Working during the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding employee mental health.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has radically transformed workplaces, bearing an adverse impact on the mental health of employees. Aim: The current study attempts to gain an understanding of the mental health of employees while working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting and Design: The research followed a mixed-methods design and was conducted across two phases, with participants divided into two subgroups - the WFH subgroup (currently engaging in WFH) and the not working from home (NWFH) subgroup (unable to engage in vocational tasks due to the pandemic). Materials and Methods: The first phase employed quantitative standardized measures of workplace well-being, work and social adjustment, and quality of mental health across 187 participants. The second phase involved in-depth interviews of 31 participants selected from the previous phase, to understand the factors impacting mental health. Results: Strong correlations were recorded between the mental health of an individual and work-related constructs such as workplace well-being and work and social adjustment. The study revealed that participants rated themselves as being significantly more stressed and less productive during the pandemic. Thematic analysis identified the stressors (factors that negatively impact mental health) and enhancers (factors that enhance mental health). Fourteen stressors and 12 enhancers were identified for the WFH group, while five stressors and three enhancers were identified for the NWFH group. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate a significant relationship between the mental health of employees and work-related experiences through the pandemic. Further research on the stressors and enhancers identified through the study can pave the way for effective interventions to promote employee mental health.

Numerical analysis of a grating embedded bidirectional integrated optical coupler pressure sensor.

A numerical analysis of a grating embedded bidirectional optical coupled waveguide structure is presented for the first time, to our knowledge. A finite difference method (FDM) based scheme is devised to extract the allowed eigen TE and TM modes of the structure. Sensing characteristics of the grating employed between two high refractive index couplers are then explored. The influence of strain on the composite structure is numerically analyzed for better understanding of guiding phenomena. A numerical method based on a three-point central finite difference scheme with proper boundary conditions at the point of discontinuity is developed. For an accurate sensitivity analysis, a large number of mesh points (N=1000) are used in the FDM algorithm, while the whole analysis is done on MATLAB software. To the best of the authors' knowledge, Bragg grating sensitivities of individual TE and TM modes have been estimated for the first time. It is found that higher order TE and TM modes show improved sensitivity performance. The physics behind the improved sensitivity of the proposed structure is correlated with existing cases. The proposed technique is based on effective refractive index theory, and hence it is easy to implement. This work can be easily extended to obtain temperature, humidity, and vibration sensitivities of other novel structures.

Prevalence and predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in adult population of rural Southern India-An epidemiological study.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is considered as one of the major health problem worldwide and the most important risk factor for non-communicable diseases. AIMS: To estimate the prevalence and the risk factors of prehypertension and hypertension. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adult population of rural area of Chittoor District. WHO STEPS was applied for data collection from 1,742 study participants aged 18 years and above. Chi-square test, Fisher exact, and ANOVA test applied to find out the intragroup and intergroup variable association with raised blood pressure. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension in our study was 21.5% [95% CI: (19.6-23.5)] and 42.8% [95% CI: (39.5-46.3)], respectively. Males had higher prevalence when compared to females. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 118.7 ± 17.6 mmHg and 77.1 ± 9.7 mmHg, respectively. The odds of being hypertensive was higher among older age group (OR: 3.83), male study participants (OR: 1.83), either widowed or separated (OR: 2.03), unemployed (OR: 1.51), and those who belonged to upper socioeconomic status (OR: 2.01). Those who were overweight (OR: 3.15), obese (OR: 2.55) and having central obesity (OR: 1.74), and also tobacco smokers (OR: 1.53) were having higher odds of hypertension. Significant association was found between hypertension and age, gender, marital status, body mass index, abdominal obesity, tobacco smoking, and physical inactivity. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in this study was found to be high in rural area of Andhra Pradesh. There is a need to develop a community-based program, which would aim at minimizing the risk factors of hypertension.

