Comparison of the antimicrobial photocatalytic activities of SiO2 and Au@SiO2 nanostructures in water decontamination

Photocatalytic disinfection of Escherichia coli suspension by silicon dioxide nanoparticles and silicon dioxide/gold nanocomposite in a batch reactor is investigated experimentally and results are compared. Silica nanoparticles were synthesized by Stöber method and pulsed laser ablation method was employed to prepare gold nanoparticles in distilled water. Composition of two nanoparticles species was carried out, using the second harmonic pulse of Nd:YAG laser, whose wavelength is in the absorption spectra of gold nanoparticles. Results confirm a decrease in the bandgap energy of silica nanoparticles after composition. Escherichia coli were selected as an indicator of the microbial water contamination. Disk diffusion method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of SiO2 and Au@SiO2 nanostructures. Photocatalytic activities of both nanostructures were examined in dark, and under the irradiation of UV and visible light. In all conditions, the performance of Au@SiO2 nanocomposites was higher than SiO2 nanoparticles. In dark condition the higher biocidal nature and activity of Au nanoparticles and for the case of UV radiation, decreasing the bandgap energy and recombination rate of SiO2 nanoparticles after composition with Au increased the efficiency. For the case of visible light radiation, surface plasmon resonances effects, and local heat of Au nanoparticles were responsible for increasing the efficiency. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Doping large bandgap semiconductors nanostructures, such as silica with metal nanoparticles, such as gold will improve their photocatalytic activity to work in visible light. In this mechanism, gold nanoparticles act as effective traps to prevent the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Other mechanisms, such as Schottky barrier formation, surface plasmon resonance absorption of gold nanoparticles, and biocidal nature of the gold nanoparticles are effective in increasing the efficiency of Au doped silica nanostructures.

Microstructural alterations of major thalamic nuclei in the chronic pediatric spinal cord injured population

Background

The brain undergoes reorganization following spinal cord injury (SCI), but little is known about how the thalamus is affected in pediatric SCIs.

Purpose

To characterize microstructural alterations in the thalamus after SCI with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics.

Methods

18 pediatric participants with chronic SCI (8-20 years) were stratified using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) into groups: A, B, and C/D. DTI of the brain used a 3 T Siemens Verio MRI using the parameters: 20 directions, number of averages = 3, b = 1000 s/mm2, voxel size = 1.8 mm × 1.8 mm, slice thickness = 5 mm, TE = 95 ms, TR = 4300 ms, 30 slices, FOV = 230 × 230 mm2, matrix = 128 × 128, acquisition time = 4:45 min. Diffusion data was processed to generate DTI metrics FA, MD, AD, and RD.

Data analysis

DTI metrics were acquired by superimposing the AAL3 thalamic atlas onto participant diffusion images registered to MNI152 space. We utilized a multiple Mann-Whitney U-test to compare between AIS groups, considering values of p ≤ 0.05 as significant.

Results

FA, AD, RD, and MD significantly differed in thalamic nuclei between AIS groups A vs B and B vs C/D. Significant nuclei include the right ventral anterior, left intralaminar, bilateral lateral pulvinar, and right lateral geniculate.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest the presence of microstructural alterations based on SCI severity in pediatric patients. These results are encouraging and warrant further study.

Factors influencing social prescribing initiatives: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

AIMS

Social prescribing is a growing health policy agenda to improve the quality and effectiveness of health systems. However, systematically collected knowledge on factors influencing the effective implementation of SP is scarce. A systematic review was conducted to identify and categorize factors influencing social prescribing initiatives.

METHODS

A search of three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Knowledge) was carried out to retrieve studies from inception to May 2022, supplemented by grey literature searching and snowballing of the relevant references. The inclusion criteria were original empirical research, qualitative data collection, and a description of factors affecting social prescribing initiatives. Study quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. We categorized the results of individual studies using a narrative approach.

RESULTS

A total of 23 studies were included for analysis. Along with patient-related factors (patient-centeredness, clinical complexity, perception, knowledge), three main settings of social prescribing initiatives (including healthcare providers, link workers, and voluntary and community sectors) are affected by (1) individual characteristics (knowledge, perception, skill mix); (2) interpersonal relations (collaboration, trust, feedback, supportive climate, follow-up, sustained connection, peer support within and across sectors); (3) organizational contingencies (resource adequacy, staffing, training, role description, continuity of support, caseload management, monitoring, affordability, accessibility, referral criteria, and tailored support); and (4) political context (national policy and guidance, stewardship, planning, cocreation, bureaucracy, economic condition, and the number of support organizations).

CONCLUSION

Many factors influencing social prescribing initiatives were identified. The results of this review can be applied by different stakeholders of social prescribing to guide development, implementation, description, and evaluation.

Carrier Status for p.Gly61Glu and p.Arg368His CYP1B1 Mutations Causing Primary Congenital Glaucoma in Iran

Purpose

To estimate carrier frequencies of CYP1B1 mutations p.Gly61Glu and p.Arg368His, respectively, in Talesh and the east of Guilan province in Iran with a maximum error of 2%. Previously, it was shown that these CYP1B1 mutations may be relatively prevalent in these regions.

Methods

Population-based screenings were performed. DNA was extracted from saliva samples of 1036 individuals from Talesh and 3029 individuals from the east of Guilan. P.Gly61Glu and p.Arg368His screenings were performed, respectively, by RFLP and ARMS-based PCR protocols. For confirmation, the DNA of individuals with mutations was sequenced using the Sanger protocol.

