Diffusion tensor imaging and tractography of the white matter in normal aging: The rate-of-change differs between segments within tracts.

Knowledge concerning the normal aging of cerebral white matter will improve our understanding of abnormal changes in neurodegenerative diseases. The microstructural basis of white matter maturation and aging can be investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Generally, diffusion anisotropy increases during childhood and adolescence followed by a decline in middle age.

Surveillance of Australian Hajj pilgrims for carriage of potentially pathogenic bacteria: Data from two pilot studies.

Aim: To estimate the pharyngeal carriage rate of (), () and () among Australian Hajj pilgrims.

Methods: In 2014, surveillance was conducted in two phases among Australian Hajj pilgrims: The first phase during Hajj in Mina, and the second phase soon after returning home to Australia. Nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs were taken from participants then tested, firstly by nucleic acid testing, and also by standard culture.

Successful treatment of prosthetic valve endocarditis using rifampicin and benzylpenicillin in combination with valve replacement.

is an uncommon cause of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). Recommended antimicrobial therapy typically includes intravenous β-lactams with or without synergistic aminoglycosides. studies have previously identified antagonism when rifampicin has been used in combination with β-lactams.

Multiple Sources of Genetic Diversity of Influenza A Viruses during the Hajj.

Outbreaks of respiratory virus infection at mass gatherings pose significant health risks to attendees, host communities, and ultimately the global population if they help facilitate viral emergence. However, little is known about the genetic diversity, evolution, and patterns of viral transmission during mass gatherings, particularly how much diversity is generated by transmission compared to that imported from other locations. Here, we describe the genome-scale evolution of influenza A viruses sampled from the Hajj pilgrimages at Makkah during 2013 to 2015.

Dynamic vehicle routing with time windows in theory and practice.

The vehicle routing problem is a classical combinatorial optimization problem. This work is about a variant of the vehicle routing problem with dynamically changing orders and time windows. In real-world applications often the demands change during operation time.

Verruconis gallopava cardiac and endovascular infection with dissemination after renal transplantation: Case report and lessons learned.

is an uncommon cause of phaeohyphomycosis. We describe an unusual case of disseminated infection in a renal transplant recipient involving the endocardium but without endocarditis, associated with fungaemia and infection in the skin, oral cavity, brain and lung. The isolate was first detected from blood cultures which is rare.

Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

Desert dust aerosols affect Earth's global energy balance through interactions with radiation, clouds, and ecosystems. But the magnitudes of these effects are so uncertain that it remains unclear whether atmospheric dust has a net warming or cooling effect on global climate. Consequently, it is still uncertain whether large changes in atmospheric dust loading over the past century have slowed or accelerated anthropogenic climate change, and the climate impact of possible future alterations in dust loading is similarly disputed.

On the Spatial Organization of mRNA, Plasmids, and Ribosomes in a Bacterial Host Overexpressing Membrane Proteins.

By using fluorescence imaging, we provide a time-resolved single-cell view on coupled defects in transcription, translation, and growth during expression of heterologous membrane proteins in Lactococcus lactis. Transcripts encoding poorly produced membrane proteins accumulate in mRNA-dense bodies at the cell poles, whereas transcripts of a well-expressed homologous membrane protein show membrane-proximal localization in a translation-dependent fashion. The presence of the aberrant polar mRNA foci correlates with cessation of cell division, which is restored once these bodies are cleared.

Plasmid Complement of Lactococcus lactis NCDO712 Reveals a Novel Pilus Gene Cluster.

Lactococcus lactis MG1363 is an important gram-positive model organism. It is a plasmid-free and phage-cured derivative of strain NCDO712. Plasmid-cured strains facilitate studies on molecular biological aspects, but many properties which make L.

Evaluating Google Flu Trends in Latin America: Important Lessons for the Next Phase of Digital Disease Detection.

Background:  Latin America has a substantial burden of influenza and rising Internet access and could benefit from real-time influenza epidemic prediction web tools such as Google Flu Trends (GFT) to assist in risk communication and resource allocation during epidemics. However, there has never been a published assessment of GFT's accuracy in most Latin American countries or in any low- to middle-income country. Our aim was to evaluate GFT in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

A case of rhino-orbital mucormycosis in diabetes with haematogenous cerebral spread.

We document the first case of haematogenous cerebral spread in rhino-orbital mucormycosis, and of posaconazole related adrenal insufficiency. A patient presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis and sinusitis was treated with right medial maxillectomy, ethmoidectomy and IV liposomal amphotericin. Orbital exenteration was performed after intraorbital spread of infection.

