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Sample records for bacterial populations shared

  1. Humpback whale populations share a core skin bacterial community: towards a health index for marine mammals?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy Apprill

    Full Text Available Microbes are now well regarded for their important role in mammalian health. The microbiology of skin--a unique interface between the host and environment--is a major research focus in human health and skin disorders, but is less explored in other mammals. Here, we report on a cross-population study of the skin-associated bacterial community of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae, and examine the potential for a core bacterial community and its variability with host (endogenous or geographic/environmental (exogenous specific factors. Skin biopsies or freshly sloughed skin from 56 individuals were sampled from populations in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific oceans and bacteria were characterized using 454 pyrosequencing of SSU rRNA genes. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses revealed the ubiquity and abundance of bacteria belonging to the Flavobacteria genus Tenacibaculum and the Gammaproteobacteria genus Psychrobacter across the whale populations. Scanning electron microscopy of skin indicated that microbial cells colonize the skin surface. Despite the ubiquity of Tenacibaculum and Psychrobater spp., the relative composition of the skin-bacterial community differed significantly by geographic area as well as metabolic state of the animals (feeding versus starving during migration and breeding, suggesting that both exogenous and endogenous factors may play a role in influencing the skin-bacteria. Further, characteristics of the skin bacterial community from these free-swimming individuals were assembled and compared to two entangled and three dead individuals, revealing a decrease in the central or core bacterial community members (Tenacibaculum and Psychrobater spp., as well as the emergence of potential pathogens in the latter cases. This is the first discovery of a cross-population, shared skin bacterial community. This research suggests that the skin bacteria may be connected to humpback health and immunity and could

  2. Bacterial computing with engineered populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amos, Martyn; Axmann, Ilka Maria; Blüthgen, Nils; de la Cruz, Fernando; Jaramillo, Alfonso; Rodriguez-Paton, Alfonso; Simmel, Friedrich

    2015-07-28

    We describe strategies for the construction of bacterial computing platforms by describing a number of results from the recently completed bacterial computing with engineered populations project. In general, the implementation of such systems requires a framework containing various components such as intracellular circuits, single cell input/output and cell-cell interfacing, as well as extensive analysis. In this overview paper, we describe our approach to each of these, and suggest possible areas for future research. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  3. Heterotrophic bacterial populations in tropical sandy beaches

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nair, S.; LokaBharathi, P.A.

    Distribution pattern of heterotrophic bacterial flora of three sandy beaches of the west coast of India was studied. The population in these beaches was microbiologically different. Population peaks of halotolerant and limnotolerant forms were...

  4. The impact of natural transformation on adaptation in spatially structured bacterial populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradigaravand, Danesh; Engelstädter, Jan

    2014-06-20

    Recent studies have demonstrated that natural transformation and the formation of highly structured populations in bacteria are interconnected. In spite of growing evidence about this connection, little is known about the dynamics of natural transformation in spatially structured bacterial populations. In this work, we model the interdependency between the dynamics of the bacterial gene pool and those of environmental DNA in space to dissect the effect of transformation on adaptation. Our model reveals that even with only a single locus under consideration, transformation with a free DNA fragment pool results in complex adaptation dynamics that do not emerge in previous models focusing only on the gene shuffling effect of transformation at multiple loci. We demonstrate how spatial restriction on population growth and DNA diffusion in the environment affect the impact of transformation on adaptation. We found that in structured bacterial populations intermediate DNA diffusion rates predominantly cause transformation to impede adaptation by spreading deleterious alleles in the population. Overall, our model highlights distinctive evolutionary consequences of bacterial transformation in spatially restricted compared to planktonic bacterial populations.

  5. Population dynamics on heterogeneous bacterial substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mobius, Wolfram; Murray, Andrew W.; Nelson, David R.

    2012-02-01

    How species invade new territories and how these range expansions influence the population's genotypes are important questions in the field of population genetics. The majority of work addressing these questions focuses on homogeneous environments. Much less is known about the population dynamics and population genetics when the environmental conditions are heterogeneous in space. To better understand range expansions in two-dimensional heterogeneous environments, we employ a system of bacteria and bacteriophage, the viruses of bacteria. Thereby, the bacteria constitute the environment in which a population of bacteriophages expands. The spread of phage constitutes itself in lysis of bacteria and thus formation of clear regions on bacterial lawns, called plaques. We study the population dynamics and genetics of the expanding page for various patterns of environments.

  6. Sampling bacterial biodiversity from a highly contaminated stream flowing through a densely populated urban area in Karachi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enam, S.F.; Qureshi, H.; Qureshi, S.A.

    2011-01-01

    Few studies have attempted to understand the complexity of microbial populations in Pakistan where infectious diseases are prevalent. This study was undertaken to assess bacterial biodiversity in Nehr-e-Khayyam a heavily polluted stream connected to the Arabian Gulf, which runs through a densely populated urban area in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: Employing a universal pair of oligonucleotides capable of amplifying species-specific segments of 16S rRNA gene from all Eubacteria, we generated a library of PCR products using total DNA purified from the collected sample, cloned the amplifers into pGEM-T-Easy and sequenced each recombinant clone. The obtained DNA sequences were subjected to bio-informatic analyses. Results: A total of 71 recombinant clones were obtained from the amplified 16S rDNA products and sequenced. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that 54 (out of 71) were unique sequences from which 42 shared >97% and 12 shared <97% homology to their database counterparts. One sequence originated from the plastid DNA of eukaryote Pyramimonas disomata. From the remaining 53 sequences, 45 were Proteo-bacteria and 8 Fermicute in origin. Among 71 sequences, Alpha-, Beta- and Gamma-proteobacteria species constituted 86% of Proteo-bacteria identified in the sample while only 13% were Fermicutes. Conclusions: The microbial niche in Nehr-e-Khayyam is occupied predominantly by heterotrophic Proteo-bacterial and Firmicute strains, some of which are known human pathogens. (author)

  7. The population and evolutionary dynamics of homologous gene recombination in bacterial populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce R Levin

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available In bacteria, recombination is a rare event, not a part of the reproductive process. Nevertheless, recombination -- broadly defined to include the acquisition of genes from external sources, i.e., horizontal gene transfer (HGT -- plays a central role as a source of variation for adaptive evolution in many species of bacteria. Much of niche expansion, resistance to antibiotics and other environmental stresses, virulence, and other characteristics that make bacteria interesting and problematic, is achieved through the expression of genes and genetic elements obtained from other populations of bacteria of the same and different species, as well as from eukaryotes and archaea. While recombination of homologous genes among members of the same species has played a central role in the development of the genetics and molecular biology of bacteria, the contribution of homologous gene recombination (HGR to bacterial evolution is not at all clear. Also, not so clear are the selective pressures responsible for the evolution and maintenance of transformation, the only bacteria-encoded form of HGR. Using a semi-stochastic simulation of mutation, recombination, and selection within bacterial populations and competition between populations, we explore (1 the contribution of HGR to the rate of adaptive evolution in these populations and (2 the conditions under which HGR will provide a bacterial population a selective advantage over non-recombining or more slowly recombining populations. The results of our simulation indicate that, under broad conditions: (1 HGR occurring at rates in the range anticipated for bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Bacillus subtilis will accelerate the rate at which a population adapts to environmental conditions; (2 once established in a population, selection for this capacity to increase rates of adaptive evolution can maintain bacteria-encoded mechanisms of recombination and prevent

  8. Bacterial Population Genetics in a Forensic Context

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Velsko, S P

    2009-11-02

    This report addresses the recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) call for a Phase I study to (1) assess gaps in the forensically relevant knowledge about the population genetics of eight bacterial agents of concern, (2) formulate a technical roadmap to address those gaps, and (3) identify new bioinformatics tools that would be necessary to analyze and interpret population genetic data in a forensic context. The eight organisms that were studied are B. anthracis, Y. pestis, F. tularensis, Brucella spp., E. coli O157/H7, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and C. botulinum. Our study focused on the use of bacterial population genetics by forensic investigators to test hypotheses about the possible provenance of an agent that was used in a crime or act of terrorism. Just as human population genetics underpins the calculations of match probabilities for human DNA evidence, bacterial population genetics determines the level of support that microbial DNA evidence provides for or against certain well-defined hypotheses about the origins of an infecting strain. Our key findings are: (1) Bacterial population genetics is critical for answering certain types of questions in a probabilistic manner, akin (but not identical) to 'match probabilities' in DNA forensics. (2) A basic theoretical framework for calculating likelihood ratios or posterior probabilities for forensic hypotheses based on microbial genetic comparisons has been formulated. This 'inference-on-networks' framework has deep but simple connections to the population genetics of mtDNA and Y-STRs in human DNA forensics. (3) The 'phylogeographic' approach to identifying microbial sources is not an adequate basis for understanding bacterial population genetics in a forensic context, and has limited utility, even for generating 'leads' with respect to strain origin. (4) A collection of genotyped isolates obtained opportunistically from international locations

  9. Compositional stability of a salivary bacterial population against supragingival microbiota shift following periodontal therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wataru Yamanaka

    Full Text Available Supragingival plaque is permanently in contact with saliva. However, the extent to which the microbiota contributes to the salivary bacterial population remains unclear. We compared the compositional shift in the salivary bacterial population with that in supragingival plaque following periodontal therapy. Samples were collected from 19 patients with periodontitis before and after periodontal therapy (mean sample collection interval, 25.8 ± 2.6 months, and their bacterial composition was investigated using barcoded pyrosequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Phylogenetic community analysis using the UniFrac distance metric revealed that the overall bacterial community composition of saliva is distinct from that of supragingival plaque, both pre- and post-therapy. Temporal variation following therapy in the salivary bacterial population was significantly smaller than in the plaque microbiota, and the post-therapy saliva sample was significantly more similar to that pre-therapy from the same individual than to those from other subjects. Following periodontal therapy, microbial richness and biodiversity were significantly decreased in the plaque microbiota, but not in the salivary bacterial population. The operational taxonomic units whose relative abundances changed significantly after therapy were not common to the two microbiotae. These results reveal the compositional stability of salivary bacterial populations against shifts in the supragingival microbiota, suggesting that the effect of the supragingival plaque microbiota on salivary bacterial population composition is limited.

  10. In Situ Hydrocarbon Degradation by Indigenous Nearshore Bacterial Populations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherrier, J.

    2005-01-01

    Potential episodic hydrocarbon inputs associated with oil mining and transportation together with chronic introduction of hydrocarbons via urban runoff into the relatively pristine coastal Florida waters poses a significant threat to Florida's fragile marine environment. It is therefore important to understand the extent to which indigenous bacterial populations are able to degrade hydrocarbon compounds and also determine factors that could potentially control and promote the rate at which these compounds are broken down in situ. Previous controlled laboratory experiments carried out by our research group demonstrated that separately both photo-oxidation and cometabolism stimulate bacterial hydrocarbon degradation by natural bacterial assemblages collected from a chronically petroleum contaminated site in Bayboro Bay, Florida. Additionally, we also demonstrated that stable carbon and radiocarbon abundances of respired CO 2 could be used to trace in situ hydrocarbon degradation by indigenous bacterial populations at this same site. This current proposal had two main objectives: (a) to evaluate the cumulative impact of cometabolism and photo-oxidation on hydrocarbon degradation by natural bacterial assemblages collected the same site in Bayboro Bay, Florida and (b) to determine if in situ hydrocarbon degradation by indigenous bacterial populations this site could be traced using natural radiocarbon and stable carbon abundances of assimilated bacterial carbon. Funds were used for 2 years of full support for one ESI Ph.D. student, April Croxton. To address our first objective a series of closed system bacterial incubations were carried out using photo-oxidized petroleum and pinfish (i.e. cometabolite). Bacterial production of CO 2 was used as the indicator of hydrocarbon degradation and (delta) 13 C analysis of the resultant CO 2 was used to evaluate the source of the respired CO 2 (i.e. petroleum hydrocarbons or the pinfish cometabolite). Results from these time

  11. Compositional Stability of a Salivary Bacterial Population against Supragingival Microbiota Shift following Periodontal Therapy

    OpenAIRE

    山中, 渉

    2013-01-01

    Supragingival plaque is permanently in contact with saliva. However, the extent to which the microbiota contributes to the salivary bacterial population remains unclear. We compared the compositional shift in the salivary bacterial population with that in supragingival plaque following periodontal therapy. Samples were collected from 19 patients with periodontitis before and after periodontal therapy (mean sample collection interval, 25.862.6 months), and their bacterial composition was inves...

  12. Bacterial Populations Associated with Smokeless Tobacco Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Jing; Sanad, Yasser M.; Deck, Joanna; Sutherland, John B.; Li, Zhong; Walters, Matthew J.; Duran, Norma; Holman, Matthew R.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT There are an estimated 8 million users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) in the United States, and yet limited data on microbial populations within these products exist. To better understand the potential microbiological risks associated with STP use, a study was conducted to provide a baseline microbiological profile of STPs. A total of 90 samples, representing 15 common STPs, were purchased in metropolitan areas in Little Rock, AR, and Washington, DC, in November 2012, March 2013, and July 2013. Bacterial populations were evaluated using culture, pyrosequencing, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Moist-snuff products exhibited higher levels of bacteria (average of 1.05 × 106 CFU/g STP) and diversity of bacterial populations than snus (average of 8.33 × 101 CFU/g STP) and some chewing tobacco products (average of 2.54 × 105 CFU/g STP). The most common species identified by culturing were Bacillus pumilus, B. licheniformis, B. safensis, and B. subtilis, followed by members of the genera Oceanobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Tetragenococcus. Pyrosequencing analyses of the 16S rRNA genes identified the genera Tetragenococcus, Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus, Geobacillus, Bacillus, and Staphylococcus as the predominant taxa. Several species identified are of possible concern due to their potential to cause opportunistic infections and reported abilities to reduce nitrates to nitrites, which may be an important step in the formation of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N′-nitrosamines. This report provides a microbiological baseline to help fill knowledge gaps associated with microbiological risks of STPs and to inform potential regulations regarding manufacture and testing of STPs. IMPORTANCE It is estimated that there 8 million users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) in the United States; however, there are limited data on microbial populations that exist within these products. The current study was undertaken to better understand the

  13. Distribution and life strategies of two bacterial populations in a eutrophic lake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinbauer; Hofle

    1998-10-01

    Monoclonal antibodies and epifluorescence microscopy were used to determine the depth distribution of two indigenous bacterial populations in the stratified Lake Plusssee and characterize their life strategies. Populations of Comamonas acidovorans PX54 showed a depth distribution with maximum abundances in the oxic epilimnion, whereas Aeromonas hydrophila PU7718 showed a depth distribution with maximum abundances in the anoxic thermocline layer (metalimnion), i. e., in the water layer with the highest microbial activity. Resistance of PX54 to protist grazing and high metabolic versatility and growth rate of PU7718 were the most important life strategy traits for explaining the depth distribution of the two bacterial populations. Maximum abundance of PX54 was 16,000 cells per ml, and maximum abundance of PU7718 was 20,000 cells per ml. Determination of bacterial productivity in dilution cultures with different-size fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from lake water indicates that low-molecular-weight (LMW) DOM is less bioreactive than total DOM (TDOM). The abundance and growth rate of PU7718 were highest in the TDOM fractions, whereas those of PX54 were highest in the LMW DOM fraction, demonstrating that PX54 can grow well on the less bioreactive DOM fraction. We estimated that 13 to 24% of the entire bacterial community and 14% of PU7718 were removed by viral lysis, whereas no significant effect of viral lysis on PX54 could be detected. Growth rates of PX54 (0.11 to 0.13 h-1) were higher than those of the entire bacterial community (0.04 to 0.08 h-1) but lower than those of PU7718 (0.26 to 0.31 h-1). In undiluted cultures, the growth rates were significantly lower, pointing to density effects such as resource limitation or antibiosis, and the effects were stronger for PU7718 and the entire bacterial community than for PX54. Life strategy characterizations based on data from literature and this study revealed that the fast-growing and metabolically

  14. Bacterial population dynamics during the ensiling of Medicago sativa (alfalfa) and subsequent exposure to air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGarvey, J A; Franco, R B; Palumbo, J D; Hnasko, R; Stanker, L; Mitloehner, F M

    2013-06-01

    To describe, at high resolution, the bacterial population dynamics and chemical transformations during the ensiling of alfalfa and subsequent exposure to air. Samples of alfalfa, ensiled alfalfa and silage exposed to air were collected and their bacterial population structures compared using 16S rRNA gene libraries containing approximately 1900 sequences each. Cultural and chemical analyses were also performed to complement the 16S gene sequence data. Sequence analysis revealed significant differences (P alfalfa-derived library contained mostly sequences associated with the Gammaproteobacteria (including the genera: Enterobacter, Erwinia and Pantoea); the ensiled material contained mostly sequences associated with the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (including the genera: Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Lactococcus). Exposure to air resulted in even greater percentages of LAB, especially among the genus Lactobacillus, and a significant drop in bacterial diversity. In-depth 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed significant bacterial population structure changes during ensiling and again during exposure to air. This in-depth description of the bacterial population dynamics that occurred during ensiling and simulated feed out expands our knowledge of these processes. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology No claim to US Government works.

  15. Effect of dietary monensin on the bacterial population structure of dairy cattle colonic contents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGarvey, Jeffery A; Hamilton, Scott W; DePeters, Edward J; Mitloehner, Frank M

    2010-02-01

    To determine the effect of monensin, a carboxylic polyether ionophore antibiotic, on the bacterial population structure of dairy cattle colonic contents, we fed six lactating Holstein cows a diet containing monensin (600 mg day(-1)) or an identical diet without monensin. Fresh waste samples were taken directly from the animals once a month for 3 months and assayed for their bacterial population structure via 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. In total 6,912 16S rRNA genes were examined, comprising 345 and 315 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from the monensin fed and control animals, respectively. Coverage estimates of the OTUs identified were 87.6% for the monensin fed and 88.3% for the control colonic content derived library. Despite this high level of coverage, no significant difference was found between the libraries down to the genus level. Thus we concluded that although monensin is believed to increase milk production in dairy cattle by altering the bacterial population structure within the bovine gastrointestinal tract, we were unable to identify any significant difference in the bacterial population structure of the colonic contents of monensin fed vs. the control dairy cattle, down to the genus level.

  16. Bacterial incorporation of tritiated thymidine and populations of bacteriophagous fauna in the rhizosphere of wheat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Henrik; Griffiths, Bryan; Christensen, Søren

    1992-01-01

    Bacterial and microfaunal populations, and bacterial productivity measured by tritiated thymidine (3HTdr) incorporation, in the rhizosphere of wheat seedlings were measured. Soil from planted pots was fractionated into rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere (bulk) soil, while unplanted soil was taken from...... pots without plants. Total bacterial counts and biovolume did not differ between fractions but viable (plate) counts were 8 times higher in the rhizosphere compared to bulk and unplanted soil. 3HTdr was incorporated at a constant rate with low variability in bulk or unplanted soil. In rhizosphere soil...... 3HTdr incorporation was lower than in bulk or unplanted soils and showed high variability. The populations of bacterial-feeding protozoa and nematodes indicated that rhizosphere bacterial activity was actually 3–4 times greater in rhizosphere than bulk soil in accordance with the results...

  17. Population Structure of Pseudocercospora fijiensis in Costa Rica Reveals Shared Haplotype Diversity with Southeast Asian Populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saville, Amanda; Charles, Melodi; Chavan, Suchitra; Muñoz, Miguel; Gómez-Alpizar, Luis; Ristaino, Jean Beagle

    2017-12-01

    Pseudocercospora fijiensis is the causal pathogen of black Sigatoka, a devastating disease of banana that can cause 20 to 80% yield loss in the absence of fungicides in banana crops. The genetic structure of populations of P. fijiensis in Costa Rica was examined and compared with Honduran and global populations to better understand migration patterns and inform management strategies. In total, 118 isolates of P. fijiensis collected from Costa Rica and Honduras from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed using multilocus genotyping of six loci and compared with a previously published global dataset of populations of P. fijiensis. The Costa Rican and Honduran populations shared haplotype diversity with haplotypes from Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Americas but not Africa for all but one of the six loci studied. Gene flow and shared haplotype diversity was found in Honduran and Costa Rican populations of the pathogen. The data indicate that the haplotypic diversity observed in Costa Rican populations of P. fijiensis is derived from dispersal from initial outbreak sources in Honduras and admixtures between genetically differentiated sources from Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.

  18. BSim: an agent-based tool for modeling bacterial populations in systems and synthetic biology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas E Gorochowski

    Full Text Available Large-scale collective behaviors such as synchronization and coordination spontaneously arise in many bacterial populations. With systems biology attempting to understand these phenomena, and synthetic biology opening up the possibility of engineering them for our own benefit, there is growing interest in how bacterial populations are best modeled. Here we introduce BSim, a highly flexible agent-based computational tool for analyzing the relationships between single-cell dynamics and population level features. BSim includes reference implementations of many bacterial traits to enable the quick development of new models partially built from existing ones. Unlike existing modeling tools, BSim fully considers spatial aspects of a model allowing for the description of intricate micro-scale structures, enabling the modeling of bacterial behavior in more realistic three-dimensional, complex environments. The new opportunities that BSim opens are illustrated through several diverse examples covering: spatial multicellular computing, modeling complex environments, population dynamics of the lac operon, and the synchronization of genetic oscillators. BSim is open source software that is freely available from http://bsim-bccs.sf.net and distributed under the Open Source Initiative (OSI recognized MIT license. Developer documentation and a wide range of example simulations are also available from the website. BSim requires Java version 1.6 or higher.

  19. Dominance of a clonal green sulfur bacterial population in a stratified lake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gregersen, Lea H; Habicht, Kirsten S; Peduzzi, Sandro

    2009-01-01

    surveys using FISH cell counting and population multilocus sequence typing [clone library sequence analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA locus and two loci involved in photosynthesis in GSB: fmoA and csmCA]. All bacterial populations clearly stratified according to water column chemistry. The GSB...

  20. Biochemical fingerprinting of water coliform bacteria, a new method for measuring phenotypic diversity and for comparing different bacterial populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kühn, I; Allestam, G; Stenström, T A; Möllby, R

    1991-01-01

    A simple, automated microplate system for biochemical characterization of water isolates can be used to obtain fingerprints of the bacterial flora from various water samples. Mathematical models for calculating the diversities and similarities between bacterial populations are described for such fingerprints. The diversity may give information on whether an indigenous or allochthonous flora is present, and the similarities between bacterial populations, as calculated by using a population similarity coefficient (Sp), may indicate contaminations between different water samples. The system was demonstrated on coliform bacterial populations from various water samples, with or without suspected intercontamination. For unrelated water samples, the Sps were close to 0, whereas repeated samples of the same source showed Sps of 0.64 to 0.74. The Sp values from several water samples were also clustered to form a dendrogram, thus indicating the relative similarities between the bacterial populations to confirm suspected common sources of pollution. PMID:1781680

  1. Influence of Immigration on Epiphytic Bacterial Populations on Navel Orange Leaves

    OpenAIRE

    Lindow, S. E.; Andersen, G. L.

    1996-01-01

    Factors that influenced the increase in epiphytic bacterial population size on navel orange leaves during winter months were investigated to test the assumption that such populations were the result of multiplication on orange leaves. The population sizes of bacteria of different kinds, including ice nucleation-active (Ice(sup+)) bacteria, were from 6- to 30-fold larger on leaves of navel orange trees adjacent to other plant species than on trees growing near other citrus species. Total and I...

  2. Changes in bacterial populations along roots of wheat (Tricticum aestivum L.) seedlings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liljeroth, E.; Burgers, S.L.G.E.; Veen, van J.A.

    1991-01-01

    In this study the bacterial populations on root tips (1–2 days old) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were compared with the populations on root segments about 1 week older (root base). The isolates were characterized with a set of physiological tests and the test results were used to group the

  3. PCR-DGGE Analysis of Bacterial Population Attached to the Bovine Rumen Wall

    OpenAIRE

    Lukáš, F. (Filip); Šimůnek, J. (Jiří); Mrázek, J. (Jakub); Kopečný, J. (Jan)

    2010-01-01

    We isolated and amplified by PCR 16S rDNA from bacteria attached to the bovine rumen wall and analyzed it by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with subsequent sequence analysis. The attached bacterial community differed from the bacteria of rumen content; however, no differences were observed among the five epithelial sampling sites taken from each animal. The DGGE profile of the bacterial population attached to the rumen wall represented a high inter-animal variation.

  4. Bacterial communities differ among Drosophila melanogaster populations and affect host resistance against parasitoids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chaplinska, Mariia; Gerritsma, Sylvia; Dini-Andreote, Francisco; Falcao Salles, Joana; Wertheim, Bregje

    2016-01-01

    In Drosophila, diet is considered a prominent factor shaping the associated bacterial community. However, the host population background (e.g. genotype, geographical origin and founder effects) is a factor that may also exert a significant influence and is often overlooked. To test for population

  5. Microbiological studies in schirmacher oasis, Antarctica: Effect of temperature on bacterial populations

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Matondkar, S.G.P.

    Seasonal and site wise variation in size and diversity of bacterial population was observed in Schirmacher Oasis, Antarctica. Prevailing soil temperature limited the distribution and abundance of groups of bacteria like psychrophiles, psychrotrophs...

  6. Bioconvection as a Consequence of Bio-Stratification in Bacterial Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoup, Daniel; Strickland, Benjamin; Hoeger, Kentaro; Ursell, Tristan

    The collective motion of bacterial populations in solution can generate convective currents that significantly alter fluid motion and material transport. Known as bioconvection, this process is highly influenced by stimuli such as nutrients and toxins that can attract or repel bacteria via chemotaxis. Despite its prevalence in natural environments, ranging from the ocean floor to fluid in the human gut, this dynamic process and the physical and biological factors that influence it remain largely unexplored. To close this gap, we measure and analyze spontaneous bioconvection arising from the collective movement of dense populations of bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. By combining microscopy and image analysis, we find that modulations of the fluid volume geometry, erasure of the air-liquid interface, chemical perturbations like nutrients or antibiotics all alter the development of these dense bacterial masses and in turn the bio-convective currents and corresponding transport phenomena they generate. Our work suggests biophysical principles of material and organismal transport that apply to a broad range of systems where organisms can sense gradients and move within their environments.

  7. French invasive Asian tiger mosquito populations harbor reduced bacterial microbiota and genetic diversity compared to Vietnamese autochthonous relatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillaume eMinard

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is one of the most significant pathogen vectors of the 21st century. Originating from Asia, it has invaded a wide range of eco-climatic regions worldwide. The insect-associated microbiota is now recognized to play a significant role in host biology. While genetic diversity bottlenecks are known to result from biological invasions, the resulting shifts in host-associated microbiota diversity has not been thoroughly investigated. To address this subject, we compared four autochthonous Ae. albopictus populations in Vietnam, the native area of Ae. albopictus, and three populations recently introduced to Metropolitan France, with the aim of documenting whether these populations display differences in host genotype and bacterial microbiota. Population-level genetic diversity (microsatellite markers and COI haplotype and bacterial diversity (16S rDNA metabarcoding were compared between field-caught mosquitoes. Bacterial microbiota from the whole insect bodies were largely dominated by Wolbachia pipientis. Targeted analysis of the gut microbiota revealed a greater bacterial diversity in which a fraction was common between French and Vietnamese populations. The genus Dysgonomonas was the most prevalent and abundant across all studied populations. Overall genetic diversities of both hosts and bacterial microbiota were significantly reduced in recently established populations of France compared to the autochthonous populations of Vietnam. These results open up many important avenues of investigation in order to link the process of geographical invasion to shifts in commensal and symbiotic microbiome communities, as such shifts may have dramatic impacts on the biology and/or vector competence of invading hematophagous insects.

  8. Prostatitis-bacterial - self-care

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000395.htm Prostatitis - bacterial - self-care To use the sharing features ... enable JavaScript. You have been diagnosed with bacterial prostatitis . This is an infection of the prostate gland. ...

  9. Combinations of bacterial species associated with symptomatic endodontic infections in a Chinese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Z; Cao, H; Jiang, H; Zhao, J; Tang, Z

    2016-01-01

    To use microarrays to detect 11 selected bacteria in infected root canals, revealing bacterial combinations that are associated with clinical symptoms and signs of primary endodontic infections in a Chinese population. DNA was extracted from 90 samples collected from the root canals of teeth with primary endodontic infections in a Chinese population, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were hybridized to microarrays containing specific oligonucleotide probes targeting 11 species, and the arrays were screened with a confocal laser scanner. Pearson's chi-squared test and cluster analysis were performed to investigate the associations between the bacterial combinations and clinical symptoms and signs using SAS 8.02. Seventy-seven samples (86%) yielded at least one of the 11 target species. Parvimonas micra (56%), Porphyromonas endodontalis (51%), Tannerella forsythia (48%), Prevotella intermedia (44%) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (37%) were the most prevalent taxa and were often concomitant. The following positive associations were found between the bacterial combinations and clinical features: P. endodontalis and T. forsythia with abscess; P. gingivalis and P. micra with sinus tract; P. gingivalis and P. endodontalis or P. micra and P. endodontalis with abscess and sinus tract; and the combination of P. endodontalis, P. micra, T. forsythia and P. gingivalis with sinus tract (P endodontalis, T. forsythia and P. gingivalis may contribute to abscesses or sinus tracts of endodontic origin with bacterial synergism in a Chinese population. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Bacterial populations associated with the dirty area of a South African poultry abattoir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geornaras, I; de Jesus, A E; von Holy, A

    1998-06-01

    Bacterial populations associated with three sample types from the neck region of poultry carcasses in the dirty area of an abattoir were characterized. Sample types before and after scalding were skin only, feathers only, and a skin and feather combination. The neck skin of carcasses after the defeathering processing stage was also sampled. Bacterial populations associated with water from the scald tank, rubber fingers at the exit of the defeathering machine, and air in the dirty area were also characterized. Bacterial colonies (751) were randomly isolated from yeast extract-supplemented tryptone soya agar plates exhibiting 30 to 300 colonies. Micrococcus spp. were isolated in the highest proportion from pre-and postscalded carcass samples (63.5 to 86.1% of isolates), regardless of the sample type. Conversely, Enterobacteriaceae (40.3%), Acinetobacter (19.4%), and Aeromonas/Vibrio (12.5%) species predominated on neck skin samples taken from mechanically defeathered carcasses. Isolates from the rubber fingers were, however, predominantly Micrococcus spp. (94.4%). Bacterial groups isolated in the highest proportion from scald tank water samples were Micrococcus spp. (38.3%), species of Enterobacteriaceae (29.1%), and lactic acid bacteria (17.0%). Corynebacterium spp., species of Enterobacteriaceae, and Micrococcus spp. were dominant on air settle plates.

  11. Bacterial charity work leads to population-wide resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Henry H; Molla, Michael N; Cantor, Charles R; Collins, James J

    2010-09-02

    Bacteria show remarkable adaptability in the face of antibiotic therapeutics. Resistance alleles in drug target-specific sites and general stress responses have been identified in individual end-point isolates. Less is known, however, about the population dynamics during the development of antibiotic-resistant strains. Here we follow a continuous culture of Escherichia coli facing increasing levels of antibiotic and show that the vast majority of isolates are less resistant than the population as a whole. We find that the few highly resistant mutants improve the survival of the population's less resistant constituents, in part by producing indole, a signalling molecule generated by actively growing, unstressed cells. We show, through transcriptional profiling, that indole serves to turn on drug efflux pumps and oxidative-stress protective mechanisms. The indole production comes at a fitness cost to the highly resistant isolates, and whole-genome sequencing reveals that this bacterial altruism is made possible by drug-resistance mutations unrelated to indole production. This work establishes a population-based resistance mechanism constituting a form of kin selection whereby a small number of resistant mutants can, at some cost to themselves, provide protection to other, more vulnerable, cells, enhancing the survival capacity of the overall population in stressful environments.

  12. Ecological drift and local exposures drive enteric bacterial community differences within species of Galápagos iguanas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lankau, Emily W; Hong, Pei-Ying; Mackie, Roderick I

    2012-04-01

    Diet strongly influences the intestinal microbial communities through species sorting. Alternatively, these communicates may differ because of chance variation in local microbial exposures or species losses among allopatric host populations (i.e. ecological drift). We investigated how these forces shape enteric communities of Galápagos marine and land iguanas. Geographically proximate populations shared more similar communities within a host ecotype, suggesting a role for ecological drift during host colonization of the islands. Additionally, evidence of taxa sharing between proximate heterospecific host populations suggests that contemporary local exposures also influence the gut community assembly. While selective forces such as host-bacterial interactions or dietary differences are dominant drivers of intestinal community differences among hosts, historical and contemporary processes of ecological drift may lead to differences in bacterial composition within a host species. Whether such differences in community structure translate into geographic variation in benefits derived from these intimate microbial communities remains to be explored. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Plasmids foster diversification and adaptation of bacterial populations in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heuer, Holger; Smalla, Kornelia

    2012-11-01

    It is increasingly being recognized that the transfer of conjugative plasmids across species boundaries plays a vital role in the adaptability of bacterial populations in soil. There are specific driving forces and constraints of plasmid transfer within bacterial communities in soils. Plasmid-mediated genetic variation allows bacteria to respond rapidly with adaptive responses to challenges such as irregular antibiotic or metal concentrations, or opportunities such as the utilization of xenobiotic compounds. Cultivation-independent detection and capture of plasmids from soil bacteria, and complete sequencing have provided new insights into the role and ecology of plasmids. Broad host range plasmids such as those belonging to IncP-1 transfer a wealth of accessory functions which are carried by similar plasmid backbones. Plasmids with a narrower host range can be more specifically adapted to particular species and often transfer genes which complement chromosomally encoded functions. Plasmids seem to be an ancient and successful strategy to ensure survival of a soil population in spatial and temporal heterogeneous conditions with various environmental stresses or opportunities that occur irregularly or as a novel challenge in soil. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Distinct Habitats Select Particular Bacterial Communities in Mangrove Sediments

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    Lidianne L. Rocha

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the relationship among environmental variables, composition, and structure of bacterial communities in different habitats in a mangrove located nearby to an oil exploitation area, aiming to retrieve the natural pattern of bacterial communities in this ecosystem. The T-RFLP analysis showed a high diversity of bacterial populations and an increase in the bacterial richness from habitats closer to the sea and without vegetation (S1 to habitats covered by Avicennia schaueriana (S2 and Rhizophora mangle (S3. Environmental variables in S1 and S2 were more similar than in S3; however, when comparing the bacterial compositions, S2 and S3 shared more OTUs between them, suggesting that the presence of vegetation is an important factor in shaping these bacterial communities. In silico analyses of the fragments revealed a high diversity of the class Gammaproteobacteria in the 3 sites, although in general they presented quite different bacterial composition, which is probably shaped by the specificities of each habitat. This study shows that microhabitats inside of a mangrove ecosystem harbor diverse and distinct microbiota, reinforcing the need to conserve these ecosystems as a whole.

  15. Distinct Habitats Select Particular Bacterial Communities in Mangrove Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, Lidianne L.; Colares, Geórgia B.; Nogueira, Vanessa L. R.; Paes, Fernanda A.; Melo, Vânia M. M.

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the relationship among environmental variables, composition, and structure of bacterial communities in different habitats in a mangrove located nearby to an oil exploitation area, aiming to retrieve the natural pattern of bacterial communities in this ecosystem. The T-RFLP analysis showed a high diversity of bacterial populations and an increase in the bacterial richness from habitats closer to the sea and without vegetation (S1) to habitats covered by Avicennia schaueriana (S2) and Rhizophora mangle (S3). Environmental variables in S1 and S2 were more similar than in S3; however, when comparing the bacterial compositions, S2 and S3 shared more OTUs between them, suggesting that the presence of vegetation is an important factor in shaping these bacterial communities. In silico analyses of the fragments revealed a high diversity of the class Gammaproteobacteria in the 3 sites, although in general they presented quite different bacterial composition, which is probably shaped by the specificities of each habitat. This study shows that microhabitats inside of a mangrove ecosystem harbor diverse and distinct microbiota, reinforcing the need to conserve these ecosystems as a whole. PMID:26989418

  16. Phylogeographic reconstruction of a bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, T.; Giffard, P.; Beckstrom-Sternberg, S.; Auerbach, R.; Hornstra, H.; Tuanyok, A.; Price, E.P.; Glass, M.B.; Leadem, B.; Beckstrom-Sternberg, J. S.; Allan, G.J.; Foster, J.T.; Wagner, D.M.; Okinaka, R.T.; Sim, S.H.; Pearson, O.; Wu, Z.; Chang, J.; Kaul, R.; Hoffmaster, A.R.; Brettin, T.S.; Robison, R.A.; Mayo, M.; Gee, J.E.; Tan, P.; Currie, B.J.; Keim, P.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Phylogeographic reconstruction of some bacterial populations is hindered by low diversity coupled with high levels of lateral gene transfer. A comparison of recombination levels and diversity at seven housekeeping genes for eleven bacterial species, most of which are commonly cited as having high levels of lateral gene transfer shows that the relative contributions of homologous recombination versus mutation for Burkholderia pseudomallei is over two times higher than for Streptococcus pneumoniae and is thus the highest value yet reported in bacteria. Despite the potential for homologous recombination to increase diversity, B. pseudomallei exhibits a relative lack of diversity at these loci. In these situations, whole genome genotyping of orthologous shared single nucleotide polymorphism loci, discovered using next generation sequencing technologies, can provide very large data sets capable of estimating core phylogenetic relationships. We compared and searched 43 whole genome sequences of B. pseudomallei and its closest relatives for single nucleotide polymorphisms in orthologous shared regions to use in phylogenetic reconstruction. Results: Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of >14,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms yielded completely resolved trees for these 43 strains with high levels of statistical support. These results enable a better understanding of a separate analysis of population differentiation among >1,700 B. pseudomallei isolates as defined by sequence data from seven housekeeping genes. We analyzed this larger data set for population structure and allele sharing that can be attributed to lateral gene transfer. Our results suggest that despite an almost panmictic population, we can detect two distinct populations of B. pseudomallei that conform to biogeographic patterns found in many plant and animal species. That is, separation along Wallace's Line, a biogeographic boundary between Southeast Asia and Australia. Conclusion: We describe an

  17. Phylogeographic reconstruction of a bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaul Rajinder

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phylogeographic reconstruction of some bacterial populations is hindered by low diversity coupled with high levels of lateral gene transfer. A comparison of recombination levels and diversity at seven housekeeping genes for eleven bacterial species, most of which are commonly cited as having high levels of lateral gene transfer shows that the relative contributions of homologous recombination versus mutation for Burkholderia pseudomallei is over two times higher than for Streptococcus pneumoniae and is thus the highest value yet reported in bacteria. Despite the potential for homologous recombination to increase diversity, B. pseudomallei exhibits a relative lack of diversity at these loci. In these situations, whole genome genotyping of orthologous shared single nucleotide polymorphism loci, discovered using next generation sequencing technologies, can provide very large data sets capable of estimating core phylogenetic relationships. We compared and searched 43 whole genome sequences of B. pseudomallei and its closest relatives for single nucleotide polymorphisms in orthologous shared regions to use in phylogenetic reconstruction. Results Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of >14,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms yielded completely resolved trees for these 43 strains with high levels of statistical support. These results enable a better understanding of a separate analysis of population differentiation among >1,700 B. pseudomallei isolates as defined by sequence data from seven housekeeping genes. We analyzed this larger data set for population structure and allele sharing that can be attributed to lateral gene transfer. Our results suggest that despite an almost panmictic population, we can detect two distinct populations of B. pseudomallei that conform to biogeographic patterns found in many plant and animal species. That is, separation along Wallace's Line, a biogeographic boundary between Southeast Asia and Australia

  18. Bacterial Pneumonia in Elderly Japanese Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naoya Miyashita

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial pneumonia is one of the most important infectious diseases in terms of incidence, effect on quality of life, mortality, and impact on society. Pneumonia was the third leading cause of death in Japan in 2011. In 2016, 119 650 Japanese people died of pneumonia, 96% of whom were aged 65 years and above. The symptoms of pneumonia in elderly people are often atypical. Aspiration pneumonia is seen more frequently than in young people because of swallowing dysfunction in the elderly. The mortality rate is also higher in the elderly than in young people. In Japan, the population is aging at an unprecedented rate, and pneumonia in the elderly will be increasingly important in medicine and medical economics in the future. To manage pneumonia in the elderly, it is important to accurately evaluate its severity, administer appropriate antibiotic treatment, and implement effective preventive measures.