Influence of anthropogenic activities on the spatial distribution of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria around Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

To examine the influence of anthropogenic activities on the marine ecosystem around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a study was conducted to investigate the abundance of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria during the monsoon season. We noticed the higher abundance of heterotrophic, indicator (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis) and pathogenic bacterial counts (Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterobacter aerogens, Escherichia coli strain O157:H7, Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) near the 10o channel, which is the principal route to reach Andaman mainland. Most of the stations are offshore (chosen to cover shipping tracks) at a distance ranging from 41 to 266 km from the coast. The nearest station to the coast was at 21 km away. Apart from those mentioned above, several other pathogenic bacteria were also detected such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella paratyphi, Vibrio cholera and Vibrio vulnificus but they are sparsely detected at few stations only.

Sources of organic matter and tracing of nutrient pollution in the coastal Bay of Bengal.

Stable isotopic composition of carbon (δ13CPOM) and nitrogen (δ15NPOM) in the particulate organic matter (POM) is used to identify sources of organic carbon and nutrients using monthly time-series observation in the coastal Bay of Bengal (BoB). The hydrographic structure indicates that the coastal BoB is influenced by coastal upwelling during March-May, advection of peninsular river discharge during June to September and glacial (Ganges) river discharge during October to December due to reversing of East India Coastal Currents (EICC). C/N ratios in POM were mostly higher values than Redfield ratio in the study region indicating possible contribution of terrestrial origin. Enriched δ13CPOM were found during March-May associated with coastal upwelling indicating major contribution of POM from the in situ production while lower values were noticed during June to September followed by October to December indicating influence of terrestrial sources. δ15NPOM displayed strong inverse relation with salinity and linear relation with Chl-a suggesting that anthropogenic nutrients from the land increased coastal phytoplankton biomass. δ15NPOM linearly decreased with increase in distance from the coast and reached to the typical offshore value of 6-6.5‰ indicating that terrestrial nutrients influence was spread up to a distance of 15 to 20 km from the coast in the study region. Our study suggested that coastal waters are influenced by terrestrial/anthropogenic nutrients and its impact can be noticed up to 15 to 20 km from the coast and its impact on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction may be negligible than hitherto hypothesized.

Perennial occurrence of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria in the coastal Bay of Bengal (off Visakhapatnam) - Impact of physical and atmospheric processes.

In order to examine the health of the coastal waters off Visakhapatnam in terms of prevalence and abundance of heterotrophic (H), indicator and pathogenic (P) bacterial counts (BC) and influence of physical processes on them, time-series observations were conducted during January (winter), March (spring), July (summer) and October (post-monsoon). We noticed the impact of physical forces on substantial variations in abundance and distribution of the HBC, total coliforms, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the study region. Based on our results Escherichia coli and other PBC were not much influenced by the physical conditions. It has been noticed that the perennial existence of the high abundance of IBC and PBC above the standard limits during the entire study period leading to an alarming situation in the coastal waters off Visakhapatnam.

Big Data, Predictive Analytics, and Quality Improvement in Kidney Transplantation: A Proof of Concept.

We sought proof of concept of a Big Data Solution incorporating longitudinal structured and unstructured patient-level data from electronic health records (EHR) to predict graft loss (GL) and mortality. For a quality improvement initiative, GL and mortality prediction models were constructed using baseline and follow-up data (0-90 days posttransplant; structured and unstructured for 1-year models; data up to 1 year for 3-year models) on adult solitary kidney transplant recipients transplanted during 2007-2015 as follows: Model 1: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data; Model 2: UNOS & Transplant Database (Tx Database) data; Model 3: UNOS, Tx Database & EHR comorbidity data; and Model 4: UNOS, Tx Database, EHR data, Posttransplant trajectory data, and unstructured data. A 10% 3-year GL rate was observed among 891 patients (2007-2015). Layering of data sources improved model performance; Model 1: area under the curve (AUC), 0.66; (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60, 0.72); Model 2: AUC, 0.68; (95% CI: 0.61-0.74); Model 3: AUC, 0.72; (95% CI: 0.66-077); Model 4: AUC, 0.84, (95 % CI: 0.79-0.89). One-year GL (AUC, 0.87; Model 4) and 3-year mortality (AUC, 0.84; Model 4) models performed similarly. A Big Data approach significantly adds efficacy to GL and mortality prediction models and is EHR deployable to optimize outcomes.

