The Ligilactobacillus salivarius 7247 (LS7247) strain, originally isolated from a healthy woman’s intestines and reproductive system, has been studied for its probiotic potential, particularly ...against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) as well as its potential use in synbiotics. LS7247 showed high tolerance to gastric and intestinal stress and effectively adhered to human and animal enterocyte monolayers, essential for realizing its probiotic properties. LS7247 showed high anti-Salmonella activity. Additionally, the cell-free culture supernatant (CFS) of LS7247 exhibited anti-Salmonella activity, with a partial reduction upon neutralization with NaOH (p < 0.05), suggesting the presence of anti-Salmonella factors such as lactic acid (LA) and bacteriocins. LS7247 produced a high concentration of LA, reaching 124.0 ± 2.5 mM after 48 h of cultivation. Unique gene clusters in the genome of LS7247 contribute to the production of Enterolysin A and metalloendopeptidase. Notably, LS7247 carries a plasmid with a gene cluster identical to human intestinal strain L. salivarius UCC118, responsible for class IIb bacteriocin synthesis, and a gene cluster identical to porcine strain L. salivarius P1ACE3, responsible for nisin S synthesis. Co-cultivation of LS7247 with SE and ST pathogens reduced their viability by 1.0–1.5 log, attributed to cell wall damage and ATP leakage caused by the CFS. For the first time, the CFS of LS7247 has been shown to inhibit adhesion of SE and ST to human and animal enterocytes (p < 0.01). The combination of Actigen prebiotic and the CFS of LS7247 demonstrated a significant combined effect in inhibiting the adhesion of SE and ST to human and animal enterocytes (p < 0.001). These findings highlight the potential of using the LS7247 as a preventive strategy and employing probiotics and synbiotics to combat the prevalence of salmonellosis in animals and humans caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of SE and ST pathogens.
•We propose to classify multichannel remote sensing images using pre-filtering.•DCT-based block filtering is used to suppress signal dependent noise in images.•Radial basis function neural network ...and support vector machines are employed.•Different cases of learning are considered: using noise-free, noisy and pre-filtered image.•The use of the pre-filtered image for training produces better classification results.
Noise is one of the main factors degrading the quality of original multichannel remote sensing data and its presence influences classification efficiency, object detection, etc. Thus, pre-filtering is often used to remove noise and improve the solving of final tasks of multichannel remote sensing. Recent studies indicate that a classical model of additive noise is not adequate enough for images formed by modern multichannel sensors operating in visible and infrared bands. However, this fact is often ignored by researchers designing noise removal methods and algorithms. Because of this, we focus on the classification of multichannel remote sensing images in the case of signal-dependent noise present in component images. Three approaches to filtering of multichannel images for the considered noise model are analysed, all based on discrete cosine transform in blocks. The study is carried out not only in terms of conventional efficiency metrics used in filtering (MSE) but also in terms of multichannel data classification accuracy (probability of correct classification, confusion matrix). The proposed classification system combines the pre-processing stage where a DCT-based filter processes the blocks of the multichannel remote sensing image and the classification stage. Two modern classifiers are employed, radial basis function neural network and support vector machines. Simulations are carried out for three-channel image of Landsat TM sensor. Different cases of learning are considered: using noise-free samples of the test multichannel image, the noisy multichannel image and the pre-filtered one. It is shown that the use of the pre-filtered image for training produces better classification in comparison to the case of learning for the noisy image. It is demonstrated that the best results for both groups of quantitative criteria are provided if a proposed 3D discrete cosine transform filter equipped by variance stabilizing transform is applied. The classification results obtained for data pre-filtered in different ways are in agreement for both considered classifiers. Comparison of classifier performance is carried out as well. The radial basis neural network classifier is less sensitive to noise in original images, but after pre-filtering the performance of both classifiers is approximately the same.