  19. Supplemental Dietary Inulin of Variable Chain Lengths Alters Intestinal Bacterial Populations in Young Pigs123

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Jannine K.; Yasuda, Koji; Welch, Ross M.; Miller, Dennis D.; Lei, Xin Gen

    2010-01-01

    Previously, we showed that supplementation of diets with short-chain inulin (P95), long-chain inulin (HP), and a 50:50 mixture of both (Synergy 1) improved body iron status and altered expression of the genes involved in iron homeostasis and inflammation in young pigs. However, the effects of these 3 types of inulin on intestinal bacteria remain unknown. Applying terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, we determined the abundances of luminal and adherent bacterial populations from 6 segments of the small and large intestines of pigs (n = 4 for each group) fed an iron-deficient basal diet (BD) or the BD supplemented with 4% of P95, Synergy 1, or HP for 5 wk. Compared with BD, all 3 types of inulin enhanced (P inulin on bacterial populations in the lumen contents were found. Meanwhile, all 3 types of inulin suppressed the less desirable bacteria Clostridium spp. and members of the Enterobacteriaceae in the lumen and mucosa of various gut segments. Our findings suggest that the ability of dietary inulin to alter intestinal bacterial populations may partially account for its iron bioavailability-promoting effect and possibly other health benefits. PMID:20980641

  20. Dynamics of genome rearrangement in bacterial populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron E Darling

    2008-07-01

    represent the first characterization of genome arrangement evolution in a bacterial population evolving outside laboratory conditions. Insight into the process of genomic rearrangement may further the understanding of pathogen population dynamics and selection on the architecture of circular bacterial chromosomes.

  1. BIGSdb: Scalable analysis of bacterial genome variation at the population level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maiden Martin CJ

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The opportunities for bacterial population genomics that are being realised by the application of parallel nucleotide sequencing require novel bioinformatics platforms. These must be capable of the storage, retrieval, and analysis of linked phenotypic and genotypic information in an accessible, scalable and computationally efficient manner. Results The Bacterial Isolate Genome Sequence Database (BIGSDB is a scalable, open source, web-accessible database system that meets these needs, enabling phenotype and sequence data, which can range from a single sequence read to whole genome data, to be efficiently linked for a limitless number of bacterial specimens. The system builds on the widely used mlstdbNet software, developed for the storage and distribution of multilocus sequence typing (MLST data, and incorporates the capacity to define and identify any number of loci and genetic variants at those loci within the stored nucleotide sequences. These loci can be further organised into 'schemes' for isolate characterisation or for evolutionary or functional analyses. Isolates and loci can be indexed by multiple names and any number of alternative schemes can be accommodated, enabling cross-referencing of different studies and approaches. LIMS functionality of the software enables linkage to and organisation of laboratory samples. The data are easily linked to external databases and fine-grained authentication of access permits multiple users to participate in community annotation by setting up or contributing to different schemes within the database. Some of the applications of BIGSDB are illustrated with the genera Neisseria and Streptococcus. The BIGSDB source code and documentation are available at http://pubmlst.org/software/database/bigsdb/. Conclusions Genomic data can be used to characterise bacterial isolates in many different ways but it can also be efficiently exploited for evolutionary or functional studies. BIGSDB

  2. Characterization of the rate and temperature sensitivities of bacterial remineralization of dissolved organic phosphorus by natural populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelicque E. White

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Production, transformation, and degradation are the principal components of the cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM in marine systems. Heterotrophic Bacteria (and Archaea play a large part in this cycling via enzymatic decomposition and intracellular transformations of organic material to inorganic carbon (C, nitrogen (N , and phosphorus (P. The rate and magnitude of inorganic nutrient regeneration from DOM is related to the elemental composition and lability of DOM substrates as well as the nutritional needs of the mediating organisms. While many previous efforts have focused on C and N cycling of DOM, less is known in regards to the controls of organic P utilization and remineralization by natural populations of bacteria. In order to constrain the relative time scales and degradation of select dissolved organic P (DOP compounds we have conducted a series of experiments focused on (1 assessment of the short-term lability of a range of DOP compounds, (2 characterization of labile DOP remineralization rates and (3 examination of temperature sensitivities of labile DOP remineralization for varying bacterial populations. Results reinforce previous findings of monoester and polyphosphate lability and the relative recalcitrance of a model phosphonate: 2-aminoethylphosphonate. High resolution time-series of P monoester remineralization indicates decay constants on the order of 0.67-7.04 d-1 for bacterial populations isolated from coastal and open ocean surface waters. The variability of these rates is predictably related to incubation temperature and initial concentrations of heterotrophic bacteria. Additional controls on DOP hydrolysis included seasonal shifts in bacterial populations and the physiological state of bacteria at the initiation of DOP addition experiments. Composite results indicate that bacterial hydrolysis of P-monoesters exceeds bacterial P demand and thus DOP remineralization efficiency may control P availability to autotrophs.

  3. Microbial Ecophysiology of Whey Biomethanation: Characterization of Bacterial Trophic Populations and Prevalent Species in Continuous Culture

    OpenAIRE

    Chartrain, M.; Zeikus, J. G.

    1986-01-01

    The organization and species composition of bacterial trophic groups associated with lactose biomethanation were investigated in a whey-processing chemostat by enumeration, isolation, and general characterization studies. The bacteria were spatially organized as free-living forms and as self-immobilized forms appearing in flocs. Three dominant bacterial trophic group populations were present (in most probable number per milliliter) whose species numbers varied with the substrate consumed: hyd...

  4. Bacterial intelligence: imitation games, time-sharing, and long-range quantum coherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majumdar, Sarangam; Pal, Sukla

    2017-09-01

    Bacteria are far more intelligent than we can think of. They adopt different survival strategies to make their life comfortable. Researches on bacterial communication to date suggest that bacteria can communicate with each other using chemical signaling molecules as well as using ion channel mediated electrical signaling. Though in past few decades the scopes of chemical signaling have been investigated extensively, those of electrical signaling have received less attention. In this article, we present a novel perspective on time-sharing behavior, which maintains the biofilm growth under reduced nutrient supply between two distant biofilms through electrical signaling based on the experimental evidence reported by Liu et al., in 2017. In addition, following the recent work by Humphries et al. Cell 168(1):200-209, in 2017, we highlight the consequences of long range electrical signaling within biofilm communities through spatially propagating waves of potassium. Furthermore, we address the possibility of two-way cellular communication between artificial and natural cells through chemical signaling being inspired by recent experimental observation (Lentini et al. 2017) where the efficiency of artificial cells in imitating the natural cells is estimated through cellular Turing test. These three spectacular observations lead us to envisage and devise new classical and quantum views of these complex biochemical networks that have never been realized previously.

  5. Bacterial Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shi, Lei; Kobir, Ahasanul; Jers, Carsten

    2010-01-01

    in exopolysaccharide production, virulence, DNA metabolism, stress response and other key functions of the bacterial cell. BY-kinases act through autophosphorylation (mainly in exopolysaccharide production) and phosphorylation of other proteins, which have in most cases been shown to be activated by tyrosine......Bacteria and Eukarya share essentially the same family of protein-serine/threonine kinases, also known as the Hanks-type kinases. However, when it comes to protein-tyrosine phosphorylation, bacteria seem to have gone their own way. Bacterial protein-tyrosine kinases (BY-kinases) are bacterial...... and highlighted their importance in bacterial physiology. Having no orthologues in Eukarya, BY-kinases are receiving a growing attention from the biomedical field, since they represent a particularly promising target for anti-bacterial drug design....

  6. Microbial population analysis of the salivary glands of ticks; a possible strategy for the surveillance of bacterial pathogens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongjin Qiu

    Full Text Available Ticks are one of the most important blood-sucking vectors for infectious microorganisms in humans and animals. When feeding they inject saliva, containing microbes, into the host to facilitate the uptake of blood. An understanding of the microbial populations within their salivary glands would provide a valuable insight when evaluating the vectorial capacity of ticks. Three tick species (Ixodes ovatus, I. persulcatus and Haemaphysalis flava were collected in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan between 2008 and 2011. Each tick was dissected and the salivary glands removed. Bacterial communities in each salivary gland were characterized by 16S amplicon pyrosequencing using a 454 GS-Junior Next Generation Sequencer. The Ribosomal Database Project (RDP Classifier was used to classify sequence reads at the genus level. The composition of the microbial populations of each tick species were assessed by principal component analysis (PCA using the Metagenomics RAST (MG-RAST metagenomic analysis tool. Rickettsia-specific PCR was used for the characterization of rickettsial species. Almost full length of 16S rDNA was amplified in order to characterize unclassified bacterial sequences obtained in I. persulcatus female samples. The numbers of bacterial genera identified for the tick species were 71 (I. ovatus, 127 (I. persulcatus and 59 (H. flava. Eighteen bacterial genera were commonly detected in all tick species. The predominant bacterial genus observed in all tick species was Coxiella. Spiroplasma was detected in Ixodes, and not in H. flava. PCA revealed that microbial populations in tick salivary glands were different between tick species, indicating that host specificities may play an important role in determining the microbial complement. Four female I. persulcatus samples contained a high abundance of several sequences belonging to Alphaproteobacteria symbionts. This study revealed the microbial populations within the salivary glands of three species of

  7. Role of innate T cells in anti-bacterial immunity

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    Yifang eGao

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Innate T cells are a heterogeneous group of αβ and γδ T cells that respond rapidly (<2 hours upon activation. These innate T cells also share a non MHC class I or II restriction requirement for antigen recognition. Three major populations within the innate T cell group are recognized, namely Invariant NKT cells (iNKT; Mucosal associated invariant T cells (MAIT and gamma delta T cells. These cells recognize foreign/self-lipid presented by non-classical MHC molecules, such as CD1d, MR1 and CD1a.They are activated during the early stages of bacterial infection and act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this review we focus on the functional properties of these 3 innate T cell populations and how they are purposed for antimicrobial defense. Furthermore we address the mechanisms through which their effector functions are targeted for bacterial control and compare this in human and murine systems. Lastly we speculate on future roles of these cell types in therapeutic settings such as vaccination.

  8. Exploring the plant-associated bacterial communities in Medicago sativa L

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    Pini Francesco

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant-associated bacterial communities caught the attention of several investigators which study the relationships between plants and soil and the potential application of selected bacterial species in crop improvement and protection. Medicago sativa L. is a legume crop of high economic importance as forage in temperate areas and one of the most popular model plants for investigations on the symbiosis with nitrogen fixing rhizobia (mainly belonging to the alphaproteobacterial species Sinorhizobium meliloti. However, despite its importance, no studies have been carried out looking at the total bacterial community associated with the plant. In this work we explored for the first time the total bacterial community associated with M. sativa plants grown in mesocosms conditions, looking at a wide taxonomic spectrum, from the class to the single species (S. meliloti level. Results Results, obtained by using Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP analysis, quantitative PCR and sequencing of 16 S rRNA gene libraries, showed a high taxonomic diversity as well as a dominance by members of the class Alphaproteobacteria in plant tissues. Within Alphaproteobacteria the families Sphingomonadaceae and Methylobacteriaceae were abundant inside plant tissues, while soil Alphaproteobacteria were represented by the families of Hyphomicrobiaceae, Methylocystaceae, Bradyirhizobiaceae and Caulobacteraceae. At the single species level, we were able to detect the presence of S. meliloti populations in aerial tissues, nodules and soil. An analysis of population diversity on nodules and soil showed a relatively low sharing of haplotypes (30-40% between the two environments and between replicate mesocosms, suggesting drift as main force shaping S. meliloti population at least in this system. Conclusions In this work we shed some light on the bacterial communities associated with M. sativa plants, showing that Alphaproteobacteria may

  9. Role of antimicrobial peptides in controlling symbiotic bacterial populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mergaert, P

    2018-04-25

    Covering: up to 2018 Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been known for well over three decades as crucial mediators of the innate immune response in animals and plants, where they are involved in the killing of infecting microbes. However, AMPs have now also been found to be produced by eukaryotic hosts during symbiotic interactions with bacteria. These symbiotic AMPs target the symbionts and therefore have a more subtle biological role: not eliminating the microbial symbiont population but rather keeping it in check. The arsenal of AMPs and the symbionts' adaptations to resist them are in a careful balance, which contributes to the establishment of the host-microbe homeostasis. Although in many cases the biological roles of symbiotic AMPs remain elusive, for a number of symbiotic interactions, precise functions have been assigned or proposed to the AMPs, which are discussed here. The microbiota living on epithelia in animals, from the most primitive ones to the mammals, are challenged by a cocktail of AMPs that determine the specific composition of the bacterial community as well as its spatial organization. In the symbiosis of legume plants with nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria, the host deploys an extremely large panel of AMPs - called nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides - that drive the bacteria into a terminally differentiated state and manipulate the symbiont physiology to maximize the benefit for the host. The NCR peptides are used as tools to enslave the bacterial symbionts, limiting their reproduction but keeping them metabolically active for nitrogen fixation. In the nutritional symbiotic interactions of insects and protists that have vertically transmitted bacterial symbionts with reduced genomes, symbiotic AMPs could facilitate the integration of the endosymbiont and host metabolism by favouring the flow of metabolites across the symbiont membrane through membrane permeabilization.

  10. An EPA pilot study characterizing fungal and bacterial populations at homes after flooding events at the Martin Peña Channel community-Puerto Rico

    Science.gov (United States)

    The overall objective of this program is to characterize fungal and bacterial populations in the MPC residences in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following flooding events. These profiles will be generated by comparing the fungal and bacterial populations in two groups of residences: hom...

  11. BACTERIAL POPULATION DYNAMICS IN WASTE OILY EMULSIONS FROM THE METAL-PROCESSING INDUSTRY

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    Paweł Kaszycki

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Oil-containing wastewaters are regarded as main industrial pollutants of soil and water environments. They can occur as free-floating oil, unstable or stable oil-in-water (O/W emulsions, and in the case of extreme organic load, as water-in-oil (W/O emulsions. In this study two types of oily effluents, a typical O/W emulsion marked as E1 and a W/O emulsion E2, both discharged by local metal processing plants were examined to test their toxicity to microbial communities and the ability to serve as nutrient sources for bacterial growth. The organic contaminant load of the samples was evaluated on the basis of chemical oxygen demand (COD parameter values and was equal to 48 200 mg O2·dm-3 and >300 000 mg O2·dm-3 for E1 and E2, respectively.Both emulsions proved to be non toxic to bacterial communities and were shown to contain biodiverse autochthonous microflora consisting of several bacterial strains adapted to the presence of xenobiotics (the total of 1.36 · 106 CFU·cm-3 and 1.72 · 105 CFU·cm-3 was determined for E1 and E2, respectively. These indigenous bacteria as well as exogenously inoculated specialized allochthonous microorganisms were biostimulated so as to proliferate within the wastewater environment whose organic content served as the only source of carbon. The most favorable cultivation conditions were determined as fully aerobic growth at the temperature of 25 ºC. In 9 to 18 day-tests, autochthonous as well as bioaugmented allochthonous bacterial population dynamics were monitored. For both emulsions tested there was a dramatic increase (up to three orders of magnitude in bacterial frequency, as compared to the respective initial values. The resultant high biomass densities suggest that the effluents are susceptible to bioremediation. A preliminary xenobiotic biodegradation test confirmed that mixed auto- and allochthonous bacterial consortia obtained upon inoculation of the samples with microbiocenoses preselected for efficient

  12. Minimal sharing of Y-chromosome STR haplotypes among five endogamous population groups from western and southwestern India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Birajalaxmi; Chauhan, P S; Seshadri, M

    2004-10-01

    We attempt to address the issue of genetic variation and the pattern of male gene flow among and between five Indian population groups of two different geographic and linguistic affiliations using Y-chromosome markers. We studied 221 males at three Y-chromosome biallelic loci and 184 males for the five Y-chromosome STRs. We observed 111 Y-chromosome STR haplotypes. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on Y-chromosome STRs showed that the variation observed between the population groups belonging to two major regions (western and southwestern India) was 0.17%, which was significantly lower than the level of genetic variance among the five populations (0.59%) considered as a single group. Combined haplotype analysis of the five STRs and the biallelic locus 92R7 revealed minimal sharing of haplotypes among these five ethnic groups, irrespective of the similar origin of the linguistic and geographic affiliations; this minimal sharing indicates restricted male gene flow. As a consequence, most of the haplotypes were population specific. Network analysis showed that the haplotypes, which were shared between the populations, seem to have originated from different mutational pathways at different loci. Biallelic markers showed that all five ethnic groups have a similar ancestral origin despite their geographic and linguistic diversity.

  13. Bacterial population solitary waves can defeat rings of funnels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, Ryan J; Phan, Trung V; Austin, Robert H; Black, Matthew; Bos, Julia A; Lin, Ke-Chih; Kevrekidis, Ioannis G

    2017-01-01

    We have constructed a microfabricated circular corral for bacteria made of rings of concentric funnels which channel motile bacteria outwards via non-hydrodynamic interactions with the funnel walls. Initially bacteria do move rapidly outwards to the periphery of the corral. At the edge, nano-slits allow for the transport of nutrients into the device while keeping the bacteria from escaping. After a period of time in which the bacteria increase their cell density in this perimeter region, they are then able to defeat the physical constrains of the funnels by launching back-propagating collective waves. We present the basic data and some nonlinear modeling which can explain how bacterial population waves propagate through a physical funnel, and discuss possible biological implications. (paper)

  14. Population dynamics and habitat sharing of natural populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and C. briggsae

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    Félix Marie-Anne

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a major model organism in laboratory biology. Very little is known, however, about its ecology, including where it proliferates. In the past, C. elegans was mainly isolated from human-made compost heaps, where it was overwhelmingly found in the non-feeding dauer diapause stage. Results C. elegans and C. briggsae were found in large, proliferating populations in rotting plant material (fruits and stems in several locations in mainland France. Both species were found to co-occur in samples isolated from a given plant species. Population counts spanned a range from one to more than 10,000 Caenorhabditis individuals on a single fruit or stem. Some populations with an intermediate census size (10 to 1,000 contained no dauer larvae at all, whereas larger populations always included some larvae in the pre-dauer or dauer stages. We report on associated micro-organisms, including pathogens. We systematically sampled a spatio-temporally structured set of rotting apples in an apple orchard in Orsay over four years. C. elegans and C. briggsae were abundantly found every year, but their temporal distributions did not coincide. C. briggsae was found alone in summer, whereas both species co-occurred in early fall and C. elegans was found alone in late fall. Competition experiments in the laboratory at different temperatures show that C. briggsae out-competes C. elegans at high temperatures, whereas C. elegans out-competes C. briggsae at lower temperatures. Conclusions C. elegans and C. briggsae proliferate in the same rotting vegetal substrates. In contrast to previous surveys of populations in compost heaps, we found fully proliferating populations with no dauer larvae. The temporal sharing of the habitat by the two species coincides with their temperature preference in the laboratory, with C. briggsae populations growing faster than C. elegans at higher temperatures, and vice at lower temperatures.

  15. Differences in bacterial diversity of host-associated populations of Phylloxera notabilis Pergande (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) in pecan and water hickory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, R F; Nachappa, P; Tamborindeguy, C

    2011-04-01

    Host-associated differentiation (HAD) is the presence of genetically divergent, host-associated populations. It has been suggested that microbial symbionts of insect herbivores may play a role in HAD by allowing their insect hosts to use different plant species. The objective of this study was to document if host-associated populations of Phylloxera notabilis Pergande (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) in pecan and water hickory corresponded with differences in the composition of their associated bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the symbionts present in P. notabilis associated with these two tree species through metagenomic analyses using 454 sequencing. Differences in bacterial diversity were found between P. notabilis populations associated with pecan and water hickory. The bacteria, Pantoea agglomerans and Serratia marcescens, were absent in the P. notabilis water hickory population, whereas both species accounted for more than 69.72% of bacterial abundance in the pecan population. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2011 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  16. Molecular analysis of bacterial populations in water samples from two Uranium mill tailings by using RISA retrieval

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selenska-Pobell, S.; Radeva, G.

    2004-01-01

    Ribosomal intergenic spacer amplification (RISA) retrieval was applied to analyse the natural bacterial communities in drain waters of two uranium mill tailings - Gittersee/Coschuetz in Germany and Shiprock in the USA. About 35% of the clones from RISA library constructed for the samples of the German tailings represented a microdiverse population of Planctomycetales. The rest of the clones were affiliated with rather diverse bacterial groups including γ- and δ-Proteobacteria, Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides (CFB), Nitrospira, Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria. 8% of the cloned sequences represented a novel bacterial lineage from the recently described division NC3. Bacterial diversity in the Shiprock mill tailings was found to be significantly lower. RISA library constructed for those samples contained only two larger groups of clones representing β-proteobacterial species and one small group which was affiliated with δ-Proteobacteria. (authors)

  17. Molecular analysis of bacterial populations in water samples from two Uranium mill tailings by using RISA retrieval

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Selenska-Pobell, S [Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, Institute of Radiochemistry, Dresden (Germany); Radeva, G [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Molecular Biology, Sofia (Bulgaria)

    2004-07-01

    Ribosomal intergenic spacer amplification (RISA) retrieval was applied to analyse the natural bacterial communities in drain waters of two uranium mill tailings - Gittersee/Coschuetz in Germany and Shiprock in the USA. About 35% of the clones from RISA library constructed for the samples of the German tailings represented a microdiverse population of Planctomycetales. The rest of the clones were affiliated with rather diverse bacterial groups including {gamma}- and {delta}-Proteobacteria, Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides (CFB), Nitrospira, Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria. 8% of the cloned sequences represented a novel bacterial lineage from the recently described division NC3. Bacterial diversity in the Shiprock mill tailings was found to be significantly lower. RISA library constructed for those samples contained only two larger groups of clones representing {beta}-proteobacterial species and one small group which was affiliated with {delta}-Proteobacteria. (authors)

  18. Dynamic Changes in Bacterial Population and Corresponding Exoenzyme Activity in Response to a Tropical Phytoplankton Bloom Chattonella marina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anit M. Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The raphidophyte Chattonella marina (Subrahmanyan Hara & Chihara bloom which causes lethal effects on marine ecosystem has been reported intermittently from Indian waters. In the present study, periodic samplings were made in a Chattonella marina bloom area, off Mahe, on 27 and 29 October and 1 November 2011 (in different phases of the bloom to assess the associated bacterial population and their exoenzyme activity. Microbial community composition of Chattonella marina bloom revealed a twentyfold increase in bacterial load over the nonbloom area. The bacterial genera, Micrococcus, Flavobacterium, Vibrio, and Pseudomonas, increased significantly during the declining phase of the bloom. An assessment of the extracellular enzyme production also showed a marked increase in percentage of bacterial strains, potent in protease production, suggesting the possible role of proteolytic bacteria in bloom crash. This study reveals the bacterial community succession during the bloom and indicates that bacteria play an important role in bloom regulation.

  19. Prophage-mediated dynamics of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' populations, the destructive bacterial pathogens of citrus huanglongbing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lijuan Zhou

    Full Text Available Prophages are highly dynamic components in the bacterial genome and play an important role in intraspecies variations. There are at least two prophages in the chromosomes of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las Floridian isolates. Las is both unculturable and the most prevalent species of Liberibacter pathogens that cause huanglongbing (HLB, a worldwide destructive disease of citrus. In this study, seven new prophage variants resulting from two hyper-variable regions were identified by screening clone libraries of infected citrus, periwinkle and psyllids. Among them, Types A and B share highly conserved sequences and localize within the two prophages, FP1 and FP2, respectively. Although Types B and C were abundant in all three libraries, Type A was much more abundant in the libraries from the Las-infected psyllids than from the Las-infected plants, and Type D was only identified in libraries from the infected host plants but not from the infected psyllids. Sequence analysis of these variants revealed that the variations may result from recombination and rearrangement events. Conventional PCR results using type-specific molecular markers indicated that A, B, C and D are the four most abundant types in Las-infected citrus and periwinkle. However, only three types, A, B and C are abundant in Las-infected psyllids. Typing results for Las-infected citrus field samples indicated that mixed populations of Las bacteria present in Floridian isolates, but only the Type D population was correlated with the blotchy mottle symptom. Extended cloning and sequencing of the Type D region revealed a third prophage/phage in the Las genome, which may derive from the recombination of FP1 and FP2. Dramatic variations in these prophage regions were also found among the global Las isolates. These results are the first to demonstrate the prophage/phage-mediated dynamics of Las populations in plant and insect hosts, and their correlation with insect transmission and

  20. Prophage-mediated dynamics of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' populations, the destructive bacterial pathogens of citrus huanglongbing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lijuan; Powell, Charles A; Li, Wenbin; Irey, Mike; Duan, Yongping

    2013-01-01

    Prophages are highly dynamic components in the bacterial genome and play an important role in intraspecies variations. There are at least two prophages in the chromosomes of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) Floridian isolates. Las is both unculturable and the most prevalent species of Liberibacter pathogens that cause huanglongbing (HLB), a worldwide destructive disease of citrus. In this study, seven new prophage variants resulting from two hyper-variable regions were identified by screening clone libraries of infected citrus, periwinkle and psyllids. Among them, Types A and B share highly conserved sequences and localize within the two prophages, FP1 and FP2, respectively. Although Types B and C were abundant in all three libraries, Type A was much more abundant in the libraries from the Las-infected psyllids than from the Las-infected plants, and Type D was only identified in libraries from the infected host plants but not from the infected psyllids. Sequence analysis of these variants revealed that the variations may result from recombination and rearrangement events. Conventional PCR results using type-specific molecular markers indicated that A, B, C and D are the four most abundant types in Las-infected citrus and periwinkle. However, only three types, A, B and C are abundant in Las-infected psyllids. Typing results for Las-infected citrus field samples indicated that mixed populations of Las bacteria present in Floridian isolates, but only the Type D population was correlated with the blotchy mottle symptom. Extended cloning and sequencing of the Type D region revealed a third prophage/phage in the Las genome, which may derive from the recombination of FP1 and FP2. Dramatic variations in these prophage regions were also found among the global Las isolates. These results are the first to demonstrate the prophage/phage-mediated dynamics of Las populations in plant and insect hosts, and their correlation with insect transmission and disease development.

  1. Oscillating dynamics of bacterial populations and their predators in response to fresh organic matter added to soil: The simulation model 'BACWAVE-WEB'

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zelenev, V.V.; Bruggen, van A.H.C.; Leffelaar, P.A.; Bloem, J.; Semenov, A.M.

    2006-01-01

    Recently, regular oscillations in bacterial populations and growth rates of bacterial feeding nematodes (BFN) were shown to occur after addition of fresh organic matter to soil. This paper presents a model developed to investigate potential mechanisms of those oscillations, and whether they were

  2. Genome-wide Selective Sweeps in Natural Bacterial Populations Revealed by Time-series Metagenomics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, Leong-Keat; Bendall, Matthew L.; Malfatti, Stephanie; Schwientek, Patrick; Tremblay, Julien; Schackwitz, Wendy; Martin, Joel; Pati, Amrita; Bushnell, Brian; Foster, Brian; Kang, Dongwan; Tringe, Susannah G.; Bertilsson, Stefan; Moran, Mary Ann; Shade, Ashley; Newton, Ryan J.; Stevens, Sarah; McMcahon, Katherine D.; Mamlstrom, Rex R.

    2014-05-12

    Multiple evolutionary models have been proposed to explain the formation of genetically and ecologically distinct bacterial groups. Time-series metagenomics enables direct observation of evolutionary processes in natural populations, and if applied over a sufficiently long time frame, this approach could capture events such as gene-specific or genome-wide selective sweeps. Direct observations of either process could help resolve how distinct groups form in natural microbial assemblages. Here, from a three-year metagenomic study of a freshwater lake, we explore changes in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies and patterns of gene gain and loss in populations of Chlorobiaceae and Methylophilaceae. SNP analyses revealed substantial genetic heterogeneity within these populations, although the degree of heterogeneity varied considerably among closely related, co-occurring Methylophilaceae populations. SNP allele frequencies, as well as the relative abundance of certain genes, changed dramatically over time in each population. Interestingly, SNP diversity was purged at nearly every genome position in one of the Chlorobiaceae populations over the course of three years, while at the same time multiple genes either swept through or were swept from this population. These patterns were consistent with a genome-wide selective sweep, a process predicted by the ecotype model? of diversification, but not previously observed in natural populations.

  3. Genome-wide Selective Sweeps in Natural Bacterial Populations Revealed by Time-series Metagenomics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, Leong-Keat; Bendall, Matthew L.; Malfatti, Stephanie; Schwientek, Patrick; Tremblay, Julien; Schackwitz, Wendy; Martin, Joel; Pati, Amrita; Bushnell, Brian; Foster, Brian; Kang, Dongwan; Tringe, Susannah G.; Bertilsson, Stefan; Moran, Mary Ann; Shade, Ashley; Newton, Ryan J.; Stevens, Sarah; McMahon, Katherine D.; Malmstrom, Rex R.

    2014-06-18

    Multiple evolutionary models have been proposed to explain the formation of genetically and ecologically distinct bacterial groups. Time-series metagenomics enables direct observation of evolutionary processes in natural populations, and if applied over a sufficiently long time frame, this approach could capture events such as gene-specific or genome-wide selective sweeps. Direct observations of either process could help resolve how distinct groups form in natural microbial assemblages. Here, from a three-year metagenomic study of a freshwater lake, we explore changes in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies and patterns of gene gain and loss in populations of Chlorobiaceae and Methylophilaceae. SNP analyses revealed substantial genetic heterogeneity within these populations, although the degree of heterogeneity varied considerably among closely related, co-occurring Methylophilaceae populations. SNP allele frequencies, as well as the relative abundance of certain genes, changed dramatically over time in each population. Interestingly, SNP diversity was purged at nearly every genome position in one of the Chlorobiaceae populations over the course of three years, while at the same time multiple genes either swept through or were swept from this population. These patterns were consistent with a genome-wide selective sweep, a process predicted by the ‘ecotype model’ of diversification, but not previously observed in natural populations.

  4. Dandruff is associated with disequilibrium in the proportion of the major bacterial and fungal populations colonizing the scalp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cécile Clavaud

    Full Text Available The bacterial and fungal communities associated with dandruff were investigated using culture-independent methodologies in the French subjects. The major bacterial and fungal species inhabiting the scalp subject's were identified by cloning and sequencing of the conserved ribosomal unit regions (16S for bacterial and 28S-ITS for fungal and were further quantified by quantitative PCR. The two main bacterial species found on the scalp surface were Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while Malassezia restricta was the main fungal inhabitant. Dandruff was correlated with a higher incidence of M. restricta and S. epidermidis and a lower incidence of P. acnes compared to the control population (p<0.05. These results suggested for the first time using molecular methods, that dandruff is linked to the balance between bacteria and fungi of the host scalp surface.

  5. Short-term wavelike dynamics of bacterial populations in response to nutrient input from fresh plant residues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zelenev, V.V.; Bruggen, van A.H.C.; Semenov, A.M.

    2005-01-01

    The objectives of the research were to investigate short-term dynamics of bacterial populations in soil after a disturbance in the form of fresh organic matter incorporation and to investigate how these dynamics are linked to those of some environmental parameters. To reach these objectives, soil

  6. Mathematical Modelling of Bacterial Populations in Bio-remediation Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasiliadou, Ioanna A.; Vayenas, Dimitris V.; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V.

    2011-09-01

    An understanding of bacterial behaviour concerns many field applications, such as the enhancement of water, wastewater and subsurface bio-remediation, the prevention of environmental pollution and the protection of human health. Numerous microorganisms have been identified to be able to degrade chemical pollutants, thus, a variety of bacteria are known that can be used in bio-remediation processes. In this study the development of mathematical models capable of describing bacterial behaviour considered in bio-augmentation plans, such as bacterial growth, consumption of nutrients, removal of pollutants, bacterial transport and attachment in porous media, is presented. The mathematical models may be used as a guide in designing and assessing the conditions under which areas contaminated with pollutants can be better remediated.

  7. Bacterial population and biodegradation potential in chronically crude oil-contaminated marine sediments are strongly linked to temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bargiela, Rafael; Mapelli, Francesca; Rojo, David; Chouaia, Bessem; Tornés, Jesús; Borin, Sara; Richter, Michael; Del Pozo, Mercedes V; Cappello, Simone; Gertler, Christoph; Genovese, María; Denaro, Renata; Martínez-Martínez, Mónica; Fodelianakis, Stilianos; Amer, Ranya A; Bigazzi, David; Han, Xifang; Chen, Jianwei; Chernikova, Tatyana N; Golyshina, Olga V; Mahjoubi, Mouna; Jaouanil, Atef; Benzha, Fatima; Magagnini, Mirko; Hussein, Emad; Al-Horani, Fuad; Cherif, Ameur; Blaghen, Mohamed; Abdel-Fattah, Yasser R; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Barbas, Coral; Malkawi, Hanan I; Golyshin, Peter N; Yakimov, Michail M; Daffonchio, Daniele; Ferrer, Manuel

    2015-06-29

    Two of the largest crude oil-polluted areas in the world are the semi-enclosed Mediterranean and Red Seas, but the effect of chronic pollution remains incompletely understood on a large scale. We compared the influence of environmental and geographical constraints and anthropogenic forces (hydrocarbon input) on bacterial communities in eight geographically separated oil-polluted sites along the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The differences in community compositions and their biodegradation potential were primarily associated (P polluted sites than in pristine ones where accidental oil spills occurred. We propose that low temperature increases bacterial richness while decreasing catabolic diversity and that chronic pollution promotes catabolic diversification. Our results further suggest that the bacterial populations in chronically polluted sites may respond more promptly in degrading petroleum after accidental oil spills.

  8. Growth strategy of heterotrophic bacterial population along successional sequence on spoil of brown coal colliery substrate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krištůfek, Václav; Elhottová, Dana; Chroňáková, Alica; Dostálková, I.; Picek, T.; Kalčík, Jiří

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 50, č. 5 (2005), s. 427-435 ISSN 0015-5632 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA526/03/1259 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Keywords : growth strategy * heterotrophic bacterial population * brown coal colliery spoil Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.918, year: 2005

  9. Red Sea Acropora hemprichii Bacterial Population Dynamics under Adverse Anthropogenic Conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Lizcano, Javier

    2012-08-01

    Reef-building corals are cornerstones of life in the oceans. Understanding their interactions with microorganisms and their surrounding physicochemical conditions is important to comprehend reef functioning and ultimately protect coral reef ecosystems. Corals associate with a complex and specific array of microorganisms that supposedly affect their physiology and therefore can significantly determine the condition of a coral ecosystem. As environmental conditions may shape bacterial diversity and ecology in the coral symbiosis, ecosystem changes might have unfavorable consequences for the holobiont, to date poorly understood. Here, we were studying microbial community changes in A. hemprichii as a consequence of simulated eutrophication and overfishing over a period of 16 weeks by using in situ caging and slow release fertilizer treatments in an undisturbed Red Sea reef (22.18ºN, 38.57ºW). We used 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to evaluate the individual and combined effects of overnutrification and fishing pressure, two of the most common local threats to coral reefs. With our data we hope to better understand bacterial population dynamics under anthropogenic influences and its role in coral resilience. Projecting further, this data will be useful to better predict the consequences of human activity on reef ecosystems.

  10. Additive genetic variation in schizophrenia risk is shared by populations of African and European descent

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Candia, T.r.; Lee, S.H.; Yang, J.; Browning, B.L.; Gejman, P. V.; Levinson, D. F.; Mowry, B. J.; Hewitt, J.K.; Goddard, M.E.; O'Donovan, M.C.; Purcell, S.M.; Posthuma, D.; Visscher, P. M.; Wray, N.R.; Keller, M. C.

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the extent to which the proportion of schizophrenia's additive genetic variation tagged by SNPs is shared by populations of European and African descent, we analyzed the largest combined African descent (AD [n = 2,142]) and European descent (ED [n = 4,990]) schizophrenia case-control

  11. Bacterial population in intestines of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) under different growth stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rungrassamee, Wanilada; Klanchui, Amornpan; Chaiyapechara, Sage; Maibunkaew, Sawarot; Tangphatsornruang, Sithichoke; Jiravanichpaisal, Pikul; Karoonuthaisiri, Nitsara

    2013-01-01

    Intestinal bacterial communities in aquaculture have been drawn to attention due to potential benefit to their hosts. To identify core intestinal bacteria in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), bacterial populations of disease-free shrimp were characterized from intestines of four developmental stages (15-day-old post larvae (PL15), 1- (J1), 2- (J2), and 3-month-old (J3) juveniles) using pyrosequencing, real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approaches. A total of 25,121 pyrosequencing reads (reading length = 442±24 bases) were obtained, which were categorized by barcode for PL15 (7,045 sequences), J1 (3,055 sequences), J2 (13,130 sequences) and J3 (1,890 sequences). Bacteria in the phyla Bacteroides, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were found in intestines at all four growth stages. There were 88, 14, 27, and 20 bacterial genera associated with the intestinal tract of PL15, J1, J2 and J3, respectively. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that Proteobacteria (class Gammaproteobacteria) was a dominant bacteria group with a relative abundance of 89% for PL15 and 99% for J1, J2 and J3. Real-time PCR assay also confirmed that Gammaproteobacteria had the highest relative abundance in intestines from all growth stages. Intestinal bacterial communities from the three juvenile stages were more similar to each other than that of the PL shrimp based on PCA analyses of pyrosequencing results and their DGGE profiles. This study provides descriptive bacterial communities associated to the black tiger shrimp intestines during these growth development stages in rearing facilities.

  12. Differences in Bacterial Population in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbum Fry after Transfer from Incubator to Pools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damir Kapetanović

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The microflora of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum fry from a commercial freshwater hatchery, along with important water quality parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH, was analysed. Samples for bacteriological analysis were taken from gill, heart and kidney, from the third to the eighth week after hatching. Pure bacterial colonies were examined macroscopically, with Gram staining and biochemical tests. For final identification, the APILAB Plus programme (bioMérieux, France was used. The bacterial populations of rainbow trout fry changed depending on age. Most of the bacterial colonies were cultured from the gills (64.4 %, rather than the heart (21.8 % and kidney (13.8 %. The bacterial community of fry gills from an incubator was composed mostly of Gram-positive bacteria such as Renibacterium salmoninarum, Lactobacillus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Corynebacterium aquaticum. After the transfer of fry from incubator into the pools the Gram-negative bacteria increased in number and became the dominant microflora of rainbow trout fry and comprised more than 95 % of its bacterial flora. Flavibacterium, Acinetobacter and Yersinia were the predominant Gram-negative genera in fry in the incubator, whereas Aeromonas and Pseudomonas were the main isolates from rainbow trout fry until the end of the experiment.

  13. Temporal relationships exist between cecum, ileum and litter bacterial microbiomes in a commercial turkey flock, and subtherapeutic penicillin treatment impacts ileum bacterial community establishment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica L Danzeisen

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Gut health is paramount for commercial poultry production, and improved methods to assess gut health are critically needed to better understand how the avian gastrointestinal tract matures over time. One important aspect of gut health is the totality of bacterial populations inhabiting different sites of the avian gastrointestinal tract, and associations of these populations with the poultry farm environment, since these bacteria are thought to drive metabolism and prime the developing host immune system. In this study, a single flock of commercial turkeys was followed over the course of twelve weeks to examine bacterial microbiome inhabiting the ceca, ileum, and corresponding poultry litter. Furthermore, the effects of low-dose, growth-promoting penicillin treatment (50 g/ton in feed on the ileum bacterial microbiome were also examined during the early brood period. The cecum and ileum bacterial communities of turkeys were distinct, yet shifted in parallel to one another over time during bird maturation. Corresponding poultry litter was also distinct yet more closely represented the ileal bacterial populations than cecal bacterial populations, and also changed parallel to ileum bacterial populations over time. Penicillin applied at low dose in feed significantly enhanced early weight gain in commercial poults, and this correlated with predictable shifts in the ileum bacterial populations in control versus treatment groups. Overall, this study identified the dynamics of the turkey gastrointestinal microbiome during development, correlations between bacterial populations in the gastrointestinal tract and the litter environment, and the impact of low-dose penicillin on modulation of bacterial communities in the ileum. Such modulations provide a target for alternatives to low-dose antibiotics.