Influence of river discharge on abundance and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria along the East Coast of India.

In order to examine the influence of discharge from different rivers from peninsular India and urban sewage on intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria, a study was carried out during peak discharge period along coastal Bay of Bengal. The coastal Bay received freshwater inputs from the river Ganges while Godavari and Krishna contributed to the south. Contrasting difference in salinity, temperature, nutrients and organic matter was observed between north and south east coast of India. The highest heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacterial abundance was observed in the central coastal Bay that received urban sewage from the major city. Intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria displayed linear relation with magnitude of discharge. The coliform load was observed up to 100km from the coast suggesting that marine waters were polluted during the monsoon season and its impact on the ecosystem needs further studies.

Aquipuribacter nitratireducens sp. nov., isolated from a soil sample of a mud volcano.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, coccoid, non-motile bacterium, designated strain AMV4T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a mud volcano located in the Andaman Islands, India. The colony was pale orange. Strain AMV4T was positive for oxidase, aesculinase, lysine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase activities and negative for amylase, catalase, cellulase, protease, urease and lipase activities. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain AMV4T was a member of the order Actinomycetales and was closely related to Aquipuribacter hungaricus with a sequence similarity of 97.13% (pairwise alignment). Phylogenetic analyses showed that strain AMV4T clustered with Aquipuribacter hungaricus and was distantly related to the other genera of the family Intrasporangiaceae. DNA-DNA hybridization between strains AMV4T and Aquipuribacter hungaricus IV-75T showed a relatedness of 28%. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (6.9%), anteiso-C15 : 0 (25.3%), C16 : 0 (12.9%), anteiso-C16 : 0 (5.6%), C18 : 1ω9c (19.8%) and C18 : 3ω6,9,12c (9.1%). The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan of strain AMV4T was meso-diaminopimelic acid. Strain AMV4T contained MK-10(H4) as the predominant respiratory quinone. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified glycolipid, two unidentified phospholipids and five unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain AMV4T was 74.3 mol%. Based on data from this taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach, it is proposed that strain AMV4T represents a novel species of the genus Aquipuribacter, with the suggested name Aquipuribacter nitratireducens sp. nov. The type strain is AMV4T ( = CCUG 58430T = DSM 22863T = NBRC 107137T).

Aliiglaciecola coringensis sp. nov., isolated from a water sample collected from mangrove forest in Coringa, Andhra Pradesh, India.

A Gram-negative, rod shaped, motile, aerobic bacterium, designated as strain AK49(T) was isolated from a water sample from a mangrove forest in Coringa village, Andhra Pradesh, India. Strain AK49(T) was observed to form yellow coloured, smooth, circular, convex colonies on marine agar, with entire margins. Cells of strain AK49(T) are 0.5-1.0 µm wide and 1.5-3.5 µm long. Growth was observed at 25-37 °C (optimum 30 °C), 2-6 % NaCl (optimum 2 %) and pH 6-8 (optimum 7). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain AK49(T) is closely related to two species recently reclassified as members of the genus Aliiglaciecola: Aliiglaciecola lipolytica JCM 15139(T) (sequence similarity 95.43 %) and Aliiglaciecola litoralis JCM 15896(T) (sequence similarity 96.91 %). The major cellular fatty acids of strain AK49(T) were found to include C16:0, C18:1ω7c and summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c/C15:0 iso-2-OH). The polar lipid content of cell membrane was found to include phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified lipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain AK49(T) was determined to be 41.9 mol%. Based on the taxonomic methods, including chemotaxonomic, phenotypic and phylogenetic approaches, strain AK49(T) is described here as a novel species belonging to the genus Aliiglaciecola, for which the name Aliiglaciecola coringensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aliiglaciecola coringensis sp. nov. is AK49(T) (=MTCC 12003(T )= JCM19197(T)).

