Percentage Of Similarity Research Articles

Cladoceran species and their population abundance across the Black Sea from west to east during summer 2020

ABSTRACT The study aimed to trace the influence of several abiotic factors on the distribution of the cladoceran group from the southern Black Sea. Samples were collected from 21 stations located on the Turkish Black Sea coast from west to east in the summer season of 2020. After determining the species composition, and abundance, the results were subjected to statistical analysis. A total of four Cladocera species (Penilia avirostris, Pseudevadne tergestina, Evadne spinifera, Pleopis polyphemoides) were identified. The abundance was relatively higher in the stations located on the south-eastern Black Sea coast. Cladocera composition quantitatively showed a significant separation above and below the thermocline according to nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Similarity Percentage Analysis (SIMPER) determined 70.51% dissimilarity by composition above and below the thermocline, where P. avirostris contributed 87.62% of the dissimilarity. The cladoceran community responded differently to the analysed environmental factors, showing both positive and negative correlations. A positive correlation was observed between cladocerans and temperature, nitrate + nitrite-N (NO3 + NO2-N) and chlorophyll-a, while a negative correlation was observed between cladocerans and salinity, nutrients (silicon, Si) and oxygen (O2).

Composition of pelagic fish in commercial landings of the longline fishery in the Costa Rica Pacific during 2015-2021

Longline fishing in the Pacific of Costa Rica targets multiple species of large pelagic fishes and faces challenges in assessment due to lack of data. This study analyzes landing data of pelagic fish in this fishery using unconventional statistical methods, to better understand the dynamics and provide recommendations for improving data collection and analysis. Landing data reported during 2015-2021 were examined. A descriptive and comparative analysis of landings was conducted using Spearman correlation tests and Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) to visualize patterns in catch composition. Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) and Similarity Percentage Analysis (SIMPER) were employed to identify significant differences between fleet types, landing ports, months, and years, as well as species contribution to these differences. The annual mean total landing of large pelagic fish was 7531.01 tons, with 39.14% corresponding to sharks, 24.34% to billfish (Istiophoridae and Xiphiidae), 18.05% to mahi-mahi, and 14.94% to tuna. Statistically significant differences were found between fleet types, landing ports, months, and years. Shark landings were the least correlated (rho=0.36) and had the greatest influence on variation by fleet type. An increase in the similarity of catch composition by port since 2015 was observed. In addition, a shift towards increasingly less selective fishing over the study period was evident. Our findings highlight the urgent need for advanced research methodologies to address gaps in data collection for commercial fisheries in Costa Rica. Improving these methods is crucial to ensure that management policies are based on accurate and comprehensive information. Results highlight the need for a comprehensive strategy involving diverse stakeholders to improve our understanding and ensure the sustainability of fisheries and the preservation of marine ecosystems in Costa Rica.

Genetic profile of the whole genome sequence of African swine fever virus from the first outbreak in Malaysian Borneo.

African swine fever (ASF), a severe and highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease of pigs, is becoming a major threat not only in Malaysia but around the world. The first confirmed case of ASF in Malaysia was reported in February 2021. Despite the emergence of ASF in Malaysia, genetic information on this causative pathogen for the local livestock is still limited. This study aimed to genetically characterize the African swine fever virus (ASFV) responsible for the 2021 outbreak in Malaysia. The genome of the ASFV isolated during the first outbreak in Malaysia was analysed as ASFV/Sabah/Malaysia/1160/21 which has 190,594 base pairs, with a nitrogenous bases (GC) content of 40.33% and 195 predicted Open Reading Frames (ORF). The complete genome sequence was compared with other annotated ASFV genomes retrieved from database of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to obtain information based on target gene B646L, E183L, intergenic region (IGR) between I73R and I329L (IGRI73R-I329L), EP402R and B602L. The ASFV/Sabah/Malaysia/1160/21 genome had a high similarity percentage to the reference genome, Georgia 2007 and all Southeast Asian strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ASFV strain belonged to genotype II, serogroup 8, CVR1 and showed high characteristics of IGR variant II based on IGRI73R-I329L. This study expands our understanding of genetic diversity and provides significant insights into the genomic characteristics and variation of ASFV strains that are circulating in Malaysia.