Results

Nine individuals from Talesh (0.86%; 95%CI: 0.45–1.64%) carried the p.Gly61Glu mutation, and 73 from the east of Guilan (2.41%; 95%CI: 1.91–3.04%) carried p.Arg368His. There was no significant difference in frequencies between urban and rural regions of the various cities, nor among four cities within the east of Guilan.

Conclusion

The frequencies of p.Gly61Glu carriers in Talesh and of p.Arg368His carriers in the east of Guilan were within the 95% confidence interval of a previous study based on screenings of fewer individuals. The reliability of the recent estimates is higher, as the confidence interval for p.Gly61Glu decreased from 6.5% to 1.19% and the interval for p.Arg368His decreased from 4% to 1.13%. Based on the new findings, the maximum expected frequency of p.Gly61Glu carriers in Talesh is 1.64%, and of p.Arg368His carriers in the east of Guilan is 3%. The need for performing premarital screenings in the respective cities can be evaluated.

Atlas-Based Quantification of DTI Measures in a Typically Developing Pediatric Spinal Cord

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Multi-parametric MRI, provides a variety of biomarkers sensitive to white matter integrity, However, spinal cord MRI data in pediatrics is rare compared to adults. The purpose of this work was 3-fold: 1) to develop a processing pipeline for atlas-based generation of the typically developing pediatric spinal cord WM tracts, 2) to derive atlas-based normative values of the DTI indices for various WM pathways, and 3) to investigate age-related changes in the obtained normative DTI indices along the extracted tracts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DTI scans of 30 typically developing subjects (age range, 6-16 years) were acquired on a 3T MR imaging scanner. The data were registered to the PAM50 template in the Spinal Cord Toolbox. Next, the DTI indices for various WM regions were extracted at a single section centered at the C3 vertebral body in all the 30 subjects. Finally, an ANOVA test was performed to examine the effects of the following: 1) laterality, 2) functionality, and 3) age, with DTI-derived indices in 34 extracted WM regions.

RESULTS

A postprocessing pipeline was developed and validated to delineate pediatric spinal cord WM tracts. The results of ANOVA on fractional anisotropy values showed no effect for laterality (P = .72) but an effect for functionality (P < .001) when comparing the 30 primary WM labels. There was a significant (P < .05) effect of age and maturity of the left spinothalamic tract on mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity values.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed automated pipeline in this study incorporates unique postprocessing steps followed by template registration and quantification of DTI metrics using atlas-based regions. This method eliminates the need for manual ROI analysis of WM tracts and, therefore, increases the accuracy and speed of the measurements.

Yeast cell wall polysaccharides enhanced expression of T helper type 1 and 2 cytokines profile in chicken B lymphocytes exposed to LPS challenge and enzyme treatment

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential immunomodulatory effects of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and yeast-derived products treated with a cell wall lytic enzyme mixture on the gene expression of toll-like receptors and cytokines of chicken B cell line (DT 40) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. 2. The effect of brewer's yeast (Y), yeast cell wall (YCW), distilled dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and a processed yeast + nucleotide-rich product (PY/N) treated with a yeast cell wall lytic enzyme (E) was assessed using a chicken B cells and LPS challenge model. 3. Relative gene expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokines was investigated. Treatment of cells with Y, YCW, YCW + E and PY/N upregulated the expression of TLR2b following LPS challenge. Gene expression of TLR4 was downregulated in E, YCW and YCW + E treatments compared to control, while adding DDGS and PY/N upregulated the expression of TLR4 either before or after enzyme treatment. Following LPS challenge, expression of IL-4 and IL-10 was upregulated in cells treated with YCW and PY/N, both pre and post enzyme incubation. Adding YCW and PY/N to the cells challenged with LPS upregulated the expression of IFN-γ and IL-12 before and after enzyme treatment. Treatment of cells with YCW, DDGS and PY/N increased the expression of IL-6 prior to LPS challenge. 4. In conclusion, the results suggested that yeast-derived products affected immunomodulatory activities by changing the expression of cytokines involved in the innate immune response.

Correlation Between Resilience with Aggression and Hostility in University Students

Resilience as a capacity to withstand stress and calamity is one of the important components of mental health and aggressive is a negative behaviour that can threaten human health. So, the purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between resilience with aggression and hostility in university students. The research method is correlation, 155 university students were selected by convenience sampling method and responded to Corner & Davidson resilience questionnaires and Boos & Perry aggression and hostility questionnaire. The data were analysed by correlation formula. The results showed that there is a significant and negative correlation between resilience with aggression and hostility, which means when the score of resilience is high, people's aggression and hostility decreases. Therefore, it is recommended to increase the resilience of people by specific teaching programs to reduce the basis of aggression and hostility.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Feasibility of diffusion and probabilistic white matter analysis in patients implanted with a deep brain stimulator

