Pyrosequencing technologies have revolutionized how we describe and compare complex microbial communities. In 454 pyrosequencing data sets, the abundance of reads pertaining to taxa or phylotypes is commonly interpreted as a measure of genic or taxon abundance, useful for quantitative comparisons of community similarity. Potentially systematic biases inherent in sample processing, amplification...

The standard index of microbial air contamination (IMA) for the measurement of microbial air contamination in environments at risk is described. The method quantifies the microbial flow directly related to the contamination of surfaces coming from microbes that reach critical points by falling on to them. The index of microbial air contamination is based on the count of the microbial fallout on...

Many microbes associate with higher eukaryotes and impact their vitality. To engineer microbiomes for host benefit, we must understand the rules of community assembly and maintenance that, in large part, demand an understanding of the direct interactions among community members. Toward this end, we have developed a Poisson-multivariate normal hierarchical model to learn direct interactions from...

The present study was designed to monitor the microbiological quality of beef from local and imported cattle in the main slaughterhouse of Al Baha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the effect of seasonal variation on it. The total aerobic viable count (TAVC) was calculated on samples collected from six different sites of carcasses during winter and summer. The mean TAVC (log 10 CFU/cm2), during wint...

BACKGROUND Toothbrushes may play a significant role in plaque control. Toothbrushes should be correctly stored, disinfected and changed at regular intervals. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) gluconate solution and ultra violet (UV) toothbrush-sanitizer for toothbrush disinfection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fresh tooth brushes were dist...

Five million children aged less than five years die annually due to diarrhoea. The aim of the study was to identify some possible contributing factors for persistent diarrhoea. Seven weaning foods, including a locally-made food, were evaluated by estimating the microbial load using the most probable number method and aflatoxin levels (AFM1, AFG1, AFG2, and AFB2) by immunoaffinity column extract...

Maintaining optimum quality and eliminating dates of contamination, cleanup and packaging to extend the shelf life is one of the country's priorities and policies. Edible coatings with vegetable oils are one way to prevent the growth of microorganisms. In this study, the influence of the coating with natural zein and chitosan polymers along with the essential oil of Roman anise on the microbial...