Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli-targeting phages for biofilm biocontrol in the poultry industry.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a principal etiologic agent of avian colibacillosis, responsible for significant economic losses in the poultry industry due to high mortality and disease treatment with antibiotics. APEC and its ability to form biofilms on food and processing surfaces contributes to its persistence within farms. Bacteriophages are promising antibacterial agents for combating APEC.

Regulation of the HIF switch in human endothelial and cancer cells.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcription factors that reprogram the transcriptome for cells to survive hypoxic insults and oxidative stress. They are important during embryonic development and reprogram the cells to utilize glycolysis when the oxygen levels are extremely low. This metabolic change facilitates normal cell survival as well as cancer cell survival.

Dune Blowouts as Microbial Hotspots and the Changes of Overall Microbial Activity and Photosynthetic Biomass Along with Succession of Biological Soil Crusts.

Biological soil crust (BSC) constitutes a consortium of cyanobacteria, algae, lichen, mosses, and heterotrophic microorganisms, forming a miniature ecosystem within the uppermost soil layer. The biomass of different organisms forming BSC and their activity changes along with succession. Previous studies focused primarily on BSC in hyper-arid/arid regions, whereas the ecophysiology of BSC in temperate climates is still not well recognized.

Cryptographically Secure PseudoRandom Bit Generator for Wearable Technology.

This paper presents a prototype wearable Cryptographically Secure PseudoRandom Bit Generator CSPRBG (wearable CSPRBG). A vest prototype has been fabricated to which an evaluation board with a ZYBO (ZYnq BOard) Zynq Z-7010 has been mounted using tailoring technology. In this system, a seed generator and block cryptographic algorithms responsible for the generation of pseudo-random values were implemented.

Effects of a Lactobacillus fermentation product on the fecal characteristics, fecal microbial populations, immune function, and stress markers of adult dogs.

The objective of this study was to measure the effects of a Lactobacillus fermentation product (LBFP) on fecal characteristics and microbiota, blood biomarkers, immune function, and serum oxidative stress markers of adult dogs. Thirty adult beagle dogs [23 M, 7 F; mean age = 8.47 ± 2.

Effects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product-supplemented diet on fecal characteristics, oxidative stress, and blood gene expression of adult dogs undergoing transport stress.

Previously, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) was shown to positively alter fecal microbiota, fecal metabolites, oxidative stress, and circulating immune cell function of adult dogs. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of SCFP on fecal characteristics, serum oxidative stress biomarkers, and whole blood gene expression of dogs undergoing transport stress. Sixteen adult pointer dogs [8M, 8F; mean age = 6.

Effects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product-supplemented diet on circulating immune cells and oxidative stress markers of dogs.

Feeding Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) has previously altered fecal microbiota, fecal metabolites, and immune function of adult dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate measures of skin and coat health, changes in circulating immune cell numbers and activity, antioxidant status, and oxidative stress marker concentrations of healthy adult dogs fed a SCFP-supplemented extruded diet. Sixteen adult English Pointer dogs (8 M, 8 F; mean age = 6.

A quantitative method for evaluation of 6 degree of freedom virtual reality systems.

Modern virtual reality systems such as the HTC Vive enable users to be immersed in a virtual world. Validation of the HTC Vive and other contemporaneous systems for use in clinic, research, and industry applications will assure users and developers that games and applications made for these systems are accurate representations of the real world. The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized method for testing the translational and rotational capabilities of VR systems such as the HTC Vive.

How vision governs the collective behaviour of dense cycling pelotons.

In densely packed groups demonstrating collective behaviour, such as bird flocks, fish schools or packs of bicycle racers (cycling pelotons), information propagates over a network, with individuals sensing and reacting to stimuli over relatively short space and time scales. What remains elusive is a robust, mechanistic understanding of how sensory system properties affect interactions, information propagation and emergent behaviour. Here, we show through direct observation how the spatio-temporal limits of the human visual sensory system govern local interactions and set the network structure in large, dense collections of cyclists.

Modeling and implementation of voltage-mode CMOS dendrites on a reconfigurable analog platform.

Many decades ago, Wilfrid Rall and others laid the foundations for mathematical modeling of dendrites using cable theory. With reconfigurable analog architectures, we are now able to accurately program different circuit architectures to emulate dendrites. Our work has shown that these circuits accurately reproduce results predicted from cable theory when inputs to the system are small.

Neural dynamics in reconfigurable silicon.

A neuromorphic analog chip is presented that is capable of implementing massively parallel neural computations while retaining the programmability of digital systems. We show measurements from neurons with Hopf bifurcations and integrate and fire neurons, excitatory and inhibitory synapses, passive dendrite cables, coupled spiking neurons, and central pattern generators implemented on the chip. This chip provides a platform for not only simulating detailed neuron dynamics but also uses the same to interface with actual cells in applications such as a dynamic clamp.

