GUT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY OF THREE RHINOCEROS SPECIES IN EUROPEAN ZOOS.

The wild rhinoceros populations have declined drastically in the past decades because the rhinoceros are heavily hunted for their horns. Zoological institutions aim to conserve rhinoceros populations in captivity, but one of the challenges of conservation is to provide food sources that resemble those available in the wild. Considering that the mammalian gut microbiota is a pivotal player in their host's health, the gut microbiota of rhinoceros may also play a role in the bioavailability of nutrients.

Molecular analysis and the toxin, MSCRAMM, and biofilm genes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pemphigus wounds: A study based on SCCmec and dru typing.

Introduction: Pemphigus is a chronic autoimmune blistering disease. Pemphigus blisters can damage the natural skin barrier and increase the risk of life-threatening conditions. Colonization of pemphigus wounds with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prolongs wound healing and increases mortality rate.

A new portable sampler to monitor pollen at street level in the environment of patients.

Allergic rhinitis caused by pollen exposure is one of the most common allergic diseases. Therefore monitoring pollen levels in ambient air is an important tool in research and health care. Most European monitoring stations collect airborne pollen at rooftop levels for measurements in the larger surrounding of the sampling station, and not in the direct environment of sensitized subjects.

Integrating drone imagery with existing rangeland monitoring programs.

The recent availability of small and low-cost sensor carrying unmanned aerial systems (UAS, commonly known as drones) coupled with advances in image processing software (i.e., structure from motion photogrammetry) has made drone-collected imagery a potentially valuable tool for rangeland inventory and monitoring.

The efficacy of lyticase and β-glucosidase enzymes on biofilm degradation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with different gene profiles.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a nosocomial pathogen that causes severe infections in immunocompromised patients. Biofilm plays a significant role in the resistance of this bacterium and complicates the treatment of its infections. In this study, the effect of lyticase and β-glucosidase enzymes on the degradation of biofilms of P.

Prevalence of active tuberculosis infection in transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is considered as a serious complication of organ transplant; therefore, the detection and appropriate treatment of active TB infection is highly recommended for the reduction of mortality in the future. The aim of this review was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the prevalence of active TB infection in transplant recipients (TRs).

Material And Methods: Electronic databases, including MEDLINE (via PubMed), SCOPUS and Web of Science were searched up to December 24, 2017.

High diversity in SCCmec elements among multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains originating from paediatric patients; characterization of a new composite island.

Purpose: Staphylococcus haemolyticus has emerged as a highly antimicrobial-resistant healthcare-associated pathogen, in particular for patients admitted to neonatal intensive care. The objective of this study was to study the nature of SCCmec types among MDR-SH strains isolated from paediatric patients.

Methodology: S.

Beyond greenness: Detecting temporal changes in photosynthetic capacity with hyperspectral reflectance data.

Earth's future carbon balance and regional carbon exchange dynamics are inextricably linked to plant photosynthesis. Spectral vegetation indices are widely used as proxies for vegetation greenness and to estimate state variables such as vegetation cover and leaf area index. However, the capacity of green leaves to take up carbon can change throughout the season.

Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus in Pregnant Women in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS or S. agalactiae) is a major cause of severe disease in neonates. In perinatal infections or early-onset disease, GBS is transmitted vertically to the newborn from the birth canal during labor and delivery.

High-Quality Genome Sequence of the Highly Resistant Bacterium , Isolated from a Neonatal Bloodstream Infection.

Using Illumina HiSeq and PacBio technologies, we sequenced the genome of the multidrug-resistant bacterium , originating from a bloodstream infection in a neonate. The sequence data can be used as an accurate reference sequence.

Productivity and phenological responses of natural vegetation to present and future inter-annual climate variability across semi-arid river basins in Chile.

Time series of vegetation indices and remotely sensed phenological data offer insights about the patterns in vegetation dynamics. Both are useful sources of information for analyzing and monitoring ecosystem responses to environmental variations caused by natural and anthropogenic drivers. In the semi-arid region of Chile, climate variability and recent severe droughts in addition to land-use changes pose threats to the stability of local ecosystems.

Convergence in relationships between leaf traits, spectra and age across diverse canopy environments and two contrasting tropical forests.

