Culture Time Research Articles

Protective immune-response of Aeromonas hydrophila phage lysate in crucian carp against direct virulent challenge with A. hydrophila-TPS

Aeromonas hydrophila was a common opportunistic pathogen that was widely found in various aquatic environment and could cause multiple infections in humans and animals. The haemorrhagic septicemia and bacterial enteritis in fish triggered by this pathogen led to significant losses in the aquaculture industry. In this study, we aimed to develop a phage lysate vaccine by lysing the A. hydrophila-TPS strain using phage PZY-Ah, which was previously isolated and preserved in the laboratory. First, we focused on optimizing phage lysis conditions, including different host bacteria culture time, phage lysis time, and phage to bacterial ratios. The optimal conditions were established as follows: culturing the A. hydrophila-TPS strain for 6 h, adding phage at a ratio of 1:10, and mixing for 4 h, which resulted in maximum lysis of the host bacteria. Subsequently, we assessed the immune responses of groups receiving formaldehyde-inactivated vaccines compared to those receiving various concentrations of the phage lysate vaccine. Both the TPS-phage lysate and formaldehyde-inactivated vaccine groups exhibited increased levels of specific immune enzymes (ACP, AKP, LZM, SOD, CAT) and cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ) in serum, as well as enhanced humoral immunity (IgM, C3 and C4) in crucian carp. Furthermore, challenge tests conducted post-immunization demonstrated that the high concentration of the TPS strain-lysate vaccine group (1 × 108 CFU/mL) achieved the highest immune protection rate at 88.89 %. Overall, the development of the TPS-phage lysate vaccine significantly enhanced the immunity of crucian carp, providing a higher level of protection and establishing a foundation for the research and development of phage-based aquatic vaccines.

Overcoming problematic growth phenotypes in organoids from patients with monogenic GI disease.

Patient-derived organoids provide a unique model system to explore disease-causing mutations ex vivo. By using organoids from duodenal or colonic biopsies of pediatric patients with intestinal epithelial disorders, we can directly assay the patient cells to tailor treatment to their unique disease state. The advent of organoid technology from patients with severe intestinal disorders such as Congenital Diarrhea Enteropathies (CoDE) and Very-Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD) has allowed for rapid advances in the understanding of and the treatment of these monogenic disorders. Still, the expansion of these lines for scalable studies is not trivial, and success rates of expansion are variable between groups, and even lab members within the same group. These protocols have been validated on patients with CoDE or VEO-IBD and age-matched control patients. Here, we present our recommended protocols for the cultivation of organoids from pediatric patients with CoDE and VEO-IBD. These protocols have been validated on organoids generated from the duodenum (duodenoids), ileum (ileoids), colon (colonoids) and iPSC-derived intestinal colonoids from pediatric healthy donors or donors with CoDE or VEO-IBD (Gwilt et al., 2023). Using our modified culture media, extended culture times from biopsy preparation and thawing frozen lines, gentle passaging techniques with the incomplete removal of the organoids from the matrigel, and modified monolayer protocols (Maeda et al., 2023; Maeda et al., 2022), we have been able to successfully culture and expand several lines for more than 5 years. The conditions and protocols used here provide a basis for reproducible phenotypes, scaling for larger functional studies on patient lines, and for reproducibility of results between several investigators. We provide a useful starting point and troubleshooting guidelines for the optimization of culturing organoids from any patient with novel disease pathology.

Graph-learning-based machine learning improves prediction and cultivation of commercial-grade marine microalgae Porphyridium

A graph learning [Binarized Attributed Network Embedding (BANE)] model enhances the single-target and multi-target prediction performances of random forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) by learning complex interrelationships between cultivation parameters of Porphyridium. The BANE-XGBoost has the best prediction performance (train R2 > 0.96 and test R2 > 0.87). Based on Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) model, illumination intensity, culture time, and KH2PO4 are the most critical factors for Porphyridium growth. The combined facilitating roles of cultivation parameters are found using the SHAP value-based heat map and group. To reach high biomass and daily production rate concurrently, one-way and two-way partial dependent plots models find the optimal conditions. The top 2 critical parameters (illumination intensity and KH2PO4) were selected to verify using the graphical user interface website based on the optimized model and lab experiments, respectively. This study shows thegraph-learning-based model can improve prediction performance and optimize intricate low-carbon microalgal cultivation.

