Search Results (80)

Tetanus is a life-threatening, vaccine-preventable disease caused by tetanospasmin and tetanolysin, which are potent neurotoxins produced by Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium. Due to the widespread presence of spores in the environment, the disease cannot be eradicated. However, global tetanus prevention initiatives have contributed to a significant decline in tetanus incidence worldwide. Aiming to present the tetanus trends in Romania, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the tetanus surveillance data. During the study period (2010–2023), 97 cases of tetanus were reported in Romania (median: 6.5; IQR: 5–7) with an average incidence rate of 0.03 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI: 0.02–0.04; range: 0.01–0.09). The highest incidence rates were recorded among people aged 1 to 14 years old (0.09 per 100,000 inhabitants, 95% CI: 0.06–0.13; range: 0.00–0.20), male (0.05 per 100,000 inhabitants; 95% CI: 0.03–0.06; range: 0.03–0.12), and from rural areas (0.05 per 100,000 inhabitants; 95% CI: 0.03–0.08; range: 0.01–0.17). A decline in the number of tetanus cases of 7% by year was observed, which is supported by the statistical analysis showing a p-value of 0.005 (IRR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88–0.98). However, the same decline in tetanus incidence was not supported by the statistical analysis (IRR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.44–1.98; p = 0.9). Forty-seven tetanus deaths were recorded, with an average case fatality ratio of 42% (95% CI: 25.62–57.92; range: 0–100), showing a decreasing trend of 9% by year (IRR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.89–0.93). Although the annual number of tetanus cases in Romania has shown a slight downwards trend, its situation has remained relatively stable, as shown by the tetanus incidence. Moreover, the case fatality rate continues to be high. Therefore, our study emphasizes the importance of achieving high vaccination uptake among children and adolescents, raising awareness of the importance of booster doses in adults, and improving the management of tetanus-prone wounds. Full article

Reconstructing historical grazing intensity is essential for understanding long-term human–environment interactions in arid and semi-arid regions. However, historical documents often lack continuous, site-specific information on land use and grazing pressure. We present a high-resolution reconstruction of pastoral activity and hydrological evolution since 1560 AD using fungal spore assemblages from a 92 cm lacustrine-peat sequence from the Sichanghu (SCH) peatland on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Quantitative analysis of coprophilous fungal spores and principal component analysis (PCA) of spore influxes identify three distinct phases of pastoral intensity: gradual intensification from 1560 to 1730 AD, a sharp decline from 1730 to 1770 AD, and rapid intensification from 1770 AD to the present. These transitions are consistent with historical records of land use and human migration in Xinjiang. Additionally, fungal assemblages reveal a long-term drying trend at Sichanghu, broadly consistent with regional aridification in northwestern China. However, centennial-scale discrepancies in humidity between local and regional records—particularly during the late Little Ice Age—indicate that local hydrological responses were strongly influenced by anthropogenic disturbances. This study highlights the value of fungal spores, particularly influx-based interpretations, as robust indicators of both human activities and hydroclimatic variability. It also underscores the importance of integrating local and regional signals when reconstructing past environmental changes in sensitive dryland ecosystems. Full article

Palaeoecological investigations connected with extensive pre-bog, stone walls, and field systems at Kilmore, Dingle peninsula, Ireland, are presented. The main pollen profile, KLM I, spans the last 4000 years. When the record opened, pine (Pinus sylvestris) was already a minor tree, oak (probably Quercus petraea) was the main tall-canopy tree, and birch and alder were dominant locally. Substantial farming is recorded between ca. 1530 and 600 BCE (Bronze Age) when the stone walls were likely constructed. From ca. 560 CE onwards, intensive farming was conducted for much of the time. A largely treeless landscape emerged in the late twelfth century CE. Fine-spatial reconstructions of landscape and vegetation dynamics, including the timing of blanket bog initiation, are made. Post-glacial change in the western Dingle peninsula, based on published Holocene lake profiles and drawing on the new information presented here, is discussed. Reported are (a) fossil spores of the filmy ferns Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, H. wilsonii, and Trichomanes speciosum; (b) the first fossil pollen record for Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) in the Dingle peninsula (540 CE); and (c) the first published records for Fagopyrum fossil pollen in Ireland, indicating that buckwheat was grown at Kilmore in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries. Full article