Limosilactobacillus fermentum strain 3872 (LF3872) was originally isolated from the breast milk of a healthy woman during lactation and the breastfeeding of a child. Ligilactobacillus salivarius ...strain 7247 (LS7247) was isolated at the same time from the intestines and reproductive system of a healthy woman. The genomes of these strains contain genes responsible for the production of peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes and factors that increase the permeability of the outer membrane of Gram-negative pathogens. In this work, the anti-Salmonella and intestinal homeostatic features of the LF3872 and LS7247 consortium were studied. A multi-drug resistant (MDR) strain of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was used in the experiments. The consortium effectively inhibited the adhesion of SE to intact and activated human, porcine, and chicken enterocytes and reduced invasion. The consortium had a bactericidal effect on SE in 6 h of co-culturing. A gene expression analysis of SE showed that the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of the consortium inhibited the expression of virulence genes critical for the colonization of human and animal enterocytes. The CFS stimulated the production of an intestinal homeostatic factor—intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP)—in Caco-2 and HT-29 enterocytes. The consortium decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-1β, and TLR4 mRNA expression in human and animal enterocytes. It stimulated the expression of TLR9 in human and porcine enterocytes and stimulated the expression of TLR21 in chicken enterocytes. The consortium also protected the intestinal barrier functions through the increase of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the inhibition of paracellular permeability in the monolayers of human and animal enterocytes. The results obtained suggest that a LF3872 and LS7247 consortium can be used as an innovative feed additive to reduce the spread of MDR SE among the population and farm animals.
LF3872 was isolated from the milk of a healthy lactating and breastfeeding woman. Earlier, the genome of LF3872 was sequenced, and a gene encoding unique bacteriocin was discovered. We have shown ...here that the LF3872 strain produces a novel thermolabile class III bacteriolysin (BLF3872), exhibiting antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant
strains. Sequence analysis revealed the two-domain structural (lysozyme-like domain and peptidase M23 domain) organization of BLF3872. At least 25% residues of this protein are expected to be intrinsically disordered. Furthermore, BLF3872 is predicted to have a very high liquid-liquid phase separation. According to the electron microscopy data, the bacterial cells of LF3872 strain form co-aggregates with the
8325-4 bacterial cells. LF3872 produced bacteriolysin BLF3872 that lyses the cells of the
8325-4 mastitis-inducing strain. The sensitivity of the antibiotic-resistant
collection strains and freshly isolated antibiotic-resistant strains was tested using samples from women with lactation mastitis; the human nasopharynx and oral cavity; the oropharynx of pigs; and the cows with a diagnosis of clinical mastitis sensitive to the lytic action of the LF3872 strain producing BLF3872. The co-cultivation of LF3872 strain with various antibiotic-resistant
strains for 24 h reduced the level of living cells of these pathogens by six log. The LF3872 strain was found to be able to co-aggregate with all studied
strains. The cell-free culture supernatant of LF3872 (CSLF3872) induced
cell damage and ATP leakage. The effectiveness of the bacteriolytic action of LF3872 strain did not depend on the origin of the
strains. The results reported here are important for the creation of new effective drugs against antibiotic-resistant strains of
circulating in humans and animals.
Is Texture Denoising Efficiency Predictable? Rubel, Oleksii; Lukin, Vladimir; Abramov, Sergey ...
International journal of pattern recognition and artificial intelligence,
01/2018, Letnik:
32, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Images of different origin contain textures, and textural features in such regions are frequently employed in pattern recognition, image classification, information extraction, etc. Noise often ...present in analyzed images might prevent a proper solution of basic tasks in the aforementioned applications and is worth suppressing. This is not an easy task since even the most advanced denoising methods destroy texture in a more or less degree while removing noise. Thus, it is desirable to predict the filtering behavior before any denoising is applied. This paper studies the efficiency of texture image denoising for different noise intensities and several filter types under different visual quality criteria (quality metrics). It is demonstrated that the most efficient existing filters provide very similar results. From the obtained results, it is possible to generalize and employ the prediction strategy earlier proposed for denoising techniques based on the discrete cosine transform. Accuracy of such a prediction is studied and the ways to improve it are considered. Some practical recommendations concerning a decision to undertake whether it is worth applying a filter are given.