Soil stressors on ecophysiology of bauxite mine impacted soil: Heavy metal-acidity-organic matter nexus.

Soil ecophysiology is adversely affected by various environmental hazards, particularly in mining regions. While there has been substantial research on the effects of coal, mica, copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) mining on soil quality, the impact of bauxite mining operations on nearby soils has largely been overlooked in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how microbial activity and dynamics are influenced by soil stressors, such as acidity and heavy metals, in areas adjacent to active bauxite mines. Soil samples were collected from three adjacent locations of an active bauxite mine area at distances of<100m (S1), 100-500m (S2), and>500m (S3). The samples contained chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and cadmium (Cd), as well as elevated acidity and aluminum (Al). These conditions adversely affected the soil microbial indicators, including fluorescein diacetate (FDA), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and enzyme activity. The highest concentrations of labile metals (i.e., water-soluble and exchangeable) were found in soil mixed with mining waste (S1), whereas acidity and Al were highest in sparsely vegetated soil (S3). Total acidity, total potential acidity, pH-dependent acidity, and Al were significantly positively correlated. Moreover, the significant positive correlation among organic carbon (OC), acidity, Al, and microbial properties (FDA, MBC, and microbial enzymes) suggests a potential effect of OC in mitigating acidity in S3. The ratios of microbial properties with OC depicted a significant negative correlation with acidity and Al fraction, denoting that acidity and Al posed a deleterious effect on soil microbial health. The similarity percentage analysis identified acid phosphatase as the key enzyme accounting for ∼78% of the observed differences in enzyme composition across the sites. Visual MINTEQ modeling revealed that the sites were saturated with different Al-bearing minerals. Pollution load index (PI) and the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values identified the region as heavily contaminated (PI>1). Finally, the health risk analysis revealed that Ni posed a potential carcinogenic risk for both adults and children.

Forensic Entomology in Jeddah: Molecular Identification of Emerging Insect Strains

Background: The precise identification of forensic insects is one of the most important aspects in forensic entomology since it is the basis for determining post-mortem intervals (PMI) and providing other valuable forensic evidence in criminal investigations. Methods: This study demonstrates the utility of DNA barcoding in accurately identifying new strains of forensic insects collected from the Jeddah Governorate. Result: High similarity percentages ranging from 98.74% to 99.68% were observed, underscoring the precision of molecular identification. The identified species included members of the Diptera (flies) and Coleoptera (beetles) orders, commonly associated with forensic cases. Notably, Phoridae sp. (Forensic_JED_21) was identified with 98.74% similarity, highlighting their role in providing valuable post-mortem interval (PMI) estimations. Physiphora alceae was identified twice (Forensic_JED_22 and Forensic_JED_24) with similarities of 99.22% and 99.07%, respectively, demonstrating the robustness of DNA barcoding. Philonthus discoideus (Forensic_JED_23) and Physiphora demandata (Forensic_JED_25) were identified with 99.68% similarity, confirming the presence of these species in the Jeddah region. Phylogenetic analysis using MEGA11 placed these strains in well-defined clades, confirming their taxonomic accuracy and evolutionary relationships. These findings align with previous research on the genetic diversity of forensic insects, adding crucial data to forensic entomology databases. This study enhances the forensic entomology framework by providing accurate species identification, essential for legal investigationsand supports the development of region-specific forensic tools through the addition of new genetic data from Jeddah.

How do residential aged care antibiograms compare with other local resistance data?

