Genome sequencing of correlated pathogenic Escherichia coli and Enterococcus associated with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Reported here are the sequences for 11 Escherichia coli and four Enterococcus strains isolated from post-menopausal women with a recurrent urinary tract infection. Each of the Enterococcus strains were isolated along with an E. coli strain. This provides a resource of high-quality complete genomes from polymicrobial infections.

d-mannosuria levels measured 1 h after d-mannose intake can select out favorable responders: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: d-mannose is used as preventive measure against recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs). We studied d-mannosuria after a challenge test to identify favorable responders that could be targeted for long-term preventive therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Following institutional review board approval, women attending a specialized tertiary care center urology clinic with a history of RUTIs were invited to participate by providing a urine sample (baseline), followed by the intake of home-dose d-mannose, and a second urine sample 1 h later (post). Urine samples were processed according to a d-mannosuria assay technique reported previously by our group. d-mannose concentrations were normalized to urinary creatinine. RESULTS: From July 2020 to March 2021, 26 patients met study criteria. Thirteen had a lower or unchanged ratio of baseline to post d-mannose, whereas 13 were responders. Among 19 taking 2 g, 12 had a lower or unchanged trend and 7 were responders with >20% increase in the d-mannose/creatinine ratio. Comparison of urinary baseline d-mannose/creatinine ratios was significantly different between the responder (mean = 0.337 ± 0.158) and nonresponder (mean = 0.692 ± 0.444; p = 0.016) groups. Urinary post d-mannose/creatinine ratios did not significantly differ between the two groups (p = 0.46). d-mannose-naïve patients had few responders, and age and urinary creatinine did not affect the findings. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study on d-mannose challenge tests indicates a urine response if urinary d-mannose/creatinine ratio is low, which it was in some women with a history of RUTIs.

Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant Activity, and In Silico Analyses of Sterculia villosa and Vernonia patula.

Our study aims to evaluate the chemical profiles and antioxidant activities of a methanolic extract of Sterculia villosa bark (MESV) and a methanolic extract of the Vernonia patula whole plant (MEVP). The chemical profiling of MESV and MEVP was performed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which identified 52 and 33 chemical compounds, respectively. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay indicated that both MESV and MEVP displayed concentration-dependent scavenging activities, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for MEVP, MESV, and ascorbic acid were 305.30, 555.44, and 36.32 µg/mL, respectively. The total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of MESV were 81.44 ± 2.70 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry extract and 62.58 ± 1.93 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract, whereas these values for MEVP were 291.31 ± 6.61 mg QE/g dry extract and 58.99 ± 3.16 mg GAE/g dry extract, respectively. Molecular docking studies were also evaluated, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and toxicological properties were assessed. Therefore, these two plants, S. villosa and V. patula, showed potential options for further advanced studies into oxidative stress.

Recent Advances in Synthesis and Degradation of Lignin and Lignin Nanoparticles and Their Emerging Applications in Nanotechnology.

Lignin is an important commercially produced polymeric material. It is used extensively in both industrial and agricultural activities. Recently, it has drawn much attention from the scientific community. It is abundantly present in nature and has significant application in the production of biodegradable materials. Its wide usage includes drug delivery, polymers and several forms of emerging lignin nanoparticles. The synthesis of lignin nanoparticles is carried out in a controlled manner. The traditional manufacturing techniques are costly and often toxic and hazardous to the environment. This review article highlights simple, safe, climate-friendly and ecological approaches to the synthesis of lignin nanoparticles. The changeable, complex structure and recalcitrant nature of lignin makes it challenging to degrade. Researchers have discovered a small number of microorganisms that have developed enzymatic and non-enzymatic metabolic pathways to use lignin as a carbon source. These microbes show promising potential for the biodegradation of lignin. The degradation pathways of these microbes are also described, which makes the study of biological synthesis much easier. However, surface modification of lignin nanoparticles is something that is yet to be explored. This review elucidates the recent advances in the biodegradation of lignin in the ecological system. It includes the current approaches, methods for modification, new applications and research for the synthesis of lignin and lignin nanoparticles. Additionally, the intricacy of lignin's structure, along with its chemical nature, is well-described. This article will help increase the understanding of the utilization of lignin as an economical and alternative-resource material. It will also aid in the minimization of solid waste arising from lignin.