Feasibility of laparoscopic renal cooling with near-freezing saline irrigation delivered with a standard irrigator aspirator.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility of laparoscopic renal cooling with near-freezing saline irrigation in the porcine model delivered using readily available operating room equipment.

Methods: Five pigs underwent laparoscopic renal surgery with temperature sensors placed in the medulla and upper, middle, and lower pole renal cortex. After complete occlusion of the renal artery and vein, near-freezing saline was delivered with a standard irrigator/aspirator onto the renal surface.

A novel test for identifying genes involved in aldehyde detoxification in the yeast. Increased sensitivity of superoxide-deficient yeast to aldehydes and their metabolic precursors.

A novel test for the identification of genes involved in aldehyde metabolism is proposed, based on detection of altered sensitivity of the yeast to corresponding alcohols, metabolic precursors of the aldehydes. This attitude enabled to an unexpected detection increased sensitivity of mutants devoid of CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) to allyl alcohol (precursor of acrolein) and nonenol. We interpret this finding as due to inactivation of some important element of aldehyde detoxification by increased flux of superoxide in DeltaCuZnSOD mutants.

Yeast as a biosensor for antioxidants: simple growth tests employing a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant defective in superoxide dismutase.

Mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae devoid of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase are hypersensitive to a range of oxidants, hyperbaric oxygen and hyperosmotic media, show lysine and methionine auxotrophy when grown under the atmosphere of air and have a shortened replicative life span when compared to the wild-type strain. Ascorbate and other antioxidants can ameliorate these defects, which may be a basis of simple tests sensing the presence of antioxidants. In particular, tests of growth on solid medium (colony formation) in the absence of methionine and/or lysine, or in the presence of 0.

Antioxidants protect the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae against hypertonic stress.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants lacking CuZnSOD have been reported to be hypersensitive to hypertonic media and to show increased oxidative damage. This study demonstrates that hypertonic medium (containing 0.8 M NaCl) increases the generation of superoxide and other reactive species in yeast cells.

Ascorbate abolishes auxotrophy caused by the lack of superoxide dismutase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast can be a biosensor for antioxidants.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants lacking cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) show Lys and Met auxotrophy under aerobic conditions. This metabolic defect can be ameliorated by exogenous ascorbate as well as other antioxidants (glutathione, cysteine and N-acetylcysteine). Restoration of growth of CuZnSOD- yeast mutants on media devoid of Met and/or Lys may therefore be a simple and useful means to detect and quantify antioxidants.

Ascorbate restores lifespan of superoxide-dismutase deficient yeast.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants lacking CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) are hypersensitive to oxygen and have significantly decreased replicative life span. Both these defects can be ameliorated by exogenous ascorbate. The effect of ascorbate on life span is complicated by auto-oxidation of its compound in the medium.

High-dose carboplatin and regimen-related toxicity following autologous bone marrow transplant.

Pharmacokinetic analysis of carboplatin dosing suggests a more accurate prediction of toxicity when the dose is based on the area under the plasma concentration vs time curve (AUC) instead of body surface area (BSA). We retrospectively calculated the carboplatin AUC of 117 patients who received an autologous stem cell transplant following a conditioning regimen consisting of carboplatin 1800 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 6000 mg/m(2) to identify whether higher carboplatin exposure resulted in an increase in regimen-related non-hematologic toxicities. The most common non-hematologic toxicities were gastrointestinal and hepatic.

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis with small molecules: the Jaffé method for creatinine carried out in a capillary tube.

An eletrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) approach, used to perform online chemistry between two small molecules, has been characterized and optimized. The "plug-plug" type EMMA method involved electrophoretic mixing and subsequent reaction of nanoliter plugs of creatinine-containing samples and alkaline picrate (Jaffe reaction) within the confines of the capillary column, which acts as a microreactor. Analyses were performed by pressure injecting a plug of picrate followed by a plug of the creatinine-containing sample.

Does sleep-disordered breathing contribute to the clinical severity of sickle cell anemia?

Purpose: This research was undertaken to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and/or nocturnal hemoglobin desaturations contribute to the clinical severity of sickle cell anemia (SS).

Patients And Methods: Eleven patients with severe SS (group S), defined by two or more hospitalizations in the previous year for painful crises, were compared to eight patients with mild SS (group M) who had not been hospitalized for painful crises in the past year. An additional cohort of nine patients with SS who had been referred to the Sleep Disorders Center because of a clinical suspicion of OSA were studied (group R).

Tumor necrosis factor alpha mediates the antitumor effect of combined interleukin-2 and whole body hyperthermia.

Combined whole body hyperthermia (WBHT) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) significantly reduces the growth rate of subcutaneous 10 day MCA-105 tumors in C57BL/6 mice, but not in 3-day tumors. Others have shown that macroscopic tumors show reduced growth with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) therapy compared with microscopic tumors. We sought to determine if the antitumor effect of combined WBHT+IL-2 is mediated by TNF alpha.