THU0240 SELECTIVE DEPLETION OF AUTOREACTIVE B CELLS USING A PEPTIDE VACCINATION APPROACH

Background:

B cell depletion is currently approved or being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of many autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, systemic sclerosis, and lupus. We previously demonstrated that the heavy chain variable regions (VH) of anti-DNA antibodies contain epitopes that can bind MHC class I molecules.1Vaccination of autoimmune-prone NZB/NZWF1 mice with plasmid DNA vectors carrying minigenes that encode such epitopes induced CD8+cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that killed anti-DNA antibody-producing B cells, reduced serum anti-DNA antibody levels, retarded the development of nephritis, and improved survival.1Treatment with peptides alone did not induce such CD8+T-cells, as we and others have reported impaired CD8+ regulatory and CTL responses in mice and humans.2,3Here, we asked if we could overcome such impairment using synthetic oligodeoxynuleotides containing unmethylated cytidine-phosphate-guanosine dinucletides (CpG-ODN) that can enhance innate and adaptive immunity.

Objectives:

To determine if peptides representing MHC class I binding epitopes in the autoantibody VHregions conjugated to CpG-ODN will elicit CD8+CTLs that will ablate autoantibody-producing B cells, reduce serum autoantibody levels, and retard the development of autoimmune disease.

Methods:

We first sceeened VHregions of anti-dsDNA and other autoantibodies for MHC class I-binding epitopes uisng various bioinformatic approaches, and then verified the binding using cellular binding approaches. We immunized lupus-prone (NZB/NZW F1) mice that develop lupus that mimics human lupus with CpG-ODN or a control ODN, and assessed CTL responses. We then treated these mice with CpG-ODN conjugated to MHC class I-binding VH epitopes. We monitored lupus mice for proteinuria, serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, and survival.

Results:

Immunization with CpG-ODN corrected the impairment in peptide-specific CTL responses in lupus-prone mice. The CpG-ODN conjugated with MHC class I-binding, anti-dsDNA antibody VH-derived epitopes induced potent peptide-specific CTL responses against autoreactive B cells that expressed the respectie epitopes, and against B cells from diseased lupus-prone mice. The animals treated with CpG-ODN-peotde conjugates had reduced serum anti-DNA antibody levels and proteinuria, significantly delayed development of nephritis, and improved survival as compared to animals injected with a control ODN.

Conclusion:

Seletive ablation of autoreactive B cells by CTLs induced by peptide vaccines conjugated to CpG-ODN represents a novel approach to treat autoantibody-mediated diseases.

References:

[1]Fan G and Singh RR.J Exp Med2002;196:731-741.

[2]Singh RR.Curr Opin Rheumatol2000;12:399-406.

[3]Singh RR.Mol Immunol2004;40:1137-1145.

Disclosure of Interests: :

None declared

AB0275 COMPARATIVE EFFICACY (DAS 28) OF TOCILIZUMAB AND OTHER TARGETED IMMUNE MODULATORS (TIMS) FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A NETWORK META-ANALYSIS (NMA)

Background:

With a ‘treat to target’ approach in RA, guidelines recommend tailored monitoring of disease activity using validated composite instruments, such as the disease activity score (DAS) 28. While response assessment at 24 weeks is the standard in clinical trials, assessment as early as 12 weeks is recommended. There is limited evidence assessing the relative efficacy of TIMs following a ‘treat to target’ strategy.

Objectives:

To evaluate the relative efficacy of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) tocilizumab plus a conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drug (cDMARD) to other TIMs plus a cDMARD in TIM-naïve or mixed (<20% TIM-experienced) adults with moderate to severe RA. Efficacy was defined as achieving remission according to a DAS28 score <2.6 at 12 and 24 weeks.

Methods:

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected from a recent systematic literature review conducted by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), as well as from trials for upadacitinib (SELECT-NEXT, SELECT-COMPARE), which were not included in the ICER 2017 report. RCTs that compared TIMs to each other or placebo were included. Treatments included Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (upadacitinib, baricitinib, and tofacitinib), tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (TNFi; adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, and infliximab), and other non-TNFis (rituximab, sarilumab, tocilizumab, and abatacept). A Bayesian NMA was performed in OpenBUGS and R using a fixed effects model. Model selection was based on deviance information criterion. Forest plots of odds ratios (OR) are presented.

