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Pediatric Surgery International Nov 2022Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Häuser syndrome (MRKH) usually presents with primary amenorrhea after puberty. The present study clarified the clinical features of MRKH...
Clinical features of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Haüser syndrome diagnosed at under 16 years old: results from a questionnaire survey conducted on all institutions of pediatric surgery and pediatric urology in Japan.
PURPOSE
Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Häuser syndrome (MRKH) usually presents with primary amenorrhea after puberty. The present study clarified the clinical features of MRKH diagnosed at under 16 years old.
METHODS
We conducted a questionnaire survey to determine the status of MRKH in Japan. Twenty-one MRKH patients were enrolled, and the patient background and clinical features were analyzed.
RESULTS
The median age at the diagnosis was 2.6 [1.0-9.0] years. Three patients (14.3%) were diagnosed with type I MRKH, while 18 (85.7%) were diagnosed with type II. The associated anomalies included (some cases overlapped): anorectal malformation (ARM) (n = 13, 72.2%), renal malformation (n = 12, 66.7%), vertebral malformation (n = 11, 61.1%), esophageal atresia (n = 5, 27.8%), and cardiac malformation (n = 4, 22.2%). The comparison of patients with and without ARM revealed that patients with ARM were significantly younger than those without ARM at the time of the diagnosis (1.5 [1-2.6] years vs. 9.1 [8.2-11.7] years, p < 0.05). Associated ARM was the most frequent reason for the diagnosis of MRKH (n = 10, 47.6%).
CONCLUSIONS
MRKH patients with some associated anomalies, especially ARM, were frequently diagnosed in preoperative imaging examinations or radical operation for ARM. Pediatric surgeons should pay close attention to female patients with ARM to prevent errors in the diagnosis of MRKH.
Topics: 46, XX Disorders of Sex Development; Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Congenital Abnormalities; Female; Humans; Infant; Japan; Mullerian Ducts; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urology; Vagina
PubMed: 36029342
DOI: 10.1007/s00383-022-05201-3 -
Biophysical Journal Sep 2022The gut microbiome contains hundreds of interacting species that together influence host health and development. The mechanisms by which intestinal microbes can...
The gut microbiome contains hundreds of interacting species that together influence host health and development. The mechanisms by which intestinal microbes can interact, however, remain poorly mapped and are often modeled as spatially unstructured competitions for chemical resources. Recent imaging studies examining the zebrafish gut have shown that patterns of aggregation are central to bacterial population dynamics. In this study, we focus on bacterial species of genera Aeromonas and Enterobacter. Two zebrafish gut-derived isolates, Aeromonas ZOR0001 (AE) and Enterobacter ZOR0014 (EN), when mono-associated with the host, are highly aggregated and located primarily in the intestinal midgut. An Aeromonas isolate derived from the commensal strain, Aeromonas-MB4 (AE-MB4), differs from the parental strain in that it is composed mostly of planktonic cells localized to the anterior gut. When challenged by AE-MB4, clusters of EN rapidly fragment into non-motile, slow-growing, dispersed individual cells with overall abundance two orders of magnitude lower than the mono-association value. In the presence of a certain set of additional gut bacterial species, these effects on EN are dampened. In particular, if AE-MB4 invades an already established multi-species community, EN persists in the form of large aggregates. These observations reveal an unanticipated competition mechanism based on manipulation of bacterial spatial organization, namely dissolution of aggregates, and provide evidence that multi-species communities may facilitate stable intestinal co-existence.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Zebrafish
PubMed: 35982615
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.08.010 -
Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical... 2022Serious threat to human health caused by bacterial infection persists as a global concern. It becomes more serious when the burden of multidrug-resistance bacteria is in... (Review)
Review
Serious threat to human health caused by bacterial infection persists as a global concern. It becomes more serious when the burden of multidrug-resistance bacteria is in the increasing trend. To overcome, researches have been conducted to develop antibacterial agents from plant-derived bioactive compounds. This review article focuses on the antibacterial activities of plant extracts from seven members, namely , , , , , , and . First, ethnomedical uses of the aforementioned plants are discussed and followed by the screening results of related phytochemicals. Among many secondary metabolites contained in the extracts of spp., anonaine, nornuciferine, and liriodenine are common and bioactive. The extracts were reported to have bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties against a wide spectrum of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant , , , , , , , , and . We conclude that investigation on the extracts from spp. could contribute to the development of antibacterial agents that could be used against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
PubMed: 35935693
DOI: 10.4103/japtr.japtr_111_22 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Sewage effluent discharge is a major source of pathogenic contamination to the environment. The disinfection process is critical for the elimination of pathogens in...
