Prevalence and characterization of Salmonella species in entire steps of a single integrated broiler supply chain in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of Salmonella species in an integrated broiler supply chain in Korea. A total of 1,214 samples from various steps of an integrated broiler production company including broiler breeder farms, broiler farms, broiler trucks, slaughterhouse, and retail chicken meats were collected and investigated. Salmonella was detected in 195 of the samples. The highest prevalence of Salmonella was observed in broiler transporting trucks (71.43%), followed by the slaughterhouse (63.89%) and broiler farms (16.05%). Salmonella Hadar was the most frequently isolated serotype (83.08%). All Salmonella Hadar isolates investigated in this study with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed the same XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pulsotype.

Cross-protective immune responses elicited by a Korean variant of infectious bronchitis virus.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infections cause great economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. IBVs continuously evolve by developing mutations in antigenic sites; therefore, an IBV vaccine that provides broad cross-protection can be a highly relevant and practical method in IBV control strategies. Although some IBV vaccine strains are known to provide protection against multiple IBV serotypes, in general commercially available IBV vaccine strains provide protection against antigenically related viruses but not distinct heterologous viruses. In the present study we characterized the Korean variant IBV K40/09 strain with regard to its immunogenicity and protective efficacy against seven currently circulating IBV serotypes. Three-week-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were intraocularly immunized with the IBV K40/09 strain at 10(3.5) 50% egg infective dose (EID50). Three weeks after immunization all the birds were challenged with seven different strains at 10(4.5) EID50. Chickens immunized with the IBV K40/09 strain showed significantly high levels of protection against all challenge viruses at the trachea and kidney levels. Our results suggest that IBV K40/09 could be useful to ensure IBV vaccine effectiveness owing to its cross-protective ability. Therefore, the IBV K40/09 strain merits consideration as a vaccine candidate to prevent infection as well as the spread of new IBV strains and many IBV variants that have been reported worldwide.

A Bioinspired Ultra Flexible Artificial van der Waals 2D-MoS2 Channel/LiSiOx Solid Electrolyte Synapse Arrays via Laser-Lift Off Process for Wearable Adaptive Neuromorphic Computing.

Wearable electronic devices with next-generation biocompatible, mechanical, ultraflexible, and portable sensors are a fast-growing technology. Hardware systems enabling artificial neural networks while consuming low power and processing massive in situ personal data are essential for adaptive wearable neuromorphic edging computing. Herein, the development of an ultraflexible artificial-synaptic array device with concrete-mechanical cyclic endurance consisting of a novel heterostructure with an all-solid-state 2D MoS2 channel and LiSiOx (lithium silicate) is demonstrated. Enabled by the sequential fabrication process of all layers, by excluding the transfer process, artificial van der Waals devices combined with the 2D-MoS2 channel and LiSiOx solid electrolyte exhibit excellent neuromorphic synaptic characteristics with a nonlinearity of 0.55 and asymmetry ratio of 0.22. Based on the excellent flexibility of colorless polyimide substrates and thin-layered structures, the fabricated flexible neuromorphic synaptic devices exhibit superior long-term potentiation and long-term depression cyclic endurance performance, even when bent over 700 times or on curved surfaces with a diameter of 10 mm. Thus, a high classification accuracy of 95% is achieved without any noticeable performance degradation in the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology. These results are promising for the development of personalized wearable artificial neural systems in the future.

Treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Progressive supranuclear palsy is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder and is clinically characterized by parkinsonism. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells have recently demonstrated the possibility of treating neurological disorders. Therefore, autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells transplantation can be an alternative method for treating progressive supranuclear palsy. CASE PRESENTATION: This study was approved by the Korea Food and Drug Administration through the Emergency Use Investigational New Drug Application. A 71-year-old Asian man from South Korea with progressive supranuclear palsy was treated with five intravenous infusions (each time 2×108 cells) and four intrathecal infusions (each time 5×107 cells) with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells expanded under good manufacturing practice conditions. Clinical examinations were performed immediately before treatment and throughout the six months of follow-up. The tests included: 1) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale; 2) Berg Balance Scale; 3) Korean Mini Mental State Examination; 4) Modified Barthel Index; 5) grip strength; 6) Box and Block Test; and 7) Nine-Hole Peg Test.The Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale results gradually decreased, and the clinical rating scale scores of the Berg Balance Scale, Korean Mini Mental State Examination, and Modified Barthel Index gradually increased. Grip strength was maintained. Performance in the Box and Block Test and Nine-Hole Peg Test improved after adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment compared to baseline throughout the six months of follow-up. Except for the intermittent mild fever and transient elevated blood pressure, the treatment of our patient with progressive supranuclear palsy with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells showed no significant adverse events, and delayed the progression of neurological deficits by achieving functional improvement in the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: These results are encouraging and hopeful for further studies in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy using autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a safe and effective therapy. This case report is the first known study of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells safely delaying the progression of progressive supranuclear palsy with functional improvement during the follow-up period.

