Colony Characteristics Research Articles

From theatre to streets: the dynamics of shows in Ouro Preto, Brazil (1870-1900)

ABSTRACT Ouro Preto, a city known worldwide for its baroque architecture, had its status as the capital of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, threatened by republican ideals that aimed at progress and modernization, fighting colonial characteristics and values. Aiming to adjust and try to sustain its position, it implemented improvements with interventions from urban perimeter to habits. This paper examines how entertainments gained attention from local governments in the midst of modernization attempts, between 1870 and 1900. Documentary research was carried out at the Arquivo Público Municipal de Ouro Preto (Ouro Preto Municipal Public Archive), prioritizing municipal sources. Shows of varied natures, as dramatic, equestrian and bullfights, were held in different spaces, with those happening in closed places, especially in the theatre, being privileged regarding open shows, considered barbaric and uncivilized. Among the actions, there were even projects to build new theatres in the city. The shows were income providers for the Câmara Municipal (City Council), behaviour influencers, and thermometers of civility and local progress.

A Review on Pathogenesis and Regulatory Mechanisms of Infections from Staphylococcus Aureus

S. aureus is commonly found living on the outermost layer of human body which is the skin and in about 30% of individuals it is a permanent colonizer. This pathogen is blood borne infection and is the causative organism of commonly occurring infections like endocarditis and sepsis. This current review has effectively discussed the morphology and colonial characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), its types and classifications, individuals who are at risk of getting infected, common skin infections caused due to the pathogen, resistance and the various managements available. The recent developments in managing this infections, are also discussed in this review. The most common and severe conditions caused by S. aureus are Food poisoning and Toxic Shock Syndrome, which elaboratly discussed. The review presents the past findings and recent developments regarding S. aureus infection from all the aspects.

Determination of In vitro lethality of actinomycetes antibiotic extracts from Menengai crater geothermal vents, Kenya

Introduction: Drug resistance is the biggest threat to human existence today. This study was conducted to investigate the sensitivity of selected pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotic extracts from soils of Menengai crater geothermal vents in Kenya.
 Method: Antibiotic-producing actinomycetes were isolated from geothermal vents of the crater. The isolates were identified using colony characteristics and biochemical means. Sensitivity of the selected pathogenic microorganism was carried out using primary and secondary screening techniques. Four actinomycetes coded PAN 9, PAN 18, PAN 117, and PAN 138 were selected for further analysis based on the size of the zone of inhibition and the broad spectrum of activity. Extraction of antibiotics from the selected actinomycetes was carried out using ethyl acetate. A sensitivity test of the pathogens to the extracts was done using Karby Bauer disk diffusion technique. Cytotoxicity of the antibiotic extracts was carried out using Brine shrimp lethality test and sheep blood hemolytic bioassays. The isolates presented typical actinomycetes characteristics.
 Results: A total of 20 actinomycete isolates showed antagonism against the test pathogenic microorganisms. The selected actinomycetes inhibited growth of Gram-positive and negative bacterial and fungal pathogens in both primary and secondary sensitivity tests. There was a significant difference in the diameters of zones of inhibition produced by the test pathogens when subjected to the antibiotic metabolites from the selected actinomycetes (F = 6.6046 P = 0.001338).
 Discussion: The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration/minimum fungicidal concentration did not vary significantly (F=0.4503, P = 0.7187). The LC50 values of the antibiotic extracts varied from 2.438±0.47µg in PAN 9 to 9.3455±0.41µg in PAN 138. PAN 18 and PAN 117 showed partial hemolysis while PAN 9 and PAN 138 exhibited complete hemolysis of sheep blood erythrocytes. Soils from Menengai crater geothermal vents have actinomycetes that produce antibiotics. The antibiotics are cytotoxic to brine shrimps. In addition, the antibiotics cause hemolysis of sheep blood erythrocytes. There is a need to purify the antibiotics and structure elucidate them. The active antibiotic extract needs to be evaluated to determine whether the hemolysis is due to the compound itself or some other chemical constituent.