Sewage effluent discharge is a major source of pathogenic contamination to the environment. The disinfection process is critical for the elimination of pathogens in sewage. In this study, we examined the impact of chlorine disinfection on the total, viable, and culturable populations of indicator bacteria, pathogens, and bacterial communities in two contrasting types of effluents (primarily treated saline and secondarily treated freshwater). Effluents collected bimonthly over 1 year were examined using cultivation, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing coupled with or without propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment. The results showed that each type of effluent was characterized by a specific set of representative genera before disinfection. Salinity appeared to be the major abiotic factor associated with the differences in bacterial community compositions. The pathogen analysis pipeline revealed over 20 viable clinically important pathogenic species in the effluents. Although the bacterial communities differed markedly between the two types of effluents before disinfection, the species of pathogens persisting after disinfection were similar, many of them were members of and . The relative abundances of all pathogens identified in the amplicon sequences were multiplied by the 16S rRNA gene copy numbers of total bacteria detected by PMA-qPCR to estimate their concentrations. Pathogens remained viable after disinfection reached 8 log 16S rRNA copies ml effluent. Meanwhile, around 80 % of the populations of three indicator bacteria including , and Bacteroidales were viable after disinfection, but over 99 % of the viable and were in the non-culturable state. We estimated the total pathogen load by adding the concentrations of all viable pathogens and examined their correlations with indicator bacteria of different types, physiological states, and effluents. The results showed that the PMA-qPCR measurement of is a reliable proxy of bacterial pathogen loads in both types of effluents. The utility of viable indicator bacteria as a biological index to assess the overall bacteriological hazards in effluents is discussed.
PubMed: 35898906
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.919207 -
Insects Jul 2022Tardigrades are small micrometazoans able to resist several environmental stresses in any stage of their life cycle. An integrated analysis of tardigrade specimens...
Tardigrades are small micrometazoans able to resist several environmental stresses in any stage of their life cycle. An integrated analysis of tardigrade specimens collected in Tsukuba (Japan) revealed a peculiar morphology and a new sensory field in the cloaca. Molecular taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis on different genes (COI, ITS2, 18S and 28S) confirmed that this population is a new species, sp. nov., belonging to the widespread group. The stress resistance capabilities of sp. nov. have been tested by submitting animals to extreme desiccation, rapid freezing, and high levels of ultraviolet radiations (UVB and UVC). Animals were able to survive desiccation (survivorship 95.71 ± 7.07%) and freezing up to -80 °C (82.33 ± 17.11%). Both hydrated and desiccated animals showed a high tolerance to increasing UV radiations: hydrated animals survived to doses up to 152.22 kJ m (UVB) and up to 15.00 kJ m (UVC), while desiccated specimens persisted to radiations up to 165.12 kJ m (UVB) and up to 35.00 kJ m (UVC). Present data contribute to the discovery of a larger tardigrade biodiversity in Japan, and the tolerance capabilities of sp. nov. show that it could become a new emerging model for stress resistance studies.
PubMed: 35886811
DOI: 10.3390/insects13070634 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 202216S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to investigate changes in the broiler gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota throughout the rearing period and in combination with...
16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to investigate changes in the broiler gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota throughout the rearing period and in combination with antibiotic treatment. Thirty birds (from a commercial flock) were removed at multiple points throughout the rearing period on days 13, 27, and 33, euthanised, and their GIT aseptically removed and divided into upper (the crop, proventriculus, and the gizzard), middle (the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) and lower (the large intestine, the caeca, and the cloaca) sections. In a separate commercial flock, on the same farm with similar husbandry practices and feed, doxycycline (100 mg/ml per kg body weight) was administered in drinking water between day 8 and 12 (inclusive) of the production cycle. Birds were removed on days, 13, 27, and 33 and GIT samples prepared as above. The contents of three merged samples from each GIT section were pooled ( = 60), the DNA extracted and analysed by 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomic sequencing and analysed. Major changes in the broiler microbiota were observed as the birds aged particularly with the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (F:B) of the lower GIT. Moreover, Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices showed the antibiotic treatment significantly altered the microbiota, and this change persisted throughout the rearing period. Further research is required to investigate the effect of these changes on bird performance, susceptibility to infections and carriage.
PubMed: 35875529
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.885862 -
International Journal of Hygiene and... Jul 2022The ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens are... (Review)
Review
The ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens are characterised by increased levels of resistance towards multiple classes of first line and last-resort antibiotics. Although these pathogens are frequently isolated from clinical environments and are implicated in a variety of life-threatening, hospital-associated infections; antibiotic resistant ESKAPE strains have been isolated from environmental reservoirs such as surface water, wastewater, food, and soil. Literature on the persistence and subsequent health risks posed by the ESKAPE isolates in extra-hospital settings is however, limited and the current review aims to elucidate the primary reservoirs of these pathogens in the environment, their antibiotic resistance profiles, and the link to community-acquired infections. Additionally, information on the current state of research regarding health-risk assessments linked to exposure of the ESKAPE pathogens in the natural environment, is outlined.
Topics: Acinetobacter baumannii; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Community-Acquired Infections; Cross Infection; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Humans; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Prevalence
PubMed: 35841823
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114006 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Mulberry leaves (ML) are a promising alternative fodder source due to their high protein content and the abundance of active components. A test of three inoculants in...