Results:

In the 12-week analysis, 15 trials were included with a pooled study population of 9,154 patients. Populations were similar across trials and predominantly female (mean 78%, range 39-87%), with a baseline mean age of 52 years (range 47-56), mean disease duration of 8 years (range 2-11), and mean DAS28 score of 6 (range 5-7). In the 12-week analysis, compared to cDMARD, all TIMs were more likely to achieve remission (statistically significant), but tocilizumab IV showed a substantially greater magnitude of effect (OR=19.3, 95% Crl=10.99, 37.22) which was consistent with raw trial results (Figure 1). In pair-wise comparison, tocilizumab IV was associated with a greater likelihood of achieving remission compared to abatacept IV (OR=7.47, Crl=2.53, 20.89), abatacept SC (OR=4.29, Crl=1.96, 9.94), baricitinib (OR=3.39, Crl=1.74, 7.09), adalimumab (OR=5.10, Crl=2.68,10.42), tofacitinib (OR=5.44, Crl=1.26, 20.57), upadacitinib 15mg (OR=3.23, Crl=1.72, 6.54), and upadacitinib 30mg (OR=4.05, Crl=1.97, 8.85).

In the 24-week analysis, 21 trials were included in the analysis with a pooled study population of 12,180 patients. Patient characteristics were the same as the 12 week analysis. Compared to cDMARD, all TIMs were more likely to achieve remission (statistically significant), with tocilizumab IV and SC showing a greater magnitude of effect (OR=12.08, Crl=8.09-18.30 and OR=11.98, Crl=5.17-35.86, respectively) (Figure 2). In pair-wise comparison, tocilizumab IV and SC were associated with a greater likelihood of achieving remission compared to abatacept IV, adalimumab, baricitinib, infliximab, upadacitinib 15 mg, and sarilumab.

Conclusion:

Results of this NMA demonstrate that tocilizumab is associated with a greater likelihood of remission (DAS28 <2.6) at 12 and 24 weeks compared to most other TIMs including new JAK inhibitors, when used in combination with a cDMARD among TIM-naïve/mixed patient populations.

Acknowledgments:

This study was sponsored and funded by Genentech, Inc.

Disclosure of Interests:

Jennie H. Best Shareholder of: Genentech, Inc., Employee of: Genentech, Inc., Jennifer Uyei: None declared, Joseph Dang Shareholder of: Genentech, Inc., Employee of: Genentech, Inc., Yilin Jiang: None declared, Rajpal Singh: None declared, Pinar Bilir: None declared, Andreas Karabis: None declared, Julie Munakata: None declared, William Reiss Shareholder of: Genentech, Inc., Employee of: Genentech, Inc.

Commentary on a combined approach to the problem of developing biomarkers for the prediction of spontaneous preterm labor that leads to preterm birth

INTRODUCTION

Globally, preterm birth has replaced congenital malformation as the major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. The reduced rate of congenital malformation was not achieved through a single biophysical or biochemical marker at a specific gestational age, but rather through a combination of clinical, biophysical and biochemical markers at different gestational ages. Since the aetiology of spontaneous preterm birth is also multifactorial, it is unlikely that a single biomarker test, at a specific gestational age will emerge as the definitive predictive test.

METHODS

The Biomarkers Group of PREBIC, comprising clinicians, basic scientists and other experts in the field, with a particular interest in preterm birth have produced this commentary with short, medium and long-term aims: i) to alert clinicians to the advances that are being made in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth; ii) to encourage clinicians and scientists to continue their efforts in this field, and not to be disheartened or nihilistic because of a perceived lack of progress and iii) to enable development of novel interventions that can reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with preterm birth.

RESULTS

Using language that we hope is clear to practising clinicians, we have identified 11 Sections in which there exists the potential, feasibility and capability of technologies for candidate biomarkers in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth and how current limitations to this research might be circumvented.

DISCUSSION

The combination of biophysical, biochemical, immunological, microbiological, fetal cell, exosomal, or cell free RNA at different gestational ages, integrated as part of a multivariable predictor model may be necessary to advance our attempts to predict sPTL and PTB. This will require systems biological data using "omics" data and artificial intelligence/machine learning to manage the data appropriately. The ultimate goal is to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with preterm birth.

Anomalous pressure dependence of the electronic transport and anisotropy in SrIrO3films

Iridate oxides display exotic physical properties that arise from the interplay between a large spin-orbit coupling and electron correlations. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the electronic transport properties of SrIrO3(SIO), a system that has recently attracted a lot of attention as potential correlated Dirac semimetal. Our investigations on untwinned thin films of SIO reveal that the electrical resistivity of this material is intrinsically anisotropic and controlled by the orthorhombic distortion of the perovskite unit cell. These effects provide another evidence for the strong coupling between the electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in this class of compounds. Upon increasing pressure, a systematic increase of the transport anisotropies is observed. The anomalous pressure-induced changes of the resistivity cannot be accounted for by the pressure dependence of the density of the electron charge carriers, as inferred from Hall effect measurements. Moreover, pressure-induced rotations of the IrO6octahedra likely occur within the distorted perovskite unit cell and affect electron mobility of this system.

