Variety Of Changes Research Articles

Conflict Resolution Strategies for School Leaders

Conflict is an inevitable part of educational settings, often arising from diverse perspectives, systemic structures, interpersonal interactions, and organizational changes. For school leaders, effectively managing and resolving conflicts is essential to creating a respectful, collaborative, and thriving school culture. This paper investigates the role of school leaders in conflict resolution, focusing on communication strategies, leadership styles, and practical approaches to addressing disputes. It identifies key principles of conflict resolution, such as neutrality, empathy, and effective communication, as critical tools for conflict management. Additionally, the paper categorizes common types of conflicts in schools including student-student, organizational, and systemic conflicts and examines strategies like mediation, interest-based negotiation, and restorative practices. By implementing well-designed policies, training programs, and collaborative strategies, school leaders can mitigate conflicts, promote harmony, and foster an environment conducive to learning and growth. Keywords: Conflict resolution, school leadership, effective communication, mediation, interest-based negotiation, restorative practices.

Correlating Feed Efficiency with Ruminal Bacterial, Fungal, and Archaeal Community Composition in Dairy Cows over Two Lactations

Dairy cows rely on their complex rumen microbial community to convert host-indigestible feed into nutrients usable for host growth, maintenance, and milk production. Previous work by our group found that the rumen bacterial community is dynamic over the course of two lactations and that cows with high and low milk production efficiency (MPE) have different taxa associated with either phenotype. Here, we characterized the ruminal fungal and archaeal communities to determine if these microbial populations exhibit properties similar to that of the rumen bacteria with respect to MPE over time. Our results show a decrease in fungal diversity over the course of both lactation cycles with an increase during the transition period. The fungal community had only a few taxa associated with efficiency. For the ruminal archaea, we found no change in diversity across both lactation cycles and only taxa in the genus Methanospera were found to be more abundant in high-MPE cows. Given that our previous study used 454 pyrosequencing, we also sought to determine if a resequencing of these communities using Illumina-based technology would alter our previous findings. We found that resequencing showed no significant deviation from our original broad conclusions, with the exception of some minor taxonomic associations.

Ethnic diversity changes of Vojvodina between 1990 and 2020

Ethnic diversity changes of Vojvodina between 1990 and 2020

Waterbird community response to wetland and climate changes in the Liaohe River Estuary wetlands, China.

The Liaohe River Estuary (LRE) wetland is a critical stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), vital to coastal ecological balance and biodiversity. However, the drivers of changes in waterbird diversity remain unclear. This study utilised random forests to produce reliable time-series wetland mapping from 2010 to 2023. Spatial and temporal changes in wetlands and landscape structures were analysed using landscape pattern indices-the Alpha and Beta diversity analyses were based on monitoring records that assessed waterbird diversity and community structure. The response of waterbirds to wetland, landscape, and climate changes was quantified using a Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Model (GLMM). Between 2010 and 2023, 78 species of waterbirds from 8 orders and 14 families were recorded. In 2023, waterbird counts reached 1,014,908, marking an increase of 868,102 compared to 2010. Over 14 years, waterbird diversity consistently increased, with community structure becoming more stable. Positive responses to climatic factors, such as seasonal precipitation and mean temperatures (both year and seasonal), were observed, while extreme weather inhibited recovery, like heavy precipitation and strong winds. Changes in Suaeda salsa (Sua) and forested areas significantly impacted waterbird diversity compared to other land cover types. These findings highlight the strong influence of climate, wetland, and landscape changes on waterbird diversity and community structure. Managers are encouraged to prioritise monitoring temperature, precipitation, Sua, and forested landscapes while enhancing artificial wetland management to support waterbird diversity and ecological balance in the LRE.