Antibiograms can optimise empirical antibiotic prescribing however they are not readily available for residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in Queensland, Australia. This study aimed to determine whether alternatively available data can be used to approximate resistance patterns for RACFs. Annual RACF-specific antibiograms were compared with local hospital antibiograms accessed through pathology providers. Additionally, composite antibiograms, of geographically united RACF data, were compared to regional hospital and private pathology RACF antibiograms. Antibiotic susceptibility rates for commonly observed bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) were compared amongst different antibiograms using Fisher's exact test, with a p-value ≤ 0.05 indicating statistically significant difference. The concordance amongst the antibiograms was described by percentage similarity overall, and for a subset of clinically relevant pathogen-antibiotic pairs (PAPs). Composite RACF-antibiogram was highly concordant (83-100% similarity) to private pathology RACF data when compared for clinically relevant PAPs. Mixed results were found when individual RACF-specific antibiograms were compared to local hospital all-ages and ≥65years data (50-100% and 67-100% similarity respectively). Private pathology RACF antibiograms can serve as a proxy indicator of resistance patterns for RACFs. Mixed findings were noted for comparisons with hospital data.

Impact of shallow hydrothermal vent waters on monsoonal copepod distribution and abundance around active volcanic island off northeast Taiwan, West Pacific

Extreme oceanic environments such as shallow hydrothermal vents (HVs) have rarely been investigated with respect to their impact on the water column and its organisms, such as zooplankton. We collected mesozooplankton from the near shore shallow HV areas off northeast Taiwan during three distinct monsoonal periods in 2022. The results showed the occurrence of 99 copepod species belonging to 24 families and 49 genera from a one-year study. The results from similarity percentage (SIMPER) and indicator species analysis (IndVal) identified that top 5 species namely Temora turbinata, Oncaea venusta, Clausocalanus furcatus, Macrosetella gracilis, and Canthocalanus pauper showed variations in their abundance between HV and non-HV sites which contributed to 72.12 % dissimilarity with only four of the species with significantly higher contributions during the SW monsoon season. This distinction is explained by the fact that copepods were negatively affected by HV water. Furthermore, Temora turbinata (3530.7 ± 4967.83 ind. m−3), Calanus sinicus (70.86 ± 163.78 ind. m−3), and Paracalanus parvus (40.47 ± 85.67 ind. m−3) emerging as the dominant species with a clear seasonal succession pattern during the southwest monsoon, northeast-southwest monsoon transition, and northeast monsoon prevailing phase, respectively. The total abundance of copepod was significantly higher during the southwest monsoon than during the other two monsoonal periods (p < 0.01, one-way ANOVA). In contrast, the number of species and the richness index were significantly higher during the northeast-southwest and northeast monsoon than during the southwest monsoon period (p < 0.05, one-way ANOVA) indicating temporal succession in the copepod community.

Comparative Metabolomic Analysis and Antinociceptive Effect of Methanolic Extracts from Salvia cinnabarina, Salvia lavanduloides and Salvia longispicata.

Mexico is considered one of the countries with the greatest diversity of the Salvia genus. A significant percentage of its species are known for their use in traditional medicine, highlighting their use as an analgesic. The objective of this work was to determine the chemical composition of the methanolic extracts of S. cinnabarina, S. lavanduloides and S. longispicata through untargeted metabolomics, as well as the in vivo evaluation of the antinociceptive effect and acute oral toxicity. The chemical profiling was performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI+/--MS-QTOF) system and tentative identifications were performed using a compendium of information on compounds previously isolated from Mexican species of the genus. Pharmacological evaluation was carried out using the formalin test and OECD guidelines. The analysis of the spectrometric features of the mass/charge ratios of the three salvias shows that a low percentage of similarity is shared between them. Likewise, the putative identification allowed the annotation of 46 compounds, mainly of diterpene and phenolic nature, with only four compounds shared between the three species. Additionally, the extracts of the three salvias produced a significant antinociceptive effect at a dose of 300 mg/kg administered orally and did not present an acute oral toxicity effect at the maximum dose tested, indicating a parameter of LD50 > 2000 mg/kg. The exploration of the chemical profile of the three salvias by untargeted metabolomics shows that, despite being species with antinociceptive potential, they have different chemical profiles and therefore different active metabolites.

