Culture Of Organism Research Articles

Incidence of meningitis in term neonates with sepsis and antibiotic sensitivity pattern: an observational study

Background: To find out the incidence of meningitis in neonatal sepsis and antibiotic sensitivity pattern in term neonates.Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was done in a tertiary care hospital located in rural South India for a period of 2 years. Blood culture and lumbar puncture were performed for all term babies with clinically suspected sepsis. Growth, if detected was followed by antibiotic sensitivity testing.Results: Of a total of 50 neonates investigated with blood culture, 32(64%) were found to be culture positive for neonatal septicemia, 16 were diagnosed to have meningitis. Meningitis was present in 4(25%) early onset sepsis cases and in 12(75%) late onset sepsis cases (p-value: 0.008). Blood culture showed growth in all of the 16 cases of meningitis, but Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) culture was positive in 5 cases. The most common presenting features are lethargy, seizures, decreased acceptance of feeds, instability of temperature regulation, vomiting, respiratory distress, and apnea. The most common organism in blood culture was Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CONS) (20%) followed by Klebsiella spp. (16%). CONS was most sensitive to Linezolid (100%), Vancomycin (90%). Of the 8 cases of Klebsiella, 62.5% cases were sensitive to Colistin and Tigecycline, 50% to Cotrimoxazole. CSF culture was positive in 5(31.25%) cases. CONS and Enterococci spp. were the most common organisms isolated in CSF.Conclusions: Clinical manifestations of meningitis overlap with those of sepsis and are nonspecific. Significant number of neonates with sepsis have meningitis. Hence, it is necessary to rule out meningitis in neonates presented with clinical features of sepsis. CONS was the most common agent isolated in both blood and CSF culture. Routine bacterial surveillance and study of their resistance patterns must be an essential component of neonatal care which helps in implementation of a rational empirical treatment strategy.

Aquicultura como ferramenta de interação entre Universidade e Sociedade

A aquicultura define-se pelo cultivo de organismos que possuem ao menos uma fase da vida na água, dispõe de diversas modalidades dependendo do tipo de organismo e a água que são cultivados. Embora, na última década, tenha ocorrido no Brasil um grande incentivo voltado a conservação do meio ambiente com importantes avanços tecnológicos na produção de alimentos de origem animal, ainda sim a aquicultura é uma atividade que pode gerar impactos significativos sobre o meio ambiente. Assim, o projeto de interação entre universidade e sociedade vem sendo desenvolvido por 20 acadêmicos do curso de Engenharia de Aquicultura da Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados-UFGD na cidade de Dourados no Mato Grosso do Sul. Antes de dar início a ações, os acadêmicos passaram por um treinamento afim de elaboração das atividades, do cronograma e das técnicas de como interagir com o público. Deu-se início ao projeto na Escola Municipal Professor Manoel Santiago de Oliveira, com atividades lúdicas envolvendo oficina de reciclagem, conscientização do uso racional da água e Dia Mundial do Meio Ambiente. Em seguida foi aplicado um questionário e distribuídos panfletos orientativos sobre o consumo de peixes, no período da Semana Santa durante a 14º Festa do Peixe no Parque Rego D’água na cidade de Dourados-MS. Os resultados foram avaliados conforme a participação dos envolvidos. Conclui-se que as atividades lúdicas despertaram o interesse sobre o consumo de peixes. Bem como as atividades realizadas despertaram uma diminuição do consumo e assim a emissão de resíduos sólidos ao meio ambiente.

KAJIAN JENIS FUNGISIDA DAN INTERVAL APLIKASI TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN PENYAKIT ANTRAKNOSA PADA KEDELAI

Soybean is an important commodity after rice and corn. The attack of plant pest organisms in cultivation decreased soybean productivity. Anthracnose is a disease that can reduce soybean production to 95%. The use of excessive synthetic chemical fungicides causes resistance to plant disturbing organisms and leaves chemical residues. The solution to overcome this problem is pay attention using types of fungicide active ingredients and span application time. This study aims to determine the effect of several types of fungicides and span application time on the development of anthracnose and yields. This research was carried out from February to April 2018 on Agroteknopark Jubung land of Jember University. This study used a Factorial Randomized Group Design model with 9 combinations of treatments and 4 replications. The first factor of the type of fungicide consisted of three levels, namely Triadimefon, T. harzianum and betel leaf. The second factor is the span application time of 3.5 and 7 days. The research data were analyzed using variance analysis, if there were significant differences Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) test was carried out at the level of 5%. Observation parameters included the disease incidence, diseases severity, rate of infection, and weight of pods. The results of the study showed that the combination treatment of PT3 (vegetable fungicide with betel leaves with span application time of 7 days) was the most efficient than the other treatments and gave the results of the rate of disease infection (0.84 units per day).Keywords: anthracnose, fungicide, infection rate, soybeans

