Morphological Basis Research Articles

A systematic review of salivary biomarkers in Parkinson's disease.

The search for reliable and easily accessible biomarkers in Parkinson's disease is receiving a growing emphasis, to detect neurodegeneration from the prodromal phase and to enforce disease-modifying therapies. Despite the need for non-invasively accessible biomarkers, the majority of the studies have pointed to cerebrospinal fluid or peripheral biopsies biomarkers, which require invasive collection procedures. Saliva represents an easily accessible biofluid and an incredibly wide source of molecular biomarkers. In the present study, after presenting the morphological and biological bases for looking at saliva in the search of biomarkers for Parkinson's disease, we systematically reviewed the results achieved so far in the saliva of different cohorts of Parkinson's disease patients. A comprehensive literature search on PubMed and SCOPUS led to the discovery of 289 articles. After screening and exclusion, 34 relevant articles were derived for systematic review. Alpha-synuclein, the histopathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, has been the most investigated Parkinson's disease biomarker in saliva, with oligomeric alpha-synuclein consistently found increased in Parkinson's disease patients in comparison to healthy controls, while conflicting results have been reported regarding the levels of total alpha-synuclein and phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, and few studies described an increased oligomeric alpha-synuclein/total alpha-synuclein ratio in Parkinson's disease. Beyond alpha-synuclein, other biomarkers targeting different molecular pathways have been explored in the saliva of Parkinson's disease patients: total tau, phosphorylated tau, amyloid-β1-42 (pathological protein aggregation biomarkers); DJ-1, heme-oxygenase-1, metabolites (altered energy homeostasis biomarkers); MAPLC-3beta (aberrant proteostasis biomarker); cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (inflammation biomarkers); DNA methylation, miRNA (DNA/RNA defects biomarkers); acetylcholinesterase activity (synaptic and neuronal network dysfunction biomarkers); Raman spectra, proteome, and caffeine. Despite a few studies investigating biomarkers targeting molecular pathways different from alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, these results should be replicated and observed in studies on larger cohorts, considering the potential role of these biomarkers in determining the molecular variance among Parkinson's disease subtypes. Although the need for standardization in sample collection and processing, salivary-based biomarkers studies have reported encouraging results, calling for large-scale longitudinal studies and multicentric assessments, given the great molecular potentials and the non-invasive accessibility of saliva.

A morphological basis for path-dependent evolution of visual systems.

Path dependence influences macroevolutionary predictability by constraining potential outcomes after critical evolutionary junctions. Although it has been demonstrated in laboratory experiments, path dependence is difficult to demonstrate in natural systems because of a lack of independent replicates. Here, we show that two types of distributed visual systems recently evolved twice within chitons, demonstrating rapid and path-dependent evolution of a complex trait. The type of visual system that a chiton lineage can evolve is constrained by the number of openings for sensory nerves in its shell plates. Lineages with more openings evolve visual systems with thousands of eyespots, whereas those with fewer openings evolve visual systems with hundreds of shell eyes. These macroevolutionary outcomes shaped by path dependence are both deterministic and stochastic because possibilities are restricted yet not entirely predictable.