Comparison of Different 3D Surface Registration-Based Methods to Assess Facial Asymmetry.

Facial asymmetry is gaining an increasing diagnostic interest in many clinical contexts. Several three-dimensional surface-based methods have been proposed for its assessment; however, they might provide non-equivalent data. Since there is a lack of comparative studies in these terms, this study aims to compare three methods for assessing the asymmetry of the face and facial thirds, thus addressing whether the potential differences can be considered clinically acceptable or not. Two 'maxillofacial' methods based on the trigeminal nerve distribution and one 'orthodontic' method based on reference horizontal planes were used to identify the facial thirds on 3D facial models of 80 Italian healthy adults to calculate the asymmetry of the face, and the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the face differently selected by each method. As a measure of asymmetry, the Root Mean Square value was calculated through a mirroring surface-based registration. Intra- and inter-operator reliability was verified for each method. Differences and interchangeability between the methods were tested, respectively, by two-way repeated measures ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) and Bland-Altman and Similarity Percentage model analysis. Additionally, the time required to perform each method was assessed. All methods demonstrated excellent intra- and inter-operator reliability. While the ANOVA analysis found significant differences (p < 0.001) for the majority of facial Regions of Interest between each method, the Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the differences were clinically acceptable (<0.50 mm) for all facial regions between the trigeminal methods, and for the face and the upper third of the face between the orthodontic method, which was revealed to be faster, and the trigeminal ones. The additional similarity percentage model provided visual support for the complete interchangeability of the two trigeminal methods, as evidenced by the lower Coefficient of Variation value. There is no best method for assessing facial asymmetry that applies to all types of clinical settings, as we have shown that different methods may not be completely interchangeable. However, we suggest that the methods based on the trigeminal subdivision can be used interchangeably in contexts where the morpho-functional analysis of maxillofacial regions with different embryological origins is considered. Thus, the clinical setting imposes the choice of one method over another and, as we have pointed out, the consequent comparison of data with those obtained with methods whose interchangeability has been demonstrated.

Comparison of commonly used software pipelines for analyzing fungal metabarcoding data

BackgroundMetabarcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is commonly used to characterize fungal communities of various environments. Given their size and complexity, raw ITS sequences are necessarily processed and quality-filtered with bioinformatic pipelines. However, such pipelines are not yet standardized, especially for fungal communities, and those available may produce contrasting results. While some pipelines cluster sequences based on a specified percentage of base pair similarity into operational taxonomic units (OTUs), others utilize denoising techniques to infer amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs). While ASVs are now considered a more accurate representation of taxonomic diversity for prokaryote communities based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, the applicability of this method for fungal ITS sequences is still debated.ResultsHere we compared the performance of two commonly used pipelines DADA2 (inferring ASVs) and mothur (clustering OTUs) on fungal metabarcoding sequences originating from two different environmental sample types (fresh bovine feces and pasture soil). At a 99% OTU similarity threshold, mothur consistently identified a higher fungal richness compared to DADA2. In addition, mothur generated homogenous relative abundances across multiple technical replicates (n = 18), while DADA2 results for the same replicates were highly heterogeneous.ConclusionsOur study highlights a potential pipeline-associated bias in fungal metabarcoding data analysis of environmental samples. Based on the homogeneity of relative abundances across replicates and the capacity to detect OTUs/ASVs, we suggest using OTU clustering with a similarity of 97% as the most appropriate option for processing fungal metabarcoding data.

