Test Medium Research Articles

Effect of abiotic factors on sulfidogenic activity of bacteria Desulfuromonas sp.

Sulfur-reducing bacteria are promising agents for the development of new methods of wastewater treatment with the removal of ions of heavy metals and organic compounds. Study of the effect of various environmental factors on the growth and sulfidogenic activity of sulfur-reducing bacteria allows one to investigate the adaptability of these microorganisms to stress factors. The paper deals with the effect of рН, different concentrations of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide and presence of various electron acceptors on the growth and sulfidogenic activity of bacteria Desulfuromonas sp. YSDS-3. The calculation of C/S ratio for sulfur-reducing bacteria Desulfuromonas sp. YSDS-3 was made, with the comparison with similar parameters of sulfate-reducing bacteria. In the medium with elemental sulfur, concentration of hydrogen sulfide increased with the concentration of elemental sulfur. Bacteria Desulfuromonas sp. YSDS-3 accumulated their biomass in the most effective way at the concentration of elemental sulfur of 10–100 mM. In the medium with polysulfide form of sulfur at the neutral pH, bacteria produced hydrogen sulfide and accumulated biomass the best. Hydrogen sulfide at the concentration of 3 mM did not inhibit the bacterial growth, but further increase in the hydrogen sulfide concentration inhibited the growth of bacteria. The bacteria did not grow at the hydrogen sulfide concentration of 25 mM and above. As the concentration of elemental sulfur and cell density increases, sulfidogenic activity of the bacteria grows. Presence of two electron acceptors (S and K2Cr2O7, S and MnO2, S and Fe (III)) did not affect the accumulation of biomass of the bacteria Desulfuromonas sp. YSDS-3. However, under such conditions the bacteria accumulated 1.5–2.5 times less hydrogen sulfide than in the test medium. After 12–24 h of cultivation, different concentrations of elemental sulfur had a significant effect on the sulfidogenic activity. However, during 3–16 days of cultivation, the percentage of effect of elemental sulfur concentration decreased to 31%, while the percentage of effect of cell density increased threefold. Presence in the medium of the electron acceptors (Cr (VI), MnO2, Fe (III)) alternative to elemental sulfur led to a significant decrease in the content of hydrogen sulfide produced by sulfur-reducing bacteria.

Scope and Predictive Genetic/Phenotypic Signatures of Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) Responsiveness and β-Lactam Sensitization in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) to standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing medium reveals certain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains to be highly susceptible to β-lactams. We investigated the prevalence of this phenotype (NaHCO3 responsiveness) to two β-lactams among 58 clinical MRSA bloodstream isolates. Of note, ∼75% and ∼36% of isolates displayed the NaHCO3 responsiveness phenotype to cefazolin (CFZ) and oxacillin (OXA), respectively. Neither intrinsic β-lactam MICs in standard Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) nor population analysis profiles were predictive of this phenotype. Several genotypic markers (clonal complex 8 [CC8]; agr I and spa t008) were associated with NaHCO3 responsiveness for OXA.

Hydrocyclone flow characteristics and measurements

The issue of water scarcity in many countries across the globe has become one of the most pressing challenges due to the limited availability of renewable water resources. After rainfall, the runoff water picks up the topsoil and sweeps them downstream towards a river, downstream dam, and groundwater storage. The deposition of sediment may reduce the storage capacity of dams, lowering the ability to utilize the groundwater that is now considered as unusable wastewater and causing for the silted up canals to become inoperable. A hydrocyclone is an effective separation device wherein water is mixed with sands. It can be used to classify or filter specific solid and liquid components in a feed stream. This study investigates the flow field characteristic within the hydrocyclone. The Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) has been deployed to measure the mean velocities in the hydrocyclone. Traditionally, a flat surface box or jacket is used to encase the hydrocyclone, filled with water or other materials, to minimize the refraction effects of laser beams, which are caused by the curved solid wall of the hydrocyclone and the refractive index of the test medium. In this study, a new method is applied that enables us to use the LDA directly in the hydrocyclone wall without recourse to such a flat surface box or jacket.