Changes in bacterial diversity of full-scale anaerobic digesters treating secondary sludge

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of secondary sludge (2S) presents challenges because of its high microbial content and complex cell wall structures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of spatiotemporally-variable factors such as water temperature and dietary habits on the 2S bacterial community and its migration into digesters. Bacterial communities and functions were analyzed using high-throughput pyrosequencing. Spatiotemporal variations in bacterial populations were identified, with genera such as Zoogloea and Dechloromonas migrating into digesters and influencing organic degradation. Notably, Zoogloea was negatively correlated with VS removal, potentially due to cell floc formation, whereas Dechloromonas was positively correlated, suggesting its role in acetate metabolism anaerobically. This study emphasizes the importance of microbial migration from 2S to digesters, highlighting the need to monitor microbial communities along with conventional parameters to increase AD performance. These findings provide practical insights into optimizing sludge management and improving biogas production in AD plants.

Effects of Bti on the diversity and community composition of three Chironomidae subfamilies across different micro-habitats.

The mosquito control agent Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) is considered environmentally friendly due to its highly specific mode of action. Nevertheless, adverse effects of Bti have been observed in non-biting midges of the family Chironomidae. In this study, we applied the maximum field rate of Bti three times from April to May to six out of twelve floodplain pond mesocosms. Chironomidae larvae were sampled two weeks after the third application in three different micro-habitats and DNA metabarcoding was used to identify the larvae. We observed Bti effects on the Chironomidae subfamily Chironominae, while Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae remained unaffected. The interspecific diversity of Chironominae was significantly reduced by 27% in the Bti treatment. Although the interaction between treatment and habitat was not significant, a notable decrease in interspecific diversity of Chironominae between the control and Bti treatment in two out of three micro-habitats was detected (47% and 41%, respectively). We observed a significant habitat-dependent change in intraspecific diversity of Chironominae, with a 28% decline in one habitat and a 21% increase in another. The Chironominae community composition differed between the control and Bti treatment in two out of three habitats. These outcomes highlight the variability of Bti's impact on Chironomidae communities across subfamilies and micro-habitats, potentially elucidating discrepancies reported in prior studies and emphasising the necessity for comprehensive risk assessments that encompass diversity at various taxonomic levels and environmental variation at different spatial scales.

Multi-compartment impact of micropollutants and particularly antibiotics on bacterial communities using environmental DNA at river basin-level.

Bacterial communities respond to environmental conditions with diverse structural and functional changes depending on their compartment (water, biofilm or sediment), type of environmental stress, and type of pollution to which they are exposed. In this study, we combined amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from water, biofilm, and sediment samples collected in the anthropogenically impacted River Aconcagua basin (Central Chile, South America), in order to evaluate whether micropollutants alter bacterial community structure and functioning based on the type and degree of chemical pollution. Furthermore, we evaluated the potential of bacterial communities from differently polluted sites to degrade contaminants. Our results show a lower diversity at sites impacted by agriculture and urban areas, featuring high loads of micropollution with pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products as well as industrial chemicals. Nutrients, antibiotic stress, and micropollutant loads explain most of the variability in the sediment and biofilm bacterial community, showing a significant increase of bacterial groups known for their capabilities to degrade various organic pollutants, such as Nitrospira and also selecting for taxa known for antibiotic resistance such as Exiguobacterium and Planomicrobium. Moreover, potential ecological functions linked to the biodegradation of toxic chemicals at the basin level revealed significant reductions in ecosystem-related services in sites affected by agriculture and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges across all investigated environmental compartments. Finally, we suggest transitioning from simple concentration-based assessments of environmental pollution to more meaningful toxic pressure values, measured environmental concentrations normalised by effect information, in order to comprehensively evaluate the role of micropollutants at the ecological (biodiversity) level.

Temporal Changes in Tasmanian Devil Genetic Diversity at Sites With and Without Supplementation.

