The purpose of this study was to interrogate the motivations of sport for development and peace (SDP) practitioners for initially becoming involved in the field and to better understand their ...involvement over time. Specifically, this study aimed to identify key characteristics and motives of practitioners to gain further understanding of the implementation, execution, and approach of SDP programs and whether or not evangelical rhetoric and neocolonialism were reflected in these approaches. Findings revealed that practitioners were initially motivated by love of sport, the desire to make a difference in the world, and to seek out new experiences. Practitioners stayed involved over time due to fulfillment and satisfaction with their work and the continued desire to make a difference. While many practitioners had moved past evangelical rhetoric and neocolonialism, evangelical rhetoric was still reflective in just less than half of the motivations of practitioners from higher-income countries (HIC) and lower to middle income countries, while 40 percent of participants primarily from HIC reflected a neocolonial approach in their motives. Implications for theory and SDP policy are illuminated.
Viridans group streptococci are a serious health concern because most of these bacteria cause life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised and hospitalized individuals. We focused on ...two alpha-hemolytic
Streptococcus
strains (I-G2 and I-P16) newly isolated from an ileostomy effluent of a colorectal cancer patient. We examined their pathogenic potential by investigating their prevalence in human and assessing their pathogenicity in a mouse model. We also predicted their virulence factors and pathogenic features by using comparative genomic analysis and
in vitro
tests. Using polyphasic and systematic approaches, we identified the isolates as belonging to a novel
Streptococcus
species and designated it as
Streptococcus ilei
. Metagenomic survey based on taxonomic assignment of datasets from the Human Microbiome Project revealed that
S. ilei
is present in most human population and at various body sites but is especially abundant in the oral cavity. Intraperitoneal injection of
S. ilei
was lethal to otherwise healthy C57BL/6J mice. Pathogenomics and
in vitro
assays revealed that
S. ilei
possesses a unique set of virulence factors. In agreement with the
in vivo
and
in vitro
data, which indicated that
S. ilei
strain I-G2 is more pathogenic than strain I-P16, only the former displayed the streptococcal group A antigen. We here newly identified
S. ilei
sp. nov., and described its prevalence in human, virulence factors, and pathogenicity. This will help to prevent
S. ilei
strain misidentification in the future, and improve the understanding and management of streptococcal infections.
A Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, yellow-pigmented, non-motile, non-flagellated, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated BI34
, was isolated from the gut of the ...larva of
. Strain BI34
grew at 15-40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.5) and in the presence of 0-7 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %). Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain BI34
belonged to the phylum
and was closely related to
NBRC 104118
(99.3 %),
NBRC 15516
(99.1 %),
BIT-GX5
(99.0 %),
SE3
(99.0 %),
NBRC 110994
(98.4 %) and
DS-61
(97.0 %). The genome to genome relatedness of the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values calculated by the Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator between strain BI34
and its related species mentioned above were lower than the threshold of 95 and 70 % for speciation, respectively. The predominant menaquinone of strain BI34
contained MK-9(H
), and the major fatty acids were anteiso-C
, C
and anteiso-C
. Strain BI34
had diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol as major polar lipids. The whole-cell sugars were galactose, glucose and ribose, and the cell-wall peptidoglycan contained lysine, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. The DNA G+C content of strain BI34
was 73.8 mol%. The difference in physiological and biochemical characteristics and the below-threshold values of genome-to-genome relatedness indicate that strain BI34
represents a novel species in the genus
, for which the name
sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BI34
(=KCTC 49302
=NBRC 114073
).
•The effects of hand motor functions upon the accumulation of mature dental biofilm were investigated.•Low handgrip strength and manual dexterity may cause pathogenic biofilm growth.•Intervention ...programs that prevent decline in hand motor functions might improve oral hygiene.
The Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence-Digital (QLF-D) system visualizes old and mature dental biofilm as red fluorescence. Risk factors for poor oral hygiene have been identified, however, few studies have evaluated the relationship between mature dental biofilm and hand motor functions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two important manual motor functions for object manipulation —handgrip strength and manual dexterity— on the presence of red fluorescent dental biofilm in older community-dwelling Koreans using QLF-D, an optical device that reveals dental biofilm.
This cross-sectional study included 70 Korean participants aged ≥65 years, all of whom completed questionnaires and were tested for handgrip strength and manual dexterity. In total, 840 dental surfaces were photographed using QLF-D, and ΔR20 values, which reflect mature dental biofilm accumulation, were calculated. The t-test was performed to analyze the differences in the ∆R20 values according to sociodemographic characteristics, health-related characteristics and hand motor functions, while multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the effects of hand motor functions on the ∆R20 values.