First Report of Fruit Rot Caused by Fusarium luffae in Cherry Tomato in China.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a fruit of great economic value that is grown worldwide. In November 2022, fruit rot symptoms were observed in cherry tomatoes (cv. Qianxi) in Jinan City of Shandong Province, China. Six cherry tomato samples (four symptomatic and two asymptomatic) were collected from commercial fields (approximately 1.2 ha) where the incidence of the disease ranged from 5 to 10%. The core and surface of the infected fruit were colonized and covered with white mycelia. Tissue pieces (5 mm × 5 mm) from the junction of healthy and diseased samples were surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol for 3 min, followed by 10% sodium hypochlorite for 5 min, and washed three times with sterile water. Tissue pieces were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA containing 200 mg/L timentin) at 28°C for five days. Four fungal isolates with similar morphological characteristics were obtained from each sample. Two representative isolates were collected and purified using the single-spore method. After five days on PDA at 28°C, FL1 and FL2 colonies showed abundant white to cream colored aerial mycelia with an average growth rate of 5 mm/day. On carnation leaf agar, FL1 was characterized by falcate macroconidia with pronounced dorsiventral curvature containing three to eight tapered apical cells and foot-shaped basal cells ranging in size from 25 to 74 μm × 3.6 to 6.8 μm (n=50). Microconidia and chlamydospores were not observed. These morphological characteristics were consistent with the description of F. luffae (Wang et al. 2019). DNA was extracted using the CTAB method. The nucleotide sequences of the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1) and the second largest RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) were amplified using specific primers EF1/EF2 and RPB2F/R, respectively (O'Donnell et al. 1998, 2010). FL1 and FL2 sequences were deposited in GenBank (TEF1: OQ427345 and OQ427346, RPB2: OQ427347 and OQ427348). Polyphasic identification indicated 100% similarity of FL1 and FL2 to F. luffae. A combined dataset of TEF1 and RPB2 was aligned using MAFFT v.7, and phylogenetic analysis was performed in MEGA v.7.0 using the maximum likelihood method. The cherry tomato isolates (FL1 and FL2) clustered together with the F. luffae reference strain NRRL31167 (100% bootstrap) and were identified on a morphological and molecular basis as F. luffae belonging to the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex. F. luffae was the only pathogen recovered from the infected fruit. To test for pathogenicity, healthy cherry tomato fruit were inoculated in a greenhouse (28°C, 12/12 h light/dark cycle, 90% relative humidity), six by wounded inoculation and six by nonwounded inoculation) with 10 μL conidial suspensions of isolate FL1 at 1 × 106 conidia/mL. Six wounded-treated cherry tomato fruit were used for the control. All cherry tomatoes were kept in a growth chamber at 28℃ with 90% relative humidity. After seven days, the inside of the wound inoculated fruit began to rot, expanding toward the surface and producing white mycelia. Two diseased cherry tomatoes were randomly selected for tissue isolation and F. luffae was re-isolated showing the same morphology as the FL1 isolate, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. The nonwounded inoculated fruits and control cherry tomatoes remained asymptomatic with no pathogens recovered. This indicates that the wound is an important way for F. luffae to invade tomato, and fruit rot is caused by F. luffae's infection of tomato. To the best of our knowledge, F. luffae has caused fruit rot in muskmelon (Zhang et al. 2022), but this is the first report of fruit rot disease in cherry tomatoes caused by F. luffae in China. Since cherry tomatoes are an important commercial crop in China, F. luffae infection has the potential to pose a threat to the industry.

Molecular identification of immature Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): revisiting the significance of immature morphologies

Abstract The microstructure of immature insect forms plays a crucial role in systematics, especially in inferring phylogenetic relationships and designating the morphological basis for taxonomic units. However, the microstructure of longhorn beetle larvae and pupae is poorly understood, owing to difficulties in obtaining them and technical limitations. Among 90 larvae and 80 pupae collected and photographed, 31 larvae and 15 pupae remained unidentified after morphological and bionomical evidence-based identification. Cytochrome c oxidase I sequences were amplified successfully from 68 larvae and 59 pupae. Molecular identification using tree-based analysis identified 28 of 31 undetermined larvae (90.3%) and 14 of 15 undetermined pupae (93.3%) to the species level. We highlight the usefulness of DNA barcoding in identifying immature forms of cerambycid beetles and filling gaps in public databases. This study also demonstrates how microstructure can clarify the morphological basis of polyphyletic taxa on the phylogeny and emphasizes the significance of the microstructure of immature stages in longhorn beetle systematics.