Leaf age structures the phenology and development of plants, as well as the evolution of leaf traits over life histories. However, a general method for efficiently estimating leaf age across forests and canopy environments is lacking. Here, we explored the potential for a statistical model, previously developed for Peruvian sunlit leaves, to consistently predict leaf ages from leaf reflectance spectra across two contrasting forests in Peru and Brazil and across diverse canopy environments.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli sequence type 131 H30-R and H30-Rx subclones in retail chicken meat, Italy.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131), typically fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) and/or extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, has emerged globally. Among clinical isolates, ST131, primarily its H30-R and H30-Rx subclones, accounts for most antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and is the dominant E.

Development of a multiplex Q-PCR to detect Trichoderma harzianum Rifai strain T22 in plant roots.

The fungal species Trichoderma harzianum is widely used as a biological agent in crop protection. To verify the continued presence of this fungus on plant roots manually inoculated with T. harzianum strain T22, a Q-PCR was designed using specific probes for this particular strain.

Variable number of tandem repeat profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains isolated from blood cultures in children.

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a healthcare-associated pathogen and can cause a variety of lifethreatening infections. Additionally, multi-drug resistance (MDR), in particular methicillin-resistant S. haemolyticus (MRSH) isolates, have emerged.

Resistance to Antibiotics and Antifungal Medicinal Products: Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Help Solve the Problem in Common Infection Diseases? The Introduction of a Dutch Research Consortium.

The increase of antibiotic resistance worldwide, rising numbers of deaths and costs associated with this, and the fact that hardly any new antimicrobial drugs have been developed during the last decade have increased the interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapeutic interventions, if proven safe and effective. Observational studies on clinical CAM practices demonstrate positive effects of treatment of infections with CAM therapies (clinical effects, patient satisfaction) in combination with small percentages of antibiotics prescription. However, Cochrane reviews and other studies demonstrate that in most instances the quality of clinical trials on CAM treatment of infections is currently too low to provide sufficient evidence.

Land Use and Environmental Variability Impacts on the Phenology of Arid Agro-Ecosystems.

The overexploitation of water resources in arid environments often results in abandonment of large extensions of agricultural lands, which may (1) modify phenological trends, and (2) alter the sensitivity of specific phenophases to environmental triggers. In Mexico, current governmental policies subsidize restoration efforts, to address ecological degradation caused by abandonments; however, there is a need for new approaches to assess their effectiveness. Addressing this, we explore a method to monitor and assess (1) land surface phenology trends in arid agro-ecosystems, and (2) the effect of climatic factors and restoration treatments on the phenology of abandoned agricultural fields.

Spatial, temporal, and density-dependent components of habitat quality for a desert owl.

Spatial variation in resources is a fundamental driver of habitat quality but the realized value of resources at any point in space may depend on the effects of conspecifics and stochastic factors, such as weather, which vary through time. We evaluated the relative and combined effects of habitat resources, weather, and conspecifics on habitat quality for ferruginous pygmy-owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the Sonoran Desert of northwest Mexico by monitoring reproductive output and conspecific abundance over 10 years in and around 107 territory patches. Variation in reproductive output was much greater across space than time, and although habitat resources explained a much greater proportion of that variation (0.

Polymerase chain reaction for Enterococcus faecalis in drain fluid: the first screening test for symptomatic colorectal anastomotic leakage. The Appeal-study: analysis of parameters predictive for evident anastomotic leakage.

Purpose: With current diagnostic methods, the majority of patients with symptomatic colorectal anastomotic leakage(CAL) is identified approximately 1 week after operation.The aim of this study is to determine whether real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis on drain fluid can serve as a screening test for CAL in the early postoperative phase.

Methods: All patients included in this multicenter prospective observational study underwent left-sided colorectal resection for both malignant and benign diseases with construction of an anastomosis.

Fine scale spatial urban land cover factors associated with adult mosquito abundance and risk in Tucson, Arizona.

It is currently unclear what role microhabitat land cover plays in determining the seasonal spatial distribution of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, disease vectors of dengue and West Nile Virus, respectively, in Tucson, AZ. We compared mosquito abundance to sixteen land cover variables derived from 2010 NAIP multispectral data and 2008 LiDAR height data. Mosquitoes were trapped with 30-9 traps from May to October of 2010 and 2011.

Towards Raman-based epidemiological typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Raman spectra of bacteria can be used as highly specific fingerprints, enabling discrimination at strain level. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains can be strongly pigmented, making it difficult to obtain high quality spectra of such isolates due to high fluorescent spectral backgrounds. Furthermore, the spectra that could be measured with acceptable quality often showed large spectral variations limiting the reproducibility required for strain level discrimination.