5-Aminosalicylic acid attenuates allergen-induced airway inflammation and oxidative stress in asthma.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines regulate the magnitude of allergic reactions during asthma. Tumor necrosis factor--alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) play a crucial role in aggravating the inflammatory conditions during allergic asthma. In addition, oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of asthma by altering the physiological condition resulting in the development of status asthmaticus. Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids are being widely used for treating allergic asthma. In the present study 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), a salicylic acid derivative, was evaluated, in vivo for its potential to suppress TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-13 using ovalbumin (OVA) induced allergic asthma in Balb/C mice. Oral administration of 65, 130 and 195 mg/kg 5-ASA significantly reduced the OVA induced total and differential leucocyte count, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-13, nitrite, nitrate, MDA, MPO and TPL levels in the lung lavage samples. Collectively, these findings suggest that 5-ASA is a potent immunomodulator and suppresses key Th2 cytokines production and oxidative stress in OVA-induced asthma.

Treatment of drug-induced gingival overgrowth by full-mouth disinfection: A non-surgical approach.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced gingival overgrowth is a common finding in the modern era. These gingival overgrowths are usually treated by various modalities namely substitution of drugs, surgical, and non-surgical treatment. The recent concept mainly involves full-mouth scaling and root planing (the entire dentition in two visits within 24 hours, i.e., two consecutive days) followed by chair side mouth rinsing by the patient with a 0.2% chlorhexidine solution for 2 minutes and brushing the tongue of the patient with 1% chlorhexidine gel. This is followed by an additional subgingival irrigation (three times, repeated within 10 minutes) of all pockets with a 1% chlorhexidine gel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients between the ages of 20 and 50 years with drug-induced gingival overgrowth were treated using the full-mouth disinfection approach. The patients were evaluated at 3 months and 6 months after therapy. The data obtained for plaque index, bleeding on probing index, probing pocket depth, and gingival overgrowth scores were tabulated and compared statistically using the one sample unpaired t test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was found in PI GBI, PPD, and GO score between baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. RESULTS: All clinical parameters improved significantly after therapy without the need of further surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Full-mouth disinfection might be a beneficial treatment concept in patients with drug-induced gingival overgrowth, thus decreasing the need for surgical therapy.

Rhodovulum mangrovi sp. nov., a phototrophic alphaproteobacterium isolated from a mangrove forest sediment sample.

A novel Gram-staining-negative, purple non-sulfur bacterium, strain AK41(T), was isolated from a sediment sample collected from Coringa mangrove forest, Andhra Pradesh, India. A red-brownish-coloured culture was obtained on modified Pfennig medium after enrichment with 2 % NaCl and 0.3 % pyruvate under 2000 lx illumination. Individual cells were ovoid-rod-shaped and non-motile. Bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spheroidene series were present as photosynthetic pigments. Strain AK41(T) was halophilic and grew photoheterotrophically with a number of organic compounds as carbon sources and electron donors. It was unable to grow photoautotrophically. It did not utilize sulfide or thiosulfate as electron donors. The fatty acids were found to be dominated by C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c. Strain AK41(T) contained phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unknown aminolipid and four unknown lipids as polar lipids. Q-10 was the predominant respiratory quinone. The DNA G+C content of strain AK41(T) was 68.9 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain AK41(T) was a member of the genus Rhodovulum and was closely related to Rhodovulum sulfidophilum, with 96.0 % similarity to the type strain; the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of other species of the genus Rhodovulum was 93.9-95.8 %. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that strain AK41(T) clustered with the type strains of Rhodovulum marinum, Rdv. kholense, Rdv. sulfidophilum and Rdv. visakhapatnamense with sequence similarity of 95.9-96.2 %. Based on data from the current study, strain AK41(T) is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Rhodovulum, for which the name Rhodovulum mangrovi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Rhodovulum mangrovi is AK41(T) ( = MTCC 11825(T) = JCM 19220(T)).