First 3D reconstruction of a forewing of a fossil Orthoptera: Interpreting the venation pattern in the smallest known cricket with a stridulatory apparatus, †Picogryllus carentonensis (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Oecanthidae)

Fossil insects are valuable indicators of the evolutionary history of the clades to which they belong. According to their state of preservation, fossil insects are often partially described for key morphological characters, such as forewing venation in crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea). In parallel, the use of 3D microtomography is increasingly becoming common for studying some fossils, which allowed here the precise reconstruction and interpretation of the venation pattern in the smallest known cricket with a stridulatory apparatus, †Picogryllus carentonensis, found in opaque amber. The 3D reconstructions have revealed the general structure of the venation of the forewing and have enabled the identification of all its veins and cells, validating its similarity with that of extant crickets. Putative homologies are established according to previous studies, and some particularities are observed, such as the presence of two crossveins in the mirror, a rare feature in extant crickets that is discussed in the frame of cricket venation evolution. These findings highlight the importance of 3D microtomography as a powerful tool for examining fossil insects and also provide crucial information for taxonomic identification and evolutionary studies, offering a validated morphological basis for future phylogenetic analyses incorporating fossils.

First record of Alectorobius coniceps (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) and Dermacentor sp. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) in Pakistan.

Alectorobius species are soft ticks primarily infesting birds, such as swallows, while Dermacentor species are hard ticks mainly infesting mammals, such as small ruminants. This study for the first time reported on the morphological and molecular bases of two tick species, namely A. coniceps and a Dermacentor sp. in Pakistan. The former species was examined in swallows' nests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while the latter species was examined in small ruminants in Balochistan province. In total, 25 ticks were collected, with 14 ticks morphologically identified as A. coniceps (males = 9 and females = 5) and 11 ticks identified as Dermacentor sp. (males = 7 and females = 4). Following morphological identification, molecular identification was gained by obtaining 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences for these ticks. The BLAST results for the 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences from A. coniceps shared a maximum identity of 97.46% and 96.49% with the same species from Malta. The BLAST analysis of the 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences from Dermacentor sp. showed maximum identities of 98.42% and 97.45% with Dermacentor pavlovskyi from China. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA and cox1 of A. coniceps showed a close evolutionary relationship with the same species. The case of Dermacentor sp., based on 16S DNA and cox1, indicated a close evolutionary relationship with Dermacentor pavlovskyi from China.

WEGENER'S RANULOMATOSIS: CONDITIONS OF THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE ORAL CAVITY AND SKIN (OVEREVIEW)

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a rare immunologically mediated multisystem disease of unknown etiology, the morphological basis of which is giant cell granulomatous-necrotizing vasculitis of small arteries, arterioles and venules with combined damage to several organs (mainly the upper respiratory tract, respiratory system, vision, hearing and kidneys). The prevalence of hepatitis B in the population is 25–60 per 1 million, the incidence is 3–12 per 1 million people; in Europe, the prevalence of hepatitis B is five cases per 100 thousand population, and in Northern Europe this figure is even higher.

Calliphora rohdendorfi (Grunin, 1966) (Diptera: Calliphoridae): a new blow fly in the Italian fauna detected in Calabrian Apennines

Within the family Calliphoridae, the genus Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, includes species of medical, veterinary and forensic relevance. This study reports for the first time the presence of Calliphora rohdendorfi (Grunin, 1966) in the Italian territory, namely in Calabrian Apennines (Southern Italy). The adults of the species were captured by bait bottle and yellow pan traps within a monitoring project of Diptera Brachycera involving Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte (Aspromonte National Park), Parco Nazionale della Sila (Sila National Park) and Parco Naturale Regionale delle Serre (Natural Regional Park of Serre), between 2018 and 2021. Calliphora rohdendorfi was identified on detailed morphological bases of both sexes. This was the first description of the general morphology of the female and its terminalia through digital photographs acquired by stereomicroscopy. The species was captured in pine and beech forests at an altitude between 1010 and 1820 m a.s.l. in shaded mountain areas. Prior to the finding in Southern Italy, this species showed an unusually disjointed distribution in Caucasus, Germany and Poland, thus the presence of C. rohdendorfi in Calabrian Apennines provides new and interesting data that require further investigation, because the species could play a role as flower visitor, pollinator and forensic indicator.

