Optimizing the Conditions for Whole-Genome Sequencing of Avian Reoviruses.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is becoming an essential tool to characterize the genomes of avian reovirus (ARV), a viral disease of economic significance to poultry producers. The current strategies and procedures used to obtain the complete genome sequences of ARV isolates are not cost-effective because most of the genetic material data resulting from next-generation sequencing belong to the host and cannot be used to assemble the viral genome. The purpose of this study was to develop a workflow to enrich the ARV genomic content in a sample before subjecting it to next-generation sequencing (NGS). Herein, we compare four different ARV purification and enrichment approaches at the virion, RNA and cDNA levels to determine which treatment or treatment combination would provide a higher proportion of ARV-specific reads after WGS. Seven ARV isolates were subjected to different combinations of virion purification via ultracentrifugation in sucrose density gradient or Capto Core 700 resin with or without a subsequent Benzonase treatment, followed by a chicken rRNA depletion step after RNA extraction and a final ARV cDNA amplification step using a single-primer amplification assay. Our results show that the combination of Capto Core 700 resin, Chicken rRNA depletion and cDNA amplification is the most cost-effective strategy to obtain ARV whole genomes after short-read sequencing.

Controlling the Surface Morphology of Two-Dimensional Nano-Materials upon Molecule-Mediated Crystal Growth.

The surface morphology of Mg-Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) was successfully controlled by reconstruction during systematic phase transformation from calcined LDH, which is referred to as layered double oxide (LDO). The LDH reconstructed its original phase by the hydration of LDO with expanded basal spacing when reacted with water, including carbonate or methyl orange molecules. During the reaction, the degree of crystal growth along the ab-plane and stacking along the c-axis was significantly influenced by the molecular size and the reaction conditions. The lower concentration of carbonate gave smaller particles on the surface of larger LDO (2000 nm), while the higher concentration induced a sand-rose structure. The reconstruction of smaller-sized LDH (350 nm) did not depend on the concentration of carbonate due to effective adsorption, and it gave a sand-rose structure and exfoliated the LDH layers. The higher the concentration of methyl orange and the longer the reaction time applied, the rougher the surface was obtained with a certain threshold point of the methyl orange concentration. The surface roughness generally increased with the loading mount of methyl orange. However, the degree of the surface roughness even increased after the methyl orange loading reached equilibrium. The result suggested that the surface roughening was mediated by not only the incorporation of guest molecules into the LDH but also a crystal arrangement after a sufficient amount of methyl orange was accommodated.

A case of malignant mesothelioma in a young patient with childhood leukaemia who had received total body irradiation.

This case report explores a 34-year-old male diagnosed with mesothelioma who had no known risk factors. The patient initially was treated for empyema with antibiotics but later represented to hospital with worsening symptoms. He underwent a surgical Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery procedure and lung biopsy, which revealed a diagnosis of mesothelioma. The young age of the patient as well as absence of significant risk factors for mesothelioma made the diagnosis unexpected. The patient had total body irradiation (TBI) therapy for leukaemia as a child, which increases the risk of developing cancer. However, there are limited studies exploring the risk of pleural mesothelioma post-TBI. Young patients who represent to hospital, with limited response to initial treatment, and suspicious radiological features should be considered for lung biopsy to reduce the risk of a missed diagnosis. Patients with a background of TBI should also be considered for follow-up to monitor for any subsequent malignancy.

Redo aortic valve replacement versus valve-in-valve trans-catheter aortic valve implantation: a UK propensity-matched analysis.

This study sought to compare the morbidity and mortality of redo aortic valve replacement (redo-AVR) versus valve-in-valve trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (valve-in-valve TAVI) for patients with a failing bioprosthetic valve. A multicenter UK retrospective study of redo-AVR or valve-in-valve TAVI for patients referred for redo aortic valve intervention due to a degenerated aortic bioprosthesis. Propensity score matching was performed for confounding factors. From July 2005 to April 2021, 911 patients underwent redo-AVR and 411 patients underwent valve-in-valve TAVI. There were 125 pairs for analysis after propensity score matching. The mean age was 75.2±8.5 years. In-hospital mortality was 7.2% (n=9) for redo-AVR versus 0 for valve-in-valve TAVI, p=0.002. Surgical patients suffered more post-operative complications, including intra-aortic balloon pump support (p=0.02), early re-operation (p<0.001), arrhythmias (p<0.001), respiratory and neurological complications (p=0.02 and p=0.03) and multi-organ failure (p=0.01). The valve-in-valve TAVI group had a shorter intensive care unit and hospital stay (p<0.001 for both). However, moderate aortic regurgitation at discharge and higher post-procedural gradients were more common after valve-in-valve TAVI (p<0.001 for both). Survival probabilities in patients who were successfully discharged from the hospital were similar after valve-in-valve TAVI and redo-AVR over the 6-year follow-up (log-rank p=0.26). In elderly patients with a degenerated aortic bioprosthesis, valve-in-valve TAVI provides better early outcomes as opposed to redo-AVR, although there was no difference in mid-term survival in patients successfully discharged from the hospital.