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) is an established advanced therapy that produces therapeutic effects through high frequency stimulation. Although this therapeutic option leads to improved clinical outcomes, the mechanisms of the underlying efficacy of this treatment are not well understood. Therefore, investigation of DBS and its postoperative effects on brain architecture is of great interest. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is an advanced imaging technique, which has the ability to estimate the structure of white matter fibers; however, clinical application of DWI after DBS implantation is challenging due to the strong susceptibility artifacts caused by implanted devices. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of generating meaningful white matter reconstructions after DBS implantation; and to subsequently quantify the degree to which these tracts are affected by post-operative device-related artifacts. DWI was safely performed before and after implanting electrodes for DBS in 9 PD patients. Differences within each subject between pre- and post-implantation FA, MD, and RD values for 123 regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated. While differences were noted globally, they were larger in regions directly affected by the artifact. White matter tracts were generated from each ROI with probabilistic tractography, revealing significant differences in the reconstruction of several white matter structures after DBS. Tracts pertinent to PD, such as regions of the substantia nigra and nigrostriatal tracts, were largely unaffected. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and clinical applicability of acquiring and processing DWI post-operatively in PD patients after DBS implantation. The presence of global differences provides an impetus for acquiring DWI shortly after implantation to establish a new baseline against which longitudinal changes in brain connectivity in DBS patients can be compared. Understanding that post-operative fiber tracking in patients is feasible on a clinically-relevant scale has significant implications for increasing our current understanding of the pathophysiology of movement disorders, and may provide insights into better defining the pathophysiology and therapeutic effects of DBS.

P6426The use of direct oral anti-coagulations (DOACs) compared to vitamin k antagonist in patients with left ventricular thrombus after acute myocardial infarction

Aim

Current guidelines recommend the use of Vitamin K Antagonist (VKA) for up to 3–6 months for the treatment of LV thrombus post- acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However based on evidence supporting the non-inferiority and potential superiority of Direct Oral Anti-Coagulation's (DOAC) compared to VKA for other indications such as atrial fibrillation, DOACs are being increasingly used off licence for the treatment of left ventricular (LV) thrombus post AMI. In this study we investigated the effect of DOACs compared to VKA on LV thrombus resolution and their safety profile in patients presenting with AMI.

Methods and results

This was a prospective observational study of 2,328 consecutive patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) for AMI between 2015- 2018, at a UK cardiac centre. Patients' details were collected from the hospital electronic database. The primary end-point was the rate of resolution of LV thrombus with bleeding rates as a secondary outcome.

Left ventricular (LV) thrombus was diagnosed by echocardiography, or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in 98 (5.1%) patients. Sixty patients (61.2%) were started on VKA and 38 patients (38.8%) on DOAC therapy (Rivaroxaban: 57.9%, Apixaban, 36.8% and Edoxaban: 5.3%). Both groups were well matched in terms of baseline characteristics including age, previous cardiac history (previous MI, PCI, CABG), and cardiovascular risk factors (Hypertension, Diabetes, Hypercholesterolaemia).

Over the follow up period (median 1.8 years), overall rates of LV thrombus resolution were 86%. There was greater and earlier LV thrombus resolution in the DOAC group compared to patients treated with warfarin (75% vs 53%, p=0.0018, at 1 year), which persisted after adjusting for baseline variables (OR 1.8 95% CI 1.2–2.9). Major bleeding such as intracranial bleed, major GI bleed and bleed requiring hospital admission were lower in DOAC group, compared with VKA group (0% vs 5%, p=0.030) with no difference in rates of systemic thromboembolism (p=0.388).

Conclusion

This data suggests improved thrombus resolution in post ACS LV thrombosis in patient treated with DOACs compared to vitamin K antagonists. This improvement in thrombus resolution was accompanied with a better safety profile for the DOAC patients' vs VKA treated patients. This supports the need for randomised controlled trials to confirm this observational data.

Acknowledgement/Funding

None

Factors affecting sedimentational separation of bacteria from blood

Rapid diagnosis of blood infections requires fast and efficient separation of bacteria from blood. We have developed spinning hollow disks that separate bacteria from blood cells via the differences in sedimentation velocities of these particles. Factors affecting separation included the spinning speed and duration, and disk size. These factors were varied in dozens of experiments for which the volume of separated plasma, and the concentration of bacteria and red blood cells (RBCs) in separated plasma were measured. Data were correlated by a parameter of characteristic sedimentation length, which is the distance that an idealized RBC would travel during the entire spin. Results show that characteristic sedimentation length of 20 to 25 mm produces an optimal separation and collection of bacteria in plasma. This corresponds to spinning a 12-cm-diameter disk at 3,000 rpm for 13 s. Following the spin, a careful deceleration preserves the separation of cells from plasma and provides a bacterial recovery of about 61 ± 5%.

Identifying crossing collagen fibers in human corneal tissues using pSHG images

Polarization sensitive second harmonic generation (pSHG) microscopy has been used previously to characterize the structure of collagen fibers in corneal samples. Due to the typical organization of the corneal stroma, the information that pSHG provides may be misleading in points where two different collagen fiber bundles orient along different direction crossings. Here, a simulation that illustrates the problem is presented, along with a novel method that is capable of identifying these crossing points. These results can be used to improve the evaluation of corneal collagen structure, and it has been applied to analyze pSHG data acquired from healthy and keratoconic human corneal samples.

Critical care usage after major gastrointestinal and liver surgery: a prospective, multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND

Patient selection for critical care admission must balance patient safety with optimal resource allocation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between critical care admission, and postoperative mortality after abdominal surgery.