Клинико-морфологическое обоснование двухэтапной хирургии осложненной катаракты и глаукомы

Aim: to provide a clinical and morphological basis for the efficacy of two-step surgery (phaco and trabeculectomy/TE) in patients with cataract and glaucoma. Patients and Methods: this study enrolled 87 patients with cataract and glaucoma. 18 patients (20.7%) were diagnosed with moderate glaucoma and 69 patients (79.3%) were diagnosed with advanced glaucoma. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was 28.4±1.4 mm Hg. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.18±0.07 and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.29±0.09. The first step was phaco with lens implantation. After 14 days, TE with scleral trephination was performed. Samples of the deep scleral flap, iris, and Tenon's capsule were collected during STE and sent for morphological examination to describe the nature of the tissue inflammatory response after cataract surgery. Results: 3 cases (3.4%) of malignant hypertension were detected after phaco. In the early postoperative period, ocular hypertension with corneal edema was diagnosed in 14 eyes (16.1%), Descemet's membrane folds in 16 eyes (18.4%), anterior chamber fibrin in 5 eyes (5.8%), and choroidal effusion in 1 eye (1.1%). After 14 days, IOP was 25.5±0.9 mm Hg, UCVA 0.5±0.06, and BCVA 0.56±0.05. After TE, hyphema and choroidal effusion were diagnosed in 29.9% (n=26) and 5.7% (n=5), respectively. One year after the two-step surgery, IOP was 18.5±1.1 mm Hg, UCVA 0.53±0.08, and BCVA 0.6±0.05. Two years after the two-step surgery, IOP was 18.8±0.7 mm Hg, UCVA 0.48±0.06, and BCVA 0.51±0.05. Morphological examination revealed signs of edema in all specimens and moderate congestion of Tenon's capsule. No cells typical of inflammation were detected. Conclusion: two-step surgery can be recommended for patients with cataract and uncontrolled glaucoma to control IOP and improve vision. KEYWORDS: glaucoma, cataract, phacoemulsification, trabeculectomy, intraocular lens, intraocular pressure, morphological examination. FOR CITATION: Ivachev E.A., Fedorova M.G. Clinical and morphological basis of two-step surgery for cataract and glaucoma. Russian Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology. 2024;24(1):19–24 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2311-7729-2024-24-1-4.

CERCOSPORA CANESCENS: CAUSE OF LEAF SPOT DISEASE ON LETTUCE CROP IN BALI PROVINCE, INDONESIA

Cercospora leaf spot disease on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) caused losses in Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia. Cercospora leaf spot in lettuce results from the pathogenic fungi Cercospora canescens. The preventive research aimed to identify the fungi on the morphological and molecular basis by using universal primers for PCR of ITS 1 and ITS 4. The study used Koch's Postulates method to isolate the pathogenic fungal isolates from lettuce plants and test for pathogenicity. Identification of fungi continued macroscopically, microscopically, and molecularly. The macroscopic and microscopic observations showed that the cause of cercospora leaf spot on lettuce is the fungal disease caused by pathogenic fungi Cercospora spp. The isolate creates a dull white and robust mycelium structure, sideways growth, branched and septate hyphae, branched conidiophores, and dark lanceolate conidia. Through molecular identification, it helped recognize that fungi Cercospora canescens isolate Cer11-18 (Accession Number: MN400290.1) is the foremost cause of a withered lettuce crop. It is also the first research on the cercospora leaf spot disease on lettuce caused by Cercospora spp. in Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia.