  14. A bacterial population analysis of granular sludge from an anaerobic digester treating a maize-processing waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howgrave-Graham, A.R.; Wallis, F.M. (Natal Univ., Pietermaritzburg (ZA). Dept. of Microbiology and Plant Pathology); Steyn, P.L. (Pretoria Univ. (South Africa))

    1991-01-01

    Microbial population studies were conducted on a dense granular sludge, with excellent settling, thickening and nutrient removal properties, from a South African clarigester treating effluent from a factory producing glucose and other carbohydrates from maize. The bacterial population comprised a heterogeneous group including acetogens, enterobacteria, sulphate-reducers, spirochaetes, heterofermentative lactobacilli and methanogens. The presence of these bacteria and lack of propionic acid and butyric acid bacteria suggests that the microbial activity of this anaerobic digester involved acetate and lactate metabolism rather than propionate or butyrate catabolism as a source of precursors for methane production. (author).

  15. Potato Bacterial Wilt Management in the Central Highlands of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    management measures of potato wilt, late blight and viruses. The result ... symptom less carriers of the pathogen (Rueda,. 1990 .... diffuse light store (DLS) based on cost sharing. Bacterial wilt ..... nitrogen from the air which increases the availability of the element to the plant and ..... Bacterial wilt disease in Asia and South.

  16. Detrimental effects of commercial zinc oxide and silver nanomaterials on bacterial populations and performance of wastewater systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mboyi, Anza-vhudziki; Kamika, Ilunga; Momba, MaggyN. B.

    2017-08-01

    The widespread use of commercial nanomaterials (NMs) in consumer products has raised environmental concerns as they can enter and affect the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plants. In this study the effect of various concentrations of zinc oxide NMs (nZnO) and silver NMs (nAg) on the selected wastewater bacterial species (Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Pseudomonas putida) was ascertained at different pH levels (pH 2, 7 and 10). Lethal concentrations (LC) of NMs and parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) were taken into consideration to assess the performance of a wastewater batch reactor. Bacterial isolates were susceptible to varying concentrations of both nZnO and nAg at pH 2, 7 and 10. It was found that a change in pH did not significantly affect the toxicity of test NMs towards target bacterial isolates. All bacterial species were significantly inhibited (p 0.05) in COD removal in the presence of increasing concentrations of NMs, which resulted in increasing releases of COD. Noticeably, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the decrease in DO uptake in the presence of increasing NM concentrations for all bacterial isolates. The toxic effects of the target NMs on bacterial populations in wastewater may negatively impact the performance of biological treatment processes and may thus affect the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in producing effluent of high quality.

  17. Similar genetic architecture with shared and unique quantitative trait loci for bacterial cold water disease resistance in two rainbow trout breeding populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) causes significant mortality and economic losses in salmonid aquaculture. In previous studies, we identified moderate-large effect QTL for BCWD resistance in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). However, the recent availability of a 57K SNP array and a genome phys...

  18. Human glutaminyl cyclase and bacterial zinc aminopeptidase share a common fold and active site

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Misquitta Stephanie A

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Glutaminyl cyclase (QC forms the pyroglutamyl residue at the amino terminus of numerous secretory peptides and proteins. We previously proposed the mammalian QC has some features in common with zinc aminopeptidases. We now have generated a structural model for human QC based on the aminopeptidase fold (pdb code 1AMP and mutated the apparent active site residues to assess their role in QC catalysis. Results The structural model proposed here for human QC, deposited in the protein databank as 1MOI, is supported by a variety of fold prediction programs, by the circular dichroism spectrum, and by the presence of the disulfide. Mutagenesis of the six active site residues present in both 1AMP and QC reveal essential roles for the two histidines (140 and 330, QC numbering and the two glutamates (201 and 202, while the two aspartates (159 and 248 appear to play no catalytic role. ICP-MS analysis shows less than stoichiometric zinc (0.3:1 in the purified enzyme. Conclusions We conclude that human pituitary glutaminyl cyclase and bacterial zinc aminopeptidase share a common fold and active site residues. In contrast to the aminopeptidase, however, QC does not appear to require zinc for enzymatic activity.

  19. The effect of wheat prebiotics on the gut bacterial population and iron status of iron deficient broiler chickens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tako, Elad; Glahn, Raymond P; Knez, Marija; Stangoulis, James Cr

    2014-06-13

    Currently, there is a lot of interest in improving gut health, and consequently increasing Fe absorption, by managing the colonic microbial population. This is traditionally done by the consumption of probiotics, live microbial food supplements. However, an alternative, and often very effective approach, is the consumption of food ingredients known as prebiotics. Fructans and arabinoxylans are naturally occurring non-digestible oligosaccharides in wheat that exhibit prebiotic properties and may enhance intestinal iron (Fe) absorption. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of prebiotics from wheat on Fe bioavailability in vitro (Caco-2 cells) and in vivo (broiler chickens, Gallus gallus). In the current study, the effect of intra-amniotic administration of wheat samples extracts at 17 d of embryonic incubation on the Fe status and possible changes in the bacterial population in intestinal content of broiler hatchlings were investigated. A group of 144 eggs were injected with the specified solution (1 ml per egg) into the amniotic fluid. Immediately after hatch (21 d) and from each treatment group, 10 chicks were euthanized and their small intestine, liver and cecum were removed for relative mRNA abundance of intestinal Fe related transporters, relative liver ferritin amounts and bacterial analysis of cecal content, respectively. The in vivo results are in agreement with the in vitro observations, showing no differences in the hatchling Fe status between the treatment groups, as Fe bioavailability was not increased in vitro and no significant differences were measured in the intestinal expression of DMT1, Ferroportin and DcytB in vivo. However, there was significant variation in relative amounts of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the intestinal content between the treatments groups, with generally more bifidobacteria being produced with increased prebiotic content. In this study we showed that prebiotics naturally found in wheat grains/bread products

  20. Population Dynamics of Patients with Bacterial Resistance in Hospital Environment

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    Leilei Qu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available During the past decades, the increase of antibiotic resistance has become a major concern worldwide. The researchers found that superbugs with new type of resistance genes (NDM-1 have two aspects of transmission characteristics; the first is that the antibiotic resistance genes can horizontally transfer among bacteria, and the other is that the superbugs can spread between humans through direct contact. Based on these two transmission mechanisms, we study the dynamics of population in hospital environment where superbugs exist. In this paper, we build three mathematic models to illustrate the dynamics of patients with bacterial resistance in hospital environment. The models are analyzed using stability theory of differential equations. Positive equilibrium points of the system are investigated and their stability analysis is carried out. Moreover, the numerical simulation of the proposed model is also performed which supports the theoretical findings.

  1. Bacterial population in intestines of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon under different growth stages.

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    Wanilada Rungrassamee

    Full Text Available Intestinal bacterial communities in aquaculture have been drawn to attention due to potential benefit to their hosts. To identify core intestinal bacteria in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon, bacterial populations of disease-free shrimp were characterized from intestines of four developmental stages (15-day-old post larvae (PL15, 1- (J1, 2- (J2, and 3-month-old (J3 juveniles using pyrosequencing, real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE approaches. A total of 25,121 pyrosequencing reads (reading length = 442±24 bases were obtained, which were categorized by barcode for PL15 (7,045 sequences, J1 (3,055 sequences, J2 (13,130 sequences and J3 (1,890 sequences. Bacteria in the phyla Bacteroides, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were found in intestines at all four growth stages. There were 88, 14, 27, and 20 bacterial genera associated with the intestinal tract of PL15, J1, J2 and J3, respectively. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that Proteobacteria (class Gammaproteobacteria was a dominant bacteria group with a relative abundance of 89% for PL15 and 99% for J1, J2 and J3. Real-time PCR assay also confirmed that Gammaproteobacteria had the highest relative abundance in intestines from all growth stages. Intestinal bacterial communities from the three juvenile stages were more similar to each other than that of the PL shrimp based on PCA analyses of pyrosequencing results and their DGGE profiles. This study provides descriptive bacterial communities associated to the black tiger shrimp intestines during these growth development stages in rearing facilities.

  2. Structure and Origin of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni Populations Causing Bacterial Spot of Stone Fruit Trees in Western Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boudon, Sylvain; Manceau, Charles; Nottéghem, Jean-Loup

    2005-09-01

    ABSTRACT Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, the causal agent of bacterial spot on stone fruit, was found in 1995 in several orchards in southeastern France. We studied population genetics of this emerging pathogen in comparison with populations from the United States, where the disease was first described, and from Italy, where the disease has occurred since 1920. Four housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, efp, and glnA) and the intergenic transcribed spacer region were sequenced from a total of 3.9 kb of sequences, and fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) analysis was performed. A collection of 64 X. arboricola pv. pruni strains, including 23 strains from France, was analyzed. The X. arboricola pv. pruni population had a low diversity because no sequence polymorphisms were observed. Population diversity revealed by FAFLP was lower for the West European population than for the American population. The same bacterial genotype was detected from five countries on three continents, a geographic distribution that can be explained by human-aided migration of bacteria. Our data support the hypothesis that the pathogen originated in the United States and subsequently has been disseminated to other stone-fruit-growing regions of the world. In France, emergence of this disease was due to a recent introduction of the most prevalent genotype of the bacterium found worldwide.

  3. Selective labelling and eradication of antibiotic-tolerant bacterial populations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chua, Song Lin; Yam, Joey Kuok Hoong; Hao, Piliang; Adav, Sunil S.; Salido, May Margarette; Liu, Yang; Givskov, Michael; Sze, Siu Kwan; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Yang, Liang

    2016-01-01

    Drug resistance and tolerance greatly diminish the therapeutic potential of antibiotics against pathogens. Antibiotic tolerance by bacterial biofilms often leads to persistent infections, but its mechanisms are unclear. Here we use a proteomics approach, pulsed stable isotope labelling with amino acids (pulsed-SILAC), to quantify newly expressed proteins in colistin-tolerant subpopulations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (colistin is a ‘last-resort' antibiotic against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens). Migration is essential for the formation of colistin-tolerant biofilm subpopulations, with colistin-tolerant cells using type IV pili to migrate onto the top of the colistin-killed biofilm. The colistin-tolerant cells employ quorum sensing (QS) to initiate the formation of new colistin-tolerant subpopulations, highlighting multicellular behaviour in antibiotic tolerance development. The macrolide erythromycin, which has been previously shown to inhibit the motility and QS of P. aeruginosa, boosts biofilm eradication by colistin. Our work provides insights on the mechanisms underlying the formation of antibiotic-tolerant populations in bacterial biofilms and indicates research avenues for designing more efficient treatments against biofilm-associated infections. PMID:26892159

  4. Selective labelling and eradication of antibiotic-tolerant bacterial populations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chua, Song Lin; Yam, Joey Kuok Hoong; Hao, Piliang; Adav, Sunil S; Salido, May Margarette; Liu, Yang; Givskov, Michael; Sze, Siu Kwan; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Yang, Liang

    2016-02-19

    Drug resistance and tolerance greatly diminish the therapeutic potential of antibiotics against pathogens. Antibiotic tolerance by bacterial biofilms often leads to persistent infections, but its mechanisms are unclear. Here we use a proteomics approach, pulsed stable isotope labelling with amino acids (pulsed-SILAC), to quantify newly expressed proteins in colistin-tolerant subpopulations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (colistin is a 'last-resort' antibiotic against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens). Migration is essential for the formation of colistin-tolerant biofilm subpopulations, with colistin-tolerant cells using type IV pili to migrate onto the top of the colistin-killed biofilm. The colistin-tolerant cells employ quorum sensing (QS) to initiate the formation of new colistin-tolerant subpopulations, highlighting multicellular behaviour in antibiotic tolerance development. The macrolide erythromycin, which has been previously shown to inhibit the motility and QS of P. aeruginosa, boosts biofilm eradication by colistin. Our work provides insights on the mechanisms underlying the formation of antibiotic-tolerant populations in bacterial biofilms and indicates research avenues for designing more efficient treatments against biofilm-associated infections.

  5. Stable Regulation of Cell Cycle Events in Mycobacteria: Insights From Inherently Heterogeneous Bacterial Populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logsdon, Michelle M; Aldridge, Bree B

    2018-01-01

    Model bacteria, such as E. coli and B. subtilis , tightly regulate cell cycle progression to achieve consistent cell size distributions and replication dynamics. Many of the hallmark features of these model bacteria, including lateral cell wall elongation and symmetric growth and division, do not occur in mycobacteria. Instead, mycobacterial growth is characterized by asymmetric polar growth and division. This innate asymmetry creates unequal birth sizes and growth rates for daughter cells with each division, generating a phenotypically heterogeneous population. Although the asymmetric growth patterns of mycobacteria lead to a larger variation in birth size than typically seen in model bacterial populations, the cell size distribution is stable over time. Here, we review the cellular mechanisms of growth, division, and cell cycle progression in mycobacteria in the face of asymmetry and inherent heterogeneity. These processes coalesce to control cell size. Although Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) utilize a novel model of cell size control, they are similar to previously studied bacteria in that initiation of DNA replication is a key checkpoint for cell division. We compare the regulation of DNA replication initiation and strategies used for cell size homeostasis in mycobacteria and model bacteria. Finally, we review the importance of cellular organization and chromosome segregation relating to the physiology of mycobacteria and consider how new frameworks could be applied across the wide spectrum of bacterial diversity.

  6. Acidic Conditions in the NHE2-/- Mouse Intestine Result in an Altered Mucosa-Associated Bacterial Population with Changes in Mucus Oligosaccharides

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    Melinda A. Engevik

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The mechanisms bacteria use to proliferate and alter the normal bacterial composition remain unknown. The ability to link changes in the intestinal micro-environment, such as ion composition and pH, to bacterial proliferation is clinically advantageous for diseases that involve an altered gut microbiota, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, obesity and diabetes. In human and mouse intestine, the apical Na+/H+ exchangers NHE2 and NHE3 affect luminal Na+, water, and pH. Loss of NHE2 results in acidic luminal pH. Since acid resistance systems in gram-positive bacteria are well documented, we hypothesize that gram-positive bacteria would increase in representation in the acidic NHE2-/- intestine. Methods: Intestinal ion composition was measured by fame photometry and chloridometry and pH measured electrochemically. DNA extracted from intestinal flushes or from mucosal scrapings was analyzed by qRT-PCR to examine luminal and mucosa-associated bacterial populations. Epithelial mucus oligosaccharide patterns were examined by histology with FIT-C labeled lectins. Results: Although total luminal and mucosa-associated bacteria were unchanged in NHE2-/- intestine, gram-positive bacterial phyla were increased in the mucosa-associated bacterial population in a region-specific manner. The genera Clostridium and Lactobacillus were increased in the cecum and colon which corresponded to changes in NHE2-/- mucus oligosaccharide composition of mannose, N-acetyglucosamine, N-acetygalactosamine and galactose. Conclusions: Together these data indicate that changes in ion transport induce region-specific bacterial changes, which alter host mucus oligosaccharide patterns. These host-bacterial interactions provide a possible mechanism of niche-development and shed insight on how certain groups proliferate in changing environments and maintain their proliferation by altering the host.

  7. Bacterial meningitis in diabetes patients: a population-based prospective study

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Veen, Kiril E. B.; Brouwer, Matthijs C.; van der Ende, Arie; van de Beek, Diederik

    2016-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased infection rates. We studied clinical features and outcome of community-acquired bacterial meningitis in diabetes patients. Patients were selected from a nationwide, prospective cohort on community-acquired bacterial meningitis performed from March 2006 to October 2014. Data on patient history, symptoms and signs on admission, treatment, and outcome were prospectively collected. A total of 183 of 1447 episodes (13%) occurred in diabetes patients. The incidence of bacterial meningitis in diabetes patients was 3.15 per 100,000 patients per year and the risk of acquiring bacterial meningitis was 2.2-fold higher for diabetes patients. S. pneumoniae was the causative organism in 139 of 183 episodes (76%) and L. monocytogenes in 11 of 183 episodes (6%). Outcome was unfavourable in 82 of 183 episodes (45%) and in 43 of 183 episodes (23%) the patient died. Diabetes was associated with death with an odds ratio of 1.63 (95% CI 1.12–2.37, P = 0.011), which remained after adjusting for known predictors of death in a multivariable analysis (OR 1.98 [95% CI 1.13–3.48], P = 0.017). In conclusion, diabetes is associated with a 2-fold higher risk of acquiring bacterial meningitis. Diabetes is a strong independent risk factor for death in community-acquired adult bacterial meningitis. PMID:27845429

  8. Of the Phrensy: an update on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis in the pediatric population [version 1; referees: 3 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Janowski

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the past century, advances in antibiotics and vaccination have dramatically altered the incidence and clinical outcomes of bacterial meningitis. We review the shifting epidemiology of meningitis in children, including after the implementation of vaccines that target common meningitic pathogens and the introduction of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis offered to mothers colonized with Streptococcus agalactiae. We also discuss what is currently known about the pathogenesis of meningitis. Recent studies of the human microbiome have illustrated dynamic relationships of bacterial and viral populations with the host, which may potentiate the risk of bacterial meningitis.

  9. Plant-associated bacterial populations on native and invasive plant species: comparisons between 2 freshwater environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olapade, Ola A; Pung, Kayleigh

    2012-06-01

    Plant-microbial interactions have been well studied because of the ecological importance of such relationships in aquatic systems. However, general knowledge regarding the composition of these biofilm communities is still evolving, partly as a result of several confounding factors that are attributable to plant host properties and to hydrodynamic conditions in aquatic environments. In this study, the occurrences of various bacterial phylogenetic taxa on 2 native plants, i.e., mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.) and cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum Bartram), and on an invasive species, i.e., garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande), were quantitatively examined using nucleic acid staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The plants were incubated in triplicates for about a week within the Kalamazoo River and Pierce Cedar Creek as well as in microcosms. The bacterial groups targeted for enumeration are known to globally occur in relatively high abundance and are also ubiquitously distributed in freshwater environments. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of the bacterioplankton assemblages revealed that the majority of bacterial cells that hybridized with the different probes were similar between the 2 sites. In contrast, the plant-associated populations while similar on the 3 plants incubated in Kalamazoo River, their representations were highest on the 2 native plants relative to the invasive species in Pierce Cedar Creek. Overall, our results further suggested that epiphytic bacterial assemblages are probably under the influences of and probably subsequently respond to multiple variables and conditions in aquatic milieus.

  10. Bacterial population and biodegradation potential in chronically crude oil-contaminated marine sediments are strongly linked to temperature

    KAUST Repository

    Bargiela, Rafael

    2015-06-29

    Two of the largest crude oil-polluted areas in the world are the semi-enclosed Mediterranean and Red Seas, but the effect of chronic pollution remains incompletely understood on a large scale. We compared the influence of environmental and geographical constraints and anthropogenic forces (hydrocarbon input) on bacterial communities in eight geographically separated oil-polluted sites along the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The differences in community compositions and their biodegradation potential were primarily associated (P < 0.05) with both temperature and chemical diversity. Furthermore, we observed a link between temperature and chemical and biological diversity that was stronger in chronically polluted sites than in pristine ones where accidental oil spills occurred. We propose that low temperature increases bacterial richness while decreasing catabolic diversity and that chronic pollution promotes catabolic diversification. Our results further suggest that the bacterial populations in chronically polluted sites may respond more promptly in degrading petroleum after accidental oil spills.

  11. Bacterial population and biodegradation potential in chronically crude oil-contaminated marine sediments are strongly linked to temperature

    KAUST Repository

    Bargiela, Rafael; Mapelli, Francesca; Rojo, David; Chouaia, Bessem; Torné s, Jesú s; Borin, Sara; Richter, Michael; Del Pozo, Mercedes V.; Cappello, Simone; Gertler, Christoph; Genovese, Marí a; Denaro, Renata; Martí nez-Martí nez, Mó nica; Fodelianakis, Stilianos; Amer, Ranya A.; Bigazzi, David; Han, Xifang; Chen, Jianwei; Chernikova, Tatyana N.; Golyshina, Olga V.; Mahjoubi, Mouna; Jaouanil, Atef; Benzha, Fatima; Magagnini, Mirko; Hussein, Emad; Al-Horani, Fuad; Cherif, Ameur; Blaghen, Mohamed; Abdel-Fattah, Yasser R.; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Barbas, Coral; Malkawi, Hanan I.; Golyshin, Peter N.; Yakimov, Michail M.; Daffonchio, Daniele; Ferrer, Manuel

    2015-01-01

    Two of the largest crude oil-polluted areas in the world are the semi-enclosed Mediterranean and Red Seas, but the effect of chronic pollution remains incompletely understood on a large scale. We compared the influence of environmental and geographical constraints and anthropogenic forces (hydrocarbon input) on bacterial communities in eight geographically separated oil-polluted sites along the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The differences in community compositions and their biodegradation potential were primarily associated (P < 0.05) with both temperature and chemical diversity. Furthermore, we observed a link between temperature and chemical and biological diversity that was stronger in chronically polluted sites than in pristine ones where accidental oil spills occurred. We propose that low temperature increases bacterial richness while decreasing catabolic diversity and that chronic pollution promotes catabolic diversification. Our results further suggest that the bacterial populations in chronically polluted sites may respond more promptly in degrading petroleum after accidental oil spills.

  12. EFFECT OF REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS CONTAMINATION ON BACTERIAL POPULATION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL SOIL

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    Adewale Sogo Olalemi

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available An investigation into the effect of refined petroleum products contamination on bacterial population and physicochemical characteristics of cultivated agricultural soil was carried out. The soil samples obtained from the Teaching and Research Farm, Obakekere, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State were contaminated with varying volumes of petrol, diesel and kerosene. The results revealed higher bacterial populations in uncontaminated soils than contaminated soils. The counts of bacteria ranged from 3.0 × 105 to 5.0 × 105 cfu/g in uncontaminated soils and 1.0 × 105 to 3.0 × 105 cfu/g in contaminated soils. The isolated bacteria were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Flavobacterium lutescens, Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium variabilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens. The contamination had no significant effect on pH, potassium, sodium, organic carbon and nitrogen content of the soils, while the moisture, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium content of the contaminated soils were significantly different (P < 0.05 compared with the uncontaminated soils. The ability of Bacillus subtilis, Flavobacterium lutescens, Micrococcus luteus, and Pseudomonas fluorescens to utilize the refined petroleum products suggest that these bacteria had potential to bioremediate petroleum contaminated soils.

  13. Abraham's children in the genome era: major Jewish diaspora populations comprise distinct genetic clusters with shared Middle Eastern Ancestry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atzmon, Gil; Hao, Li; Pe'er, Itsik; Velez, Christopher; Pearlman, Alexander; Palamara, Pier Francesco; Morrow, Bernice; Friedman, Eitan; Oddoux, Carole; Burns, Edward; Ostrer, Harry

    2010-06-11

    For more than a century, Jews and non-Jews alike have tried to define the relatedness of contemporary Jewish people. Previous genetic studies of blood group and serum markers suggested that Jewish groups had Middle Eastern origin with greater genetic similarity between paired Jewish populations. However, these and successor studies of monoallelic Y chromosomal and mitochondrial genetic markers did not resolve the issues of within and between-group Jewish genetic identity. Here, genome-wide analysis of seven Jewish groups (Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, Italian, Turkish, Greek, and Ashkenazi) and comparison with non-Jewish groups demonstrated distinctive Jewish population clusters, each with shared Middle Eastern ancestry, proximity to contemporary Middle Eastern populations, and variable degrees of European and North African admixture. Two major groups were identified by principal component, phylogenetic, and identity by descent (IBD) analysis: Middle Eastern Jews and European/Syrian Jews. The IBD segment sharing and the proximity of European Jews to each other and to southern European populations suggested similar origins for European Jewry and refuted large-scale genetic contributions of Central and Eastern European and Slavic populations to the formation of Ashkenazi Jewry. Rapid decay of IBD in Ashkenazi Jewish genomes was consistent with a severe bottleneck followed by large expansion, such as occurred with the so-called demographic miracle of population expansion from 50,000 people at the beginning of the 15th century to 5,000,000 people at the beginning of the 19th century. Thus, this study demonstrates that European/Syrian and Middle Eastern Jews represent a series of geographical isolates or clusters woven together by shared IBD genetic threads.

  14. BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM

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    Payel Sarkar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons like benzen e, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene, together known as BTEX, has almost the same chemical structure. These aromatic hydrocarbons are released as pollutants in th e environment. This work was taken up to develop a solvent tolerant bacterial cons ortium that could degrade BTEX compounds as they all share a common chemical structure. We have isolated almost 60 different types of bacterial strains from different petroleum contaminated sites. Of these 60 bacterial strains almost 20 microorganisms were screene d on the basis of capability to tolerate high concentration of BTEX. Ten differe nt consortia were prepared and the compatibility of the bacterial strains within the consortia was checked by gram staining and BTEX tolerance level. Four successful mi crobial consortia were selected in which all the bacterial strains concomitantly grew in presence of high concentration of BTEX (10% of toluene, 10% of benzene 5% ethyl benzene and 1% xylene. Consortium #2 showed the highest growth rate in pr esence of BTEX. Degradation of BTEX by consortium #2 was monitored for 5 days by gradual decrease in the volume of the solvents. The maximum reduction observed wa s 85% in 5 days. Gas chromatography results also reveal that could completely degrade benzene and ethyl benzene within 48 hours. Almost 90% degradation of toluene and xylene in 48 hours was exhibited by consortium #2. It could also tolerate and degrade many industrial solvents such as chloroform, DMSO, acetonitrile having a wide range of log P values (0.03–3.1. Degradation of aromatic hydrocarbon like BTEX by a solvent tolerant bacterial consortium is greatly significant as it could degrade high concentration of pollutants compared to a bacterium and also reduces the time span of degradation.

  15. Dinâmica das populações bacterianas em solos de Cerrados Dynamic of bacterial populations from Cerrado soils

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    João Carlos Pereira

    1999-05-01

    Full Text Available Nos ambientes tropicais, os Cerrados destacam-se pelo seu potencial agrícola. Apesar das funções dos microrganismos no crescimento das plantas e na produtividade das culturas, existem poucas informações dos efeitos resultantes do manejo do solo, na ecologia microbiana. Neste estudo, foram avaliados os efeitos das condições ambientais e das práticas agrícolas sobre as populações bacterianas. As densidades das populações em solos com vegetação nativa foram variáveis e diferenciadas. Em Sete Lagoas, MG, as populações de actinomicetos variaram de 1,7 a 50 X 10(4 UFC/g de solo seco, enquanto em Planaltina as densidades das populações bacterianas em solo com primeiro e segundo ano de cultivo de soja foram semelhantes, mas superiores ao solo com vegetação nativa. A utilização agrícola deste solo não resultou em desequilíbrios acentuados das populações de actinomicetos provenientes de esporos e hifas. As relações esporos/hifas variaram de 1,1 a 5,8. Na rizosfera da soja, os coeficientes de correlação entre as populações de actinomicetos com as demais populações bacterianas foram significativos. Os resultados evidenciam que as práticas agrícolas utilizadas na introdução da cultura da soja em solos de Cerrados pode influenciar o equilíbrio das populações na comunidade bacteriana.Among tropical environments, Cerrados stand out because of its agriculture potencial. Although microorganisms play an important role on soil sustainability and crop production, few information is available on the effects of soil management systems on Cerrado's microbial ecology. In this study the effects of environmental conditions and soil management practices on bacterial populations were evaluated. Bacterial population densities in soil under native vegetation were variable and diferentiated. Actinomycetes densities varied from 1.7 to 50 X 10(4 CFU/g dry soil in Sete Lagoas region, Brazil, whereas bacterial populations in both the

  16. A CASE STUDY OF NONPOINT SOURCES BACTERIAL CONTRIBUTION TO RURAL SURFACE WATER

    Science.gov (United States)

    The presentation will address several bacterial issues affecting the Turkey Creek (TC) watershed, in north central Ok. Our results from seasonal stream Escherichia coli (E. coli) analysis, bacterial source tracking, and antibiotic resistance will be shared and discussed in relat...

  17. Stable Regulation of Cell Cycle Events in Mycobacteria: Insights From Inherently Heterogeneous Bacterial Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle M. Logsdon

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Model bacteria, such as E. coli and B. subtilis, tightly regulate cell cycle progression to achieve consistent cell size distributions and replication dynamics. Many of the hallmark features of these model bacteria, including lateral cell wall elongation and symmetric growth and division, do not occur in mycobacteria. Instead, mycobacterial growth is characterized by asymmetric polar growth and division. This innate asymmetry creates unequal birth sizes and growth rates for daughter cells with each division, generating a phenotypically heterogeneous population. Although the asymmetric growth patterns of mycobacteria lead to a larger variation in birth size than typically seen in model bacterial populations, the cell size distribution is stable over time. Here, we review the cellular mechanisms of growth, division, and cell cycle progression in mycobacteria in the face of asymmetry and inherent heterogeneity. These processes coalesce to control cell size. Although Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG utilize a novel model of cell size control, they are similar to previously studied bacteria in that initiation of DNA replication is a key checkpoint for cell division. We compare the regulation of DNA replication initiation and strategies used for cell size homeostasis in mycobacteria and model bacteria. Finally, we review the importance of cellular organization and chromosome segregation relating to the physiology of mycobacteria and consider how new frameworks could be applied across the wide spectrum of bacterial diversity.

  18. Structure of bacterial lipopolysaccharides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caroff, Martine; Karibian, Doris

    2003-11-14

    Bacterial lipopolysaccharides are the major components of the outer surface of Gram-negative bacteria They are often of interest in medicine for their immunomodulatory properties. In small amounts they can be beneficial, but in larger amounts they may cause endotoxic shock. Although they share a common architecture, their structural details exert a strong influence on their activity. These molecules comprise: a lipid moiety, called lipid A, which is considered to be the endotoxic component, a glycosidic part consisting of a core of approximately 10 monosaccharides and, in "smooth-type" lipopolysaccharides, a third region, named O-chain, consisting of repetitive subunits of one to eight monosaccharides responsible for much of the immunospecificity of the bacterial cell.

  19. How do mean division shares affect growth and development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shao Liang Frank

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The Gini coefficient is widely used in academia to discuss how income inequality affects development and growth. However, different Lorenz curves may provide different development and growth outcomes while still leading to the same Gini coefficient. This paper studies the development effects of “mean division shares”, i.e., the share of income (mean income share held by people whose household disposable income per capita is below the mean income and the share of the population (mean population share with this income, using panel data. Our analysis explores how this income share and population share impact development and growth. It shows that the income and population shares affect growth in significantly different ways and that an analysis of these metrics provides substantial value compared to that of the Gini coefficient.

  20. Differential sharing and distinct co-occurrence networks among spatially close bacterial microbiota of bark, mosses and lichens‬‬.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aschenbrenner, Ines Aline; Cernava, Tomislav; Erlacher, Armin; Berg, Gabriele; Grube, Martin

    2017-05-01

    Knowledge of bacterial community host-specificity has increased greatly in recent years. However, the intermicrobiome relationships of unrelated but spatially close organisms remain little understood. Trunks of trees covered by epiphytes represent complex habitats with a mosaic of ecological niches. In this context, we investigated the structure, diversity and interactions of microbiota associated with lichens, mosses and the bare tree bark. Comparative analysis revealed significant differences in the habitat-associated community structures. Corresponding co-occurrence analysis indicated that the lichen microbial network is less complex and less densely interconnected than the moss- and bark-associated networks. Several potential generalists and specialists were identified for the selected habitats. Generalists belonged mainly to Proteobacteria, with Sphingomonas as the most abundant genus. The generalists comprise microorganisms with generally beneficial features, such as nitrogen fixation or other supporting functions, according to a metagenomic analysis. We argue that beneficial strains shared among hosts contribute to ecological stability of the host biocoenoses. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Measurement of Behavioral Evolution in Bacterial Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Robert

    2013-03-01

    A curious aspect of bacterial behavior under stress is the induction of filamentation: the anomalous growth of certain bacteria in which cells continue to elongate but do not divide into progeny. We show that E.coli under the influence of the genotoxic antibiotic ciprofloxacin have robust filamentous growth, which provides individual bacteria a mesoscopic niche for evolution until resistant progeny can bud off and propagate. Hence, filamentation is a form of genomic amplification where even a single, isolated bacteria can have access to multiple genomes. We propose a model that predicts that the first arrival time of the normal sized progeny should follow a Gompertz distribution with the mean first arrival time proportional to the elongation rate of filament. These predictions agree with our experimental measurements. Finally, we suggest bacterial filament growth and budding has many similarities to tumor growth and metastasis and can serve as a simpler model to study those complicated processes. Sponsored by the NCI/NIH Physical Sciences Oncology Centers

  2. Bacterial flora of sturgeon fingerling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arani, A.S.; Mosahab, R.

    2008-01-01

    The study on microbial populations is a suitable tool to understand and apply control methods to improve the sanitary level of production in fish breeding and rearing centers, ensure health of sturgeon fingerlings at the time of their release into the rivers and also in the conversation and restoration of these valuable stocks in the Caspian Sea, Iran. A laboratory research based on Austin methods (Austin, B., Austin, D.A. 1993) was conducted for bacterial study on 3 sturgeon species naming A. persicus, A. stellatus and A. nudiventris during different growth stages. Bacterial flora of Acinetobacter, Moraxella, Aeromonas, Vibrio, Edwardsiella, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Yersinia, Pseudomonas and Plesiomonas were determined. The factors which may induce changes in bacterial populations during different stages of fife are the followings: quality of water in rearing ponds, different conditions for growth stages, suitable time for colonization of bacterial flora in rearing pond, water temperature increase in fingerlings size and feeding condition. (author)

  3. Effect of buctril super (Bromoxynil herbicide on soil microbial biomass and bacterial population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zafar Abbas

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of bromoxynil herbicide on soil microorganisms, with the hypothesis that this herbicide caused suppression in microbial activity and biomass by exerting toxic effect on them. Nine sites of Punjab province (Pakistan those had been exposed to bromoxynil herbicide for about last ten years designated as soil 'A' were surveyed in 2011 and samples were collected and analyzed for Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC, Biomass Nitrogen (MBN, Biomass Phosphorus (MBP and bacterial population. Simultaneously, soil samples from the same areas those were not exposed to herbicide designated as soil 'B' were taken. At all the sites MBC, MBN and MBP ranged from 131 to 457, 1.22 to 13.1 and 0.59 to 3.70 µg g-1 in the contaminated soils (Soil A, which was 187 to 573, 1.70 to 14.4 and 0.72 to 4.12 µg g-1 in the soils without contamination (soil B. Bacterial population ranged from 0.67 to 1.84x10(8 and 0.87 to 2.37x10(8 cfu g-1 soil in the soils A and B, respectively. Bromoxynil residues ranged from 0.09 to 0.24 mg kg-1 at all the sites in soil A. But no residues were detected in the soil B. Due to lethal effect of bromoxynil residues on the above parameters, considerable decline in these parameters was observed in the contaminated soils. Results depicted that the herbicide had left toxic effects on soil microbial parameters, thus confirmed that continuous use of this herbicide affected the quality of soil and sustainable crop production.

  4. Petroleum-hydrocarbon utilization by native bacterial population ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Two Nigerian crude oils (Bonny light and Escravos blend) were exposed to the wastewater canal via oil impregnated membrane filters (0.45 μm diameter) for 21 days in a microcosm experiment. Bacterial petroleum-hydrocarbon utilizers were later harvested from both the millipore membrane filters and laboratory ...

  5. In vitro bacterial growth and in vivo ruminal microbiota populations associated with bloat in steers grazing wheat forage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, B R; Pinchak, W E; Anderson, R C; Hume, M E

    2006-10-01

    The role of ruminal bacteria in the frothy bloat complex common to cattle grazing winter wheat has not been previously determined. Two experiments, one in vitro and another in vivo, were designed to elucidate the effects of fresh wheat forage on bacterial growth, biofilm complexes, rumen fermentation end products, rumen bacterial diversity, and bloat potential. In Exp. 1, 6 strains of ruminal bacteria (Streptococcus bovis strain 26, Prevotella ruminicola strain 23, Eubacterium ruminantium B1C23, Ruminococcus albus SY3, Fibrobacter succinogenes ssp. S85, and Ruminococcus flavefaciens C94) were used in vitro to determine the effect of soluble plant protein from winter wheat forage on specific bacterial growth rate, biofilm complexes, VFA, and ruminal H2 and CH4 in mono or coculture with Methanobrevibacter smithii. The specific growth rate in plant protein medium containing soluble plant protein (3.27% nitrogen) was measured during a 24-h incubation at 39 degrees C in Hungate tubes under a CO2 gas phase. A monoculture of M. smithii was grown similarly, except under H2:CO2 (1:1), in a basal methanogen growth medium supplemented likewise with soluble plant protein. In Exp. 2, 6 ruminally cannulated steers grazing wheat forage were used to evaluate the influence of bloat on the production of biofilm complexes, ruminal microbial biodiversity patterns, and ruminal fluid protein fractions. In Exp. 1, cultures of R. albus (P bloated than for nonbloated steers when grazing wheat forage. The molecular analysis of the 16S rDNA showed that 2 different ruminal microbiota populations developed between bloated and nonbloated animals grazing wheat forage. Bloat in cattle grazing wheat pastures may be caused by increased production of biofilm, resulting from a diet-influenced switch in the rumen bacterial population.

  6. Impact of bioremediation treatments on the biodegradation of buried oil and predominant bacterial populations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swannell, R.P.J.; Mitchell, D.J.; Waterhouse, J.C.; Miskin, I.P.; Head, I.M.; Petch, S.; Jones, D.M.; Willis, A.; Lee, K.; Lepo, J.E.

    2000-01-01

    The feasibility of using mineral fertilizers as a bioremediation treatment for oil buried in fine sediments was tested in field trials at a site in the south-west of England. The plots were divided into three blocks of four treatments including untreated, fertilized, oiled unfertilized and oiled fertilized plots. The changes in residual hydrocarbons were monitored to study the biodegradation of Arabian Light Crude Oil which is known to have a high portion of biodegradable components. Samples were extracted at random points at intervals of 0, 42 and 101 days. The analysis process identified a range of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as a range of geochemical biomarkers. The final results suggested that the oil in the fertilized plots was more degraded than in the oiled, unfertilized control plots. Three way, factorial analysis of variance was used to analyse the data from the oiled fertilized and oiled unfertilized plots. No significant effect of treatment on the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons was observed. The results also showed that oil treatment and treatment with oil and fertilizer increased the abundance of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial population. One significant observation was that different bacterial populations were stimulated in response to oil alone and a bioremediation treatment. It was concluded that the addition of inorganic fertilizers to the oiled oxic fine sediment substantially enhanced the level of biodegradation compared to untreated oiled sediment. Bioremediation is a feasible treatment for oil spills where the oil is buried in fine sediment. 14 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs

  7. Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care: improving population health by a shared health gain approach and a shared savings contract

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Hildebrandt

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Integrated care solutions need supportive financial incentives. In this paper we describe the financial architecture and operative details of the integrated pilot Gesundes Kinzigtal.Description of integrated care case: Located in Southwest Germany, Gesundes Kinzigtal is one of the few population-based integrated care approaches in Germany, organising care across all health service sectors and indications. The system serving around half of the population of the region is run by a regional health management company (Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH in coope­ration with the physicians' network in the region (MQNK, a German health care management company with a background in medical sociology and health economics (OptiMedis AG and with two statutory health insurers (among them is the biggest health insurer in Southwest Germany: AOK Baden-Württemberg.Discussion and (preliminary conclusion: The shared savings contract between Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH and the two health insurers, providing financial incentives for managers and health care providers to realize a sub­stantial efficiency gain, could be an appropriate contractual base of Gesundes Kinzigtal's population health gain approach. This approach is based on the assumption that a more effective trans-sector organisation of Germany's health care system and increased investments in well-designed preventive programmes will lead to a reduction in  morbidity, and in particular to a reduced incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases. This, in turn, is to lead to a comparative reduction in health care cost. Although the comparative cost in the Kinzigtal region has been reduced from the onset of Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care, only future research will have to demonstrate whether - and to what extent - cost reduction may be attributed to a real population health gain.

