Significantly Enhanced Transduction Coefficient of PLZT Ceramics to Obtain a Very High Power Density as a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester.

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) have attracted much attention due to their efficient harvesting of vibrational energy from the ambient environment, which demonstrates great potential applications. Unfortunately, their low energy density severely hinders the further development of PEHs. Therefore, it is highly desirable to search for piezoelectric materials with a high transduction coefficient ( × ).

Evaluation of multiplex nanopore sequencing for serotype prediction and antimicrobial resistance gene and virulence gene detection.

In a previous study, Multiplex-nanopore-sequencing based whole genome sequencing (WGS) allowed for accurate serotype prediction of within one day for five multiplexed isolates, using both SISTR and SeqSero2. Since only ten serotypes were tested in our previous study, the conclusions above were yet to be evaluated in a larger scale test. In the current study we evaluated this workflow with 69 serotypes and also explored the feasibility of using multiplex-nanopore-sequencing based WGS for antimicrobial resistance gene (AMR) and virulence gene detection.

Subtyping Evaluation of Enteritidis Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing with Nanopore Reads.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation of foodborne pathogens predominantly relies on sequencing platforms that generate short reads. Continuous improvement of long-read nanopore sequencing, such as Oxford nanopore technologies (ONT), presents a potential for leveraging multiple advantages of the technology in public health and food industry settings, including rapid turnaround and onsite applicability in addition to superior read length. Using an established cohort of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates for subtyping evaluation, we assessed the technical readiness of nanopore long read sequencing for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) of a major foodborne pathogen.

Evaluation of Serotype Prediction With Multiplex Nanopore Sequencing.

The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data generated by the long-read sequencing platform Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) has been shown to provide reliable results for serotype prediction in a previous study. To further meet the needs of industry for accurate, rapid, and cost-efficient confirmation and serotype classification, we evaluated the serotype prediction accuracy of using WGS data from multiplex ONT sequencing with three, four, five, seven, or ten isolates (each isolate represented one serotype) pooled in one R9.4.

Evaluation of nanopore sequencing technology to identify Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf and Orion var. 15, 34.

Our previous study demonstrated that whole genome sequencing (WGS) data generated by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) can be used for rapid and accurate prediction of selected Salmonella serotypes. However, one limitation is that established methods for WGS-based serotype prediction, utilizing data from either ONT or Illumina, cannot differentiate certain serotypes and serotype variants with the same or closely related antigenic formulae. This study aimed to evaluate nanopore sequencing and additional data analysis for identification of Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis var.

Extended Enrichment Procedures Can Be Used To Define False-Negative Probabilities for Cultural Gold Standard Methods for Salmonella Detection, Facilitating Comparisons between Gold Standard and Alternative Methods.

Abstract: Evaluation of alternative detection methods for foodborne pathogens typically involves comparisons against a "gold standard" culture method, which may produce false-negative (FN) results, particularly under worst-case scenarios such as low contamination levels, difficult-to-detect strains, and challenging food matrices (e.g., matrices with a water activity of <0.

Evaluation of real-time nanopore sequencing for Salmonella serotype prediction.

The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data generated by short-read sequencing technologies such as the Illumina sequencing platforms has been shown to provide reliable results for Salmonella serotype prediction. Emerging long-read sequencing platforms developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) provide an alternative WGS method to meet the needs of industry for rapid and accurate Salmonella confirmation and serotype classification. Advantages of the ONT sequencing platforms include portability, real-time base-calling and long-read sequencing.

Assessment and Comparison of Molecular Subtyping and Characterization Methods for .

The food industry is facing a major transition regarding methods for confirmation, characterization, and subtyping of . Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is rapidly becoming both the method of choice and the gold standard for subtyping; however, routine use of WGS by the food industry is often not feasible due to cost constraints or the need for rapid results. To facilitate selection of subtyping methods by the food industry, we present: (i) a comparison between classical serotyping and selected widely used molecular-based subtyping methods including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and WGS (including WGS-based serovar prediction) and (ii) a scoring system to evaluate and compare subtyping assays.

The use of next generation sequencing for improving food safety: Translation into practice.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) combined with powerful bioinformatic approaches are revolutionising food microbiology. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of single isolates allows the most detailed comparison possible hitherto of individual strains. The two principle approaches for strain discrimination, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and genomic multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) are showing concordant results for phylogenetic clustering and are complementary to each other.

Clonal Clustering Using 10-Gene Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals an Association Between Genotype and Listeria monocytogenes Maximum Growth Rate in Defined Medium.

We used a 10-gene (10G) multilocus sequence typing scheme to investigate the diversity and phylogenetic distribution of 124 Listeria monocytogenes strains across major lineages, major serotypes, and seven epidemic clones that have been previously associated with outbreaks. The 124 isolates proved to be diverse, with a total of 81 sequence types (10G-STs) belonging to 13 clonal complexes (CCs), where all STs of the same CC differ from one another in up to 3 of the 10 alleles (named as 10G-triple-locus-variant-clonal-complexes [10G-TLV-CCs]). Phenotypic characterization for 105 of the 124 strains showed that L.

Transcriptomic Analysis of the Adaptation of Listeria monocytogenes to Growth on Vacuum-Packed Cold Smoked Salmon.

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is able to survive and grow in ready-to-eat foods, in which it is likely to experience a number of environmental stresses due to refrigerated storage and the physicochemical properties of the food. Little is known about the specific molecular mechanisms underlying survival and growth of L. monocytogenes under different complex conditions on/in specific food matrices.

Phosphotransferase system-dependent extracellular growth of listeria monocytogenes is regulated by alternative sigma factors σL and σH.

Alternative sigma (σ) factors and phosphotransferase systems (PTSs) play pivotal roles in the environmental adaptation and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. The growth of the L. monocytogenes parent strain 10403S and 15 isogenic alternative σ factor mutants was assessed in defined minimal medium (DM) with PTS-dependent or non-PTS-dependent carbon sources at 25°C or 37°C.

Nisin resistance of Listeria monocytogenes is increased by exposure to salt stress and is mediated via LiaR.

Growth of Listeria monocytogenes on refrigerated, ready-to-eat food is a significant food safety concern. Natural antimicrobials, such as nisin, can be used to control this pathogen on food, but little is known about how other food-related stresses may impact how the pathogen responds to these compounds. Prior work demonstrated that exposure of L.

Efficacy of different antimicrobials on inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes growth in laboratory medium and on cold-smoked salmon.

Listeria monocytogenes is of particular concern in cold-smoked fish products as it can survive curing and cold-smoking, and can subsequently grow from low numbers to potentially hazardous levels during refrigerated storage. The purpose of this study was to (i) quantify the effects of organic acids, nisin, and their combinations on controlling L. monocytogenes growth on cold-smoked salmon at refrigeration temperatures, (ii) identify synergistic interactions of binary combinations of these antimicrobials, and (iii) determine if results from laboratory growth media can predict antimicrobial efficacy on cold-smoked salmon.

Effect of curing method and freeze-thawing on subsequent growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cold-smoked salmon.

The presence of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes on cold-smoked salmon is a major concern for the seafood industry. Understanding processing and postprocessing handling factors that affect the ability of this pathogen to grow on cold-smoked salmon is critical for developing effective control strategies. In this study, we investigated the effect of curing method and freeze-thawing of cold-smoked salmon on (i) physicochemical properties and (ii) subsequent growth of genetically diverse strains of L.