Management interventions for threatened species are well documented with genetic data now playing a pivotal role in informing their outcomes. However, insitu actions like supplementations (releasing individuals into an existing population) are often restricted to a singular site. Considerable research and management effort have been dedicated to conserving the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), offering a unique opportunity to investigate the temporal genetic consequences of supplementation at multiple sites, in comparison to outcomes observed in the absence of management interventions. Using 1,778 genome-wide SNPs across 1,546 individuals, we compared four wild-supplemented sites to four monitoring-only sites (not supplemented; control sites) over 9 years (2014-2022). At the study completion, genetic differentiation among supplemented sites had significantly decreased compared to among not-supplemented sites. We found statistically significant variation in genetic change over time between sites using linear mixed-effects modelling with random slopes. Investigating this among-site variation showed that three of the supplemented sites conformed to predictions that supplementations would have a positive impact on the genetic diversity of devils at these sites. We predicted no change over time at our fourth site due to the observed relatively high gene flow, however, this site did not align with predictions, instead showing decreased genetic diversity and increased relatedness. Amongst not supplemented sites, there was no consistent pattern of temporal genetic change, suggesting devil sites across Tasmania are highly heterogeneous, likely reflecting variation in site connectivity and genetic drift. Our study demonstrates that long-term concurrent monitoring of multiple sites, including controls, is necessary to contextualise the influence of management interventions on natural species fluctuations.

Impact of orthodontic treatment on oral microbiome diversity and composition: A longitudinal study

The changes in oral microbiome diversity and composition during fixed orthodontic treatment using 16S rRNA sequencing are of interest to dentists. Saliva and plaque samples from 60 participants were analyzed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Alpha diversity significantly decreased at 3 months (mean: 2.8 ą 0.4) but partially recovered by 6 months (mean: 3.0 ą 0.3). Beta diversity analysis revealed significant microbial composition shifts (p < 0.01), with an increase in Streptococcus mutans and a decline in Streptococcus sanguinis. Orthodontic treatment alters the oral microbiome, emphasizing the need for enhanced oral hygiene to prevent dysbiosis.

Proximity proteomics provides a new resource for exploring the function of Afadin and the complexity of cell-cell adherens junctions.

The network of proteins at the interface between cell-cell adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton provides robust yet dynamic connections that facilitate cell shape change and motility. While this was initially thought to be a simple linear connection via classic cadherins and their associated catenins, we now have come to appreciate that many more proteins are involved, providing robustness and mechanosensitivity. Defining the full set of proteins in this network remains a key objective in our field. Proximity proteomics provides a means to define these networks. Mammalian Afadin and its Drosophila homolog Canoe are key parts of this protein network, facilitating diverse cell shape changes during gastrulation and other events of embryonic morphogenesis. Here we report results of several proximity proteomics screens, defining proteins in the neighborhood of both the N- and C-termini of mammalian Afadin in the premier epithelial model, MDCK cells. We compare our results with previous screens done in other cell types, and with proximity proteomics efforts with other junctional proteins. These reveal the value of multiple screens in defining the full network of neighbors and offer interesting insights into the overlap in protein composition between different epithelial cell junctions.

Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss.

Mitigating loss of genetic diversity is a major global biodiversity challenge1-4. To meet recent international commitments to maintain genetic diversity within species5,6, we need to understand relationships between threats, conservation management and genetic diversity change. Here we conduct a global analysis of genetic diversity change via meta-analysis of all available temporal measures of genetic diversity from more than three decades of research. We show that within-population genetic diversity is being lost over timescales likely to have been impacted by human activities, and that some conservation actions may mitigate this loss. Our dataset includes 628 species (animals, plants, fungi and chromists) across all terrestrial and most marine realms on Earth. Threats impacted two-thirds of the populations that we analysed, and less than halfof the populations analysed received conservation management. Genetic diversity loss occurs globally and is a realistic prediction for many species, especially birds and mammals, in the face of threats such as land use change, disease, abiotic natural phenomena and harvesting or harassment. Conservation strategies designed to improve environmental conditions, increase population growth rates and introduce new individuals (for example, restoring connectivity or performing translocations) may maintain or even increase genetic diversity. Our findings underscore the urgent need for active, genetically informed conservation interventions to halt genetic diversity loss.