Phenotypic diversity of Bordetella pertussis against Trimethoprim/Sulphamethoxazole in vitro tests

BackgroundTrimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), traditionally a second-line drug, is now proposed as the primary alternative treatment for macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (B.pertussis). Thus, there is an urgent need to evaluate the phenotypic profile of B. pertussis regarding susceptibility to TMP/SMZ. MethodsKirby-Bauer (KB) disk diffusion methods and E-test strips were employed to assess the in vitro susceptibility profiles of 128 B. pertussis strains isolated in China between 2017 and 2022 against TMP/SMZ. Additionally, whole genome sequencing was performed on one strain exhibiting a heterogeneous phenotype. ResultsB. pertussis displayed three phenotypes to TMP/SMZ based on the first 10 days of culture: a predominant fuzzy-bordered phenotype (118/128, 92.2%), a minority with a clear-bordered phenotype (8/128, 6.3%), and a sporadic heterogeneous phenotype (2/128, 1.6%) where TMP/SMZ heterozygous colonies emerged on the 9th day of incubation. The diameter of the inhibition zone around the paper disk will decrease as the culture time extends, while the MIC value will change in the opposite direction. Almost in all tests, the bacterial colony will cover the entire inhibitory zone after 10-14 days of incubation. Strains exhibiting heterogeneity were compared with the complete genomes of Tohama I and CS strains, and 191 and 179 point mutation sites were identified, respectively, with multiple variants associated with the expression of transcriptional regulators. ConclusionThis study highlights the diverse drug sensitivity phenotypes of B. pertussis to TMP/SMZ and the importance of uniform testing protocols. Continuous and dynamic monitoring of B. pertussis isolates for TMP/SMZ sensitivity, along with investigating its correlation with epidemiological changes, is essential for establishing a scientific foundation for the effective management and control of pertussis.

Mueller matrix analysis of a biologically sourced engineered tissue construct as polarimetric phantom.

The polarimetric properties of biological tissues are often difficult to ascertain independent of their complex structural and organizational features. Conventional polarimetric tissue phantoms have well-characterized optical properties but are overly simplified. We demonstrate that an innovative, biologically sourced, engineered tissue construct better recapitulates the desired structural and polarimetric properties of native collagenous tissues, with the added benefit of potential tunability of the polarimetric response. We bridge the gap between non-biological polarimetric phantoms and native tissues. We aim to evaluate a synthesized tissue construct for its effectiveness as a phantom that mimics the polarimetric properties in typical collagenous tissues. We use a fibroblast-derived, ring-shaped engineered tissue construct as an innovative tissue phantom for polarimetric imaging. We perform polarimetry measurements and subsequent analysis using the Mueller matrix decomposition and Mueller matrix transformation methods. Scalar polarimetric parameters of the engineered tissue are analyzed at different time points for both a control group and for those treated with the transforming growth factor . Second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and three-dimensional collagen fiber organization analysis are also applied. We identify linear retardance and circular depolarization as the parameters that are most sensitive to the tissue culture time and the addition of . Aside from a statistically significant increase over time, the behavior of linear retardance and circular depolarization indicates that the addition of accelerates the growth of the engineered tissue, which is consistent with expectations. We also find through SHG images that collagen fiber organization becomes more aligned over time but is not susceptible to the addition of . The engineered tissue construct exhibits changes in polarimetric properties, especially linear retardance and circular depolarization, over culture time and under treatments. This tissue construct has the potential to act as a controlled modular optical phantom for polarimetric-based methods.