The efficacy of probiotics on virus titres and antibody production in virus diseases: A systematic review on recent evidence for COVID-19 treatment.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are some studies indicating the effects of probiotic-containing foods or supplements on viral diseases. We aimed to conduct a rapid review of probiotics with specific emphasis on their potential for early administration in patients at greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We searched on PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science up to February 2021 to identify interventional and observational studies documenting the effects of probiotics strains on interleukins, virus titers, and antibody production with a focus on probiotic-containing foods (PROSPERO Registration ID. CRD42020181453) RESULTS: From a total of 163 records, 21 studies were classified into three domains based on the efficacy of probiotics on 1) the level of interleukins (n = 7), 2) virus titers (n = 2), and 3) interferon (IFN) and antibody production (n = 12). The suppuration of pro-inflammatory interleukins and type I INF production seemed to be the main anti-viral effect of probiotics. Nine studies also indicated the beneficial effects of probiotics and fermented foods on viral diseases. CONCLUSION: Based on evidence, some probiotic strains may be useful in viral infections; randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Enhancement of bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate P(3HB) production from glucose by newly engineered strain Cupriavidus necator NSDG-GG using response surface methodology.

This study aimed to enhance production of polyhydroxybutyrate P(3HB) by a newly engineered strain of Cupriavidus necator NSDG-GG by applying response surface methodology (RSM). From initial experiment of one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT), glucose and urea were found to be the most significant substrates as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for the production of P(3HB). OFAT experiment results showed that the maximum biomass, P(3HB) content, and P(3HB) concentration of 8.95 g/L, 76 wt%, and 6.80 g/L were achieved at 25 g/L glucose and 0.54 g/L urea with an agitation rate of 200 rpm at 30 °C after 48 h. In this study, RSM was applied to optimize the three key variables (glucose concentration, urea concentration, and agitation speed) at a time to obtain optimal conditions in a multivariable system. Fermentation experiments were conducted in shaking flask by cultivation of C. necator NSDG-GG using various glucose concentrations (10-50 g/L), urea concentrations (0.27-0.73 g/L), and agitation speeds (150-250 rpm). The interaction between the variables studied was analyzed by ANOVA analysis. The RSM results indicated that the optimum cultivation conditions were 37.70 g/L glucose, 0.73 g/L urea, and 200 rpm agitation speed. The validation experiments under optimum conditions produced the highest biomass of 12.84 g/L, P(3HB) content of 92.16 wt%, and P(3HB) concentration of 11.83 g/L. RSM was found to be an efficient method in enhancing the production of biomass, P(3HB) content, and P(3HB) concentration by 43, 21, and 74%, respectively.

Transcriptomic study of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi biofilm.

BACKGROUND: Typhoid fever is an acute systemic infection of humans caused by Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). In chronic carriers, the bacteria survive the harsh environment of the gallbladder by producing biofilm. The phenotype of S. Typhi biofilm cells is significantly different from the free-swimming planktonic cells, and studies have shown that they are associated with antibiotic resistance, immune system evasion, and bacterial persistence. However, the mechanism of this transition and the events leading to biofilm formation are unknown. High throughput sequencing was performed to identify the genes involved in biofilm formation and to postulate the mechanism of action. RESULTS: Planktonic S. Typhi cells were cultured using standard nutrient broth whereas biofilm cells were cultured in a stressful environment using high shearing-force and bile to mimic the gallbladder. Sequencing libraries were prepared from S. Typhi planktonic cells and mature biofilm cells using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform, and the transcriptome data obtained were processed using Cufflinks bioinformatics suite of programs to investigate differential gene expression between the two phenotypes. A total of 35 up-regulated and 29 down-regulated genes were identified. The identities of the differentially expressed genes were confirmed using NCBI BLAST and their functions were analyzed. The results showed that the genes associated with metabolic processes and biofilm regulations were down-regulated while those associated with the membrane matrix and antibiotic resistance were highly up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: It is proposed that the biofilm phenotype of S. Typhi allows the bacteria to increase production of the membrane matrix in order to serve as a physical shield and to adhere to surfaces, and enter an energy conservation state in response to the stressful environment. Conversely, the planktonic phenotype allows the bacteria to produce flagella and increase metabolic activity to enable the bacteria to migrate and form new colonies of infection. This data provide a basis for further studies to uncover the mechanism of biofilm formation in S. Typhi and to discover novel genes or pathways associated with the development of the typhoid carrier state.