Morphospace disparity and species diversity in Sri Lankan phytophagous scarab beetles—A comparison by forest types, altitude and sites

Abstract Species diversity and morphological disparity are often linked, especially in lineages with evolutionary success. For invertebrates, their relation is poorly investigated, particularly under various ecochorological scales. Here, we explore thirteen assemblages of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Sri Lanka and infer patterns of morphospace and species diversity along forest types, elevation zones and sampling sites. Disparity of body size and shape was analysed based on 20 linear measurements, considering separately three major lineages: the entire assemblage and their two sister subclades, Sericini and Pleurosticts excluding Sericini. Diversity and disparity were investigated in three sets of landscape partitioning, from regional to local scale: forest type, elevation zone and locality. Results showed divergent patterns of lineages at different geographical scales. Morphospace divergence and occupancy exhibited two distinct patterns. For the entire assemblage and Pleurosticts excluding Sericini, the morphospace volume expressed by median centroid size decreased with increasing altitude. In contrast, Sericini demonstrated a more confined morphospace across different forest types and elevation zones. However, similar patterns were not found for the Shannon diversity. Disparity of morphological shape was significantly correlated with species diversity in all three chorological categories only for the entire assemblage, while in Sericini this correlation was recovered only at locality‐scale. Our results indicate that small changes in diversity are linked to small alterations in disparity, although significant shifts in diversity do not necessarily correspond to substantial disparity change. Future research exploring the genealogical aspect of morphospace divergence should incorporate a phylogenetic framework, especially when comparing different systematic levels.

Sample coverage affects diversity measures of bird communities along a natural recovery gradient of abandoned agriculture in tropical lowland forests

Abstract Tropical old‐growth forests continue to decline worldwide, resulting in a huge loss of biodiversity. The extent to which the expansion of second‐growth forests can counteract biodiversity loss is context‐dependent and controversial. To test the recovery of bird communities along a gradient from active pastures and cacao plantations, through regenerating forest on land last used for agriculture between 1 and 38 years ago, to old‐growth forest, we sampled simultaneous audio recordings from 66 plots, from which an expert identified all bird species detected at fixed time points throughout the day. The study area is characterized by typical small‐scale agriculture with remnant trees in the Ecuadorian Chocó Forest. To quantify different aspects of biodiversity, we used incidence‐based Hill numbers focusing on infrequent, frequent and highly frequent species in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity, considering sample coverage (an objective measure of sample completeness). Bird community composition changed with the regrowth gradient represented on the first axis of the ordination. Differences in bird communities were also very robust to changes in sample coverage. The sample coverage decreased significantly along the recovery gradient and affected the different measures of alpha diversity. Although the results controlled by sample coverage showed no change in taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, the functional diversity of infrequent, frequent and highly frequent species decreased along the recovery gradient. Cacao plantations exhibited particularly high diversity values, highlighting the potential of these patches to support woodland and shrubland species in agriculture. Furthermore, several forest species regularly used the agricultural areas, attracted by remnant trees characteristic of the small‐scale agricultural landscape in our study region. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the importance of standardizing biodiversity measures and incorporating beta diversity in biodiversity monitoring. We demonstrate that taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional bird diversity can be high in secondary forests within smallholder agricultural landscapes. This underscores the potential for natural forest recovery, particularly when recovery patches are embedded within a forest matrix that includes old‐growth stands.