Molecular identification of Fusarium spp causing wilt on Araucaria araucana and its management

Five sampling sites of evergreen conifer Araucaria araucana subjected to decline symptoms were randomly selected across the Punjab province, Pakistan. The declined plants with needle discoloration, chlorosis, drying, and partial to complete shoot wilt symptoms were sampled. The estimated highest disease incidence (DI) and disease severity (DS) was 51.8% and 70%, respectively. The most frequently obtained fungal isolates were identified as Fusarium sp. on a morphological basis and Koch's postulates were fulfilled. Once after the confirmation of the pathogen, one representative isolate was selected and sequenced for accurate identification. The characterized isolate showed 100% similarity with F. solani. Different bio-control agents, Systemic acquired resistance, and antifungal chemicals were integrated to manage the diseases effectively. The fungal antagonists, including Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma harzianum, were evaluated for their antifungal potential. A. niger and T. harzianum showed 71.1% and 55.2% mycelial inhibition, respectively. Among four tested fungicides (Aliette, Topsin M, Tiger, and Amistar), Tiger proved to be the most effective, with 88.8% mycelial suppression over control. For SAR, Salicylic acid (SA) was sprayed @ 1mM, and treated plants showed disease severity of up to 10% compared to fungicide-treated plants. This is 1st comprehensive study on Fusarium solani as the etiological agent of A. araucana and its management from Punjab, Pakistan. Keywords: Evergreen conifer, dioecious, disease assessment, morphogenic, fungal antagonists, antifungal

Morpho-pathological and genomics-based identification of the Aspergillus species infecting pomegranate with nano- driven solution

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is the dominant fruit for the tropical and sub-tropical area that belongs to the family Punicsceae. It has been cultivated throughout the world and drier parts of southern Asia. Good source of carbohydrates and minerals. Among post-harvest fungal pathogens attacked on pomegranate, Aspergillus niger is common store fungus that causes black mold disease. It mainly attacks in the flowering stage and early fruit developing during rainy seasons without any external symptoms. Disease samples were collected from different local markets of Faisalabad. Infection of fungus was done from the infected part of the pomegranate using artificial media. The fungus was identified on a morphological basis then Koch postulates were followed to confirm pathogenicity. The proved pathogen was determined by molecular characterization. DNA extraction and PCR have done of fungus. Antifungal potential of silver nanoparticles against Aspergillus niger were performed in three different concentration 50ppm, 100ppm and 150 ppm and compared with control The data were collected on the 3rd, 5th and 7th day of the fungal growth in which the 150ppm concentration was very affected than other concentrations. Keywords: Pomegranate, postharvest disease Aspergillus niger, nanoparticles.

Sprouting of afferent and efferent inputs to pelvic organs after spinal cord injury.

Neural plasticity occurs within the central and peripheral nervous systems after spinal cord injury (SCI). Although central alterations have extensively been studied, it is largely unknown whether afferent and efferent fibers in pelvic viscera undergo similar morphological changes. Using a rat spinal cord transection model, we conducted immunohistochemistry to investigate afferent and efferent innervations to the kidney, colon, and bladder. Approximately 3-4 weeks after injury, immunostaining demonstrated that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-labeled postganglionic sympathetic fibers and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive sensory terminals sprout in the renal pelvis and colon. Morphologically, sprouted afferent or efferent projections showed a disorganized structure. In the bladder, however, denser CGRP-positive primary sensory fibers emerged in rats with SCI, whereas TH-positive sympathetic efferent fibers did not change. Numerous CGRP-positive afferents were observed in the muscle layer and the lamina propria of the bladder following SCI. TH-positive efferent inputs displayed hypertrophy with large diameters, but their innervation patterns were sustained. Collectively, afferent or efferent inputs sprout widely in the pelvic organs after SCI, which may be one of the morphological bases underlying functional adaptation or maladaptation.

Redefining Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Molecular Perspective on Classification and Clinical Implications

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common primary tumour of the kidney. RCC is a clinically and pathologically heterogenous entity, which has traditionally been classified under two broad categories: clear-cell and non-clear cell. With improved molecular diagnostic methodologies and genetic testing, the classification of RCC has shifted from a morphological basis to a molecular/genetic focus, and has been systematically updated to reflect these advancements. The new 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of RCC is the most recent of these updates, and contains significant changes, as compared to the previous 2016 classification. The most substantial of these changes is the establishment of a new category of molecularly-defined RCC, including TFE3-rearranged RCC, TFEB-altered RCC, ELOC-mutated RCC, fumarate hydratase-deficient RCC, succinate dehydrogenase-deficient RCC, ALK-rearranged RCC, and SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma. In this narrative review, the authors briefly summarise the histopathological characteristics, clinical course, current treatment standards, and future treatment directions of each of these molecularly-defined RCC subtypes.