  8. Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care: improving population health by a shared health gain approach and a shared savings contract

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Hildebrandt

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Integrated care solutions need supportive financial incentives. In this paper we describe the financial architecture and operative details of the integrated pilot 'Gesundes Kinzigtal'. Description of integrated care case: Located in Southwest Germany, 'Gesundes Kinzigtal' is one of the few population-based integrated care approaches in Germany, organising care across all health service sectors and indications. The system serving around half of the population of the region is run by a regional health management company (Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH in coope­ration with the physicians' network in the region (MQNK, a German health care management company with a background in medical sociology and health economics (OptiMedis AG and with two statutory health insurers (among them is the biggest health insurer in Southwest Germany: AOK Baden-Württemberg. Discussion and (preliminary conclusion: The shared savings contract between Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH and the two health insurers, providing financial incentives for managers and health care providers to realize a sub­stantial efficiency gain, could be an appropriate contractual base of Gesundes Kinzigtal's population health gain approach. This approach is based on the assumption that a more effective trans-sector organisation of Germany's health care system and increased investments in well-designed preventive programmes will lead to a reduction in  morbidity, and in particular to a reduced incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases. This, in turn, is to lead to a comparative reduction in health care cost. Although the comparative cost in the Kinzigtal region has been reduced from the onset of Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care, only future research will have to demonstrate whether - and to what extent - cost reduction may be attributed to a real population health gain.

  9. Comparison of fermentation of diets of variable composition and microbial populations in the rumen of sheep and Rusitec fermenters. II. Protozoa population and diversity of bacterial communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, M E; Ranilla, M J; Tejido, M L; Saro, C; Carro, M D

    2010-08-01

    Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated sheep and 8 Rusitec fermenters were used to determine the effects of dietary characteristics on microbial populations and bacterial diversity. The purpose of the study was to assess how closely fermenters can mimic the differences between diets found in vivo. The 4 experimental diets contained forage to concentrate (F:C) ratios of 70:30 (high forage; HF) or 30:70 (high concentrate; HC) with either alfalfa hay (A) or grass hay (G) as the forage. Total bacterial numbers were greater in the rumen of sheep fed HF diets compared with those fed HC diets, whereas the opposite was found in fermenters. The numbers of cellulolytic bacteria were not affected by F:C ratio in any fermentation system, but cellulolytic numbers were 2.7 and 1.8 times greater in sheep than in fermenters for HF and HC diets, respectively. Neither total bacterial nor cellulolytic numbers were affected by the type of forage in sheep or fermenters. Decreasing F:C ratio increased total protozoa and Entodiniae numbers in sheep by about 29 and 25%, respectively, but it had no effect in fermenters. Isotrichidae and Ophryoscolecinae numbers in sheep were not affected by changing F:C ratio, but both disappeared completely from fermenters fed HC diets. Total protozoa and Entodiniae numbers were greater in sheep fed A diets than in those fed G diets, whereas the opposite was found in fermenters. Results indicate that under the conditions of the present study, protozoa population in Rusitec fermenters was not representative of that in the rumen of sheep fed the same diets. In addition, protozoa numbers in fermenters were 121 and 226 times lower than those in the sheep rumen for HF and HC diets, respectively. The automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA was used to analyze the diversity of liquid- and solid-associated bacteria in both systems. A total of 170 peaks were detected in the automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis

  10. SharePoint 2010 For Dummies

    CERN Document Server

    Williams, Vanessa L

    2012-01-01

    Here's the bestselling guide on SharePoint 2010, updated to cover Office 365 SharePoint Portal Server is an essential part of the enterprise infrastructure for many businesses. The Office 365 version includes significantly enhanced cloud capabilities. This second edition of the bestselling guide to SharePoint covers getting a SharePoint site up and running, branded, populated with content, and more. It explains ongoing site management and offers plenty of advice for administrators who want to leverage SharePoint and Office 365 in various ways.Many businesses today rely on SharePoint Portal Ser

  11. Effect of antibiotics on bacterial populations: a multi-hierachical selection process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, José Luis

    2017-01-01

    Antibiotics have been widely used for a number of decades for human therapy and farming production. Since a high percentage of antibiotics are discharged from the human or animal body without degradation, this means that different habitats, from the human body to river water or soils, are polluted with antibiotics. In this situation, it is expected that the variable concentration of this type of microbial inhibitor present in different ecosystems may affect the structure and the productivity of the microbiota colonizing such habitats. This effect can occur at different levels, including changes in the overall structure of the population, selection of resistant organisms, or alterations in bacterial physiology. In this review, I discuss the available information on how the presence of antibiotics may alter the microbiota and the consequences of such alterations for human health and for the activity of microbiota from different habitats.

  12. Sharing is caring: The potential of the sharing economy to support aging in place.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Julie; Ward, Carley; Lee, Chaiwoo; D'Ambrosio, Lisa; Coughlin, Joseph

    2018-01-24

    This article explores innovative applications of sharing economy services that have the potential to support a population aging in place, especially the "oldest old," aged 85 and older, and their caregivers. A mixed-methods study conducted by the MIT AgeLab examined perceptions of and experiences with sharing economy services, ultimately finding opportunities and barriers to use. Thus, although sharing economy services have potential to support aging in place, to do so successfully will require reconstructing how older adults, family caregivers, aging service professionals, gerontology educators, and gerontology students conceptualize and deliver care to an aging population. We suggest examples for gerontology educators to integrate into their classrooms to further cultivate an appreciation among students of multiple approaches to intervention, including those that leverage sharing economy and technology-enabled platforms to support older adults and their caregivers.

  13. Bacterial profile of dentine caries and the impact of pH on bacterial population diversity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nima Kianoush

    Full Text Available Dental caries is caused by the release of organic acids from fermentative bacteria, which results in the dissolution of hydroxyapatite matrices of enamel and dentine. While low environmental pH is proposed to cause a shift in the consortium of oral bacteria, favouring the development of caries, the impact of this variable has been overlooked in microbial population studies. This study aimed to detail the zonal composition of the microbiota associated with carious dentine lesions with reference to pH. We used 454 sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region to compare microbial communities in layers ranging in pH from 4.5-7.8 from 25 teeth with advanced dentine caries. Pyrosequencing of the amplicons yielded 449,762 sequences. Nine phyla, 97 genera and 409 species were identified from the quality-filtered, de-noised and chimera-free sequences. Among the microbiota associated with dentinal caries, the most abundant taxa included Lactobacillus sp., Prevotella sp., Atopobium sp., Olsenella sp. and Actinomyces sp. We found a disparity between microbial communities localised at acidic versus neutral pH strata. Acidic conditions were associated with low diversity microbial populations, with Lactobacillus species including L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus and L. crispatus, being prominent. In comparison, the distinctive species of a more diverse flora associated with neutral pH regions of carious lesions included Alloprevotella tanerrae, Leptothrix sp., Sphingomonas sp. and Streptococcus anginosus. While certain bacteria were affected by the pH gradient, we also found that ∼ 60% of the taxa associated with caries were present across the investigated pH range, representing a substantial core. We demonstrated that some bacterial species implicated in caries progression show selective clustering with respect to pH gradient, providing a basis for specific therapeutic strategies.

  14. Disease susceptibility genes shared by primary biliary cirrhosis and Crohn's disease in the Japanese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiba, Yoshihiro; Yamazaki, Keiko; Nishida, Nao; Kawashima, Minae; Hitomi, Yuki; Nakamura, Hitomi; Komori, Atsumasa; Fuyuno, Yuta; Takahashi, Atsushi; Kawaguchi, Takaaki; Takazoe, Masakazu; Suzuki, Yasuo; Motoya, Satoshi; Matsui, Toshiyuki; Esaki, Motohiro; Matsumoto, Takayuki; Kubo, Michiaki; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Nakamura, Minoru

    2015-09-01

    We previously identified TNFSF15 as the most significant susceptibility gene at non-HLA loci for both primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and Crohn's diseases (CD) in the Japanese population. The aim of this study is to identify further disease susceptibility genes shared by PBC and CD. We selected 15 and 33 genetic variants that were significantly associated with PBC and CD, respectively, based on previously reported genome-wide association studies of the Japanese population. Next, an association study was independently performed for these genetic variants in CD (1312 CD patients and 3331 healthy controls) and PBC (1279 PBC patients and 1015 healthy controls) cohorts. Two CD susceptibility genes, ICOSLG rs2838519 and IL12B rs6556412, were also nominally associated with susceptibility to PBC (P=3.85 × 10(-2) and P=8.40 × 10(-3), respectively). Three PBC susceptibility genes, CXCR5 rs6421571, STAT4 rs7574865 and NFKB1 rs230534, were nominally associated with susceptibility to CD (P=2.82 × 10(-2), P=3.88 × 10(-2) and P=2.04 × 10(-2), respectively). The effect of ICOSLG and CXCR5 variants were concordant but the effect of STAT4, NFKB1 and IL12B variants were discordant for PBC and CD. TNFSF15 and ICOSLG-CXCR5 might constitute a shared pathogenic pathway in the development of PBC and CD in the Japanese population, whereas IL12B-STAT4-NFKB1 might constitute an opposite pathogenic pathway, reflecting the different balance between Th1 and Th17 in the two diseases.

  15. Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses of Bacterial Symbionts in Three Whitefly Species from Southeast Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skaljac, Marisa; Zanic, Katja; Puizina, Jasna; Lepen Pleic, Ivana; Ghanim, Murad

    2017-01-01

    Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) are whitefly species that harm agricultural crops in many regions of the world. These insects live in close association with bacterial symbionts that affect host fitness and adaptation to the environment. In the current study, we surveyed the infection of whitefly populations in Southeast Europe by various bacterial symbionts and performed phylogenetic analyses on the different symbionts detected. Arsenophonus and Hamiltonella were the most prevalent symbionts in all three whitefly species. Rickettsia was found to infect mainly B. tabaci, while Wolbachia mainly infected both B. tabaci and S. phillyreae. Furthermore, Cardinium was rarely found in the investigated whitefly populations, while Fritschea was never found in any of the whitefly species tested. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a diversity of several symbionts (e.g., Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia), which appeared in several clades. Reproductively isolated B. tabaci and T. vaporariorum shared the same (or highly similar) Hamiltonella and Arsenophonus, while these symbionts were distinctive in S. phillyreae. Interestingly, Arsenophonus from S. phillyreae did not cluster with any of the reported sequences, which could indicate the presence of Arsenophonus, not previously associated with whiteflies. In this study, symbionts (Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Cardinium) known to infect a wide range of insects each clustered in the same clades independently of the whitefly species. These results indicate horizontal transmission of bacterial symbionts between reproductively isolated whitefly species, a mechanism that can establish new infections that did not previously exist in whiteflies. PMID:29053633

  16. Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses of Bacterial Symbionts in Three Whitefly Species from Southeast Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Skaljac

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood, and Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday are whitefly species that harm agricultural crops in many regions of the world. These insects live in close association with bacterial symbionts that affect host fitness and adaptation to the environment. In the current study, we surveyed the infection of whitefly populations in Southeast Europe by various bacterial symbionts and performed phylogenetic analyses on the different symbionts detected. Arsenophonus and Hamiltonella were the most prevalent symbionts in all three whitefly species. Rickettsia was found to infect mainly B. tabaci, while Wolbachia mainly infected both B. tabaci and S. phillyreae. Furthermore, Cardinium was rarely found in the investigated whitefly populations, while Fritschea was never found in any of the whitefly species tested. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a diversity of several symbionts (e.g., Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, which appeared in several clades. Reproductively isolated B. tabaci and T. vaporariorum shared the same (or highly similar Hamiltonella and Arsenophonus, while these symbionts were distinctive in S. phillyreae. Interestingly, Arsenophonus from S. phillyreae did not cluster with any of the reported sequences, which could indicate the presence of Arsenophonus, not previously associated with whiteflies. In this study, symbionts (Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Cardinium known to infect a wide range of insects each clustered in the same clades independently of the whitefly species. These results indicate horizontal transmission of bacterial symbionts between reproductively isolated whitefly species, a mechanism that can establish new infections that did not previously exist in whiteflies.

  17. Characterization of bacterial populations in Danish raw milk cheeses made with different starter cultures by denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis and pyrosequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Masoud, Wafa Mahmoud Hasan; Takamiya, Monica K Wik; Vogensen, Finn Kvist

    2011-01-01

    ripening. Other bacteria like Corynebacterium, Halomonas, Pediococcus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus, which were encountered in some cheese samples at low percentages compared with the total bacterial populations, were only detected by pyrosequencing. 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing is an efficient method...

  18. Collaborate, compete and share

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugliese, Emanuele; Castellano, Claudio; Marsili, Matteo; Pietronero, Luciano

    2009-02-01

    We introduce and study a model of an interacting population of agents who collaborate in groups which compete for limited resources. Groups are formed by random matching agents and their worth is determined by the sum of the efforts deployed by agents in group formation. Agents, on their side, have to share their effort between contributing to their group’s chances to outcompete other groups and resource sharing among partners, when the group is successful. A simple implementation of this strategic interaction gives rise to static and evolutionary properties with a very rich phenomenology. A robust emerging feature is the separation of the population between agents who invest mainly in the success of their group and agents who concentrate in getting the largest share of their group’s profits.

  19. Grepafloxacin in Patients with Acute Bacterial Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis - a Question of Speed in Bacterial Killing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerome J Schentag

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To characterize the population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral grepafloxacin in patients with acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (ABECB, with particular attention to the speed of bacterial killing. This was possible because the study design incorporated daily cultures of the patients’ sputum.

  20. Financial Impact of Liver Sharing and Organ Procurement Organizations' Experience With Share 35: Implications for National Broader Sharing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, H; Weber, J; Barnes, K; Wright, L; Levy, M

    2016-01-01

    The Share 35 policy for organ allocation, which was adopted in June 2013, allocates livers regionally for candidates with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores of 35 or greater. The authors analyzed the costs resulting from the increased movement of allografts related to this new policy. Using a sample of nine organ procurement organizations, representing 17% of the US population and 19% of the deceased donors in 2013, data were obtained on import and export costs before Share 35 implementation (June 15, 2012, to June 14, 2013) and after Share 35 implementation (June 15, 2013, to June 14, 2014). Results showed that liver import rates increased 42%, with an increased cost of 51%, while export rates increased 112%, with an increased cost of 127%. When the costs of importing and exporting allografts were combined, the total change in costs for all nine organ procurement organizations was $11 011 321 after Share 35 implementation. Extrapolating these costs nationally resulted in an increased yearly cost of $68 820 756 by population or $55 056 605 by number of organ donors. Any alternative allocation proposal needs to account for the financial implications to the transplant infrastructure. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  1. Wild plant species growing closely connected in a subalpine meadow host distinct root-associated bacterial communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Aleklett

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Plant roots are known to harbor large and diverse communities of bacteria. It has been suggested that plant identity can structure these root-associated communities, but few studies have specifically assessed how the composition of root microbiota varies within and between plant species growing under natural conditions. We assessed the community composition of endophytic and epiphytic bacteria through high throughput sequencing using 16S rDNA derived from root tissues collected from a population of a wild, clonal plant (Orange hawkweed–Pilosella aurantiaca as well as two neighboring plant species (Oxeye daisy–Leucanthemum vulgare and Alsike clover–Trifolium hybridum. Our first goal was to determine if plant species growing in close proximity, under similar environmental conditions, still hosted unique root microbiota. Our results showed that plants of different species host distinct bacterial communities in their roots. In terms of community composition, Betaproteobacteria (especially the family Oxalobacteraceae were found to dominate in the root microbiota of L. vulgare and T. hybridum samples, whereas the root microbiota of P. aurantiaca had a more heterogeneous distribution of bacterial abundances where Gammaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria occupied a larger portion of the community. We also explored the extent of individual variance within each plant species investigated, and found that in the plant species thought to have the least genetic variance among individuals (P. aurantiaca still hosted just as diverse microbial communities. Whether all plant species host their own distinct root microbiota and plants more closely related to each other share more similar bacterial communities still remains to be fully explored, but among the plants examined in this experiment there was no trend that the two species belonging to the same family shared more similarities in terms of bacterial community composition.

  2. Effect of partially replacing a barley-based concentrate with flaxseed-based products on the rumen bacterial population of lactating Holstein dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo-Lopez, E; Moats, J; Aluthge, N D; Ramirez Ramirez, H A; Christensen, D A; Mutsvangwa, T; Penner, G B; Fernando, S C

    2018-01-01

    The effects of partial replacement of a barley-based concentrate with flaxseed-based products on the rumen bacterial population of lactating Holstein dairy cows were evaluated. Treatments fed were CONT, a normal diet that included barley silage, alfalfa hay and a barley-based concentrate that contained no flaxseed or faba beans; FLAX, inclusion of a nonextruded flaxseed-based product containing 55·0% flaxseed, 37·8% field peas and 6·9% alfalfa; EXT, similar to FLAX, but the product was extruded and EXTT, similar to FLAX, but product was extruded and field peas were replaced by high-tannin faba beans. The rumen bacterial population was evaluated by utilizing 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Most abundant phyla, families and genera were unaffected. However, some taxa were affected; for example, unsaturated fatty acid content was negatively correlated with Clostridiaceae, and tannin content was negatively correlated with BS11 and Paraprevotellaceae. Predominant rumen bacterial taxa were not affected, but the abundance of some taxa found in lower proportions shifted, possibly due to sensitivity to unsaturated fatty acids or tannins. Flaxseed-based products were effective for partially replacing barley-based concentrate in rations of lactating dairy cows. No negative effects of these products were observed on the abundance of predominant rumen bacterial taxa, with only minor shifts in less abundant bacteria. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for Applied Microbiology.

  3. SharePoint 2013 for dummies

    CERN Document Server

    Withee, Ken

    2013-01-01

    The bestselling guide on running SharePoint, now updated to cover all the new features of SharePoint 2013 SharePoint Portal Server is an essential part of the enterprise infrastructure for many businesses. Building on the success of previous versions of SharePoint For Dummies, this new edition covers all the latest features of SharePoint 2013 and provides you with an easy-to-understand resource for making the most of all that this version has to offer. You'll learn how to get a site up and running, branded, and populated with content, workflow, and management. In addition, t

  4. Characterization of epiphytic bacterial communities from grapes, leaves, bark and soil of grapevine plants grown, and their relations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Martins

    Full Text Available Despite its importance in plant health and crop quality, the diversity of epiphytic bacteria on grape berries and other plant parts, like leaves and bark, remains poorly described, as does the role of telluric bacteria in plant colonization. In this study, we compare the bacterial community size and structure in vineyard soils, as well as on grapevine bark, leaves and berries. Analyses of culturable bacteria revealed differences in the size and structure of the populations in each ecosystem. The highest bacteria population counts and the greatest diversity of genera were found in soil samples, followed by bark, grapes and leaves. The identification of isolates revealed that some genera - Pseudomonas, Curtobacterium, and Bacillus - were present in all ecosystems, but in different amounts, while others were ecosystem-specific. About 50% of the genera were common to soil and bark, but absent from leaves and grapes. The opposite was also observed: grape and leaf samples presented 50% of genera in common that were absent from trunk and soil. The bacterial community structure analyzed by T-RFLP indicated similarities between the profiles of leaves and grapes, on the one hand, and bark and soil, on the other, reflecting the number of shared T-RFs. The results suggest an interaction between telluric bacterial communities and the epiphytic bacteria present on the different grapevine parts.

  5. Diazotrophic Bacterial Community of Degraded Pastures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Tiago Correia Oliveira

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Pasture degradation can cause changes in diazotrophic bacterial communities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the culturable and total diazotrophic bacterial community, associated with regions of the rhizosphere and roots of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures in different stages of degradation. Samples of roots and rhizospheric soil were collected from slightly, partially, and highly degraded pastures. McCrady’s table was used to obtain the Most Probable Number (MPN of bacteria per gram of sample, in order to determine population density and calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index. The diversity of total diazotrophic bacterial community was determined by the technique of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE of the nifH gene, while the diversity of the culturable diazotrophic bacteria was determined by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (BOX-PCR technique. The increase in the degradation stage of the B. decumbens Stapf. pasture did not reduce the population density of the cultivated diazotrophic bacterial community, suggesting that the degradation at any degree of severity was highly harmful to the bacteria. The structure of the total diazotrophic bacterial community associated with B. decumbens Stapf. was altered by the pasture degradation stage, suggesting a high adaptive capacity of the bacteria to altered environments.

  6. The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in Kosovo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namani, Sadie A; Koci, Remzie A; Qehaja-Buçaj, Emine; Ajazaj-Berisha, Lindita; Mehmeti, Murat

    2014-07-14

    The purpose of this study was to present the epidemiologic features of bacterial meningitis in the developing country of Kosovo. Data were collected from active surveillance of bacterial meningitis cases treated at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo in the years 2000 (first post-war year) and 2010. Meningitis cases in 2000 compared with 2010 showed a 35.5% decline in incidence (from 4.8 to 3.1 cases per 100,000 population) and a decrease in the case fatality rate from 10% to 5%. In children, there was a lower mortality rate (5% versus 2%) and a lower incidence of neurological complications (13% versus 16%) as compared to adults (32% versus 10% and 16% versus 35%, respectively). Neisseria meningitidis was the most common pathogen of bacterial meningitis in both study periods. Bacterial meningitis was most prevalent in the pediatric population, and showed an increase in the median age, from three years in 2000 to seven years in 2010. A steady number of bacterial meningitis cases in adults throughout last decade (around 20 cases per year) was recorded. During the last decade, gradual changes have been observed in the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis that are unrelated to the introduction of new vaccines, but are partly due to the improvement of living conditions.

  7. The Arctic soil bacterial communities in the vicinity of a little auk colony

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylwia Zielinska

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Due to deposition of birds’ guano, eggshells or feathers, the vicinity of a large seabirds’ breeding colony is expected to have a substantial impact on the soil’s physicochemical features as well as on diversity of vegetation and the soil invertebrates. Consequently, due to changing physicochemical features the structure of bacterial communities might fluctuate in different soil environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial assemblages in the Arctic soil within the area of a birds’ colony and in a control sample from a topographically similar location but situated away from the colony’s impact area. A high number of OTUs found in both areas indicates a highly complex microbial populations structure. The most abundant phyla in both of the tested samples were: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi, with different proportions in the total share. Despite differences in the physicochemical soil characteristics, the soil microbial community structures at the phylum level were similar to some extent in the two samples. The only share that was significantly higher in the control area when compared to the sample obtained within the birds’ colony, belonged to the Actinobacteria phylum. Moreover, when analyzing the class level for each phylum, several differences between the samples were observed. Furthermore, lower proportions of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were observed in the soil sample under the influence of the bird’s colony, which most probably could be linked to higher nitrogen concentrations in that sample.

  8. Quantitative analysis of ruminal bacterial populations involved in lipid metabolism in dairy cows fed different vegetable oils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vargas-Bello-Pérez, E.; Cancino-Padilla, N.; Romero, J.

    2016-01-01

    Vegetable oils are used to increase energy density of dairy cow diets, although they can provoke changes in rumen bacteria populations and have repercussions on the biohydrogenation process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two sources of dietary lipids: soybean oil (SO......, an unsaturated source) and hydrogenated palm oil (HPO, a saturated source) on bacterial populations and the fatty acid profile of ruminal digesta. Three non-lactating Holstein cows fitted with ruminal cannulae were used in a 3×3 Latin square design with three periods consisting of 21 days. Dietary treatments...... parameters, whereas HPO can increase load of ruminal P. bryantii. Also, results observed in our targeted bacteria may have depended on the saturation degree of dietary oils....

  9. Effects of gamma-irradiation before and after cooking on bacterial population and sensory quality of Dakgalbi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Young Min; Park, Jong-Heum; Lee, Ji-Hye; Park, Jae-Nam; Park, Jin-Kyu; Sung, Nak-Yun; Song, Beom-Seok; Kim, Jae-Hun; Yoon, Yohan; Gao, Meixu; Yook, Hong-Sun; Lee, Ju-Woon

    2012-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of gamma irradiation on the total bacterial population and the sensory quality of Dakgalbi irradiated before and after cooking. Fresh chicken meat was cut into small pieces and used to prepare Dakgalbi. For the preparation of Dakgalbi cooked with gamma-irradiated chicken meat and sauce (IBC), raw chicken meat and Dakgalbi sauce were irradiated and then stir-fried. For the preparation of Dakgalbi irradiated after cooking with raw chicken meat and sauce (IAC), raw chicken meat and Dakgalbi sauce were first cooked and subsequently irradiated. Under the accelerated storage condition of 35 °C for 7 days, bacteria in IBC were below the detection limit (1 log CFU/g) on day 1 but were detected on day 2 and gradually increased hereafter. In IAC, on the other hand, bacteria were not detected at all. Evaluation of sensory quality also decreased on both samples. However, IAC showed a better trend. Our results indicate that IAC protocol was a more effective method for reducing bacterial growth in Dakgalbi.

  10. Bacterial communities in the fruit bodies of ground basidiomycetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zagryadskaya, Yu. A.; Lysak, L. V.; Chernov, I. Yu.

    2015-06-01

    Fruit bodies of basidiomycetes at different stages of decomposition serve as specific habitats in forest biocenoses for bacteria and differ significantly with respect to the total bacterial population and abundance of particular bacterial genera. A significant increase in the total bacterial population estimated by the direct microscopic method with acridine orange staining and in the population of saprotrophic bacteria (inoculation of glucose peptone yeast agar) in fruit bodies of basidiomycetes Armillaria mellea and Coprinus comatus was recorded at the final stage of their decomposition in comparison with the initial stage. Gramnegative bacteria predominated in the tissues of fruit bodies at all the stages of decomposition and were represented at the final stage by the Aeromonas, Vibrio, and Pseudomonas genera (for fruit bodies of A. mellea) the Pseudomonas genus (for fruit bodies of C. comatus). The potential influence of bacterial communities in the fruit bodies of soil basidiomycetes on the formation of bacterial communities in the upper soil horizons in forest biocenoses is discussed. The loci connected with the development and decomposition of fruit bodies of basidiomycetes on the soil surface are promising for targeted search of Gram-negative bacteria, the important objects of biotechnology.

  11. Interference in Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Biopharmaceutical Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Rémy

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Numerous bacteria utilize molecular communication systems referred to as quorum sensing (QS to synchronize the expression of certain genes regulating, among other aspects, the expression of virulence factors and the synthesis of biofilm. To achieve this process, bacteria use signaling molecules, known as autoinducers (AIs, as chemical messengers to share information. Naturally occurring strategies that interfere with bacterial signaling have been extensively studied in recent years, examining their potential to control bacteria. To interfere with QS, bacteria use quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs to block the action of AIs and quorum quenching (QQ enzymes to degrade signaling molecules. Recent studies have shown that these strategies are promising routes to decrease bacterial pathogenicity and decrease biofilms, potentially enhancing bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial agents including antibiotics and bacteriophages. The efficacy of QSIs and QQ enzymes has been demonstrated in various animal models and are now considered in the development of new medical devices against bacterial infections, including dressings, and catheters for enlarging the therapeutic arsenal against bacteria.

  12. Draft Genomes, Phylogenetic Reconstruction, and Comparative Genomics of Two Novel Cohabiting Bacterial Symbionts Isolated from Frankliniella occidentalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Facey, Paul D; Méric, Guillaume; Hitchings, Matthew D; Pachebat, Justin A; Hegarty, Matt J; Chen, Xiaorui; Morgan, Laura V A; Hoeppner, James E; Whitten, Miranda M A; Kirk, William D J; Dyson, Paul J; Sheppard, Sam K; Del Sol, Ricardo

    2015-07-15

    Obligate bacterial symbionts are widespread in many invertebrates, where they are often confined to specialized host cells and are transmitted directly from mother to progeny. Increasing numbers of these bacteria are being characterized but questions remain about their population structure and evolution. Here we take a comparative genomics approach to investigate two prominent bacterial symbionts (BFo1 and BFo2) isolated from geographically separated populations of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Our multifaceted approach to classifying these symbionts includes concatenated multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) phylogenies, ribosomal multilocus sequence typing (rMLST), construction of whole-genome phylogenies, and in-depth genomic comparisons. We showed that the BFo1 genome clusters more closely to species in the genus Erwinia, and is a putative close relative to Erwinia aphidicola. BFo1 is also likely to have shared a common ancestor with Erwinia pyrifoliae/Erwinia amylovora and the nonpathogenic Erwinia tasmaniensis and genetic traits similar to Erwinia billingiae. The BFo1 genome contained virulence factors found in the genus Erwinia but represented a divergent lineage. In contrast, we showed that BFo2 belongs within the Enterobacteriales but does not group closely with any currently known bacterial species. Concatenated MLSA phylogenies indicate that it may have shared a common ancestor to the Erwinia and Pantoea genera, and based on the clustering of rMLST genes, it was most closely related to Pantoea ananatis but represented a divergent lineage. We reconstructed a core genome of a putative common ancestor of Erwinia and Pantoea and compared this with the genomes of BFo bacteria. BFo2 possessed none of the virulence determinants that were omnipresent in the Erwinia and Pantoea genera. Taken together, these data are consistent with BFo2 representing a highly novel species that maybe related to known Pantoea. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by

  13. Colonization of Tomato Root by Antagonistic Bacterial Strains to Fusarium Wilt of Tomato

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arif Wibowo

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol is an important disease in tomato which cause a significant loss of yield in major growing regions of the world. This study examined the ability of bacterial strains antagonistic to F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (H5, H22, H63, H71, Burkholderia cepacia strain 65 and 526 to colonize tomato seedlings and the effect of plant growth. The effect of bacterial population size and air temperature on the bacterial colonization and their spread along the root systems was also assessed.The results of this study showed that the bacterial population at 28°/23° C day/night temperature 14 days after planting was significantly greater than 23°/18° C for 4 of 6 strains tested. Although there was no significant effect of temperature on bacterial population observed in this study, the ability of the baacterial strains to colonize the rhizosphere was significantly different. Three strains (H5, B. cepacia strain 65 and 526 survived well in the rhizosphere and at 4 weeks after planting rhizosphere populations per gram fresh root were not significantly different from those recovered 2 weeks after planting. The largest population of the bacterial inoculants developed in the basal region of the roots and this differed between strains by log10 2.7 cfu/cm root. The bacterial populations in other parts of the root were also strain dependent. Strain H71, for example, was able to colonize the root segments at a high population level. However strain H63 was recovered only in small number in all root segments.

  14. Mini-review: Strategies for Variation and Evolution of Bacterial Antigens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Janet

    2015-01-01

    Across the eubacteria, antigenic variation has emerged as a strategy to evade host immunity. However, phenotypic variation in some of these antigens also allows the bacteria to exploit variable host niches as well. The specific mechanisms are not shared-derived characters although there is considerable convergent evolution and numerous commonalities reflecting considerations of natural selection and biochemical restraints. Unlike in viruses, mechanisms of antigenic variation in most bacteria involve larger DNA movement such as gene conversion or DNA rearrangement, although some antigens vary due to point mutations or modified transcriptional regulation. The convergent evolution that promotes antigenic variation integrates various evolutionary forces: these include mutations underlying variant production; drift which could remove alleles especially early in infection or during life history phases in arthropod vectors (when the bacterial population size goes through a bottleneck); selection not only for any particular variant but also for the mechanism for the production of variants (i.e., selection for mutability); and overcoming negative selection against variant production. This review highlights the complexities of drivers of antigenic variation, in particular extending evaluation beyond the commonly cited theory of immune evasion. A deeper understanding of the diversity of purpose and mechanisms of antigenic variation in bacteria will contribute to greater insight into bacterial pathogenesis, ecology and coevolution with hosts. PMID:26288700

  15. Bursting the bubble on bacterial biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crusz, Shanika A; Popat, Roman; Rybtke, Morten Theil

    2012-01-01

    The flow cell biofilm system is an important and widely used tool for the in vitro cultivation and evaluation of bacterial biofilms under hydrodynamic conditions of flow. This paper provides an introduction to the background and use of such systems, accompanied by a detailed guide to the assembly...... of the apparatus including the description of new modifications which enhance its performance. As such, this is an essential guide for the novice biofilm researcher as well as providing valuable trouble-shooting techniques for even the most experienced laboratories. The adoption of a common and reliable...... methodology amongst researchers would enable findings to be shared and replicated amongst the biofilm research community, with the overall aim of advancing understanding and management of these complex and widespread bacterial communities....

  16. Prevalence of gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens in a population of zoo animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stirling, J; Griffith, M; Blair, I; Cormican, M; Dooley, J S G; Goldsmith, C E; Glover, S G; Loughrey, A; Lowery, C J; Matsuda, M; McClurg, R; McCorry, K; McDowell, D; McMahon, A; Cherie Millar, B; Nagano, Y; Rao, J R; Rooney, P J; Smyth, M; Snelling, W J; Xu, J; Moore, J E

    2008-04-01

    Faecal prevalence of gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens, including Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, as well as Arcobacter, were examined in 317 faecal specimens from 44 animal species in Belfast Zoological Gardens, during July-September 2006. Thermophilic campylobacters including Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter lari, were the most frequently isolated pathogens, where members of this genus were isolated from 11 animal species (11 of 44; 25%). Yersinia spp. were isolated from seven animal species (seven of 44; 15.9%) and included, Yersinia enterocolitica (five of seven isolates; 71.4%) and one isolate each of Yersinia frederiksenii and Yersinia kristensenii. Only one isolate of Salmonella was obtained throughout the entire study, which was an isolate of Salmonella dublin (O 1,9,12: H g, p), originating from tiger faeces after enrichment. None of the animal species found in public contact areas of the zoo were positive for any gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens. Also, water from the lake in the centre of the grounds, was examined for the same bacterial pathogens and was found to contain C. jejuni. This study is the first report on the isolation of a number of important bacterial pathogens from a variety of novel host species, C. jejuni from the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), C. lari from a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), Y. kristensenii from a vicugna (Vicugna vicugna) and Y. enterocolitica from a maned wolf and red panda (Ailurus fulgens). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the faeces of animals in public contact areas of the zoo were not positive for the bacterial gastrointestinal pathogens examined. This is reassuring for the public health of visitors, particularly children, who enjoy this educational and recreational resource.

  17. Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Microbiota on Brazilian Currency Note Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tairacan Augusto Pereira da Fonseca

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Currency notes have been implicated as a vehicle for transmitting community-acquired bacterial infections. However, the overall diversity of the bacterial population residing on banknotes is still unknown in Brazil. In this study, we aimed to investigate the overall bacterial population from 150 different Brazilian Rial (R$ notes in circulation using a culture-independent Illumina massively parallel sequencing approach of the 16S rRNA genes. Samples were randomly collected from three different street markets or “feiras” in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Taxonomical composition revealed the abundance of Proteobacteria phyla, followed by Firmicutes and Streptophyta, with a total of 1193 bacterial families and 3310 bacterial genera. Most of these bacterial genera are of human, animal, and environmental origins. Also, our analysis revealed the presence of some potential pathogenic bacterial genera including Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Klebsiella. The results demonstrate that there is a tremendous diversity of bacterial contamination on currency notes, including organisms known to be opportunistic pathogens. One of the factors that may contribute to the richness of bacterial diversity in currency notes is personal hygiene. Thus, our results underscore the need to increase public awareness of the importance of personal hygiene of money handlers who also handle food.

  18. Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Microbiota on Brazilian Currency Note Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira da Fonseca, Tairacan Augusto; Pessôa, Rodrigo; Sanabani, Sabri Saeed

    2015-10-22

    Currency notes have been implicated as a vehicle for transmitting community-acquired bacterial infections. However, the overall diversity of the bacterial population residing on banknotes is still unknown in Brazil. In this study, we aimed to investigate the overall bacterial population from 150 different Brazilian Rial (R$) notes in circulation using a culture-independent Illumina massively parallel sequencing approach of the 16S rRNA genes. Samples were randomly collected from three different street markets or "feiras" in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Taxonomical composition revealed the abundance of Proteobacteria phyla, followed by Firmicutes and Streptophyta, with a total of 1193 bacterial families and 3310 bacterial genera. Most of these bacterial genera are of human, animal, and environmental origins. Also, our analysis revealed the presence of some potential pathogenic bacterial genera including Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Klebsiella. The results demonstrate that there is a tremendous diversity of bacterial contamination on currency notes, including organisms known to be opportunistic pathogens. One of the factors that may contribute to the richness of bacterial diversity in currency notes is personal hygiene. Thus, our results underscore the need to increase public awareness of the importance of personal hygiene of money handlers who also handle food.

  19. Effects of dietary protein levels and 2-methylbutyrate on ruminal fermentation, nutrient degradability, bacterial populations and urinary purine derivatives in Simmental steers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, C; Liu, Q; Guo, G; Huo, W J; Pei, C X; Zhang, S L; Yang, W Z

    2018-06-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) levels and 2-methylbutyrate (MB) supplementation on ruminal fermentation, bacterial populations, microbial enzyme activity and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) in Simmental steers. Eight ruminally cannulated Simmental steers, averaging 18 months of age and 465 ± 8.6 kg of body weight (BW), were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design by a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Low protein (98.5 g CP/kg dry matter [LP] or high protein (128.7 g CP/kg dry matter [HP]) diets were fed with MB supplementation (0 g [MB-] or 16.8 g steer -1  day -1 [MB+]). Steers were fed a total mixed ration with dietary corn straw to concentrate ratio of 50:50 (dry matter [DM] basis). The CP × MB interaction was observed for ruminal total VFA, molar proportions of acetate and propionate, acetate to propionate ratio, ammonia-N, effective degradability of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and CP, microbial enzyme activity, bacterial populations and total PD excretion (p Ruminal pH decreased (p ruminal total VFA concentration increased (p Ruminal ammonia-N content increased (p = .034) with increasing dietary CP level, but decreased (p = .012) with MB supplementation. The effective degradability of NDF and CP increased (p ruminal fermentation, nutrient degradability, microbial enzyme activity, ruminal bacterial populations and microbial protein synthesis improved with increasing dietary CP level or MB supplementation in steers. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. Amorphous structure of iron oxide of bacterial origin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hashimoto, Hideki; Fujii, Tatsuo [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Asaoka, Hiroshi [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kusano, Yoshihiro [Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, Kurashiki, Okayama 712-8505 (Japan); Ikeda, Yasunori [Research Institute for Production Development, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0805 (Japan); Nakanishi, Makoto [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Benino, Yasuhiko; Nanba, Tokuro [Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Takada, Jun, E-mail: jtakada@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan)

    2012-12-14

    In nature, there are various iron oxides produced by the water-habitant bacterial group called 'iron-oxidizing bacteria'. These iron oxides have been studied mainly from biological and geochemical perspectives. Today, attempts are made to use such iron oxides as novel functional materials in several applications. However, their quantitative structural characteristics are still unclear. We studied the structure of iron oxide of microtubular form consisting of amorphous nanoparticles formed by an iron-oxidizing bacterium, Leptothrix ochracea, using a combination of high-energy X-ray diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo simulation. We found that its structure consists of a framework of corner- and edge-sharing distorted FeO{sub 6} octahedral units, while SiO{sub 4} tetrahedral units are isolated in the framework. The results reveal the atomic arrangement of iron oxide of bacterial origin, which is essential for investigating its potential as a functional material. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The amorphous structure of bacterial iron oxide was investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structure was simulated by high-energy X-ray diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo simulation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structure was constructed of a framework of corner- and edge-sharing distorted FeO{sub 6} octahedral units. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SiO{sub 4} tetrahedral units were distributed isolatedly in the framework of FeO{sub 6} octahedral units.