Ch'ixinakax utxiwa: A Reflection on the Practices and Discourses of Decolonization by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui (review)

Reviewed by: Ch'ixinakax utxiwa: A Reflection on the Practices and Discourses of Decolonization by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui R. Aída Hernández Castillo (bio) Ch'ixinakax utxiwa: A Reflection on the Practices and Discourses of Decolonization by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Polity Press, 2020 CH'IXINAKAX UTXIWA is the translation of a collection of essays that were first published in Spanish by the Argentinian publishing house Retazos & Tinta Limón in 2010. In these scant eighty-nine pages the author managed to unleash a political storm, as she transformed this book into a theoretical and methodological point of reference for decolonial studies in Latin America. More than ten years would go by before her work could be translated into English and her critiques against what she called the "colonial character of decolonial studies in the United States" could circulate through the Anglosphere's academia (59). Heir to the Latin American tradition of essay writing, the book does not have the formal structure of an academic text, as it combines political denunciation with epistemic and philosophical reflections. Thus, the work goes from sociohistorical analysis to the description of methodological routes and calls for political praxis. We could say we are faced with a "Ch'ixi" book, that is, a "motley text," to recover the concept the author proposes to refer to the Aymara understanding of a thing that is and is not at the same time, or the logic of "the included middle" (xx). Her literary style, not lacking in a touch of irony and sarcasm, is brilliantly transmitted in the English translation by Molly Geidel. The three essays that make up the book employ diverse perspectives to approach the need of a political economy of knowledge that articulates the decolonizing discourse through political practice. Those of us familiar with the activist and political history of Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui understand the ethical coherence to which she summons us through her writings. In this sense, the introductory essay of Verónica Gago leads us into a comprehensive historical journey through the life and works of this author whom she characterizes as "one of the most lucid, inventive and galvanizing intellectuals in our continent" (vii). In the first essay, entitled "Another Bicentennial," the author centers her analysis on the Tupaq Katari rebellion of 1781 as an ethnohistorical window to reflect about memory and the "unsaid," two recurring themes that run through her work since the creation of the Taller de Historia Oral Andina [End Page 135] (THOA) in the 1980s. In this chapter Rivera Cusicanqui presents her political concern for the place of memory in peoples' struggles. She proposes that the memory of this rebellion was present in the 2000 and 2005 cycle of uprisings by inhabitants of El Alto, in Bolivia. In the second chapter, "Sociology of Image: A View from Colonial Andean History" Rivera Cusicanqui utilizes the analysis of the First New Chronicle and Good Government by Waman Puma de Ayala, (1612—15) a thousand-page letter directed to the King of Spain, in order to develop her epistemic and methodological proposal of uncovering the "unsaid." Starting from the premise that words, under colonial contexts, tend to hide more than reveal the truths of the colonized, the author takes us through a detailed analysis of the iconography that illustrates the letters of Puma de Ayala. The third chapter, which gives the book its name, unleashed the debate around the limitations and appropriations of the decolonial studies produced in the English-speaking academy. The text comes very close to a political manifesto, where the author reveals the colonial contradictions that are concealed both by academic discourse in the United States and the official multiculturalist rhetoric in Bolivia. She denounces the adoption of postmodern and postcolonial "gestures" by the intellectual elites at the same time they reproduce epistemic hierarchies, denying the Latin American theoretical genealogies within their debates and appropriating and decontextualizing those whom they may get to cite. Calling these authors by their name, Silvia Rivera denounces that "Walter Mignolo and company have built a small empire within an empire, strategically appropriating the contributions of subaltern studies school of India and the Latin American variants of critical reflection on colonization and decolonization...

Morphological Characterization and Biological Management of Gloeosporium ampelophagum (Pass.) Sacc Causing Anthracnose of Grapes in India

Grape an important fruit crop, has been found to face a serious threat due to anthracnose disease. The disease on leaves appeared as small irregular dark brown lesions, which later developed greyish centre with dark brown margins that eventually dried and dropped resulting in peculiar shot hole appearance. On twigs (vines) the disease initially appeared as light brown circular lesion which on elongation became elliptical and developed sunken ashy grey centre. Coalescing of numerous such lesions culminated in canker formation. Berry symptoms were initiated as circular reddish brown lesions, which later coalesced, resulting in shrivelling and mummification of berries. The pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar medium and its pathogenicity was proved. The fungus produced circular, cottony colony with light green centre and creamish margins which later turned olive green with radial furrows. Acervuli and conidia were formed 10 days after incubation at 25±2 oC. Conidia (6.21 × 3.87μm) were oblong and hyaline to brownish in colour. Based on its colony characters, morphological characters and by comparing with authentic descriptions as well as through pathogenicity the pathogen causing anthracnose disease of grapes was identified as Gloeosporium ampelophagum (Pass.)Sacc. The fungus showed highest mycelial sporulation of 0.81×106/ml on oat meal agar with a pH 6.5 at 25-30 oC. Among the bio-agents screened, Trichoderma harzianum exhibited maximum inhibition in mycelial growth of 62.53 per cent that can be effectively used for the management of the disease.