METHODS

This prespecified secondary analysis of a multicentre, prospective, observational study included consecutive patients enrolled in the DISCOVER study from UK and Republic of Ireland undergoing major gastrointestinal and liver surgery between October and December 2014. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore associations between critical care admission (planned and unplanned) and mortality, and inter-centre variation in critical care admission after emergency laparotomy.

RESULTS

Of 4529 patients included, 37.8% (n=1713) underwent planned critical care admissions from theatre. Some 3.1% (n=86/2816) admitted to ward-level care subsequently underwent unplanned critical care admission. Overall 30-day mortality was 2.9% (n=133/4519), and the risk-adjusted association between 30-day mortality and critical care admission was higher in unplanned [odds ratio (OR): 8.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.51-19.97) than planned admissions (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.43-3.85). Some 26.7% of patients (n=1210/4529) underwent emergency laparotomies. After adjustment, 49.3% (95% CI: 46.8-51.9%, P<0.001) were predicted to have planned critical care admissions, with 7% (n=10/145) of centres outside the 95% CI.

CONCLUSIONS

After risk adjustment, no 30-day survival benefit was identified for either planned or unplanned postoperative admissions to critical care within this cohort. This likely represents appropriate admission of the highest-risk patients. Planned admissions in selected, intermediate-risk patients may present a strategy to mitigate the risk of unplanned admission. Substantial inter-centre variation exists in planned critical care admissions after emergency laparotomies.

Isolation of probiotic bacteria from raw camel's milk and their antagonistic effects on two bacteria causing food poisoning

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is one of the main classes of acid-producing organisms in the food industry, and they play a vital part in many food and feed fermentations. We isolated and performed molecular identification of LAB from raw camel's milk and assessed their protective effects against pathogenicity induced by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Fourteen samples of camel's milk were obtained from several districts under aseptic conditions. Bacteria isolation was performed by plating the samples on selective media. Isolates were identified by amplification of the 16S ribosomal RNA by PCR and sequencing. A total of 32 isolates were randomly picked, eight of which were analysed in this study. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic methods, isolated LAB was included Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Weissella paramesenteroides and Weissella confuse. Antagonistic activity of isolated LAB against two pathogenic bacteria showed that they had more inhibitory activity against S. aureus subsp. aureus PTCC 1431 than E. coli ATCC 25922. This study discovered that raw camel's milk obtained from three districts of Kerman province contain LAB bacteria that have antagonistic properties on S. aureus.

Zonally Magnified Oblique Multislice and Non-Zonally Magnified Oblique Multislice DWI of the Cervical Spinal Cord

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The zonally magnified oblique multislice EPI (ZOOM-EPI) diffusion-weighted sequence has been visually shown to provide superior MR diffusion image quality compared with the full-FOV single-shot EPI sequence (non-ZOOM-EPI) in the adult cervical spinal cord. The purpose of this study was to examine the diffusion tensor imaging indices in the normal human cervical spinal cord between ZOOMED and non-ZOOMED DTI acquisitions and determine whether DTI values are comparable between direct and indirect age-matched groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-four subjects 23-58 years of age (9 direct age-matched and 45 indirect age-matched) were scanned using a 1.5T scanner. Diffusion tensor indices including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were generated from the DTI dataset. These DTI values were calculated for both ZOOM and non-ZOOM acquisitions and compared at each intervertebral disc level. The variability of the DTI values for ZOOM and non-ZOOM sequences was measured using a coefficient of variation within direct and indirect age-matched controls.

RESULTS

The mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values obtained along the cervical spinal cord in the age-matched controls showed a significant decrease using the ZOOM sequence (P = .05, P = .002, and P < .001). Mean fractional anisotropy showed a significant increase (P = .04) using the ZOOM sequence. The indirect age-matched controls showed a statistically significant increase in fractional anisotropy (P = .03) and a decrease in mean diffusivity (P = .002), axial diffusivity (P < .001), and radial diffusivity (P = .002) using the ZOOM sequence. Less variability has been shown in DTI using the ZOOM sequence compared with the non-ZOOM sequence in both direct and indirect age groups. The ZOOM sequence exhibited higher SNR (SNR_ZOOM = 22.84 ± 7.59) compared with the non-ZOOM sequence (SNR_non-ZOOM = 19.7 ± 7.05). However, when we used a 2-tailed t test assuming unequal variances, the ZOOM sequence did not demonstrate a statistically significant increase.

CONCLUSIONS

ZOOM DTI acquisition methods provide superior image quality and precision over non-ZOOM techniques and are recommended over conventional full-FOV single-shot EPI DTI for clinical applications in cervical spinal cord imaging.

