Isolated tricuspid valve Group B Streptococcal endocarditis with septic pulmonary embolism and multiple mycotic aneurysms of the pulmonary arteries.

A diabetic woman in her 30s was admitted to our medical centre for persistent fever associated with worsening cough, easy fatigability and pleuritic chest pain noted after childbirth. Investigations revealed an isolated tricuspid valve endocarditis from Group B Streptococcus Despite appropriate antibiotic coverage, her symptoms persisted with worsening dyspnoea; hence, a CT pulmonary angiogram was done which showed septic pulmonary embolism and multiple mycotic aneurysms of the pulmonary arteries. She was treated with antibiotics and underwent tricuspid valve replacement and was discharged well with a return to her baseline functional capacity on subsequent follow-ups.

The Kitty Microbiome Project: Defining the Healthy Fecal "Core Microbiome" in Pet Domestic Cats.

Here, we present a taxonomically defined fecal microbiome dataset for healthy domestic cats (Felis catus) fed a range of commercial diets. We used this healthy reference dataset to explore how age, diet, and living environment correlate with fecal microbiome composition. Thirty core bacterial genera were identified. Prevotella, Bacteroides, Collinsella, Blautia, and Megasphaera were the most abundant, and Bacteroides, Blautia, Lachnoclostridium, Sutterella, and Ruminococcus gnavus were the most prevalent. While community composition remained relatively stable across different age classes, the number of core taxa present decreased significantly with age. Fecal microbiome composition varied with host diet type. Cats fed kibble had a slightly, but significantly greater number of core taxa compared to cats not fed any kibble. The core microbiomes of cats fed some raw food contained taxa not as highly prevalent or abundant as cats fed diets that included kibble. Living environment also had a large effect on fecal microbiome composition. Cats living in homes differed significantly from those in shelters and had a greater portion of their microbiomes represented by core taxa. Collectively our work reinforces the findings that age, diet, and living environment are important factors to consider when defining a core microbiome in a population.

Distribution of birds in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: 1. Colombia with 1941 known recorded bird species is one of the most species rich countries in the world. Efforts are necessary to conserve, study and promote sustainable use of this important taxonomic group throughout Colombia's vast territory.2. In an ideal world, informed decisions that are based on sound scientific information should be likelier to have successful outcomes. Nevertheless, there are barriers that make it difficult to access and use information in a timely fashion. Those same barriers impede the study, conservation and sustainable use of bird species in Colombia. On the other hand, given that there is good documentation about the ecology of a large number of species, information about the distribution of birds can be easily incorporated into decision-making processes, once this information becomes readily available in a consumable format using Geographic Information Sciences tools.3. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to present the first compilation of the current distribution of 1889 (97%) species of birds in Colombia, using expert criteria. The shapefiles were used to show the distribution and diversity of bird species in Colombia under both geopolitical and conservation geographic units.4. The information provided in this paper can be used as a baseline for a huge number of initiatives that aim to strengthen conservation efforts and improve knowledge about one the most unique taxonomic groups in the country. These range from land use planning strategies at the municipal or department scale to sustainable use of bird species - such as those initiatives related to bird watching - in Colombia. NEW INFORMATION: This study has considered three key aspects: 1) the importance of birds for Colombia's ecosystems, 2) the privileged place of Colombia in bird species richness and 3) the importance of data mobilisation in formats easily consumable by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to facilitate the processes of informed decision-making. We present the first compilation - in shapefile format - for 1889 of the 1941 bird species recorded from Colombia. Using this novel collection, we showed the species richness of birds in Colombia's 33 Departments plus its Captial District (DPs), 1122 Municipalities (MNs), 58 protected areas (PAs), 39 Regional Autonomous Corporations (the authorities responsible within their respective jurisdictions for regulating the environment and renewable natural resources in Colombia; CARs) and 916 Collectively Titled Territories (including both indigenous reservations and afro-descendant communities; CTTs). In addition, we provide a list of known bird species richness for the above geographic units found in the available literature. The information provided here can be used as a baseline for a huge number of initiatives concerning the study, conservation and sustainable use of bird species present in Colombia, providing access to key features of bird distribution that should facilitate decision-making.