Ipsilateral Spigelian hernia: just an infrequent variant?

Spigelian hernias are generally considered to occur through solitary defects in the fascial layers of the anterior abdominal wall in the 'Spigelian hernia belt' but can be found anywhere along the line of the linea semilunaris. They are uncommon in children and in adults thought to be acquired and associated with obesity. We describe an unusual case of Spigelian herniation previously unreported and possibly previously unrecognised.

Mitochondrial sequence-based evolutionary analysis of riverine-swamp hybrid buffaloes of India indicates novel maternal differentiation and domestication patterns

In this study, mitochondrial D-loop sequence data on riverine, swamp and hybrid buffaloes from India have been generated and compared with other reported Indian riverine, Chinese and Bangladeshi swamp buffalo populations. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of 132 haplotypes, with a haplotype diversity of 0.9611 ± 0.0045 and a nucleotide diversity of 0.04801 ± 0.00126. For the first time, the existence of riverine-swamp hybrids among the Indian Chilika buffalo population has been recorded, having 49 chromosomes, which was also confirmed by mitochondrial haplotype sharing between Chilika and Indian swamp as well as Chinese swamp buffalo populations in the network analysis. Phylogenetic analysis documents the sharing of reported pre-domestication haplogroups 'SA1', 'SA2', 'SA3' and 'SB1' between the Chilika and swamp buffalo populations of India, China and Bangladesh, an indication of the migration of swamp buffaloes towards Bangladesh and adjoining lower parts of India and north towards Chinese domestication sites. The results have also been supplemented by multidimension scaling, grouping Indian and Chinese swamp buffaloes more closely together with Bangladeshi buffaloes, but into a separate quadrant, whereas Chilika grouped away from other riverine as well as swamp buffaloes. These findings thus confirm the previous reports that the northeast region of India, close to the Indo-China border, is the point of evolution of swamp buffaloes with multiple sites of domestication.

The two-week rule colorectal cancer pathway: an update on recent practice, the unsustainable burden on diagnostics and the role of faecal immunochemical testing

INTRODUCTION

Survival for colorectal cancer is improved by earlier detection. Rapid assessment and diagnostic demand have created a surge in two-week rule referrals and have subsequently placed a greater burden on endoscopy services. Between 2009 and 2014, a mean of 709 patients annually were referred to Royal Surrey County Hospital with a detection rate of 53 cancers per year giving a positive predictive value for these patients of 7.5%. We aimed to assess what impact the 2015 changes in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence referral criteria had on local cancer detection rate and endoscopy services.

METHODS

A prospectively maintained database of patients referred under the two-week rule pathway for April 2017-2018 was sub-analysed and the data cross-referenced with all diagnostic reports.

FINDINGS

There were 1,414 referrals, which is double the number of previous years; 80.6% underwent endoscopy as primary investigation and 62 cancers were identified, 51 being of colorectal and anal origin (positive predictive value 3.6%). A total of 88 patients were diagnosed, with other significant colorectal disease defined as high-risk adenomas, colitis and benign ulcers. Overall, a total of 10.6% of our two-week rule patients had a significant finding.Since the 2015 referral criteria, despite a dramatic rise in two-week rule referrals, there has been no increase in cancer detection. It has placed significant pressure on diagnostic services. This highlights the need for a less invasive, cheaper yet sensitive test to rule out cancer such as faecal immunochemical testing that can enable clinicians to triage and reduce referral to endoscopy in symptomatic patients.

Scattering Studies with Low-Energy Kaon-Proton Femtoscopy in Proton-Proton Collisions at the LHC

The study of the strength and behavior of the antikaon-nucleon (K[over ¯]N) interaction constitutes one of the key focuses of the strangeness sector in low-energy quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this Letter a unique high-precision measurement of the strong interaction between kaons and protons, close and above the kinematic threshold, is presented. The femtoscopic measurements of the correlation function at low pair-frame relative momentum of (K^{+}p⊕K^{-}p[over ¯]) and (K^{-}p⊕K^{+}p[over ¯]) pairs measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=5, 7, and 13 TeV are reported. A structure observed around a relative momentum of 58  MeV/c in the measured correlation function of (K^{-}p⊕K^{+}p[over ¯]) with a significance of 4.4σ constitutes the first experimental evidence for the opening of the (K[over ¯]^{0}n⊕K^{0}n[over ¯]) isospin breaking channel due to the mass difference between charged and neutral kaons. The measured correlation functions have been compared to Jülich and Kyoto models in addition to the Coulomb potential. The high-precision data at low relative momenta presented in this work prove femtoscopy to be a powerful complementary tool to scattering experiments and provide new constraints above the K[over ¯]N threshold for low-energy QCD chiral models.