Stochasticity Highlights the Development of Both the Gastrointestinal and Upper-Respiratory-Tract Microbiomes of Neonatal Dairy Calves in Early Life

The microbiome of dairy calves undergoes extensive change due to various forces during the first weeks of life. Importantly, diseases such as bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and calf diarrhea can have profound impacts on the early-life microbiome. Therefore, a longitudinal, repeated-measures pilot study was designed to characterize the establishment of nasal and fecal microbiomes of dairy calves, assess the governing forces of microbial assembly, and evaluate how disease states impact these microbial ecologies. Dairy calves (n = 19) were clinically evaluated for gastrointestinal and respiratory disease across three weeks beginning at age ≤ seven days old. Fecal (n = 57) and nasal (n = 57) microbial samples were taken for paired-end 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Taxonomy and diversity analyses were used to characterize early-life nasal and fecal microbiomes. Stochasticity and determinism were measured using normalized stochasticity testing (NST) and Dirichlet multinomial model (DMM). All analyses were tested for statistical significance. Clinical diarrhea was observed in 11 of the 19 calves. Clinical BRD was not independently observed among the cohort; however, two calves presented clinical signs of both BRD and diarrhea. Taxonomic analysis revealed that fecal samples were highlighted by Bacteroidaceae (40%; relative abundance), Ruminococcaceae (13%), and Lachnospiraceae (10%), with changes in diversity (Kruskal–Wallis; p < 0.05) and composition (PERMANOVA; p < 0.05). Clinical diarrhea reduced diversity in the fecal microbiome but did not impact composition. Nasal samples featured Moraxellaceae (49%), Mycoplasmataceae (16%), and Pasteurellaceae (3%). While no diversity changes were seen in nasal samples, compositional changes were observed (p < 0.05). NST metrics (Kruskal–Wallis; p > 0.01) and DMM (PERMANOVA; p < 0.01) revealed that stochastic, neutral theory-based assembly dynamics govern early-life microbial composition and that distinct microbial populations drive community composition in healthy and diarrheic calves.

Fecal microbiota is more stable during degradation and more diverse for ex situ cheetahs in Namibia compared to the USA

The relationships between gut microbiota and animal health are an important consideration increasingly influential in the management of wild and ex situ endangered species, such as the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). To better understand these relationships, fresh fecal samples are currently required as a non-invasive alternative for the gut microbiome. Unfortunately, fresh samples are challenging to collect in the wild. This study had two aims: 1) to determine the optimal collection time point for cheetah feces after deposit in their native environment of Namibia as a guide for wild cheetah fecal microbiome studies; and 2) to compare the fecal microbiota of two ex situ cheetah populations (Front Royal, VA, USA and Otjiwarongo, Namibia), which also consume different diets. We collected eight fresh fecal samples from cheetahs in Namibia and allowed them to decompose for four days, taking subsamples each day. The fresh Namibian samples (n = 8) were also used in objective two for comparison to fresh USA cheetah samples (n = 8). All samples were analyzed for bacterial community diversity and composition using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. First, over a five-day sampling period in Namibia, subsamples 1-3 days post-fresh showed no changes in bacterial diversity or composition compared to fresh subsamples. Second, fresh ex situ cheetah samples under Namibian conditions had increased bacterial taxa, more phylogenetically diverse bacterial communities, and compositionally distinct microbiomes from cheetahs managed in human care in the USA. However, when bacterial ASVs were weighted by relative abundance, both populations shared 69% of their total bacterial sequences indicating a conserved cheetah microbiota between the two populations. We also found few differences in predictive functions of the fecal microbiota between the populations, where only one disease-related pathway was higher in the USA samples. Overall, our findings suggest that in dry season conditions (no recorded rainfall) in Namibia, fecals may be usable for up to three days after defecation for microbial ecology studies. There are significant differences between ex situ Namibian and USA populations, and we suggest further investigation into the influence of diet, host demographics, and environment on the gut microbiota and health of cheetahs.