Agreement between Computerized and Human Assessment of Performance on the Ruff Figural Fluency Test.

The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) is a sensitive test for nonverbal fluency suitable for all age groups. However, assessment of performance on the RFFT is time-consuming and may be affected by interrater differences. Therefore, we developed computer software specifically designed to analyze performance on the RFFT by automated pattern recognition.

Expression of prophage-encoded endolysins contributes to autolysis of Lactococcus lactis.

Analysis of autolysis of derivatives of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363 and subsp. lactis IL1403, both lacking the major autolysin AcmA, showed that L.

Altered Wiring of the Human Structural Connectome in Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

In this study, structural connectivity after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was examined from a network perspective, with a particular focus on post-traumatic complaints. Fifty-three patients with and without self-reported complaints at 2 weeks after uncomplicated mTBI were included, in addition to 20 matched healthy controls. Diffusion weighted imaging was performed at 4 weeks post-injury, and neuropsychological tests measuring processing speed and verbal memory were administered at 3 months post-injury to determine cognitive outcome.

Stress Physiology of Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important starter, commensal, or pathogenic microorganisms. The stress physiology of LAB has been studied in depth for over 2 decades, fueled mostly by the technological implications of LAB robustness in the food industry. Survival of probiotic LAB in the host and the potential relatedness of LAB virulence to their stress resilience have intensified interest in the field.

Biological responses of human solid tumor cells to X-ray irradiation within a 1.5-Tesla magnetic field generated by a magnetic resonance imaging-linear accelerator.

Devices that combine magnetic resonance imaging with linear accelerators (MRL) represent a novel tool for MR-guided radiotherapy. However, whether magnetic fields (MFs) generated by these devices affect the radiosensitivity of tumors is unknown. We investigated the influence of a 1.

Transcriptome profiling of TDC cluster deletion mutant of Enterococcus faecalis V583.

The species Enterococcus faecalis is able to catabolise the amino acid tyrosine into the biogenic amine tyramine by the tyrosine decarboxilase (TDC) pathway Ladero et al. (2012) [1]. The TDC cluster comprises four genes: tyrS, an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-like gene; tdcA, which encodes the tyrosine decarboxylase; tyrP, a tyrosine/tyramine exchanger gene and nhaC-2, which encodes an Na(+)/H(+) antiporter and whose role in the tyramine biosynthesis remains unknown [2].

Phylogenetic analysis of human rhinoviruses collected over four successive years in Sydney, Australia.

Background: Human rhinoviruses (HRV) cause a wide spectrum of disease, ranging from a mild influenza-like illness (ILI) to severe respiratory infection. Molecular epidemiological data are limited for HRV circulating in the Southern Hemisphere.

Objectives: To identify the species and genotypes of HRV from clinical samples collected in Sydney, Australia, from 2006 to 2009.

Consequences of air around an ionization chamber: Are existing solid phantoms suitable for reference dosimetry on an MR-linac?

Purpose: A protocol for reference dosimetry for the MR-linac is under development. The 1.5 T magnetic field changes the mean path length of electrons in an air-filled ionization chamber but has little effect on the electron trajectories in a surrounding phantom.

Rethinking preventive post-discharge intervention programmes for very preterm infants and their parents.

Post-discharge preventive intervention programmes with involvement of the parent may support the resilience and developmental outcomes of infants born very preterm. Randomized controlled trials of home-based family-centred intervention programmes in very preterm infants that aimed to improve cognitive outcome, at least at age two, were selected and updated on the basis of a recent systematic review to compare their content and effect over time to form the basis of a narrative review. Six programmes were included in this narrative review.

Regulation of Cell Wall Plasticity by Nucleotide Metabolism in Lactococcus lactis.

To ensure optimal cell growth and separation and to adapt to environmental parameters, bacteria have to maintain a balance between cell wall (CW) rigidity and flexibility. This can be achieved by a concerted action of peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolases and PG-synthesizing/modifying enzymes. In a search for new regulatory mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of this equilibrium in Lactococcus lactis, we isolated mutants that are resistant to the PG hydrolase lysozyme.

A lost family-planning regime in eighteenth-century Ceylon.

Based on Dutch colonial registers (thombos), this paper reconstructs fertility for two districts in Ceylon, 1756-68. It overcomes challenges in data quality by establishing the outer bounds of plausible estimates in a series of scenarios. Among these, total fertility rates (TFRs) averaged 5.