Enhancement of Salinity Stress Tolerance in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) via Foliar Application of Nitric Oxide.

Salt stress negatively affects the growth, development, and yield of horticultural crops. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered a signaling molecule that plays a key role in the plant defense system under salt stress. This study investigated the impact of exogenous application of 0.2 mM of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) on the salt tolerance and physiological and morphological characteristics of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under salt stress (25, 50, 75, and 100 mM). Salt stress caused a marked decrease in growth, yield, carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments in stressed plants as compared to control ones. Results showed that salt stress significantly affected the oxidative compounds (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) and non-oxidative compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenols, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and H2O2) in lettuce. Moreover, salt stress decreased nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium ions (K+) while increasing Na ions (Na+) in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. The exogenous application of NO increased ascorbic acid, total phenols, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) and MDA content in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. In addition, the exogenous application of NO decreased H2O2 content in plants under salt stress. Moreover, the exogenous application of NO increased leaf N in control, and leaf P and leaf and root K+ content in all treatments while decreasing leaf Na+ in salt-stressed lettuce plants. These results provide evidence that the exogenous application of NO on lettuce helps mitigate salt stress effects.

Exploiting Heteroaggregation to Quantify the Contact Angle of Charged Colloids at Interfaces.

We exploit the aggregation between oppositely charged particles to visualize and quantify the equilibrium position of charged colloidal particles at the fluid-water interface. A dispersion of commercially available charge-stabilized nanoparticles was used as the aqueous phase to create oil-water and air-water interfaces. The colloidal particles whose charge was opposite that of the nanoparticles in the aqueous phase were deposited at the chosen fluid-water interface. Heteroaggregation, i.e., aggregation between oppositely charged particles, leads to the deposition of nanoparticles onto the larger particle located at the interface; however, this only occurs on the surface of the particle in contact with the aqueous phase. This selective deposition of nanoparticles on the surfaces of the particles exposed to water enables the distinct visualization of the circular three-phase contact line around the particles positioned at the fluid-water interface. Since the electrostatic association between the nanoparticles and the colloids at interfaces is strong, the nanoparticle assembly on the larger particles is preserved even after being transferred to solid substrates via dip-coating. This facilitates the easy visualization of the contact line by electron microscopy and the determination of the equilibrium contact angle of colloidal particles (θ) at the fluid-water interface. The suitability of the method is demonstrated by the measurement of the three-phase contact angle of positively and negatively charged polystyrene particles located at fluid-water interfaces by considering particles with sizes varying from 220 nm to 8.71 µm. The study highlights the effect of the size ratio between the nanoparticles in the aqueous phase and the colloidal particles on the accuracy of the measurement of θ.

The Frequency of Hepatitis C and its Risk Factors Among Health Care Providers at Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan.

Introduction Hepatitis C has emerged as a big challenge for Pakistan. Health care providers are at increased risk of being infected due to tremendous exposure. Aim The purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of hepatitis C, its risk factors especially its occupational risk factors and preventive measures practiced by health care providers of Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan. Materials and methods Blood samples were collected, and rapid chromatography strips were used for diagnostic purpose. A questionnaire was used for data collection. After analyzing the data, results were summarized. Results The prevalence of Hepatitis was 5.17%. Those who used gloves were 67.24%. A history of needle stick injury was present in 47.41%, and 49.13% knew about the spread of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Just 18.96% knew about the treatment plan, and 19.83% had attended a workshop on preventive measures of infectious diseases in healthcare settings. Conclusion The frequency of HCV among health care providers is high. Awareness programs and training workshops should be mandatory to increase knowledge about hepatitis C prevention. It will decrease the incidence of hepatitis C infection among health care workers.

A survey of middleware for sensor and network virtualization.

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is leading to a new paradigm of Internet of Everything (IoE). WSNs have a wide range of applications but are usually deployed in a particular application. However, the future of WSNs lies in the aggregation and allocation of resources, serving diverse applications. WSN virtualization by the middleware is an emerging concept that enables aggregation of multiple independent heterogeneous devices, networks, radios and software platforms; and enhancing application development. WSN virtualization, middleware can further be categorized into sensor virtualization and network virtualization. Middleware for WSN virtualization poses several challenges like efficient decoupling of networks, devices and software. In this paper efforts have been put forward to bring an overview of the previous and current middleware designs for WSN virtualization, the design goals, software architectures, abstracted services, testbeds and programming techniques. Furthermore, the paper also presents the proposed model, challenges and future opportunities for further research in the middleware designs for WSN virtualization.