The Influence of Maternal Diet on Gut Microbiota Diversity During Pregnancy: A Mini-Review

Background: The gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining health, influencing nutrient metabolism, immune function, and disease susceptibility. During pregnancy, maternal diet can significantly alter gut microbiota composition and diversity, potentially impacting maternal and fetal health. Methods: This mini-review aims to answer whether maternal diet during pregnancy is associated with the composition and diversity of maternal gut microbiota. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases in May 2024. A risk of bias assessment was done. Results: Twenty articles were selected, including randomized controlled trials, cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies. Which revealed that increased dietary fiber intake was consistently associated with higher gut microbiota richness and diversity. Conversely, high-fat diets were linked to reduced microbial diversity and pro-inflammatory profiles. Dietary interventions such as vegetarian and Mediterranean diets promoted a more diverse and beneficial gut microbiota composition. Conclusion: Maternal diet during pregnancy is closely associated with changes in gut microbiota composition and diversity. These findings underscore the importance of dietary interventions in managing gut microbiota and improving pregnancy outcomes. Future research should focus on personalized nutrition strategies to optimize maternal and fetal health. Key terms: Microbiome; Microbiota; Pregnant women; Diet; Dietary patterns.

Impacts of trehalose supplementation on ruminal microbiota and productivity of Japanese Black heifers under heat-stressed conditions.

Hot environments negatively affect cattle productivity, and global warming also causes heat stress, thereby adversely impacting cattle production. Improving cattle management under such conditions is an urgent issue. Trehalose can ameliorate volatile fatty acid production and the diversity of ruminal microbiota in dairy cattle. However, no studies have evaluated on Japanese beef heifers. In this study, we investigated the effects of trehalose supplementation on the ruminal microbiota and productivity of Japanese Black heifers under heat-stressed conditions. Six cyclic Japanese Black heifers were divided into two groups: control and trehalose supplemented. The ruminal microbiota, pH, and volatile fatty acid production of these heifers were analyzed over 10 weeks in the summer in central Japan. During the experimental period, the heifers in the control group showed significantly higher concentrations of ruminal acetic and propionic acids than those in the trehalose-supplemented group (p<0.05, two-way repeated measures ANOVA). The acetic/propionic acid ratio showed no significant difference between the two groups. The alpha diversity in the ruminal bacterial biota in the trehalose supplemented group was higher than that in the control group (p<0.05, two-way repeated measures ANOVA) along with a change in the beta diversity of the ruminal fungal biota (p<0.05, PERMANOVA). LEfSe analysis in ruminal microbiota identified specific microorganisms in the control and the trehalose-supplemented samples: 4 and 13 in bacteria; each one fungus; 5 and 4 protozoan families, respectively. Trehalose supplementation in the summer improved ruminal microbiota, especially the types of ruminal bacteria and fungi related to carbohydrate digestion, and maintained the balance of ruminal VFA production in Japanese Black heifers. Therefore, trehalose supplementation in feed could improve cattle production under heat-stressed conditions and in global-warming scenarios.

Unveiling early-life microbial colonization profile through characterizing low-biomass maternal-infant microbiomes by 2bRAD-M

IntroductionThe microbial composition of human breast milk and infant meconium offers critical insights into the early microbial colonization profile, and it greatly contributes to the infant’s immune system and long-term health outcomes. However, analyzing these samples often faces technical challenges and limitations of low-resolution using conventional approaches due to their low microbial biomass.MethodsHere, we employed the type IIB restriction enzymes site-associated DNA sequencing for microbiome (2bRAD-M) as a reduced metagenomics method to address these issues and profile species-level microbial composition. We collected breast milk samples, maternal feces, and infant meconium, comparing the results from 2bRAD-M with those from both commonly used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and the gold-standard whole metagenomics sequencing (WMS).ResultsThe accuracy and robustness of 2bRAD-M were demonstrated through its consistently high correlation of microbial individual abundance and low whole-community-level distance with the paired WMS samples. Moreover, 2bRAD-M enabled us to identify clinical variables associated with infant microbiota variations and significant changes in microbial diversity across different lactation stages of breast milk.DiscussionThis study underscores the importance of employing 2bRAD-M in future large-scale and longitudinal studies on maternal and infant microbiomes, thereby enhancing our understanding of microbial colonization in early life stages and demonstrating further translational potential.