The Nubia Sandstone in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, is a well-known unclassified sediment. Palynology is considered the most effective tool for dealing with this problem. Miospore assemblages from the Lowermost Carboniferous (Tournaisian) have been discovered from the J62-86 and the J62-64 AST1 wells located in the July Field of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Spores are moderately to poorly preserved, suggesting a stratigraphical position within Lowermost Carboniferous ages. The studied sediments include poorly preserved conodont fragments and present significant identification challenges due to the drilling methodologies’ complexities. Spore assemblage consists of 31 genera with 56 species. The dominant spores include zonate genera Vallatisporites, Densosporites, and Archaeozonotriletes, camerate genera Grandispora, Geminospora, apiculate genera Apiculiretusispora, and laevigate trilete genus Punctatisporites and megaspores of the Lagenoisporites type are recorded. Marine microphytoplankton including Schizocystia bicornuta, Lophosphaeridium, Leiosphaerida, and some filamentous green algae of unknown affinity are recorded. The dispersed spore assemblage is associated with carbonized plant fragments. The palynological data have effectively dated the lower intervals of the Nubia Sandstone from the Nubia “B,” indicating a Lowermost Carboniferous (Tournaisian) age, i.e., Vallatisporites vallatus–Retustriletes incohatus palynozone (VI). The stratigraphic differentiation of the Nubia Sandstone is crucial for subsequent correlating subsurface wells in the Gulf of Suez within the context of geology and hydrocarbon exploration, particularly given the scarcity of other fossil groups. Full article

Kytococcus belongs to the family Kytococcaceae, in the order Micrococcales, in the class Actinomycetes, and the phylum Actinomycetota. Kytococcus are aerobic, Gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria that form coccoid, non-motile, non-encapsulated cells, and their colonies on agar have a yellow color. Infections by these species are increasingly identified nowadays. This narrative review aimed to present all available cases of Kytococcus spp. infections in humans, emphasizing data on the epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial treatment, and mortality. A narrative review based on a literature search of the PubMed/MedLine and Scopus databases was performed. Results: In total, 26 articles providing data on 30 patients with Kytococcus spp. infections were included in this analysis. The median age was 59.5 years, while 56.7% were male. The presence of a prosthetic cardiac valve was the main predisposing factor in 36.7% of patients (100% among those with infective endocarditis), while immunosuppression due to underlying hematological malignancy under chemotherapy was the second most common. Bacteremia was the most common type of infection, with infective endocarditis being the most common subtype in this infection type, while respiratory tract infections and osteoarticular infections were also relatively common. K. schroeteri was the most commonly identified species. Microbial identification required the use of advanced molecular techniques such as 16s rRNA sequencing in most cases. Kytotoccus spp. was resistant to all beta-lactams with the exception of carbapenems and macrolides. The most commonly used antimicrobials were vancomycin and rifampicin. Mortality was significant (30%). Due to the potential of Kytotoccus spp. to cause infective endocarditis in patients with prosthetic cardiac valves and respiratory tract infections with concomitant bacteremia in patients with hematological malignancy under chemotherapy along with the difficulties in pathogen identification, clinicians and laboratory personnel should consider this pathogen in the differential diagnosis in patients with typical predisposing factors and clinical presentation, especially when traditional microbiological techniques are used for pathogen identification. Full article