  1. Epidemiological tracking and population assignment of the non-clonal bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dale, Julia; Price, Erin P; Hornstra, Heidie; Busch, Joseph D; Mayo, Mark; Godoy, Daniel; Wuthiekanun, Vanaporn; Baker, Anthony; Foster, Jeffrey T; Wagner, David M; Tuanyok, Apichai; Warner, Jeffrey; Spratt, Brian G; Peacock, Sharon J; Currie, Bart J; Keim, Paul; Pearson, Talima

    2011-12-01

    Rapid assignment of bacterial pathogens into predefined populations is an important first step for epidemiological tracking. For clonal species, a single allele can theoretically define a population. For non-clonal species such as Burkholderia pseudomallei, however, shared allelic states between distantly related isolates make it more difficult to identify population defining characteristics. Two distinct B. pseudomallei populations have been previously identified using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). These populations correlate with the major foci of endemicity (Australia and Southeast Asia). Here, we use multiple Bayesian approaches to evaluate the compositional robustness of these populations, and provide assignment results for MLST sequence types (STs). Our goal was to provide a reference for assigning STs to an established population without the need for further computational analyses. We also provide allele frequency results for each population to enable estimation of population assignment even when novel STs are discovered. The ability for humans and potentially contaminated goods to move rapidly across the globe complicates the task of identifying the source of an infection or outbreak. Population genetic dynamics of B. pseudomallei are particularly complicated relative to other bacterial pathogens, but the work here provides the ability for broad scale population assignment. As there is currently no independent empirical measure of successful population assignment, we provide comprehensive analytical details of our comparisons to enable the reader to evaluate the robustness of population designations and assignments as they pertain to individual research questions. Finer scale subdivision and verification of current population compositions will likely be possible with genotyping data that more comprehensively samples the genome. The approach used here may be valuable for other non-clonal pathogens that lack simple group-defining genetic characteristics

  2. Epidemiological tracking and population assignment of the non-clonal bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Dale

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Rapid assignment of bacterial pathogens into predefined populations is an important first step for epidemiological tracking. For clonal species, a single allele can theoretically define a population. For non-clonal species such as Burkholderia pseudomallei, however, shared allelic states between distantly related isolates make it more difficult to identify population defining characteristics. Two distinct B. pseudomallei populations have been previously identified using multilocus sequence typing (MLST. These populations correlate with the major foci of endemicity (Australia and Southeast Asia. Here, we use multiple Bayesian approaches to evaluate the compositional robustness of these populations, and provide assignment results for MLST sequence types (STs. Our goal was to provide a reference for assigning STs to an established population without the need for further computational analyses. We also provide allele frequency results for each population to enable estimation of population assignment even when novel STs are discovered. The ability for humans and potentially contaminated goods to move rapidly across the globe complicates the task of identifying the source of an infection or outbreak. Population genetic dynamics of B. pseudomallei are particularly complicated relative to other bacterial pathogens, but the work here provides the ability for broad scale population assignment. As there is currently no independent empirical measure of successful population assignment, we provide comprehensive analytical details of our comparisons to enable the reader to evaluate the robustness of population designations and assignments as they pertain to individual research questions. Finer scale subdivision and verification of current population compositions will likely be possible with genotyping data that more comprehensively samples the genome. The approach used here may be valuable for other non-clonal pathogens that lack simple group-defining genetic

  3. Consequences of organ choice in describing bacterial pathogen assemblages in a rodent population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villette, P; Afonso, E; Couval, G; Levret, A; Galan, M; Tatard, C; Cosson, J F; Giraudoux, P

    2017-10-01

    High-throughput sequencing technologies now allow for rapid cost-effective surveys of multiple pathogens in many host species including rodents, but it is currently unclear if the organ chosen for screening influences the number and identity of bacteria detected. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to identify bacterial pathogens in the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and spleen of 13 water voles (Arvicola terrestris) collected in Franche-Comté, France. We asked if bacterial pathogen assemblages within organs are similar and if all five organs are necessary to detect all of the bacteria present in an individual animal. We identified 24 bacteria representing 17 genera; average bacterial richness for each organ ranged from 1·5 ± 0·4 (mean ± standard error) to 2·5 ± 0·4 bacteria/organ and did not differ significantly between organs. The average bacterial richness when organ assemblages were pooled within animals was 4·7 ± 0·6 bacteria/animal; Operational Taxonomic Unit accumulation analysis indicates that all five organs are required to obtain this. Organ type influences bacterial assemblage composition in a systematic way (PERMANOVA, 999 permutations, pseudo-F 4,51 = 1·37, P = 0·001). Our results demonstrate that the number of organs sampled influences the ability to detect bacterial pathogens, which can inform sampling decisions in public health and wildlife ecology.

  4. Effect of DNA extraction and sample preservation method on rumen bacterial population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fliegerova, Katerina; Tapio, Ilma; Bonin, Aurelie; Mrazek, Jakub; Callegari, Maria Luisa; Bani, Paolo; Bayat, Alireza; Vilkki, Johanna; Kopečný, Jan; Shingfield, Kevin J; Boyer, Frederic; Coissac, Eric; Taberlet, Pierre; Wallace, R John

    2014-10-01

    The comparison of the bacterial profile of intracellular (iDNA) and extracellular DNA (eDNA) isolated from cow rumen content stored under different conditions was conducted. The influence of rumen fluid treatment (cheesecloth squeezed, centrifuged, filtered), storage temperature (RT, -80 °C) and cryoprotectants (PBS-glycerol, ethanol) on quality and quantity parameters of extracted DNA was evaluated by bacterial DGGE analysis, real-time PCR quantification and metabarcoding approach using high-throughput sequencing. Samples clustered according to the type of extracted DNA due to considerable differences between iDNA and eDNA bacterial profiles, while storage temperature and cryoprotectants additives had little effect on sample clustering. The numbers of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were lower (P rumen fluid subjected to the eDNA isolation procedure considerably changed the ratio of molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Intracellular DNA extraction using bead-beating method from cheesecloth sieved rumen content mixed with PBS-glycerol and stored at -80 °C was found as the optimal method to study ruminal bacterial profile. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Characterization by culture-dependent and culture-1 independent methods of the 2 bacterial population of suckling-lamb packaged in different atmospheres

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oses, S.M.; Diez, A.M.; Melero, B.; Luning, P.A.; Jaime, I.; Rovira, J.

    2013-01-01

    This study offers insight into the dynamics of bacterial populations in fresh cuts of suckling lamb under four different atmospheric conditions: air (A), and three Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) environments, 15%O2/30%CO2/55%N2 (C, commercial), 70%O2/30%CO2 (O), and 15%O2/85%CO2 (H) for 18

  6. Risk factors for community-acquired bacterial meningitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundbo, Lene Fogt; Benfield, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    of these are pathogen-specific, while some are shared between different bacteria. METHODS: We searched the database PubMed to identify host risk factors for bacterial meningitis caused by the pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae type b, because they are three most common...... causative bacteria beyond the neonatal period. RESULTS: We describe a number of risk factors; including socioeconomic factors, age, genetic variation of the host and underlying medical conditions associated with increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections in both children and adults....... CONCLUSIONS: As conjugated vaccines are available for these infections, it is of utmost importance to identify high risk patients to be able to prevent invasive disease....

  7. An individual-based approach to explain plasmid invasion in bacterial populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seoane, Jose Miguel; Yankelevich, Tatiana; Dechesne, Arnaud

    2011-01-01

    We present an individual-based experimental framework to identify and estimate the main parameters governing bacterial conjugation at the individual cell scale. From this analysis, we have established that transient periods of unregulated plasmid transfer within newly formed transconjugant cells...... of the growth cycle and that nongrowing cells, even when exposed to high nutrient concentrations, do not display conjugal activity. These results do not support previous hypotheses relating conjugation decay in the deeper cell layers of bacterial biofilms to nutrient depletion and low physiological activity. We...

  8. Population structure of Helicobacter pylori among ethnic groups in Malaysia: recent acquisition of the bacterium by the Malay population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tay, Chin Yen; Mitchell, Hazel; Dong, Quanjiang; Goh, Khean-Lee; Dawes, Ian W; Lan, Ruiting

    2009-06-19

    Helicobacter pylori is a major gastric bacterial pathogen. This pathogen has been shown to follow the routes of human migration by their geographical origin and currently the global H. pylori population has been divided into six ancestral populations, three from Africa, two from Asia and one from Europe. Malaysia is made up of three major ethnic populations, Malay, Chinese and Indian, providing a good population for studying recent H. pylori migration and admixture. Seventy eight H. pylori isolates, including 27 Chinese, 35 Indian and 16 Malay isolates from Malaysia were analysed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of seven housekeeping genes and compared with the global MLST data. STRUCTURE analysis assigned the isolates to previously identified H. pylori ancestral populations, hpEastAsia, hpAsia2 and hpEurope, and revealed a new subpopulation, hspIndia, within hpAsia2. Statistical analysis allowed us to identify population segregation sites that divide the H. pylori populations and the subpopulations. The majority of Malay isolates were found to be grouped together with Indian isolates. The majority of the Malay and Indian H. pylori isolates share the same origin while the Malaysian Chinese H. pylori is distinctive. The Malay population, known to have a low infection rate of H. pylori, was likely to be initially H. pylori free and gained the pathogen only recently from cross infection from other populations.

  9. DNA fingerprinting approaches to trace Escherichia coli sharing between dogs and owners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naziri, Z; Derakhshandeh, A; Firouzi, R; Motamedifar, M; Shojaee Tabrizi, A

    2016-02-01

    To determine the prevalence of cross-species sharing of Escherichia coli between healthy dogs and humans living in the same household. Two faecal E. coli isolates from 25 healthy dog-owner pairs and 16 healthy control humans were tested using three fingerprinting methods. The prevalence of within-household sharing of E. coli was 4, 8 and 8% using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR analyses respectively. Within-household bacterial sharing was more prevalent than across-household sharing (P fingerprinting techniques will help to find ways for reducing the economic impact of E. coli infections. This study support claims that public health concerns regarding the cross-species sharing of E. coli are warranted but this risk is minimal. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  10. A size-structured model of bacterial growth and reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellermeyer, S F; Pilyugin, S S

    2012-01-01

    We consider a size-structured bacterial population model in which the rate of cell growth is both size- and time-dependent and the average per capita reproduction rate is specified as a model parameter. It is shown that the model admits classical solutions. The population-level and distribution-level behaviours of these solutions are then determined in terms of the model parameters. The distribution-level behaviour is found to be different from that found in similar models of bacterial population dynamics. Rather than convergence to a stable size distribution, we find that size distributions repeat in cycles. This phenomenon is observed in similar models only under special assumptions on the functional form of the size-dependent growth rate factor. Our main results are illustrated with examples, and we also provide an introductory study of the bacterial growth in a chemostat within the framework of our model.

  11. Procalcitonin Identifies Cell Injury, Not Bacterial Infection, in Acute Liver Failure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jody A Rule

    Full Text Available Because acute liver failure (ALF patients share many clinical features with severe sepsis and septic shock, identifying bacterial infection clinically in ALF patients is challenging. Procalcitonin (PCT has proven to be a useful marker in detecting bacterial infection. We sought to determine whether PCT discriminated between presence and absence of infection in patients with ALF.Retrospective analysis of data and samples of 115 ALF patients from the United States Acute Liver Failure Study Group randomly selected from 1863 patients were classified for disease severity and ALF etiology. Twenty uninfected chronic liver disease (CLD subjects served as controls.Procalcitonin concentrations in most samples were elevated, with median values for all ALF groups near or above a 2.0 ng/mL cut-off that generally indicates severe sepsis. While PCT concentrations increased somewhat with apparent liver injury severity, there were no differences in PCT levels between the pre-defined severity groups-non-SIRS and SIRS groups with no documented infections and Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock groups with documented infections, (p = 0.169. PCT values from CLD patients differed from all ALF groups (median CLD PCT value 0.104 ng/mL, (p ≤0.001. Subjects with acetaminophen (APAP toxicity, many without evidence of infection, demonstrated median PCT >2.0 ng/mL, regardless of SIRS features, while some culture positive subjects had PCT values <2.0 ng/mL.While PCT appears to be a robust assay for detecting bacterial infection in the general population, there was poor discrimination between ALF patients with or without bacterial infection presumably because of the massive inflammation observed. Severe hepatocyte necrosis with inflammation results in elevated PCT levels, rendering this biomarker unreliable in the ALF setting.

  12. Sharing the earth: case studies on population, wildlife, and the environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waak-strom, P

    1994-01-01

    In 1988 the National Audubon Society's population program began to develop a joint project on the issues of human population growth and wildlife management by comparing sites in the United States and overseas to identify actions necessary for a sustainable ecosystem. Eight US sites were matched with eight sites in other countries. The Audubon wildlife managers visited their partners' international settings and then hosted their counterparts at their own sanctuaries in the US. All sites involved water resources: three were coastal systems, two had major rivers, and three were freshwater wetlands. Coastal systems comprised Tampa Bay sanctuaries, Florida, Wat Phai Lom, Wat Asokaram, and Ban Lung Jorm, Thailand. In Thailand wildlife sanctuaries have been set aside within monastery grounds, hence Thai bird colonies are more secure than those of Rookery Bay Sanctuary, Florida and Pulau Rambut, Indonesia. An Audubon warden patrols southwest Florida's Rookery Bay, whereas in Pulau Rambut there is insufficient government staff to protect it from human disturbance. Along the Yucatan Peninsula, Louisiana's Rainey Sanctuary and Mexico's Rio Lagartos system both encompass great tracts of fertile wetlands teeming with wildlife. However, Louisiana is losing 130 square kilometers of coastal wetland a year, the most rapid loss on earth. Population growth, poverty, and unsustainable economic activities put pressure on the Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary, Texas, and the Biotopo del Manati, Guatemala, river systems. Deforestation is a serious problem in both areas. Platte River, Nebraska, and Indus River, Pakistan. Indus River, Pakistan, still maintains much of its pristine quality, while Platte River, Nebraska, has been dammed and diverted. Freshwater Wetlands include the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida, Lake Nakuru, Kenya, Alkali Lake Sanctuary, North Dakota, and Estancia Caiman, Brazil. The Corkscrew area's growth is caused by migration, while Nakuru's growth is a result of migration

  13. Conditions for the Emergence of Shared Norms in Populations with Incompatible Preferences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helbing, Dirk; Yu, Wenjian; Opp, Karl-Dieter; Rauhut, Heiko

    2014-01-01

    Understanding norms is a key challenge in sociology. Nevertheless, there is a lack of dynamical models explaining how one of several possible behaviors is established as a norm and under what conditions. Analysing an agent-based model, we identify interesting parameter dependencies that imply when two behaviors will coexist or when a shared norm will emerge in a heterogeneous society, where different populations have incompatible preferences. Our model highlights the importance of randomness, spatial interactions, non-linear dynamics, and self-organization. It can also explain the emergence of unpopular norms that do not maximize the collective benefit. Furthermore, we compare behavior-based with preference-based punishment and find interesting results concerning hypocritical punishment. Strikingly, pressuring others to perform the same public behavior as oneself is more effective in promoting norms than pressuring others to meet one’s own private preference. Finally, we show that adaptive group pressure exerted by randomly occuring, local majorities may create norms under conditions where different behaviors would normally coexist. PMID:25166137

  14. A BACTERIAL CYTOKINE Mukamolova et al (1998) PNAS, 95, 8916 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. A BACTERIAL CYTOKINE Mukamolova et al (1998) PNAS, 95, 8916-8921. To grow or not to grow is a social decision. A resuscitation promoting factor (rpf) identified. The rpf protein shares similarity with M. tuberculosis and M. leprae ...

  15. Relationships between greenhouse gas emissions and cultivable bacterial populations in conventional, organic and long-term grass plots as affected by environmental variables and disturbances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruggen, van A.H.C.; He, M.; Zelenev, V.V.; Semenov, V.M.; Semenov, A.M.; Kuznetsova, T.V.; Khodzaeva, Anna K.; Kuznetsov, A.M.; Semenov, M.V.

    2017-01-01

    Daily dynamics of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cultivable bacterial populations have rarely been examined. The objectives were: (1) to investigate if dynamics of GHG emissions can be described by harmonics and are related to those of cultivable bacteria after soil disturbances in three

  16. Bacmeta: simulator for genomic evolution in bacterial metapopulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sipola, Aleksi; Marttinen, Pekka; Corander, Jukka

    2018-02-20

    The advent of genomic data from densely sampled bacterial populations has created a need for flexible simulators by which models and hypotheses can be efficiently investigated in the light of empirical observations. Bacmeta provides fast stochastic simulation of neutral evolution within a large collection of interconnected bacterial populations with completely adjustable connectivity network. Stochastic events of mutations, recombinations, insertions/deletions, migrations and microepidemics can be simulated in discrete non-overlapping generations with a Wright-Fisher model that operates on explicit sequence data of any desired genome length. Each model component, including locus, bacterial strain, population, and ultimately the whole metapopulation, is efficiently simulated using C ++ objects, and detailed metadata from each level can be acquired. The software can be executed in a cluster environment using simple textual input files, enabling, e.g., large-scale simulations and likelihood-free inference. Bacmeta is implemented with C ++ for Linux, Mac and Windows. It is available at https://bitbucket.org/aleksisipola/bacmeta under the BSD 3-clause license. aleksi.sipola@helsinki.fi, jukka.corander@medisin.uio.no. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  17. Synchronization and survival of connected bacterial populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gokhale, Shreyas; Conwill, Arolyn; Ranjan, Tanvi; Gore, Jeff

    Migration plays a vital role in controlling population dynamics of species occupying distinct habitat patches. While local populations are vulnerable to extinction due to demographic or environmental stochasticity, migration from neighboring habitat patches can rescue these populations through colonization of uninhabited regions. However, a large migratory flux can synchronize the population dynamics in connected patches, thereby enhancing the risk of global extinction during periods of depression in population size. Here, we investigate this trade-off between local rescue and global extinction experimentally using laboratory populations of E. coli bacteria. Our model system consists of co-cultures of ampicillin resistant and chloramphenicol resistant strains that form a cross-protection mutualism and exhibit period-3 oscillations in the relative population density in the presence of both antibiotics. We quantify the onset of synchronization of oscillations in a pair of co-cultures connected by migration and demonstrate that period-3 oscillations can be disturbed for moderate rates of migration. These features are consistent with simulations of a mechanistic model of antibiotic deactivation in our system. The simulations further predict that the probability of survival of connected populations in high concentrations of antibiotics is maximized at intermediate migration rates. We verify this prediction experimentally and show that survival is enhanced through a combination of disturbance of period-3 oscillations and stochastic re-colonization events.

  18. Efficacy of an automated ultraviolet C device in a shared hospital bathroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Jesse; Bryce, Elizabeth; Astrakianakis, George; Stefanovic, Aleksandra; Bartlett, Karen

    2016-12-01

    Toilet flushing can contribute to disease transmission by generating aerosolized bacteria and viruses that can land on nearby surfaces or follow air currents. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial bioaerosol loads, and bacterial counts on 2 surfaces in a bathroom with a permanently installed, automated ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation device, were significantly lower than in a comparable bathroom without the UVC device. Permanently installed UVC lights may be a useful supplementary decontamination tool in shared patient bathrooms. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Bacterial vaginosis in pregnant adolescents: proinflammatory cytokine and bacterial sialidase profile. Cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Sanitá Tafner Ferreira

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Bacterial vaginosis occurs frequently in pregnancy and increases susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STI. Considering that adolescents are disproportionally affected by STI, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cervicovaginal levels of interleukin (IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and bacterial sialidase in pregnant adolescents with bacterial vaginosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at mother and child referral units in Belém, Pará, Brazil. METHODS: Vaginal samples from 168 pregnant adolescents enrolled were tested for trichomoniasis and candidiasis. Their vaginal microbiota was classified according to the Nugent criteria (1991 as normal, intermediate or bacterial vaginosis. Cervical infection due to Chlamydia trachomatisand Neisseria gonorrhoeae was also assessed. Cytokine and sialidase levels were measured, respectively, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and MUAN conversion in cervicovaginal lavages. Forty-eight adolescents (28.6% were excluded because they tested positive for some of the infections investigated. The remaining 120 adolescents were grouped according to vaginal flora type: normal (n = 68 or bacterial vaginosis (n = 52. Their cytokine and sialidase levels were compared between the groups using the Mann-Whitney test (P < 0.05. RESULTS: The pregnant adolescents with bacterial vaginosis had higher levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8 (P < 0.05. Sialidase was solely detected in 35 adolescents (67.2% with bacterial vaginosis. CONCLUSIONS: Not only IL-1 beta and sialidase levels, but also IL-6 and IL-8 levels are higher in pregnant adolescents with bacterial vaginosis, thus indicating that this condition elicits a more pronounced inflammatory response in this population, which potentially increases vulnerability to STI acquisition.

  20. Quorum-sensing and cheating in bacterial biofilms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popat, Roman; Crusz, Shanika A.; Messina, Marco; Williams, Paul; West, Stuart A.; Diggle, Stephen P.

    2012-01-01

    The idea from human societies that self-interest can lead to a breakdown of cooperation at the group level is sometimes termed the public goods dilemma. We tested this idea in the opportunistic bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by examining the influence of putative cheats that do not cooperate via cell-to-cell signalling (quorum-sensing, QS). We found that: (i) QS cheating occurs in biofilm populations owing to exploitation of QS-regulated public goods; (ii) the thickness and density of biofilms was reduced by the presence of non-cooperative cheats; (iii) population growth was reduced by the presence of cheats, and this reduction was greater in biofilms than in planktonic populations; (iv) the susceptibility of biofilms to antibiotics was increased by the presence of cheats; and (v) coercing cooperator cells to increase their level of cooperation decreases the extent to which the presence of cheats reduces population productivity. Our results provide clear support that conflict over public goods reduces population fitness in bacterial biofilms, and that this effect is greater than in planktonic populations. Finally, we discuss the clinical implications that arise from altering the susceptibility to antibiotics. PMID:23034707

  1. Bacterial community changes in copper and PEX drinking water pipeline biofilms under extra disinfection and magnetic water treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inkinen, J; Jayaprakash, B; Ahonen, M; Pitkänen, T; Mäkinen, R; Pursiainen, A; Santo Domingo, J W; Salonen, H; Elk, M; Keinänen-Toivola, M M

    2018-02-01

    To study the stability of biofilms and water quality in pilot scale drinking water copper and PEX pipes in changing conditions (extra disinfection, magnetic water treatment, MWT). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) to describe total bacterial community and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to describe active bacterial members in addition to traditional microbiological methods were applied. Biofilms from control copper and PEX pipes shared same most abundant bacteria (Methylobacterium spp., Sphingomonas spp., Zymomonas spp.) and average species diversities (Shannon 3·8-4·2) in rDNA and rRNA libraries, whereas few of the taxa differed by their abundance such as lower total Mycobacterium spp. occurrence in copper (disinfection (total chlorine increase from c. 0·5 to 1 mg l -1 ) affected total and active population in biofilms seen as decrease in many bacterial species and diversity (Shannon 2·7, P disinfected copper and PEX samples formed separate clusters in unweighted non-metric multidimensional scaling plot (rRNA) similarly to MWT-treated biofilms of copper (but not PEX) pipes that instead showed higher species diversity (Shannon 4·8, P < 0·05 interaction). Minor chlorine dose addition increased selection pressure and many species were sensitive to chlorination. Pipe material seemed to affect mycobacteria occurrence, and bacterial communities with MWT in copper but not in PEX pipes. This study using rRNA showed that chlorination affects especially active fraction of bacterial communities. Copper and PEX differed by the occurrence of some bacterial members despite similar community profiles. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Bacterial Communities of Diverse Drosophila Species: Ecological Context of a Host–Microbe Model System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatnagar, Srijak; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Kopp, Artyom

    2011-01-01

    Drosophila melanogaster is emerging as an important model of non-pathogenic host–microbe interactions. The genetic and experimental tractability of Drosophila has led to significant gains in our understanding of animal–microbial symbiosis. However, the full implications of these results cannot be appreciated without the knowledge of the microbial communities associated with natural Drosophila populations. In particular, it is not clear whether laboratory cultures can serve as an accurate model of host–microbe interactions that occur in the wild, or those that have occurred over evolutionary time. To fill this gap, we characterized natural bacterial communities associated with 14 species of Drosophila and related genera collected from distant geographic locations. To represent the ecological diversity of Drosophilids, examined species included fruit-, flower-, mushroom-, and cactus-feeders. In parallel, wild host populations were compared to laboratory strains, and controlled experiments were performed to assess the importance of host species and diet in shaping bacterial microbiome composition. We find that Drosophilid flies have taxonomically restricted bacterial communities, with 85% of the natural bacterial microbiome composed of only four bacterial families. The dominant bacterial taxa are widespread and found in many different host species despite the taxonomic, ecological, and geographic diversity of their hosts. Both natural surveys and laboratory experiments indicate that host diet plays a major role in shaping the Drosophila bacterial microbiome. Despite this, the internal bacterial microbiome represents only a highly reduced subset of the external bacterial communities, suggesting that the host exercises some level of control over the bacteria that inhabit its digestive tract. Finally, we show that laboratory strains provide only a limited model of natural host–microbe interactions. Bacterial taxa used in experimental studies are rare or absent in

  3. Population Density Modulates Drug Inhibition and Gives Rise to Potential Bistability of Treatment Outcomes for Bacterial Infections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason Karslake

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The inoculum effect (IE is an increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of an antibiotic as a function of the initial size of a microbial population. The IE has been observed in a wide range of bacteria, implying that antibiotic efficacy may depend on population density. Such density dependence could have dramatic effects on bacterial population dynamics and potential treatment strategies, but explicit measures of per capita growth as a function of density are generally not available. Instead, the IE measures MIC as a function of initial population size, and population density changes by many orders of magnitude on the timescale of the experiment. Therefore, the functional relationship between population density and antibiotic inhibition is generally not known, leaving many questions about the impact of the IE on different treatment strategies unanswered. To address these questions, here we directly measured real-time per capita growth of Enterococcus faecalis populations exposed to antibiotic at fixed population densities using multiplexed computer-automated culture devices. We show that density-dependent growth inhibition is pervasive for commonly used antibiotics, with some drugs showing increased inhibition and others decreased inhibition at high densities. For several drugs, the density dependence is mediated by changes in extracellular pH, a community-level phenomenon not previously linked with the IE. Using a simple mathematical model, we demonstrate how this density dependence can modulate population dynamics in constant drug environments. Then, we illustrate how time-dependent dosing strategies can mitigate the negative effects of density-dependence. Finally, we show that these density effects lead to bistable treatment outcomes for a wide range of antibiotic concentrations in a pharmacological model of antibiotic treatment. As a result, infections exceeding a critical density often survive otherwise effective treatments.

  4. Population structure of Helicobacter pylori among ethnic groups in Malaysia: recent acquisition of the bacterium by the Malay population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawes Ian W

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori is a major gastric bacterial pathogen. This pathogen has been shown to follow the routes of human migration by their geographical origin and currently the global H. pylori population has been divided into six ancestral populations, three from Africa, two from Asia and one from Europe. Malaysia is made up of three major ethnic populations, Malay, Chinese and Indian, providing a good population for studying recent H. pylori migration and admixture. Results Seventy eight H. pylori isolates, including 27 Chinese, 35 Indian and 16 Malay isolates from Malaysia were analysed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST of seven housekeeping genes and compared with the global MLST data. STRUCTURE analysis assigned the isolates to previously identified H. pylori ancestral populations, hpEastAsia, hpAsia2 and hpEurope, and revealed a new subpopulation, hspIndia, within hpAsia2. Statistical analysis allowed us to identify population segregation sites that divide the H. pylori populations and the subpopulations. The majority of Malay isolates were found to be grouped together with Indian isolates. Conclusion The majority of the Malay and Indian H. pylori isolates share the same origin while the Malaysian Chinese H. pylori is distinctive. The Malay population, known to have a low infection rate of H. pylori, was likely to be initially H. pylori free and gained the pathogen only recently from cross infection from other populations.

  5. Daily variations in pathogenic bacterial populations in a monsoon influenced tropical environment

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Khandeparker, L.; Anil, A.C.; Naik, S.D.; Gaonkar, C.C.

    and an assessment of the health of such an ecosystem benefits from high resolution observations. Virulent pathogenic Vibrio species are expected more frequently in tropical marine environments, since the virulence gene expression seems to increase at elevated... cells ml−1 (July 2009) to 5.9 x 107 cells ml−1 (February 2011) (Fig. 2b). Inter annual variations point out that the total bacterial abundance increased 5 from 2009 to 2011, while the viable bacterial numbers decreased. Complex physical, chemical...

  6. Sampling the light-organ microenvironment of Euprymna scolopes: description of a population of host cells in association with the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyholm, S V; McFall-Ngai, M J

    1998-10-01

    The symbiosis between the squid Euprymna scolopes and the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri has a pronounced diel rhythm, one component of which is the venting of the contents of the light organ into the surrounding seawater each day at dawn. In this study, we explored the use of this behavior to sample the microenvironment of the light-organ crypts. Intact crypt contents, which emerge from the lateral pores of the organ as a thick paste-like exudate, were collected from anesthetized host animals that had been exposed to a light cue. Microscopy revealed that the expelled material is composed of a conspicuous population of host cells in association with the bacterial symbionts, all of which are embedded in a dense acellular matrix that strongly resembles the bacteria-based biofilms described in other systems. Assays of the viability of expelled crypt cells revealed no dead bacterial symbionts and a mixture of live and dead host cells. Analyses of the ultrastructure, biochemistry, and phagocytic activity of a subset of the host cell population suggested that some of these cells are macrophage-like molluscan hemocytes.

  7. Sharing Elderly Healthcare information on Cloud Computing

    OpenAIRE

    Lu, Fangjie; Khan, Israr

    2012-01-01

    Context: Due to rapid increase in the population of elderly people, sharing healthcare information has become an essential requirement for the development of e-health system. By conducting a research in e-health and cloud computing we have explored the advantages and disadvantages of sharing healthcare information for elderly people through cloud computing. Objectives: The main purpose of this research is to investigate the suitability of cloud computing to share healthcare information. The s...

  8. Direct access inter-process shared memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brightwell, Ronald B; Pedretti, Kevin; Hudson, Trammell B

    2013-10-22

    A technique for directly sharing physical memory between processes executing on processor cores is described. The technique includes loading a plurality of processes into the physical memory for execution on a corresponding plurality of processor cores sharing the physical memory. An address space is mapped to each of the processes by populating a first entry in a top level virtual address table for each of the processes. The address space of each of the processes is cross-mapped into each of the processes by populating one or more subsequent entries of the top level virtual address table with the first entry in the top level virtual address table from other processes.

  9. Effect of Condensed Tannins on Bacterial Diversity and Metabolic Activity in the Rat Gastrointestinal Tract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Alexandra H.; Mackie, Roderick I.

    2004-01-01

    The effect of dietary condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) on rat fecal bacterial populations was ascertained in order to determine whether the proportion on tannin-resistant bacteria increased and if there was a change in the predominant bacterial populations. After 3 weeks of tannin diets the proportion of tannin-resistant bacteria increased significantly (P tannin diet and to 47.2% ± 5.1% with a 2% tannin diet. The proportion of tannin-resistant bacteria returned to preexposure levels in the absence of dietary tannins. A shift in bacterial populations was confirmed by molecular fingerprinting of fecal bacterial populations by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Posttreatment samples were generally still distinguishable from controls after 3.5 weeks. Sequence analysis of DGGE bands and characterization of tannin-resistant isolates indicated that tannins selected for Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroides species. Dot blot quantification confirmed that these gram-negative bacterial groups predominated in the presence of dietary tannins and that there was a corresponding decrease in the gram-positive Clostridium leptum group and other groups. Metabolic fingerprint patterns revealed that functional activities of culturable fecal bacteria were affected by the presence of tannins. Condensed tannins of Acacia angustissima altered fecal bacterial populations in the rat gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a shift in the predominant bacteria towards tannin-resistant gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroides species. PMID:14766594

  10. 不同种植模式烟田土壤细菌种群特征与青枯病发生的关系%Relationship between soil bacterial population characteristics and bacterial wilt in tobacco field under different planting patterns

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    穰中文; 朱三荣; 田峰; 袁谋志; 陈武; 戴林建

    2018-01-01

    为明确烟田细菌种群特征与烤烟青枯病发生的相互关系,采用Miseq高通量测序技术及生物信息学分析方法,研究了烟草连作(连作4年、8年和12年),轮作(烟草-玉米、烟草-百合、烟草-萝卜),绿肥(黑麦草、箭舌豌豆和油菜)还田等种植模式下烟田耕层土壤的细菌种群特征.结果表明:连作年限越长,烟田土壤细菌多样性与均一度越低,土壤细菌生态网络趋于松散,青枯病害发生更为严重,连作8年与12年烤烟青枯病发病率分别为连作4年的33.60倍与33.69倍;烟草-玉米轮作与黑麦草还田可明显改善烟田细菌群落结构,在青枯病发病盛期,土壤细菌多样性指数分别为6.42与6.92,均一度指数分别为0.81与0.85,青枯病发病率相对较低,分别较烟草连作降低59.26%与95.80%;发病盛期,烟田土壤酸杆菌门和总病原菌的种群丰度与烟草青枯病的发病率呈正相关,放线菌门与烟草青枯病发病率呈负相关.%In order to clarify the relationship between the characteristics of bacterial population and the occurrence of bacterial wilt in flue-cured tobacco, characteristics of soil bacterial population in tobacco fields under different cropping patterns, including continuous cropping (4 years, 8 years and 12 years), rotation methods (tobacco-maize, tobacco-lily and tobacco-radish) and green manure (ryegrass, common vetch and rape) returning to field were analyzed by using Miseq High-Throughput sequencing technique and bioinformatics. Results showed that the longer the continuous cropping underwent, the lower the soil bacterial diversity and homogeneity exhibited in tobacco fields, with loose bacterial ecological networks and bacterial wilt occurrence rate more seriously. The incidence rates of bacterial wilt with successive 8 years and 12 years of continuous cropping were 33.60 times and 33.69 times higher than that with 4 years of continuous cropping, respectively. Tobacco-corn rotation and

  11. Modelling within-host spatiotemporal dynamics of invasive bacterial disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew J Grant

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Mechanistic determinants of bacterial growth, death, and spread within mammalian hosts cannot be fully resolved studying a single bacterial population. They are also currently poorly understood. Here, we report on the application of sophisticated experimental approaches to map spatiotemporal population dynamics of bacteria during an infection. We analyzed heterogeneous traits of simultaneous infections with tagged Salmonella enterica populations (wild-type isogenic tagged strains [WITS] in wild-type and gene-targeted mice. WITS are phenotypically identical but can be distinguished and enumerated by quantitative PCR, making it possible, using probabilistic models, to estimate bacterial death rate based on the disappearance of strains through time. This multidisciplinary approach allowed us to establish the timing, relative occurrence, and immune control of key infection parameters in a true host-pathogen combination. Our analyses support a model in which shortly after infection, concomitant death and rapid bacterial replication lead to the establishment of independent bacterial subpopulations in different organs, a process controlled by host antimicrobial mechanisms. Later, decreased microbial mortality leads to an exponential increase in the number of bacteria that spread locally, with subsequent mixing of bacteria between organs via bacteraemia and further stochastic selection. This approach provides us with an unprecedented outlook on the pathogenesis of S. enterica infections, illustrating the complex spatial and stochastic effects that drive an infectious disease. The application of the novel method that we present in appropriate and diverse host-pathogen combinations, together with modelling of the data that result, will facilitate a comprehensive view of the spatial and stochastic nature of within-host dynamics.

  12. Bacterial Abundance and Activity across Sites within Two Northern Wisconsin Sphagnum Bogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher; Graham; Graham

    1998-11-01

    Abstract Bacterial abundance, temperature, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration were compared across surface sites within and between two northern Wisconsin Sphagnum peatlands over the summer seasons in 1995 and 1996. Sites of interest were the Sphagnum mat surface, the water-filled moat (lagg) at the bog margin, and the bog lake littoral zone. Significant differences in both bacterial populations and water chemistry were observed between sites. pH was highest in the lake and lowest in the mat at both bogs; the opposite was true for DOC. Large populations of bacteria were present in surface interstitial water from the mat; abundance in this site was consistently higher than in the moat or lake. Bacterial abundance also increased across sites of increasing DOC concentration and declining pH. Bacterial activities (rates of [3H]leucine incorporation) and growth in dilution cultures (with grazers removed) were also assessed in lake, moat, and mat sites. Results using these measures generally supported the trends observed in abundance, although high rates of [3H]leucine incorporation were recorded in the moat at one of the bogs. Our results indicate that bacterial populations in Sphagnum peatlands are not adversely affected by acidity, and that DOC may be more important than pH in determining bacterial abundance in these environments.

  13. Bacterial diversity among four healthcare-associated institutes in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chang-Hua; Lin, Yaw-Ling; Chen, Kuan-Hsueh; Chen, Wen-Pei; Chen, Zhao-Feng; Kuo, Han-Yueh; Hung, Hsueh-Fen; Tang, Chuan Yi; Liou, Ming-Li

    2017-08-15

    Indoor microbial communities have important implications for human health, especially in health-care institutes (HCIs). The factors that determine the diversity and composition of microbiomes in a built environment remain unclear. Herein, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the relationships between building attributes and surface bacterial communities among four HCIs located in three buildings. We examined the surface bacterial communities and environmental parameters in the buildings supplied with different ventilation types and compared the results using a Dirichlet multinomial mixture (DMM)-based approach. A total of 203 samples from the four HCIs were analyzed. Four bacterial communities were grouped using the DMM-based approach, which were highly similar to those in the 4 HCIs. The α-diversity and β-diversity in the naturally ventilated building were different from the conditioner-ventilated building. The bacterial source composition varied across each building. Nine genera were found as the core microbiota shared by all the areas, of which Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus are regarded as healthcare-associated pathogens (HAPs). The observed relationship between environmental parameters such as core microbiota and surface bacterial diversity suggests that we might manage indoor environments by creating new sanitation protocols, adjusting the ventilation design, and further understanding the transmission routes of HAPs.

  14. Bacterial cheating limits antibiotic resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao Chao, Hui; Yurtsev, Eugene; Datta, Manoshi; Artemova, Tanya; Gore, Jeff

    2012-02-01

    The widespread use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistance in bacteria. Bacteria can gain resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin by acquiring a plasmid carrying the gene beta-lactamase, which inactivates the antibiotic. This inactivation may represent a cooperative behavior, as the entire bacterial population benefits from removing the antibiotic. The cooperative nature of this growth suggests that a cheater strain---which does not contribute to breaking down the antibiotic---may be able to take advantage of cells cooperatively inactivating the antibiotic. Here we find experimentally that a ``sensitive'' bacterial strain lacking the plasmid conferring resistance can invade a population of resistant bacteria, even in antibiotic concentrations that should kill the sensitive strain. We observe stable coexistence between the two strains and find that a simple model successfully explains the behavior as a function of antibiotic concentration and cell density. We anticipate that our results will provide insight into the evolutionary origin of phenotypic diversity and cooperative behaviors.

  15. Low Maternal Microbiota Sharing across Gut, Breast Milk and Vagina, as Revealed by 16S rRNA Gene and Reduced Metagenomic Sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekaterina Avershina

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The maternal microbiota plays an important role in infant gut colonization. In this work we have investigated which bacterial species are shared across the breast milk, vaginal and stool microbiotas of 109 women shortly before and after giving birth using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a novel reduced metagenomic sequencing (RMS approach in a subgroup of 16 women. All the species predicted by the 16S rRNA gene sequencing were also detected by RMS analysis and there was good correspondence between their relative abundances estimated by both approaches. Both approaches also demonstrate a low level of maternal microbiota sharing across the population and RMS analysis identified only two species common to most women and in all sample types (Bifidobacterium longum and Enterococcus faecalis. Breast milk was the only sample type that had significantly higher intra- than inter- individual similarity towards both vaginal and stool samples. We also searched our RMS dataset against an in silico generated reference database derived from bacterial isolates in the Human Microbiome Project. The use of this reference-based search enabled further separation of Bifidobacterium longum into Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis. We also detected the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain, which was used as a probiotic supplement by some women, demonstrating the potential of RMS approach for deeper taxonomic delineation and estimation.