Investigating the Etiology of Increased Incidence of Sour Knuckles in Commercial Beef Processing Facilities

ObjectivesCattle weights have increased during the last couple of decades and have not always been accompanied by improvements in facility capabilities and management. Alongside quality issues of color, tenderness, and water holding capacity, issues such as sour muscles and bone taints are now appearing with great frequency in the meat industry. Development of off-flavor/sourness in deep muscles such as knuckles (vastus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris) has been a long-standing issue in the beef industry, however, has not been well characterized. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the cause, and characterize sour odor associated with beef knuckles using microbial, odor panel, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC–MS) analyses.Materials and MethodsKnuckles (n = 10) identified as having no sour odor (control), slight odor, or severe odor were collected from the fabrication line of a commercial beef processing plant. Sponge samples of synovial fluid and femur surface of the round were also obtained at the time of collection, for determination of anaerobic sporeformer counts. The collected knuckles were transported on ice to the laboratory where they were aseptically separated into two halves, with one half destined for microbial, odor, and GC–MS analyses on the day of collection (Day 0) and the other half for the same analyses after 35 d of vacuum packaged storage at 2°C (Day 35). For microbial analysis, 15 g of tissue was excised from the muscle surface and was analyzed for aerobic plate counts (Petrifilm Aerobic Count plates) and lactic acid bacteria counts (Lactobacilli MRS agar). Samples (5 g) for GC–MS were held at –80°C until analysis. The remainder of the sample was diced and used for trained odor panels. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA function in R (v. 3.5.1.), with a significance level of α = 0.05. Upon finding significant differences (P < 0.05) the means function was used to determine differences between groups.ResultsIrrespective of sourness classification of the knuckles, similar (P > 0.05) anaerobic sporeformer counts were obtained for the synovial fluid and femur surface. Additionally, muscle tissue samples from control, slightly sour and severely sour knuckles had similar (P > 0.05) aerobic plate counts and lactic acid bacteria counts. Odor panelists identified differences (P < 0.05) for all attributes between control and sour knuckles (slight and severe) on Day 0. Similarly, on Day 35, differences (P < 0.05) were observed between control, slightly sour, and severely sour knuckles for all attributes, with severe receiving the highest score for all categories. GC–MS results showed no differences (P > 0.05) between control and sour knuckles for propionic, butyric, isobutyric, and acetonic acid.ConclusionMicrobiological analysis found no differences in culturable organisms between control, slight, and severely sour knuckles on Day 0 or Day 35. However, odor panelists were able to identify differences between control and sour knuckles even after 35 d in vacuum packaging. GC–MS analysis did not indicate a statistical difference in the abundance of volatiles between the treatments, probably due to high variations within treatment groups.

A Complex Hierarchy of Avoidance Behaviors in a Single-Cell Eukaryote.

Complex behavior is associated with animals withnervous systems, but decision-making and learning also occur in non-neural organisms [1], including singly nucleated cells [2-5] and multi-nucleate synctia [6-8]. Ciliates are single-cell eukaryotes, widely dispersed in aquatic habitats [9], with an extensive behavioral repertoire [10-13]. In 1906, Herbert Spencer Jennings [14, 15] described in the sessile ciliate Stentor roeseli a hierarchy of responses to repeated stimulation, which are among the most complex behaviors reported for a singly nucleated cell [16, 17]. These results attracted widespread interest [18, 19] and exert continuing fascination [7, 20-22] but were discredited during the behaviorist orthodoxy by claims of non-reproducibility [23]. These claims were based on experiments with the motile ciliate Stentor coeruleus. We acquired and maintained the correct organism in laboratory culture and used micromanipulation and video microscopy to confirm Jennings' observations. Despite significant individual variation, not addressed by Jennings, S.roeseli exhibits avoidance behaviors in a characteristic hierarchy of bending, ciliary alteration, contractions, and detachment, which is distinct from habituation or conditioning. Remarkably, the choice of contraction versus detachment is consistent with a fair coin toss. Such behavioral complexity may have had an evolutionary advantage in protist ecosystems, and the ciliate cortex may have provided mechanisms for implementing such behavior prior to the emergence of multicellularity. Our work resurrects Jennings' pioneering insights and adds to the list of exceptional features, including regeneration [24], genome rearrangement [25], codon reassignment [26], and cortical inheritance [27], for which the ciliate clade is renowned.