The prevalence and species of Mycoplasma identified from dairy goats in Taiwan

Except for Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae, which only causes pneumonia, Mycoplasma species can cause otitis, arthritis, septicemia, mastitis, pneumonia and encephalitis in goats. After a mycoplasma outbreak was recorded in Taiwan in 2016, an increasing number of mycoplasma infection cases have been observed. It is important to understand how many Mycoplasma species are currently prevalent in Taiwan. In this study, 57–61 bulk milk samples were collected from dairy goats in Taiwan every year from 2017 to 2020 to identify the presence of mycoplasma DNA fragments by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mycoplasma species were identified based on colony characteristics, PCR, and DNA sequences. In total, 39 out of 236 samples (16.52%) tested mycoplasma positive. The annual mycoplasma prevalence rates from 2017 to 2020 were 24.59% (15/61), 8.20% (5/61), 17.54% (10/57) and 15.79% (9/57), respectively. Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri (n = 19), Mycoplasma putrefaciens (n = 10), Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (n = 5) and Mycoplasma bovis (n = 5) were present in Taiwan. No M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae was detected. Except for the large drop in 2018, the prevalence of mycoplasma infection declined to a consistent level for the final two years of the study. However, the seasonal pattern is still worth investigating. This is the first survey of mycoplasma infection in goats, and we believe that a larger survey is still needed to understand the pathogenicity and diversity of these mycoplasma isolates.

First Report of Target Spot Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-6 in Tobacco in China.

Tobacco is an annual and solanaceous crop, which is widely produced in China. In July 2020, tobacco target spot was observed on 50% of tobacco plants in a 5-ha commercial field of Bijie (27.32° N, 105.29° E), Guizhou province, China. Typical symptoms firstly appeared on the old leaves as round watery spots. Then the spots became a diameter of 2 to 20 cm, with concentric ring lines and dead spots. Fifteen small pieces (5 × 5 mm) of leaf tissue were cut from the edge of the lesions, surface sterilized and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium amended with kanamycin (0.1 mg/ml). Isolate J136, one of five isolates with similar morphology, was selected for pathogen identification. The culture of the isolate on PDA was brown and exhibited radial mycelial growth after incubation at 28 oC in darkness for 5 days. Hyphae of the fungus were white at the beginning, turned light brown to brown at the later stages, and finally became thick and separated. Sclerotia were brown and produced on PDA after 25 days of incubation in the dark. These characteristics were similar to the colony characteristics of R. solani. The genomic DNA of Isolate J136 was extracted using the CTAB method. PCR analyses were conducted using the following primers specifically designed for the detection of individual AGs or subgroups of R. solani: AG-1 IA, IB and IC (Kuninaga 2003), AG-2-1, AG-2-2, IIIB, IV and LP (Carling et al. 2002), AG-3 PT (Misawa 2015), AG-4 HG-I and HG-II (Kuninaga 2003), and AGs-5-6 (Arakawa and Inagaki 2014). Among the 12 specific primer pairs, only AG-6-specific primers amplified a fragment of ca. 230 bp product, indicating that the tested strain belonged to R. solani AG-6. The sequence was deposited in GenBank with accession no. MZ379468. Using BLASTN search, the sequence of the gene was aligned with the voucher specimen, R. solani AG-6. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on these sequences. After wards, Isolate J136 was tested for hyphal anastomosis reaction using the R. solani AG-6 standard strain according to the method described by Ogoshi (1987). The hyphal diameter at the point of anastomosis was reduced, with obvious anastomosis point, and the death of adjacent cells, indicating their anastomosis reactions (Anderson 1982). Thus, based on the morphological and genetic analyses, the fungus was identified as R. solani AG-6. To verify its pathogenicity, six plants (cv. Yunyan87) at the 5-to-6 leaf stage were inoculated with mycelial PDA plugs (5 mm in diameter). Leaves inoculated with PDA-only plugs served as the controls. Treated tobacco plants were maintained at a temperature range of 15 to 25 oC in a greenhouse with 85% relative humidity. After 5 days inoculation, typical symptoms were observed on the inoculated leaves, whereas no symptoms were observed on the control leaves. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolation of the pathogen from the diseased leaves. R. solani AG-2-2 is the only previously reported group of R. solani, which causes tobacco target spot in the field (Gonzalez et al. 2011). Therefore, to our knowledge, this is the first report of R. solani AG-6 causing target spot of tobacco in the field in China. Since considerable losses caused by the disease have frequently happened in this region, addition of this new group pathogen in the disease pool can be more problematic. Proper disease control strategies are in need to be developed to prevent further losses.