Effect of yeast-derived products and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance and local innate immune response of broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens

This study evaluated the effect of yeast-derived products on growth performance, gut lesion score, intestinal population of Clostridium perfringens, and local innate immunity of broiler chickens challenged with C. perfringens. One-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to eight dietary treatments providing six replicate pens of 55 birds each per treatment. Dietary treatments consisted of Control diets without and with C. perfringens challenge, and diets containing bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD, 55 g/tonne), nucleotides (150 g/tonne), yeast cell wall (YCW, 300 g/tonne), and a commercial product Maxi-Gen Plus (1 kg/tonne) fed to chickens challenged with C. perfringens. Diets containing 10% distillers dried grains with solubles without and with C. perfringens challenge were also used. Birds were orally challenged with C. perfringens (10(8) colony-forming units (cfu)/bird) on day 14. On day 21, intestinal samples were collected for gene expression analysis. Pathogen challenge significantly (P < 0.05) impaired feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) shortly after the challenge (14-21 days). Increased C. perfringens counts and intestinal lesion scores were observed for challenged birds except the BMD-containing diet. Over the entire trial (1-35 days), no difference in growth performance was observed except the BMD diet which improved FCR over the Control, challenged group. Birds receiving nucleotides showed increased expression of toll-like receptors and cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-18 compared to the Control, challenged group. Expression of macrophage mannose receptor and IL-18 was upregulated in birds receiving YCW. Increased expression of cytokines and receptors involved in innate immunity in broilers receiving nucleotides and YCW suggests the immunomodulatory properties of these products under pathogen challenge conditions.

Rapid separation of very low concentrations of bacteria from blood

A rapid and accurate diagnosis of the species and antibiotic resistance of bacteria in septic blood is vital to increase survival rates of patients with bloodstream infections, particularly those with carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections. The extremely low levels in blood (1 to 100CFU/ml) make rapid diagnosis difficult. In this study, very low concentrations of bacteria (6 to 200CFU/ml) were separated from 7ml of whole blood using rapid sedimentation in a spinning hollow disk that separated plasma from red and white cells, leaving most of the bacteria suspended in the plasma. Following less than a minute of spinning, the disk was slowed, the plasma was recovered, and the bacteria were isolated by vacuum filtration. The filters were grown on nutrient plates to determine the number of bacteria recovered from the blood. Experiments were done without red blood cell (RBC) lysis and with RBC lysis in the recovered plasma. While there was scatter in the data from blood with low bacterial concentrations, the mean average recovery was 69%. The gender of the blood donor made no statistical difference in bacterial recovery. These results show that this rapid technique recovers a significant amount of bacteria from blood containing clinically relevant low levels of bacteria, producing the bacteria in minutes. These bacteria could subsequently be identified by molecular techniques to quickly identify the infectious organism and its resistance profile, thus greatly reducing the time needed to correctly diagnose and treat a blood infection.

Rapid separation of bacteria from blood - Chemical aspects

To rapidly diagnose infectious organisms causing blood sepsis, bacteria must be rapidly separated from blood, a very difficult process considering that concentrations of bacteria are many orders of magnitude lower than concentrations of blood cells. We have successfully separated bacteria from red and white blood cells using a sedimentation process in which the separation is driven by differences in density and size. Seven mL of whole human blood spiked with bacteria is placed in a 12-cm hollow disk and spun at 3000rpm for 1min. The red and white cells sediment more than 30-fold faster than bacteria, leaving much of the bacteria in the plasma. When the disk is slowly decelerated, the plasma flows to a collection site and the red and white cells are trapped in the disk. Analysis of the recovered plasma shows that about 36% of the bacteria is recovered in the plasma. The plasma is not perfectly clear of red blood cells, but about 94% have been removed. This paper describes the effects of various chemical aspects of this process, including the influence of anticoagulant chemistry on the separation efficiency and the use of wetting agents and platelet aggregators that may influence the bacterial recovery. In a clinical scenario, the recovered bacteria can be subsequently analyzed to determine their species and resistance to various antibiotics.

An EMG-driven biomechanical model of the canine cervical spine

Due to the frequency of cervical spine injuries in canines, the purpose of this effort was to develop an EMG-driven dynamic model of the canine cervical spine to assess a biomechanical understanding that enables one to investigate the risk of neck disorders. A canine subject was recruited in this investigation in order to collect subject specific data. Reflective markers and a motion capture system were used for kinematic measurement; surface electrodes were used to record electromyography signals, and with the aid of force plate kinetics were recorded. A 3D model of the canine subject was reconstructed from an MRI dataset. Muscles lines of action were defined through a new technique with the aid of 3D white light scanner. The model performed well with a 0.73 weighted R² value in all three planes. The weighted average absolute error of the predicted moment was less than 10% of the external moment. The proposed model is a canine specific forward-dynamics model that precisely tracks the canine subject head and neck motion, calculates the muscle force generated from the twelve major moment producing muscles, and estimates resulting loads on specific spinal tissues.

MRI cross sectional atlas of normal canine cervical musculoskeletal structure

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly used as a diagnostic tool for cervical spine injuries in canines, a comprehensive normal MRI anatomy of the canine cervical spine muscles is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to build a magnetic resonance imaging atlas of the normal cross sectional anatomy of the muscles of the canine cervical spine. MRI scans were performed on a canine cadaver using a combination of T1 and T2-weighted images in the transverse, sagittal and dorsal planes acquired at a slice thickness of 1mm. Muscle contours were traced manually in each slice, using local osseous structures as reference points for muscle identification. Twenty-two muscles were traced in 401 slices in the cervical region. A three dimensional surface model of all the contoured muscles was created to illustrate the complex geometrical arrangement of canine neck muscles. The cross-sectional area of the muscles was measured at the mid-level of each vertebra. The accuracy of the location of the mapped muscles was verified by comparing the sagittal view of the 3D model of muscles with still photographs obtained from anatomic canine cadaver dissection. We believe that this information will provide a unique and valuable resource for veterinary researchers, clinicians and surgeons who wish to evaluate MRI images of the cervical spine. It will also serve as the foundation for ongoing work to develop a computational model of the canine cervical spine in which anatomical information is combined with electromyographic, kinematic and kinetic data.