Limosilactobacillus fermentum strain 3872 (LF3872) was originally isolated from the breast milk of a healthy woman during lactation and the breastfeeding of a child. The high-quality genome ...sequencing of LF3872 was performed, and a gene encoding a unique bacteriocin was discovered. It was established that the bacteriocin produced by LF3872 (BLF3872) belongs to the family of cell-wall-degrading proteins that cause cell lysis. The antibacterial properties of LF3872 were studied using test cultures of antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Gram-positive pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus strain 8325-4 and S. aureus strain IIE CI-SA 1246) were highly sensitive to the bacteriolytic action of LF3872. Gram-negative pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella strains, and Campylobacter jejuni strains) were more resistant to the bacteriolytic action of LF3872 compared to Gram-positive pathogens. LF3872 is a strong co-aggregator of Gram-negative pathogens. The cell-free culture supernatant of LF3872 (CSLF3872) induced cell damage in the Gram-positive and Gram-negative test cultures and ATP leakage. In the in vitro experiments, it was found that LF3872 and Actigen prebiotic (Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY, USA) exhibited synergistic anti-adhesive activity against Gram-negative pathogens. LF3872 has immunoregulatory properties: it inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-8, IL-1β, and TNF-α in a monolayer of Caco-2 cells; inhibited the production of IL-12 and stimulated the production of IL-10 in immature human dendritic cells; and stimulated the production of TGF-β, IFN-γ, and IgA in the immunocompetent cells of intestinal Peyer’s patches (PPs) in mice. These results indicate the possibility of creating a synbiotic based on LF3872 and a prebiotic derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall components. Such innovative drugs and biologically active additives are necessary for the implementation of a strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of socially significant animal and human infections.
•DWCNT-doped isotropic petroleum pitch used successfully for carbon fiber formation.•DWCNT doping leads to jump in both thermal and electrical conductivity of fibers.•Inner cavities appear in the ...fibers at DWCNT content close to 1.0 wt.%.•Hollow filaments formed at high DWCNT content paving way to hollow fiber technology.
Carbon fibers (CF) were formed from carbon nanotube-doped isotropic petroleum pitch. Ultra-long (the length of a single filament is more than 10,000 nm) double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNT) were used for doping in concentrations from 0.1 to 1.0 wt.%. The produced CF were investigated both in pristine and graphitized form. Physical properties (electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity coefficient), as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Raman spectroscopy of obtained DWCNT-doped CF were investigated. The influence of DWCNT concentration on the properties is nonlinear due to the influence on the CF molding mode and heterogeneity of the DWCNT distribution in the filament body. An increase in the DWCNT concentration, on the one hand, causes an enhancement in the thermal conductivity coefficient, and a decrease in the electrical resistivity of the fibers, on the other hand, it leads to local inhomogeneities formation in the material structure («gas bubbles»), as well as distortions of the CF outer surface. An increase in the DWCNT concentration also leads to an increase in CF average diameter and hollow filaments formation. This feature is paving the way to the development of novel technological methods to control CF properties and morphology, especially to feasible hollow CF composites manufacture.
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The corrosion behavior of the corrosion-resistant alloy Hastelloy G-35 (manufactured by Haynes International, Inc.), corrosion and heat resistant alloy VDM Alloy 600 or Nicrofer 7216 and ...corrosion-resistant alloys VDM Alloy C-4 or Nicrofer 6616 and VDM Alloy 625 or Nicrofer 6020 (all produced by VDM Metals) was studied at 450-650 °C in fused KCl-AlCl3 mixture with the initial AlCl3-to-KCl ratio of 1.1. Time of exposure varied from 6 to over 1000 h. The corrosion rates of all the nickel-based alloys studied were determined by the red-ox processes resulting in dissolving the most electronegative alloy components (Cr, Fe and Mn) indicating that the processes taking place had electrochemical nature. Increasing temperature led to a noticeable increase of corrosion rates and a change of the corrosion process nature. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that intermetallic phases (such as sigma-phase in case of Hastelloy G-35 and Alloy 625 or Ni2(Cr,Mo) secondary phase in VDM Alloy C-4) can be formed during prolonged high-temperature exposure. These phenomena can accelerate the processes of intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of studied materials in industrial conditions. The results obtained agreed well with thermodynamic analysis, mechanical and thermophysical properties of the alloys and constructed "time-temperature-precipitation" diagrams.
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