Kidney transplant access in the Southeastern United States: the need for a top-down transformation.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) and poverty are highly prevalent conditions in the Southeastern United States. The American Southeast also has some of the lowest attainments of health status among its constituents. Transplantation rates are particularly low in the Southeast compared with other regions of the United States. These low kidney transplantation rates in the Southeast likely reflect poor access to medical care. This disproportionate lack of access to medical care among ESRD patients in the Southeast reflects the convergence and interaction of socioeconomic and biologic forces at the patient level interacting with the financial and organizational structure of the health-care system. Improving kidney transplant access in the Southeast will take disruptive political, financial and health system changes whose scope transcends transplant centers and dialysis units.

Risk factors for retransplant kidney recipients: relisting and outcomes from patients' primary transplant.

As of November 2013, 14.5% of the waitlist for a donor kidney comprised patients awaiting a retransplant. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 11,698 adult solitary kidney recipients using national Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data transplanted between 2002 and 2011. The aim was to investigate whether outcomes from patients' initial transplants are significant risk factors for patients' repeat transplants or for likelihood of relisting after a failed primary transplant. Retransplant recipients were more likely to be treated for acute rejection [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26 (1.07-1.48), p = 0.0053] or hospitalized (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.31, p = 0.0005) within a year of retransplantation if these outcomes were experienced within a year of primary transplant. Delayed graft function following primary transplants was associated with 35% increased likelihood of recurrence (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.18-1.54, p < 0.0001). An increase in 1-year GFR after primary transplant was associated with GFR 1 year postretransplant (ß = 6.82, p < 0.0001), and retransplant graft failure was inversely associated with 1-year primary transplant GFR (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.71-0.76 per 10 mL/min/1.73 m(2) ). A decreased likelihood for relisting was associated with hospitalization and higher GFR following primary transplantation. The increasing numbers of individuals requiring retransplants highlights the importance of incorporating prior transplant outcomes data to better inform relisting decisions and prognosticating retransplant outcomes.

Neuroprotective effect of a triterpenoid saponin isolated from Momordica cymbalaria Fenzl in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the neuroprotective potential of a saponin isolated from the roots of Momordica cymbalaria against peripheral neuropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A steroidal saponin (SMC) was isolated from M. cymbalaria Fenzl and purified by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Diabetes was induced in male Wister rats by injecting streptozotocin 45 mg/kg. Diabetic rats were divided into six groups for neuroprotective effect--three each for preventive and curative groups. Neuropathic analgesia was assessed by tail-flick and hot-plate methods. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and sciatic nerves were isolated, and histopathological analysis was performed. Antioxidant activity (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation) of the saponin was also carried out on the isolated DRG neurons and sciatic nerves to assess total oxidative stress. RESULTS: In both preventive and curative protocols, rats administered with SMC showed significant decrease in tail immersion latency time and increase in pain sensitivity when compared to diabetic control group. There was improvement in the myelination and degenerative changes of the nerve fiber in both the groups, and an obvious delay in the progression of neuropathy was evident. SMC treatment showed significant decrease in superoxide dismutase, catalase activity, and lipid peroxidation in the nerves. CONCLUSIONS: The steroidal saponin of M. cymbalaria (SMC) possesses potential neuroprotective effect in diabetic peripheral neuropathy with respect to neuropathic analgesia, improvement in neuronal degenerative changes, and significant antioxidant activity.

Grimontia indica AK16(T), sp. nov., isolated from a seawater sample reports the presence of pathogenic genes similar to Vibrio genus.