Coulomb explosion of CD3I induced by single photon deep inner-shell ionisation

L-shell ionisation and subsequent Coulomb explosion of fully deuterated methyl iodide, CD₃I, irradiated with hard X-rays has been examined by a time-of-flight multi-ion coincidence technique. The core vacancies relax efficiently by Auger cascades, leading to charge states up to 16+. The dynamics of the Coulomb explosion process are investigated by calculating the ions’ flight times numerically based on a geometric model of the experimental apparatus, for comparison with the experimental data. A parametric model of the explosion, previously introduced for multi-photon induced Coulomb explosion, is applied in numerical simulations, giving good agreement with the experimental results for medium charge states. Deviations for higher charges suggest the need to include nuclear motion in a putatively more complete model. Detection efficiency corrections from the simulations are used to determine the true distributions of molecular charge states produced by initial L1, L2 and L3 ionisation.

84 Folate-methionine cycle and folate transport in developing buffalo embryos

Periconceptional folic acid is known to have a major role in the prevention of neural tube defects, leading to global recommendations for folic acid supplementation before and in early pregnancy. Maternal folate throughout pregnancy may have other roles in offspring health, including neurodevelopment and cognitive performance in childhood. Folate and folic acid (vitamin B9) act as a co-enzyme essential for single carbon metabolism, a network of pathways involved in several biological processes including nucleotide synthesis, DNA repair, and methylation reactions. In general, rapidly growing and multiplying cells require an adequate supply of folate. A primary deficiency of natural folate resulting in an increase of the total homocysteine concentration may be detrimental to the quality of the oocyte, subsequent fertilisation, embryogenesis, implantation, and fetal development. However, to date, folate-methionine metabolism and folate transport have not been studied in developing buffalo embryos. The present study details transcript expression for genes encoding key enzymes in the linked folate-methionine cycles in the ovary tissue, cumulus cells, immature oocytes, IVM oocytes, and pre-implantation embryos and also estimates the folate concentration in follicular fluid (FF) of buffalo. The FF was pooled and collected by aspiration of different sizes of surface follicles (2-8mm diameter). The total number of analysed samples was three, with different dilutions and estimation of folate in FF of buffalo done by chemiluminescence assay. Total RNA was extracted from oocytes, cumulus cells, ovarian tissue, and embryos produced from IVF. RT-PCR was performed to analyse the expression of folate-methionine cycle enzymes and folate transporters. Transcripts for all the enzymes of the folate-methionine cycle (i.e. SHMT, MTR, MTRR, MAT1A, MAT2B, GNMT, AHCY, CBS, and DHFR) and folate transporters (FOLR1, FOLR2) and reduced folate carrier (SLC19A1) were expressed in ovarian tissue, cumulus cells, oocytes, and pre-implantation embryos. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed FOLR2 and SLC19A1 protein expression on the plasma membrane and/or cytoplasm of the oocytes and embryos, and FOLR1 in the nucleus of pre-implantation embryos. The folate concentration in FF was 24ngmL−1. This is the first report to examine the concentration of folate in FF and revealed the identification of transcripts in different samples of buffalo species. The presence of these enzymes could have a profound effect on single-carbon metabolism within the ovary and pre-implantation embryo, therefore indicating that folate from FF is being disseminated through folate receptors within oocytes and embryos to participate in the folate pathway. This study advocates the necessity for examination of the result of folate supplementation throughout invitro embryo production for improving the quality and quantity of transferable blastocysts and subsequently live calf births in buffalo.

220 Exploring the use of mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of mastitis and metritis in cattle

The present study was carried out to isolate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adipose tissue of cattle (Bos indicus), characterise them, and apply them for the treatment of mastitis and metritis in the cow. Cattle MSCs were isolated from adipose tissue near the loin region of cow. Isolated adipose tissue was subjected to enzymatic digestion using 2% collagenase with agitation at regular intervals. The cells obtained after digestion were resuspended in cell culture flasks containing growth enriched medium and cultured under standard culture conditions. Alkaline phosphatase staining was used as one of the parameters to confirm cultured putative MSCs. Bovine Ad-MSCs were further characterised using real time-PCR by amplification of MSC-specific markers: CD73, CD90, and CD105 as positive markers and CD34, CD45, and CD79a as negative markers. Immunocytochemistry showed the presence of CD73, CD90, and CD105 on the cell surface. Three groups-control (C), local (L), and intravenous (IV)-with 6 cows suffering from mastitis were taken in each group and subjected to MSC transplantation through local and intravenous routes. Control group animals were subjected to antibiotic treatment only. Similarly, another three groups were taken with 6 cows in each group suffering from metritis. Post-transplantation wound healing, tissue repair, and reduction in inflammation were monitored for 26 days, at different time intervals; that is, after Days 1, 3, 7, and 15. Blood samples were also collected from animals at the same time intervals for real time-PCR. A similar examination was also done in metritis groups along with the analysis of the reduction in turbidity of cervical fluid at the abovementioned time intervals. Real time-PCR was performed to determine relative expression of genes for proliferative factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and antimicrobial peptides on cells isolated from blood collected at different time intervals. Gene expression in the local group of mastitis subjected to MSC injection was significantly higher than that of the IV and control group. The somatic cell count declined in both local and IV groups compared with the control group. Whereas the expression of the same genes in the IV group of metritis was significantly higher than that of the local and control groups of cows. The turbidity of cervical fluid and mucus was reduced in the IV group compared with the local group. In conclusion, we demonstrated the healing potential of MSCs in a cow model via MSC injection. Promising results were obtained in curing mastitis in both local and IV groups, whereas healing in the case of metritis was significantly higher in the IV group compared with both the control and local groups of cows. The study indicates the potential use of MSc for treatment of mastitis and metritis in cattle through wound healing and decreasing microbial infection.