Making Molehills out of a Mountain: Experience with a New Scheduling Strategy to Diminish Workload Variations in Response to Increased Treatment Demands

Purpose: A new scheduling strategy was implemented. Before implementation, treatments and planning computed tomography (ct) imaging were both scheduled at the same time. Maximal wait times for treatment are defined by the Quebec Ministry of Health’s plan of action according to treatment aim and site. After implementation, patients requiring rapid treatment (priorities 0–3) continued to have their treatments scheduled at the same time as their planning ct; treatments for priority 4 (P4) patients were scheduled only after the treatment plan was approved. That approach aims to compensate for unexpected increases in planning workload by relocating less delay-sensitive cases to other time slots. We evaluated the impact on the patient experience, workload in various sectors, the care team’s perception of care delivery, access to care, and the department’s efficiency in terms of hours worked per treatment delivered. Methods: Three periods were defined for analysis: the pre-transitional phase, for baseline evaluation; the transitional phase, during which there was an overlap in the way patients were being scheduled; and the post-transitional phase. Wait times were calculated from the date that patients were ready to treat to the date of their first treatment. Surveys were distributed to pre- and post-transitional phase patients. Care team members were asked to complete a survey evaluating their perception of how the change affected workload and patient care. Operational data were analyzed. Results: We observed a 24% increase in the number of treatments delivered in the post-transitional phase. Before implementation, priority 0–3 patients waited a mean of 7.9 days to begin treatments (n = 241); afterward, they waited 6.3 days (n = 340, p = 0.006). Before implementation, P4 patients waited a mean 15.1 days (n = 233); after implementation, they waited 16.1 days (n = 368, p = 0.22). Surveys showed that patients felt that the time it took to inform them of treatment appointments was acceptable in both phases. No significant change in overtime hours occurred in dosimetry (p = 0.7476) or globally (p = 0.4285) despite the increased number of treatments. However, departmental efficiency improved by 16% (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: This new scheduling strategy for P4 cases resulted in improved access to care for priority 0–3 patients. Departmental efficiency was improved, and overtime hours did not increase. Patient satisfaction remained high.

Maternal antibody decay and antibody-mediated immune responses in chicken pullets fed prebiotics and synbiotics

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of yeast-derived carbohydrates (YDC), and a blend of probiotics and YDC (synbiotic, SNB) on serum IgG concentration, maternal-derived antibody (MDA) decay, and specific antibody-mediated immune response in chick pullets following immunization with T-cell dependent antigens. A total of 300 day-old pullet chicks were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments including: a basal diet (Control), and diets containing YDC, and SNB (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, Streptococcus faecium, and Bacillus subtilis, and YDC). In experiment one, on d 1 and wk 3, 4, 5, and 6, blood samples were collected and serum were analyzed by ELISA for total IgG (Y), and MDA against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). The second experiment examined the specific antibody against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in pullet chicks following vaccination against IBV at d 1. Finally, in experiment 3, on d 21 and 28 posthatch, 10 birds per treatment were immunized intramuscularly with both sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 11 after immunization serum samples were analyzed by hemagglutination assay for antibody response to SRBC, and by ELISA for serum IgM and IgG response to BSA. The results demonstrated that diet containing SNB increased serum IgG at wk 3 posthatch. However, the decay rate of MDA against NDV and IBDV were not affected by dietary treatments. Birds fed YDC showed higher specific antibody response against IBV in wk 4, while both diets containing YDC and SNB decreased antibody response to IBV in wk 6. In addition, specific antibody response against SRBC and BSA was not affected by diets. In conclusion, supplementation of diet with SNB improved humoral immunity by increasing IgG concentration in serum, and modulated the adaptive antibody-mediated immune response against IBV.

Rapid separation of bacteria from blood-review and outlook

The high morbidity and mortality rate of bloodstream infections involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitate a rapid identification of the infectious organism and its resistance profile. Traditional methods based on culturing the blood typically require at least 24 h, and genetic amplification by PCR in the presence of blood components has been problematic. The rapid separation of bacteria from blood would facilitate their genetic identification by PCR or other methods so that the proper antibiotic regimen can quickly be selected for the septic patient. Microfluidic systems that separate bacteria from whole blood have been developed, but these are designed to process only microliter quantities of whole blood or only highly diluted blood. However, symptoms of clinical blood infections can be manifest with bacterial burdens perhaps as low as 10 CFU/mL, and thus milliliter quantities of blood must be processed to collect enough bacteria for reliable genetic analysis. This review considers the advantages and shortcomings of various methods to separate bacteria from blood, with emphasis on techniques that can be done in less than 10 min on milliliter-quantities of whole blood. These techniques include filtration, screening, centrifugation, sedimentation, hydrodynamic focusing, chemical capture on surfaces or beads, field-flow fractionation, and dielectrophoresis. Techniques with the most promise include screening, sedimentation, and magnetic bead capture, as they allow large quantities of blood to be processed quickly. Some microfluidic techniques can be scaled up. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:823-839, 2016.