Gambaran Candida albicans dalam Urine Pasien Diabetes Melitus Perempuan di Puskesmas 1 Denpasar Timur

Candidiasis is fungal infection caused by the Candida sp. generally by Candida albicans. Diabetes mellitus is one of the predisposing factors for C. albicans fungal infection. The risk of infection is increased in women with hyperglycemia which cause high blood sugar level in vaginal. This condition providing an ideal place for fungal growth. This study aims to determine the description of the C. albicans in the urine of women with diabetes mellitus at Public Health Centre (I) East Denpasar. The sampling technique in this study used purposive sampling with a total sample of 30 urine of women with diabetes mellitus at Public Health Centre (I) East Denpasar in December 2021. The examination method used urine culture techniques on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar media, Gram stain and germ tube test. Based on the results of the examination of positive samples, the characteristics of colonies growing on SDA media were smooth, slightly raised on the surface, yellowish white in color, and smelled of yeast. On Gram staining, the results show the presence of oval-shaped blastopores, and purple in color and the germ tube test shows blastopores that form sprouts. In this study, 2 samples (7%) were positive for C. albicans and 28 samples (93%) were negative for C. albicans. Based on the results of the study, patients are expected to always maintain cleanliness (hygiene) in the genital area and maintain body immunity to reduce the risk of fungal infections.

Pathogen identification, risk factor and preventive measure of a columnaris disease outbreak in Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) eggs and larvae from a tilapia hatchery

Flavobacterium columnare is the causative agent of columnaris disease and brings about huge damages to the aquaculture industry worldwide. First classified as one specie with several genomovars/genetic groups, then reclassified into four distinct species, F. columnare was well-known for its high genetic diversities among different isolates. In this study, six bacterial strains, designated as HNU-01 to HNU-06, were isolated from diseased Nile tilapia eggs and larvae in Hainan, China. Based on colony characteristics, physiological/ biochemical test and 16S rRNA gene analysis results, all isolated strains were identified as Flavobacterium davisii according to a recently published research (which correspond to genetic group 3 of F. columnare). Virulence test showed that among the isolates, HNU-01 was most virulent to tilapia larvae. The lethal doses of 7 days (LD50) of F. davisii HNU-01 to tilapia eggs and larvae were 7.29 × 107 CFU/ml and 1.56 × 106 CFU/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility test indicated that the bacterium showed reduced susceptibility towards ampicillin and oxytetracycline. In the disinfection-infection experiment, compared with tilapia larvae hatched from untreated eggs, tilapia larvae hatched from disinfected eggs (treated with formalin, potassium permanganate and chloramine T) showed significantly higher mortality rates/F. davisii loads after challenging with F. davisii HNU-01. Salinity test showed that elevated hatching system water salinity decreased the mortality of tilapia larvae infected with F. davisii. The best protective effect was seen in water salinity of 4.0–10.0 ‰ . This is the first report of F. davisii (or genetic group 3 of F. columnare) infecting tilapia eggs and larvae. This study revealed that the virulence of F. davisii in tilapia varied at different fish developmental stages. In addition, disinfectant treatment of tilapia eggs increased the susceptibility of tilapia larvae to F. davisii, and regulation of water salinity is a potential effective measure to prevent columnaris disease in tilapia hatcheries.

Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Blood Samples

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a Gram-positive cocci arranged in grape like clusters, non-motile, non-sporing, non-capsulated, that causes nosocomial infections, severe blood infections, bacteremia, food poisoning, cutaneous infections, toxic shock syndrome. Objectives: To isolate and identify S. aureus from blood samples. To perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing of S. aureus. To find prevalence of bacteremia caused due to S. aureus. Material & Methods: The study was carried out from October 2021 to March 2022, A total 1,270 samples were received in Bacteriology section from patients admitted in various ICUs & EMR of AIMSR hospital. S. aureus was identified on the basis of colony characteristics, gram staining morphology and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by automated method, Vitek 2 compact machine using P628AST card. Results: The prevalence of S. aureus in culture positive blood samples was 2.83%. Maximum S. aureus were obtained from CCU department and minimum from NICU & PICU. S. aureus isolation was slightly more in males 25(69.4%) than females 11 (30.6%) and was found to be same in the age group of 21-40 & 41-60 years (30.60%) as compared to other age groups. S. aureus isolates were highly sensitive to teicoplanin, vancomycin, tigecycline, doxycycline, minocycline (100%). Sensitivity towards linezolid was recorded as (96%), Tetracycline (86.1%) and Daptomycin (77.7%). However, they showed resistance to Benzylpenicillin, & Oxacillin (100%), Ciprofloxacin & Levofloxacin (83.3%), Erythromycin (69.5%), Cotrimoxazole (52.8%), Clindamycin (41.7%), Gentamicin (38.9%), Daptomycin (22.3%), Tetracycline(13.9%), Rifampicin (5.6%), Linezolid (3%). Conclusion: S. aureus bacteremia causes a health burden, particularly in low and middle income countries. S. aureus infections are a significant clinical problem in medical practice as the organism shows resistance to the commonly used first line drugs. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Gram positive cocci, Bacteremia, methicillin resistant S. aureus, antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Current Microbial Isolates and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern from Wound Infection in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Wound infection is one of the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Objectives: To identify the current microbial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern from wound infection in a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka city. Materials & Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the department of Microbiology at Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital, Dhaka from July 2019 to December 2020 for a period of one and half years. Written consent was taken from corresponding authority. Microsoft Excel software was used for data analysis. A total 134 wound swab / pus were collected from the patients who were visited in outpatient department and were admitted at inpatient department with suspected wound infection. All samples were processed aerobically on Blood agar, MacConkeys agar media and incubated at 370C for 24 hours. Organisms were identified by standard procedures including colony characters, Gram staining and biochemical reactions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all the isolates were performed by Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method. Results: A total 134 samples were analyzed. Of them, predominant populations were male 76(56.72%) and remaining were female 58(43.28%). Out of 134 samples 102 (76.11%) was culture positive. Culture positive was observed higher in inpatient department (IPD) 80 (78.43%) than outpatient department (OPD) 22 (21.57%). Majority of isolates were Gram negative bacteria. Among them predominant bacteria was E. coli 26(25.49%) followed by Klebsiella spp. 24(23.53%), Pseudomonas spp. 15(14.71%) & Proteus spp. 04(3.92%). Among the Gram - positive isolates 30(29.41%) was Staph. aureus. E. coli showed higher sensitivity to meropenem 88.46% & gentamicin 80.76%. Other drugs showed sensitivity to amikacin 65.38%, amoxicillin/clavulenic acid 53.84%, tetracycline 46.15%, ceftriaxone & ceftazidime 42.30%, trimethoprime/ sulfamethoxazole 34.61% & cefuroxime 23.07%. In Klebsiella spp. meropenem showed higher sensitivity 79.16% & gentamycin 66.66%. Other drugs like amikacin showed 58.33%, trimethoprime/ sulfamethoxazole 45.83%, ceftazidime & ciprofloxacin 20.83% sensitivity. Low sensitivity 16.66% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, & tetracycline was found. Proteus spp. showed 75% sensitivity to meropenem. Cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, gentamycin, amikacin, trimethoprime/ sulfamethoxazole showed very low sensitivity 25% & amoxycillin/clavulanic acid showed 100% resistance. Pseudomonas spp. showed highest sensitivity 83.33% to piperacillin tazobactum, amikacin & imipenem, 77.77% to meropenem, 66.66% to gentamycin, 61.11% to ciprofloxacin, 50% to ceftazidime & 33.33% to cefepime. All the isolate of Staph. aureus was sensitive to amikacin 90%, amoxyclav 80%, cloxacillin 70%, ciprofloxacin 70%, gentamicin 63.33% & azythromycin showed lower sensitivity 43.33%. Conclusion: Most of the injectable antibiotics showed higher sensitivity which is an alarming sign for the clinician to treat wound infection. Periodic review of the bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern is highly essential. Antibiotic policy & infection control program should be included in every hospital to reduce this drug resistance. J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2021; 13(1): 80-85

First Report of Leaf Spot on Panax notoginseng Caused by Caryophylloseptoria pseudolychnidis in Yunnan, China.

