Facilitating donor compliance with strategies to prevent vasovagal reactions: comparison of web-based and in-center approaches.

BACKGROUND: Research has documented beneficial effects of water loading (WL) and applied muscle tension (AMT) on reducing self-reported vasovagal reactions (VVRs) in whole blood (WB) donors. However, the optimal approach to reducing VVRs using these strategies in routine blood collection practice is not known. This study evaluated the effectiveness of embedding newly developed web-based and on-site donor education materials to increase the use of these two prevention techniques during blood collection. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Two studies were conducted with WB donors. In Study 1, donors (n = 375) were randomly allocated to evaluate one of three forms of educational materials (video, webpage, card) in an online questionnaire. In Study 2, donors (n = 598) were randomly assigned to view either off-site web-based or in-center educational materials and were surveyed after donation to assess compliance to the VVR prevention procedure and to self-report VVR. RESULTS: In Study 1, donors rated the video as having the highest message appeal and indicated greater likelihood to use AMT compared to the webpage and card. No differences were found in likelihood to use WL. In contrast, in Study 2, greater adherence to VVR prevention strategies was observed in donors who received the in-center instruction card in comparison to those who received the web-based materials. Examination of viewing data indicated that only a small number of donors had seen the web-based materials. No significant effects of the techniques were found on self-reported VVRs. CONCLUSION: Providing on-site instructions is the most effective method to increase donor compliance to VVR prevention techniques.

OPHIDIOMYCES OPHIODIICOLA ON A CAPTIVE BLACK RACER (COLUBER CONSTRICTOR) AND A GARTER SNAKE (THAMNOPHIS SIRTALIS) IN PENNSYLVANIA.

Two snakes were presented to the Pennsylvania State University Animal Diagnostic Laboratory with one suffering from external lesions where the scales were raised and discolored, and the other with oral lesions and swelling extending to the left eye, which was opaque. Histopathological analysis revealed multifocal granulomas containing fungal hyphae. Morphological and DNA sequence analyses revealed both suffered from infection by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, an emerging pathogen of snakes. This is the first report of this disease in Pennsylvania.

Identification of Specialists and Abundance-Occupancy Relationships among Intestinal Bacteria of Aves, Mammalia, and Actinopterygii.

The coalescence of next-generation DNA sequencing methods, ecological perspectives, and bioinformatics analysis tools is rapidly advancing our understanding of the evolution and function of vertebrate-associated bacterial communities. Delineation of host-microbe associations has applied benefits ranging from clinical treatments to protecting our natural waters. Microbial communities follow some broad-scale patterns observed for macroorganisms, but it remains unclear how the specialization of intestinal vertebrate-associated communities to a particular host environment influences broad-scale patterns in microbial abundance and distribution. We analyzed the V6 region of 16S rRNA genes amplified from 106 fecal samples spanning Aves, Mammalia, and Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish). We investigated the interspecific abundance-occupancy relationship, where widespread taxa tend to be more abundant than narrowly distributed taxa, among operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within and among host species. In a separate analysis, we identified specialist OTUs that were highly abundant in a single host and rare in all other hosts by using a multinomial model without excluding undersampled OTUs a priori. We show that intestinal microbes in humans and other vertebrates display abundance-occupancy relationships, but because intestinal host-associated communities have undergone intense specialization, this trend is violated by a disproportionately large number of specialist taxa. Although it is difficult to distinguish the effects of dispersal limitations, host selection, historical contingency, and stochastic processes on community assembly, results suggest that intestinal bacteria can be shared among diverse hosts in ways that resemble the distribution of "free-living" bacteria in the extraintestinal environment.

Comparison of Sewage and Animal Fecal Microbiomes by Using Oligotyping Reveals Potential Human Fecal Indicators in Multiple Taxonomic Groups.