Optimizing crop monitoring: mapping cultivation stages and types with sentinel-1/2 and random forest algorithm

ABSTRACT Crop-type mapping is essential for agricultural monitoring, improving crop yield models, and supporting sustainable land management. Studying crop phenology, which includes the timing from germination to maturity, is equally important for precise agricultural practices. However, maps detailing crop phenology are scarce. This study addresses this gap by mapping both crop types and cultivation time, offering valuable insights for agriculture applications. The research integrates Sentinel-1/2 data, NDVI phenology curves, and machine learning (ML) algorithms through Google Earth Engine to map crops in El-Behera Governorate, Egypt. By stratifying the region into different soil types, it accounts for various agro-environmental conditions. Field visits in July 2022 provided crop-type information, and Sentinel-2 NDVI curves were used to determine cultivation time. The random forest (RF) classifier, known for its accuracy, was employed, achieving an overall accuracy (OA) of 97.4% for crop type and 95.6% for cultivation time, with high Kappa coefficients. Feature importance analysis highlighted the significance of specific spectral bands, particularly in the Red Edge region, for classification accuracy. Hyperparameter tuning across different zones demonstrated the need for customized tuning. This study enhances understanding of agro-environmental variability’s impact on crop classification and shows the potential of the RF algorithm in advancing crop mapping, suggesting further studies on how shifts in cultivation time could affect crop yield.

Application of FISH based G2-PCC assay for the cytogenetic assessment of high radiation dose exposures: Potential implications for rapid triage biodosimetry.

The main goal of this study is to test the utility of calyculin A induced G2-PCC assay as a biodosimetry triage tool for assessing a wide range of low and acute high radiation dose exposures of photons. Towards this initiative, chromosome aberrations induced by low and high doses of x-rays were evaluated and characterized in G2-prematurely condensed chromosomes (G2-PCCs) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using human centromere and telomere specific PNA (peptide nucleic acid) probes. A dose dependent increase in the frequency of dicentric chromosomes was observed in the G2-PCCs up to 20 Gy of x-rays. The combined yields of dicentrics and rings in the G2-PCCs showed a clear dose dependency up to 20 Gy from 0.02/cell for 0.1 Gy to 14.98/cell for 20 Gy. Centric rings were observed more frequently than acentric ring chromosomes in the G2-PCCs at all the radiation doses from 1 Gy to 20 Gy. A head-to-head comparison was also performed by FISH on the yields of chromosome aberrations induced by different doses of x-rays (0 Gy -7.5 Gy) in colcemid arrested metaphase chromosomes and calyculin A induced G2-PCCs. In general, the frequencies of dicentrics, rings and acentric fragments were slightly higher in G2-PCCs than in colcemid arrested metaphase chromosomes at all the radiation doses, but the differences were not statistically significant. To reduce the turnaround time for absorbed radiation dose estimation, attempt was made to obtain G2-PCCs by reducing the culture time to 36 hrs. The absorbed doses estimated in x-rays irradiated (0,1,2 and 4 Gy) G2-PCCs after 36 hrs of culture were grossly like that of G2-PCCs and colcemid arrested metaphase chromosomes prepared after 48 hrs of culture. Our study indicates that the shortened version of calyculin A induced G2-PCC assay coupled with the FISH staining technique can serve as an effective triage biodosimetry tool for large-scale radiological/nuclear incidents.

Production of Carotenoids and Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis Cultivated Under Mixotrophy Using Brewery Wastewater: Effect of Light Intensity and Cultivation Time

Production of Carotenoids and Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis Cultivated Under Mixotrophy Using Brewery Wastewater: Effect of Light Intensity and Cultivation Time

Continuous Viscoelasticity Measurement of Cell Spheroids via Microfluidic Electrical Aspiration.

Measurement of viscoelastic characteristics of cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) is critical to study many biological processes including tissue and organ growth. In this article, we present a unique electrical aspiration method to measure the viscoelastic properties of cell spheroids. A microfluidic sensor was created to demonstrate this method. Unlike the traditional optical aspiration method, the aspiration of the cell spheroids is monitored via monitoring the dynamic electrical resistance change of a symmetrical microfluidic aspiration channel. We first used the microfluidic device to measure the viscoelastic properties of two types of biological tissues derived from calfskin and porcine left ventricular myocardium. The equilibrium elastic modulus and creep time constants were measured to be 148.1 ± 24.1 kPa and 76.7 ± 3.5 s and 64.5 ± 7.7 kPa and 31.4 ± 2.7 s respectively, which matched well with reported data. The test validated the principle of the electrical aspiration method. Next, we applied the method for measuring cell spheroids made of human mesenchymal stem cells at different culture stages. The equilibrium elastic modulus and apparent viscosity decreased with increasing culture time. Compared to optical aspiration methods, this microfluidic electrical aspiration method has no reliance on transparent materials and image processing, which thus allows simple setup, fast data acquisition and analysis. The use of a symmetric aspiration channel and the linear half-space model enable measurements of a large number of viscoelastic properties via a single measurement with higher accuracy. This method will enable high throughput, continuous viscoelastic measurement of cell spheroids as well as other 3D cell culture models in flow conditions without the need for any optical measurements.