Povidone-iodine vs chlorhexidine alcohol for skin preparation in malignant and premalignant gynaecologic diseases: A randomized controlled study

ObjectivesTo compare povidone-iodine with chlorhexidine alcohol solutions for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) in malignant and premalignant gynaecologic diseases, and to evaluate the effects of temperature on SSI at 25 °C and 37 °C. Study designThis was a randomized controlled trial of a cohort of 220 patients undergoing surgery for malignant or premalignant conditions. Preoperative skin preparations were performed with 10% povidone-iodine at 25 °C (PI), 10% povidone-iodine at 37 °C (warm PI), 4% chlorhexidine gluconate with alcohol at 25 °C (CH) and 4% chlorhexidine gluconate with alcohol at 37 °C (warm CH) for each group. All women included in the study received 1 g intravenous cefazolin antibioprophylaxis 30 min before skin incision. The primary outcome was SSI within 30 days of surgery, and secondary outcomes were identification of the causative organism and clinical factors that may be associated with SSI. ResultsSSIs were detected in 24 (10.9%) patients. Except for two organ/space-specific SSIs, all were superficial SSIs. The frequency of SSI was significantly lower in the warm PI group than in the PI group (p = 0.032). There were no significant differences in the frequency of SSI between the groups in other binary comparisons. In addition, there was no significant difference between both povidone-iodine groups compared with both chlorhexidine alcohol groups in terms of the development of SSI (10.9% vs 11%, p = 1.00). SSI caused by micro-organisms was found in 18 patients, and Enterococcus faecalis was the most common reproducing organism in wound culture. Patients with SSI were significantly older (58.9 ± 11.4 vs 52.8 ± 12.3 years) and more likely to be readmitted to hospital [15 (62.5%) vs 9 (37.5%)] than patients without SSI. ConclusionsSSI rates can be reduced by warming povidone-iodine, but this effect could not be demonstrated with chlorhexidine solutions. When both groups of povidone-iodine were compared with both groups of chlorhexidine alcohol, no significant difference was found in the prevention of SSI in malignant and premalignant gynaecologic operations.

2006. Evaluation of Rapid Blood Culture Identification with Antimicrobial Stewardship Treatment Recommendations at a Community Health System in Patients with Gram-negative Bacteremia: Adequacy, Adherence, and Outcomes