Distribution dynamics of waterbirds in Dongting Lake and surrounding lakes

Abstract Dongting Lake and the lakes surrounding it are spatially relatively independent, yet they form an inseparable integrated system for waterbirds. Understanding the changes in waterbird distribution pattern in Dongting Lake and surrounding lakes is important for waterbird conservation and management. Based on six surveys during the winter period of waterbird and habitat data, we studied the changes in distribution pattern of different functional group of waterbirds between Dongting Lake and surrounding lakes and explored the effect of habitat area in Dongting Lake on waterbird distribution. The results revealed that the habitat areas within Dongting Lake are larger but less stable, whereas those in the surrounding lakes are much smaller but more stable. During regular hydrology periods, waterbirds were mainly distributed in Dongting Lake, whereas most of the diving ducks and vegetation gleaners occurred in surrounding lakes; during extreme dry periods, many waterbirds shifted to surrounding lakes (e.g., dabbling ducks and gulls). The Percentage Similarity Index (PSI) of these groups, which reflects waterbirds’ distribution dynamics, exhibited negative correlations with changes in water area within Dongting Lake. The percentages of these water-dependent groups and water area in Dongting Lake exhibited a positive correlation. Water area in Dongting Lake could reflect the distribution pattern of waterbirds between Dongting Lake and surrounding lakes. Our results emphasize the importance of the overall protection of wetlands in the Dongting Lake region.

Exploring phyto- and zooplankton community structure, spatial variation, and driving forces shaping the community from a large-scale freshwater dominated estuary

Abstract Plankton is essential to estuarine food webs, providing key food for species like fish larvae, and understanding their dynamics helps us comprehend ecological interactions and energy transfer in aquatic ecosystems. This study examined the plankton community structure, diversity, variability and the environmental variables of water that influenced these communities in a freshwater-dominated estuary along the Northern Bay of Bengal during the dry season. A variety of tools were employed, including a dissecting microscope, a Sedgwick-Rafter cell, and a Hanna multi-parameter meter, to obtain detailed and comprehensive data. From the analyses, in total 37 genera of phytoplankton belonging to 11 classes such as Bacillariophyceae (66%), Coscinodiscophyceae (28%), Fragilariophyceae (1%), Euglenophyceae (1%), Cyanophyceae (1%), others (3%) were recorded. Zooplankton, consisting of multicellular organisms, was represented by 11 genera across five classes, with Monogononta (53%) and Insecta (29%) being the most prevalent. Phytoplankton exhibited a mean abundance of 180,000 ± 20,200 cells l−1 whereas zooplankton showed a mean abundance of 3,000 ± 200 cells l−1. The diversity indices (H′), evenness (J′) and dominance (D) ranged from 1.188 ± 0.015 to 0.19 ± 0.006, 0.9377 ± 0.002 to 0.5118 ± 0.006, 0.365 ± 0.001 to 0.143 ± 0.002 respectively, suggested low to moderate plankton diversity with a suppressed community and moderate to high dominance in the river water. Based on the similarity percentage (SIMPER) and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), Phytoplankton and zooplankton varied significantly between stations while non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (nMDS) indicated greater consistency in phytoplankton communities across stations compared to zooplankton. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (rs) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified transparency, sulfates, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, TDS, pH, and salinity as major influencers of plankton abundance; nitrate had a moderate effect. Spearman’s rank correlations showed significant positive (p &lt; 0.05) correlations between diversity indices and environmental variables. Future research should focus on long-term monitoring and the potential impacts of environmental changes on plankton communities.

Comparison between Conventional Methods and Molecular Diagnosis for Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolated from Cancer Patients Infected with Oral Candidiasis

Abstract Background: Two related pathogenic yeast species, Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis share many phenotypic and microscopic diagnostic characteristics, in addition to the similarity in the characteristics of diagnosis. Objectives: The present study aimed to diagnose both yeast cells and compare them at the level of the percentage of similarities and differences according to the traditional methods and molecular approaches, which are considered more accurate and sensitive. Materials and Methods: The ability to form germ tubes was conducted for C. albicans and C. dubliniensis. The identification using biochemical tests, VITEK techniques, and molecular techniques was also conducted. Results: The results showed that both pathogenic yeast cells are similar in phenotypic and biochemical diagnosis, whereas the results of molecular diagnosis showed a difference between them, as well as the results of the drug sensitivity test, showed that the two types of yeast cells are sensitive to the antifungal drugs. The current study also showed the diagnosis of new isolates of the two species for the first time, which can be attributed to the occurrence of genetic mutations in them. Conclusion: Both types of pathogenic yeasts that were diagnosed in the current study are the important pathological types prevalent in cancer patients, especially in oral cavity infections, and they are similar to a large extent in terms of phenotypic and diagnostic characteristics.