A Physiological Analysis of Desiccation Stress in the Green Tide Species Ulva stenophylloides and Ulva uncialis in the South Pacific

Global green tide blooms of the Ulva genus have been increasing due to human activities, with mass accumulation in Algarrobo Bay, Chile, causing ecological and social issues. In this area, five Ulva species were previously identified, with Ulva stenophylloides dominating across seasons and intertidal zones; Ulva uncialis was the second most abundant, mainly in winter. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that U. stenophylloides is more tolerant to desiccation than U. uncialis, explaining its dominance in the upper intertidal zone. Based on in vitro cultures, we assessed the impact of desiccation stress on weight, blade length, cellular activity, and lipoperoxide levels. In U. uncialis, desiccation treatment caused a decrease in weight; conversely, in U. stenophylloides, both control and desiccation treatments caused a slight decrease in weight. No significant differences (p > 0.05) in blade length or lipoperoxide levels as a function of culture time were detected in the control and desiccation treatment groups for both species. Furthermore, desiccation had no negative effects on the cellular activity of either species. Although the observed weight changes suggest that U. uncialis is more desiccation-tolerant than U. stenophylloides under the experimental conditions, the cellular activity and lipoperoxidation indicate high desiccation tolerance in both species, which partly explains their intertidal dominance.

Optimisation of Lactobacillus fermentation conditions and its application in the fermentation of salt-free sauerkraut.

To identify what are the dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) involved in the fermentation of salt-free sauerkraut, and optimize its industrial culture conditions, we isolated and identified a strain of LAB, which is referred to as Lactobacillus sp. DF_001, with the preservation number CCTCC NO: M20232593, from five different regions in Guizhou Province. Industrial culture conditions were optimized using Plackett-Burman and Central Composite design experiments, and the potential role of this LAB in salt-free sauerkraut fermentation was validated. Bioproduction was optimal with a culture time of 66 h, starch/water ratio of 1.7% and inoculum of 0.02%, which gave approximately three-fold higher yield than the basal culture medium DeMan-Rogosa-Sharpe medium (MRS). The LAB was used in small-scale industrial experiments. The Dafang LAB significantly enhanced the sensory score of the salt-free sauerkraut products by about 32% compared to the control group. The total acid content increased by about 32% and the sugar and nitrite contents were reduced by 67.27 and 69.58%, respectively. The total number of bacterial colonies decreased by 37.5%. All other indicators complied with the national standard, providing overall the basis to improve salt-free sauerkraut fermentation.

Purification and Characterization of β-Mannanase Derived from Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis Expressed in Komagataella phaffii.

The demand for food-grade β-mannanases, ideal for high-temperature baking, is increasing. Using the Komagataella phaffii (P. pastoris) expression system for β-mannanase production, this study aimed to enhance purification methods. We evaluated better conditions for production and purification of β-mannanase (PpRmMan134A) from recombinant P. pastoris X-33, focusing on a higher purity and reducing the production of endogenous secretory proteins in fermentation. By adjusting carbon and nitrogen sources, culture time, and temperature, we controlled cell growth to reduce the production of endogenous secretory proteins. The better-evaluated conditions involved culturing recombinant P. pastoris in 70 mL buffered glycerol complex medium for 24 h at 30 °C, then in modified buffered methanol-complex medium with 0.91% (w/v) methanol, 0.56% (w/v) sorbitol, and 0.48% (w/v) mannitol for another 24 h, which improved the PpRmMan134A yield and reduced endogenous secretory proteins, shortening the fermentation time by 72 h. An affordable purification method using ultrafiltration and salt-out precipitation was utilized. PpRmMan134A showed thermostability up to 100 °C and effectively degraded locust bean gum into smaller fragments, mainly producing mannotriose. In conclusion, with its enhanced purity due to reduced levels of endogenous secretory proteins, purified PpRmMan134A emerges as a promising enzyme for high-temperature baking applications.