BackgroundSepsis mortality is greatly affected by the timely receipt of appropriate antibiotics. FilmArray Blood Culture Identification (BCID) is used at Cone Health to identify organisms in blood cultures within one to 2 hours after growth detected. The Cone Health antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) team has created treatment recommendations for each organism and resistance mechanism identifiable by BCID. Results and antibiotic recommendations are communicated in real time to providers by clinical pharmacists. The purpose of this evaluation was to validate the adequacy of antibiotics recommended by the BCID treatment algorithm for Gram-negative rods (GNR); assess proper implementation of the BCID notification procedure; and evaluate its effect on AMS.MethodsPatients with GNR BCID results in January and April 2018 were retrospectively identified. Information collected for each patient included: demographics, location, organism, admission antibiotics, pharmacist compliance with BCID procedure, recommendation acceptance rate, organism susceptibility, changes to antibiotics post-BCID and final cultures, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) incidence, length of antibiotic therapy, and patient outcome.ResultsA total of 101 patients were evaluated. The BCID treatment algorithm recommendations covered 97% of identified organisms (Figures 1–4). Resistant isolates were ESBL producers. Pharmacist antibiotic recommendations matched the treatment algorithm 66% of the time. Providers accepted 90% of pharmacist recommendations. Twenty-two percent of antibiotics were not de-escalated after BCID results without identifiable reason.ConclusionThe BCID treatment algorithm provided adequate coverage for nearly all identified organisms, except ESBLs. However, patients with ESBL organisms all survived to hospital discharge. Pharmacists are following the BCID protocol in a majority of cases. One-third of recommendations deviated from the algorithm but only 17% did not have documented reasoning. Providers are very receptive to pharmacist input, with only 8% of recommendations rejected without documented reasoning. Finally, nearly a quarter of empiric antibiotics were not de-escalated despite organism identification, which represents opportunity for improvement. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Differentiating Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans in Amphibian Chytridiomycosis Using RNAScope® in situ Hybridization.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans are important amphibian pathogens responsible for morbidity and mortality in free-ranging and captive frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. While B. dendrobatidis has a widespread global distribution, B. salamandrivorans has only been detected in amphibians in Asia and Europe. Although molecular detection methods for these fungi are well-characterized, differentiation of the morphologically similar organisms in the tissues of affected amphibians is incredibly difficult. Moreover, an accurate tool to identify and differentiate Batrachochytrium in affected amphibian tissues is essential for a specific diagnosis of the causative agent in chytridiomycosis cases. To address this need, an automated dual-plex chromogenic RNAScope® in situ hybridization (ISH) assay was developed and characterized for simultaneous detection and differentiation of B. dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans. The assay, utilizing double Z target probe pairs designed to hybridize to 28S rRNA sequences, was specific for the identification of both organisms in culture and in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded amphibian tissues. The assay successfully identified organisms in tissue samples from five salamander and one frog species preserved in formalin for up to 364 days and was sensitive for the detection of Batrachochytrium in animals with qPCR loads as low as 1.1 × 102 zoospores/microliter. ISH staining of B. salamandrivorans also highlighted the infection of dermal cutaneous glands, a feature not observed in amphibian B. dendrobatidis cases and which may play an important role in B. salamandrivorans pathogenesis in salamanders. The developed ISH assay will benefit both amphibian chytridiomycosis surveillance projects and pathogenesis studies by providing a reliable tool for Batrachochytrium differentiation in tissues.

An electrochemical investigation of interfacial electron uptake by the sulfur oxidizing bacterium Thioclava electrotropha ElOx9

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) allows microbes to acquire energy from solid state electron acceptors and donors, such as environmental minerals. This process can also be harnessed at electrode interfaces in bioelectrochemical technologies including microbial fuel cells, microbial electrosynthesis, bioremediation, and wastewater treatment. Improving the performance of these technologies will benefit from a better fundamental understanding of EET in diverse microbial systems. While the mechanisms of outward (i.e. microbe-to-anode) EET is relatively well characterized, specifically in a few metal-reducing bacteria, the reverse process of inward EET from redox-active minerals or cathodes to bacteria remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap stems, at least partly, from the lack of well-established model organisms and general difficulties associated with laboratory studies in existing model systems. Recently, a sulfur oxidizing marine microbe, Thioclava electrotropha ElOx9, was demonstrated to perform electron uptake from cathodes. However, a detailed analysis of the electron uptake pathways has yet to be established, and electrochemical characterization has been limited to aerobic conditions. Here, we report a detailed amperometric and voltammetric characterization of ElOx9 cells coupling cathodic electron uptake to reduction of nitrate as the sole electron acceptor, even in the absence of any added inorganic carbon source. By comparing this cellular activity to spent media controls and using medium exchange experiments, we demonstrate that one of the pathways by which ElOx9 facilitates inward EET is by a direct-contact mechanism through a redox center with a formal potential of −94 mV vs SHE, rather than soluble intermediate electron carriers. In addition to the implications for understanding microbial sulfur oxidation in marine environments, this study highlights the potential for ElOx9 to serve as a convenient and readily culturable model organism for understanding the molecular mechanisms of inward EET.