  16. Efeito do cultivo da soja na dinâmica da população bacteriana, em solos de cerrado Effects of soybean cultivation on the bacterial population dynamics in cerrado soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JOÃO CARLOS PEREIRA

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a influência do cultivo da soja sobre a dinâmica da população bacteriana, em dois solos de Cerrado do Estado de São Paulo, originalmente cobertos com Paspalum notatum (em Barretos e Brachiaria decumbens (em S��o Carlos. Nesses solos, a densidade da população de bactérias em geral variou de 398,1 x 10³ a 467,7 x 10³ e de 123 x 10³ a 218,8 x 10³ ufc (unidades formadoras de colônias/g de solo seco, respectivamente. O cultivo da soja, em ambos os solos, resultou em incrementos variados nos números de ufc/g de solo seco da população de bactérias em geral, das resistentes aos antibióticos estreptomicina e cloranfenicol, e de actinomicetos. A população de actinomicetos ocorreu no solo principalmente como esporos, e as variações das relações esporos/hifas entre os solos não-rizosférico e rizosférico não foram significativas. Os resultados evidenciam que o cultivo da soja influenciou de forma diferenciada a população desses solos.The effect of soybean cultivation on the population dynamics of the bacterial community was evaluated in two "Cerrado" soils of São Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental areas, in the vicinities of the cities of São Carlos and Barretos, were previously cultivated, respectively, with Paspalum notatum and Brachiaria decumbens. The bacterial population densities in these soils varied from 398.1 x 10³ to 467.7 x 10³ cfu (colony forming units and from 123 x 10³ to 218.8 x 10³ cfu/g of dried soil, respectively, in São Carlos and Barretos soils. Soybean cultivation in both soils resulted in increments in the total bacterial population density, in the actinomycetes population, and in the bacterial population resistant to the antibiotics streptomycin and chloramphenicol. Actinomycetes were present in these soils mainly as spores. Soybean cultivation did not alter the actinomycetes spores/hyphae ratio when comparing rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soils

  17. Bacterial composition in a metropolitan drinking water distribution system utilizing different source waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Alvarez, Vicente; Humrighouse, Ben W; Revetta, Randy P; Santo Domingo, Jorge W

    2015-03-01

    We investigated the bacterial composition of water samples from two service areas within a drinking water distribution system (DWDS), each associated with a different primary source of water (groundwater, GW; surface water, SW) and different treatment process. Community analysis based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicated that Actinobacteria (Mycobacterium spp.) and α-Proteobacteria represented nearly 43 and 38% of the total sequences, respectively. Sequences closely related to Legionella, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio spp. were also identified. In spite of the high number of sequences (71%) shared in both areas, multivariable analysis revealed significant differences between the GW and SW areas. While the dominant phylotypes where not significantly contributing in the ordination of samples, the populations associated with the core of phylotypes (1-10% in each sample) significantly contributed to the differences between both service areas. Diversity indices indicate that the microbial community inhabiting the SW area is more diverse and contains more distantly related species coexisting with local assemblages as compared with the GW area. The bacterial community structure of SW and GW service areas were dissimilar, suggesting that their respective source water and/or water quality parameters shaped by the treatment processes may contribute to the differences in community structure observed.

  18. The Bacterial Sequential Markov Coalescent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Maio, Nicola; Wilson, Daniel J

    2017-05-01

    Bacteria can exchange and acquire new genetic material from other organisms directly and via the environment. This process, known as bacterial recombination, has a strong impact on the evolution of bacteria, for example, leading to the spread of antibiotic resistance across clades and species, and to the avoidance of clonal interference. Recombination hinders phylogenetic and transmission inference because it creates patterns of substitutions (homoplasies) inconsistent with the hypothesis of a single evolutionary tree. Bacterial recombination is typically modeled as statistically akin to gene conversion in eukaryotes, i.e. , using the coalescent with gene conversion (CGC). However, this model can be very computationally demanding as it needs to account for the correlations of evolutionary histories of even distant loci. So, with the increasing popularity of whole genome sequencing, the need has emerged for a faster approach to model and simulate bacterial genome evolution. We present a new model that approximates the coalescent with gene conversion: the bacterial sequential Markov coalescent (BSMC). Our approach is based on a similar idea to the sequential Markov coalescent (SMC)-an approximation of the coalescent with crossover recombination. However, bacterial recombination poses hurdles to a sequential Markov approximation, as it leads to strong correlations and linkage disequilibrium across very distant sites in the genome. Our BSMC overcomes these difficulties, and shows a considerable reduction in computational demand compared to the exact CGC, and very similar patterns in simulated data. We implemented our BSMC model within new simulation software FastSimBac. In addition to the decreased computational demand compared to previous bacterial genome evolution simulators, FastSimBac provides more general options for evolutionary scenarios, allowing population structure with migration, speciation, population size changes, and recombination hotspots. FastSimBac is

  19. [Bacterial vaginosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero Herrero, Daniel; Andreu Domingo, Antonia

    2016-07-01

    Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the main cause of vaginal dysbacteriosis in the women during the reproductive age. It is an entity in which many studies have focused for years and which is still open for discussion topics. This is due to the diversity of microorganisms that cause it and therefore, its difficult treatment. Bacterial vaginosis is probably the result of vaginal colonization by complex bacterial communities, many of them non-cultivable and with interdependent metabolism where anaerobic populations most likely play an important role in its pathogenesis. The main symptoms are an increase of vaginal discharge and the unpleasant smell of it. It can lead to serious consequences for women, such as an increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus and upper genital tract and pregnancy complications. Gram stain is the gold standard for microbiological diagnosis of BV, but can also be diagnosed using the Amsel clinical criteria. It should not be considered a sexually transmitted disease but it is highly related to sex. Recurrence is the main problem of medical treatment. Apart from BV, there are other dysbacteriosis less characterized like aerobic vaginitis of which further studies are coming slowly but are achieving more attention and consensus among specialists. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  20. Structural Characterization and Oligomerization of the TssL Protein, a Component Shared by Bacterial Type VI and Type IVb Secretion Systems*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Eric; Zoued, Abdelrahim; Spinelli, Silvia; Watson, Paul J. H.; Aschtgen, Marie-Stéphanie; Journet, Laure; Cambillau, Christian; Cascales, Eric

    2012-01-01

    The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a macromolecular system distributed in Gram-negative bacteria, responsible for the secretion of effector proteins into target cells. The T6SS has a broad versatility as it can target both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. It is therefore involved in host pathogenesis or killing neighboring bacterial cells to colonize a new niche. At the architecture level, the T6SS core apparatus is composed of 13 proteins, which assemble in two subcomplexes. One of these subcomplexes, composed of subunits that share structural similarities with bacteriophage tail and baseplate components, is anchored to the cell envelope by the membrane subcomplex. This latter is constituted of at least three proteins, TssL, TssM, and TssJ. The crystal structure of the TssJ outer membrane lipoprotein and its interaction with the inner membrane TssM protein have been recently reported. TssL and TssM share sequence homology and characteristics with two components of the Type IVb secretion system (T4bSS), IcmH/DotU and IcmF, respectively. In this study, we report the crystal structure of the cytoplasmic domain of the TssL inner membrane protein from the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Sci-1 T6SS. It folds as a hook-like structure composed of two three-helix bundles. Two TssL molecules associate to form a functional complex. Although the TssL trans-membrane segment is the main determinant of self-interaction, contacts between the cytoplasmic domains are required for TssL function. Based on sequence homology and secondary structure prediction, we propose that the TssL structure is the prototype for the members of the TssL and IcmH/DotU families. PMID:22371492

  1. Biomimicry of quorum sensing using bacterial lifecycle model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Ben; Wang, Hong; Duan, Qiqi; Li, Li

    2013-01-01

    Recent microbiologic studies have shown that quorum sensing mechanisms, which serve as one of the fundamental requirements for bacterial survival, exist widely in bacterial intra- and inter-species cell-cell communication. Many simulation models, inspired by the social behavior of natural organisms, are presented to provide new approaches for solving realistic optimization problems. Most of these simulation models follow population-based modelling approaches, where all the individuals are updated according to the same rules. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the diversity of the population. In this paper, we present a computational model termed LCM-QS, which simulates the bacterial quorum-sensing (QS) mechanism using an individual-based modelling approach under the framework of Agent-Environment-Rule (AER) scheme, i.e. bacterial lifecycle model (LCM). LCM-QS model can be classified into three main sub-models: chemotaxis with QS sub-model, reproduction and elimination sub-model and migration sub-model. The proposed model is used to not only imitate the bacterial evolution process at the single-cell level, but also concentrate on the study of bacterial macroscopic behaviour. Comparative experiments under four different scenarios have been conducted in an artificial 3-D environment with nutrients and noxious distribution. Detailed study on bacterial chemotatic processes with quorum sensing and without quorum sensing are compared. By using quorum sensing mechanisms, artificial bacteria working together can find the nutrient concentration (or global optimum) quickly in the artificial environment. Biomimicry of quorum sensing mechanisms using the lifecycle model allows the artificial bacteria endowed with the communication abilities, which are essential to obtain more valuable information to guide their search cooperatively towards the preferred nutrient concentrations. It can also provide an inspiration for designing new swarm intelligence optimization algorithms

  2. Antagonistic interactions are sufficient to explain self-assemblage of bacterial communities in a homogeneous environment: a computational modeling approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Román eZapién-Campos

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Most of the studies in Ecology have been devoted to analyzing the effects the environment has on individuals, populations, and communities, thus neglecting the effects of biotic interactions on the system dynamics. In the present work we study the structure of bacterial communities in the oligotrophic shallow water system of Churince, Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico. Since the physicochemical conditions of this water system are homogeneous and quite stable in time, it is an excellent candidate to study how biotic factors influence the structure of bacterial communities. In a previous study, the binary antagonistic interactions of 78 bacterial strains, isolated from Churince, were experimentally determined. We employ these data to develop a computer algorithm to simulate growth experiments in a cellular grid representing the pond. Remarkably, in our model, the dynamics of all the simulated bacterial populations is determined solely by antagonistic interactions. Our results indicate that all bacterial strains (even those that are antagonized by many other bacteria survive in the long term, and that the underlying mechanism is the formation of bacterial community patches. Patches corresponding to less antagonistic and highly susceptible strains are consistently isolated from the highly-antagonistic bacterial colonies by patches of neutral strains. These results concur with the observed features of the bacterial community structure previously reported. Finally, we study how our findings depend on factors like initial population size, differential population growth rates, homogeneous population death rates, and enhanced bacterial diffusion.

  3. Recent divergence, intercontinental dispersal and shared polymorphism are shaping the genetic structure of amphi-Atlantic peatmoss populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szövényi, P; Terracciano, S; Ricca, M; Giordano, S; Shaw, A J

    2008-12-01

    Several lines of evidence suggest that recent long-distance dispersal may have been important in the evolution of intercontinental distribution ranges of bryophytes. However, the absolute rate of intercontinental migration and its relative role in the development of certain distribution ranges is still poorly understood. To this end, the genetic structure of intercontinental populations of six peatmoss species showing an amphi-Atlantic distribution was investigated using microsatellite markers. Methods relying on the coalescent were applied (IM and MIGRATE) to understand the evolution of this distribution pattern in peatmosses. Intercontinental populations of the six peatmoss species were weakly albeit significantly differentiated (average F(ST) = 0.104). This suggests that the North Atlantic Ocean is acting as a barrier to gene flow even in bryophytes adapted to long-range dispersal. The im analysis suggested a relatively recent split of intercontinental populations dating back to the last two glacial periods (9000-289,000 years ago). In contrast to previous hypotheses, analyses indicated that both ongoing migration and ancestral polymorphism are important in explaining the intercontinental genetic similarity of peatmoss populations, but their relative contribution varies with species. Migration rates were significantly asymmetric towards America suggesting differential extinction of genotypes on the two continents or invasion of the American continent by European lineages. These results indicate that low genetic divergence of amphi-Atlantic populations is a general pattern across numerous flowering plants and bryophytes. However, in bryophytes, ongoing intercontinental gene flow and retained shared ancestral polymorphism must both be considered to explain the genetic similarity of intercontinental populations.

  4. Shared Bacterial and Viral Respiratory Agents in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis, Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries, and Goats (Capra hircus in Montana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Miller

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Transmission of infectious agents from livestock reservoirs has been hypothesized to cause respiratory disease outbreaks in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis, and land management policies intended to limit this transmission have proven controversial. This cross-sectional study compares the infectious agents present in multiple populations of bighorn sheep near to and distant from their interface with domestic sheep (O. aries and domestic goat (Capra hircus and provides critical baseline information needed for interpretations of cross-species transmission risks. Bighorn sheep and livestock shared exposure to Pasteurellaceae, viral, and endoparasite agents. In contrast, although the impact is uncertain, Mycoplasma sp. was isolated from livestock but not bighorn sheep. These results may be the result of historic cross-species transmission of agents that has resulted in a mosaic of endemic and exotic agents. Future work using longitudinal and multiple population comparisons is needed to rigorously establish the risk of outbreaks from cross-species transmission of infectious agents.

  5. Shared bacterial and viral respiratory agents in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), domestic sheep (Ovis aries), and goats (Capra hircus) in Montana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, David S.; Weiser, Glen C.; Aune, Keith; Roeder, Brent; Atkinson, Mark; Anderson, Neil; Roffe, Thomas J.; Keating, Kim A.; Chapman, Phillip L.; Kimberling, Cleon; Rhyan, Jack C.; Clarke, P. Ryan

    2011-01-01

    Transmission of infectious agents from livestock reservoirs has been hypothesized to cause respiratory disease outbreaks in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and land management policies intended to limit this transmission have proven controversial. This cross-sectional study compares the infectious agents present in multiple populations of bighorn sheep near to and distant from their interface with domestic sheep (O. aries) and domestic goat (Capra hircus) and provides critical baseline information needed for interpretations of cross-species transmission risks. Bighorn sheep and livestock shared exposure to Pasteurellaceae, viral, and endoparasite agents. In contrast, although the impact is uncertain, Mycoplasma sp. was isolated from livestock but not bighorn sheep. These results may be the result of historic cross-species transmission of agents that has resulted in a mosaic of endemic and exotic agents. Future work using longitudinal and multiple population comparisons is needed to rigorously establish the risk of outbreaks from cross-species transmission of infectious agents.

  6. Inheritance and identification of SCAR marker linked to bacterial wilt ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the present work, the combinations (F1) were crossed between highly resistant and susceptible to bacterial wilt eggplant parents and its F2, BC1 segregation population plants were inoculated with race1 of Ralstonia solanacearum in greenhouse. In this paper, we reported that the inheritance of bacterial wilt resistance in ...

  7. Sewage reflects the microbiomes of human populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, Ryan J; McLellan, Sandra L; Dila, Deborah K; Vineis, Joseph H; Morrison, Hilary G; Eren, A Murat; Sogin, Mitchell L

    2015-02-24

    , financial considerations and privacy concerns limit the number of individuals who can be screened. By analyzing sewage from 71 cities, we demonstrate that geographically distributed U.S. populations share a small set of bacteria whose members represent various common community states within U.S. adults. Cities were differentiated by their sewage bacterial communities, and the community structures were good predictors of a city's estimated level of obesity. Our approach demonstrates the use of sewage as a means to sample the fecal microbiota from millions of people and its potential to elucidate microbiome patterns associated with human demographics. Copyright © 2015 Newton et al.

  8. Sharing reference data and including cows in the reference population improve genomic predictions in Danish Jersey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, G; Ma, P; Nielsen, U S; Aamand, G P; Wiggans, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Lund, M S

    2016-06-01

    Small reference populations limit the accuracy of genomic prediction in numerically small breeds, such like Danish Jersey. The objective of this study was to investigate two approaches to improve genomic prediction by increasing size of reference population in Danish Jersey. The first approach was to include North American Jersey bulls in Danish Jersey reference population. The second was to genotype cows and use them as reference animals. The validation of genomic prediction was carried out on bulls and cows, respectively. In validation on bulls, about 300 Danish bulls (depending on traits) born in 2005 and later were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1050 Danish bulls, (2) about 1050 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls. In validation on cows, about 3000 Danish cows from 87 young half-sib families were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1250 Danish bulls, (2) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls, (3) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 4800 cows, (4) about 1250 Danish bulls, 1150 US bulls and 4800 Danish cows. Genomic best linear unbiased prediction model was used to predict breeding values. De-regressed proofs were used as response variables. In the validation on bulls for eight traits, the joint DK-US bull reference population led to higher reliability of genomic prediction than the DK bull reference population for six traits, but not for fertility and longevity. Averaged over the eight traits, the gain was 3 percentage points. In the validation on cows for six traits (fertility and longevity were not available), the gain from inclusion of US bull in reference population was 6.6 percentage points in average over the six traits, and the gain from inclusion of cows was 8.2 percentage points. However, the gains from cows and US bulls were not accumulative. The total gain of including both US bulls and Danish cows was 10.5 percentage points. The results indicate that sharing reference

  9. Purification of antibodies to bacterial antigens by an immunoadsorbent and a method to quantify their reaction with insoluble bacterial targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathews, H.L.; Minden, P.

    1979-01-01

    A combination of procedures was employed to develop a radioimmunoassay which quantified the binding of antibodies to antigens of either intact Propionibacterium acnes or to antigens of insoluble extracts derived from the bacteria. Reactive antibody populations were purified by use of bacterial immunoadsorbents which were prepared by coupling P. acnes to diethylaminoethyl cellulose. Binding of antibodies was detected with [ 125 I]staphylococcal protein A ([ 125 I]SpA) and optimal conditions for the assay defined by varying the amounts of antibodies, bacterial antigenic targets and [ 125 I]SpA. In antibody excess, 100% of available [ 125 I]SpA was bound by the target-antibody complexes. However, when antibody concentration was limiting, a linear relationship was demonstrated between per cent specific binding of[ 125 I]SpA and antibodies bound to bacterial targets. These results were achieved only with immunoadsorbent-purified antibody populations and not with hyperimmune sera or IgG. The radioimmunoassay detected subtle antigenic differences and similarities between P. acnes, P. acnes extracts and a variety of unrelated microorganisms. (Auth.)

  10. Response of single bacterial cells to stress gives rise to complex history dependence at the population level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathis, Roland; Ackermann, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Most bacteria live in ever-changing environments where periods of stress are common. One fundamental question is whether individual bacterial cells have an increased tolerance to stress if they recently have been exposed to lower levels of the same stressor. To address this question, we worked with the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and asked whether exposure to a moderate concentration of sodium chloride would affect survival during later exposure to a higher concentration. We found that the effects measured at the population level depended in a surprising and complex way on the time interval between the two exposure events: The effect of the first exposure on survival of the second exposure was positive for some time intervals but negative for others. We hypothesized that the complex pattern of history dependence at the population level was a consequence of the responses of individual cells to sodium chloride that we observed: (i) exposure to moderate concentrations of sodium chloride caused delays in cell division and led to cell-cycle synchronization, and (ii) whether a bacterium would survive subsequent exposure to higher concentrations was dependent on the cell-cycle state. Using computational modeling, we demonstrated that indeed the combination of these two effects could explain the complex patterns of history dependence observed at the population level. Our insight into how the behavior of single cells scales up to processes at the population level provides a perspective on how organisms operate in dynamic environments with fluctuating stress exposure. PMID:26960998

  11. Simultaneous profiling of seed-associated bacteria and fungi reveals antagonistic interactions between microorganisms within a shared epiphytic microbiome on Triticum and Brassica seeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Links, Matthew G; Demeke, Tigst; Gräfenhan, Tom; Hill, Janet E; Hemmingsen, Sean M; Dumonceaux, Tim J

    2014-01-01

    In order to address the hypothesis that seeds from ecologically and geographically diverse plants harbor characteristic epiphytic microbiota, we characterized the bacterial and fungal microbiota associated with Triticum and Brassica seed surfaces. The total microbial complement was determined by amplification and sequencing of a fragment of chaperonin 60 (cpn60). Specific microorganisms were quantified by qPCR. Bacteria and fungi corresponding to operational taxonomic units (OTU) that were identified in the sequencing study were isolated and their interactions examined. A total of 5477 OTU were observed from seed washes. Neither total epiphytic bacterial load nor community richness/evenness was significantly different between the seed types; 578 OTU were shared among all samples at a variety of abundances. Hierarchical clustering revealed that 203 were significantly different in abundance on Triticum seeds compared with Brassica. Microorganisms isolated from seeds showed 99–100% identity between the cpn60 sequences of the isolates and the OTU sequences from this shared microbiome. Bacterial strains identified as Pantoea agglomerans had antagonistic properties toward one of the fungal isolates (Alternaria sp.), providing a possible explanation for their reciprocal abundances on both Triticum and Brassica seeds. cpn60 enabled the simultaneous profiling of bacterial and fungal microbiota and revealed a core seed-associated microbiota shared between diverse plant genera. PMID:24444052

  12. The Bacterial Microflora of Fish, Revised

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Austin

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of numerous studies indicate that fish possess bacterial populations on or in their skin, gills, digestive tract, and light-emitting organs. In addition, the internal organs (kidney, liver, and spleen of healthy fish may contain bacteria, but there is debate about whether or not muscle is actually sterile. Using traditional culture-dependent techniques, the numbers and taxonomic composition of the bacterial populations generally reflect those of the surrounding water. More modern culture-independent approaches have permitted the recognition of previously uncultured bacteria. The role of the organisms includes the ability to degrade complex molecules (therefore exercising a potential benefit in nutrition, to produce vitamins and polymers, and to be responsible for the emission of light by the light-emitting organs of deep-sea fish. Taxa, including Pseudomonas, may contribute to spoilage by the production of histamines in fish tissue.

  13. Ex situ diet influences the bacterial community associated with the skin of red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachael E Antwis

    Full Text Available Amphibians support symbiotic bacterial communities on their skin that protect against a range of infectious pathogens, including the amphibian chytrid fungus. The conditions under which amphibians are maintained in captivity (e.g. diet, substrate, enrichment in ex situ conservation programmes may affect the composition of the bacterial community. In addition, ex situ amphibian populations may support different bacterial communities in comparison to in situ populations of the same species. This could have implications for the suitability of populations intended for reintroduction, as well as the success of probiotic bacterial inoculations intended to provide amphibians with a bacterial community that resists invasion by the chytrid fungus. We aimed to investigate the effect of a carotenoid-enriched diet on the culturable bacterial community associated with captive red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas and make comparisons to bacteria isolated from a wild population from the Chiquibul Rainforest in Belize. We successfully showed carotenoid availability influences the overall community composition, species richness and abundance of the bacterial community associated with the skin of captive frogs, with A. callidryas fed a carotenoid-enriched diet supporting a greater species richness and abundance of bacteria than those fed a carotenoid-free diet. Our results suggest that availability of carotenoids in the diet of captive frogs is likely to be beneficial for the bacterial community associated with the skin. We also found wild A. callidryas hosted more than double the number of different bacterial species than captive frogs with very little commonality between species. This suggests frogs in captivity may support a reduced and diverged bacterial community in comparison to wild populations of the same species, which could have particular relevance for ex situ conservation projects.

  14. The relationships between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids to ruminal fermentation parameters and bacterial populations with different dietary ratios of forage and concentrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Y; Liu, K; Hao, X; Xin, H

    2017-12-01

    The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different dietary ratios of forage and concentrate (F:C) on ruminal odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs) contents and to evaluate the relationships between OBCFA and ruminal fermentation parameters as well as bacterial populations tested by real-time PCR technique. The experimental design was a 3 × 3 Latin square. Three rumen-fistulated dry Holstein cows were fed three rations with different dietary F:C ratios (F:C; 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30). The rumen samples were collected every two hours (0600, 0800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 0200 and 0400 h) over three consecutive days in each sampling period. The results showed that rumen OBCFA profiles are significantly (p ruminal OBCFAs had strong relationships with ruminal fermentation parameters and bacterial populations. In particular, the iso-fatty acids had potential power to predict butyrate and isoacids metabolized in the rumen, whereas the fatty acids with 17 carbon atoms correlated with ruminal NH 3 -N content. The OBCFA contents have different relationships with fibrolytic and starch bacteria in the rumen. C17:0 and its isomers might be used to predict populations of fibrolytic bacteria. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  15. Bacterial Diversity and Community Structure in Korean Ginseng Field Soil Are Shifted by Cultivation Time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Ngoc-Lan; Kim, Yeon-Ju; Hoang, Van-An; Subramaniyam, Sathiyamoorthy; Kang, Jong-Pyo; Kang, Chang Ho; Yang, Deok-Chun

    2016-01-01

    Traditional molecular methods have been used to examine bacterial communities in ginseng-cultivated soil samples in a time-dependent manner. Despite these efforts, our understanding of the bacterial community is still inadequate. Therefore, in this study, a high-throughput sequencing approach was employed to investigate bacterial diversity in various ginseng field soil samples over cultivation times of 2, 4, and 6 years in the first and second rounds of cultivation. We used non-cultivated soil samples to perform a comparative study. Moreover, this study assessed changes in the bacterial community associated with soil depth and the health state of the ginseng. Bacterial richness decreased through years of cultivation. This study detected differences in relative abundance of bacterial populations between the first and second rounds of cultivation, years of cultivation, and health states of ginseng. These bacterial populations were mainly distributed in the classes Acidobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Sphingobacteria. In addition, we found that pH, available phosphorus, and exchangeable Ca+ seemed to have high correlations with bacterial class in ginseng cultivated soil.

  16. Effects of gamma-irradiation before and after cooking on bacterial population and sensory quality of Dakgalbi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Young Min; Park, Jong-Heum; Lee, Ji-Hye; Park, Jae-Nam; Park, Jin-Kyu; Sung, Nak-Yun; Song, Beom-Seok; Kim, Jae-Hun; Yoon, Yohan; Gao, Meixu; Yook, Hong-Sun; Lee, Ju-Woon

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of gamma irradiation on the total bacterial population and the sensory quality of Dakgalbi irradiated before and after cooking. Fresh chicken meat was cut into small pieces and used to prepare Dakgalbi. For the preparation of Dakgalbi cooked with gamma-irradiated chicken meat and sauce (IBC), raw chicken meat and Dakgalbi sauce were irradiated and then stir-fried. For the preparation of Dakgalbi irradiated after cooking with raw chicken meat and sauce (IAC), raw chicken meat and Dakgalbi sauce were first cooked and subsequently irradiated. Under the accelerated storage condition of 35 °C for 7 days, bacteria in IBC were below the detection limit (1 log CFU/g) on day 1 but were detected on day 2 and gradually increased hereafter. In IAC, on the other hand, bacteria were not detected at all. Evaluation of sensory quality also decreased on both samples. However, IAC showed a better trend. Our results indicate that IAC protocol was a more effective method for reducing bacterial growth in Dakgalbi. - Highlights: ► We compared the microbial safety and sensory property of Dakgalbi irradiated before and after cooking. ► Dakgalbi irradiated after cooking can be more effective processing method on microbial safety. ► Sensory property decreased on both Dakgalbis by irradiation-induced off-flavor. ► Dakgalbi irradiated after cooking showed a better tendency on the sensory evaluation.

  17. Bacterial community analysis of Tatsoi cultivated by hydroponics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Ok K; Kim, Hun; Kim, Hyun J; Baker, Christopher A; Ricke, Steven C

    2016-07-02

    Tatsoi (Brassica narinosa) is a popular Asian salad green that is mostly consumed as a source of fresh produce. The purpose of this study was to assess the microbial diversity of Tatsoi cultivated in a hydroponic system and of its ecosystem. Tatsoi leaves, nutrient solution, and perlite/earth samples from a trickle feed system (TFS) and an ebb-and-flow system (EFS) were collected and their microbial communities were analyzed by pyrosequencing analysis. The results showed that most bacteria in the leaves from the TFS contained genus Sporosarcina (99.6%), while Rhizobium (60.4%) was dominant in the leaves from the EFS. Genus Paucibacter (18.21%) and Pelomonas (12.37%) were the most abundant microbiota in the nutrient solution samples of the TFS. In the EFS, the nutrient solution samples contained mostly genus Rhodococcus and Acinetobacter. Potential microbial transfer between the leaves and the ecosystem was observed in the EFS, while samples in the TFS were found to share only one species between the leaves, nutrient solution, and earth. Together, these results show that the bacterial populations in Tatsoi and in its ecosystem are highly diverse based on the cultivation system.

  18. Patterns and drivers of bacterial α- and β-diversity across vertical profiles from surface to subsurface sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luna, Gian Marco; Corinaldesi, Cinzia; Rastelli, Eugenio; Danovaro, Roberto

    2013-10-01

    We investigated the patterns and drivers of bacterial α- and β-diversity, along with viral and prokaryotic abundance and the carbon production rates, in marine surface and subsurface sediments (down to 1 m depth) in two habitats: vegetated sediments (seagrass meadow) and non-vegetated sediments. Prokaryotic abundance and production decreased with depth in the sediment, but cell-specific production rates and the virus-to-prokaryote ratio increased, highlighting unexpectedly high activity in the subsurface. The highest diversity was observed in vegetated sediments. Bacterial β-diversity between sediment horizons was high, and only a minor number of taxa was shared between surface and subsurface layers. Viruses significantly contributed to explain α- and β-diversity patterns. Despite potential limitations due to the only use of fingerprinting techniques, this study indicates that the coastal subsurface host highly active and diversified bacterial assemblages, that subsurface cells are more active than expected and that viruses promote β-diversity and stimulate bacterial metabolism in subsurface layers. The limited number of taxa shared between habitats, and between surface and subsurface sediment horizons, suggests that future investigations of the shallow subsurface will provide insights into the census of bacterial diversity, and the comprehension of the patterns and drivers of prokaryotic diversity in marine ecosystems. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. Recombination-Driven Genome Evolution and Stability of Bacterial Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixit, Purushottam D; Pang, Tin Yau; Maslov, Sergei

    2017-09-01

    While bacteria divide clonally, horizontal gene transfer followed by homologous recombination is now recognized as an important contributor to their evolution. However, the details of how the competition between clonality and recombination shapes genome diversity remains poorly understood. Using a computational model, we find two principal regimes in bacterial evolution and identify two composite parameters that dictate the evolutionary fate of bacterial species. In the divergent regime, characterized by either a low recombination frequency or strict barriers to recombination, cohesion due to recombination is not sufficient to overcome the mutational drift. As a consequence, the divergence between pairs of genomes in the population steadily increases in the course of their evolution. The species lacks genetic coherence with sexually isolated clonal subpopulations continuously formed and dissolved. In contrast, in the metastable regime, characterized by a high recombination frequency combined with low barriers to recombination, genomes continuously recombine with the rest of the population. The population remains genetically cohesive and temporally stable. Notably, the transition between these two regimes can be affected by relatively small changes in evolutionary parameters. Using the Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) data, we classify a number of bacterial species to be either the divergent or the metastable type. Generalizations of our framework to include selection, ecologically structured populations, and horizontal gene transfer of nonhomologous regions are discussed as well. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  20. Molecular diversity analysis and bacterial population dynamics of an adapted seawater microbiota during the degradation of Tunisian zarzatine oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zrafi-Nouira, Ines; Guermazi, Sonda; Chouari, Rakia; Safi, Nimer M D; Pelletier, Eric; Bakhrouf, Amina; Saidane-Mosbahi, Dalila; Sghir, Abdelghani

    2009-07-01

    The indigenous microbiota of polluted coastal seawater in Tunisia was enriched by increasing the concentration of zarzatine crude oil. The resulting adapted microbiota was incubated with zarzatine crude oil as the only carbon and energy source. Crude oil biodegradation capacity and bacterial population dynamics of the microbiota were evaluated every week for 28 days (day 7, day 14, day 21, and day 28). Results show that the percentage of petroleum degradation was 23.9, 32.1, 65.3, and 77.8%, respectively. At day 28, non-aromatic and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation rates reached 92.6 and 68.7%, respectively. Bacterial composition of the adapted microflora was analysed by 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing, using total genomic DNA extracted from the adapted microflora at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Five clone libraries were constructed and a total of 430 sequences were generated and grouped into OTUs using the ARB software package. Phylogenetic analysis of the adapted microbiota shows the presence of four phylogenetic groups: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Diversity indices show a clear decrease in bacterial diversity of the adapted microflora according to the incubation time. The Proteobacteria are the most predominant (>80%) at day 7, day 14 and day 21 but not at day 28 for which the microbiota was reduced to only one OTU affiliated with the genus Kocuria of the Actinobacteria. This study shows that the degradation of zarzatine crude oil components depends on the activity of a specialized and dynamic seawater consortium composed of different phylogenetic taxa depending on the substrate complexity.

  1. Shared and unique components of human population structure and genome-wide signals of positive selection in South Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metspalu, Mait; Romero, Irene Gallego; Yunusbayev, Bayazit; Chaubey, Gyaneshwer; Mallick, Chandana Basu; Hudjashov, Georgi; Nelis, Mari; Mägi, Reedik; Metspalu, Ene; Remm, Maido; Pitchappan, Ramasamy; Singh, Lalji; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Villems, Richard; Kivisild, Toomas

    2011-12-09

    South Asia harbors one of the highest levels genetic diversity in Eurasia, which could be interpreted as a result of its long-term large effective population size and of admixture during its complex demographic history. In contrast to Pakistani populations, populations of Indian origin have been underrepresented in previous genomic scans of positive selection and population structure. Here we report data for more than 600,000 SNP markers genotyped in 142 samples from 30 ethnic groups in India. Combining our results with other available genome-wide data, we show that Indian populations are characterized by two major ancestry components, one of which is spread at comparable frequency and haplotype diversity in populations of South and West Asia and the Caucasus. The second component is more restricted to South Asia and accounts for more than 50% of the ancestry in Indian populations. Haplotype diversity associated with these South Asian ancestry components is significantly higher than that of the components dominating the West Eurasian ancestry palette. Modeling of the observed haplotype diversities suggests that both Indian ancestry components are older than the purported Indo-Aryan invasion 3,500 YBP. Consistent with the results of pairwise genetic distances among world regions, Indians share more ancestry signals with West than with East Eurasians. However, compared to Pakistani populations, a higher proportion of their genes show regionally specific signals of high haplotype homozygosity. Among such candidates of positive selection in India are MSTN and DOK5, both of which have potential implications in lipid metabolism and the etiology of type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2011 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Stimulation of bacterial DNA synthesis by algal exudates in attached algal-bacterial consortia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murray, R.E.; Cooksey, K.E.; Priscu, J.C.

    1986-01-01

    Algal-bacterial consortia attached to polystyrene surfaces were prepared in the laboratory by using the marine diatom Amphora coffeaeformis and the marine bacterium Vibrio proteolytica (the approved name of this bacterium is Vibrio proteolyticus. The organisms were attached to the surfaces at cell densities of approximately 5 x 10 4 cells cm -2 (diatoms) and 5 x 10 6 cells cm -2 (bacteria). The algal-bacterial consortia consistently exhibited higher rates of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation than did biofilms composed solely of bacteria. The rates of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation by the algal-bacterial consortia were fourfold greater than the rates of incorporation by monobacterial biofilms 16 h after biofilm formation and were 16-fold greater 70 h after biofilm formation. Extracellular material released from the attached Amphora cells supported rates of bacterial activity (0.8 x 10 -21 mol to 17.9 x 10 -21 mol of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporated cell -1 h -1 ) and growth (doubling time, 29.5 to 1.4 days) comparable to values reported for a wide variety of marine and freshwater ecosystems. In the presence of sessile diatom populations, DNA synthesis by attached V. proteolytica cells was light dependent and increased with increasing algal abundance. The metabolic activity of diatoms thus appears to be the rate-limiting process in biofilm development on illuminated surfaces under conditions of low bulk-water dissolved organic carbon

  3. Assessment of the bacterial organisms in water from a lead-zinc ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Twenty-four (24) bulk water samples collected from a lead-zinc mining pit in Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, Nigeria over a period of 2 years were used to assess the bacterial population of the mining pit water. Nine bacterial organisms, which included Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus sp., Escherichia coli, ...

  4. Barriers to bacterial motility on unsaturated surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dechesne, Arnaud; Smets, Barth F.

    2013-01-01

    Our knowledge of the spatial organization and spatial dynamics of microbial populations in soil at a scale close to that of the microorganisms is scarce. While passive dispersal via water ow or soil biota is probably a major dispersal route, it is reasonable to consider that active dispersal also...... and their isogenic mutants unable to express various type of motility we aimed to quantify the physical limits of bacterial motility. Our results demonstrate how hydration controls bacterial motility under unsaturated conditions. They can form the base of improved biodegradation models that include microbial...

  5. Bacterial Cheating Limits the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurtsev, Eugene; Xiao Chao, Hui; Datta, Manoshi; Artemova, Tatiana; Gore, Jeff

    2012-02-01

    The emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a significant health concern. Bacteria can gain resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin by acquiring a plasmid carrying the gene beta-lactamase, which inactivates the antibiotic. This inactivation may represent a cooperative behavior, as the entire bacterial population benefits from removal of the antibiotic. The presence of a cooperative mechanism of resistance suggests that a cheater strain - which does not contribute to breaking down the antibiotic - may be able to take advantage of resistant cells. We find experimentally that a ``sensitive'' bacterial strain lacking the plasmid conferring resistance can invade a population of resistant bacteria, even in antibiotic concentrations that should kill the sensitive strain. We use a simple model in conjunction with difference equations to explain the observed population dynamics as a function of cell density and antibiotic concentration. Our experimental difference equations resemble the logistic map, raising the possibility of oscillations or even chaotic dynamics.

  6. [What determines the market shares of the health funds in Israeli localities?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shmueli, Amir; Engelcin-Nissan, Esti

    2011-08-01

    Four health funds operate nationally in Israel, but their local market shares vary dramatically across localities. To identify the main localities' characteristics which affect the size of the market shares of the various health funds. A total of 60 Localities with more than 20,000 inhabitants were chosen. The following Localities' characteristics were retrieved for the year 2004: the market shares of the four health funds, average income, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), periphery index, the age structure, the distance from the nearest general hospital, the share of Arab population, and size. Four market share equations were estimated using SURE (seemingly unrelated regressions estimation), allowing for inter-equation correlations. The results show that the market shares of the different health funds are affected by different factors. Clalit Health Services' (CHS) share increases with the distance from Tel Aviv and SMR, and decreases with the level of mean income and the distance from the nearest CHS hospital. Leumit's market share increases only with the distance from a CHS's hospital. The market share of Maccabi Healthcare Services is higher in central localities, Jewish localities, small cities and further away from a non-CHS hospital. Meuhedet's market share is higher in big cities, rich and healthy localities, and in Localities which are further away from CHS's hospitals. These findings indicate that the presence of the health funds in different Localities varies according to the Localities' characteristics. There appears to be a market segmentation and "specialization" of certain health funds in specific populations, and of the other health funds in the rest of the population.

  7. A distinct bacterial dysbiosis associated skin inflammation in ovine footrot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maboni, Grazieli; Blanchard, Adam; Frosth, Sara; Stewart, Ceri; Emes, Richard; Tötemeyer, Sabine

    2017-03-01

    Ovine footrot is a highly prevalent bacterial disease caused by Dichelobacter nodosus and characterised by the separation of the hoof horn from the underlying skin. The role of innate immune molecules and other bacterial communities in the development of footrot lesions remains unclear. This study shows a significant association between the high expression of IL1β and high D. nodosus load in footrot samples. Investigation of the microbial population identified distinct bacterial populations in the different disease stages and also depending on the level of inflammation. Treponema (34%), Mycoplasma (29%) and Porphyromonas (15%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in footrot. In contrast, Acinetobacter (25%), Corynebacteria (17%) and Flavobacterium (17%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in healthy feet. This demonstrates for the first time there is a distinct microbial community associated with footrot and high cytokine expression.

