Effect of stress-based interventions on the quality of life of people with an intellectual disability and their caregivers.

Purpose: People with intellectual disabilities often show challenging behaviour, which can manifest itself in self-harm or aggression towards others. Real-time monitoring of stress in clients with challenging behaviour can help caregivers to promptly deploy interventions to prevent escalations, ultimately to improve the quality of life of client and caregiver. This study aimed to assess the impact of real-time stress monitoring with HUME, and the subsequent interventions deployed by the care team, on stress levels and quality of life.

Real-time stress detection based on artificial intelligence for people with an intellectual disability.

People with severe intellectual disabilities (ID) could have difficulty expressing their stress which may complicate timely responses from caregivers. The present study proposes an automatic stress detection system that can work in real-time. The system uses wearable sensors that record physiological signals in combination with machine learning to detect physiological changes related to stress.

Enterohemorrhagic responds to gut microbiota metabolites by altering metabolism and activating stress responses.

Enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) is a major cause of severe bloody diarrhea, with potentially lethal complications, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. In humans, EHEC colonizes the colon, which is also home to a diverse community of trillions of microbes known as the gut microbiota. Although these microbes and the metabolites that they produce represent an important component of EHEC's ecological niche, little is known about how EHEC senses and responds to the presence of gut microbiota metabolites.

HAM-ART: An optimised culture-free Hi-C metagenomics pipeline for tracking antimicrobial resistance genes in complex microbial communities.

Shotgun metagenomics is a powerful tool to identify antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in microbiomes but has the limitation that extrachromosomal DNA, such as plasmids, cannot be linked with the host bacterial chromosome. Here we present a comprehensive laboratory and bioinformatics pipeline HAM-ART (Hi-C Assisted Metagenomics for Antimicrobial Resistance Tracking) optimised for the generation of metagenome-assembled genomes including both chromosomal and extrachromosomal AMR genes. We demonstrate the performance of the pipeline in a study comparing 100 pig faecal microbiomes from low- and high-antimicrobial use pig farms (organic and conventional farms).

Reduction in intestinal colonization and invasion of internal organs after challenge by homologous and heterologous serovars of following vaccination of chickens with a novel trivalent inactivated vaccine.

A novel inactivated vaccine, comprising three serovars of (Enteritidis, serogroup O:9; Typhimurium, serogroup O:4; Infantis, serogroup O:7) grown under conditions of iron restriction and adjuvanted with aluminium hydroxide, was evaluated for efficacy following challenge by homologous and heterologous serovars. Chickens were vaccinated at 6 and 10 weeks of age by the intramuscular route and challenged 4 to 9 weeks after the second vaccination with serovars belonging to serogroup O:9 (Enteritidis), O:4 (Typhimurium and Heidelberg), O:7 (Infantis and Virchow), and O:8 (Hadar). All vaccinated birds produced a marked systemic antibody response against each of the component vaccine antigens by the time of challenge.

Safety and efficacy of a novel inactivated trivalent Salmonella enterica vaccine in chickens.

Food poisoning in humans caused by Salmonella enterica remains a significant global public health concern, with the majority of infections associated with the consumption of contaminated eggs or poultry products. The safety and efficacy of a novel inactivated trivalent Salmonella enterica vaccine containing in addition to Salmonella serovars Enteritidis (O:9, serogroup D) and Typhimurium (O:4, serogroup B) also serovar Infantis (O:7, serogroup C1) formulated with an aluminium hydroxide-gel adjuvant was evaluated under field conditions. A total of 10,229 broiler breeder pullets, housed under commercial conditions, were vaccinated at 10 and 17 weeks of age by the intramuscular route in the breast muscle.

Biomarker Research in ADHD: the Impact of Nutrition (BRAIN) - study protocol of an open-label trial to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of a few-foods diet on ADHD symptoms in children.

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood behavioural disorder, causing significant impediment to a child's development. It is a complex disorder with numerous contributing (epi)genetic and environmental factors. Currently, treatment consists of behavioural and pharmacological therapy.

The Gambian epauletted fruit bat shows increased genetic divergence in the Ethiopian highlands and in an area of rapid urbanization.

The Gambian epauletted fruit bat () is an abundant species that roosts in both urban and rural settings. The possible role of as a reservoir host of zoonotic diseases underlines the need to better understand the species movement patterns. So far, neither observational nor phylogenetic studies have identified the dispersal range or behavior of this species.

Notochordal cell matrix: An inhibitor of neurite and blood vessel growth?

Blood vessel and neurite ingrowth into the degenerating intervertebral disc (IVD) are related to pain. In reported studies, notochordal cell (NC)-conditioned medium (NCCM) induced a regenerative response of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, but also inhibition of neurite and vessel formation. NC matrix (NCM) derived from NC-rich NP tissue, induced even stronger anabolic effects than NCCM.

Biologic canine and human intervertebral disc repair by notochordal cell-derived matrix: from bench towards bedside.

The socioeconomic burden of chronic back pain related to intervertebral disc (IVD) disease is high and current treatments are only symptomatic. Minimally invasive strategies that promote biological IVD repair should address this unmet need. Notochordal cells (NCs) are replaced by chondrocyte-like cells (CLCs) during IVD maturation and degeneration.

Notochordal Cell Matrix As a Therapeutic Agent for Intervertebral Disc Regeneration.

Notochordal cells (NCs) reside in the core of the healthy disc and produce soluble factors that can stimulate nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). These NC-derived factors may be applied in intervertebral disc regeneration for treatment of low-back pain. However, identification of the active soluble factors is challenging.

Phylogenetic analyses and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Campylobacter spp. from diarrhoeal patients and chickens in Botswana.