Developmental/reproductive effects and gene expression variations in Chironomus riparius after exposure to reclaimed water and its fortification with carbamazepine and triclosan

The potential benefits of reclaimed water (RW) uses for environmental enhancement and restoration could become adverse impacts if RW does not meet the quality criteria that ensure wildlife preservation. RW can contain complex mixtures of micropollutants that may accumulate in sediment after environmental uses and affect benthic fauna. Therefore, we designed this study to assess the effects of RW on a sediment insect species used mainly in ecotoxicology (Chironomus riparius). Whole organism effects and gene expression were measured in a water sediment system after spiking RW as overlying water, which was renewed 3 times during the test. Development rate, emergence rate and fecundity were monitored after the 21-day exposure. Endocrine-related genes (EcR, ERR, E75, Vtg), cellular stress genes (hsp70, hsc70, hsp24, hsp10) and biotransformation genes (gp93, GSTd3, GPx, cyp4g) were assessed in larvae after the 10-day exposure. The experimental design also included single or binary fortifications of both test medium and RW, obtained by adding two emerging pollutants: carbamazepine (100 μg/L CBZ) and triclosan (20 μg/L TCS). The chemical characterisation of RW showed that 20 of the 23 screened emerging pollutants fell within the detection limit, 10 exceeded 0.01 μg/L (including CBZ) and three exceeded 0.1 μg/L (hydrochlorothiazide, atenolol, ibuprofen). The analytical measures of sediment (day 21) and overlying water (days 7, 14 and 21) were taken to know the water-sediment distribution of CBZ and TCS added to fortifications. CBZ distributed mainly in overlying water (110–164 μg/L and 73–100 μg/kg), while TCS showed a higher affinity to sediment (2.8–5.1 μg/L and 36–55 μg/kg). RW had significant effects in molecular terms (Vtg, hsp70, hsc70), but had no significant effects on the whole organism. Nevertheless, the single RW fortifications impaired both the development rate and fecundity, while the binary RW fortification impaired only fecundity. The most marked increase in EcR expression was observed for the binary RW fortification. Hsps, GSTd3 and cyp4g showed a similar tendency to that observed for EcR and Vtg in the binary and single RW fortifications. The binary mixture (CBZ and TCS together) in RW was toxic, but not in the medium tests. Therefore, the major concern of RW uses is apparently related to the interactivity between this complex matrix and any other pollutants possibly present in the environment where RW is applied. Our results underscore the need for raising awareness about RW effects, which can be achieved by ecotoxicological testing.

Developing Organoids from Ovarian Cancer as Experimental and Preclinical Models.

SummaryOvarian cancer (OC) represents the most dismal gynecological cancer. Pathobiology is poorly understood, mainly due to lack of appropriate study models. Organoids, defined as self-developing three-dimensional in vitro reconstructions of tissues, provide powerful tools to model human diseases. Here, we established organoid cultures from patient-derived OC, in particular from the most prevalent high-grade serous OC (HGSOC). Testing multiple culture medium components identified neuregulin-1 (NRG1) as key factor in maximizing OC organoid development and growth, although overall derivation efficiency remained moderate (36% for HGSOC patients, 44% for all patients together). Established organoid lines showed patient tumor-dependent morphology and disease characteristics, and recapitulated the parent tumor's marker expression and mutational landscape. Moreover, the organoids displayed tumor-specific sensitivity to clinical HGSOC chemotherapeutic drugs. Patient-derived OC organoids provide powerful tools for the study of the cancer's pathobiology (such as importance of the NRG1/ERBB pathway) as well as advanced preclinical tools for (personalized) drug screening and discovery.

Comparing passive dosing and solvent spiking methods to determine the acute toxic effect of pentachlorophenol on Daphnia magna.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a widespread and persistent hydrophobic organic pollutant in the environment despite its restricted public use. Risk assessment of such hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) is challenging because sorption and volatilization issues during toxicity test often lead to inconsistent exposure concentration. Considering the hydrophobicity of the PCP, in this study, a passive dosing format was applied by adopting a silicone O-ring as a reservoir and evaluated its applicability on the determination of PCP on Daphnia magna. Results obtained with passive dosing method were compared with that of solvent spiking method. We hypothesized that the passive dosing method may provide more reliable and accurate toxicity results than conventional solvent spiking approach. As a result, the partition coefficient of PCP between methanol and a test medium (log KMeOH:ISO) was 2.1, which enabled the maintenance of reliable exposure concentration throughout the experiment. In the acute toxicity tests, passive dosing and solvent spiking showed similar EC50 values of 576 and 485 µg/L for 24 h, and 362 and 374 µg/L for 48 h, respectively, which overlap with EC50 values of previous studies. Altogether, both methods were suitable for the acute toxicity assessment of hydrophobic PCP.