  8. Stable association of a Drosophila-derived microbiota with its animal partner and the nutritional environment throughout a fly population's life cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Téfit, Mélisandre A; Gillet, Benjamin; Joncour, Pauline; Hughes, Sandrine; Leulier, François

    2018-04-01

    In the past years, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been extensively used to study the relationship between animals and their associated microbes. Compared to the one of wild populations, the microbiota of laboratory-reared flies is less diverse, and comprises fewer bacterial taxa; nevertheless, the main commensal bacteria found in fly microbiota always belong to the Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae families. The bacterial communities associated with the fly are environmentally acquired, and the partners engage in a perpetual re-association process. Adult flies constantly ingest and excrete microbes from and onto their feeding substrate, which are then transmitted to the next generation developing within this shared habitat. We wanted to analyze the potential changes in the bacterial community during its reciprocal transfer between the two compartments of the niche (i.e. the fly and the diet). To address this question, we used a diverse, wild-derived microbial community and analyzed its relationship with the fly population and the nutritive substrate in a given habitat. Here we show that the community was overall well maintained upon transmission to a new niche, to a new fly population and to their progeny, illustrating the stable association of a Drosophila-derived microbiota with its fly partner and the nutritional environment. These results highlight the preponderant role of the nutritional substrate in the dynamics of Drosophila/microbiota interactions, and the need to fully integrate this variable when performing such studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The type VI secretion system impacts bacterial invasion and population dynamics in a model intestinal microbiota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Savannah L.; Shields, Drew S.; Hammer, Brian K.; Xavier, Joao B.; Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

    Animal gastrointestinal tracts are home to a diverse community of microbes. The mechanisms by which microbial species interact and compete in this dense, physically dynamic space are poorly understood, limiting our understanding of how natural communities are assembled and how different communities could be engineered. Here, we focus on a physical mechanism for competition: the type VI secretion system (T6SS). The T6SS is a syringe-like organelle used by certain bacteria to translocate effector proteins across the cell membranes of target bacterial cells, killing them. Here, we use T6SS+ and T6SS- strains of V. cholerae, the pathogen that causes cholera in humans, and light sheet fluorescence microscopy for in vivo imaging to show that the T6SS provides an advantage to strains colonizing the larval zebrafish gut. Furthermore, we show that T6SS+ bacteria can invade and alter an existing population of a different species in the zebrafish gut, reducing its abundance and changing the form of its population dynamics. This work both demonstrates a mechanism for altering the gut microbiota with an invasive species and explores the processes controlling the stability and dynamics of the gut ecosystem. Research Corporation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.

  10. Characterization of bacterial community structure in a hydrocarbon-contaminated tropical African soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salam, Lateef B; Ilori, Mathew O; Amund, Olukayode O; LiiMien, Yee; Nojiri, Hideaki

    2018-04-01

    The bacterial community structure in a hydrocarbon-contaminated Mechanical Engineering Workshop (MWO) soil was deciphered using 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. Four hundred and thirty-seven clones cutting across 13 bacterial phyla were recovered from the soil. The representative bacterial phyla identified from MWO soil are Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Ignavibacteriae, Spirochaetes, Chlamydiae, Candidatus Saccharibacteria and Parcubacteria. Proteobacteria is preponderant in the contaminated soil (51.2%) with all classes except Epsilonproteobacteria duly represented. Rarefaction analysis indicates 42%, 52% and 77% of the clone library is covered at the species, genus and family/class delineations with Shannon diversity (H') and Chao1 richness indices of 5.59 and 1126, respectively. A sizeable number of bacterial phylotypes in the clone library shared high similarities with strains previously described to be involved in hydrocarbon biodegradation. Novel uncultured genera were identified that have not been previously reported from tropical African soil to be associated with natural attenuation of hydrocarbon pollutants. This study establishes the involvement of a wide array of physiologically diverse bacterial groups in natural attenuation of hydrocarbon pollutants in soil.

  11. Bacterial symbiont sharing in Megalomyrmex social parasites and their fungus-growing ant hosts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liberti, Joanito; Sapountzis, Panagiotis; Hansen, Lars H.

    2015-01-01

    nests such as consumption of the same fungus garden food, eating of host brood by social parasites, trophallaxis and grooming interactions between the ants, or parallel acquisition from the same nest environment. Our results imply that cohabiting ant social parasites and hosts may obtain functional...... benefits from bacterial symbiont transfer even when they are not closely related....

  12. Time-dependent effect of graphene on the structure, abundance, and function of the soil bacterial community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Wenjie; Ren, Gaidi; Teng, Ying; Li, Zhengao; Li, Lina

    2015-10-30

    The increased application of graphene raises concerns about its environmental impact, but little information is available on the effect of graphene on the soil microbial community. This study evaluated the impact of graphene on the structure, abundance and function of the soil bacterial community based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), pyrosequencing and soil enzyme activities. The results show that the enzyme activities of dehydrogenase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) esterase and the biomass of the bacterial populations were transiently promoted by the presence of graphene after 4 days of exposure, but these parameters recovered completely after 21 days. Pyrosequencing analysis suggested a significant shift in some bacterial populations after 4 days, and the shift became weaker or disappeared as the exposure time increased to 60 days. During the entire exposure process, the majority of bacterial phylotypes remained unaffected. Some bacterial populations involved in nitrogen biogeochemical cycles and the degradation of organic compounds can be affected by the presence of graphene. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Temperate bacterial viruses as double-edged swords in bacterial warfare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gama, João Alves; Reis, Ana Maria; Domingues, Iolanda; Mendes-Soares, Helena; Matos, Ana Margarida; Dionisio, Francisco

    2013-01-01

    It has been argued that bacterial cells may use their temperate viruses as biological weapons. For instance, a few bacterial cells among a population of lysogenic cells could release the virus and kill susceptible non-lysogenic competitors, while their clone mates would be immune. Because viruses replicate inside their victims upon infection, this process would amplify their number in the arena. Sometimes, however, temperate viruses spare recipient cells from death by establishing themselves in a dormant state inside cells. This phenomenon is called lysogenization and, for some viruses such as the λ virus, the probability of lysogenization increases with the multiplicity of infection. Therefore, the amplification of viruses leads to conflicting predictions about the efficacy of temperate viruses as biological weapons: amplification can increase the relative advantage of clone mates of lysogens but also the likelihood of saving susceptible cells from death, because the probability of lysogenization is higher. To test the usefulness of viruses as biological weapons, we performed competition experiments between lysogenic Escherichia coli cells carrying the λ virus and susceptible λ-free E. coli cells, either in a structured or unstructured habitat. In structured and sometimes in unstructured habitats, the λ virus qualitatively behaved as a "replicating toxin". However, such toxic effect of λ viruses ceased after a few days of competition. This was due to the fact that many of initially susceptible cells became lysogenic. Massive lysogenization of susceptible cells occurred precisely under the conditions where the amplification of the virus was substantial. From then on, these cells and their descendants became immune to the λ virus. In conclusion, if at short term bacterial cells may use temperate viruses as biological weapons, after a few days only the classical view of temperate bacterial viruses as parasitic agents prevails.

  14. Temperate bacterial viruses as double-edged swords in bacterial warfare.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Alves Gama

    Full Text Available It has been argued that bacterial cells may use their temperate viruses as biological weapons. For instance, a few bacterial cells among a population of lysogenic cells could release the virus and kill susceptible non-lysogenic competitors, while their clone mates would be immune. Because viruses replicate inside their victims upon infection, this process would amplify their number in the arena. Sometimes, however, temperate viruses spare recipient cells from death by establishing themselves in a dormant state inside cells. This phenomenon is called lysogenization and, for some viruses such as the λ virus, the probability of lysogenization increases with the multiplicity of infection. Therefore, the amplification of viruses leads to conflicting predictions about the efficacy of temperate viruses as biological weapons: amplification can increase the relative advantage of clone mates of lysogens but also the likelihood of saving susceptible cells from death, because the probability of lysogenization is higher. To test the usefulness of viruses as biological weapons, we performed competition experiments between lysogenic Escherichia coli cells carrying the λ virus and susceptible λ-free E. coli cells, either in a structured or unstructured habitat. In structured and sometimes in unstructured habitats, the λ virus qualitatively behaved as a "replicating toxin". However, such toxic effect of λ viruses ceased after a few days of competition. This was due to the fact that many of initially susceptible cells became lysogenic. Massive lysogenization of susceptible cells occurred precisely under the conditions where the amplification of the virus was substantial. From then on, these cells and their descendants became immune to the λ virus. In conclusion, if at short term bacterial cells may use temperate viruses as biological weapons, after a few days only the classical view of temperate bacterial viruses as parasitic agents prevails.

  15. Caribbean corals house shared and host-specific microbial symbionts over time and space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Nathaniel D; Vollmer, Steven V

    2016-08-01

    The rise of coral diseases has triggered a surge of interest in coral microbial communities. But to fully understand how the coral microbiome may cause or respond to disease, we must first understand structure and variation in the healthy coral microbiome. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the microbiomes of 100 healthy coral colonies from six Caribbean coral species (Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata, Diploria labyrinthiformis, Diploria strigosa, Porites astreoides and P. furcata) across four reefs and three time points over 1 year. We found host species to be the strongest driver of coral microbiome structure across site and time. Analysis of the core microbiome revealed remarkable similarity in the bacterial taxa represented across coral hosts and many bacterial phylotypes shared across all corals sampled. Some of these widespread bacterial taxa have been identified in Pacific corals, indicating that a core coral microbiome may extend across oceans. Core bacterial phylotypes that were unique to each coral were taxonomically diverse, suggesting that different coral hosts provide persistent, divergent niches for bacteria. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Cooperative Optimization QoS Cloud Routing Protocol Based on Bacterial Opportunistic Foraging and Chemotaxis Perception for Mobile Internet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shujuan Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to strengthen the mobile Internet mobility management and cloud platform resources utilization, optimizing the cloud routing efficiency is established, based on opportunistic bacterial foraging bionics, and puts forward a chemotaxis perception of collaborative optimization QoS (Quality of Services cloud routing mechanism. The cloud routing mechanism is based on bacterial opportunity to feed and bacterial motility and to establish the data transmission and forwarding of the bacterial population behavior characteristics. This mechanism is based on the characteristics of drug resistance of bacteria and the structure of the field, and through many iterations of the individual behavior and population behavior the bacteria can be spread to the food gathering area with a certain probability. Finally, QoS cloud routing path would be selected and optimized based on bacterial bionic optimization and hedge mapping relationship between mobile Internet node and bacterial population evolution iterations. Experimental results show that, compared with the standard dynamic routing schemes, the proposed scheme has shorter transmission delay, lower packet error ratio, QoS cloud routing loading, and QoS cloud route request overhead.

  17. Isolation, Characterization and Application of Bacterial Population From Agricultural Soil at Sohag Province, Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bahig, A. E.

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Forty soil samples of agriculture soil were collected from two different sites in Sohag province, Egypt, during hot and cold seasons. Twenty samples were from soil irrigated with canal water (site A and twenty samples were from soil irrigated with wastewater (site B. This study aimed to compare the incidence of plasmids in bacteria isolated from soil and to investigate the occurrence of metal and antibiotic resistance bacteria, and consequently to select the potential application of these bacteria in bioremediation. The total bacterial count (CFU/gm in site (B was higher than that in site (A. Moreover, the CFU values in summer were higher than those values in winter at both sites. A total of 771 bacterial isolates were characterized as Bacillus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Eschershia, Shigella, Xanthomonas, Acetobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Moraxella and Methylococcus. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs of Pb+2, Cu+2, Zn+2, Hg+2, Co+2, Cd+2, Cr+3, Te+2, As+2 and Ni+2 for plasmid-possessed bacteria were determined and the highest MICs were 1200 µg/mL for lead, 800 µg/mL for both Cobalt and Arsenate, 1200 µg/mL for Nickel, 1000 µg/ml for Copper and less than 600 µg/mL for other metals. Bacterial isolates from both sites A and B showed multiple heavy metal resistance. A total of 337 bacterial isolates contained plasmids and the incidence of plasmids was approximately 25-50% higher in bacteria isolated from site (B than that from site (A. These isolates were resistance to different antibiotics. Approximately, 61% of the bacterial isolates were able to assimilate insecticide, carbaryl, as a sole source of carbon and energy. However, the Citrobacter AA101 showed the best growth on carbaryl.

  18. Potential of Endophytic Bacterial to Control Lesion Nematode (Pratylenchus brachyurus on Patchouli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RITA HARNI

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus brachyurus is one of the most important pathogens of patchouli that caused significant losses. Studies on the potential of endophytic bacterial to control P. brachyurus on patchouli had been conducted. To evaluate the effectiveness of endophytic bacterial against to P. brachyurus on patchouli, nine isolates of bacteria ( NJ2, NJ25, NJ41, NJ46, NJ57, NA22, ERB21, ES32, and E26 were applied by deeping root seedling into bacterial suspension. A study of the physiological characteristics of nine isolates was conducted by using specific medium. The results showed that endophytic bacterial was significantly reduced the population of P. brachyurus and all isolates bacterial promoted growth of patchouli (shoot weight, root weight, and root length. Four isolates, i.e. Bacillus NJ46, Bacillus Na22, Bacillus NJ2, and Bacillus NJ57 were among the potential control agents that reduced nematode populations as much as 68.1-73.9%. Almost all of the isolated bacteria from patchouli roots were able to solubilizing phosphate, while some of them had the ability to produce chitinase, cellulase, protease, HCN, and fluorescency.

  19. Bacterial communications in implant infections: a target for an intelligence war.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costerton, J W; Montanaro, L; Arciola, C R

    2007-09-01

    The status of population density is communicated among bacteria by specific secreted molecules, called pheromones or autoinducers, and the control mechanism is called "quorum-sensing". Quorum-sensing systems regulate the expression of a panel of genes, allowing bacteria to adapt to modified environmental conditions at a high density of population. The two known different quorum systems are described as the LuxR-LuxI system in gram-negative bacteria, which uses an N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) as signal, and the agr system in gram-positive bacteria, which uses a peptide-tiolactone as signal and the RNAIII as effector molecules. Both in gram-negative and in gram-positive bacteria, quorum-sensing systems regulate the expression of adhesion mechanisms (biofilm and adhesins) and virulence factors (toxins and exoenzymes) depending on population cell density. In gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, analogs of signaling molecules such as furanone analogs, are effective in attenuating bacterial virulence and controlling bacterial infections. In grampositive Staphylococcus aureus, the quorum-sensing RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP), tested in vitro and in animal infection models, has been proved to inhibit virulence and prevent infections. Attenuation of bacterial virulence by quorum-sensing inhibitors, rather than by bactericidal or bacteriostatic drugs, is a highly attractive concept because these antibacterial agents are less likely to induce the development of bacterial resistance.

  20. Septic tank additive impacts on microbial populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, S; Hoover, M T; Clark, G H; Gumpertz, M; Wollum, A G; Cobb, C; Strock, J

    2008-01-01

    Environmental health specialists, other onsite wastewater professionals, scientists, and homeowners have questioned the effectiveness of septic tank additives. This paper describes an independent, third-party, field scale, research study of the effects of three liquid bacterial septic tank additives and a control (no additive) on septic tank microbial populations. Microbial populations were measured quarterly in a field study for 12 months in 48 full-size, functioning septic tanks. Bacterial populations in the 48 septic tanks were statistically analyzed with a mixed linear model. Additive effects were assessed for three septic tank maintenance levels (low, intermediate, and high). Dunnett's t-test for tank bacteria (alpha = .05) indicated that none of the treatments were significantly different, overall, from the control at the statistical level tested. In addition, the additives had no significant effects on septic tank bacterial populations at any of the septic tank maintenance levels. Additional controlled, field-based research iswarranted, however, to address additional additives and experimental conditions.

  1. Effect of antibiotics on bacterial populations: a multi-hierachical selection process [version 1; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luis Martínez

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotics have been widely used for a number of decades for human therapy and farming production. Since a high percentage of antibiotics are discharged from the human or animal body without degradation, this means that different habitats, from the human body to river water or soils, are polluted with antibiotics. In this situation, it is expected that the variable concentration of this type of microbial inhibitor present in different ecosystems may affect the structure and the productivity of the microbiota colonizing such habitats. This effect can occur at different levels, including changes in the overall structure of the population, selection of resistant organisms, or alterations in bacterial physiology. In this review, I discuss the available information on how the presence of antibiotics may alter the microbiota and the consequences of such alterations for human health and for the activity of microbiota from different habitats.

  2. Comparison of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of Zigongdongdou soybean and a high-methionine transgenic line of this cultivar.

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    Jingang Liang

    Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that methionine from root exudates affects the rhizosphere bacterial population involved in soil nitrogen fixation. A transgenic line of Zigongdongdou soybean cultivar (ZD91 that expresses Arabidopsis cystathionine γ-synthase resulting in an increased methionine production was examined for its influence to the rhizosphere bacterial population. Using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing analysis of the V4 region and DNA extracted from bacterial consortia collected from the rhizosphere of soybean plants grown in an agricultural field at the pod-setting stage, we characterized the populational structure of the bacterial community involved. In total, 87,267 sequences (approximately 10,908 per sample were analyzed. We found that Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia constitute the dominant taxonomic groups in either the ZD91 transgenic line or parental cultivar ZD, and that there was no statistically significant difference in the rhizosphere bacterial community structure between the two cultivars.

  3. Taxonomic structure and stability of the bacterial community in belgian sourdough ecosystems as assessed by culture and population fingerprinting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheirlinck, Ilse; Van der Meulen, Roel; Van Schoor, Ann; Vancanneyt, Marc; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter; Huys, Geert

    2008-04-01

    A total of 39 traditional sourdoughs were sampled at 11 bakeries located throughout Belgium which were visited twice with a 1-year interval. The taxonomic structure and stability of the bacterial communities occurring in these traditional sourdoughs were assessed using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. A total of 1,194 potential lactic acid bacterium (LAB) isolates were tentatively grouped and identified by repetitive element sequence-based PCR, followed by sequence-based identification using 16S rRNA and pheS genes from a selection of genotypically unique LAB isolates. In parallel, all samples were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of V3-16S rRNA gene amplicons. In addition, extensive metabolite target analysis of more than 100 different compounds was performed. Both culturing and DGGE analysis showed that the species Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus paralimentarius, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus pontis dominated the LAB population of Belgian type I sourdoughs. In addition, DGGE band sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of Acetobacter sp. and a member of the Erwinia/Enterobacter/Pantoea group in some samples. Overall, the culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches each exhibited intrinsic limitations in assessing bacterial LAB diversity in Belgian sourdoughs. Irrespective of the LAB biodiversity, a large majority of the sugar and amino acid metabolites were detected in all sourdough samples. Principal component-based analysis of biodiversity and metabolic data revealed only little variation among the two samples of the sourdoughs produced at the same bakery. The rare cases of instability observed could generally be linked with variations in technological parameters or differences in detection capacity between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Within a sampling interval of 1 year, this study reinforces previous observations that the bakery environment

  4. [Bacterial vaginosis and spontaneous preterm birth].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brabant, G

    2016-12-01

    To determine if bacterial vaginosis is a marker for risk of spontaneous preterm delivery and if its detection and treatment can reduce this risk. Consultation of the database Pubmed/Medline, Science Direct, and international guidelines of medical societies. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a dysbiosis resulting in an imbalance in the vaginal flora through the multiplication of anaerobic bacteria and jointly of a disappearance of well-known protective Lactobacilli. His diagnosis is based on clinical Amsel criteria and/or a Gram stain with establishment of the Nugent score. The prevalence of the BV extraordinarily varies according to ethnic and/or geographical origin (4-58 %), in France, it is close to 7 % in the first trimester of pregnancy (EL2). The link between BV and spontaneous premature delivery is low with an odds ratio between 1.5 and 2 in the most recent studies (EL3). Metronidazole or clindamycin is effective to treat BV (EL3). It is recommended to prescribe one of these antibiotics in the case of symptomatic BV (Professional Consensus). The testing associated with the treatment of BV in the global population showed no benefit in the prevention of the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (EL2). Concerning low-risk asymptomatic population (defined by the absence of antecedent of premature delivery), it has been failed profit to track and treat the BV in the prevention of the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (EL1). Concerning the high-risk population (defined by a history of preterm delivery), it has been failed profit to track and treat the VB in the prevention of the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (EL3). However, in the sub population of patients with a history of preterm delivery occurred in a context of materno-fetal bacterial infection, there may be a benefit to detect and treat early and systematically genital infection, and in particular the BV (Professional Consensus). The screening and treatment of BV during pregnancy in asymptomatic low

  5. Metagenomics reveals pervasive bacterial populations and reduced community diversity across the Alaska tundra ecosystem

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    Eric Robert Johnston

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available How soil microbial communities contrast with respect to taxonomic and functional composition within and between ecosystems remains an unresolved question that is central to predicting how global anthropogenic change will affect soil functioning and services. In particular, it remains unclear how small-scale observations of soil communities based on the typical volume sampled (1-2 grams are generalizable to ecosystem-scale responses and processes. This is especially relevant for remote, northern latitude soils, which are challenging to sample and are also thought to be more vulnerable to climate change compared to temperate soils. Here, we employed well-replicated shotgun metagenome and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize community composition and metabolic potential in Alaskan tundra soils, combining our own datasets with those publically available from distant tundra and temperate grassland and agriculture habitats. We found that the abundance of many taxa and metabolic functions differed substantially between tundra soil metagenomes relative to those from temperate soils, and that a high degree of OTU-sharing exists between tundra locations. Tundra soils were an order of magnitude less complex than their temperate counterparts, allowing for near-complete coverage of microbial community richness (~92% breadth by sequencing, and the recovery of twenty-seven high-quality, almost complete (>80% completeness population bins. These population bins, collectively, made up to ~10% of the metagenomic datasets, and represented diverse taxonomic groups and metabolic lifestyles tuned toward sulfur cycling, hydrogen metabolism, methanotrophy, and organic matter oxidation. Several population bins, including members of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, were also present in geographically distant (~100-530 km apart tundra habitats (full genome representation and up to 99.6% genome-derived average nucleotide identity. Collectively

  6. Survey of bacterial diversity in chronic wounds using Pyrosequencing, DGGE, and full ribosome shotgun sequencing

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    Wolcott Benjamin M

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic wound pathogenic biofilms are host-pathogen environments that colonize and exist as a cohabitation of many bacterial species. These bacterial populations cooperate to promote their own survival and the chronic nature of the infection. Few studies have performed extensive surveys of the bacterial populations that occur within different types of chronic wound biofilms. The use of 3 separate16S-based molecular amplifications followed by pyrosequencing, shotgun Sanger sequencing, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were utilized to survey the major populations of bacteria that occur in the pathogenic biofilms of three types of chronic wound types: diabetic foot ulcers (D, venous leg ulcers (V, and pressure ulcers (P. Results There are specific major populations of bacteria that were evident in the biofilms of all chronic wound types, including Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Peptoniphilus, Enterobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Finegoldia, and Serratia spp. Each of the wound types reveals marked differences in bacterial populations, such as pressure ulcers in which 62% of the populations were identified as obligate anaerobes. There were also populations of bacteria that were identified but not recognized as wound pathogens, such as Abiotrophia para-adiacens and Rhodopseudomonas spp. Results of molecular analyses were also compared to those obtained using traditional culture-based diagnostics. Only in one wound type did culture methods correctly identify the primary bacterial population indicating the need for improved diagnostic methods. Conclusion If clinicians can gain a better understanding of the wound's microbiota, it will give them a greater understanding of the wound's ecology and will allow them to better manage healing of the wound improving the prognosis of patients. This research highlights the necessity to begin evaluating, studying, and treating chronic wound pathogenic biofilms as multi-species entities in

  7. Dynamic succession of soil bacterial community during continuous cropping of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L..

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    Mingna Chen

    Full Text Available Plant health and soil fertility are affected by plant-microbial interactions in soils. Peanut is an important oil crop worldwide and shows considerable adaptability, but growth and yield are negatively affected by continuous cropping. In this study, 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses were used to study the succession of soil bacterial communities under continuous peanut cultivation. Six libraries were constructed for peanut over three continuous cropping cycles and during its seedling and pod-maturing growth stages. Cluster analyses indicated that soil bacterial assemblages obtained from the same peanut cropping cycle were similar, regardless of growth period. The diversity of bacterial sequences identified in each growth stage library of the three peanut cropping cycles was high and these sequences were affiliated with 21 bacterial groups. Eight phyla: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were dominant. The related bacterial phylotypes dynamic changed during continuous cropping progress of peanut. This study demonstrated that the bacterial populations especially the beneficial populations were positively selected. The simplification of the beneficial microbial communities such as the phylotypes of Alteromonadales, Burkholderiales, Flavobacteriales, Pseudomonadales, Rhizobiales and Rhodospirillales could be important factors contributing to the decline in peanut yield under continuous cropping. The microbial phylotypes that did not successively changed with continuous cropping, such as populations related to Rhizobiales and Rhodospirillales, could potentially resist stress due to continuous cropping and deserve attention. In addition, some phylotypes, such as Acidobacteriales, Chromatiales and Gemmatimonadales, showed a contrary tendency, their abundance or diversity increased with continuous peanut cropping progress. Some bacterial phylotypes including

  8. Interrelationships Within the Bacterial Flora of the Female Genital Tract

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    Henry J. Carson

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Analysis of 240 consecutive vaginal swabs using the compatibility profile technique revealed that only 2 bacteria have the ability to be a sole isolate and as such a candidate to be a major aerobic regulator of the bacterial flora of the female genital tract (BFFGT. Compatibility profiles of Lactobacillus and Gardnerella vaginalis have shown that these organisms shared compatibility profiling for the majority of the normal bacterial constituents of the female genital tract. Dominance disruption appears to come from the addition of compatible co-isolates and presumed loss of numerical superiority. These phenomena appear to be the keys to reregulation of BFFGT. Lactobacillus appears to be the major regulator of both G. vaginalis and anaerobic bacteria. When additional organisms are added to the bacterial flora, they may add to or partially negate the inhibitory influence of Lactobacillus on the BFFGT. Inhibitor interrelationships appear to exist between coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus and the group B streptococci (GBS and other beta hemolytic streptococci. Facilitating interrelationships appear to exist between S. aureus and the GBS and selected Enterobacteriaceae.

  9. Disturbance opens recruitment sites for bacterial colonization in activated sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vuono, David C; Munakata-Marr, Junko; Spear, John R; Drewes, Jörg E

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about the role of immigration in shaping bacterial communities or the factors that may dictate success or failure of colonization by bacteria from regional species pools. To address these knowledge gaps, the influence of bacterial colonization into an ecosystem (activated sludge bioreactor) was measured through a disturbance gradient (successive decreases in the parameter solids retention time) relative to stable operational conditions. Through a DNA sequencing approach, we show that the most abundant bacteria within the immigrant community have a greater probability of colonizing the receiving ecosystem, but mostly as low abundance community members. Only during the disturbance do some of these bacterial populations significantly increase in abundance beyond background levels and in few cases become dominant community members post-disturbance. Two mechanisms facilitate the enhanced enrichment of immigrant populations during disturbance: (i) the availability of resources left unconsumed by established species and (ii) the increased availability of niche space for colonizers to establish and displace resident populations. Thus, as a disturbance decreases local diversity, recruitment sites become available to promote colonization. This work advances our understanding of microbial resource management and diversity maintenance in complex ecosystems. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Essentiality, conservation, evolutionary pressure and codon bias in bacterial genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilucca, Maddalena; Cimini, Giulio; Giansanti, Andrea

    2018-07-15

    Essential genes constitute the core of genes which cannot be mutated too much nor lost along the evolutionary history of a species. Natural selection is expected to be stricter on essential genes and on conserved (highly shared) genes, than on genes that are either nonessential or peculiar to a single or a few species. In order to further assess this expectation, we study here how essentiality of a gene is connected with its degree of conservation among several unrelated bacterial species, each one characterised by its own codon usage bias. Confirming previous results on E. coli, we show the existence of a universal exponential relation between gene essentiality and conservation in bacteria. Moreover, we show that, within each bacterial genome, there are at least two groups of functionally distinct genes, characterised by different levels of conservation and codon bias: i) a core of essential genes, mainly related to cellular information processing; ii) a set of less conserved nonessential genes with prevalent functions related to metabolism. In particular, the genes in the first group are more retained among species, are subject to a stronger purifying conservative selection and display a more limited repertoire of synonymous codons. The core of essential genes is close to the minimal bacterial genome, which is in the focus of recent studies in synthetic biology, though we confirm that orthologs of genes that are essential in one species are not necessarily essential in other species. We also list a set of highly shared genes which, reasonably, could constitute a reservoir of targets for new anti-microbial drugs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Influence of plant species and environmental conditions on epiphytic and endophytic pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacterial populations associated with field-grown rice cultivars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhaiyan, Munusamy; Poonguzhali, Selvaraj; Sa, Tongmin

    2007-10-01

    The total methylotrophic population associated with rice plants from different cultivars was enumerated at three different stages: vegetative, flowering, and harvesting. The bacterial population in the leaf, rhizosphere soil, endophytic in the stem and roots, and epiphytic in the florets and grains were determined from four rice cultivars, Il-mi, Nam-pyeoung, O-dae, and Dong-jin, sampled from three different field sites. The methylotrophic bacteria isolated on AMS media containing 0.5% methanol as the sole carbon source uniformly showed three distinct morphologies, which were recorded as separate groups and their distribution among the various samples was determined using the ecophysiological index. The growth stage at the time of sampling had a more significant effect on the methylotrophic population and their distribution than the field site or cultivar. A similar effect was also observed for the PPFMs, where their population in different plant parts increased from V10 to R4 and then decreased towards stage R9. A canonical discriminant analysis of the PPFM population from different parts of rice showed clear variations among the cultivars, sampled sites, and growth stages, although the variations were more prominent among the growth stages.

  12. Characterization of Halophilic Bacterial Communities in Turda Salt Mine (Romania)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpa, Rahela; Keul, Anca; Muntean, Vasile; Dobrotă, Cristina

    2014-09-01

    Halophilic organisms are having adaptations to extreme salinity, the majority of them being Archaean, which have the ability to grow at extremely high salt concentrations, (from 3 % to 35 %). Level of salinity causes natural fluctuations in the halophilic populations that inhabit this particular habitat, raising problems in maintaining homeostasis of the osmotic pressure. Samples such as salt and water taken from Turda Salt Mine were analyzed in order to identify the eco-physiological bacterial groups. Considering the number of bacteria of each eco-physiological group, the bacterial indicators of salt quality (BISQ) were calculated and studied for each sample. The phosphatase, catalase and dehydrogenases enzymatic activities were quantitatively determined and the enzymatic indicators of salt quality (EISQ) were calculated. Bacterial isolates were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Universal bacterial primers, targeting the consensus region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were used. Analysis of a large fragment, of 1499 bp was performed to improve discrimination at the species level.

  13. Candida albicans and bacterial microbiota interactions in the cecum during recolonization following broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mason, Katie L; Erb Downward, John R; Mason, Kelly D; Falkowski, Nicole R; Eaton, Kathryn A; Kao, John Y; Young, Vincent B; Huffnagle, Gary B

    2012-10-01

    Candida albicans is a normal member of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiota of healthy humans, but during host immunosuppression or alterations in the bacterial microbiota, C. albicans can disseminate and cause life-threatening illness. The bacterial microbiome of the GI tract, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB), plays a vital role in preventing fungal invasion. However, little is known about the role of C. albicans in shaping the bacterial microbiota during antibiotic recovery. We investigated the fungal burdens in the GI tracts of germfree mice and mice with a disturbed microbiome to demonstrate the role of the microbiota in preventing C. albicans colonization. Histological analysis demonstrated that colonization with C. albicans during antibiotic treatment does not trigger overt inflammation in the murine cecum. Bacterial diversity is reduced long term following cefoperazone treatment, but the presence of C. albicans during antibiotic recovery promoted the recovery of bacterial diversity. Cefoperazone diminishes Bacteroidetes populations long term in the ceca of mice, but the presence of C. albicans during cefoperazone recovery promoted Bacteroidetes population recovery. However, the presence of C. albicans resulted in a long-term reduction in Lactobacillus spp. and promoted Enterococcus faecalis populations. Previous studies have focused on the ability of bacteria to alter C. albicans; this study addresses the ability of C. albicans to alter the bacterial microbiota during nonpathogenic colonization.

  14. The murine lung microbiome in relation to the intestinal and vaginal bacterial communities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barfod, Kenneth Klingenberg; Roggenbuck, Michael; Hansen, Lars H.

    2013-01-01

    Background This work provides the first description of the bacterial population of the lung microbiota in mice. The aim of this study was to examine the lung microbiome in mice, the most used animal model for inflammatory lung diseases such as COPD, cystic fibrosis and asthma.......Background This work provides the first description of the bacterial population of the lung microbiota in mice. The aim of this study was to examine the lung microbiome in mice, the most used animal model for inflammatory lung diseases such as COPD, cystic fibrosis and asthma....

  15. Genetic variation in bacterial kidney disease (BKD) susceptibility in Lake Michigan Chinook Salmon and its progenitor population from the Puget Sound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcell, Maureen K.; Hard, Jeffrey J.; Neely, Kathleen G.; Park, Linda K.; Winton, James R.; Elliott, Diane G.

    2014-01-01

    Mass mortality events in wild fish due to infectious diseases are troubling, especially given the potential for long-term, population-level consequences. Evolutionary theory predicts that populations with sufficient genetic variation will adapt in response to pathogen pressure. Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha were introduced into Lake Michigan in the late 1960s from a Washington State hatchery population. In the late 1980s, collapse of the forage base and nutritional stress in Lake Michigan were thought to contribute to die-offs of Chinook Salmon due to bacterial kidney disease (BKD). Previously, we demonstrated that Lake Michigan Chinook Salmon from a Wisconsin hatchery have greater survival following BKD challenge relative to their progenitor population. Here, we evaluated whether the phenotypic divergence of these populations in BKD susceptibility was due to selection rather than genetic drift. Comparison of the overall magnitude of quantitative trait to neutral marker divergence between the populations suggested selection had occurred but a direct test of quantitative trait divergence was not significant, preventing the rejection of the null hypothesis of differentiation through genetic drift. Estimates of phenotypic variation (VP), additive genetic variation (VA) and narrow-sense heritability (h2) were consistently higher in the Wisconsin relative to the Washington population. If selection had acted on the Wisconsin population there was no evidence of a concomitant loss of genetic variation in BKD susceptibility. The Renibacterium salmoninarum exposures were conducted at both 14°C and 9°C; the warmer temperature accelerated time to death in both populations and there was no evidence of phenotypic plasticity or a genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction. High h2 estimates for BKD susceptibility in the Wisconsin population, combined with a lack of phenotypic plasticity, predicts that future adaptive gains in BKD resistance are still possible and

  16. Co-occurrence patterns in aquatic bacterial communities across changing permafrost landscapes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comte, J.; Lovejoy, C.; Crevecoeur, S.; Vincent, W. F.

    2016-01-01

    Permafrost thaw ponds and lakes are widespread across the northern landscape and may play a central role in global biogeochemical cycles, yet knowledge about their microbial ecology is limited. We sampled a set of thaw ponds and lakes as well as shallow rock-basin lakes that are located in distinct valleys along a north-south permafrost degradation gradient. We applied high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to determine co-occurrence patterns among bacterial taxa (operational taxonomic units, OTUs), and then analyzed these results relative to environmental variables to identify variables controlling bacterial community structure. Network analysis was applied to identify possible ecological linkages among the bacterial taxa and with abiotic and biotic variables. The results showed an overall high level of shared taxa among bacterial communities within each valley; however, the bacterial co-occurrence patterns were non-random, with evidence of habitat preferences. There were taxonomic differences in bacterial assemblages among the different valleys that were statistically related to dissolved organic carbon concentration, conductivity and phytoplankton biomass. Co-occurrence networks revealed complex interdependencies within the bacterioplankton communities and showed contrasting linkages to environmental conditions among the main bacterial phyla. The thaw pond networks were composed of a limited number of highly connected taxa. This "small world network" property would render the communities more robust to environmental change but vulnerable to the loss of microbial "keystone species". These highly connected nodes (OTUs) in the network were not merely the numerically dominant taxa, and their loss would alter the organization of microbial consortia and ultimately the food web structure and functioning of these aquatic ecosystems.

  17. Intrinsic bacterial burden associated with intensive care unit hospital beds: effects of disinfection on population recovery and mitigation of potential infection risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attaway, Hubert H; Fairey, Sarah; Steed, Lisa L; Salgado, Cassandra D; Michels, Harold T; Schmidt, Michael G

    2012-12-01

    Commonly touched items are likely reservoirs from which patients, health care workers, and visitors may encounter and transfer microbes. A quantitative assessment was conducted of the risk represented by the intrinsic bacterial burden associated with bed rails in a medical intensive care unit (MICU), and how disinfection might mitigate this risk. Bacteria present on the rails from 36 patient beds in the MICU were sampled immediately before cleaning and at 0.5, 2.5, 4.5, and 6.5 hours after cleaning. Beds were sanitized with either a bottled disinfectant (BD; CaviCide) or an automated bulk-diluted disinfectant (ABDD; Virex II 256). The majority of bacteria recovered from the bed rails in the MICU were staphylococci, but not methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci were recovered from 3 beds. Bottled disinfectant reduced the average bacterial burden on the rails by 99%. However, the burden rebounded to 30% of that found before disinfection by 6.5 hours after disinfection. ABDD reduced the burden by an average of 45%, but levels rebounded within 2.5 hours. The effectiveness of both disinfectants was reflected in median reductions to burden of 98% for BD and 95% for ABDD. Cleaning with hospital-approved disinfectants reduced the intrinsic bacterial burden on bed rail surfaces by up to 99%, although the population, principally staphylococci, rebounded quickly to predisinfection levels. Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Population Dynamic of Dendronephthya sp.-Associated Bacteria in Natural and Artificial Habitats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUSAN SOKA

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Dendronephthya sp. is a soft coral that has huge distribution starting from Indopacific, Tonga, Solomon Islands to Great Barrier Reef in Australia. However, this soft corals survive only in short period after cultivation in artificial habitat (aquarium. Recent study showed that the soft coral Dendronephtya sp. has an association or symbiotic relationship with several bacteria, commonly known as coral associated bacteria (CAB. In this study, we compared the population dynamic of Dendronephthya sp.-associated bacteria in natural and artificial habitat, resulting different bacterial community profiles using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP analysis of bacterial community DNA. There were 15 main classes of bacterial population identified along with uncultured microorganism, uncultured organism, uncultured bacteria and unidentified organism. Members of Actinobacteria, Arthrobacteria, Chlorobia, Caldilineae, -proteobacteria and Proteobacteria were predicted to give contributions in the survival ability of both Dendronephthya sp. The cultivation of soft corals after 2 weeks in artificial habitat increases bacterial population similarity on 2 different samples by 10%. Bacterial population similarity in artificial habitat would increase along with the longer cultivation time of soft corals.

  19. Population Dynamic of Dendronephthya sp.-Associated Bacteria in Natural and Artificial Habitats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUSAN SOKA

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Dendronephthya sp. is a soft coral that has huge distribution starting from Indopacific, Tonga, Solomon Islands to Great Barrier Reef in Australia. However, this soft corals survive only in short period after cultivation in artificial habitat (aquarium. Recent study showed that the soft coral Dendronephtya sp. has an association or symbiotic relationship with several bacteria, commonly known as coral associated bacteria (CAB. In this study, we compared the population dynamic of Dendronephthya sp.-associated bacteria in natural and artificial habitat, resulting different bacterial community profiles using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP analysis of bacterial community DNA. There were 15 main classes of bacterial population identified along with uncultured microorganism, uncultured organism, uncultured bacteria and unidentified organism. Members of Actinobacteria, Arthrobacteria, Chlorobia, Caldilineae, Δ-proteobacteria and Proteobacteria were predicted to give contributions in the survival ability of both Dendronephthya sp. The cultivation of soft corals after 2 weeks in artificial habitat increases bacterial population similarity on 2 different samples by 10%. Bacterial population similarity in artificial habitat would increase along with the longer cultivation time of soft corals.

  20. Bacterial Zoonoses Transmitted by Household Pets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damborg, Peter Panduro; Broens, E.M.; Chomel, B.B.

    2016-01-01

    The close contact between household pets and people offers favourable conditions for bacterial transmission. In this article, the aetiology, prevalence, transmission, impact on human health and preventative measures are summarized for selected bacterial zoonoses transmissible by household pets. Six...... zoonoses representing distinct transmission routes were selected arbitrarily based on the available information on incidence and severity of pet-associated disease caused by zoonotic bacteria: bite infections and cat scratch disease (physical injuries), psittacosis (inhalation), leptospirosis (contact...... with urine), and campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis (faecal–oral ingestion). Antimicrobial resistance was also included due to the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria of zoonotic potential in dogs and cats. There is a general lack of data on pathogen prevalence in the relevant pet population...