Most DNA-based microbial source tracking (MST) approaches target host-associated organisms within the order Bacteroidales, but the gut microbiota of humans and other animals contain organisms from an array of other taxonomic groups that might provide indicators of fecal pollution sources. To discern between human and nonhuman fecal sources, we compared the V6 regions of the 16S rRNA genes detected in fecal samples from six animal hosts to those found in sewage (as a proxy for humans). We focused on 10 abundant genera and used oligotyping, which can detect subtle differences between rRNA gene sequences from ecologically distinct organisms. Our analysis showed clear patterns of differential oligotype distributions between sewage and animal samples. Over 100 oligotypes of human origin occurred preferentially in sewage samples, and 99 human oligotypes were sewage specific. Sequences represented by the sewage-specific oligotypes can be used individually for development of PCR-based assays or together with the oligotypes preferentially associated with sewage to implement a signature-based approach. Analysis of sewage from Spain and Brazil showed that the sewage-specific oligotypes identified in U.S. sewage have the potential to be used as global alternative indicators of human fecal pollution. Environmental samples with evidence of prior human fecal contamination had consistent ratios of sewage signature oligotypes that corresponded to the trends observed for sewage. Our methodology represents a promising approach to identifying new bacterial taxa for MST applications and further highlights the potential of the family Lachnospiraceae to provide human-specific markers. In addition to source tracking applications, the patterns of the fine-scale population structure within fecal taxa suggest a fundamental relationship between bacteria and their hosts.

Serum eye drop preparation in Australia: Current manufacturing practice.

Serum eye drops are used to treat diseases such as dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), a disease of the surface of the eye that results in an unstable tear film. Patients are referred to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service by ophthalmologists for autologous serum eye drops when other therapies such as artificial tears or topical immunosuppressive agents have failed. In order to manufacture autologous serum eye drops, whole blood is collected from the patients using standard blood collection procedures. The blood is then allowed to clot to produce serum and processed into 20% serum eye drops, which are then returned to the patient for their own use. The eye drops are packaged into a long length of tubing, which is then heat-sealed to produce single-use segments. The demand for serum eye drops in Australia is increasing every year, with a 30% increase in the past 12 months.

Sustained benefits of autologous serum eye drops on self-reported ocular symptoms and vision-related quality of life in Australian patients with dry eye and corneal epithelial defects.

BACKGROUND: This research examined the effect of autologous serum eye drops (ASED) on ocular symptoms, visual-related functioning and quality of life for patients failing other therapies. METHODS: Patients (N = 77) were asked to complete a survey prior to ASED use, and 2 and 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Significant improvements in symptom frequency and severity were documented for dryness, ocular pain and grittiness at 2 and 12 months. Patients felt more in control and required less help from others at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: ASED produce sustained benefits to dry eye symptoms, improve feelings of control and reduce requirements for assistance from others.

Analysis of the gull fecal microbial community reveals the dominance of Catellicoccus marimammalium in relation to culturable Enterococci.

Gulls are prevalent in beach environments and can be a major source of fecal contamination. Gulls have been shown to harbor a high abundance of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as Escherichia coli and enterococci, which can be readily detected as part of routine beach monitoring. Despite the ubiquitous presence of gull fecal material in beach environments, the associated microbial community is relatively poorly characterized. We generated comprehensive microbial community profiles of gull fecal samples using Roche 454 and Illumina MiSeq platforms to investigate the composition and variability of the gull fecal microbial community and to measure the proportion of FIB. Enterococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were the two most abundant families in our gull samples. Sequence comparisons between short-read data and nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene clones generated from the same samples revealed Catellicoccus marimammalium as the most numerous taxon among all samples. The identification of bacteria from gull fecal pellets cultured on membrane-Enterococcus indoxyl-ß-D-glucoside (mEI) plates showed that the dominant sequences recovered in our sequence libraries did not represent organisms culturable on mEI. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing of gull fecal isolates cultured on mEI plates, 98.8% were identified as Enterococcus spp., 1.2% were identified as Streptococcus spp., and none were identified as C. marimammalium. Illumina deep sequencing indicated that gull fecal samples harbor significantly higher proportions of C. marimammalium 16S rRNA gene sequences (>50-fold) relative to typical mEI culturable Enterococcus spp. C. marimammalium therefore can be confidently utilized as a genetic marker to identify gull fecal pollution in the beach environment.