The Potency of Purple Sulphur Bacteria for In-Situ Sulphide Bioremediation in Water

Sulphide is odorous water pollutants and is also toxic in the form of H2S. Generally, water with high sulphide content has a very low amount of dissolved oxygen. Purple sulphur bacteria can be used as in-situ waters bioremediation agents to overcome sulphide pollution, one of which comes from the decomposition of organic compounds. This study aimed to determine the potency of purple sulphur bacteria isolated from various water located in the Cibinong area, Bogor Regency in West Java Indonesia to remove sulphides. The Pfennig 2 media was used for culturing the isolate. In order to get a single colony of bacteria, isolation was carried out using multilevel dilution method under anaerobic conditions. From this study, seven isolates of purple sulphur bacteria could be isolated. All isolates were able to remove sulphide from the test medium with 6% and 12% of sulphide. The highest sulphide removal ability was found in CU1 isolate followed by L1 and L2. The growth of CU1 and L2 in Kali Item River water could be detected within 17 hours. Thus, CU1 and L2 isolate had the potency to be used as an in-situ bioremediation agent for sulphides in waters with low oxygen content because of its anaerobic nature suitable for such environment.

Current Trends of Dermatophytosis in Eastern Odisha.

Background Dermatophytes are fungi parasitizing structures rich in keratin such as skin, hair, and nail, which leads to a dermal inflammatory response with intense itching and cosmetic disfigurement. The climatic condition of eastern India is predominantly hot and humid with severe rainfalls promoting fungal infection. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of dermatophytosis and to isolate and identify the dermatophyte from clinically suspected cases attending tertiary care center. Methodology This study was conducted from April 2018 to March 2019 and a total of 1,200 samples were included. Skin scrapings were collected and examined microscopically using 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount. Culture was performed using Sabouraud dextrose agar and dermatophyte test medium. Speciation was done based on macroscopic and microscopic findings using lactophenol cotton blue staining and some special tests like urease test and slide culture. Results Of 1,200 cases, tinea corporis was the most common clinical presentation. Direct KOH positivity was 89.4% and culture positivity was 61.75%. Trichophyton mentagrophyte (77.5%) was the most common dermatophyte isolated followed by Trichophyton rubrum (13.3%). Conclusion Dermatophytic infections are not serious but their propensity to persist leading to chronicity and disfigurement may have personal and social implications.

Comparison Among Test Substrates in Metal Uptake and Toxicity to Folsomia candida and Hordeum vulgare.

The main aim of this short review was to assess the effect of test medium on the bioavailability of metals to the soil invertebrate Folsomia candida and the barley plant Hordeum vulgare. Solution-only exposures and sand-solution media were suitable media with control survival of > 80%. Comparing toxicity and accumulation data, LC50 and/or EC50 values as well as internal concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) were similar in the tests with different porewater composition for springtails and barley plants. Similar results for toxicity and bioaccumulation of Cd and Cu using different test substrates, suggest the importance of physiological handling of the effects by the organisms rather than the influence of test medium composition.

Beneficial Effects of Vanadium Additions on the Corrosion of Ti6AlxV Alloys in Chloride Solutions

The beneficial effects of V addition on the corrosion of a newly manufactured Ti6AlxV (x = 2 wt %, 4 wt %, 6 wt %, and 8 wt %) alloys after various exposure periods in 3.5% NaCl solutions were reported. The Ti6AlxV were produced from their raw powders using mechanical alloying. Several electrochemical techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, and potentiodynamic current versus time at 300 mV experiments were conducted. The surface morphology and the elemental analysis were performed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. All results were consistent with each other revealing that the increase of V content increases the resistance of the alloys against corrosion. The increase of corrosion resistance was achieved by the role of V in decreasing the rate of corrosion as a result of the formation of oxide films on the surface of the alloys. This effect was found to increase with prolonging the immersion time of the Ti6AlxV alloys in the test medium from 1 h to 24 h and further to 48 h.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging: A Technique to Reveal the Dropwise Condensation Mechanism