Panax notoginseng is a unique traditional medicinal plant in China, which has the effects of improving myocardial ischemia, protecting liver and preventing cardiovascular diseases (Jiang, 2020). In July 2021, gray-brown round spots were found on the leaves of P. notoginseng in the plantations of Lincang City (23º43´10˝N, 100º7´32˝E). By September, the symptoms were observed on more P. notoginseng plants, with incidence reaching 31%. Initial symptoms on leaves were small, brown spots that expanded, with black granular bulges on the lesions, often surrounded with yellow halo. As the disease progressed, multiple lesions merged, leaves became yellow, and abscission occurred. To isolate the causal pathogen, twelve symptomatic leaves were randomly obtained from twelve P. notoginseng plants. Small pieces of infected leaf tissues (about 5 mm2) were disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s, soaked in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and then rinsed 3 times with sterile water and blotted dry. Sample tissues were plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates incubated at 25℃ for 5 days with 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Hyphal-tips from the growing edge of colonies were transferred to fresh PDA to obtain pure cultures. Eight isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology, gray (top view) or black (back view) coloration, with a villous surface, and slow-growing on PDA. Conidia were hyaline, slender and obtuse to subobtuse at both ends, 10.3 to 52.62 (av. 25.2) µm × 1.4 to 4.0 (av. 2.4) µm (n=200) in size. Characteristics of the colonies and conidia were consistent with Caryophylloseptoria pseudolychnidis as described by Quaedvlieg et al. (2013) and Verkley et al. (2013). Genomic DNA of three representative isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) was extracted, and the rDNA-ITS region, ACT, and LSU gene regions were amplified and sequenced using the primer pairs ITS4/ITS5, 512F/783R, and LSU1Fd/LR5, respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (OK614104-OK614106 for ITS, OK614109-OK614111 for LSU, OK628350-OK628352 for ACT). BLAST search showed that all sequences were 98% to 100% homology with the corresponding sequences of C. pseudolychnidis. ITS sequences of the three isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) showed 99.21% identity (500/504 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain CBS 128630 (GenBank accession no. NR156266). LSU sequences of the three isolates showed 99.76% identity (823/825 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain CBS 128630 (MH876481). For ACT sequences, LINC-4 and LINC-5 showed 98.53% identity (201/204 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain 128614 (KF253599); LINC-6 showed 99.02% identity (202/204 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain 128614 (KF253599). Further, the neighbor-joining and maximum-likelihood method were used for multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences using MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018). The three isolates were clustered in the same clade with two C. pesudolychidis from database. Three isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) were tested for pathogenicity to confirm Koch's postulates. Annual potted P. notoginseng was inoculated with spore suspension (105 spores.mL-1). Each isolate was inoculated onto two leaves each of five P. notoginseng plants. The controls were similarly mock-inoculated with sterile water. To maintain high humidity (>90% RH), all plants were placed in transparent plastic boxes in a greenhouse at 25℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Fifteen days post-inoculation, inoculated leaves showed similar symptoms to those observed in the field, and control plants remained healthy. The pathogen were reisolated from symptomatic leaf spots, and the colony characteristics were the same as those of the original isolates. Morphological characteristics, molecular data, and Koch's postulates tests confirmed C. pseudolychnidis as the cause of P. notoginseng leaf spot disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. pseudolychnidis causing leaf spot on P. notoginseng in Yunnan, China. The spread of this disease might pose a serious threat to the production of P. notoginseng. The occurrence and spread of this pathogen should be further studied in order to formulate reasonable control measures.

Identification and Characterization of Sclerotium delphinii Causing Southern Blight on Aconitum kusnezoffii in Northeast China.

Aconitum kusnezoffii is a perennial medicinal plant that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is distributed mainly in Northeast and North China. In July 2018, a typical southern blight disease of A. kusnezoffii was observed in commercial fields of Qingyuan County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China. The fungus mainly infected stem base and tuberous roots of the plant by wrapping the hyphae and absorbing nutrition, resulting in tuberous root wilted or whole plant death. Morphological characteristics of colony and sclerotia of three representative strains isolated from the diseased plants differed from those of Sclerotium rolfsii isolated from A. carmichaelii. Sclerotia were large (0.8 to 5.1 mm), reddish-brown, and irregular and had pitted surfaces, and the hyphae were white, compact, or fluffy, with a growth rate ranging from 8.0 to 10.1 mm/day. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer and the large subunit sequences of Akln6, Akln9, and Akln15 showed that three strains isolated from A. kusnezoffii formed a unique and well-supported clade that groups with the reference isolates of S. delphinii. Based on phylogenetic analysis and cultural and morphological characteristics, the three isolates of A. kusnezoffii were identified as S. delphinii. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of the three tested isolates was 30°C, and sclerotia formed and matured more easily at 20°C. Light promoted the growth of mycelial, whereas dark was beneficial to the formation and maturation of sclerotia. The pathogenicity of S. delphinii showed stronger than S. rolfsii at low temperature (20°C). This is the first report of S. delphinii causing southern blight on A. kusnezoffii in China, and this finding provides a basis for disease-accurate diagnosis and the development of effective management strategies.

Deep Learning Approach for Classifying Bacteria types using Morphology of Bacterial Colony.

The significant bottlenecks in determining bacterial species are much more time-consuming and the biology specialist's long-term experience requirements. Specifically, it takes more than half a day to cultivate a bacterium, and then a skilled microbiologist and a costly specialized machine are utilized to analyze the genes and classify the bacterium according to its nucleotide sequence. To overcome these issues as well as get higher recognition accuracy, we proposed applying convolutional neural networks (CNNs) architectures to automatically classify bacterial species based on some key characteristics of bacterial colonies. Our experiment confirmed that the classification of three bacterial colonies could be performed with the highest accuracy (97.19%) using a training set of 5000 augmented images derived from the 40 original photos taken in the Hanoi Medical University laboratory in Vietnam.