Biophysical and Morphological Basis of Resistance against Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Bud fly (Dasyneura lini Barnes)

A field experiment was conducted at the research cum instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Nagpur, Dr. PDKV, Maharashtra during rabi 2021-22 with the objective to find the biophysical and morphological basis of resistance against linseed bud fly (Dasyneura lini Barnes). A set of 36 germplasm was sown in RBD in paired rows of 2 m and a spacing of 45 cm x 10 cm. The results indicated that resistant germplasm against bud fly IC498428 and Jawahar-17 had relatively higher sepal thickness (21.18 and 19.64 μ) as well as lower average infestation recorded (8.19 and 9.75%) while susceptible germplasm IC413173 (49.12%), IC498783 (42.70%), IC498924 (42.48%) and EC011748 (45.00%) exhibited minimum sepal thickness (6.90, 9.28, 9.32 and 8.33 μ, respectively). The character association studies showed a highly significant negative correlation (r = -0.852**) between the thickness of sepals and the percentage of bud fly infestation. The correlation between plant height and bud infestation was negative (-0.042) and non-significant

Reversible effect of castration induced hypogonadism on the morphology of the left coronary arteries in adult male rabbits.

Hypogonadism is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. This study sought to describe the histomorphology of the left coronary arteries of the adult male rabbit following orchiectomy and subsequent testosterone administration. We included 20 adult male rabbits, divided into a baseline group (n=2), an interventional group subjected to castration only (n=6), an intervention group subjected to castration followed by testosterone injection (n=6), and a control group (n=6). Key variables under investigation were serum testosterone levels, the intima-media thickness of coronary arteries, smooth muscle cell density, and adventitial collagen fiber density. The mean coronary arteries' intimal medial thickness was significantly higher in the castrated group than in controls (0.488 mm and 0.388 mm, respectively), while the testosterone-injected group had a mean of 0.440 mm. Mean smooth muscle cell density was significantly lower in the castrated rabbits vs. controls (26.96% and 47.80%, respectively), this observation being reversed with testosterone injection (47.53%). Mean adventitial collagen fiber density was significantly higher in the castrated group than in controls (66.6% and 36.1%, respectively), with a marginal difference after testosterone injection (65.2%). This study demonstrates that castration-induced hypogonadism causes morphological changes in the coronary arteries that are partly reversible using testosterone injections. These findings provide a morphological basis for understanding the role of testosterone in coronary arteries.

Typological diversity and morphological continuity in the modern residential fabric: The case of Ankara,Turkey

Each city has a unique fabric corresponding to the dominant modes of production, legal control, and guidance systems in which it operates. Any periodic alteration in the settled mode of housing supply, in this sense, potentially results in an intrinsic change in ‘typological diversity’ and ‘spatial continuity’ within the collective fabric. If not coordinated by design and development control, the emergent variation in the housing typology may result in spatial fragmentation through the collective urban fabric. To test that point, the paper aims to reveal the subtle relationship between the two phenomena on a morphological basis. Through rapidly changing socio-economic dynamics in the last century, the cities of Turkey are subject to different housing production forms, therefore, offering a relevant context to examine the issue.Along with a planning system without effective development control tools to ensure spatial coherence responding to the dynamic nature of the housing sector, the residential fabric of Ankara comprises all the dominant housing typologies that emerged within different periods in Turkey. Accordingly, following a historical review of the housing supply forms in Turkey, the paper maps the emerging patterns of modern housing typologies through successive development zones of the city. It examines their internal typomorphological characteristics via a series of transects. Utilizing the GIS-based coherency analysis, the level of morphological continuity on each transect is calculated. Consequently, in light of the findings of the analysis, a critical perspective on housing production and development control creating different forms of spatial fragmentation through typological variation is suggested.

