Means for Providing Electrovibration using Even Strength

The samples inoculated in HEYM with mycobactin J produced colonies identified with MAP according to their own morphological characteristics such as round, white, smooth and slightly rough, alcohol-acid staining, and slow growth with 8 weeks of incubation and mycobactin dependence. The agent confirmation was performed in five bacterial isolates (4.3%) and 15 (13%) fragments of jejunum, ileum, and mesenteric lymph node by the IS900 real-time PCR technique. The results of the present study demonstrate the subclinical occurrence of paratuberculosis in flocks of buffalo slaughtered in slaughterhouses of Baixada Maranhense.Salmonella can enter on the viable but non-culturable state (VBNC), characterized by the loss of ability to grow in routine culture media hindering detection by conventional methods and underestimation of the pathogen. Despite advances in research done so far, studies comparing conditions that lead Salmonella into the VBNC state are scarce. The main objective of this study was to evaluate different stresses to induce Salmonella to the VNBC state. Osmotic (1.2 M NaCl), acid (peracetic acid, 5.66 mg/mL) and oxidative (hydrogen peroxide, 1.20 mg/mL) stress were used at 4 °C to induce Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium to the VBNC state. The culturability loss was monitored in the brain heart infusion (BHI) broth and agar, and the viability was determined by fluorescence microscopy, using the Live/Dead® kit, and by flow cytometry. Selleck Lonafarnib Besides, the morphological characterization by atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed. Storage in 1.2 M NaCl at 4 °C induced the VBNC state in Salmonella cells for periods longer than 121 days, and the percentage of viable cells has reached above 80.9%. More aggressive stress conditions promoted by peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide induced the VBNC state in periods of, at most 0.14 day, and resulted in percentages of 8.5% to 45.5% viable cells, respectively. The counts of viable cells in the flow cytometer corroborate the results obtained by microscopic counts. The VBNC cells obtained in 1.2 M NaCl at 4 °C showed morphological changes, reducing the size and changing the morphology from bacillary to coccoid. No morphological change was observed on the cells stressed by acid or oxidant compounds.Currently, poultry farming is one of the sectors that have a significant impact on the global economy. In recent years, there has been an increase in the production of broilers, inflicting this segment of the industry to generate tons of keratin due to huge disposal of chicken feathers. This points to the need to degrade these chicken feathers, as they have emerged as a major threat to the environment. Thus, in this study we aimed to identify keratinases that are produced by the bacterium Citrobacter diversus and further investigate the biochemical characteristics of these keratin-degrading enzymes. In a submerged medium, the bacterium was capable of degrading chicken feathers almost completely after 36 h of fermentation. We found a maximum caseinolytic activity at pH 9-10.5 and 50-55 °C, and keratinolytic activity at pH 8.5-9.5 and 50 °C. Thus, given its stability at higher temperatures, upon incubation of this enzyme extract for 1 h at 50 °C, it showed approximately 50% of the keratinolytic and 100% of the caseinolytic activity. Further, under pH stability for 48 h at 4 °C, the enzyme extract maintained greater residual activity in the pH range 6-8. Caseinolytic activity was inhibited by EDTA and PMSF, whereas the keratinolytic activity was inhibited only by EDTA. Additionally, due to its alkaline activity and detergent compatibility, this enzyme extract could improve washing performance when added to a commercial detergent formulation. Using application tests, we could demonstrate a potential use of this bacterial enzyme extract as an additive in detergents to remove egg stains from cloth.PURPOSE Thyroid dysfunction has been reported in hypercortisolism. Previous findings regarding changes in thyroid function due to cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) have been inconsistent. The study aimed to investigate the association between thyroid function and excessive cortisol secretion in patients with CPA and to explore the changes in pituitary function after adrenalectomy. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study; thyroid function was evaluated in 94 patients with CPA and 94 healthy controls (HC) matched for age and sex. A total of 94 patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAIs) were recruited as a second control group. RESULTS Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (T4) levels were significantly lower in the CPA group than in the HC and NFAIs groups (P  less then  0.001). The prevalence of central hypothyroidism was 12.8% in the CPA group and increased according to serum cortisol quartiles (P for trend = 0.025). According to the stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, serum cortisol was negatively associated with TSH and free T4 levels in the CPA group after adjustment for body mass index and age. Furthermore, decreased TSH levels were corrected by adrenalectomy [0.75 (0.50, 1.14) vs. 1.91 (1.36, 2.71) µIU/ml, P  less then  0.001], in parallel with a recovery in free T4 levels [11.20 (10.00, 12.43) vs. 12.04 (11.24, 13.01), P  less then  0.001]. Postoperative growth hormone and prolactin levels did not change compared with baseline. CONCLUSION Serum TSH and free T4 levels were decreased in patients with CPA, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis might be reversible after surgery.PURPOSE This retrospective study investigated the association between worrisome pathological features of papillary thyroid cancer indicative of invasion and type 2 diabetes, as well as antihyperglycemic drug therapy for diabetes. METHODS The records of 14,167 patients who had undergone primary surgery for thyroid cancer were retrospectively reviewed and screened for concomitant diabetes. The diabetic and nondiabetic groups were age and gender matched, and further stratified by treatment, including five single antihyperglycemic drugs. RESULTS The study population comprised 942 patients, including 471 patients each with and without diabetes. The rate of worrisome pathological features was higher in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (49.26% cf. 30.57%, P  less then  0.001), mainly reflected by extrathyroidal extension (34.82% cf. 5.94%, P  less then  0.001) and lymph node metastasis (42.68% cf. 33.55%, P  less then  0.001). The number of lymph node metastases in those treated with acarbose (0.32) was significantly lower compared with groups given any of the other four antihyperglycemic drugs (ranging from 1.