Grimontia indica strain AK16(T) sp. nov. is the type strain of G. indica sp. nov. a new species within the genus Grimontia. This strain, whose genome is described here, was isolated from seawater sample collected from southeast coast of Palk Bay, India. G. indica AK16(T) is a Gram-negative, facultative aerobic rod shaped bacterium. There are only two other strains in the genus Grimontia one of which, Grimontia hollisae CIP 101886(T), is a reported human pathogen isolated from human stool sample while the other, 'Grimontia marina IMCC5001(T)', was isolated from a seawater sample. As compared to the pathogenic strain Grimontia hollisae CIP 101886(T), the strain AK16(T) lacks some genes for pathogenesis like the accessory colonization factors AcfA and AcfD, which are required for the colonization of the bacterium in the host body. While it carries some pathogenesis genes like OmpU, which are related to pathogenesis of Vibrio strains. This suggests that the life cycle of AK16(T) may include some pathogenic interactions with marine animal(s), or it may be an opportunistic pathogen. Study of the Grimontia genus is important because of the severe pathogenic traits exhibited by a member of the genus with only three species reported in total. The study will provide some vital information which may be useful in future clinical studies on the genus.

Lunatimonas lonarensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a haloalkaline bacterium of the family Cyclobacteriaceae with nitrate reducing activity.

Novel pinkish-orange pigmented, Gram-negative staining, half-moon shaped, non-motile, strictly aerobic strains designated AK24(T) and AK26 were isolated from water and sediment samples of Lonar Lake, Buldhana district, Maharahstra, India. Both strains were positive for oxidase, catalase and ß-galactosidase activities. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15:0 (41.5%), anteiso-C15:0 (9.7%), iso-C17:0 3OH (9.6%), iso-C17:1 ω9c (10.2%) and C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c/iso-C15:0 2OH (summed feature 3) (14.4%). The strains contained MK-7 as the major respiratory quinone, and phosphatidylethanolamine and five unidentified lipids as the polar lipids. Blast analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain AK24(T) showed that it was closely related to Aquiflexum balticum, with a pair-wise sequence similarity of 91.6%, as well as to Fontibacter ferrireducens, Belliella baltica and Indibacter alkaliphilus (91.3, 91.2 and 91.2% pair-wise sequence similarity, respectively), but it only had between 88.6 and 91.0% pair-wise sequence similarity to the rest of the family members. The MALDI-TOF assay reported no significant similarities for AK24(T) and AK26, since they potentially represented a new species. A MALDI MSP dendrogram showed close similarity between the two strains, but they maintained a distance from their phylogenetic neighbors. The genome of AK24(T) showed the presence of heavy metal tolerance genes, including the genes providing resistance to arsenic, cadmium, cobalt and zinc. A cluster of heat shock resistance genes was also found in the genome. Two lantibiotic producing genes, LanR and LasB, were also found in the genome of AK24(T). Strains AK24(T) and AK26 were very closely related to each other with 99.5% pair-wise sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strains were members of the family Cyclobacteriaceae and they clustered with the genus Mariniradius, as well as with the genera Aquiflexum, Cecembia, Fontibacter, Indibacter, and Shivajiella. DNA-DNA hybridization between strains AK24(T) and AK26 showed a relatedness of 82% and their rep-PCR banding patterns were very similar. Based on data from the current polyphasic study, it is proposed that the isolates be placed in a new genus and species with the name Lunatimonas lonarensis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Lunatimonas lonarensis is AK24(T) (=JCM 18822(T)=MTCC 11627(T)).

Combined intestine and kidney transplantation in a patient with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis: case report.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but devastating complication of peritoneal dialysis characterized by fibrosis and calcification of the intestine that, in severe cases, can progress to intestinal failure and total parenteral nutrition dependency. Medical and surgical interventions carry a poor prognosis in these patients. We describe a case of a 36-year-old female with end-stage kidney disease and severe EPS not amenable to surgical intervention who underwent a combined intestinal and kidney transplantation. At 3 years posttransplantation, the patient has normal intestinal and kidney function. This represents, to our knowledge, the first report of severe EPS and end-stage kidney disease treated with a combined transplant.