Molecular characterization of tetracycline and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from healthy dogs in Egypt: a public health threat

BackgroundVancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are among the most common causative pathogens for nosocomial infections worldwide. Moreover, strains of VRE have been isolated from several domestic livestock in Egypt.MethodsThis study examined if healthy dogs are a potential source of VRE infection by isolating and characterizing Enterococcus faecium strains from stool samples on a morphological basis and biochemical activities. Subsequently, it was confirmed by genotypic characterization using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by the detection of antibiotic resistance genes, virulence determinants, and genes contributing to enterocin production by PCR. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships among vanB and tetL genes were analyzed.ResultsAll ten fecal samples were identified as E. faecium and confirmed by PCR. In addition, 90% of the isolates tested were positive for the virulence genes gelE and esp, and all the isolates tested were positive for the antibiotic resistance genes tetL and vanB. Only three of the five enterocin genes examined were detected. Ent As-48, bacteriocin 31, and Ent L50 were identified in 100%, 80%, and 60% of the samples, respectively.ConclusionDogs should be regarded as a reservoir of E. faecium that carries vancomycin resistance and virulence determinants that may affect public health in Egypt, considering a "One Health" task force approach to restrict their spread.

Morphological and genetic mechanisms underlying the plasticity of the coral Porites astreoides across depths in Bermuda

The widespread decline of shallow-water coral reefs has fueled interest in assessing whether mesophotic reefs can act as refugia replenishing deteriorated shallower reefs through larval exchange. Here we explore the morphological and molecular basis facilitating survival of planulae and adults of the coral Porites astreoides (Lamarck, 1816; Hexacorallia: Poritidae) along the vertical depth gradient in Bermuda. We found differences in micro-skeletal features such as bigger calyxes and coarser surface of the skeletal spines in shallow corals. Yet, tomographic reconstructions reveal an analogous mineral distribution between shallow and mesophotic adults, pointing to similar skeleton growth dynamics. Our study reveals patterns of host genetic connectivity and minimal symbiont depth-zonation across a broader depth range than previously known for this species in Bermuda. Transcriptional variations across life stages showed different regulation of metabolism and stress response functions, unraveling molecular responses to environmental conditions at different depths. Overall, these findings increase our understanding of coral acclimatory capability across broad vertical gradients, ultimately allowing better evaluation of the refugia potential of mesophotic reefs.

Segmental analysis of liver cirrhosis with different etiologies: a study based on iodine mixed imaging in port-venous phase.

Computed tomography (CT) in port-venous phase can display the intra-hepatic vessels, and may provide the possibility for segment function evaluation for cirrhosis. To assess the value of iodine mixed imaging of dual-source dual-energy CT in port-venous phase in segmental evaluation of liver cirrhosis with different etiologies. Patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Patients without cirrhosis were included as a control group. Each patient underwent iodine-contrast enhanced multi-phase dual-energy CT scanning. Parameters were analyzed by SPSS, version 22.0, and Medcalc. In total, 256 patients were investigated, including 114 Child-Pugh A, 51 Child-Pugh B, 41 Child-Pugh C and 50 control patients. Total iodine content (ICt)/body surface area (BSA) in the cirrhosis group was significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05) and the standardized-iodine parameter (SI) of each segment decreased with cirrhosis progression. In Child-Pugh A and B, SI increased more significantly in the caudal and lateral segment in A (alcholism) than in the V (virus-related) and N (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) groups (P < 0.001). ICt/BSA showed the best diagnosis power of cirrhosis with an area under the curve of 0.765, sensitivity of 76.0% and specificity of 71.8%. Blood flow compensated in the left lateral and caudal lobe in the early stage of liver cirrhosis. The compensation in alcoholism in the middle and early stages is significantly higher than that of V and N cirrhosis. Iodine mixed imaging in portal phase may provide the possibility of an incremental value in segmented blood flow perfusion and functional evaluation of liver cirrhosis on a morphological basis.