Analysis of the effects of mesh reduction of digital files on the surface area and volume accuracy of complete dentures using an intraoral scanner.

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of an intraoral scanner to digitally duplicate complete dentures and analyze the effects of mesh reduction of digital files on the surface area and volume accuracy of complete dentures, in vitro. A mandibular complete denture was scanned by a desktop scanner to create a digital STL reference file (control). Fifteen identical scans were created by using an intraoral scanner and exported as STL files (test group). These 15 files were saved at 100% of the original scan resolution then reduced to 75%, 50%, 25%, and 10% of their original quality. These 75 scans were statistically analyzed by calculating The Hausdorff Distance (HD) and Dice Similarity Coefficients (DSC) to assess the variation between the mean reduced intraoral scanner files test and the control desktop scanner file and eventual inconsistencies. The volumes of the reduced mesh files were also compared with the 100% resolution intraoral mesh files to evaluate precision and trueness of the intraoral scanner. Reduced mesh files of 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% of the original scan yielded a percentage similarity average of 99.7%, indicating a very high precision value for the intraoral scanner. Also, the volumes of each associated mesh reduction slightly decreased with non-statistically significant results. This study concluded that the chosen intraoral scanner for this study provided very high trueness (98.34%) and precision (99.7%), and also the volumes of reduced mesh files slightly decreased but were not statistically significant.

Designing orthopaedic seat cushion made of rattan using quality function deployment approach

Using ergonomic orthopaedic chairs can address spinal issues, particularly HNP, due to their flexible and elastic properties. By achieving optimal ergonomic design, various positive aspects can be achieved, such as increasing work quality productivity and reducing the cost of injuries or accidents. This research demonstrates diverse product design approaches to enhance posture health ergonomics, address specific musculoskeletal disorder issues, and consider local needs and available materials. Rattan is a tropical vine widely used in the furniture industry and predominantly found in wooded areas such as Indonesia. This research combines market research, morphology, ergonomic study, concept selection, QFD, HoQ, stiffness test, and prototype review. The QFD method was chosen in this study due to its excellence in connecting consumer desires with the product development process. Data of respondents consist of 51 % of respondents were male, 49 % were female, 88 % were aged between 18 and 34 years old, and 10 % were aged between 35 and 54 years old. The approach of 6 stages of product design as the primary framework for developing our product such as: planning, concept development (concept screening, product morphology, concept selection), system-level design, detailed design, testing, refinement and launching. Based on the calculations using the HOQ, it is identified that the primary focus in designing the rattan-based orthopaedic seating, lies in the orthopaedic design that provides maximum comfort for the spine. The comparison results indicate that the stiffness level of rattan weaving is nearly like latex, with a similarity percentage of 89 %. Data analysis using the QFD method indicates that the primary priority aspect is the orthopaedic design, followed by the selection of quality materials, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and appealing design aspects. Rattan's superior air circulation provides comfort by preventing excessive heat accumulation, excellence in strength and durability, ensuring ease of lightweight modelling, and providing more sustainable material.