A multicentre observational study on the epidemiology, risk factors, management and outcomes of mucormycosis in India

OBJECTIVES

To describe the epidemiology, management and outcome of individuals with mucormycosis; and to evaluate the risk factors associated with mortality.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective observational study involving consecutive individuals with proven mucormycosis across 12 centres from India. The demographic profile, microbiology, predisposing factors, management and 90-day mortality were recorded; risk factors for mortality were analysed.

RESULTS

We included 465 patients. Rhino-orbital mucormycosis was the most common (315/465, 67.7%) presentation followed by pulmonary (62/465, 13.3%), cutaneous (49/465, 10.5%), and others. The predisposing factors included diabetes mellitus (342/465, 73.5%), malignancy (42/465, 9.0%), transplant (36/465, 7.7%), and others. Rhizopus species (231/290, 79.7%) were the most common followed by Apophysomyces variabilis (23/290, 7.9%), and several rare Mucorales. Surgical treatment was performed in 62.2% (289/465) of the participants. Amphotericin B was the primary therapy in 81.9% (381/465), and posaconazole was used as combination therapy in 53 (11.4%) individuals. Antifungal therapy was inappropriate in 7.6% (30/394) of the individuals. The 90-day mortality rate was 52% (242/465). On multivariate analysis, disseminated and rhino-orbital (with cerebral extension) mucormycosis, shorter duration of symptoms, shorter duration of antifungal therapy, and treatment with amphotericin B deoxycholate (versus liposomal) were independent risk factors of mortality. A combined medical and surgical management was associated with a better survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes mellitus was the dominant predisposing factor in all forms of mucormycosis. Combined surgical and medical management was associated with better outcomes. Several gaps surfaced in the management of mucormycosis. The rarer Mucorales identified in the study warrant further evaluation.

Effects of Pyruvic Acid, Succinic Acid, and Oregano Essential Oil on Salmonella, Natural Microflora, and Quality of Raw Ground Chicken

ObjectivesThe growing stringency of regulations related to pathogens in raw poultry and increasing consumer demand for more natural food ingredients makes it imperative to explore alternative antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-Salmonella effect of combinations of succinate or pyruvic acid with oregano essential oil in raw ground chicken. Additionally, their effect on natural microflora and quality of ground chicken over simulated retail display was evaluated.Materials and MethodsNalidixic acid (NA) adapted Salmonella Typhimurium was inoculated on skin-on broiler breast meat pieces. The antimicrobial treatments given to meat were 2 and 3% pyruvic acid (PA) or monosodium succinate (SA) in combination with 0.5% essential oil (EO). Agar at the concentration of 0.05% was added to water used to prepare antimicrobial solutions to disperse the essential oil. Mode of antimicrobial treatment was 30 s dip. The meat was then ground and evaluated for pathogen reduction. Data were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA. Surviving Salmonella were recovered on XLT-4 with 50 ppm NA. Non-inoculated meat was similarly treated with antimicrobial dip and ground. Ground chicken was packaged in foam trays with PVC overwrap, and evaluated for mesophilic aerobic plate count (APC), psychrotrophic count (PC), pH, instrumental color (CIE L*, a*, and b*), and expressible moisture over 8 d of simulated retail display.A factorial design was assigned to the experiment with antimicrobial treatments and display days as the fixed effect factors. Data were analyzed using a mixed general linear model that considered replicates as a random effect in addition to the mentioned fixed effects. All trials were conducted in three replicates.ResultsMaximum reduction obtained in Salmonella counts from ground chicken was 1.52 log CFU/g and 0.98 log CFU/g, resulting from 3% SA + 0.5% EO, and 3% PA + 0.5% EO, respectively. Three percent SA + 0.5% EO treatment resulted in ground chicken with approximately 1.2 log CFU/g lower APC on Day 8 that was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than all other treatments. This treatment also resulted in less pH variation over the entire shelf life duration and lighter color of ground meat on Day 8.ConclusionThese results indicate that combination of monosodium succinate and oregano essential oil provides effective reduction of Salmonella and improved raw quality of ground chicken. This antimicrobial combination can be employed as a clean label ingredient for raw chicken applications.