A Study of Current Trend of Sepsis Causative Organisms (Fungal and Bacterial) in Neonatal Blood Culture and their Drug Susceptibility Patterns at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Visakhapatnam, South India

A Study of Current Trend of Sepsis Causative Organisms (Fungal and Bacterial) in Neonatal Blood Culture and their Drug Susceptibility Patterns at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Visakhapatnam, South India

Trends in Collection of Microbiological Cultures Across Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers in the United States Over 8 Years

ObjectivesTo describe and evaluate changes in the collection of microbiological cultures across Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Living Centers (CLCs) nationally. DesignDescriptive study. Setting146 VA CLCs. ParticipantsWe identified both positive and negative microbiological cultures collected during VA CLC admissions from January 2010 through December 2017. MeasuresWe measured the average annual percentage change (AAPC) in the rate of cultures collected per 1000 bed days and per admission, overall and stratified by culture type (ie, urine, blood, skin and soft tissue, and respiratory tract). AAPCs were also calculated for the proportion and rate of positive cultures collected, overall and stratified by culture type and organism (ie, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp, Enterobacter spp, Morganella morganii, Citrobacter spp, Serratia marcescens, and Streptococcus pneumoniae). Joinpoint regression software was used to assess trends and estimate AAPCs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). ResultsOver 8 years, 355,329 cultures were collected. The rate of cultures collected per 1000 bed days of care decreased significantly by 6.0% per year (95% CI –8.7%, −3.2%). The proportion of positive cultures decreased by 0.9% (95% CI –1.4%, −0.4%). The most common culture types were urine (48.4%), followed by blood (27.7%). The rate of cultures collected per 1000 bed days of care decreased per year by 6.3% for urine, 5.0% for blood, 4.4% for skin and soft tissue, and 4.9% for respiratory tract. In 2010, S aureus was the most common organism identified, and in all subsequent years E coli was the most common. Conclusion and implicationsWe identified a significant reduction in the number of cultures collected over time among VA CLCs. Our findings may be explained by decreases in the collection of unnecessary cultures in VA CLCs nationally due to increased antibiotic stewardship efforts targeting unnecessary culturing and antibiotic treatment.

Bronchiectasis in India: results from the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) and Respiratory Research Network of India Registry

Bronchiectasis is a common but neglected chronic lung disease. Most epidemiological data are limited to cohorts from Europe and the USA, with few data from low-income and middle-income countries. We therefore aimed to describe the characteristics, severity of disease, microbiology, and treatment of patients with bronchiectasis in India. The Indian bronchiectasis registry is a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study. Adult patients (≥18 years) with CT-confirmed bronchiectasis were enrolled from 31 centres across India. Patients with bronchiectasis due to cystic fibrosis or traction bronchiectasis associated with another respiratory disorder were excluded. Data were collected at baseline (recruitment) with follow-up visits taking place once per year. Comprehensive clinical data were collected through the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration registry platform. Underlying aetiology of bronchiectasis, as well as treatment and risk factors for bronchiectasis were analysed in the Indian bronchiectasis registry. Comparisons of demographics were made with published European and US registries, and quality of care was benchmarked against the 2017 European Respiratory Society guidelines. From June 1, 2015, to Sept 1, 2017, 2195 patients were enrolled. Marked differences were observed between India, Europe, and the USA. Patients in India were younger (median age 56 years [IQR 41-66] vs the European and US registries; p<0·0001]) and more likely to be men (1249 [56·9%] of 2195). Previous tuberculosis (780 [35·5%] of 2195) was the most frequent underlying cause of bronchiectasis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism in sputum culture (301 [13·7%]) in India. Risk factors for exacerbations included being of the male sex (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1·17, 95% CI 1·03-1·32; p=0·015), P aeruginosa infection (1·29, 1·10-1·50; p=0·001), a history of pulmonary tuberculosis (1·20, 1·07-1·34; p=0·002), modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea score (1·32, 1·25-1·39; p<0·0001), daily sputum production (1·16, 1·03-1·30; p=0·013), and radiological severity of disease (1·03, 1·01-1·04; p<0·0001). Low adherence to guideline-recommended care was observed; only 388 patients were tested for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and 82 patients had been tested for immunoglobulins. Patients with bronchiectasis in India have more severe disease and have distinct characteristics from those reported in other countries. This study provides a benchmark to improve quality of care for patients with bronchiectasis in India. EU/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis Consortium, European Respiratory Society, and the British Lung Foundation.

In vitro inhibition of shell flora by a commercial probiotic marketed for use in captive hermit crabs (Coenobita spp.)

