Background: Current epidemiological methods have limitations in identifying transmission of bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Recent whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies found that genetically related strains can cause HAIs without meeting standard epidemiologic definitions, but these results could not provide data in a timely fashion needed for intervention. Given recent advances in Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing, we sought to establish a validated ONT pipeline capable of providing accurate WGS-based comparisons of clinical pathogens within a short time frame that would allow for infection control interventions. Method: Using electronic medical record data, we identified potential healthcare acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative rods. Bacterial genomic DNA was directly extracted from clinical microbiology lab plates. Sequencing was conducted with the ONT MinION sequencer and R10.4.1 flow cell. MINTyper for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling and Ridom SeqSphere+ for core genome MLST were used to determine genetic relatedness. The main outcome was time from pathogen identification to completed genetic analysis. Result: The weekly workflow, from genomic DNA extraction to complete data analysis, averaged 2.6 days with a standard deviation of 1.3 days. (range: 1 to 6 days). Starting in August 2023, we have sequenced a total of 177 bacterial isolates from 156 unique patients. Isolates came from blood (38%), tissue/wound/body fluid (24%), urinary tract (20%), respiratory tract (16%), and rectal swab (2%). To date, six genetically related clusters have been identified. Three clusters involved ST117 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm), comprising a total of 13 unique patients distributed as 2, 3, and 8 patients in each group, with pairwise SNP differences of 20, 11, and 14. Patients within the same clusters showed epidemiological links through overlapping admissions and temporally shared ICU stays. Additionally, another cluster consisted of five genetically related ST633 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, with a pairwise SNP difference of 57.5. Each patient in this cluster had potential epidemiological links through overlapping admission times, despite the absence of identified shared spaces. The last two clusters involved Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli (two cases each), with pairwise SNP differences of 18 and 9, respectively. In both cases, each patient showed potential epidemiological links through overlapping admission times. Conclusion: Our stand-alone ONT pipeline was able to rapidly and accurately detect genetically related AMR pathogens, aligning closely with epidemiological data. Our approach has the potential to assist in the efficient detection and deployment of preventative measures against healthcare-associated infection transmission.

Shattercane is a problematic summer annual grass weed species in regions that produce grain sorghum. Three shattercane populations (DC8, GH4, and PL8) collected from sorghum fields from northwestern Kansas survived the field-use rate (52 g ha−1) of postemergence-applied imazamox. The main objectives of this research were to 1) confirm and characterize the level of resistance to imazamox in putative imazamox-resistant (IMI-R) shattercane populations, 2) investigate the underlying mechanism of resistance, and 3) determine the effectiveness of postemergence herbicides for controlling IMI-R populations. A previously known imazamox susceptible (SUS) shattercane population from Rooks County, KS, was used. All three putative populations exhibited a 4.1-fold to 6.0-fold resistance to imazamox compared with the SUS population. The ALS gene sequences from all IMI-R populations did not reveal any known target-site resistance mutations. A pretreatment with malathion, which inhibits cytochrome P450, followed by imazamox at various doses, reversed the resistance phenotype of the PL8 population. In a separate greenhouse study, postemergence treatments with nicosulfuron, quizalofop, clethodim, and glyphosate resulted in ≥96% injury to all IMI-R populations. The lack of known ALS target-site mutations and the reversal of resistance phenotype by malathion suggest the possibility of metabolism-based resistance to imazamox in PL8 shattercane population.