Influence of multi-stress factors on the growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus abundans using response surface methodology.

This study evaluated the biofuel production potential of two algal species, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus abundans, under stress conditions induced by nutrient supplementation or starvation at varying light intensities. Central composite face-centered design response surface methodology (CCFD-RSM) was employed to optimize stress conditions by varying the sodium nitrate (NaNO3), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4), dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4), cultivation time, and light intensity. The study included both C. pyrenoidosa and S. abundans, which presented increased biomass yields when subjected to nutrient starvation. Under the optimized conditions, the dry biomass yield was 98.26mg/L for C. pyrenoidosa and 110mg/L for S. abundans. Lipid yields were approximately 22.47% for C. pyrenoidosa and 29.06% for S. abundans under these optimized growth conditions. The optimized parameters for maximum biomass and lipid production were identified as C. pyrenoidosa, and the optimized conditions required 0.805g/L NaNO3, 0.052g/L K2HPO4, 0.099g/L KH2PO4, 17days of culture, and 5168.39lx of light intensity. For S. abundans, the optimal conditions were 1.065g/L NaNO3, 0.071g/L K2HPO4, 0.058g/L KH2PO4, 22days of cultivation, and 2897lx of light intensity. Overall, both C. pyrenoidosa and S. abundans have emerged as promising candidates for sustainable biodiesel production, highlighting their potential under stress conditions induced by nutrient modulation and variable light intensities.

Effect of CAT gene polymorphism on sensitivity of human lymphocytes to genotoxic effect of organochlorine pesticide in vitro

Introduction. Over recent decades, toxicogenetic studies have focused on the issues of genome instability under the action of genotoxicants, taking into account biomarkers of sensitivity. The question about the genotoxic potential of chlorpyrifos remains open, since both positive and negative effects have been revealed in various tests. The aim of the study is the investigation of sensitivity of donor peripheral blood lymphocytes to chlorpyrifos in vitro and evaluation of the contribution of polymorphism of antioxidant defense system genes (CAT (rs1001179), SOD2 (rs4880)) to the response of human cells to the action of genotoxicant. Materials and methods. The DNA damaging effect of chlorpyrifos was assessed on lymphocytes from fifty two donors using DNA-comet assay with metabolic activation (+S9) and without it (–S9). The study of cytotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos on human lymphocytes was carried out using an automatic fluorescent cell analyzer ADAMII LS. Results. Chlorpyrifos had a pronounced cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes in most donors in the absence of metabolic activation system. With increasing concentration of the pesticide in the medium and time of cultivation, the viability of lymphocytes decreased, and the proportion of cells in late apoptosis and necrosis increased. Positive genotoxic effects were found on the cells of 33 donors (-S9). In the presence of the S9, mild but statistically significant effects were detected only on cells from 2 donors. % DNA values in the comet tail after exposure to the pesticide varied for cells from different donors. In the absence of metabolic activation, a statistically significant increase in the level of DNA damage was found in cells of individuals with genotype AA (homozygote for the minor allele) for the CAT G262A catalase gene (rs1001179), compared with homozygote for the dominant GG allele. Limitations. The genotoxicity of chlorpyryfos was studied in vitro. Conclusion. The results of the study shown cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos. The sensitivity of lymphocytes from different donors to the pesticide was found to be significantly different. The association of the level of DNA damage under exposure of chlorpyrifos in vitro with the G262A polymorphism of the catalase gene was found. The research also confirms the possibility of using a model test-system with peripheral blood lymphocytes to assess the potential genetic risk for humans and to study the contribution of gene polymorphism to individual sensitivity to the action of genotoxicants.