Multivariate regression analysis revealed that handgrip strength (β = −0.294) was the factor most strongly affecting mature dental biofilm accumulation (ΔR20), followed by tooth-brushing time (β = −0.262) and manual dexterity (β = −0.241).
Reductions in handgrip strength and manual dexterity were independent risk factors for pathogenic dental biofilm accumulation. The results of this investigation suggest that programs designed to prevent the decline, as well as improve, handgrip strength and manual dexterity might improve the oral hygiene of older adults.
A novel bacterium, designated strain WP70(T), was isolated from the gut of a comb pen shell (Atrina pectinata) collected from the southern sea of Yeosu in Korea. The isolate was Gram-stain-negative, ...aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain WP70(T) belonged to the genus Endozoicomonas. The highest level of sequence similarity (98.4%) was shared with Endozoicomonas elysicola MKT110(T). Optimal growth occurred in 2% (w/v) NaCl at 30 °C and at pH 7. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. The main respiratory quinone was Q-9. The polar lipids comprised phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified aminophospholipid and an unidentified lipid. The genomic DNA G+C content was 50.5 mol% and DNA-DNA hybridization values indicated <11% genomic relatedness to the closest species. Physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and genotypic analyses indicated that strain WP70(T) represents a novel species of the genus Endozoicomonas, for which the name Endozoicomonas atrinae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WP70(T) ( = KACC 17474(T) = JCM 19190(T)).
Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) is the most potent protein toxin and causes fatal flaccid muscle paralysis by blocking neurotransmission. Application of BoNT/A has been extended to the fields of ...therapeutics and biodefense. Nevertheless, the global response of host immune cells to authentic BoNT/A has not been reported. Employing microarray analysis, we performed global transcriptional profiling of RAW264.7 cells, a murine alveolar macrophage cell line. We identified 70 genes that were modulated following 1 nM BoNT/A treatment. The altered genes were mainly involved in signal transduction, immunity and defense, protein metabolism and modification, neuronal activities, intracellular protein trafficking, and muscle contraction. Microarray data were validated with real-time RT-PCR for seven selected genes including tlr2, tnf, inos, ccl4, slpi, stx11, and irg1. Proinflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were induced in a dose-dependent manner in BoNT/A-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Increased expression of these factors was inhibited by monoclonal anti-Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and inhibitors specific to intracellular proteins such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). BoNT/A also suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced NO and TNFα production from RAW264.7 macrophages at the transcription level by blocking activation of JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPK. As confirmed by TLR2-/- knock out experiments, these results suggest that BoNT/A induces global gene expression changes in host immune cells and that host responses to BoNT/A proceed through a TLR2-dependent pathway, which is modulated by JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPK.
A novel extremely halophilic archaeon, strain RHB-C
, was isolated from a saturated brine pond of a solar saltern in Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines. Colonies were orange-red-pigmented, smooth, ...convex and round on a solid modified growth medium containing 25 % (w/v) of total salts. Cells of strain RHB-C
on the solid modified growth medium were ovoid-shaped (0.89-2.66 µm long), while the cells in a liquid modified growth medium were rod-shaped (1.53-5.65 µm long and 0.45-1.03 µm wide). The strain was Gram-stain-negative, motile and strictly aerobic. Strain RHB-C
grew with NaCl concentrations ranging from 10 to 30 % (w/v; optimum, 20-25 %), at pH 6.5-8.5 (optimum, pH 7.0-7.5) and at 20-55 °C (optimum, 40-45 °C). Furthermore, the strain grew even in the absence of Mg
; however, when supplemented with Mg
, growth was observed optimally at 0.2-0.4 M Mg
. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny inferred that the strain is a member of the genus
and was related to
CGMCC 1.3527
(99.0 %),
DSM 3755
(98.8 %),
Ch2
(98.8 %),
NRC 34021
(98.4 %) and
JCM 9100
(98.1 %). The
' gene sequences also showed that strain RHB-C
is related to
JCM 12388
(97.1 %),
JCM 9100
(97.1 %),
JCM 9275
(96.5 %),
JCM 14715
(96.5 %),
JCM 10477
(96.3%),
JCM 8880
(96.2%) and
DSM 14210
(95.6 %). The DNA G+C content of strain RHB-C
was 68.7 mol% (genome). Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain RHB-C
and the closely related species of
were below 40 and 90 %, respectively, which are far below the thresholds to delineate a new species. The polar lipids of strain RHB-C
were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulphate and sulfated mannosyl glycosyl diether. Based on dDDH and ANI values, and the significant morphological and physiological differences from known taxa, it is hereby suggested that strain RHB-C
represents a novel species of the genus
, for which the name
sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RHB-C
(=KCTC 4274
=CMS 2103
).