Divergent mid-Silurian (late Wenlock) and latest Silurian–earliest Devonian (Pridoli–Lochkovian) ages have been proposed for the strata bearing the millipede Pneumodesmus newmani, the oldest known undoubted air-breathing land animal, marking a significant event in the evolution of the first land biota. The late Wenlock age is based on physically correlating a non-marine section dated with spores and detrital zircon dates, across a fault, with a distinctly different non-marine section bearing the millipede. The Pridoli–Lochkovian ages are based on vertebrate fossils and detrital zircon dates from this latter section. A review of the available lithostratigraphic, petrological, and biostratigraphic data, plus detrital zircon dating of the basal Old Red Sandstone around Stonehaven, shows that the two dated sections have strata that are of different depositional environments, sources, and ages and that the totality of the evidence firmly dates the millipede-bearing strata as Pridoli–Lochkovian. Full article

During Bacillus subtilis spore germination/outgrowth, the rehydration of the spore core and activation of aerobic metabolism can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-promoted DNA lesions that are repaired via the base excision repair pathway (BER). Accordingly, spores deficient in the AP-endonucleases (APEs) Nfo and ExoA exhibit a delayed outgrowth that is suppressed following disruption of the checkpoint protein DisA. Here, we report that DisA-independent DNA damage checkpoints operate during B. subtilis spore outgrowth. Consistent with this notion, spores lacking Nfo, ExoA, and Nth, which functions as an APE, did not suppress delayed outgrowth following disA disruption. Furthermore, in reference to the ∆nfo ∆exoA ∆nth spores, spores deficient for these APEs and DisA displayed a significantly higher number of oxidative genetic lesions and failed to properly segregate its chromosome during the first round of replication in the outgrowth stage. Finally, we found that DisA promotes low-fidelity repair and replication events, as revealed by DNA-alkaline gel electrophoresis (AGE) as well as spontaneous and H₂O₂-promoted Rif^R mutagenesis. Overall, our results unveil the existence of DisA-independent DNA damage checkpoint(s) that are activated by genomic lesions of an oxidative nature during spore germination and outgrowth, ensuring a proper transition to vegetative growth. Full article

Background: Ganoderma lucidum spore oil (GLSO) is widely recognized for its notable medicinal and nutritional properties. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of GLSO extract in individuals with dyslipidemia. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 110 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the placebo group. A chi-square test of baseline characteristics confirmed no significant differences in age or sex distribution between the two groups. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, the intervention group exhibited significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (CHO), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alongside significantly higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), compared to the placebo group, with all differences reaching statistical significance. Furthermore, the relative percentage changes in lipid parameters also demonstrated significant intergroup differences. Safety analyses revealed that the intervention had no notable effects on renal function parameters, whereas hepatic function parameters showed statistically significant improvement in the intervention group. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that GLSO extract effectively improved lipid profiles and liver function, with a favorable safety and tolerability profile. These findings strongly support the potential clinical application of GLSO extract in the management of dyslipidemia. Full article

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a significant healthcare-associated pathogen that is predominantly caused by antibiotic-induced microbiota disturbance. Antibiotics decrease microbial diversity, resulting in C. difficile colonization and infection. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) manifests through toxins A and B, causing diarrhea and colitis. Antibiotic usage, old age, and hospitalization are significant risk factors. A healthy gut microbiota, which is dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, provides colonization resistance to C. difficile due to competition for nutrients, creating inhibitory substances and stimulating the immune response. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis decreases resistance, allowing C. difficile spores to transform into vegetative forms. Patients with CDI have decreased gut microbiota diversity, with a decrease in beneficial bacteria, including Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium, and a rise in harmful bacteria like Clostridioides and Lactobacillus. This disparity worsens the infection’s symptoms and complicates therapy. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a potential therapy for recurrent CDI by restoring gut microbiota diversity and function. Comprehending the connection between gut microbiota and CDI pathogenesis is critical for establishing effective preventive and treatment plans. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiota through careful antibiotic use and therapeutic options such as FMT can help in the management and prevention of CDI. Full article