Utility of cell index in the diagnosis of healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis: an analytical cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe diagnosis of healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis (HCAVM) can be complex because multiple factors confound the interpretation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests. The cell index (CI) may help in the diagnosis of HCAVM. It does not incur additional medical cost and it avoids delays from the turnaround time of CSF cultures. It is derived by calculating the ratio of CSF white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) divided by the ratio of peripheral WBC and RBC. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of this parameter.MethodsAn analytic, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital. All admitted pediatric and adult patients from 2015 to 2022 who underwent external ventricular drain (EVD) insertion for hydrocephalus secondary to intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), acute ischemic stroke, intracranial neoplasms, traumatic brain injury, or congenital hydrocephalus were screened. Records of patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were then reviewed.ResultsA total of 363 patients underwent EVD insertion from 2015 to 2022. Of these, 161 were included in the study. Two-thirds (66.5%) were adults ≥ 19 years old whereas the remaining were pediatric patients 1 to < 19 years old. There were no patients < 12 months old as they fulfilled at least one exclusion criteria. Forty-nine of them were later confirmed to have HCAVM based on the CDC/NHSN criteria. A CI cut-off of ≥ 1.21 gave a maximum sensitivity of 30.6% and specificity of 86.4%. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC-ROC) analysis was 0.585. Subgroup analysis by age showed sensitivity of 52.9% in the pediatric age group and 3.13% in adults. Subgroup analysis by neurologic indication showed sensitivity of 27.6% for ICH and 35.0% for neoplasms. Subsequent AUC-ROC analyses, however, showed that CI failed to adequately diagnose HCAVM in these subgroups.ConclusionsIn our population of neurologic patients who underwent EVD insertion, the cell index is not a reliable parameter in the diagnosis of HCAVM.

Global characterization of somatic mutations and DNA methylation changes during vegetative propagation in strawberries.

Somatic mutations arise and accumulate during tissue culture and vegetative propagation, potentially affecting various traits in horticultural crops, but their characteristics are still unclear. Here, somatic mutations in regenerated woodland strawberry derived from tissue culture of shoot tips under different conditions and 12 cultivated strawberry individuals are analyzed by whole genome sequencing. The mutation frequency of single nucleotide variants is significantly increased with increased hormone levels or prolonged culture time in the range of 3.3 × 10-8-3.0 × 10-6 mutations per site. CG methylation shows a stable reduction (0.71%-8.03%) in regenerated plants, and hypoCG-DMRs are more heritable after sexual reproduction. A high-quality haplotype-resolved genome is assembled for the strawberry cultivar "Beni hoppe." The 12 "Beni hoppe" individuals randomly selected from different locations show 4731-6005 mutations relative to the reference genome, and the mutation frequency varies among the subgenomes. Our study has systematically characterized the genetic and epigenetic variants in regenerated woodland strawberry plants and different individuals of the same strawberry cultivar, providing an accurate assessment of somatic mutations at the genomic scale and nucleotide resolution in plants.

Streptococcus pneumoniae in Medical Districts of Burkina Faso: Serotype Distribution and Antibiotic Susceptibility during 2010 to 2012

Introduction: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a highly virulent pathogen. Despite the recent introduction of vaccines in the program of prevention in Burkina Faso, treatment by antibiotics has remained in use. The aim of this study was to determine the serotypes implied in invasive pneumococcal infections and their resistance to antibiotics used for routine treatment in Burkina Faso. Methods: From March 2010 to December 2012, a total of 6,102 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and pleural fluid (PF) specimens were collected in Burkina Faso. The specimens were analyzed by latex agglutination assay, culture, and real time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) for species identification. Serotyping was performed by rt-PCR and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined by the E-test. Results: Among 562 S. pneumoniae strains identified from 6,102 specimens, 440 isolates were serotyped by rt-PCR. Serotypes 1 and 5 were the most common (50%); however, 70 (15.9%) strains were not detected by rt-PCR methodology. Among patients of less than 20 years of age, serotype 1 was the most frequent strain identified (9.3% to 13.2%). Ampicillin and ceftriaxone were the most active antibiotics in vitro against the strains identified. The rate of S. pneumoniae strains susceptible to chloramphenicol was 83%. Serotypes 1 (7/49) and 5 (5/7) were non-susceptible to chloramphenicol. Conclusion: Serotypes 1 and 5 were the common serotypes identified. Conjugate vaccines introduced in Burkina Faso should take in account these valences, to decrease the incidence of pneumococcal infections efficiently.