Anti-Salmonella Effects of Pyruvic and Succinic Acid in Combination with Oregano Essential Oil

ObjectivesEffective decontamination approaches will aid in improving safety of poultry products and help processors comply with pathogen performance standards. Increasing consumer demand for clean label and more natural ingredients presents a scope to explore alternative decontamination approaches for meat and food contact surfaces. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of combinations of pyruvic acid (PA), succinic acid (SA), and oregano essential oil (EO) against Salmonella Typhimurium in suspensions, cells inoculated on raw chicken, and cells attached to steel.Materials and MethodsMinimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays were conducted in Mueller-Hinton broth (5 mL). Bacterial cells were added to broth suspensions of antimicrobial agents or their combinations. A contact time not exceeding 10 s was provided. Surviving bacteria were recovered on tryptic soy agar (TSA). Bacterial inactivation was confirmed by enrichment in D/E broth. Experiment involved completely randomized design with each concentration of organic acid and essential oil being considered as one level. Data were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA. Aqueous solutions of PA, SA, EO, and the mixtures of PA+EO and SA+EO were prepared using 0.05% agar to suspend the essential oil. Skin-on raw chicken breast meat pieces (2.5 cu cm) were used as a substrate to inoculate nalidixic acid (NA) adapted Salmonella cells. Pieces were treated with antimicrobial agents for 30 s by dipping, and surviving Salmonella were recovered using D/E broth on XLT-4 agar with 50 ppm NA. Four different experiments with variable acid and essential oil concentrations were performed and data were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA. Each experiment included an inoculated untreated control. Stainless steel coupons (2 × 5 cm) were used as a substrate for Salmonella attachment. Cells were allowed to grow and attach on coupons submerged in tryptic soy broth for 24 h. Coupons were rinsed to remove planktonic cells. Attached cells remaining on the coupon were dip treated with antimicrobial agents for 5 min. Surviving cells were recovered on TSA. For antimicrobial treatments leading to no cell recovery, additional experiments were performed. The recovery broth was enriched in tryptic soy broth and streaked on TSA to confirm inactivation. Three different experiments were conducted while including their respective inoculated and untreated controls and analyzed using 1-way ANOVA. All experiments were conducted in three replicates.ResultsMBC for was found to be PA (0.5%), SA(3%), EO (0.04%), PA+EO (0.25 + 0.02%), SA+EO (0.25 + 0.02%), respectively. 1% PA + 0.08% EO combination produced the maximum reduction (1.42 ± 0.11 log CFU/cm2) followed by 6% SA + 0.08% EO (1.02 ± 0.08 log CFU/cm2) in Salmonella populations on raw chicken. More than 6 log CFU/coupon of attached Salmonella were inactivated by mixtures of 0.25% PA + 0.02% EO and 1.5% SA + 0.02% EO.ConclusionThe combinations of PA+EO and SA+EO both exhibited strong anti-Salmonella activity in cell suspensions, on cells attached to stainless steel, and were effective in reducing Salmonella populations on raw chicken. Therefore, these antimicrobial combinations merit further research for raw poultry, meat, and other sanitation applications.

Parametrization of energy sharing distributions in direct double photoionization of He

We present experimental results on the characteristic sharing of available excess energy, ranging from 11–221 eV, between two electrons in single-photon direct double ionization of He. An effective parametrization of the sharing distributions is presented along with an empirical model that describes the complete shape of the distribution based on a single experimentally determinable parameter. The measured total energy sharing distributions are separated into two distributions representing the shake-off and knock-out parts by simulating the sharing distribution curves expected from a pure wave collapse after a sudden removal of the primary electron. In this way, empirical knock-out distributions are extracted and both the shake-off and knock-out distributions are parametrized. These results suggest a simple method that can be applied to other atomic and molecular systems to experimentally study important aspects of the direct double ionization process.

Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the skull: Report of two cases with review of literature

Primary calvarial (excluding jaw) osteosarcoma is rare. We report two cases highlighting their unusual presentation and histopathologic variability – a 30-year-old female who presented with progressively increasing headache and a rapidly growing frontal swelling and a 16-year-old girl who had a rapidly growing mass in the left frontoparietal region which had recurred thrice but was otherwise asymptomatic. The lesions were osteolytic on neuroimaging and histopathological examination confirmed osteosarcoma. These two unusual cases are discussed along with a brief review of literature.