Abnormalities in the human microbiota are associated with the etiology of allergic diseases. Although disease site-specific microbiota may be associated with disease pathophysiology, the role of the ...nasal microbiota is unclear. We sought to characterize the microbiota of the site of allergic rhinitis, the inferior turbinate, in subjects with allergic rhinitis (
= 20) and healthy controls (
= 12) and to examine the relationship of mucosal microbiota with disease occurrence, sensitized allergen number, and allergen-specific and total IgE levels. Microbial dysbiosis correlated significantly with total IgE levels representing combined allergic responses but not with disease occurrence, the number of sensitized allergens, or house dust mite allergen-specific IgE levels. Compared to the populations in individuals with low total IgE levels (group IgE
), low microbial biodiversity with a high relative abundance of
phylum (
) and a low relative abundance of
phylum (
) was observed in individuals with high total serum IgE levels (group IgE
). Phylogeny-based microbial functional potential predicted by the 16S rRNA gene indicated an increase in signal transduction-related genes and a decrease in energy metabolism-related genes in group IgE
as shown in the microbial features with atopic and/or inflammatory diseases. Thus, dysbiosis of the inferior turbinate mucosa microbiota, particularly an increase in
and a decrease in
, is linked to high total IgE levels in allergic rhinitis, suggesting that inferior turbinate microbiota may be affected by accumulated allergic responses against sensitized allergens and that site-specific microbial alterations play a potential role in disease pathophysiology.
Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine, by statistical shape analysis of original and mirrored skeletal landmarks, the optimal landmark-based midsagittal reference plane for ...evaluation of facial asymmetry. Methods The study sample comprised 69 patients with facial asymmetry (36 men, 33 women; mean age, 23.0 ± 4.1 years). All landmarks were obtained with cone-beam computed tomography using a 3-dimensional coordinate system. For identifying the landmark-based midsagittal reference plane, the 3 landmarks nearest to the symmetric midsagittal reference plane were selected by ordinary and generalized Procrustes analyses. To verify the 3-landmark-based midsagittal reference plane's compatibility with the symmetric midsagittal reference plane, asymmetry measurements were calculated and tested for each. Results The 3 nearest landmarks (nasion, anterior nasal spine, and posterior nasal spine) were selected for the 3-landmark-based midsagittal reference plane. The averages of the sums of the squared Euclidean distance and the squared Procrustes distance differences between the 2 configurations and shapes fabricated by the symmetric and landmark-based midsagittal reference planes, respectively, were calculated as 0.121 ± 0.241 mm and 1.69 × 10−6 ± 3.25 × 10−6 . The testing results for the symmetric and landmark-based midsagittal reference planes were almost the same. Conclusion The results indicated that a 3-dimensional midsagittal reference plane constructed of nasion, anterior nasal spine, and posterior nasal spine could be a valuable tool for the evaluation of patients with facial asymmetry.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has no vaccine or treatment and an extremely high fatality rate. We aimed to analyze and evaluate the risk factors for death associated with SFTS.
...Among reports from 2018 to 2022, we compared and analyzed 1,034 inpatients aged 18 years or older with laboratory-confirmed SFTS who underwent complete epidemiological investigations.
Most of the inpatients with SFTS were aged 50 years or older (average age, 67.6 years). The median time from symptom onset to death was 9 days, and the average case fatality rate was 18.5%. Risk factors for death included age of 70 years or older (odds ratio OR, 4.82); agriculture-related occupation (OR, 2.01); underlying disease (OR, 7.20); delayed diagnosis (OR, 1.28 per day); decreased level of consciousness (OR, 5.53); fever/chills (OR, 20.52); prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (OR, 4.19); and elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (OR, 2.91), blood urea nitrogen (OR, 2.62), and creatine (OR, 3.21).
The risk factors for death in patients with SFTS were old age; agriculture-related occupation; underlying disease; delayed clinical suspicion; fever/chills; decreased level of consciousness; and elevated activated partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine levels.
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