A Pilot Study Exploring the Feasibility of Virtual Written Exposure Therapy with Underserved Black Perinatal Women.

In the USA, Black pregnant women are at the highest risk for maternal morbidity. They also experience the highest rates of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD takes a toll on Black women's mental and physical health, placing them at risk for maternal morbidity. It increases several mental health symptoms such as suicidality, anxiety, re-living the trauma, and numbness. These mental health conditions adversely affect health behaviors, including those essential for maternal health, such as attending prenatal and postpartum appointments. Furthermore, untreated PTSD is associated with higher blood pressure, increasing Black mothers' risk of pre-eclampsia. For a variety of reasons including cultural mistrust, stigma, transportation, time constraints, and access to care, PTSD is frequently underassessed and undertreated among Black perinatal women. Written exposure therapy (WET) is a state-of-the-art brief treatment for PTSD. In this study, we explored the initial feasibility of the virtual delivery of WET to reduce PTSD symptoms among Black perinatal women. Results found the virtual delivery of WET to be feasible. Symptom reduction for PTSD in participants was 50-100% during follow-up, suggesting potential effectiveness of the intervention. Implications for virtual delivery of WET in reducing risk for Black maternal morbidity are discussed.

The efect of low-dose gamma radiation on the development of plants from irradiated Pisum sativum sprouts in laboratory experiments

The problem of radiation exposure to organisms is relevant for areas where nuclear industry enterprises are located. Plant biotests are widely used for biotesting of anthropogenic factors affecting the environment, including radiation. The sensitivity of growth and cytogenetic parameters of the biotest based on Pisum sativum to the action of gamma irradiation n has been shown before, but only at high doses. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of low-dose gamma irradiation on the development of Pisum sativum over 6-10 days after irradiating the sprouts. In the experiments, seeds of the Radomir sowing variety from the collection of the pea breeding laboratory of Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture - Federal Research Centre Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center SB RAS were used. Pea sprouts were irradiated with a 137Cs source for 24 and 72 hours, with the absorbed dose being 20 and 62 mGy. After irradiation, the sprouts were grown in a climatic chamber on hydroponics for 10 days (240 hours). The control consisted of non-irradiated sprouts grown under identical conditions. The experiments for the first time provided reliable data on the negative effects of gamma irradiation (20 and 62 mGy) on the development of sowing peas 6-10 days after irradiation. A negative effect of gamma irradiation on the growth of the main and lateral roots of young plants was revealed. The experiments with irradiated pea sprouts confirmed the previously known fact that plant roots are more sensitive to irradiation compared to shoots. The pattern of change in the length of the main root of peas over time during germination at a dose of 20 mGy is described by a linear equation, while for a higher dose of irradiation, 62 mGy, the data can be approximated by a logarithmic equation with saturation. The different character of root length dependence on the time of cultivation after irradiation indicates a possible trend in plant growth under various doses of irradiation and cultivation times.

Transcriptomic Communication between Nucleus and Mitochondria during the Browning Process of Lentinula edodes.

To explore the reason for cytoplasmic replacement's significant effect on browning, transcriptomic data of nuclear (N) and mitochondrial (M) mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in L808 and two cytoplasmic hybrids (cybrids) (L808-A2 and L808-B) of Lentinula edodes at three different culturing times (80, 100, and 120 days) were obtained. The results showed that the expression of N and M genes and lncRNAs changed with the culture time and cytoplasmic source. Cytoplasmic replacement significantly affected some M and N genes related to the internal mechanism and external morphological characteristics of L. edodes browning. The internal browning mechanism should be the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-mediated antioxidant machinery to protect mycelia against oxidative stress induced by the generation of reactive oxygen species under light irradiation. External morphological characteristics were the changing features of brown films by melanin (an antioxidant) aggregation on the surface of the mycelia of the bag or log. Especially, some genes were related to the remodeling of the plasma membrane, extracellular enzymes of celluloses and hemicellulases, small molecules, and NADPH metabolic processes. Additionally, communication between the nucleus and mitochondria mediated by M-rps3 was reported for the first time, and it is mainly appreciated in M structural assembly, functional implementation, and cooperation with other organelles.