Genomic analyses of : subdivisions I and II represent distinct species.

is a Gram-negative anaerobe that is a member of the human gastrointestinal microbiota and is frequently found as an extra-intestinal opportunistic pathogen. comprises two distinct groups - divisions I and II - characterized by the presence/absence of genes [ and (), respectively] that confer resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by either serine or metallo-β-lactamase production. No large-scale analyses of publicly available sequence data have been undertaken, and the resistome of the species remains poorly defined.

Variations in the Physical Properties and Microbial Community of Dairy Cow Manure-Implications for Testing and Efficacy of Footbathing Products.

Footbaths containing disinfectants are used on dairy farms to reduce the spread of digital dermatitis; however, they commonly become contaminated with manure. This trial investigated the physical properties and microbial composition of dairy cow manure from two production systems and examined whether the source of manure impacted the efficacy of footbathing disinfectants. Manure was collected from eighteen dairy cows, nine housed and fed grass silage (HOUSED) and nine at pasture (PASTURE).

The potential role of molecular mimicry by the anaerobic microbiota in the aetiology of autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases are thought to develop as a consequence of various environmental and genetic factors, each of which contributes to dysfunctional immune responses and/or a breakdown in immunological tolerance towards native structures. Molecular mimicry by microbial components is among the environmental factors thought to promote a breakdown in immune tolerance, particularly through the presence of cross-reactive epitopes shared with the human host. While resident members of the microbiota are essential promoters of human health through immunomodulation, defence against pathogenic colonisation and conversion of dietary fibre into nutritional resources for host tissues, there may be an underappreciated role of these microbes in the aetiology and/or progression of autoimmune disease.

Culture of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis: challenges, limitations and future prospects.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in ruminants and is suspected to be involved in the development of Crohn's disease and several autoimmune disorders. As such, sensitive and specific MAP detection methods are required to confirm infection in animals and identify potential sources of animal and human exposure.

Smartphone-based immunochemical sensor exploiting peroxidase-like activity of ligand-capped gold nanostars: A proof-of-concept detection of Mycobacterium bovis.

Bacterial pathogens represent a safety concern in the food industry, and this is amplified by the lack of sensing devices that can be applied on-site by non-trained personnel. In this study, peroxidase-mimicking activity of gold nanostars was exploited to develop a user-friendly colourimetric sensor. A smartphone was exploited as an image reader and analyser, empowered with a novel App developed in-house.

Peroxidase-Mimicking Activity of Biogenic Gold Nanoparticles Produced from Fruit Extract: Characterizations and Application for the Detection of .

In the present study, a facile, eco-friendly, and controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using fruit extract is reported. The biogenically synthesized Au NPs possess ultra-active intrinsic peroxidase-like activity for the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of HO. Chemical analysis of the fruit extract demonstrated the presence of various bioactive molecules such as amino acids (l-alanine and aspartic acids), organic acids (benzoic acid and citric acid), sugars (arabinose and glucose), phenolic acid, and bioflavonoids (niacin and myo-inositol), which likely attributed to the formation of stable biogenic Au NPs with excellent peroxidase-mimicking activity.

Catalytic ferromagnetic gold nanoparticle immunoassay for the detection and differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis.

A ferromagnetic gold nanoparticle based immune detection assay, exploiting the enhanced signal amplification of inorganic nanozymes, was developed and evaluated for its potential application in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) organisms, and simultaneous identification of Mycobacterium bovis. Ferromagnetic gold nanoparticles (Au-FeO NPs) were prepared and their intrinsic peroxidase-like activity exploited to catalyse 3,3',5',5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (HO). When the Au-FeO NPs were functionalised by direct coupling with MTBC-selective antibodies, a nanoparticle based immune detection assay (NPIDA) was developed which could detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and differentiate M.

Highly sensitive electrochemical detection of the marine toxins okadaic acid and domoic acid with carbon black modified screen printed electrodes.

A novel electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of the important marine biotoxins domoic acid (DA) and okadaic acid (OA) was developed. The sensors used carbon black modified screen-printed electrodes (CB-SPE) obtained using a high-throughput method. The electrochemical performance and stability of CB modified SPEs and bare carbon SPEs (c-SPEs) were compared using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Multilaboratory Evaluation of a Novel Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic Assay for Confirming Isolation of Mycobacterium bovis from Veterinary Diagnostic Specimens.

A novel lateral flow immunochromatographic device (LFD) was evaluated in several veterinary diagnostic laboratories. It was confirmed to be specific for and cells. The performance of the novel LFD was assessed relative to the confirmatory tests routinely applied after culture (spoligotyping or quantitative PCR [qPCR]) in each laboratory; liquid (MGIT or BacT/Alert) and/or solid (Stonebrink, Coletsos, or Lowenstein-Jensen) cultures were tested.

Development of a novel immunochromatographic lateral flow assay specific for Mycobacterium bovis cells and its application in combination with immunomagnetic separation to test badger faeces.

Background: The European badger is an important wildlife reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis implicated in the spread of bovine tuberculosis in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Infected badgers are known to shed M. bovis in their urine and faeces, which may contaminate the environment.

Improved detection of Mycobacterium bovis in bovine tissues using immunomagnetic separation approaches.

Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) represents a simple but effective method of selectively capturing and concentrating Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), from tissue samples. It is a physical cell separation technique that does not impact cell viability, unlike traditional chemical decontamination prior to culture. IMS is performed with paramagnetic beads coated with M.

Phage display-derived binders able to distinguish Listeria monocytogenes from other Listeria species.

The objective of this study was to produce phage display-derived binders with the ability to distinguish Listeria monocytogenes from other Listeria spp., which may have potential utility to enhance detection of Listeria monocytogenes. To obtain binders with the desired binding specificity a series of surface and solution phage-display biopannings were performed.

Improved detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in bovine lymph node tissue using immunomagnetic separation (IMS)-based methods.

Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) can selectively isolate and concentrate Mycobacterium bovis cells from lymph node tissue to facilitate subsequent detection by PCR (IMS-PCR) or culture (IMS-MGIT). This study describes application of these novel IMS-based methods to test for M. bovis in a survey of 280 bovine lymph nodes (206 visibly lesioned (VL), 74 non-visibly lesioned (NVL)) collected at slaughter as part of the Northern Ireland bovine TB eradication programme.

Production and evaluation of antibodies and phage display-derived peptide ligands for immunomagnetic separation of Mycobacterium bovis.

This study describes the development and optimization of an immunomagnetic separation (IMS) method to isolate Mycobacterium bovis cells from lymph node tissues. Gamma-irradiated whole M. bovis AF2122/97 cells and ethanol-extracted surface antigens of such cells were used to produce M.

Care zoning. A pragmatic approach to enhance the understanding of clinical needs as it relates to clinical risks in acute in-patient unit settings.

The process of risk assessment which should inform and help identify clinical needs is often seen as a tick box and task-focussed approach. While on the surface this provides a sense of security that forms have been completed, we often fail to communicate in a meaningful manner about the clinical needs identified, which would assist in supporting the care planning delivery processes. A clinical practice improvement (CPI) project implemented a care zoning framework as an evidenced-based process that provides pragmatic support to nurses who are required to continually assess, implement, and evaluate plans to address clinical need across three acute mental health inpatient settings.

Development and single-laboratory validation of a pseudofunctional biosensor immunoassay for the detection of the okadaic acid group of toxins.

A rapid analytical optical biosensor-based immunoassay was developed and validated for the detection of okadaic acid (OA) and its structurally related toxins from shellfish matrix. The assay utilizes a monoclonal antibody which binds to the OA group of toxins in order of their toxicities, resulting in a pseudofunctional assay. Single-laboratory validation of the assay for quantitative detection of OA determined that it has an action limit of 120 microg/kg, a limit of detection of 31 microg/kg, and a working range of 31-174 microg/kg.

Development of a monoclonal antibody binding okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins-1, -2 in proportion to their toxicity equivalence factors.

Okadaic acid (OA) and structurally related toxins dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1), and DTX-2, are lipophilic marine biotoxins. The current reference method for the analysis of these toxins is the mouse bioassay (MBA). This method is under increasing criticism both from an ethical point of view and because of its limited sensitivity and specificity.

Development of a novel immunobiosensor method for the rapid detection of okadaic acid contamination in shellfish extracts.

The mouse bioassay is the methodology that is most widely used to detect okadaic acid (OA) in shellfish samples. This is one of the best-known toxins, and it belongs to the family of marine biotoxins referred to as the diarrhetic shellfish poisons (DSP). Due to animal welfare concerns, alternative methods of toxin detection are being sought.

Assessment of specific binding proteins suitable for the detection of paralytic shellfish poisons using optical biosensor technology.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin monitoring in shellfish is currently performed using the internationally accredited AOAC mouse bioassay. Due to ethical and performance-related issues associated with this bioassay, the European Commission has recently published directives extending procedures that may be used for official PSP control. The feasibility of using a surface plasmon resonance optical biosensor to detect PSP toxins in shellfish tissue below regulatory levels was examined.

Patient safety curriculum for surgical residency programs: results of a national consensus conference.

Background: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) are committed to promoting patient safety through education. In view of the critical role of residents in the delivery of safe patient care, the ACS and ACGME sponsored jointly a national consensus conference to initiate the development of a curriculum on patient safety that may be used across all surgical residency programs.

Conclusions: National leaders in surgery with expertise in surgical care and surgical education, patient safety experts, medical educators, key stakeholders from national organizations, and surgical residents were invited to participate in the conference.

Adolescent treatment outcome in a community mental health center.

To assess the effectiveness of a community mental health center outpatient adolescent treatment program, outcome measures were completed by the parents of 50 consecutively admitted adolescent patients who were evaluated and treated with one of three therapy modalities. Their results were compared to outcome measures of 29 non-treated adolescent control subjects. Also, self-report outcome measures were completed by 30 treatment subjects.

Comparison of mixed cell culture containing genetically engineered BGMK and CaCo-2 cells (Super E-Mix) with RT-PCR and conventional cell culture for the diagnosis of enterovirus meningitis.

Background: Enteroviral meningitis has traditionally been diagnosed by cell culture. More recently, molecular techniques and shell vials with a mixture of human colon carcinoma and genetically engineered buffalo green monkey kidney cells (BGMK cells) (Super E-Mix) have been described.

Objective: We compared the results of this new cell culture technique with two reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques and conventional cell culture to assess the accuracy of these various methods.