Can the BASNEF Model Help to Develop Self-Administered Healthy Behavior in Iranian Youth?

BACKGROUND: The stage of youth is critical for human development in several ways. On the one hand, it can lead people towards the adoption of a healthy lifestyle during adulthood based on these earlier practices. On the other hand, it can comprise the development of healthy living practices later on in live, an outcome which is often caused by the youth adopting a risky lifestyle early on. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of implementing an educational intervention program based on the BASNEF Model (a simplified approach to understanding behavior), designed to cultivate self-administered lifestyle control skills in youths. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental intervention study, implemented during 2010 - 2011. A total of 288 randomly selected high-school students between the ages of 15 and 17 participated in this study. These students were later divided into experimental and control groups. Subjects completed a BASNEF questionnaire at the baseline (pre-test), one month later (post-test) and three months after the educational intervention (follow-up). Four educational sessions were held, each of a 120 - 150 minute duration. After the data had been collected, the ANOVA test was used to compare trends in changes. The Pearson correlation coefficient was then used to analyze the correlation between components of the BASNEF model. Finally, regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of the study. RESULTS: Results from the intervention study reveal that the beliefs and attitudes about nutrition of the intervention group, calculated in terms of scores, improved significantly for both male and female subjects (P < 0.001) as compared to the control group. The mean BASNEF scores for improvements in beliefs among girls and boys were 79.2% and 70.1%, respectively and for attitudes, 61.2% and 59.4%. The increase was significantly higher in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, participation in physical activity was more frequent among members of the intervention group than among those in the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The BASNEF model could be effective in encouraging the adoption of nutritious eating habits and more active lifestyles at an early age in order to foster long-term health and well-being.

Batch culture and repeated-batch culture of Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 for lipid production as a comparative study.

This research was performed based on a comparative study on fungal lipid production by a locally isolated strain Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 in batch culture and repeated-batch culture using a nitrogen-limited medium. Lipid production in the batch culture was conducted to study the effect of different agitation rates on the simultaneous consumption of ammonium tartrate and glucose sources. Lipid production in the repeated-batch culture was studied by considering the effect of harvesting time and harvesting volume of the culture broth on the lipid accumulation. The batch cultivation was carried out in a 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask containing 200 ml of the fresh nitrogen-limited medium. Microbial culture was incubated at 30 °C under different agitation rates of 120, 180 and 250 rpm for 120 h. The repeated-batch culture was performed at three harvesting times of 12, 24 and 48 h using four harvesting cultures of 60%, 70%, 80% and 90%. Experimental results revealed that nitrogen source (ammonium tartrate) was fully utilized by C. bainieri 2A1 within 24 h in all agitation rates tested. It was also observed that a high amount of glucose in culture medium was consumed by C. bainieri 2A1 at 250 rpm agitation speed during the batch fermentation. Similar results showed that the highest lipid concentration of 2.96 g/L was obtained at an agitation rate of 250 rpm at 120 h cultivation time with the maximum lipid productivity of 7.0 × 10(-2) mg/ml/h. On the other hand, experimental results showed that the highest lipid concentration produced in the repeated-batch culture was 3.30 g/L at the first cycle of 48 h harvesting time using 70% harvesting volume, while 0.23 g/L gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) was produced at the last cycle of 48 h harvesting time using 80% harvesting volume.