Campylobacter spp. are a leading cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide, including countries in Africa, and have been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the high priority antimicrobial resistant pathogens. However, at present there is little knowledge on the prevalence, molecular epidemiology or antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp.

Streptococcus bovimastitidis sp. nov., isolated from a dairy cow with mastitis.

Here we describe a new species of the genus Streptococcus that was isolated from a dairy cow with mastitis in New Zealand. Strain NZ1587 was Gram-positive, coccus-shaped and arranged as chains, catalase and coagulase negative, γ-haemolytic and negative for Lancefield carbohydrates (A-D, F and G). The 16S rRNA sequence did not match sequences in the NCBI 16S rRNA or GreenGenes databases.

Genome and Plasmid Sequences of KV7, an Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Isolate Derived from Feces of a Healthy Pig.

We present single-contig assemblies for strain KV7 (serotype O27, phylogenetic group D) and its six plasmids, isolated from a healthy pig, as determined by PacBio RS II and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The chromosome of 4,997,475 bp and G+C content of 50.75% harbored 4,540 protein-encoding genes.

Genome-wide fitness analyses of the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni in in vitro and in vivo models.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of foodborne bacterial illness worldwide. Faecal contamination of meat, especially chicken, during processing represents a key route of transmission to humans. There is a lack of insight into the mechanisms driving C.

Analysis of Campylobacter jejuni infection in the gnotobiotic piglet and genome-wide identification of bacterial factors required for infection.

To investigate how Campylobacter jejuni causes the clinical symptoms of diarrhoeal disease in humans, use of a relevant animal model is essential. Such a model should mimic the human disease closely in terms of host physiology, incubation period before onset of disease, clinical signs and a comparable outcome of disease. In this study, we used a gnotobiotic piglet model to study determinants of pathogenicity of C.

Genomic variations leading to alterations in cell morphology of Campylobacter spp.

Campylobacter jejuni, the most common cause of bacterial diarrhoeal disease, is normally helical. However, it can also adopt straight rod, elongated helical and coccoid forms. Studying how helical morphology is generated, and how it switches between its different forms, is an important objective for understanding this pathogen.

Genome-wide association of functional traits linked with Campylobacter jejuni survival from farm to fork.

Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, primarily associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry. C. jejuni lineages vary in host range and prevalence in human infection, suggesting differences in survival throughout the poultry processing chain.

Changes in duodenal tissue-associated microbiota following hookworm infection and consecutive gluten challenges in humans with coeliac disease.

A reduced diversity of the gastrointestinal commensal microbiota is associated with the development of several inflammatory diseases. Recent reports in humans and animal models have demonstrated the beneficial therapeutic effects of infections by parasitic worms (helminths) in some inflammatory disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and coeliac disease (CeD). Interestingly, these studies have described how helminths may alter the intestinal microbiota, potentially representing a mechanism by which they regulate inflammation.

Essential Genes for In Vitro Growth of the Endophyte Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 as Revealed by Transposon Insertion Site Sequencing.

Unlabelled: The interior of plants contains microorganisms (referred to as endophytes) that are distinct from those present at the root surface or in the surrounding soil. Herbaspirillum seropedicae strain SmR1, belonging to the betaproteobacteria, is an endophyte that colonizes crops, including rice, maize, sugarcane, and sorghum. Different approaches have revealed genes and pathways regulated during the interactions of H.

The complete mitochondrial genome of (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) and its phylogenetic analysis.

The Gambian epauletted fruit bat, , is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. Its assembled and annotated mitochondrial genome (GenBank accession no. KT963027) is 16,702 bases in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and two non-coding regions: the control region (D-loop) and the origin of light-strand replication (O).

Comparative Genomic Analyses of the Moraxella catarrhalis Serosensitive and Seroresistant Lineages Demonstrate Their Independent Evolution.

The bacterial speciesMoraxella catarrhalishas been hypothesized as being composed of two distinct lineages (referred to as the seroresistant [SR] and serosensitive [SS]) with separate evolutionary histories based on several molecular typing methods, whereas 16S ribotyping has suggested an additional split within the SS lineage. Previously, we characterized whole-genome sequences of 12 SR-lineage isolates, which revealed a relatively small supragenome when compared with other opportunistic nasopharyngeal pathogens, suggestive of a relatively short evolutionary history. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing on 18 strains from both ribotypes of the SS lineage, an additional SR strain, as well as four previously identified highly divergent strains based on multilocus sequence typing analyses.

Differential gene expression of Moraxella catarrhalis upon exposure to human serum.

The complement system is an important part of the innate defense against invading pathogens (Blom et al., 2009; [1]). The ability to resist complement-mediated killing is considered to be an important virulence trait for the human-restricted respiratory tract pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis, as most disease-associated M.

The Stimulatory Effect of Notochordal Cell-Conditioned Medium in a Nucleus Pulposus Explant Culture.

Objectives: Notochordal cell-conditioned medium (NCCM) has previously shown to have a stimulatory effect on nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in alginate and pellet cultures. These culture methods provide a different environment than the nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue, in which the NCCM ultimately should exert its effect. The objective of this study is to test whether NCCM stimulates NPCs within their native environment, and whether combined stimulation with NCCM and addition of BMSCs has a synergistic effect on extracellular matrix production.

Motility defects in Campylobacter jejuni defined gene deletion mutants caused by second-site mutations.

Genetic variation due to mutation and phase variation has a considerable impact on the commensal and pathogenic behaviours of Campylobacter jejuni. In this study, we provide an example of how second-site mutations can interfere with gene function analysis in C. jejuni.