A Clinico-Mycological Study of Dermatophytoses and Their In-Vitro Sensitivity to Antifungal Drugs

Background: There is an increase in the frequency of resistant and recurrent dermatophyte infections in India. We undertook a study to isolate the organisms in different clinical presentations and to study their sensitivity to clotrimazole, miconazole, fluconazole, and griseofulvin. Aims: The aim of this article was to study the clinico-mycological pattern of dermatophytes and their in-vitro sensitivity to commonly used antifungals. Objectives: The objectives were as follows: (1) to study the clinico-mycological patterns of dermatophytosis and (2) to study the in-vitro sensitivity patterns of culture isolates to clotrimazole, miconazole, fluconazole, and griseofulvin. Materials and Methods: A total number of 48 patients were included in the study. The study period was from August 2019 to February 2021. Skin scrapings and nail clippings were inoculated in Sabouraud dextrose agar. Isolates were identified based on gross colony characteristics and microscopic morphology of their micro- and macroconidia and accessory structures. The isolates were then transferred to sterile distilled water in vials and stored. The clinical isolates stored in the stock solution were subcultured on to Potato dextrose agar. Then, the antifungal disks and Griseofulvin E strip were applied on to the plates. The zones of inhibition around the disks were measured and recorded. In the case of E strip, the minimum inhibitory concentration value is read from the scale in terms of µg/mL, where the ellipse edge intersects the strip. Results: The total number of cases included were 48. Commonest clinical presentation was co-occurrence of Tinea cruris and corporis (33%). Trichophyton mentagrophytes was isolated in 56% of cases. Isolates showed highest sensitivity to clotrimazole (87.5%) followed by miconazole (60.4%). Only 8.3% were sensitive to fluconazole and 37.5% were sensitive to griseofulvin. Conclusion: T. mentagrophytes is the causative organism in significant numbers of dermatophytic infections. Though broth dilution is the standard method for sensitivity assay of dermatophytes, disk diffusion method could become a more simple alternative.

Perbedaan Karakteristik Koloni Bakteri Staphylococcus aureus Pada Media Agar Darah Domba dan Media Agar Darah Manusia

Sheep blood agar is the standard medium for culturing pathogenic bacteria, as an alternative, human blood agar media is used as an alternative from transfusion. This study aims to observe the differences in the characteristics of Staphylococcus aureusbacteria on sheep blood agar media and human blood agar media which was carried out at BBLK Palembang. This type of research was conducted experimentally with a total sample of 32 and analyzed statistically. Bacterial suspension derived from the pure strain of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. The colony characteristics were observed macroscopically including colony morphology, colony number and colony diameter. The average value of the number of colonies of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on sheep blood agar and human blood agar media were 173 and 148, while the colony diameters were 2.5 mm and 2 mm, respectively. The results of the research data on the number of colonies were tested with an unpaired T test with p value = 0.001 and colony diameter data was tested with the Mann Whitney alternative test with p = 0.031, which means that there is a statistically significant difference between the characteristics of the Staphylococcus aureusbacteria colony on the media. sheep blood agar and human blood agar media.

Fungal Species Detection in Onychomycosis by Culture and Direct Microscopy at Tertiary Care Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Objective: This study aimed to detect the common organisms by culture and KOH mount microscopy of nail infections.Setting: It was cross sectional study. Three hundred sixty clinically diagnosed cases were collected from 1st July 2018 to 31st July 2021 from Dermatology OPD of Bahawal Victoria Hospital and clinics. The samples were processed in the Microbiology section of the Pathology department of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Method: The nail specimen was directly inoculated on SDA culture media and aerobically incubate at 25 Ć to 30 Ć for 3 to 4 weeks. The growth was identified in colony characteristics by using cotton blue stains. Whereas the nail is immersed in 20% KOH solution. The microscopic study revealed the hyphae or spores and that is considered a positive for the test. Result: out of three hundred sixty cases the culture positivity was 56.94% of the specimen while KOH mount was positive in 60.83% of specimens and the combination of Culture with KOH was 66.67%.Conclusion: The fungal culture and KOH mount microscopy combination are subtle laboratory methods for the detection of organisms causing onychomycosis. The species detection and precise usage of anti-mycological agents to prevent the complications raised public health considerably.