Physalis alkekengi and Alhagi maurorum ameliorate the side effect of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

Cisplatin is frequently being used for the treatment of different tumors, although the application of this agent is associated with nephrotoxicity. Here, we explored the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Physalis alkekengi and Alhagi maurorum; 400 mg kg(-1) per day P. alkekengi and 100 mg kg(-1) per day A. maurorum were administered in rats, orally for 10 days after a single dose of 7 mg kg(-1) intraperitoneal cisplatin. The concentrations of creatinine, urea-nitrogen, and relative and absolute excretion of sodium/potassium were evaluated before/after therapy. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were measured to assess the oxidative stress induced by cisplatin. Moreover, tissues sections were used for histological analyses and evaluation of the degree of tissue damage. Cisplatin increased serum levels of creatinine and urea-nitrogen, relative/absolute excretion of sodium/potassium, and MDA, whereas decreased FRAP level. Interestingly, P. alkekengi or A. maurorum were able to reduce the level of the renal function markers as well as the levels of sodium/potassium. This effect was more pronounced by P. alkekengi. Moreover, cisplatin induced pathological damage in kidney, whereas treatment with these agents improved this condition. Our findings demonstrate the potential therapeutic impact of P. alkekengi and A. maurorum for improving cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, supporting further investigations on the novel potential clinical application of these agents for patients being treated with cisplatin to ameliorate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Effect of yeast-derived products on systemic innate immune response of broiler chickens following a lipopolysaccharide challenge

This study evaluated the effect of yeast-derived products on growth performance, serum antibody levels, and mRNA gene expression of pattern-recognition receptors, and cytokines in broiler chickens. Two hundred and sixteen one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross-308) were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments with six replicates (cage) of 6 birds per cage. Dietary treatments consisted of a Control diet without antibiotics (C), and diets containing 11 mg/kg of "virginiamycin", 0.25% of yeast cell wall (YCW), 0.2% of a commercial product "Maxi-Gen Plus" containing processed yeast and nucleotides, 0.05% of nucleotides, or a diet containing 8% of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS). On d 21 post-hatch blood samples were collected from 6 birds per treatment and serum sample were analyzed for antibody levels. After blood sampling, birds were injected intraperitoneally with 3 mg/kg of BW of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The unchallenged group was fed the Control diet and injected with saline solution. Spleen samples were collected to measure the gene expression of toll-like receptors (TLR)2b, TLR4, and TLR21, macrophage mannose receptor (MMR), and cytokines including interleukin (IL)-12, IL-10, IL-4, IL-6, IL-18, and interferon (IFN)-γ. No significant difference in body weight gain, feed intake, and FCR were observed among treatments. Regarding humoral immunity, the diet supplemented with YCW increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig)A level compared with the antibiotic group; however, serum concentrations of IgG and IgM were not affected by dietary treatments. Relative gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was not affected by dietary treatments, whereas the expression of TLR21 and MRR was upregulated in diets containing YCW and DDGS. The diet supplemented with YCW increased the expression of all cytokines, and expression of IFN-γ was upregulated in the DDGS group. However, no significant difference was observed for cytokine gene expression in the antibiotic and nucleotide diets. In conclusion, supplementation of diet with YCW stimulated the systemic innate immune responses of broiler chickens following challenge with LPS.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Small Bowel Cancers Using Radioactive Gold Nanoparticles and Wireless Fluorescence Capsule Endoscopy

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic and diagnosis properties of radioactive gold nanoparticle (198-AuNPs) cause them to be suitable for detection and treatment of tumors.

OBJECTIVE

Electrical and optical properties of PEG-198AuNPs were examined in this paper. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-198 AuNPs can be used for treatment and diagnosis of small intestine tumors.

METHODS

Wireless fluorescence capsule endoscopy will be able to detect emission lights of triggered Au by external light. First, the output electrical field was calculated by DDSCAT software. Secondly, tumor and distribution of PEG-198 gold nanoparticles were modeled using Monte Carlo simulation and finally dose delivered throughout a solid tumor when the PEG-198 gold nanoparticles linked to each cell was calculated.

RESULTS

Polyethylene Glycol functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess optimized sizes (30 nm core diameter and 70 nm hydrodynamic diameters) to target individual tumor cells. Surface distribution to receive doses of up to 50Gy was simulated.  Activities and absorbed doses by the tumors with 0.25cm and 0.5cm radius were 187.9mCi and 300mCi and 72 and 118 Gy,respectively.

CONCLUSION

Therapeutic and diagnosis properties of 198-AuNPs show that it can be used for treatment and detection of small bowel tumors in early stage of growing.

Effect of yeast-derived products and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on antibody-mediated immune response and gene expression of pattern recognition receptors and cytokines in broiler chickens immunized with T-cell dependent antigens