Background: Oxidative stress is associated with the occurrence and progress of aging. Natural polysaccharides have attracted considerable attention in the field of antioxidants and anti-aging products due to their superior biological activity and low toxicity. Ganoderma leucocontextum is primarily found in the Tibetan plateau region and is classified as a subspecies of Ganoderma. Known as the famous white Ganoderma, it is a precious food and medicine that has potent biological activity, including antitumor, hypoglycemic, and immune regulation. Since available resources are limited, there are few studies on the spore of Ganoderma leucocontextum. Methods: In this work, a polysaccharide (named GLSP) was extracted from the spore of Ganoderma leucocontextum using a fast, simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly extraction process: the three-phase partitioning (TPP) method. Results: The extraction condition was optimized under the Box–Behnken design (BBD): ratio of the solute to the solvent, 1:21.126 (w/v); (NH₄)₂SO₄ concentration, 30% (w/v); ratio of the slurry to tert-butanol, 1:1.945 (v/v); and shaking temperature, 54.136 °C. Furthermore, a polysaccharide termed GLSP-A1 was purified from GLSP by column chromatography. The basic physicochemical properties were analyzed by molecular weight, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, monosaccharide composition, and scanning electron microscopy. Conclusions: GLSP-A1 down-regulated the expression of the pro-inflammation cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β, indicating favorable in vitro anti-inflammatory properties. In vivo, the effect of GLSP-A1 on aging was examined using the Caenorhabditis model. The results showed that GLSP-A1 reduced reactive oxygen species levels and lipofuscin accumulation. In general, these findings improve our understanding of the chemical content and bioactivity of a polysaccharide from Ganoderma leucocontextum spore and highlight the possibility of GLSP-A1 being utilized in dietary supplements for its anti-aging properties. Full article

Stonebrood (Aspergillus sp.) is a rare, poorly described disease of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) that can affect adult bees and brood. This study describes the pathogenesis using artificially reared pathogen-free Apis mellifera larvae, experimentally infected (5 × 10² spores/larva) with Aspergillus flavus. Between days 1 and 5 p.i. (larval age 4 until 8 days), five uninfected control larvae, up to five infected living larvae, and up to five infected dead larvae were examined macroscopically. Subsequently, the larvae were photographed, fixed (4% formaldehyde), and processed for histological examination (hematoxylin–eosin stain, Grocott silvering). Sections were digitized, measured (area, thickness), and statistically analyzed. In total, 19 of the 43 collected infected larvae showed signs of infection (germinating spores/fungal mycelium): dead larvae (from day 2 p.i.) showed clear histological and macroscopic signs of infection, while larvae collected alive (from day 1 p.i.) were only locally affected. Infected larvae were significantly smaller (day 2 p.i.: p < 0.001, 4 p.i.: p < 0.01, 5 p.i.: p < 0.01) than uninfected larvae (control group). Our study shows that the pathogenesis of stonebrood is characterized by a short period between Aspergillus germination and the onset of disease (about one day), and a rapid larval death. Full article

Fungal contamination represents a significant threat during peanut storage. In this research, a strain of Penicillium spp. was used as a test microorganism to assess its viability during peanut storage over 30 days at three different temperatures (4, 15, and 25 °C) and at two different inoculum levels (low-2 log CFU/g and high-5 log CFU/g). Two peanut types were tested: the Spanish type and the Virginia type. Independently of spore age, the fungus survived throughout the storage period, and in some samples (low inoculum Virginia-type peanuts) its level increased. In the second phase, four drying treatments, differing in temperature and duration, were tested. Fungal inactivation primarily depended on the temperature, while the duration of the drying process did not have a significant effect. At low temperatures, fungal inactivation was minimal and not statistically significant, suggesting that low-temperature treatments could pose a potential health risk. Full article

