5 research outputs found

    Phenotypical and Genotypical Assessment Techniques for Identification of Some Contagious Mastitis Pathogens

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    Mastitis is one of the most economic disease affecting dairy cows worldwide. Its classic diagnosis using bacterial culture and biochemical findings is a difficult and prolonged method. In this research, using of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) permitted identification of different microorganisms with high accuracy and rapidity (only 24 hours for microbial growth and analysis). During the application of MALDI-TOF MS, one hundred twenty strains of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species isolated from milk of cows affected by clinical and subclinical mastitis were identified, and the results were compared with those obtained by traditional methods as API and VITEK 2 Systems. 37 of totality 39 strains (~95%) of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were exactly detected by MALDI TOF MS and then confirmed by a nuc-based PCR technique, whereas accurate identification was observed in 100% (50 isolates) of the coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) and Streptococcus agalactiae (31 isolates). In brief, our results demonstrated that MALDI-TOF MS is a fast and truthful technique which has the capability to replace conventional identification of several bacterial strains usually isolated in clinical laboratories of microbiology

    Endotoxin transiently inhibits protein synthesis through Akt and MAPK mediating pathways in C2C12 myotubes

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    In this study, the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on protein synthesis (PS) and intracellular signaling factors that regulate it have been investigated in C2C12 murine-derived myotubes. In particular, the role of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) [p38 and extracelluar regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2)] have been examined. The direct effect of LPS on PS was measured at 3 and 18 h. LPS significantly decreased PS at 3 h but not at the 18-h time point. This effect was preceded by decreased Akt phosphorylation at 5 and 30 min after LPS administration. The mTOR phosphorylation exhibited a long time dose-dependent increase at all the time points. Similarly, the activity-related phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 significantly increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner at all the time points. Polymyxin B abolished the LPS-induced decrease in PS rate. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY-0294002 in combination with LPS significantly decreased the rate of PS by 81% and alone by 66%, respectively, for the 3- and 18-h time points, whereas p38 and ERK inhibitors in combination with LPS significantly decreased the rate PS rate at the 18-h time point by 41% and 59%, respectively, compared with control cells. In conclusion, LPS alone transiently decreased the rate of PS by 50% at 3 h; this effect is most likely mediated via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-Akt/mTOR pathway, and both p38 and ERK when inhibited in the presence of LPS at 3 h have a similar effect in preventing the LPS-induced reduction in PS. </jats:p

    Reservoir Life Expectancy in Relation to Climate and Land-Use Changes: Case Study of the Mangla Reservoir in Pakistan

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    The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future. The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future time will have compound effects on reservoir life. In addition to mean climate factors, climate change will have a more profound impact on climate variability, which will likely lead to a more intensified and frequent extreme rainfall events than is currently experienced. Rainfall is the main driving factor of river sediment load, especially extreme rainfall events, which can cause exceptionally high sediment load compared to normal rainfall events. Therefore impacts of climate change was investigated by transient climate change scenarios from 1980 to 2098 constructed through bias correction of General Circulation Models (GCM) daily simulation outputs for the observed weather stations in the catchment. Land-use change scenarios were generated for two broad conditions based on socio-economic data and physical factors influencing the land-use: (i) pro-agriculture scenario and (ii) pro-industrialization scenario. The impact of climate and land-use changes on the reservoir life was then investigated by using various combinations of climate change scenarios and land-use change scenarios. The results show that both climate and land-use changes can have significant impacts on the Mangla basin sediment transported by the river to the dam reservoir; climate change has a large impact on the annual sediment load, monthly variation in the sediment load, and in turn the reservoir life. The superimposed effects of land-use on climate change can exacerbate or reduce such impacts. Land-use change has the potential to effectively reduce climate change impacts. Therefore various land-use management measures were further evaluated based on economic analysis as adaptation options to mitigate the climate change impacts
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