Positive sputum fungal culture, fungal sensitisation and airway microbial diversity in asthmatic children.

Sensitisation to thermotolerant fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans which can colonise the airways is associated with poor lung function in children with asthma. Dysbiosis of bacteria and fungi in the airway microbiome has been reported between health and asthma but has yet to be characterised for fungal sensitised asthmatic children. We investigated if microbial diversity of the airways is altered in fungal sensitised school-age asthmatic children. Sputum samples from children with asthma who were fungal sensitised (n=22) and non-fungal sensitised (n=17) along with children without asthma (n=15), aged 5-16 years were profiled by traditional microbiological culture, modified fungal culture, bacterial 16S and fungal ITS2 next generation sequencing. Microbiota were compared between groups using alpha/beta diversity and differential abundance analysis. Bacterial alpha diversity was significantly lower in asthma compared to disease controls and in stable compared to acute asthma. Fungal alpha and beta diversity did not change between asthma states and disease controls, but alpha diversity was significantly lower in asthma samples from patients with positive A. fumigatus culture. Children sensitised to fungi had similar microbial diversity compared to non-sensitised children. However, in children not sensitised to fungi, those with a positive airway fungal culture had significantly lower fungal alpha diversity and bacterial beta differences compared to children with negative fungal culture. Fungal sensitisation did not alter bacterial or fungal microbiota in the airways of asthmatic children. However, positive airway fungal culture was associated with significant changes in microbial diversity, particularly in non-fungal sensitised children with asthma.

P1324 Longitudinal Changes in Gut Microbiota During the First Year following diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease – the IBSEN III study

Abstract Background Despite the well-established involvement of the gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), little is known about how the gut microbiota changes over time or how it varies with clinical disease activity and faecal calprotectin. To address this gap, we utilized the population-based inception cohort IBSEN III. Methods Stool samples from IBD patients and symptomatic controls (SC) were collected at diagnosis and after 3, 6, and 12 months. Comprehensive data collection was performed at baseline and the 12-month follow-up, while faecal calprotectin (f-calprotectin) and patient-reported clinical disease activity data were also gathered at 3 and 6 months. Stool microbiota profiling was performed targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, and a consensus-based approach utilizing mixed models was employed for the microbiota analysis. Results We included 761 subjects (median age 37, 48 % female) with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 448 subjects (median age 33, 55% female) with Crohn’ s disease (CD) who contributed at least one faecal sample, and respectively 79 and 58 provided samples at all four time points. A smaller proportion of our IBD population donated treatment naïve faecal samples (11% UC, 26% CD). In the IBD population, the patient-reported disease activity decreased over time, as did F-calprotectin levels (mixed model p &amp;lt; 0.001, median CD from 241 to 128, UC from 188 to 77). We used different thresholds of F-calprotectin for defining remission (50,150 and 250) and observed significant within-diagnosis differences (microbial diversity and consensus-based differential abundance analysis) depending on F-calprotectin status. Comparing F-calprotectin-defined inactive IBD (50,150 and 250) to symptomatic controls, there were significant differences between microbiota profiles from UC remission, but few/no differences to CD microbiota. Distinct changes in the gut microbiota of IBD subjects were observed throughout the first year, such as increased alpha diversity (Shannon, mixed model p &amp;lt; 0.001) and significant taxonomic changes (consensus-based differential abundance analysis, figure). There was a significant overlap between microbial patterns associated with F-calprotectin and patient-reported disease activity score (Fisher Exact test p &amp;lt; 0.001), and the changes in these scores were reflected in the microbial changes over time (Fisher Exact test p &amp;lt; 0.05). Significant changes comparing microbiota profiles in treatment naïve to post-treatment samples were found, both among subjects with CD and UC (consensus-based differential abundance analysis). Conclusion The gut microbiota during the first year after IBD diagnosis showed changes that paralleled inflammation and clinical disease activity.