Vaginal Candidiasis Caused by Candida Non Albicans: Epidemiological and Mycological Aspects at the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville

Introduction: Vaginal candidiasis is a mycosis caused by a yeast of the genus Candida. Candida albicans was for a long time the first etiology of these mycoses. However, in recent years, an increasing involvement of non-albicans Candida species has been observed. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and mycological aspects of vaginal candidiasis due to Candida non albicans in women who have performed an analysis of the vaginal sample in the Parasitology Mycology laboratory of the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville. Patients, Materials And Method: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study from July to October 2019 (i.e. 3 months). It concerned all the patients received at the Parasitology-mycology and parasitic immunology laboratory of the CHUB for an analysis of the vaginal sample. The diagnosis was made after direct examination and culture of samples on Sabouraud Chloramphenicol medium with and without Actidione*. The filamentation test on calf serum and the study of the biochemical characteristics of the yeast colonies using the API candida strips from Biomérieux were carried out for each positive culture. Statistical analysis was performed using Epi-info 7.2.2.6 softwares. Results: The frequency of Candida non albicans yeast infection was 64.7%. The median age of patients with Candida non albicans vaginal candidiasis was 35.5 years (25.0 years - 47.0 years) with extremes of 18 and 59 years old. The age group between 18 and 40 was the most represented (68.2%). These were women with secondary education (n=12 ; 54.5%), with a notion of a single sexual partner (n=17 ; 77.3%), pregnant (n=6 ; 27, 3%). In 22.7% there was poor faecal hygiene. The main reasons for taking the samples were… and the non-albicans Candida species were represented by Candida glabrata (36.4%), Candida tropicalis (18.2%), Candida krusei (13.6%), Candida famata (13.6%), Candida parapsilosis (9.1%) and Candida spp (4.6%). Analytical Study Conclusion: Candida non albicansremains the common fungus in our context with a predominance of Candida glabrata. Age, poor faecal hygiene could have a link with the occurrence of these fungal infections, hence the importance of good awareness and systematic research in young women.

Bacterial Contamination Associated with Mobile Phones

Bacterial cells adhere to mobile phone surfaces and could form organized colonies. Once the bacteria move to the mobile phone they can live well because these surfaces are hard to clean. This research, included isolation of pathogenic bacteria from mobile phones of Knowledge University students. A total of 100 mobile phones of Knowledge university staff and students were selected for this study. The single sterile swab stick was moistened with sterile normal saline solution and moved over the surfaces of mobile phones. The swab sticks were immediately transported to the laboratory. All swabs were cultured in (Nutrient agar), Then incubated for 24 hours. The obtained bacterial colonies were subjected to Gram stain, and colonial characteristics for their identification. Biochemical Examination for selected colonies has been done. From a total 100 mobile phone swabs. A total of 138 bacterial isolates were recognized as: 47 bacterial colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, 33 bacterial colonies of Staphylococcus epidermidis, 23 bacterial colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 19 bacterial colonies of Escherichia coli, 7 bacterial colonies of Streptococcus spp., 6 bacterial colonies of Bacillus subtilis, 2 bacterial colonies of Neisseria and 1 bacterial colonies of Enterobacter aerogene. The study revealed that bacteria can survive on mobile phones of students and the contaminated mobile phones are able to transport microbes that may be able to produce disease. There is a need for preventive care to reduce the impact of contaminated mobile phones on the spread of microbes and control measures should be applicable for this reason.

Molecular Identification and Analysis on Differential Pathogenicity of Cylindrocarpon Species Associated With Ginseng Root Rust Rot in Northeastern China.

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is one of the most important medicinal herbs in China. It is known for its high medicinal value and economic value. The ginseng root rust rot (RRR) has always been one of the important diseases troubling the ginseng industry. The yield reduction rate of RRR is ~30%. To understand why the Cylindrocarpon species bring about the ginseng RRR in Northeastern China, this study isolates 45 strains from samples collected in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces. The rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence was analyzed to identify the pathogenic species. The morphological characteristics of colonies and conidia of each strain on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium were observed, and the pathogenicity difference between different pathogenic species was analyzed by pricking method and determining the cell wall degrading enzyme activity. The BLAST alignment analysis shows that the homology of rDNA-ITS between 45 strains and Cylindrocarpon is more than 99%, among which 28 are identified as Cylindrocarpon destructans, three are identified as C. destructans var. destructans, and 14 are identified as Ilyonectria robusta. The colony diameters of all 45 isolated range from 4.21 ± 0.16a to 7.78 ± 0.25c cm after several days of incubation. Among all the species, I. robusta has the fastest growth rate, and C. destructans var. destructans has the slowest growth rate. Pathogenicity test results show that the pathogenicity of C. destructans var. destructans is the strongest, followed by C. destructans. I. robusta has relatively weak pathogenicity.