An inactivated oil-emulsion fowl Adenovirus serotype 4 vaccine provides broad cross-protection against various serotypes of fowl Adenovirus.

The number of clinical cases of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) and hydropericardium-hepatitis syndrome (HHS) has been increasing, resulting in considerable economic losses in many countries. Currently, only fowl Adenovirus (FAdV) serotype 4 (FAdV-4) has been reported as the causative agent of HHS, whereas IBH can be caused by all 12 serotypes of FAdV. For protection against HHS, various live and killed FAdV serotype 4 vaccines have been developed. However, there is a concern whether these vaccines composed of FAdV-4 alone could provide protection against IBH, which is caused by other serotypes of virulent FAdVs. To date, there have been no reports evaluating the protective efficacy of the FAdV-4 vaccine against other serotypes of FAdV. Thus, we investigated the cross-protection efficacy of an inactivated oil-emulsion FAdV-4 vaccine against various serotypes of FAdV field isolates. Our study demonstrated that the inactivated oil-emulsion FAdV-4 vaccine could provide broad cross-protection against various serotypes of FAdV in not only vaccinated birds, but also the progenies of vaccinated breeder. Therefore, we conclude that the inactivated oil-emulsion FAdV-4 vaccine could be effective in preventing the spread of various other serotypes of FAdV as well as FAdV-4 infection in the poultry industry.

Virus-like particle vaccine confers protection against a lethal newcastle disease virus challenge in chickens and allows a strategy of differentiating infected from vaccinated animals.

In this study, we developed Newcastle disease virus (NDV) virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing NDV fusion (F) protein along with influenza virus matrix 1 (M1) protein using the insect cell expression system. Specific-pathogen-free chickens were immunized with oil emulsion NDV VLP vaccines containing increasing dosages of VLPs (0.4, 2, 10, or 50 µg of VLPs/0.5-ml dose). Three weeks after immunization, the immunogenicity of the NDV VLP vaccines was determined using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and a lethal challenge using a highly virulent NDV strain was performed to evaluate the protective efficacy of the NDV VLP vaccines. NDV VLP vaccines elicited anti-NDV antibodies and provided protection against a lethal challenge in a dose-dependent manner. Although the VLP vaccines containing 0.4 and 2 µg of VLPs failed to achieve high levels of protection, a single immunization with NDV VLP vaccine containing 10 or 50 µg could fully protect chickens from a lethal challenge and greatly reduced challenge virus shedding. Furthermore, we could easily differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. These results strongly suggest that utilization of NDV VLP vaccine in poultry species may be a promising strategy for the better control of NDV.

Supplementation of oil-based inactivated H9N2 vaccine with M2e antigen enhances resistance against heterologous H9N2 avian influenza virus infection.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 has been evolving rapidly and vaccine escape variants have been reported to cause circulation of infections and economic losses. In the present study, we developed and evaluated ectodomain of the AIV matrix 2 (M2e) protein as a supplementing antigen for oil-based inactivated H9N2 vaccine to increase resistance against vaccine escape variants. AIV H9N2 M2e antigen was expressed in Escherichia coli and supplemented to inactivated H9N2 oil emulsion vaccine. Specific pathogen-free chickens received a single injection of inactivated H9N2 oil emulsion vaccines with or without M2e supplementation. At three weeks post vaccination, hemagglutination inhibition tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to determine serological immune responses. Challenge study using a vaccine escape H9N2 variant was performed to evaluate the efficacy of M2e supplementation. M2e antigen supplemented in oil emulsion vaccine was highly immunogenic, and a single M2e-supplemented vaccination reduced challenge virus replication and shedding more effectively than non-supplemented vaccination.

Immunization with a thermostable newcastle disease virus K148/08 strain originated from wild mallard duck confers protection against lethal viscerotropic velogenic newcastle disease virus infection in chickens.

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most devastating poultry infections because of its worldwide distribution and accompanying economical threat. In the present study, we characterized the ND virus (NDV) K148/08 strain from wild mallard duck, with regard to safety, thermostability, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy against velogenic ND viral infection. The NDV K148/08 strain offered enhanced immunogenicity and safety relative to commercially available vaccine strains. The NDV K148/08 strain was safe in 1-day-old SPF chicks after vaccination using a coarse or cabinet-type fine sprayer. We demonstrated that the NDV K148/08 strain elicited high levels of antibody responses and provided protective efficacy against lethal NDV challenge. In addition, the thermostability of the NDV K148/08 strain was as high as that of the thermostable V4 strain. Therefore, the NDV K148/08 strain may be useful to ensure NDV vaccine performance and effectiveness in developing countries, especially in remote areas without cold chains.