Measurement of ϒ(1S) Elliptic Flow at Forward Rapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The first measurement of the ϒ(1S) elliptic flow coefficient (v_{2}) is performed at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4) in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The results are obtained with the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) up to 15  GeV/c in the 5%-60% centrality interval. The measured ϒ(1S)v_{2} is consistent with 0 and with the small positive values predicted by transport models within uncertainties. The v_{2} coefficient in 2<p_{T}<15  GeV/c is lower than that of inclusive J/ψ mesons in the same p_{T} interval by 2.6 standard deviations. These results, combined with earlier suppression measurements, are in agreement with a scenario in which the ϒ(1S) production in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies is dominated by dissociation limited to the early stage of the collision, whereas in the J/ψ case there is substantial experimental evidence of an additional regeneration component.

Recent updates on drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) along with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and malaria rank among the top three fatal infectious diseases which pose threat to global public health, especially in middle and low income countries. TB caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an airborne infectious disease and one-third of the world's population gets infected with TB leading to nearly 1·6 million deaths annually. TB drugs are administered in different combinations of four first-line drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) which form the core of treatment regimens in the initial treatment phase of 6-9 months. Several reasons account for the failure of TB therapy such as (i) late diagnosis, (ii) lack of timely and proper administration of effective drugs, (iii) lower availability of less toxic, inexpensive and effective drugs, (iv) long treatment duration, (v) nonadherence to drug regimen and (vi) evolution of drug-resistant TB strains. Drug-resistant TB poses a significant challenge to TB therapy and control programs. In the background of worldwide emergence of 558 000 new TB cases with resistance to rifampicin in the year 2017 and of them, 82% becoming multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), it is essential to continuously update the knowledge on the mechanisms and molecular basis for evolution of Mtb drug resistance. This narrative and traditional review summarizes the progress on the anti-tubercular agents, their mode of action and drug resistance mechanisms in Mtb. The aim of this review is to provide recent updates on drug resistance mechanisms, newly developed/repurposed anti-TB agents in pipeline and international recommendations to manage MDR-TB. It is based on recent literature and WHO guidelines and aims to facilitate better understanding of drug resistance for effective TB therapy and clinical management.

Brucellosis in India: results of a collaborative workshop to define One Health priorities

Brucellosis is an important zoonosis worldwide. In livestock, it frequently causes chronic disease with reproductive failures that contribute to production losses, and in humans, it causes an often-chronic febrile illness that is frequently underdiagnosed in many low- and middle-income countries, including India. India has one of the largest ruminant populations in the world, and brucellosis is endemic in the country in both humans and animals. In November 2017, the International Livestock Research Institute invited experts from government, national research institutes, universities, and different international organizations to a one-day meeting to set priorities towards a "One Health" control strategy for brucellosis in India. Using a risk prioritization exercise followed by discussions, the meeting agreed on the following priorities: collaboration (transboundary and transdisciplinary); collection of more epidemiological evidence in humans, cattle, and in small ruminants (which have been neglected in past research); Economic impact studies, including cost effectiveness of control programmes; livestock vaccination, including national facilities for securing vaccines for the cattle population; management of infected animals (with the ban on bovine slaughter, alternatives such as sanctuaries must be explored); laboratory capacities and diagnostics (quality must be assured and better rapid tests developed); and increased awareness, making farmers, health workers, and the general public more aware of risks of brucellosis and zoonoses in general. Overall, the meeting participants agreed that brucellosis control will be challenging in India, but with collaboration to address the priority areas listed here, it could be possible.

One Health and antimicrobial resistance, a United States perspective

Antimicrobial drugs are a precious resource, responsible for saving millions of lives since their discovery. Unfortunately, some antimicrobials are rapidly losing their effectiveness due to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a multi-faceted and complex problem affecting humans, animals, plants and the environment. While AMR is a global problem, in this paper, the authors briefly highlight some ongoing efforts in the United States of America aimed at integrating a One Health approach into policies and programmes that address this important health threat.

Investigations of Anisotropic Flow Using Multiparticle Azimuthal Correlations in pp, p-Pb, Xe-Xe, and Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

Measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients (v_{n}) and their cross-correlations using two- and multiparticle cumulant methods are reported in collisions of pp at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, p-Pb at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, Xe-Xe at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV, and Pb-Pb at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. The multiplicity dependence of v_{n} is studied in a very wide range from 20 to 3000 particles produced in the midrapidity region |η|<0.8 for the transverse momentum range 0.2<p_{T}<3.0  GeV/c. An ordering of the coefficients v_{2}>v_{3}>v_{4} is found in pp and p-Pb collisions, similar to that seen in large collision systems, while a weak v_{2} multiplicity dependence is observed relative to nucleus-nucleus collisions in the same multiplicity range. Using a novel subevent method, v_{2} measured with four-particle cumulants is found to be compatible with that from six-particle cumulants in pp and p-Pb collisions. The magnitude of the correlation between v_{n}^{2} and v_{m}^{2}, evaluated with the symmetric cumulants SC(m,n) is observed to be positive at all multiplicities for v_{2} and v_{4}, while for v_{2} and v_{3} it is negative and changes sign for multiplicities below 100, which may indicate a different v_{n} fluctuation pattern in this multiplicity range. The observed long-range multiparticle azimuthal correlations in high multiplicity pp and p-Pb collisions can neither be described by pythia 8 nor by impact-parameter-Glasma, music, and ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model calculations, and hence, provide new insights into the understanding of collective effects in small collision systems.

Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2018

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 20-22 September 2018. Experts in radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, and pathology who are involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics in the management of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, hepatocellular cancer, and rectal and colon cancer, including ■ surgical management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ adjuvant and metastatic systemic therapy options in pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ the role of radiotherapy in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ systemic therapy in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours,■ updates in systemic therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma,■ optimum duration of adjuvant systemic therapy for colorectal cancer, and■ sequence of therapy in oligometastatic colorectal cancer.

Supplementation of cauda epididymal plasma improves sperm characteristics following liquid preservation of ram semen at 3-5°C

Mammalian spermatozoa remain immotile and metabolically inactive in the cauda epididymidis, thus maintaining fertility for several weeks. The aim of this study was to functionally characterise and evaluate the effect of cauda epididymal plasma (CEP) on liquid preservation of ram spermatozoa. Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of: (1) CEP and its fractions on sperm motility; (2) CEP (10%, 15%, 20% v/v) on liquid preservation of ram spermatozoa; (3) seminal plasma (SP; 20%, 30%, 50% v/v) on liquid-preserved spermatozoa; and (4) both CEP and post-storage SP treatment on sperm characteristics. Biochemical characterisation of ram CEP revealed high protein (30.9mgmL-1), catalase (68.9IUmL-1), alkaline phosphatase (17.5IUmL-1) activities and total antioxidant capacity (1112µM Trolox equivalent). Progressive motility of prewashed cauda spermatozoa was reduced (P<0.05) by CEP or its protein-rich fraction compared with protein-free plasma or phosphate-buffered saline. After 48h storage, total motility, rapid motility (average path velocity >75µms-1; 53.9%, 73.5% and 71.8% with 0, 15% and 20% CEP respectively) and straight line velocity (86.3, 102.1 and 102.4µms-1 with 0, 15% and 20% CEP respectively) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the CEP-treated groups than the control. Viability and acrosomal integrity were similar between groups; however, functional membrane integrity was higher (P<0.05) in the 15% CEP-treated group. Treatment of liquid-preserved spermatozoa with either 20%, 30% or 50% SP improved (P<0.05) rapid motility and kinematics at each time point of storage compared with control. In conclusion, liquid preservation of ram spermatozoa in the presence of 15% or 20% CEP and post-storage treatment with SP significantly improve sperm characteristics.

First Observation of an Attractive Interaction between a Proton and a Cascade Baryon

This Letter presents the first experimental observation of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a multistrange baryon (hyperon) Ξ^{-}. The result is extracted from two-particle correlations of combined p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} pairs measured in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC with ALICE. The measured correlation function is compared with the prediction obtained assuming only an attractive Coulomb interaction and a standard deviation in the range [3.6, 5.3] is found. Since the measured p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} correlation is significantly enhanced with respect to the Coulomb prediction, the presence of an additional, strong, attractive interaction is evident. The data are compatible with recent lattice calculations by the HAL-QCD Collaboration, with a standard deviation in the range [1.8, 3.7]. The lattice potential predicts a shallow repulsive Ξ^{-} interaction within pure neutron matter and this implies stiffer equations of state for neutron-rich matter including hyperons. Implications of the strong interaction for the modeling of neutron stars are discussed.

Measurement of neutron induced 86Sr(n, 2n)85Sr reaction cross sections at different neutron energies

The cross-sections for ⁸⁶Sr (n, 2n)⁸⁵Sr reaction are measured at neutron energies 19.44 ± 1.02 MeV and 16.81 ± 0.85 MeV wherein there is scarcity of data. The standard neutron activation analysis technique and offline gamma ray spectroscopy have been employed for measurement and analysis of the data. The results are compared with experimental data available in EXFOR database, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-4.0, TENDL-2017 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluated data. The theoretical prediction was incorporated using nuclear modular codes TALYS 1.8 and EMPIRE 3.2.2. A detailed comparative study of experimental results with the theoretical models and various major evaluations has been presented.