This study evaluated the effect of yeast-derived products on innate and antibody mediated immune response in broiler chickens following immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). One-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross-308) were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments of 9 replicate cages of 5 birds each per treatment. Dietary treatments consisted of a Control diet without antibiotic, and diets containing 11 mg/kg of virginiamycin, 0.25% of yeast cell wall (YCW), 0.2% of a commercial product Maxi-Gen Plus containing processed yeast and nucleotides, 0.05% of nucleotides, or a diet containing 10% of DDGS. On days 21 and 28 post-hatching, 5 birds per treatment were immunized intramuscularly with both SRBC and BSA. One week after each immunization, blood samples were collected. Serum samples were analyzed by hemagglutination test for antibody response to SRBC, and by ELISA for serum IgM and IgG response to BSA. On d 35, 5 birds per treatment were euthanized and the tissue samples from the cecal tonsils were collected to assess the gene expression of toll-like receptors TLR2b, TLR4, and TLR21, monocyte mannose receptor (MMR), and cytokines IL-10, IL-13, IL-4, IL-12p35, and IFN-γ. The results for gene expression analysis demonstrated that the diet supplemented with YCW increased the expression of TLR2b and T-helper type 2 cytokines IL-10, IL-4, and IL-13 relative to the Control; and the expression of TLR4 and IL-13 was upregulated in the nucleotide-containing diet. However, the diets containing antibiotics or Maxi-Gen Plus downregulated the expression of IFN-γ compared to the control. The primary antibody response to SRBC was not affected by diets. However, the diet containing YCW increased the secondary antibody response to SRBC compared to the antibiotic treatment. Neither primary nor secondary IgG and IgM response against BSA were affected by diets. In conclusion, supplementation of the diet with YCW stimulated Th2 cell-mediated immune response indicating the immunomodulatory activities of these products following immunization with non-inflammatory antigens.

Effect of yeast-derived products and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance, gut morphology, and gene expression of pattern recognition receptors and cytokines in broiler chickens

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of yeast-derived products and distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance, small intestinal morphology, and innate immune response in broiler chickens from 1 to 21 d of age. Nine replicates of 5 birds each were assigned to dietary treatments consisting of a control diet without antibiotic (C), and diets containing 11 mg/kg of virginiamycin, 0.25% of yeast cell wall (YCW), 0.2% of a commercial product Maxi-Gen Plus, 0.025% of nucleotides, 0.05% of nucleotides, or a diet containing 10% of DDGS. On d 21, 5 birds per treatment were euthanized and approximately 5-cm long duodenum, jejunum, and ileum segments were collected for intestinal morphology measurements. Cecal tonsils and spleen were collected to measure the gene expression of toll-like receptors TLR2b, TLR4, and TLR21, macrophage mannose receptor (MMR), and cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-10, and IL-4. No significant difference was observed for growth performance parameters. However, diets containing 0.05% of nucleotides and YCW significantly increased (P < 0.05) villus height in the jejunum. Furthermore, the number of the goblet cells per unit area in the ileum was increased (P < 0.05) in diets supplemented with yeast-derived products. The expression of TLR2b in the spleen was down-regulated for diets supplemented with nucleotides and antibiotic. In addition, lower expression of TLR21 and MMR was observed in the spleen of birds receiving yeast-derived products and antibiotic. However, expression of TLR4 in the spleen was up-regulated in diets supplemented with YCW and nucleotides. The expression of IFN-γ and IL-12 was down-regulated in the spleen of birds fed diets supplemented with yeast-derived products. In addition, inclusion of YCW, Maxi-Gen Plus, or 0.05% of nucleotides down-regulated the expression of IL-10 and IL-4 in the cecal tonsils. In conclusion, down-regulation of receptors and cytokines in spleen and cecal tonsils of birds fed diets supplemented with yeast-derived products may suggest that yeast products do not exert immune stimulating effect under normal health conditions.

Organic trace mineral supplementation enhances local and systemic innate immune responses and modulates oxidative stress in broiler chickens

The effect of organic trace mineral supplementation on performance, intestinal morphology, immune organ weights (bursa of Fabricius and spleen), expression of innate immune response related genes, blood heterophils/lymphocytes ratio, chemical metabolic panel, natural antibodies (IgG), and oxidative stress of broiler chickens was studied. A total of 1,080 day-old male broilers were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments, which included basal diet with Monensin (control), control diet supplemented with bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD), and BMD diet supplemented with organic trace minerals (OTM). No difference in feed conversion ratio was observed among treatments; ileum histomorphological analysis showed a lower crypt depth, higher villi height/crypt depth ratio, and lower villi width in the OTM treatment compared to control. Furthermore, OTM treatment resulted in higher uric acid and lower plasma malondehaldehyde (MDA), indicating lower oxidative stress. Gene expression analysis showed that OTM treatment resulted in up-regulations of TLR2 bin the ileum, and TLR2b, TLR4, and IL-12p35 in the bursa of Fabricius, and down-regulation of TLR2b and TLR4 in the cecal tonsils. In the spleen, OTM treatment resulted in up-regulation of IL-10. In conclusion, OTM supplementation to broiler diets may have beneficial effects on intestinal development, immune system status, and survival by improving ileum histomorphological parameters, modulation of Toll-like receptors and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and decreasing level of MDA, which in conjunction could enhance health status.

Concept of Advanced Thermal Barrier Functional Coatings in High Temperature Engineering Components

In conventional thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) the major problem is the spalling of a ceramic coating. This could be due to the large thermal stresses which are generated during thermal cycling on the oxidizing environment. One of the ways to improve the life span and overcome mentioned problems is introducing the concept of functionally graded materials (FGM) into the TBC. Functionally graded materials are referred to as a class of advanced materials that are distinguished by variation in their properties with varying their dimensions. Through employing a functionally graded thermal barrier coating (FG-TBC), an intermediate layer with a gradual compositional variation is embedded between the top and the bond coats. This layer(s), composed of ceramic and metal in various ratios, can achieve a gradual composition variation, thereby leading to gradual changes in microstructures and better mechanical and physical properties.