Kochia accessions (designated as KS-4A and KS-4H) collected from a corn field near Garden City, KS, have previously shown multiple resistance to glyphosate, dicamba, and fluroxypyr. These accessions were also suspected as being resistant to photosystem II (PS II) inhibitors. The main objectives of this research were to 1) confirm the coexistence of cross-resistance to PS II inhibitors (atrazine and metribuzin) applied PRE and POST, 2) investigate the underlying mechanism of PS II-inhibitor resistance, and 3) determine the effectiveness of alternative POST herbicides for control of these multiple herbicide–resistant (MHR) kochia accessions. Results from dose-response experiments revealed that the KS-4A and KS-4H kochia accessions were 23-fold to 48-fold resistant to PRE- and POST-applied atrazine and 13-fold to 18-fold resistant to POST-applied metribuzin compared to a known susceptible kochia accession (KS-SUS). Both accessions also showed putative resistance to PRE-applied metribuzin that needs to be confirmed. Sequence analyses of the psbA gene further revealed that all samples from the KS-4A and KS-4H kochia accessions had a Ser264Gly point mutation. A pretreatment with malathion followed by a POST application of atrazine at 1,120 g ha−1 or metribuzin at 630 g ha−1 did not reverse the resistance phenotypes of these MHR accessions. In a separate greenhouse study, alternative POST herbicides, including bicyclopyrone + bromoxynil; bromoxynil + pyrasulfotole; paraquat alone or in combination with atrazine, metribuzin, 2,4-D, or saflufenacil; and saflufenacil alone or in combination with 2,4-D effectively controlled the KS-4H accession (≥97% injury). To our knowledge, this research reports the first case of kochia accessions with cross-resistance to PRE-applied atrazine and POST-applied metribuzin. Growers should adopt diversified weed control strategies, including the use of competitive crops, cover crops, targeted tillage, and harvest weed seed control along with effective alternative PRE and POST herbicides with multiple sites of action to control MHR kochia seedbanks on their production fields.

In the midst of a global pandemic, hospitals around the world are working to meet the demand for patients ill with the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. As the crisis unfolds, several countries have reported lower numbers as well as less morbidity and mortality for pediatric patients. Thus, pediatric centers find themselves pivoting from preparing for a patient surge to finding ways to support the regional response for adults. This study describes the response from 2 West Coast freestanding academic children’s hospitals that were among the first cities in the United States impacted during this pandemic.

The present study investigated the effects of dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation on intestinal structure and functionality in broiler chickens subjected to coccidial challenge. The present study was a randomised complete block design employing a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement (n 8) with three dietary concentrations of Arg (11·1, 13·3 and 20·2 g/kg) with or without coccidial vaccine challenge (unchallenged and coccidial challenge). On day 14, birds were orally administered with coccidial vaccine or saline. On day 21, birds were killed to obtain jejunal tissue and mucosal samples for histological, gene expression and mucosal immunity measurements. Within 7 d of the challenge, there was a decrease in body-weight gain and feed intake, and an increase in the feed:gain ratio (P< 0·05). Jejunal inflammation was evidenced by villus damage, crypt dilation and goblet cell depletion. Coccidial challenge increased mucosal secretory IgA concentration and inflammatory gene (iNOS, IL-1β, IL-8 and MyD88) mRNA expression levels (P< 0·05), as well as reduced jejunal Mucin-2, IgA and IL-1RI mRNA expression levels (P< 0·05). Increasing Arg concentration (1) increased jejunal villus height (P< 0·05) and linearly increased jejunal crypt depth (P< 0·05); (2) quadratically increased mucosal maltase activity (P< 0·05) and linearly decreased mucosal secretory IgG concentration (P< 0·05) within the coccidiosis-challenged groups; and (3) linearly decreased jejunal Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA expression level (P< 0·05) within the coccidiosis-challenged groups. The mRNA expression of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 pathway genes (mTOR and RPS6KB1) and the anti-apoptosis gene Bcl-2 quadratically responded to increasing dietary Arg supplementation (P< 0·05). These results indicate that dietary Arg supplementation attenuates intestinal mucosal disruption in coccidiosis-challenged chickens probably through suppressing TLR4 and activating mTOR complex 1 pathways.

