-stage revision and a comprehensive review of the literature.

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are commonly caused by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci; however, other microbial etiologies and specific risk factors are increasingly recognized. Pasteurella multocida is a Gram-negative coccobacillus that is part of the normal oral flora in many animals, and is particularly common in dogs and cats. PJIs caused by P multocida have been reported only rarely in the literature and typically occur in the context of an animal bite or scratch.

Prevalence and predictive factors of harboring fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing rectal flora in Hong Kong Chinese men undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.

Objective: To study the prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-resistant) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL-producing) bacteria in the rectums of patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx), identifying predictive factors for such carriage and to correlate with the microbiology of those who developed postbiopsy infection (PBI).

Methods: A total of 371 men undergoing TRUS-Bx were prospectively enrolled from August 2011 to March 2012. Rectal swab was obtained before antimicrobial prophylaxis on the day of biopsy and grown in selective media for resistant bacteria.

Th17 cells in immunity and autoimmunity.

Th17 and IL-17 play important roles in the clearance of extracellular bacterial and fungal infections. However, strong evidence also implicates the Th17 lineage in several autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and asthma. The Th17 subset has also been connected with type I diabetes, although whether it plays a role in the pathogenicity of or protection from the disease remains a controversial issue.

Antibiotic resistance of ocular surface flora with repeated use of a topical antibiotic after intravitreal injection.

Importance: Treatment with intravitreal (IVT) injections has increased during the last several years as evidence has accumulated demonstrating the efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and various retinal vascular diseases. Although IVT injections are generally safe, infectious endophthalmitis is a rare but devastating complication, and the risk of morbidity and vision loss from endophthalmitis is high.

Objective: To examine the change in antibiotic resistance of ocular surface flora with repeated prophylactic use of antibiotics after IVT injection for AMD.

Impact of catheter antimicrobial coating on species-specific risk of catheter colonization: a meta-analysis.

Background: Antimicrobial catheters have been utilized to reduce risk of catheter colonization and infection. We aimed to determine if there is a greater than expected risk of microorganism-specific colonization associated with the use of antimicrobial central venous catheters (CVCs).

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of 21 randomized, controlled trials comparing the incidence of specific bacterial and fungal species colonizing antimicrobial CVCs and standard CVCs in hospitalized patients.

Effectiveness of oral hygiene interventions against oral and oropharyngeal reservoirs of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli.

Background: Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) are opportunistic pathogens and continue to cause a large number of hospital-acquired infections. AGNB residing in the oral cavity and oropharynx have been linked to nosocomial pneumonia and septicemia. Although AGNB are not considered members of the normal oral and oropharyngeal flora, medically compromised patients have been demonstrated to be susceptible to AGNB colonization.

Clinical course and outcomes of single-organism Enterococcus peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background And Objectives: Enterococci are part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract. They can cause enteric peritonitis, which is a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, the clinical course and outcome of PD-related Enterococcus peritonitis remains unclear.

A cross-sectional survey of snake oral bacterial flora from Hong Kong, SAR, China.

Objective: To determine the pattern of oral bacterial flora and their sensitivity to antibiotics in freshly captured native snakes in Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.

Methods: Healthy native snakes were captured and kept in a designated centre. Snake species were identified by experienced herpetologists.

Butyrate mediates nucleotide-binding and oligomerisation domain (NOD) 2-dependent mucosal immune responses against peptidoglycan.

The interaction between digestive tract microbiological flora and food has an important influence on human health. Butyrate is produced during the fermentation of dietary fibres by intestinal bacteria and plays an important role in the regulation of mucosal immunity. In this report, we studied the impact of butyrate on the defence mechanism against the bacterial membrane component peptidoglycan (PGN).

Oral bacterial flora of the Chinese cobra (Naja atra) and bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) in Hong Kong SAR, China.

Objective: To determine the oral bacterial flora associated with two common local venomous snakes in Hong Kong, namely the Chinese cobra (Naja atra) and the bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A non-government organisation and a regional hospital in Hong Kong.

Extent and predictors of microbial hand contamination in a tertiary care ophthalmic outpatient practice.

Purpose: To measure the extent of microbial hand contamination among ophthalmologists during routine clinic practice and examine its association with hand cleansing practices and beliefs, glove use, and patient load.

Methods: This was a single-masked analysis of resident and transient flora of ophthalmologists before and after patient examination and after handwashing by agar imprints of the dominant hand. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect information concerning subjects' hand cleansing practices and patient load.

Effect of quinolone treatment on selection and persistence of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in swine faecal flora.

Aims: To study the effect of oral administration of a quinolone on emergence of resistance in an indicator bacterial species from faecal flora.

Methods And Results: Quinolone resistance was studied in Escherichia coli obtained from the faecal contents of pigs housed in nine commercial farrow-to-finish herds in France after administration of flumequine to sows. The percentage of quinolone-resistant E.