Dietary Predictors of Overweight and Obesity in Iranian Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Considering both diet and energy expenditures possess some influence on weight status, research into dietary determinants of obesity is challenging but essential to rational planning of well-organized interventions to avoid obesity. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether dietary factors were predictive of overweight and obesity in adolescents in the Iranian population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 840 students, ages 15 - 17, from six schools were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A diet-patterns approach often has been used to describe the eating patterns in adolescents. Height, weight, and waist circumference anthropometric indices, physical activity, waist hip ratio, and BMI measurements were determined. Daily dietary data and weighed food records were collected in 2010 and 2011. Abdominal obesity was defined according to world health organization guidelines, and the relationship between dietary predictor variables and the measures of adiposity were determined by using linear regression. Usual dietary intakes were assessed in an experimental study of Esfahani students. RESULTS: In total, 38.5% of girls and 32.2% of boys had a Western dietary pattern as the more prevalent pattern. The diet quality of adolescents with the lowest score on each dietary pattern was compared with those recording the highest scores. Those with the Western dietary pattern score were less likely to exercise and had a higher prevalence of general obesity. Adolescents in the greater quartile of the Mediterranean dietary patterns had the lowest odds of being overweight (OR 0.50, 95%; CI 0.27 - 0.73) and obese (OR 0.48, 95%; CI 0.15 - 0.80) than those in the lower quartile, whereas those in the greater quartile of the Western dietary pattern had the highest odds of being overweight (OR 1.69, 95%; CI 1.10 - 2.04) and obese (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.84). Higher consumption of a Western dietary pattern and a salty dietary pattern were associated significantly with obesity (P < 0.05). Intake of a Western dietary pattern and a salty-sweet dietary pattern were associated positively with measures of adiposity, namely body mass index and waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed significant associations between the seven dietary patterns and overweight and obesity among adolescents. Using dietary patterns within adolescents can provide important information on dietary consumption, and this approach is clearer and much easier to follow.

Repeated batch fermentation biotechnology for the biosynthesis of lipid and gamma-linolenic acid by Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1.

The biosynthesis of biomedical products including lipid and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) by Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 was studied in repeated batch fermentation. Three key process variables, namely, glucose concentration, ammonium tartrate concentration, and harvesting time, were optimized using response surface methodology. Repeated batch fermentation was carried out by the cultivation of Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 in nitrogen-limited medium with various nitrogen concentration (1-4 g/L) and glucose concentration (20-40 g/L) at three time intervals (12 h, 24 h, and 48 h). Experimental results showed that the highest lipid concentration of 6.2 g/L and the highest GLA concentration of 0.4 g/L were obtained in optimum conditions, where 20.2 g/L glucose, 2.12 g/L ammonium tartrate, and 48 h harvesting time were utilized. Statistical results showed that the interaction between glucose and ammonium tartrate concentration had highly significant effects on lipid and GLA biosynthesis (P < 0.01). Moreover, harvesting time had a significant interaction effect with glucose and ammonium tartrate concentration on lipid production (P < 0.05).

Weight status among Iranian adolescents: Comparison of four different criteria.

BACKGROUND: Obesity or being overweight is a major health problem in Iran. Only few studies are available that compare the obesity prevalence by four different available criteria. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Isfahani adolescents based on four different definitions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3002 Isfahani students (1377 males; 1625 females) aged 11-18 years. Anthropometric measurements including weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Sex-specific BMI-for-age reference data of the Iranian national data, Center for Disease Control data (CDC2000), International Obesity taskforce data (IOTF), and recent World Health Organization (WHO) data was used to define overweight and obesity. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied population was 14.8 years and the mean BMI was 20.3 kg/m(2). Girls were on an average 1.4 years older and had almost one unit higher BMI than boys. Underweight was prevalent among almost 38.5% and 25.5% of adolescents as per WHO2007 and national Iranian cut-off points, respectively. The prevalence rates reached 39.5% and 45.8% by IOTF and CDC2000 criteria, respectively. The highest prevalence of overweight was obtained by IOTF cut-points (30.5%), while CDC2000 criteria, WHO2007, and national Iranian cut-points gave similar prevalence results (4.7%, 4.0%, and 4.4%); 2.4% of the studied population were found to be obese by WHO2007 definition, while this rate was 0.8%, 0.5%, and 0.8% by IOTF, CDC2000, and national Iranian cut-points. CONCLUSION: Almost all definitions revealed coexistence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Isfahani adolescents. Huge differences exist between different criteria for assessing weight status among children. To understand the best appropriate criteria for Iranian adolescents, future studies should focus on the predictability of obesity related co-morbidities by these criteria.