Iron status and dietary iron intake of female blood donors.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess iron status and dietary iron intake in a sample of premenopausal female regular and new blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Premenopausal women blood donors were invited to participate. Blood samples were analyzed for serum ferritin and hemoglobin. An iron checklist assessed dietary iron intake. Donors were classified as regular donors or new donors. RESULTS: Twenty-one new donors (mean [SD] age, 28.6 [6.0] years; body mass index [BMI], 25.6 [4.5] kg/m(2) ) and 172 regular donors (mean age, 29.4 [5.5] years; BMI, 24.7 [3.8] kg/m(2) ) participated. Fifty percent of regular donors and 24% of new donors had depleted iron stores (serum ferritin <15 µg/L; difference p = 0.036). Dietary iron intake was higher in regular donors (mean [SE], 12.6 [0.7] mg/day) compared to new donors (9.9 [0.4] mg/day; p = 0.006). Eighty-five percent of regular donors and 79% of new donors met the estimated average requirement for iron. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that most of these donors had an adequate dietary iron intake, more than half of the blood donors had depleted iron stores. Increasing dietary iron intake through supplements and/or dietary means is expected to be necessary to maintain adequate iron status in this group.

White button mushrooms increase microbial diversity and accelerate the resolution of Citrobacter rodentium infection in mice.

The effect of feeding C57BL/6 mice white button (WB) mushrooms or control (CTRL) diets for 6 wk was determined on the bacterial microflora, urinary metabolome, and resistance to a gastrointestinal (GI) pathogen. Feeding mice a diet containing 1 g WB mushrooms/100 g diet resulted in changes in the microflora that were evident at 2 wk and stabilized after 4 wk of WB feeding. Compared with CTRL-fed mice, WB feeding (1 g/100 g diet) increased the diversity of the microflora and reduced potentially pathogenic (e.g., Clostridia) bacteria in the GI tract. Bacteria from the Bacteroidetes phylum increased and the Firmicutes phylum decreased in mushroom-fed mice compared with CTRL. The changes in the microflora were also reflected in the urinary metabolome that showed a metabolic shift in the WB-fed compared with the CTRL-fed mice. The WB feeding and changes in the microbiome were associated with fewer inflammatory cells and decreased colitis severity in the GI mucosa following Citrobacter rodentium infection compared with CTRL. Paradoxically, the clearance of C. rodentium infection did not differ even though Ifn-γ and Il-17 were higher in the colons of the WB-fed mice compared with CTRL. Adding modest amounts of WB mushrooms (1 g/100 g diet) to the diet changed the composition of the normal flora and the urinary metabolome of mice and these changes resulted in better control of inflammation and resolution of infection with C. rodentium.

Antimicrobial Resistance Linked to Septic System Contamination in the Indiana Lake Michigan Watershed.

Extended-spectrum ß-lactamases confer resistance to a variety of ß-lactam antimicrobials, and the genes for these enzymes are often found on plasmids that include additional antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG). We surveyed aquatic environments in the Indiana Lake Michigan watershed in proximity to areas with high densities of residential septic systems to determine if human fecal contamination from septic effluent correlated with the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and phenotypically resistant bacteria. Of the 269 E. coli isolated from environmental samples and one septic source, 97 isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, a third-generation cephalosporin. A subset of those isolates showed phenotypic resistance to other ß-lactams, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. Quantitative PCR was used to quantify human-associated Bacteroides dorei gene copies (Human Bacteroides) from water samples and to identify the presence of ARG harbored on plasmids from E. coli isolates or in environmental DNA. We found a strong correlation between the presence of ARG and human fecal concentrations, which supports our hypothesis that septic effluent is a source of ARG and resistant organisms. The observed plasmid-based resistance adds an additional level of risk, as human-associated bacteria from septic systems may expand the environmental resistome by acting as a reservoir of transmissible resistance genes.

A synthesis of mercury research in the Southern Hemisphere, part 1: Natural processes.