ABSTRACT Captive hermit crabs (Coenobita spp.) are wild-caught and sold wholesale by commercial distributors. Probiotic products that are marketed for use in captive hermit crabs are commercially available. These products do not disclose the cultures present nor how they may affect hermit crab health. The objectives of this study were to identify culturable organisms present in one such probiotic product and to investigate their interaction in vitro with microbial isolates from the shells and exoskeletons of clinically healthy captive hermit crabs. Samples from two lots of a commercial probiotic product and swabs from seven captive hermit crabs were cultured under aerobic conditions at ambient temperature on standard media. From the resulting colonies, morphologically distinct bacterial cultures were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-tof) mass spectrometry or commercial biochemical analysis. Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus licheniformis were identified from the probiotics via MALDI-tof mass spectrometry. Each shell flora isolate was plated uniformly on blood agar along with B. pumilus and B. licheniformis, respectively. B. pumilus inhibited the growth of other Bacillus species and all Gram-negative species described. This investigation demonstrates that organisms isolated from a commercial probiotic have in vitro inhibitory effects on select shell flora isolated from captive hermit crabs. Commercial probiotics may be useful for the husbandry of captive hermit crabs, but further studies are required to demonstrate clinical efficacy against disease.

The Use of Cryopreserved Biological Material for Water Quality Assessment

The stated aim of this perspective article is to present new developments and discuss future directions on the applications of cryopreserved organisms to marine water quality assessment. To facilitate this, the authors provide a background of essential knowledge of cryopreservation when applied to ecotoxicology, as well as, practical examples available in literature. An integrated approach with combined monitoring of chemical status plus measurements of biological effects has been recommended extensively by international institutions for the assessment of marine pollution. Among the available techniques, bioassays have been considered as sufficiently robust to be incorporated in marine pollution monitoring programs. However, the routine application of bioassays has also allowed the identification of one of the factors that limits a more extensive use of such biological methods: the availability of biological material throughout the year, regardless of natural spawning periods. A solution to this limitation is the application of cryopreservation techniques. Cryopreservation may, for instance, provide access to stable quality biological material when test species are out of the reproductive season, without the need for maintaining and conditioning organisms in the laboratory. It also guarantees access to a large variety of species that might not be available at the same time of the year and, on top of that, cryopreservation provides opportunities to laboratories that might not have the facilities to keep all these organisms in culture.

Current phylogeny of Rhodospirillaceae: A multi-approach study

Rhodospirillaceae represents a major family of the class alphaproteobacteria that includes an increasing number of functionally diverse taxa. The aim of this work is to evaluate the present phylogenetic diversity of the Rhodospirillaceae, which includes several metagenome-assembled genomes of uncultivated bacteria, as well as cultivated bacteria that were previously classified in different families. Various methodological approaches have been followed to discern the phylogenetic diversity of the taxa associated with the Rhodospirillaceae, which are grouped in three major sub-divisions and several other taxonomic entities that are currently confined to the genus rank. These genera include Tistrella, Elstera, Dongia and Ferrovibrio among cultivated organisms and alphaproteobacteria bacterium 41–28 among uncultivated bacteria. Overall, this study adds at least 11 genera and over 40 species to the current set of taxa belonging to the Rhodospirillaceae, a taxonomic term that clearly requires amendment. We propose to re-classify all taxa associated with the Rhodospirillaceae family under the new order, Diaforabacterales ord. nov. (from the Greek word for diversity, διάφορα). This study also uncovers the likely root of Rhodospirillaceae among recently reported metagenome-assembled genomes of uncultivated marine and groundwater bacteria.

Concordance between blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures in meningitis

ObjectiveTo examine the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures and blood cultures in patients with suspected bacterial or fungal meningitis. MethodsA 5-year retrospective chart review, conducted from April 2012 to January 2017 of consecutive patient encounters with bacterial or fungal organism growth in CSF culture, when a blood culture was also obtained. Patients were excluded if they received antibiotics prior to either lumbar puncture (LP) or blood culture acquisition, or if CSF cultures were positive for common bacterial skin contaminants. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the dataset. Results21 patient encounters met study inclusion criteria. 13 (61.9%; 95% CI 40.2–80.5%) had blood culture growth of the same organism as the CSF culture. 1 patient had a different organism in the blood culture compared to the CSF culture. 6 patients (33.3%, 95% CI 14.8%–56.9%) with positive CSF cultures had negative blood cultures. ConclusionsOur results suggest an insufficient degree of agreement between CSF and blood culture results. PCR may be a prudent approach in patients requiring immediate antibiotics and delayed LP.