The Eye and Nose Identification Chip Controller-Based on Robot Vision Using Weightless Neural Network Method

Increasingly advanced image analysis in computer vision, allowing computers to interpret, identify, and analyze pictures with accuracy comparable to humans. The availability of data sources in decimal, hexadecimal, or binary forms enables researchers to take the initiative in applying their study findings. Decimal formats are typically used on traditional computers like desktops and minicomputers, whereas hexadecimal and binary formats were utilized on single-chip controllers. Weightless Neural Network is a method that can be implemented in a single chip controller. The aim of this research is to develop a facial recognition system, for eye and mouth identification, that works in a single chip controller or also called a microcontroller. The suggested method is a Weightless Neural Network with Immediate Scan approach for processing and identifying eye and nose patterns. The data will be handled in many memory locations that are specifically designed to handle massive volumes of data. The data is made up of primary face data sheets and face input data. The data sets utilized are (x,y) pixels, and frame sizes range from 90x90 pixels to 110x110 pixels. Each face shot will be processed by selecting the region of the eyes and nose and saving it as an image file. The eye and nose will identify the face frame. Next, the photos will be converted to binary format. A magazine matrix will be used to transmit binary data from a minicomputer to a microcontroller via serial connection. Based on a known pattern, the resultant similarity accuracy is 83,08% for the eye and 84,09% for the sternum. In contrast, the similarity percentage for an eye ranges from 70% to 85% for an undefined pattern.

Identification of Virulence Factor and Phylogenetic Study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Fish Product in Iraq using Molecular Techniques

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen bacterium that may cause infection and is commonly found in fish, plants, animals, soil, and water. The abundance of fish and seafood contributes to the seafood sector's economic importance. Several nations rely on the abundance of fish and seafood to support their economies. The objective of this study is to isolate P. aeruginosa and investigate its phylogenic similarity and sequencing to that of referred isolates taken from fresh fish (Cyprinus carpio) and marine (Hammour). One hundred and twenty raw fish samples were gathered from the local marketplaces in Al-Diwaniya City. The isolates of pseudomonas aeruginosa were grown on selective agar, such as chrome-genic pseudomonas agar and cetrimide agar, then identified using microbiology. and biochemical testing. According to the findings the result of PCR detection 16SrRNA gene (21.6%), Las B (5.4%),Oprl gene (4.6%). Furthermore, a phylogenic tree was established to identify the genetic proximity of different species of the eight isolate gene sequencings, the following GenBank accession numbers were determined and submitted: PP534998, PP534999, PP535000, PP53501, PP535002, PP535003, PP535004, and PP535006. The results showed that the isolation rate of P. aeruginosa in local carp was (28%) higher than the rate of isolates from marine fish (9%) when employing PCR. P. aeruginosa isolates exhibited high similarity (96%) for strains isolated from the United States, followed by (88%) for strains isolated from Iraq, and a lower similarity percentage (55%) with other strains recovered from the United States. In conclusion, the PCR is a reliable tool for molecularly detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa that infected both local carp.

Isolation and Molecular Characterisation of Chlorogonium sp. from Industrial Wastewater

Microalgae are photosynthetic, unicellular microorganisms also known as phytoplankton. They are small plant-like entities. In this research, the sample were collected from cement factory in a sterilised 20L container wrapped with foil paper and were transported down to Federal University, Wukari where it was kept in refrigerator at biochemistry laboratory. Blue-Green media (BG-11) was prepared. Wastewater containing Microalgae obtained from cement wastewater pond were cultivated in BG-11 medium to determine the growth of the organism. BG-11 medium contained macronutrients, trace metals and some vitamins which aid the growth of the organism. The wastewater sample containing with suspected microalgae was inoculated (inoculum ratio = 25%) and incubated under atmospheric CO2 at room temperature (30±2°C) in our laboratory for two to three weeks during the incubation period. In order to purify the isolates, the upper growth layer was first decanted into a freshly produced medium and then plated on BG-11 media that had been solidified with 1% agar-agar. For several of the cultures, growth on the agar plates continued for around three weeks. Following repeated sub-culturing, the emerging greenish colonies were re-emerged into a sterile BG-11 agar medium. In isolation of organism from the industrial cement waste water, the isolate was identified by morphological and molecular identification by extracting the DNA, run the electrophoretic analysis and PCR using primers for 18S rRNA eukaryotic microalgal and then run the sequence analysis. The results of this study obtained, indicated that, the electrophoretic result show the band has 1800-2000base pair and the organism isolated from the industrial cement waste water were chlorogonium sp. with a percent similarity of 78.65% and accession number of OR886595 based on data Gene Bank blast results.