Recent studies demonstrate a short 3-6-month atmospheric lifetime for mercury (Hg). This implies Hg emissions are predominantly deposited within the same hemisphere in which they are emitted, thus placing increasing importance on considering Hg sources, sinks and impacts from a hemispheric perspective. In the absence of comprehensive Hg data from the Southern Hemisphere (SH), estimates and inventories for the SH have been drawn from data collected in the NH, with the assumption that the NH data are broadly applicable. In this paper, we centre the uniqueness of the SH in the context of natural biogeochemical Hg cycling, with focus on the midlatitudes and tropics. Due to its uniqueness, Antarctica warrants an exclusive review of its contribution to the biogeochemical cycling of Hg and is therefore excluded from this review. We identify and describe five key natural differences between the hemispheres that affect the biogeochemical cycling of Hg: biome heterogeneity, vegetation type, ocean area, methylation hotspot zones and occurence of volcanic activities. We review the current state of knowledge of SH Hg cycling within the context of each difference, as well as the key gaps that impede our understanding of natural Hg cycling in the SH. The differences demonstrate the limitations in using NH data to infer Hg processes and emissions in the SH.

A synthesis of mercury research in the Southern Hemisphere, part 2: Anthropogenic perturbations.

Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination is a global concern requiring action at national scales. Scientific understanding and regulatory policies are underpinned by global extrapolation of Northern Hemisphere Hg data, despite historical, political, and socioeconomic differences between the hemispheres that impact Hg sources and sinks. In this paper, we explore the primary anthropogenic perturbations to Hg emission and mobilization processes that differ between hemispheres and synthesize current understanding of the implications for Hg cycling. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH), lower historical production of Hg and other metals implies lower present-day legacy emissions, but the extent of the difference remains uncertain. More use of fire and higher deforestation rates drive re-mobilization of terrestrial Hg, while also removing vegetation that would otherwise provide a sink for atmospheric Hg. Prevalent Hg use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a dominant source of Hg inputs to the environment in tropical regions. Meanwhile, coal-fired power stations continue to be a significant Hg emission source and industrial production of non-ferrous metals is a large and growing contributor. Major uncertainties remain, hindering scientific understanding and effective policy formulation, and we argue for an urgent need to prioritize research activities in under-sampled regions of the SH.

Two decades of changing anthropogenic mercury emissions in Australia: inventory development, trends, and atmospheric implications.

Mercury is a toxic environmental pollutant emitted into the atmosphere by both natural and anthropogenic sources. In Australia, previous estimates of anthropogenic mercury emissions differ by up to a factor of three, with existing inventories either outdated or inaccurate and several lacking Australia-specific input data. Here, we develop a twenty-year inventory of Australian anthropogenic mercury emissions spanning 2000-2019 with annual resolution. Our inventory uses Australia-specific data where possible and incorporates processes not included in other Australian inventories, such as delayed release effects from waste emissions. We show that Australian anthropogenic mercury emissions have decreased by more than a factor of two over the past twenty years, with the largest decrease from the gold production sector followed by brown coal-fired power plants and commercial product waste. Only the aluminium sector has shown a notable increase in mercury emissions. Using a global 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem), we show that the reduction in emissions has led to a small decrease in mercury deposition to the Australian continent, with annual oxidised mercury deposition ∼3-4% lower with present day emissions than with emissions from the year 2000. We also find that Australian emissions are not accurately represented in recent global emissions inventories and that differences between inventories have a larger impact than emissions trends on simulated mercury deposition. Overall, this work suggests a significant benefit to Australia from the Minamata Convention, with further reductions to Australian mercury deposition expected from decreases in both Australian and global anthropogenic emissions.

