A ribosomal operon database and MegaBLAST settings for strain-level resolution of microbiomes.

Current methods to characterize microbial communities generally employ sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (<500 bp) with high accuracy (∼99%) but limited phylogenetic resolution. However, long-read sequencing now allows for the profiling of near-full-length ribosomal operons (16S-ITS-23S rRNA genes) on platforms such as the Oxford Nanopore MinION. Here, we describe an rRNA operon database with >300 ,000 entries, representing >10 ,000 prokaryotic species and ∼ 150, 000 strains.

Urban Air Pollution Particulates Suppress Human T-Cell Responses to .

Tuberculosis (TB) and air pollution both contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Epidemiological studies show that exposure to household and urban air pollution increase the risk of new infections with (M.tb) and the development of TB in persons infected with and alter treatment outcomes.

Season and size of urban particulate matter differentially affect cytotoxicity and human immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Exposure to air pollution particulate matter (PM) and tuberculosis (TB) are two of the leading global public health challenges affecting low and middle income countries. An estimated 4.26 million premature deaths are attributable to household air pollution and an additional 4.

Validation of a new test for Schistosoma haematobium based on detection of Dra1 DNA fragments in urine: evaluation through latent class analysis.

Background: Diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis in chronically infected adults is challenging but important, especially because long term infection of the bladder and urinary tract can have dire consequences. We evaluated three tests for viable infection: detection of parasite specific DNA Dra1 fragments, haematuria and presence of parasite eggs for sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp).

Methods: Over 400 urine specimens collected from adult volunteers in an endemic area in Western Nigeria were assessed for haematuria then filtered in the field, the filter papers dried and later examined for eggs and DNA.

Diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium by detection of specific DNA fragments from filtered urine samples.

Definitive diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium infection in adult patients is a clinically important challenge. Chronically infected adults pass few eggs in the urine, which are often missed when current diagnostic methods are used. In the work presented here, we report on an alternative diagnostic method based on presence of the S.