Building and finishing materials are among the main sources of indoor air pollution and can provide ideal substrates for microbial growth. Environmental factors can induce physico-chemical aging of these materials, altering their composition and increasing their vulnerability to microbial growth. To mitigate this risk, manufacturers are increasingly adding biocidal agents to these materials to prevent microbial contamination. The aim of this project was to study the sensitivity of two different acrylic paints to fungal growth, before and after an aging process, and to assess the impact of aging on the effectiveness of the biocides contained in these materials. To do this, two paints (antifungal and normal paint) were applied to a wall covering (polyester-cellulose) before being subjected to accelerated aging. The later process was based on the addition of detergent or water and exposing the material to a visible light spectrum, moderate temperature (38 ± 6 °C), and ambient relative humidity (25 ± 17%). Prior to 30 days of incubation, the aged and unaged (“native”) materials were inoculated with fungal spores using a dry aerosolization system. Fungi behavior was then evaluated by the culture method. The results showed that the native and water-aged normal acrylic paint supported fungal growth at 95 ± 5% relative humidity. However, the use of the cleaning product during the aging process provided additional resistance of the materials against fungal growth. On the other hand, the antifungal paint showed no visible growth due to its biocide content. The accelerated aging and incubation processes led to the depletion of the biocides and thus a decrease in their effectiveness against mold development. Full article

This study investigates the effects of the Bacillus licheniformis (BL) ATCC 21424 strain, as a potential bacterial probiotic in broiler diets based on soybean meal (SBM) or cowpea seeds (CWP), on growth performance (GP), bone mineralization, and intestinal/fecal microbiota status (0 to 42 d age). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was employed in a completely randomized design, with four dietary treatments: SBM and CWP diets with or without BL supplementation (1.0 × 10¹¹ CFU spores g⁻¹ feed). A total of 480 one-day-old mixed-sex Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to the treatments, with 6 pens of 20 chicks each. The results showed that broilers fed with CWP diets showed comparable body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion rate to those fed the SBM diet (p > 0.05). The inclusion of BL improved BWG during the grower and finisher periods (p = 0.01) and overall study (p < 0.001), resulting in a numerical increase in FI (p = 0.054). In addition, BL in birds’ diets reduced abdominal fat (p = 0.032) and influenced cecum weight (p = 0.040). Additionally, BL improved tibia iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) bone mineralization and reduced the calcium–phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio (p = 0.0001). Microbial analysis revealed that BL inclusion decreased Coliforms counts in the CWP diet (p = 0.073), reduced E. coli in the ileum (p ≤ 0.05), and lowered Clostridium spp. and Enterococcus spp. in the cecum broilers on SBM diets (p ≤ 0.05). The presence of Staphylococcus spp. in broiler feces was also reduced in both SBM and CWP groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of BL to broiler diets enhanced growth performance and bone mineralization and positively influenced gut and excreta bacterial populations in both SBM and CWP diets. Full article

Bread is a staple, energy-rich food for people of all ages, so quality is important to consumers. In our region, most of the commercially available bread, whether packaged or unpackaged, is produced by local bakeries, so monitoring microbial levels and the types of microbes present on bread can help to draw attention to protect the final product. It can also help to ensure the food safety, quality, and shelf life of bread. The freshly baked product is microbiologically sterile. Post-process contamination affects the microbial load of bread. In this study, the microbial load of 30 different commercial bread crumbs and crusts was determined. The different types of bread with different compositions were analyzed for total viable bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, aerobic and anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, and culturable microscopic fungi. The K-means clustering algorithm was used to cluster the different types of bread based on the number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in the total viable bacterial count for bread crusts and crumbs. The bacterial count of bread varied between 10.00 ± 0.00–395.00 ± 52.4 CFU/g for bread crusts and 10.00 ± 0.0–310.67 ± 94 CFU/g for bread crumbs. The results of 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the most frequently occurring bacterial species belonged to the genus Bacillus, but species of the genus Staphylococcus were also present. Chryseobacterium spp. predominated on multigrain bread, Marinilactobacillus spp. on rustic potato bread, and Staphylococcus warneri on sliced brown potato bread. The results contribute to a better understanding of the microbial dynamics in locally produced breads from the Eastern Carpathians of Transylvania, with the aim of improving food safety, quality control, and consumer protection. Full article