Cross-National Perspectives on Aging and Place: Implications for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) agenda has led to a range of policy initiatives aimed at supporting aging in place for older people. While there is case study evidence of how people age across urban contexts, there has been little research exploring cross-national understandings of age-friendly places among older people. The objective of this article is to identify the place experiences of older people living across cities and communities in India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom and to discuss implications for the AFCC agenda. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 300 semistructured interviews were undertaken with older people across 9 cities and 27 communities in India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis undertaken by each national team and then discussed and revised at collaborative workshops with researchers from each of the 3 country teams. RESULTS: The data capture the ways in which place is constructed from the perspective of older people drawing upon social, community, and cultural dimensions of aging across diverse urban environments. We explore how older people negotiate place in the context of their everyday life and identify the relational and interconnected ways in which place attachment, belonging, and identity are constructed. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Age-friendly interventions need to attend to the changing physical, social and cultural dimensions of aging and place. Integrated place-making practices are required to support older people to age in the right place across rapidly transforming urban contexts globally.

Subsurface microbial communities as a tool for characterizing regional-scale groundwater flow.

Subsurface microbial community distribution patterns are influenced by biogeochemical and groundwater fluxes and may inform hydraulic connections along groundwater-flow paths. This study examined the regional-scale microbial community of the Death Valley Regional Flow System and evaluated whether subsurface communities can be used to identify groundwater-flow paths between recharge and discharge areas. Samples were collected from 36 sites in three groundwater basins: Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley (PMOV), Ash Meadows (AM), and Alkali Flat-Furnace Creek Ranch (AFFCR). Microbial diversity within and between communities varied by location, and communities were separated into two overall groups that affiliated with the AM and PMOV/AFFCR basins. Network analysis revealed patterns between clusters of common microbes that represented groundwaters with similar geochemical conditions and largely corroborated hydraulic connections between recharge and discharge areas. Null model analyses identified deterministic and stochastic ecological processes contributing to microbial community assemblages. Most communities were more different than expected and governed by dispersal limitation, geochemical differences, or undominating processes. However, certain communities from sites located within or near the Nevada National Security Site were more similar than expected and dominated by homogeneous dispersal or selection. Overall, the (dis)similarities between the microbial communities of DVRFS recharge and discharge areas supported previously documented hydraulic connections between: (1) Spring Mountains and Ash Meadows; (2) Frenchman and Yucca Flat and Amargosa Desert; and (3) Amargosa Desert and Death Valley. However, only a portion of the flow path between Pahute Mesa and Oasis Valley could be supported by microbial community analyses, likely due to well-associated artifacts in samples from the two Oasis Valley sites. This study demonstrates the utility of combining microbial data with hydrologic, geologic, and water-chemistry information to comprehensively characterize groundwater systems, highlighting both strengths and limitations of this approach.

Microbially mediated aerobic and anaerobic degradation of acrylamide in a western United States irrigation canal.

Acrylamide (AMD), a neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen, is present at concentrations of up to 0.05% in linear anionic polyacrylamide, which is under evaluation as a temporary sealant in unlined irrigation canal systems across the United States. We examined the microbially mediated degradation of AMD and diversity of AMD-degrading microbial physiotypes in the Rocky Ford Highline Canal, Colorado to better constrain the potential fate ofAMD in a canal environment. Microorganisms able to use AMD (500 mg L(-1)) as a sole nitrogen source were relatively abundant (2.3 x 10(3) to 9.4 x 10(3) cells mL(-1) in water and 4.2 x 10(3) to 2.3 x 10(5) cells g(-1) in sediment). Only sediment samples contained microorganisms able to use AMD as a sole carbon source. Acrylamide (up to 100 mg L(-1)) was efficiently removed from amended canal water and sediment slurries under aerobic conditions, but no AMD degradation was observed in abiotic controls. Anaerobic degradation of AMD by nitrate-, sulfate-, and iron-reducing microorganisms was also tested, with nitrate reducers affecting the highest amounts of AMD removal (70.3-85%) after 60 d. All representatives (n=15) from a collection of 256 AMD-degrading microbial isolates from Rocky Ford Highline Canal were closely related to well characterized environmental bacteria capable of facultative nitrate respiration. Our results demonstrate that natural microbial populations within this canal are capable of AMD degradation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and that this degradation is performed by naturally abundant bacteria likely to be present in other freshwater irrigation canals or similar lotic habitats.