Mulberry leaves (ML) are a promising alternative fodder source due to their high protein content and the abundance of active components. A test of three inoculants in various combinations revealed that high-quality ML silage was produced at an inoculum ratio of 1:1:0 (50% , 50% , and 0% ). Using dry matter (DM) loss, pH, ammonia-N and amino acid contents, total antioxidant activity, and total flavonoids content to evaluate silage quality, this inoculant mixture was shown to produce high-quality silage within a range of inoculum size (5-15%), moisture contents (50-67%), ensiling temperatures (27-30°C), and ensiling duration (14-30 days). A third trial comparing silages produced after 30 days at 28°C and 50% moisture content revealed that silage E, prepared using an inoculant alone, displayed the lowest DM loss and pH, and low bacterial diversity, and it was dominated by (88.6%), with low abundance of (6.17%). In contrast, silage B5, prepared with equal ratios of and , was dominated by (67.16%) and (26.94%), with less marked yeast persistence, and reducing the DM content from 50 to 40% altered these relative abundances to 5.47 and 60.61, respectively. Control silages produced without an inoculant had the highest pH and ammonia-N content (indicative of poor quality), had the lowest antioxidant activity, had higher bacterial diversity, and were dominated by (74.28%) and (17.3%). In summary, ensiling of ML conditions with proper inoculants yielded high-quality silage with a favorable microbial community composition.
PubMed: 35722340
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.813363 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma Jun 2022Describe co-occurrence or clustering of microbial taxa in fracture-related infections to inform further exploration of infection-related interactions among them.
OBJECTIVES
Describe co-occurrence or clustering of microbial taxa in fracture-related infections to inform further exploration of infection-related interactions among them.
DESIGN
Retrospective review.
SETTING
Level 1 trauma center.
PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS
Four hundred twenty-three patients requiring surgical intervention for deep surgical site infection between January 2006 and December 2015.
INTERVENTION
None.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT
Connection between microbial taxa.
RESULTS
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus represented the majority of monomicrobial observations (71%). Gram-negative rods, gram-positive rods, and anaerobes presented more frequently in polymicrobial infections. Enterobacter, vancomycin-sensitive Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas are present in polymicrobial infections with the highest frequencies and represent the top 3 most important nodes within the microorganism framework, with the highest network centrality scores.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study indicates that there are common microbial taxa (Enterobacter, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas) that tend to co-occur with other microbes greater than 75% of the time. These commonly co-occurring microbes have demonstrated interactive relationships in other disease pathologies, suggesting that there may be similar important interactions in fracture-related infections. It is possible that these microbial communities play a role in the persistently high failure rate associated with management of infection after trauma. Future studies are needed to study the intermicrobial interactions that explain the frequency at which taxa co-occur. Understanding and potentially disrupting these intermicrobial relationships could inform improvements in the treatment of established infections and in the prevention of infection in high-risk patients.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Coinfection; Fractures, Bone; Humans; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Retrospective Studies; Staphylococcal Infections; Surgical Wound Infection
PubMed: 35703847
DOI: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002314 -
Microbiology Spectrum Aug 2022The genus Enterobacter includes species responsible for nosocomial outbreaks in fragile patients, especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Determining the...
The genus Enterobacter includes species responsible for nosocomial outbreaks in fragile patients, especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Determining the primary source of infection is critical to outbreak management and patient outcomes. In this investigation, we report the management and control measures implemented during an Enterobacter outbreak of bloodstream infections in premature babies. The study was conducted in a French NICU over a 3-year period (2016 to 2018) and included 20 premature infants with bacteremia. The clinical and microbiological characteristics were identified, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on bacteremia isolates. Initially, several outbreak containment strategies were carried out with no success. Next, outbreak investigation pinpointed the neonatal incubators as the primary reservoir and source of contamination in this outbreak. A new sampling methodology during "on" or "in use" conditions enabled its identification, which led to their replacement, thus resulting in the containment of the outbreak. WGS analysis showed a multiclonal outbreak. Some clones were identified in different isolation sources, including patients and neonatal incubators. In addition, microbiological results showed a multispecies outbreak with a high prevalence of Enterobacter bugandensis and Enterobacter xiangfangensis. We conclude that the NICU health care environment represents an important reservoir for Enterobacter transmission and infection. Finally, extracting samples from the neonatal incubator during active use conditions improves the recovery of bacteria from contaminated equipment. This method should be used more frequently to achieve better monitoring of the NICU for HAIs prevention. Neonatal incubators in the NICU can be an important reservoir of pathogens responsible for life-threatening outbreaks in neonatal patients. Traditional disinfection with antiseptics is not sufficient to eradicate the microorganisms that can persist for long periods in the different reservoirs. Identification and elimination of the reservoirs are crucial for outbreak prevention and control. In our investigation, using a new strategy of microbiological screening of neonatal incubators, we demonstrated that these were the primary source of contamination. After their replacement, the outbreak was controlled. This new methodology was effective in containing this outbreak and could be a viable alternative for infection prevention and control in outbreak situations involving incubators as a reservoir.
Topics: Bacteremia; Cross Infection; Disease Outbreaks; Enterobacter; Humans; Incubators; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Neonatal Sepsis
PubMed: 35703554
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00964-22