Design and Implementation of Embedded Water Quality Control and Monitoring System for Indoor Shrimp Cultivation

Maintaining the water quality of a pond is one of the main issues on aquaculture management. Water quality represents the condition of a pond based on several water parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, and salinity. All of these parameters need to be strictly supervised since it affects the life-sustainability of cultivated organisms. However, DO is said to be the main parameter since it affects the growth and survival rate of the shrimp. Therefore, a water quality control and monitoring system is needed to maintain water parameters at acceptable value. The system is developed on a mini-PC and microcontroller which are integrated with several sensors and actuator forming an embedded system. Then, this system is used to collect water quality data that is consisting of several water parameters and control the DO as the main parameter. In accordance with the stability needs against the sensitive environment, a fuzzy logic-based controller is developed to maintain the DO rate in the water. This system is also equipped with SIM800 module to notice the farmer by SMS, built-in wifi module for web-based data logging, and improved with Android-based graphical user interface (GUI) to perform user-friendly monitoring. From the experiment results, a fuzzy controller that is attached to the system can control the DO at the acceptable value of 6 ppm. The controller is said to have high robustness since its deviation for long-time use is only 0.12 ppm. Another test shows that the controller is able to overcome the given disturbance and easily adapt when the DO’s set point is changed.  Finally, the system is able to collect and store the data into cloud storage periodically and show the data on a website.

A Study of Incidence and Risk Factors in Post Operative Abdominal Wound Infection in Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Surgical site infections are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, increase in hospital stay and enhanced cost of health care. Objective of present study is to analyse the incidence of surgical site infections after major abdominal surgeries and risk factors for development of SSIs. Methods: It is observational study carried out at Department of General Surgery, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Nashik, Maharashtra, India. This study carried on 70 patients operated in general surgery department. The various parameters studied were age and sex of patients, presence of diabetes, hypertension malignancy, type of surgery (emergency and elective surgery), duration of surgery, and the class of wound etc. Results: Hypertension, malignancy of operated patients had surgical site infection. Significant risk factors are age, obesity, emergency surgery, dirty and contaminated wounds, prolonged hospital stay, Diabetes mellitus. Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli are most commonly identified organisms in culture. Conclusions: Post-operative abdominal wound infection represents a substantial burden of disease, both for the patients and the healthcare services in terms of the morbidity, mortality and economic costs.

Potential false-positive urine Legionella enzyme immunoassay test results.

The objective of this study was to identify potential false-positive urine Legionella pneumophila (Legionella) enzyme immunoassay test results. A total of 107 consecutive patients with positive EIA tests were retrospectively analyzed over a 34-month period. Concurrent blood, urine, and sputum cultures, as well as chest radiographic findings, were reviewed in these patients. Twenty patients (19%) had no radiographic evidence of pulmonary disease despite a positive EIA test. In those 20 patients, 14 also had growth of non-Legionella bacteria. Of patients with an infiltrate or opacity on chest imaging, only 27 had Legionella sputum cultures obtained, with Legionella culture growth occurring in 7 (26%). Nine other patients had negative Legionella sputum cultures but the growth of another pathogenic organism in blood, sputum, and/or urine cultures. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism isolated, found in 20% of patients in the entire cohort. Twenty-five patients (23%) were characterized as having probable false-positive Legionella urinary antigen EIA testing, and an additional 17 patients (16%) were characterized as having possible false-positive Legionella EIA tests. Our findings suggest that urine Legionella EIA tests may lead to a substantial number of cases being misdiagnosed as Legionaries' disease in patients with non-Legionella bacterial colonization or infection.

Salmonella typhi as cause of neonatal sepsis: case report and literature review

Salmonella typhi is a rare cause of neonatal sepsis and can present with life threating complications, thus leading to increase in neonatal mortality and morbidity. The clinical features of neonatal Salmonella typhi infection are not different to neonatal sepsis caused by other gram-negative organism in this age group. The mode of transmission of neonatal Salmonella typhi is still not known and has been postulated to be both vertical and horizontal. The diagnosis of Salmonella typhi is made by growth of the organism in blood culture as Serum Widal test is not helpful in diagnosis. The management includes supportive care and intravenous antibiotics. We report two neonates who were admitted in our neonatal intensive care unit for neonatal sepsis and were diagnosed of having Salmonella typhi sepsis.