"You've Got to Be Old to Go There": Psychosocial Barriers and Facilitators to Social Eating in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Social eating is associated with a range of physical and mental health benefits for older adults. Previous research has identified some of the practical barriers that may limit social eating, such as cost and access to public transport. However, little is known about the psychosocial issues that can affect older adults' engagement with social eating. This study examines psychosocial barriers and facilitators to attending community-based social eating opportunities for older adults. DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty-two older people aged between 59 and 89 years living in Manchester, UK, participated in semi-structured interviews or focus groups about their experiences and perceptions of social eating opportunities. Interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analyses. As there are known gender differences in relation to attitudes and behaviors relating to food and social activities, a framework analysis was applied to explore how these themes were differentially expressed by gender. RESULTS: Four themes were identified that related to the importance of (a) offering more than food; (b) participants' social identity; (c) taking the first step; and (d) embarrassment and self-consciousness about physical health. Gender differences related to perceptions of the relevance and attractiveness of social eating, and the role of social support. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This study improves our understanding of older adults' social eating experiences and highlights clear strategies by which social eating opportunities could be made more attractive, accessible, and acceptable to older adults.

Microbial Communities Associated with Farmed Genypterus chilensis: Detection in Water Prior to Bacterial Outbreaks Using Culturing and High-Throughput Sequencing.

The red conger eel (Genypterus chilensis, Guichenot) is a native species included in the Chilean Aquaculture Diversification Program due to high commercial demand. In the context of intensified farming, prior reports link two disease outbreaks with emerging pathogens in the Vibrio and Tenacibaculum genera. However, the roles remain unclear for the bacterial community and each specific bacterium is associated with the rearing environment for healthy specimens. The success of red conger eel farming therefore warrants research into the bacterial composition of aquaculture conditions and the antimicrobial susceptibilities thereof. This study used culturing methods and high-throughput sequencing to describe the bacterial community associated with water in which G. chilensis was farmed. With culturing methods, the predominant genera were Vibrio (21.6%), Pseudolteromonas (15.7%), Aliivibrio (13.7%), and Shewanella (7.8%). Only a few bacterial isolates showed amylase, gelatinase, or lipase activity, and almost all showed inhibition zones to commonly-used antibiotics in aquaculture. By contrast, high-throughput sequencing established Paraperlucidibaca, Colwellia, Polaribacter, Saprospiraceae, and Tenacibaculum as the predominant genera, with Vibrio ranking twenty-seventh in abundance. High-throughput sequencing also established a link between previous outbreaks with increased relative abundances of Vibrio and Tenacibaculum. Therefore, monitoring the presence and abundance of these potential pathogens could be useful in providing prophylactic measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Selenate-dependent anaerobic arsenite oxidation by a bacterium from Mono Lake, California.

Arsenate was produced when anoxic Mono Lake water samples were amended with arsenite and either selenate or nitrate. Arsenite oxidation did not occur in killed control samples or live samples with no added terminal electron acceptor. Potential rates of anaerobic arsenite oxidation with selenate were comparable to those with nitrate ( approximately 12 to 15 mumol.liter(-1) h(-1)). A pure culture capable of selenate-dependent anaerobic arsenite oxidation (strain ML-SRAO) was isolated from Mono Lake water into a defined salts medium with selenate, arsenite, and yeast extract. This strain does not grow chemoautotrophically, but it catalyzes the oxidation of arsenite during growth on an organic carbon source with selenate. No arsenate was produced in pure cultures amended with arsenite and nitrate or oxygen, indicating that the process is selenate dependent. Experiments with washed cells in mineral medium demonstrated that the oxidation of arsenite is tightly coupled to the reduction of selenate. Strain ML-SRAO grows optimally on lactate with selenate or arsenate as the electron acceptor. The amino acid sequences deduced from the respiratory arsenate reductase gene (arrA) from strain ML-SRAO are highly similar (89 to 94%) to those from two previously isolated Mono Lake arsenate reducers. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain ML-SRAO places it within the Bacillus RNA group 6 of gram-positive bacteria having low G+C content.