Abstract To understand the physics behind dropwise condensation, a microscopy technique must be able to measure a sub-nanometer film at a high temporal resolution (>1,000 FPS). In this work, automated Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) is used as a tool to study the existence of a thin film between the dropwise condensate. SPRi is a label-free imaging technique that works based on the attenuated total internal reflection. SPRi can detect changes in the refractive index (RI) of the test medium in the thin region (<300 nm) above the sensing gold layer. The automated, angle-scanning SPRi instrument was developed by integrating linear and rotating motorized stages. This instrument improves conventional SPRi by enhancing the resolution of angle probing, increasing the speed of angle scanning, and minimizing the angle-dependent image artifacts. As a proof of concept, we visualized the three stages of coalescence at 10,000 FPS, including bridge formation, composite peanut-shape droplet formation, and the relaxation stage. Furthermore, we probed the solid-vapor interface during the dropwise condensation to evaluate the existence of a thin film on the substrate. The results of our visualization show that the area between droplets is covered by an adsorbed film with a thickness of a monolayer (0.275 nm) and a surface coverage of less than one (m2/m2). Moreover, the results reveal a dry region forms on the substrate when part of the substrate is exposed to ambient conditions due to the coalescence. The dry zone on the substrate has higher surface energy, as compared to the surrounding area. Therefore, the exposed area serves as a favorable site for vapor molecules to strike the surface and form new nuclei.

Growth inhibition of acacia (Acacia nilotica) with seawater and shade

This research investigated the effect of the concentration of seawater (AL) and light intensity on seedling growth of A. nilotica. The research method used a randomized block design (RBD) factorial design with two factors. The first factor is seawater with 6 levels of concentration (AL 0%, 20% AL, AL 40%, AL 60%, 80% AL and AL 100%). The second factor is the shade with three levels of shade (55% NG, NG 65%, and 75% NG). The results showed: (1). Single factor shade and seawater has an inhibitory effect on the percentage of deaths tillers of A. nilotica, each treatment have different effects. The most effective combination inhibited A. nilotica growth was NG3AL5 (shade 75% and 100% concentration of seawater). (2). Seawater treatment affects the tissue organ damage of A. nilotica plants, especially roots and stems, therefore at 14 MST most of the test plants die for not being able to tolerate the treatment, (3). The analysis results of the soil physical and chemical parameters showed that no symptoms of poisoning the soil due to seawater treatment in the test medium, as shown by the high levels of every physical and chemical parameter of land far above the exposure limit.

A Liquid Chromatographic Method for Rapid and Sensitive Analysis of Aflatoxins in Laboratory Fungal Cultures.

Culture methods supplemented with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique provide a rapid and simple tool for detecting levels of aflatoxins (AFs) produced by fungi. This study presents a robust method for simultaneous quantification of aflatoxin (AF) B1, B2, G1, and G2 levels in several fungal cultivation states: submerged shake culture, liquid slant culture, and solid-state culture. The recovery of the method was evaluated by spiking a mixture of AFs at several concentrations to the test medium. The applicability of the method was evaluated by using aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergilli. A HPLC coupled with the diode array (DAD) and fluorescence (FLD) detectors was used to determine the presence and amounts of AFs. Both detectors showed high sensitivity in detecting spiked AFs or AFs produced in situ by toxigenic fungi. Our methods showed 76%–88% recovery from medium spiked with 2.5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng/mL AFs. The limit of quantification (LOQ) for AFs were 2.5 to 5.0 ng/mL with DAD and 0.025 to 2.5 ng/mL with FLD. In this work, we described in detail a protocol, which can be considered the foremost and only verified method, to extract, detect, and quantify AFs employing both aflatoxigenic and non-toxigenic Aspergilli.

Effects of Phosphorus and Zinc on the Neotropical Cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii by Dietary Routes

Aquatic systems are seldom disturbed by a single stressor agent. Considering that nutrients and metals occur simultaneously in the environment, studies on the combined effects of these elements on the biota need to be carried out. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata exposed to different combinations of phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) on the neotropical cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii. The algae acclimated to P concentrations of 2.3 × 10−4 and 2.3 × 10−6 mol L−1 were exposed to concentrations of 0.10, 0.57, 1.13, and 2.27 × 10−6 mol Zn2+ L−1. The P acclimated algal cells showed different capacity to deal with external free Zn level, resulting in higher susceptibility to metal as P decreased in the test medium. Elevated cell metal values were observed in R. subcapitata acclimated to 2 × 10−6 mol P L−1 and exposed to Zn, as compared to the values found in the microalga exposed to 2 × 10−4 mol P L−1. A significant reduction in number of newborn produced by cladoceran was verified when the organism was fed alga containing 47 × 10−15 g Zn cell−1 (2 neonates per female) and 60 × 10−15 g Zn cell−1 (5 neonates per female). It was observed a decrease of 90% of C. silvestrii survival for the treatment with 47 × 10−15 and 60 × 10−15 g Zn cell−1. Algal cells acclimated to high and low concentrations of P were an important exposure route to Zn for C. silvestrii.