Microbiological quality assessment of exposed &lt;i&gt;Garri&lt;/i&gt; sold in selected markets in Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria

A common Nigerian fermented staple meal, garri can become contaminated during manufacturing, marketing and storage by a variety of germs, which could be harmful to consumers' health. In this work, isolates from garri sold in Oye-Ekiti Local Government Area were phenotypically and molecularly characterized. Nine samples were purchased from three different markets using sterile paper bags and examined in the laboratory. Based on morphological characteristics and biochemicaltests, the organisms isolated and their frequency of occurrence were Staphylococcus spp. (15 %), Bacillus spp. (70 %) and Enterobacter spp. (15 %) and Aspergillus spp. (100 %). Molecular characterization of two distinct Bacillus spp. identified them as Bacillus subtilis and Brevibacillus brevis exhibiting 85.9 % and 98.8 % percentage similarities, respectively. In order to minimize the level of contamination of garri by hazardous microorganisms, local processors of the product should be trained and retrained on food handling, food packaging, sanitation and hygienic practices.

Characterization of azithromycin-resistant Shigella flexneri serotype 2a isolates using whole genome sequencing in Ontario from 2016 to 2018.

Azithromycin-resistant shigellosis is increasing globally. This retrospective analysis of Shigella flexneri serotype 2a isolates from 2016 to 2018 in Ontario found nearly half were azithromycin (47.7%, 72/151) and ciprofloxacin (50.7%, 77/152) resistant. Moreover, 34.7% (25/72) of azithromycin-resistant isolates were also ciprofloxacin-resistant. Four isolates were ceftriaxone-resistant, although all azithromycin-resistant isolates were ceftriaxone-susceptible. Overall, 83.6% (127/152) of all S. flexneri 2a isolates were recovered from males and 97.2% (70/72) of the azithromycin-resistant cases were males. Among the azithromycin-resistant cases, some (8/72) reported international travel. Phylogenetic analysis of azithromycin-resistant isolates revealed two large male-dominated clusters, and one cluster may have been due to importation of resistant strain. Comparison of plasmids isolated from the clusters in Ontario revealed the presence of incFII plasmid with high percentage of similarity to plasmids present in global outbreaks affecting mostly males including men who have sex with men (MSM). These two large azithromycin-resistant clusters are suggestive of an outbreak among MSM, though disease exposure or sexual orientation of patients was unknown. The presence of plasmid-borne azithromycin resistance in ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates is a public health concern. Antimicrobial surveillance is important for patient management, understanding the spread of novel resistance types in local communities which sometimes is introduced by travel. We found ongoing multidrug-resistant outbreaks spanning multiple years affecting males. Reduction of future outbreaks in high-risk communities like MSM requires consorted information flow between laboratory, public health, and physicians. We impart genomic and antimicrobial characteristics of multidrug S. flexneri 2a which may serve as reference by clinicians and public health.IMPORTANCEOral ciprofloxacin and azithromycin are generally considered as the first-line therapy of shigellosis. Here, we report the emergence and transmission of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin-resistant S. flexneri serotype 2a among male adults in Ontario during 2016-2018. The percentage of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin resistance among S. flexneri 2a is higher compared to previous reports from Canada and United States. Here, we show the genetic basis of the antimicrobial resistance among these unique groups of S. flexneri 2a isolates. We describe a domestically acquired azithromycin-resistant and ciprofloxacin-resistant S. flexneri 2a lineage in Ontario. Combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data with travel-associated data helped in understanding dissemination and transmission. We employed WGS, which not only helped us in understanding the genetic-relationship between isolates but also mine information regarding plasmids. In the future, linking WGS, travel-related data, and clinical data can provide enhanced contact tracing and improve public-health management.