The detection of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) in environmental samples with precision is imperative to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB) infections at the herd level, as residual M. bovis remains one of the major causes of recurring infections. In this study, a nested PCR method for the detection of M. bovis in environmental samples was applied to identify potential environmental reservoirs of the bacterium. A set of 200 environmental samples (167 fecal samples and 33 water samples) from 39 herds with a history of bTB outbreak was analyzed using a nested PCR method to detect residual M. bovis. Amplicon libraries of the IS6110 target gene fragment were amplified from M. bovis DNA using two established primer sets. A positive nested PCR result was observed in 69.5% of fecal samples and 66.7% of water samples, thus showing that residual M. bovis was present in the environmental samples of bTB-positive herds in a high proportion. This study is the first to demonstrate high levels of M. bovis DNA in environmental samples and to show that environmental reservoirs of this pathogen contribute to recurring outbreaks of bTB. Environmental monitoring of herds in which bTB outbreaks have occurred with high sensitivity and specificity is expected to help prevent the recurrence of potential bTB disease and improve the herd environment.

In this study, we developed a facile and template-free strategy for the preparation of activated porous carbon beads (APCBs) from polyacrylonitrile. The chemical activation with KOH was found to enhance the pore properties, such as specific surface area (SSA), pore volume, and pore area. The APCBs exhibited a large SSA of 1147.99 m2/g and a pore area of 131.73 m2/g. The APCB-based electrodes showed a good specific capacitance of 112 F/g at 1 A/g in a 6 M KOH electrolyte, and excellent capacitance retention of 100% at a current density of 5 A/g after 1000 cycles. Therefore, the APCBs prepared in this study can be applied as electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors.

Excessive intake of sodium caused by high salt diet promotes the expression of inflammatory cytokines and differentiation of helper T cells resulting in inflammatory responses. High-glucose diet also contributes to the pathogenesis of periodontitis by inducing changes in the oral microbiome and reducing salivation. However, the effect of a high-salt and glucose diet (HSGD) on the prognosis of periodontitis remains unclear. In this study, a rat model of experimental periodontitis was established by periodic insertion of absorbable sutures containing Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum strains into the right gingival sulcus to analyze the effect of HSGD on the incidence and progression of periodontitis. The alveolar bone heights (ABH) was measured with microcomputed tomography imaging of the HSGD- and general diet (GD)-treated groups. The right ABH was significantly decreased compared to the left in both groups at 4 weeks after induction of inflammation; however, no significant difference was noted between the groups. Notably, the ABH in the HSGD-treated group was significantly decreased at 8 weeks after induction of inflammation, whereas in the GD-treated group, an increase in the ABH was observed; a significant difference of the ABH was noted between the two groups (p < 0.05). At 12 weeks, recovery of the alveolar bone was observed in both groups, with no significant differences in ABH between the two groups. These findings indicate that the intake of excessive sodium attenuates the recovery rate of the alveolar bone even after the local infectant is removed. In addition, this study demonstrates the use of HSGD in establishing a new animal model of periodontitis.