Analysis of Sputum Culture and Drug Sensitivity Test in Patients with Severe Pneumonia Who Have Abnormal Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Objective: To analyze sputum culture and drug sensitivity test in patients with severe pneumonia who have abnormal Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods: 216 patients who were diagnosed as severe pneumonia were invested to join our study. All participants received the sputum culture test before they receive the treatment, their inspection time was from January 2016 to December 2016. we use different antibiotic discs to test the drug resistance in test medium, it can test the effects of several major antibiotics on Klebsiella pneumoniae. Our research is focus on the information about Drug resistance for Klebsiella pneumoniae. The collection information includes patient characteristics, Klebsiella pneumoniae source medical department and drug resistance of different antibiotics for Klebsiella pneumoniae. Result: Most Klebsiella pneumoniae sample from ICU (29.6%), Respiratory ward (31.0%), Neurological ward (19.0%) and Cardiovascular ward (43.7%). The klebsiella pneumoniae sample of another source are less than 5% in our research result. Some antibiotics have good influence to Klebsiella pneumoniae, that include cefoperazone/sulbactam, Meropenem and Ciprofloxacin (8.9% & 10.9% & 12.9%). However, the result indicate the Aztreonam has strong drug resistance for Klebsiella pneumoniae, it has 66 out of 99 (66.66%) number of resistant. Conclusion: The cefoperazone/sulbactam, Meropenem and Ciprofloxacin have good influence to improve klebsiella pneumoniae situation on patients with severe pneumonia. Additionally, some medical departments have more patients who severe pneumonia caused by klebsiella pneumoniae, such as ICU, Respiratory ward, Neurological ward and Cardiovascular ward.

A lab-on-chip ultrasonic platform for real-time and nondestructive assessment of extracellular matrix stiffness.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical stiffness and its dynamic change is one of the main cues that directly affects the differentiation and proliferation of normal cells as well as the progression of disease processes such as fibrosis and cancer. Recent advancements in biomaterials have enabled a wide range of polymer matrices that could mimic the ECM of different tissues for a wide range of in vitro basic research and drug discovery. However, most of the technologies utilized to quantify the stiffness of such ECM are either destructive or expensive, and therefore are unsuitable for the in situ, long-term monitoring of variations in ECM stiffness for on-chip cell culture applications. This work demonstrates a novel noninvasive on-chip platform for characterization of ECM stiffness in vitro, by monitoring ultrasonic wave attenuation through the targeted material. The device is composed of a pair of millimeter scale ultrasonic transmitter and receiver transducers with the test medium placed in between them. The transmitter generates an ultrasonic wave that propagates through the material, triggers the piezoelectric receiver and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The characterization reveals a linear (r2 = 0.86) decrease in the output voltage of the piezoelectric receiver with an average sensitivity of -15.86 μV kPa-1 by increasing the stiffnesses of hydrogels (from 4.3 kPa to 308 kPa made with various dry-weight concentrations of agarose and gelatin). The ultrasonic stiffness sensing is also demonstrated to successfully monitor dynamic changes in a simulated in vitro tissue by gradually changing the polymerization density of an agarose gel, as a proof-of-concept towards future use for 3D cell culture and drug screening. In situ long-term ultrasonic signal stability and thermal assessment of the device demonstrates its high robust performance even after two days of continuous operation, with negligible (<0.5 °C) heating of the hydrogel in contact with the piezoelectric transducers. In vitro biocompatibility assessment of the device with mammary fibroblasts further assures that the materials used in the platform did not produce a toxic response and cells remained viable under the applied ultrasound signals in the device.

Noninvasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (niPGT-A) and the principle of primum non nocere

Perhaps with the intention of obtaining larger amounts of free-DNA, some groups are routinely postponing and establishing free-DNA collection in culture medium for Noninvasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (niPGT-A) to day 6 for all blastocysts. A meta-analysis served as the basis for such decision, since statistically similar live birth rates were observed when the transfers of euploid blastocysts were performed on day 5 versus day 6 However, the euploidy analysis was conducted in only two studies However, after including the two more studies we performed a new meta-analysis that clearly showed the risks of losing live births with the decision of adopting the 6th day as the endpoint for gathering free-DNA. We would be losing 1.71x more live births.

Effect of contact load upon attrition-corrosion wear behavior of bio-composite materials: In vitro off-axis sliding contact-chewing simulation

Background: In recent years, the use of composite materials as biomaterials has been increasing in dentistry. It is important to perform in vitro experiments of biomaterials before living tissue. Aim: The purpose of this work was to examine the effect of contact load upon attrition-corrosion wear behavior of bio-composite materials: in vitro off-axis sliding contact chewing simulation. Material and Method: In this study, 2 mm × 12 mm (weight × diameter) cylindrical test specimens were prepared from Filtek Supreme and Clearfil AP-X bio-composite materials with different filler structure. The surface roughness and Vicker's Hardness values of the bio-composites were measured before the wear test procedures. Then, the test specimens were subjected to off-sliding abrasion test procedures under different mechanical loads in artificial saliva and citric acid medium. Wear volume loss of bio-composite materials was determined after wear test procedures using the three-dimensional noncontact profilometer. Results: As the mechanical loading increased, the loss of wear volume in both composite materials increased irrespective of test medium. However, this increase in wear volume loss in test specimens was more pronounced in the citric acid environment. Conclusion: As a result of, the organic matrix structure (such as Ba glass particle) of the composite material contributes to more volume loss in corrosive environment.

Comparison of subclinical dermatophyte infection in short- and long-haired cats.

Background and Aim:Long-haired cats may have an increased risk of dermatophytosis due to insufficient grooming and their thick hair coat trapping fungal spores. The prevalence of subclinical dermatophytosis in long-haired cats was evaluated using fungal culture and Wood’s lamp test. Hematology and blood chemistry results were compared between cats negative and positive for dermatophytosis.Materials and Methods:A total of 127 cats (median age, 3 years [range, 10 months-10 years]) without feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus infection were classified into short-haired (n=64) and long-haired (n=63) groups. Hair samples were cultured on a fungal culture medium (dermatophyte test medium, enhanced sporulation agar, and Sabouraud agar).Results:The prevalence of dermatophytosis in short-haired and long-haired cats was 6.25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15-12.28) and 34.92% (95% CI, 22.94-46.90), respectively. The odds of long-haired cats having dermatophytosis were 8.05 (95% CI, 2.44-33.97) times greater than that in short-haired cats. The number of positive dermatophytosis found in domestic short-haired cats (2/50, 4.0%) was significantly lower than that in Persian cats (17/47, 36.17%; p<0.001) and long-haired mixed breed cats (3/7, 42.86%; p=0.011). The overall sensitivity and specificity of the Wood’s lamp test for diagnosing Microsporum canis infection were 37.5% (95% CI, 21.2-57.3%) and 96.1% (95% CI, 90.4-98.5%), respectively. Cats with dermatophytosis had significantly lower hematocrit and serum albumin levels than cats without dermatophytosis.Conclusion:Subclinical dermatophytosis was more common in long-haired cats; therefore, dermatophyte examinations should be performed routinely.

Improving the method for determining the granular media strength performance by oblique shear test

To ensure the strength performance of the pavement of open pit truck roads, it is necessary that it conforms not only to the designed required deformation (elasticity) modulus, but also to the condition for ensuring the shear resistance of structural layers made from non-cohesive and lowly cohesive granular media. However, today there are no reliable methods for determining the strength performance of coarse-grained materials, therefore, for them there are no designstrength values, and therefore their shear resistance is not evaluated, which is a serious omission. It is proposed to evaluate the strength performance of granular media by the oblique sheartest, for which an improved design of oblique shear apparatus was developed, which made it possible to adjust the granular medium density (structure) to the corresponding density (structure) under construction conditions. An analysis was also made of the influence of the angle of inclination of the shear area on the predicted values of normal and shear stresses arising in the cross section, which made it possible to establish the recommended values of this indicator depending on the prevailing particle size of the test medium.