In the present study, two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary l-arginine (Arg) supplementation on the inflammatory response and innate immunity of broiler chickens. Expt 1 was designed as a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (n 8 cages/treatment; n 6 birds/cage) with three dietary Arg concentrations (1·05, 1·42 and 1·90 %) and two immune treatments (injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline) given at an interval of 48 h between 14 and 21 d of age. In Expt 2, correlation between dietary Arg concentration (0·99, 1·39, 1·76, 2·13 or 2·53 %) and percentage of circulating B cells (percentage of circulating lymphocytes) was determined. In Expt 1, LPS injection decreased body-weight gain and feed intake and increased feed conversion ratio of the challenged broilers (14–21 d; P< 0·05). LPS injection suppressed (P< 0·05) the percentages of splenic CD11+ and B cells (percentages of splenic lymphocytes) and phagocytic activity of splenic heterophils and macrophages; Arg supplementation linearly decreased the percentages of CD11+, CD14+ and B cells in the spleen (P< 0·10). LPS injection increased (P< 0·05) the expression of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in the spleen and caecal tonsils. Arginine supplementation decreased (P< 0·05) the expression of IL-1β, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and PPAR-γ mRNA in the spleen and IL-1β, IL-10, TLR4 and NF-κB mRNA in the caecal tonsils. In Expt 2, increasing dietary Arg concentrations linearly and quadratically reduced the percentage of circulating B cells (P< 0·01). Collectively, Arg supplementation attenuated the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines probably through the suppression of the TLR4 pathway and CD14+ cell percentage. Furthermore, excessive Arg supplementation (1·76 %) suppressed the percentages of circulating and splenic B cells.

A sample with a radiocarbon concentration estimated to be greater than 105 times Modern was inadvertently graphitized and measured in the Xi'an AMS system last year. Both the sample preparation lines and the ion source system were seriously contaminated and a series of cleaning procedures were carried out to remove the contamination from them. After repeated and careful cleaning as well as continuous flushing with dead CO2 gas, both systems have recovered from the contamination event. The machine background is back to 2.0 x 10–16 and the chemical blank is beyond 50 kyr.

This study examined the influence of different resistant starch (RS) varieties and conventional fibres on the efficiency of nutrient utilisation and intestinal fermentation in pigs. Thirty-six pigs (30 kg) were fed poultry meal-based diets supplemented with 10 % granular resistant corn starch (GCS), granular resistant potato starch (GPS), retrograded resistant corn starch (RCS), guar gum (GG) or cellulose for 36 d according to a completely randomised block design. Distal ileal and total tract recoveries were similar (P>0·05) among the RS varieties. Distal ileal starch recovery was higher (P < 0·05) in pigs consuming the RS diets (27–42 %) as compared with the control group (0·64 %). Consumption of GCS reduced (P < 0·05) apparent total tract digestibility and whole-body retention of crude protein in comparison with the control group. Consumption of GPS reduced (P < 0·05) total tract Ca digestibility and whole-body retention of Ca and P compared with the control group. However, consumption of RCS increased (P < 0·05) total tract Ca digestibility compared with the control group. Caecal butyrate concentration was increased (P < 0·05) following consumption of RCS and GG in comparison with the control group. Consumption of all the RS varieties reduced (P < 0·05) caecal indole concentrations compared with the control. Caecal butyrate concentrations were positively correlated (P < 0·05; r 0·63–0·83) with thermal properties among the RS varieties. We conclude that nutrient utilisation and intestinal fermentation are differentially affected by the consumption of different RS varieties and types of fibres. Thermal properties associated with different RS varieties may be useful markers for developing RS varieties with specific functionality.

Future microprocessor technologies will require interlayer dielectric (ILD) materials with a dielectric constant (κ-value) less than 2.5. Organosilicate glass (OSG) materials must be nanoporous to meet this demand. However, the introduction of nanopores creates many integration challenges. These challenges include 1) integrating nanoporous films with low mechanical strength into conventional process flows, 2) managing etch profiles, 3) processinduced damage to the nanoporous ILD, and 4) controlling the metal/nanoporous ILD interface. This paper reviews research to maximize mechanical strength by engineering optimal pore structures, controlling trench bottom roughness induced by etching and understanding its relationship to pore size, repairing plasma damage using silylation chemistry, and sealing a nanoporous surface for barrier metal (liner) deposition.