  1. Collective Functionality through Bacterial Individuality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackermann, Martin

    According to the conventional view, the properties of an organism are a product of nature and nurture - of its genes and the environment it lives in. Recent experiments with unicellular organisms have challenged this view: several molecular mechanisms generate phenotypic variation independently of environmental signals, leading to variation in clonal groups. My presentation will focus on the causes and consequences of this microbial individuality. Using examples from bacterial genetic model systems, I will first discuss different molecular and cellular mechanisms that give rise to bacterial individuality. Then, I will discuss the consequences of individuality, and focus on how phenotypic variation in clonal populations of bacteria can promote interactions between individuals, lead to the division of labor, and allow clonal groups of bacteria to cope with environmental uncertainty. Variation between individuals thus provides clonal groups with collective functionality.

  2. Effects of Alachlor and Metolachlor on Microbial Populations in the Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail, B. S.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A study of the impact of two acetanilide herbicides, viz. alachlor and metolachlor on bacterial and fungal populations and biomass in the Sungai Buluh soil series samples was carried out under laboratory conditions. The effects of the two herbicides were monitored for 70 days under ambient conditions. Metolachlor caused greater reduction in bacterial counts than on fungal populations. There was approximately 75% reduction in bacterial counts 14 days after treatment (DAT with 2 µg/g metolachlor. Alachlor however was less toxic to bacterial and fungal populations. Alachlor caused a reduction in bacterial counts at 7 and 14 DAT with 2µg/g or above. Fungal population decreased significantly in the presence of 20 µg/g alachlor at 7 DAT but no further effects were observed as the incubation period was prolonged. The study showed that the microbial biomass immediately decreased significantly in the presence of 2 µg/g or more of metolachlor at 0 and 28 DAT. Alachlor, on the other hands, at the lowest experimental dose of 2 µg/g reduced the microbial biomass almost immediately upon incubation, but had no further effects when the incubation period was prolonged.

  3. Vaginal Microbiomes Associated With Aerobic Vaginitis and Bacterial Vaginosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaambo, Evelyn; Africa, Charlene; Chambuso, Ramadhani; Passmore, Jo-Ann Shelley

    2018-01-01

    A healthy vaginal microbiota is considered to be significant for maintaining vaginal health and preventing infections. However, certain vaginal bacterial commensal species serve an important first line of defense of the body. Any disruption of this microbial barrier might result in a number of urogenital conditions including aerobic vaginitis (AV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). The health of the vagina is closely associated with inhabitant microbiota. Furthermore, these microbes maintain a low vaginal pH, prevent the acquisition of pathogens, stimulate or moderate the local innate immune system, and further protect against complications during pregnancies. Therefore, this review will focus on vaginal microbial "health" in the lower reproductive tract of women and on the physiological characteristics that determine the well-being of reproductive health. In addition, we explore the distinct versus shared characteristics of BV and AV, which are commonly associated with increased risk for preterm delivery.

  4. Vaginal Microbiomes Associated With Aerobic Vaginitis and Bacterial Vaginosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyn Kaambo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available A healthy vaginal microbiota is considered to be significant for maintaining vaginal health and preventing infections. However, certain vaginal bacterial commensal species serve an important first line of defense of the body. Any disruption of this microbial barrier might result in a number of urogenital conditions including aerobic vaginitis (AV and bacterial vaginosis (BV. The health of the vagina is closely associated with inhabitant microbiota. Furthermore, these microbes maintain a low vaginal pH, prevent the acquisition of pathogens, stimulate or moderate the local innate immune system, and further protect against complications during pregnancies. Therefore, this review will focus on vaginal microbial “health” in the lower reproductive tract of women and on the physiological characteristics that determine the well-being of reproductive health. In addition, we explore the distinct versus shared characteristics of BV and AV, which are commonly associated with increased risk for preterm delivery.

  5. To share and be shared

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Ida Wentzel

    2018-01-01

    to another. To a certain degree, they share their everyday lives, things, places, memories, and past/future, but as the ones who move back and forth, they belong a little less in each place. This article is about children who are shared between their parent, households and siblings. They are shared...

  6. Taxonomic Structure and Stability of the Bacterial Community in Belgian Sourdough Ecosystems as Assessed by Culture and Population Fingerprinting▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheirlinck, Ilse; Van der Meulen, Roel; Van Schoor, Ann; Vancanneyt, Marc; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter; Huys, Geert

    2008-01-01

    A total of 39 traditional sourdoughs were sampled at 11 bakeries located throughout Belgium which were visited twice with a 1-year interval. The taxonomic structure and stability of the bacterial communities occurring in these traditional sourdoughs were assessed using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. A total of 1,194 potential lactic acid bacterium (LAB) isolates were tentatively grouped and identified by repetitive element sequence-based PCR, followed by sequence-based identification using 16S rRNA and pheS genes from a selection of genotypically unique LAB isolates. In parallel, all samples were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of V3-16S rRNA gene amplicons. In addition, extensive metabolite target analysis of more than 100 different compounds was performed. Both culturing and DGGE analysis showed that the species Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus paralimentarius, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus pontis dominated the LAB population of Belgian type I sourdoughs. In addition, DGGE band sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of Acetobacter sp. and a member of the Erwinia/Enterobacter/Pantoea group in some samples. Overall, the culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches each exhibited intrinsic limitations in assessing bacterial LAB diversity in Belgian sourdoughs. Irrespective of the LAB biodiversity, a large majority of the sugar and amino acid metabolites were detected in all sourdough samples. Principal component-based analysis of biodiversity and metabolic data revealed only little variation among the two samples of the sourdoughs produced at the same bakery. The rare cases of instability observed could generally be linked with variations in technological parameters or differences in detection capacity between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Within a sampling interval of 1 year, this study reinforces previous observations that the bakery environment

  7. Characterization of rumen bacterial diversity and fermentation parameters in concentrate fed cattle with and without forage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petri, R M; Forster, R J; Yang, W; McKinnon, J J; McAllister, T A

    2012-06-01

    To determine the effects of the removal of forage in high-concentrate diets on rumen fermentation conditions and rumen bacterial populations using culture-independent methods. Detectable bacteria and fermentation parameters were measured in the solid and liquid fractions of digesta from cattle fed two dietary treatments, high concentrate (HC) and high concentrate without forage (HCNF). Comparison of rumen fermentation conditions showed that duration of time spent below pH 5·2 and rumen osmolality were higher in the HCNF treatment. Simpson's index of 16S PCR-DGGE images showed a greater diversity of dominant species in the HCNF treatment. Real-time qPCR showed populations of Fibrobacter succinogenes (P = 0·01) were lower in HCNF than HC diets. Ruminococcus spp., F. succinogenes and Selenomonas ruminantium were at higher (P ≤ 0·05) concentrations in the solid vs the liquid fraction of digesta regardless of diet. The detectable bacterial community structure in the rumen is highly diverse. Reducing diet complexity by removing forage increased bacterial diversity despite the associated reduction in ruminal pH being less conducive for fibrolytic bacterial populations. Quantitative PCR showed that removal of forage from the diet resulted in a decline in the density of some, but not all fibrolytic bacterial species examined. Molecular techniques such as DGGE and qPCR provide an increased understanding of the impacts of dietary changes on the nature of rumen bacterial populations, and conclusions derived using these techniques may not match those previously derived using traditional laboratory culturing techniques. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  8. Bacterial Flora Changes in Conjunctiva of Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Type I Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chao; Fei, Yuda; Qin, Yali; Luo, Dan; Yang, Shufei; Kou, Xinyun; Zi, Yingxin; Deng, Tingting; Jin, Ming

    2015-01-01

    The microbiota of both humans and animals plays an important role in their health and the development of disease. Therefore, the bacterial flora of the conjunctiva may also be associated with some diseases. However, there are no reports on the alteration of bacterial flora in conjunctiva of diabetic rats in the literature. Therefore, we investigated the changes in bacterial flora in bulbar conjunctiva of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type I diabetes. A high dose of STZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to induce type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The diabetic rats were raised in the animal laboratory and at 8 months post-injection of STZ swab samples were taken from the bulbar conjunctiva for cultivation of aerobic bacteria. The bacterial isolates were identified by Gram staining and biochemical features. The identified bacteria from both diabetic and healthy rats were then compared. The diabetic and healthy rats had different bacterial flora present in their bulbar conjunctiva. In total, 10 and 8 bacterial species were found in the STZ and control groups, respectively, with only three species (Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus gallinarum and Escherichia coli) shared between the two groups. Gram-positive bacteria were common in both groups and the most abundant was Enterococcus faecium. However, after the development of T1DM, the bacterial flora in the rat bulbar conjunctiva changed considerably, with a reduced complexity evident. STZ-induced diabetes caused alterations of bacterial flora in the bulbar conjunctiva in rats, with some bacterial species disappearing and others emerging. Our results indicate that the conjunctival bacterial flora in diabetic humans should be surveyed for potential diagnostic markers or countermeasures to prevent eye infections in T1DM patients.

  9. Hydrocarbon pollutants shape bacterial community assembly of harbor sediments

    KAUST Repository

    Barbato, Marta

    2016-02-02

    Petroleum pollution results in co-contamination by different classes of molecules, entailing the occurrence of marine sediments difficult to remediate, as in the case of the Ancona harbor (Mediterranean Sea, Italy). Autochthonous bioaugmentation (ABA), by exploiting the indigenous microbes of the environment to be treated, could represent a successful bioremediation strategy. In this perspective we aimed to i) identify the main drivers of the bacterial communities\\' richness in the sediments, ii) establish enrichment cultures with different hydrocarbon pollutants evaluating their effects on the bacterial communities\\' composition, and iii) obtain a collection of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria potentially exploitable in ABA. The correlation between the selection of different specialized bacterial populations and the type of pollutants was demonstrated by culture-independent analyses, and by establishing a collection of bacteria with different hydrocarbon degradation traits. Our observations indicate that pollution dictates the diversity of sediment bacterial communities and shapes the ABA potential in harbor sediments.

  10. Spatial and temporal changes in sulphate-reducing groundwater bacterial community structure in response to Managed Aquifer Recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, D A; Toze, S; Chang, B

    2008-01-01

    The population dynamics of bacterial able to be cultured under sulphate reducing condition was studied in conjunction with changes in aquifer geochemistry using multivariate statistics for two contrasting Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques at two different geographical locations (Perth, Western Australia and Adelaide, South Australia). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate spatial and temporal changes in the overall chemical signature of the aquifers using an array of chemical analytes which demonstrated a migrating geochemical plume. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) using DNA from sulphate-reducing bacteria cultures was used to detect spatial and temporal changes in population dynamics. Bacterial and geochemical evidence suggested that groundwater at greatest distance from the nutrient source was least affected by treated effluent recharge. The results suggested that bacterial populations that were able to be cultured in sulphate reducing media responded to the migrating chemical gradient and to the changes in aquifer geochemistry. Most noticeably, sulphate-reducing bacterial populations associated with the infiltration galleries were stable in community structure over time. Additionally, the biodiversity of these culturable bacteria was restored when aquifer geochemistry returned to ambient conditions during the recovery phase at the Adelaide Aquifer Storage and Recovery site. Copyright CSIRO 2008.

  11. Pseudomonas chlororaphis Produces Two Distinct R-Tailocins That Contribute to Bacterial Competition in Biofilms and on Roots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorosky, Robert J; Yu, Jun Myoung; Pierson, Leland S; Pierson, Elizabeth A

    2017-08-01

    R-type tailocins are high-molecular-weight bacteriocins that resemble bacteriophage tails and are encoded within the genomes of many Pseudomonas species. In this study, analysis of the P. chlororaphis 30-84 R-tailocin gene cluster revealed that it contains the structural components to produce two R-tailocins of different ancestral origins. Two distinct R-tailocin populations differing in length were observed in UV-induced lysates of P. chlororaphis 30-84 via transmission electron microscopy. Mutants defective in the production of one or both R-tailocins demonstrated that the killing spectrum of each tailocin is limited to Pseudomonas species. The spectra of pseudomonads killed by the two R-tailocins differed, although a few Pseudomonas species were either killed by or insusceptible to both tailocins. Tailocin release was disrupted by deletion of the holin gene within the tailocin gene cluster, demonstrating that the lysis cassette is required for the release of both R-tailocins. The loss of functional tailocin production reduced the ability of P. chlororaphis 30-84 to compete with an R-tailocin-sensitive strain within biofilms and rhizosphere communities. Our study demonstrates that Pseudomonas species can produce more than one functional R-tailocin particle sharing the same lysis cassette but differing in their killing spectra. This study provides evidence for the role of R-tailocins as determinants of bacterial competition among plant-associated Pseudomonas in biofilms and the rhizosphere. IMPORTANCE Recent studies have identified R-tailocin gene clusters potentially encoding more than one R-tailocin within the genomes of plant-associated Pseudomonas but have not demonstrated that more than one particle is produced or the ecological significance of the production of multiple R-tailocins. This study demonstrates for the first time that Pseudomonas strains can produce two distinct R-tailocins with different killing spectra, both of which contribute to bacterial

  12. Comparative genomics of Wolbachia and the bacterial species concept.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirsten Maren Ellegaard

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The importance of host-specialization to speciation processes in obligate host-associated bacteria is well known, as is also the ability of recombination to generate cohesion in bacterial populations. However, whether divergent strains of highly recombining intracellular bacteria, such as Wolbachia, can maintain their genetic distinctness when infecting the same host is not known. We first developed a protocol for the genome sequencing of uncultivable endosymbionts. Using this method, we have sequenced the complete genomes of the Wolbachia strains wHa and wNo, which occur as natural double infections in Drosophila simulans populations on the Seychelles and in New Caledonia. Taxonomically, wHa belong to supergroup A and wNo to supergroup B. A comparative genomics study including additional strains supported the supergroup classification scheme and revealed 24 and 33 group-specific genes, putatively involved in host-adaptation processes. Recombination frequencies were high for strains of the same supergroup despite different host-preference patterns, leading to genomic cohesion. The inferred recombination fragments for strains of different supergroups were of short sizes, and the genomes of the co-infecting Wolbachia strains wHa and wNo were not more similar to each other and did not share more genes than other A- and B-group strains that infect different hosts. We conclude that Wolbachia strains of supergroup A and B represent genetically distinct clades, and that strains of different supergroups can co-exist in the same arthropod host without converging into the same species. This suggests that the supergroups are irreversibly separated and that barriers other than host-specialization are able to maintain distinct clades in recombining endosymbiont populations. Acquiring a good knowledge of the barriers to genetic exchange in Wolbachia will advance our understanding of how endosymbiont communities are constructed from vertically and horizontally

  13. Structural transformations of heat-treated bacterial iron oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hashimoto, Hideki, E-mail: hideki-h@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Fujii, Tatsuo [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Nakanishi, Koji [Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation, Kyoto University, Uji 611-0011 (Japan); Yogi, Chihiro [SR Center, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan); Peterlik, Herwig [Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Nakanishi, Makoto [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Takada, Jun [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan)

    2015-04-01

    A bacterial siliceous iron oxide microtubule (diameter: ca. 1 μm, 15Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}·8SiO{sub 2}·P{sub 2}O{sub 5}·30H{sub 2}O) produced by Leptothrix ochracea was heat treated in air and its structural transformation was investigated in detail by microscopy, diffractometry, and spectroscopy. Although the heat-treated bacterial iron oxide retained its original microtubular structure, its nanoscopic, middle-range, and local structures changed drastically. Upon heat treatment, nanosized pores were formed and their size changed depending on temperature. The Fe–O–Si linkages were gradually cleaved with increasing temperature, causing the progressive separation of Fe and Si ions into iron oxide and amorphous silicate phases, respectively. Concomitantly, global connectivity and local structure of FeO{sub 6} octahedra in the iron oxide nanoparticles systematically changed depending on temperature. These comprehensive investigations clearly revealed various structural changes of the bacterial iron oxide which is an important guideline for the future exploration of novel bio-inspired materials. - Highlights: • Structural transformation of a bacterial iron oxide microtubule was investigated. • Si–O–Fe was cleaved with increasing temperature to form α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/silicate composite. • Crystallization to 2Fh started at 500 °C to give α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} >700 °C. • FeO{sub 6} octahedra were highly distorted <500 °C. • Formation of face-sharing FeO{sub 6} was promoted >500 °C, releasing the local strain of FeO{sub 6}.

  14. Bacterial single-stranded DNA-binding proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mijakovic, Ivan; Petranovic, Dina; Macek, B

    2006-01-01

    for phosphotyrosine-containing proteins in Streptomyces griseus by immunoaffinity chromatography identified bacterial SSBs as a novel target of bacterial tyrosine kinases. Since genes encoding protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) have not been recognized in streptomycetes, and SSBs from Streptomyces coelicolor (Sc......SSB) and Bacillus subtilis (BsSSB) share 38.7% identity, we used a B.subtilis protein-tyrosine kinase YwqD to phosphorylate two cognate SSBs (BsSSB and YwpH) in vitro. We demonstrate that in vivo phosphorylation of B.subtilis SSB occurs on tyrosine residue 82, and this reaction is affected antagonistically...... by kinase YwqD and phosphatase YwqE. Phosphorylation of B.subtilis SSB increased binding almost 200-fold to single-stranded DNA in vitro. Tyrosine phosphorylation of B.subtilis, S.coelicolor and Escherichia coli SSBs occured while they were expressed in E.coli, indicating that tyrosine phosphorylation...

  15. Bacterial diversity is strongly associated with historical penguin activity in an Antarctic lake sediment profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Renbin; Shi, Yu; Ma, Dawei; Wang, Can; Xu, Hua; Chu, Haiyan

    2015-11-25

    Current penguin activity in Antarctica affects the geochemistry of sediments and their microbial communities; the effects of historical penguin activity are less well understood. Here, bacterial diversity in ornithogenic sediment was investigated using high-throughput pyrosequencing. The relative abundances of dominant phyla were controlled by the amount of historical penguin guano deposition. Significant positive correlations were found between both the bacterial richness and diversity, and the relative penguin number (p penguin activity drove the vertical distribution of the bacterial communities. The lowest relative abundances of individual phyla corresponded to lowest number of penguin population at 1,800-2,300 yr BP during a drier and colder period; the opposite was observed during a moister and warmer climate (1,400-1,800 yr BP). This study shows that changes in the climate over millennia affected penguin populations and the outcomes of these changes affect the sediment bacterial community today.

  16. Molecular mechanisms underlying the emergence of bacterial pathogens: an ecological perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartoli, Claudia; Roux, Fabrice; Lamichhane, Jay Ram

    2016-02-01

    The rapid emergence of new bacterial diseases negatively affects both human health and agricultural productivity. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying these disease emergences are shared between human- and plant-pathogenic bacteria, not much effort has been made to date to understand disease emergences caused by plant-pathogenic bacteria. In particular, there is a paucity of information in the literature on the role of environmental habitats in which plant-pathogenic bacteria evolve and on the stress factors to which these microbes are unceasingly exposed. In this microreview, we focus on three molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenicity in bacteria, namely mutations, genomic rearrangements and the acquisition of new DNA sequences through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We briefly discuss the role of these mechanisms in bacterial disease emergence and elucidate how the environment can influence the occurrence and regulation of these molecular mechanisms by directly impacting disease emergence. The understanding of such molecular evolutionary mechanisms and their environmental drivers will represent an important step towards predicting bacterial disease emergence and developing sustainable management strategies for crops. © 2015 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  17. Targeting Bacterial Dsb Proteins for the Development of Anti-Virulence Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxanne P. Smith

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in bacterial antimicrobial resistance and a decline in the development of novel antibiotics. New therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to combat the growing threat posed by multidrug resistant bacterial infections. The Dsb disulfide bond forming pathways are potential targets for the development of antimicrobial agents because they play a central role in bacterial pathogenesis. In particular, the DsbA/DsbB system catalyses disulfide bond formation in a wide array of virulence factors, which are essential for many pathogens to establish infections and cause disease. These redox enzymes are well placed as antimicrobial targets because they are taxonomically widespread, share low sequence identity with human proteins, and many years of basic research have provided a deep molecular understanding of these systems in bacteria. In this review, we discuss disulfide bond catalytic pathways in bacteria and their significance in pathogenesis. We also review the use of different approaches to develop inhibitors against Dsb proteins as potential anti-virulence agents, including fragment-based drug discovery, high-throughput screening and other structure-based drug discovery methods.

  18. Effect of flow and peristaltic mixing on bacterial growth in a gut-like channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Jonas; Segota, Igor; Yang, Chih-yu; Arnoldini, Markus; Sauls, John T.; Zhang, Zhongge; Gutierrez, Edgar; Groisman, Alex; Hwa, Terence

    2016-01-01

    The ecology of microbes in the gut has been shown to play important roles in the health of the host. To better understand microbial growth and population dynamics in the proximal colon, the primary region of bacterial growth in the gut, we built and applied a fluidic channel that we call the “minigut.” This is a channel with an array of membrane valves along its length, which allows mimicking active contractions of the colonic wall. Repeated contraction is shown to be crucial in maintaining a steady-state bacterial population in the device despite strong flow along the channel that would otherwise cause bacterial washout. Depending on the flow rate and the frequency of contractions, the bacterial density profile exhibits varying spatial dependencies. For a synthetic cross-feeding community, the species abundance ratio is also strongly affected by mixing and flow along the length of the device. Complex mixing dynamics due to contractions is described well by an effective diffusion term. Bacterial dynamics is captured by a simple reaction–diffusion model without adjustable parameters. Our results suggest that flow and mixing play a major role in shaping the microbiota of the colon. PMID:27681630

  19. Bacterial pleomorphism and competition in a relative humidity gradient

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Goffau, Marcus C.; Yang, Xiaomei; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Harmsen, Hermie J. M.

    The response of different bacterial species to reduced water availability was studied using a simple relative humidity gradient technique. Interestingly, distinct differences in morphology and growth patterns were observed between populations of the same species growing at different relative

  20. Photoinactivation of major bacterial pathogens in aquaculture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyong Jin Roh

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Significant increases in the bacterial resistance to various antibiotics have been found in fish farms. Non-antibiotic therapies for infectious diseases in aquaculture are needed. In recent years, light-emitting diode technology has been applied to the inactivation of pathogens, especially those affecting humans. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of blue light (wavelengths 405 and 465 nm on seven major bacterial pathogens that affect fish and shellfish important in aquaculture. Results We successfully demonstrate inactivation activity of a 405/465-nm LED on selected bacterial pathogens. Although some bacteria were not fully inactivated by the 465-nm light, the 405-nm light had a bactericidal effect against all seven pathogens, indicating that blue light can be effective without the addition of a photosensitizer. Photobacterium damselae, Vibrio anguillarum, and Edwardsiella tarda were the most susceptible to the 405-nm light (36.1, 41.2, and 68.4 J cm−2, respectively, produced one log reduction in the bacterial populations, whereas Streptococcus parauberis was the least susceptible (153.8 J cm−2 per one log reduction. In general, optical density (OD values indicated that higher bacterial densities were associated with lower inactivating efficacy, with the exception of P. damselae and Vibrio harveyi. In conclusion, growth of the bacterial fish and shellfish pathogens evaluated in this study was inactivated by exposure to either the 405- or 465-nm light. In addition, inactivation was dependent on exposure time. Conclusions This study presents that blue LED has potentially alternative therapy for treating fish and shellfish bacterial pathogens. It has great advantages in aspect of eco-friendly treating methods differed from antimicrobial methods.

  1. Job-Sharing: Another Way to Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rich, Les

    1978-01-01

    A permanent part-time work force estimated at sixteen to seventeen million is one of the fastest-growing segments of the work population. The article discusses and presents some examples of job sharing--two persons handling one job--as a means of increasing employment, avoiding layoffs, and meeting individual needs. (MF)

  2. Frequency of microbial spectrum of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in established cirrhosis liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaman, A.; Kareem, R.; Khan, E.M.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is one of the most frequent and serious complication in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites associated with high mortality. Empiric antibiotic therapy should be initiated before the results of ascitic fluid cultures are available, guided by knowledge of the microbial spectrum of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in a particular population. Methods: This is a descriptive study which was carried out in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Postgraduate Medical Institute Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar from January 2007 to December 2007. Fifty consecutive patients of established cirrhosis liver with ascites presenting with suspicion and or risk factors for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were included in the study after informed consent. All selected patients were subjected to ascitic fluid tap. Twenty ml of ascitic fluid was aspirated in a heparinised disposable syringe; out of it 10 ml was immediately inoculated into blood culture bottle at bedside and sent for bacterial culture along with the remaining 10 ml for routine biochemical and cytological examination. Results: Out of 50 patients, 28 (56%) were diagnosed to have spontaneous bacterial peritonitis or its variants. Classic spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was present in 11 patients (39.28%), 16 (57.14%) patients were found to have culture negative neutrocytic ascites and one patient (3.57%) had bacterascites. Out of 28 cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis 12 samples of ascitic fluid showed positive culture reports. E. coli was the most frequently cultured organism isolated in 8 (66.66%) cases, Streptococcus pneumonae in 2 patients (16.66%), Staphylococcus aurus and Klebsiella each in 1 case (8.33%). Conclusion: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and its variants is a common complication of liver cirrhosis with ascites. E. coli is the most frequent offending organism in these cases. Knowledge of the microbial spectrum of spontaneous

  3. Bacterial enteropathogens associated with diarrhea in a rural population of Haiti

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jackson JC

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available John C Jackson, Anthony L Farone, Mary B Farone Biology Department, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA Purpose: Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity in developing countries. To further understand the epidemiology of diarrheal disease among a rural population surrounding Robillard, Haiti, fecal swabs from patients with diarrhea were screened for the presence of enteropathogenic bacteria. Patients and methods: Fecal swabs were collected from 34 patients with signs and symptoms of diarrhea and stored in BBLTM Cary-Blair transport medium (Becton, Dickinson and Company, Sparks, MD until transit to the USA. Swab material was inoculated on to different enrichment and selective agars for incubation. Fermenting and nonfermenting bacteria that grew on the enteric selection media were identified by the BBLTM CrystalTM Enteric/Nonferementing Identification system (Becton, Dickinson and Company. Organisms identified as Escherichia coli were further screened for the presence of virulence factors by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Results: Of 34 patients, no Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella, or Vibrio spp. were isolated from swabs transported to the USA for culture. Of 73 E. coli isolates cultured from the swabs, one enteropathogenic strain of E. coli was identified by multiplex PCR. Escherichia fergusonii and Cronobacter sakazakii, both potential gastrointestinal pathogens, were also isolated from patient stools. Conclusion: This study was undertaken to determine if bacterial enteropathogens could be detected in the stools of patients suffering from diarrhea or dysentery and, in the absence of sufficient facilities, rectal swabs could be transported to the USA for culture. Although several genera of overt enteropathogens were not detected, one enteropathogenic E. coli and other pathogenic enterobacteriaceae were successfully cultured and identified. Keywords: Escherichia, Cronobacter, diarrheagenic, stool

  4. A Rules-Based Simulation of Bacterial Turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikel-Stites, Maxwell; Staples, Anne

    2015-11-01

    In sufficiently dense bacterial populations (>40% bacteria by volume), unusual collective swimming behaviors have been consistently observed, resembling von Karman vortex streets. The source of these collective swimming behavior has yet to be fully determined, and as of yet, no research has been conducted that would define whether or not this behavior is derived predominantly from the properties of the surrounding media, or if it is an emergent behavior as a result of the ``rules'' governing the behavior of individual bacteria. The goal of this research is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to design a simulation that can replicate the qualitative behavior of the densely packed bacterial populations using only behavioral rules to govern the actions of each bacteria, with the physical properties of the media being neglected. The results of the simulation will address whether or not it is possible for the system's overall behavior to be driven exclusively by these rule-based dynamics. In order to examine this, the behavioral simulation was written in MATLAB on a fixed grid, and updated sequentially with the bacterial behavior, including randomized tumbling, gathering and perceptual sub-functions. If the simulation is successful, it will serve as confirmation that it is possible to generate these qualitatively vortex-like behaviors without specific physical media (that the phenomena arises in emergent fashion from behavioral rules), or as evidence that the observed behavior requires some specific set of physical parameters.

  5. Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights from Residents of Traditionally Underserved Neighborhoods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Evidence has shown that higher income and white populations are overrepresented in both access to and use of bike share. Efforts to overcome underserved communities barriers to access and use of bike share have been initiated in a number of cities...

  6. Evidence of a bacterial core in the stored products pest Plodia interpunctella: the influence of different diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montagna, Matteo; Mereghetti, Valeria; Gargari, Giorgio; Guglielmetti, Simone; Faoro, Franco; Lozzia, Giuseppe; Locatelli, Daria; Limonta, Lidia

    2016-12-01

    The potential influence of insects' feeding behaviour on their associated bacterial communities is currently a matter of debate. Using the major pest of commodities, Plodia interpunctella, as a model and adopting a culture-independent approach, the impact of different diets on the host-associated microbiota was evaluated. An analysis of similarity showed differences among the microbiotas of moths fed with five substrates and provided evidence that diet represents the only tested factor that explains this dissimilarity. Bacteria shared between food and insects provide evidence for a limited conveyance to the host of the bacteria derived from the diet; more likely, the content of carbohydrates and proteins in the diets promotes changes in the insect's microbiota. Moth microbiotas were characterized by two robust entomotypes, respectively, associated with a carbohydrate-rich diet and a protein-rich diet. These results were also confirmed by the predicted metagenome functional potential. A core microbiota, composed of six taxa, was shared between eggs and adults, regardless of the origin of the population. Finally, the identification of possible human and animal pathogens on chili and associated with the moths that feed on it highlights the possibility that these bacteria may be conveyed by moth frass. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. A novel approach to parasite population genetics: experimental infection reveals geographic differentiation, recombination and host-mediated population structure in Pasteuria ramosa, a bacterial parasite of Daphnia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andras, J P; Ebert, D

    2013-02-01

    The population structure of parasites is central to the ecology and evolution of host-parasite systems. Here, we investigate the population genetics of Pasteuria ramosa, a bacterial parasite of Daphnia. We used natural P. ramosa spore banks from the sediments of two geographically well-separated ponds to experimentally infect a panel of Daphnia magna host clones whose resistance phenotypes were previously known. In this way, we were able to assess the population structure of P. ramosa based on geography, host resistance phenotype and host genotype. Overall, genetic diversity of P. ramosa was high, and nearly all infected D. magna hosted more than one parasite haplotype. On the basis of the observation of recombinant haplotypes and relatively low levels of linkage disequilibrium, we conclude that P. ramosa engages in substantial recombination. Isolates were strongly differentiated by pond, indicating that gene flow is spatially restricted. Pasteuria ramosa isolates within one pond were segregated completely based on the resistance phenotype of the host-a result that, to our knowledge, has not been previously reported for a nonhuman parasite. To assess the comparability of experimental infections with natural P. ramosa isolates, we examined the population structure of naturally infected D. magna native to one of the two source ponds. We found that experimental and natural infections of the same host resistance phenotype from the same source pond were indistinguishable, indicating that experimental infections provide a means to representatively sample the diversity of P. ramosa while reducing the sampling bias often associated with studies of parasite epidemics. These results expand our knowledge of this model parasite, provide important context for the large existing body of research on this system and will guide the design of future studies of this host-parasite system. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Culturable endophytic bacterial communities associated with field-grown soybean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Almeida Lopes, K B; Carpentieri-Pipolo, V; Oro, T H; Stefani Pagliosa, E; Degrassi, G

    2016-03-01

    Assess the diversity of the culturable endophytic bacterial population associated with transgenic and nontransgenic soybean grown in field trial sites in Brazil and characterize them phenotypically and genotypically focusing on characteristics related to plant growth promotion. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from roots, stems and leaves of soybean cultivars (nontransgenic (C) and glyphosate-resistant (GR) transgenic soybean), including the isogenic BRS133 and BRS245RR. Significant differences were observed in bacterial densities in relation to genotype and tissue from which the isolates were obtained. The highest number of bacteria was observed in roots and in GR soybean. Based on characteristics related to plant growth promotion, 54 strains were identified by partial 16S rRNA sequence analysis, with most of the isolates belonging to the species Enterobacter ludwigii and Variovorax paradoxus. Among the isolates, 44·4% were able to either produce indoleacetic acid (IAA) or solubilize phosphates, and 9·2% (all from GR soybean) presented both plant growth-promoting activities. The results from this study indicate that the abundance of endophytic bacterial communities of soybean differs between cultivars and in general it was higher in the transgenic cultivars than in nontransgenic cultivars. BRS 245 RR exhibited no significant difference in abundance compared to nontransgenic BRS133. This suggests that the impact of the management used in the GR soybean fields was comparable with the impacts of some enviromental factors. However, the bacterial endophytes associated to GR and nontransgenic soybean were different. The soybean-associated bacteria showing characteristics related to plant growth promotion were identified as belonging to the species Pantoea agglomerans and Variovorax paradoxus. Our study demonstrated differences concerning compostion of culturable endophytic bacterial population in nontransgenic and transgenic soybean. © 2016 The Society for Applied

  9. New-found fundamentals of bacterial persistence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kint, Cyrielle I; Verstraeten, Natalie; Fauvart, Maarten; Michiels, Jan

    2012-12-01

    Persister cells display tolerance to high doses of bactericidal antibiotics and typically comprise a small fraction of a bacterial population. Recently, evidence was provided for a causal link between therapy failure and the presence of persister cells in chronic infections, underscoring the need for research on bacterial persistence. A series of recent breakthroughs have shed light on the multiplicity of persister genes, the contribution of gene expression noise to persister formation, the importance of active responses to antibiotic tolerance and heterogeneity among persister cells. Moreover, the development of in vivo model systems has highlighted the clinical relevance of persistence. This review discusses these recent advances and how this knowledge fundamentally changes the way in which we will perceive the problem of antibiotic tolerance in years to come. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Bacterial prostatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Bradley C; Shoskes, Daniel A

    2016-02-01

    The review provides the infectious disease community with a urologic perspective on bacterial prostatitis. Specifically, the article briefly reviews the categorization of prostatitis by type and provides a distillation of new findings published on bacterial prostatitis over the past year. It also highlights key points from the established literature. Cross-sectional prostate imaging is becoming more common and may lead to more incidental diagnoses of acute bacterial prostatitis. As drug resistance remains problematic in this condition, the reemergence of older antibiotics such as fosfomycin, has proven beneficial. With regard to chronic bacterial prostatitis, no clear clinical risk factors emerged in a large epidemiological study. However, bacterial biofilm formation has been associated with more severe cases. Surgery has a limited role in bacterial prostatitis and should be reserved for draining of a prostatic abscess or the removal of infected prostatic stones. Prostatitis remains a common and bothersome clinical condition. Antibiotic therapy remains the basis of treatment for both acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. Further research into improving prostatitis treatment is indicated.

  11. Bacteriophage populations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klieve, A.V.; Gilbert, R.A.

    2005-01-01

    Bacteriophages are ubiquitous to the rumen ecosystem; they have a role in nitrogen metabolism through bacterial lysis in the rumen, they may help to regulate bacterial population densities, be an agent for genetic exchange and be of use in biocontrol of bacterial populations through phage therapy. In Chapter 2.1, classical methodologies to enable the isolation, enumeration, storage and morphological characterization of phages were presented. In addition to these classic procedures, molecular biological techniques have resulted in a range of methodologies to investigate the type, topology and size of phage nucleic acids, to fingerprint individual phage strains and to create a profile of ruminal phage populations. Different phage families possess all the currently identified combinations of double-stranded or single-stranded RNA or DNA and may also possess unusual bases such as 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (found in T-even phage) or 5- hydroxymethyluracil and uracil in place of thymidine. In all morphological groups of phage except the filamentous phages, the nucleic acid is contained within a head or polyhedral structure, predominantly composed of protein. Filamentous phages have their nucleic acid contained inside the helical filament, occupying much of its length. Many of the procedures used with phage nucleic acids and double-stranded (ds) DNA, in particular, are not specific to ruminal phages but are the same as in other areas where nucleic acids are investigated and are covered elsewhere in the literature and this chapter. Most applications with rumen phages are similar to those reported for phages of non-ruminal bacteria and are covered in general texts such as Maniatis et al. In this chapter, we will concentrate on aspects of methodology as they relate to ruminal phages

  12. Self-organization of bacterial communities against environmental pH variation: Controlled chemotactic motility arranges cell population structures in biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasaki, Sohei; Nakayama, Madoka; Shoji, Wataru

    2017-01-01

    As with many living organisms, bacteria often live on the surface of solids, such as foods, organisms, buildings and soil. Compared with dispersive behavior in liquid, bacteria on surface environment exhibit significantly restricted mobility. They have access to only limited resources and cannot be liberated from the changing environment. Accordingly, appropriate collective strategies are necessarily required for long-term growth and survival. However, in spite of our deepening knowledge of the structure and characteristics of individual cells, strategic self-organizing dynamics of their community is poorly understood and therefore not yet predictable. Here, we report a morphological change in Bacillus subtilis biofilms due to environmental pH variations, and present a mathematical model for the macroscopic spatio-temporal dynamics. We show that an environmental pH shift transforms colony morphology on hard agar media from notched 'volcano-like' to round and front-elevated 'crater-like'. We discover that a pH-dependent dose-response relationship between nutritional resource level and quantitative bacterial motility at the population level plays a central role in the mechanism of the spatio-temporal cell population structure design in biofilms.

  13. The unexpected stable market share of the bicycle in The Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Goeverden, C.D.; Van Arem, B.; Godefrooij, T.

    2013-01-01

    In the Netherlands, the share of the bicycle as the main mode in all person trips has been highly constant in the past three decades (about 27%). A constant share is remarkable because a number of developments in this period were unfavourable for bicycle use, like ageing of the population, growing

  14. Impact of commonly used agrochemicals on bacterial diversity in cultivated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ampofo, J A; Tetteh, W; Bello, M

    2009-09-01

    The effects of three selected agrochemicals on bacterial diversity in cultivated soil have been studied. The selected agrochemicals are Cerox (an insecticide), Ceresate and Paraquat (both herbicides). The effect on bacterial population was studied by looking at the total heterotrophic bacteria presence and the effect of the agrochemicals on some selected soil microbes. The soil type used was loamy with pH of 6.0-7.0. The soil was placed in opaque pots and bambara bean (Vigna subterranean) seeds cultivated in them. The agrochemicals were applied two weeks after germination of seeds at concentrations based on manufacturer's recommendation. Plant growth was assessed by weekly measurement of plant height, foliage appearance and number of nodules formed after one month. The results indicated that the diversity index (Di) among the bacteria populations in untreated soil and that of Cerox-treated soils were high with mean diversity index above 0.95. Mean Di for Ceresate-treated soil was 0.88, and that for Paraquattreated soil was 0.85 indicating low bacterial populations in these treatment-type soils. The study also showed that application of the agrochemicals caused reduction in the number of total heterotrophic bacteria population sizes in the soil. Ceresate caused 82.50% reduction in bacteria number from a mean of 40 × 10(5) cfu g(-1) of soil sample to 70 × 10(4) cfu g(-1). Paraquat-treated soil showed 92.86% reduction, from a mean of 56 × 10(5) cfu g(-1) to 40 × 10(4) cfu g(-1). Application of Cerox to the soil did not have any remarkable reduction in bacterial population number. Total viable cell count studies using Congo red yeast-extract mannitol agar indicated reduction in the number of Rhizobium spp. after application of the agrochemicals. Mean number of Rhizobium population numbers per gram of soil was 180 × 10(4) for the untreated soil. Cerox-treated soil recorded mean number of 138 × 10(4) rhizobial cfu g(-1) of soil, a 23.33% reduction. Ceresate- and

  15. Effect of exogenous inoculants on enhancing oil recovery and indigenous bacterial community dynamics in long-term field pilot of low permeability reservoir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing; Xue, Shuwen; He, Chunqiu; Qi, Huixia; Chen, Fulin; Ma, Yanling

    2018-03-20

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa DN1 strain and Bacillus subtilis QHQ110 strain were chosen as rhamnolipid and lipopeptide producer respectively, to evaluate the efficiency of exogenous inoculants on enhancing oil recovery (EOR) and to explore the relationship between injected bacteria and indigenous bacterial community dynamics in long-term filed pilot of Hujianshan low permeability water-flooded reservoir for 26 months. Core-flooding tests showed that the oil displacement efficiency increased by 18.46% with addition of exogenous consortia. Bacterial community dynamics using quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing revealed that the exogenous inoculants survived and could live together with indigenous bacterial populations. They gradually became the dominant community after the initial activation, while their comparative advantage weakened continually after 3 months of the first injection. The bacterial populations did not exert an observable change in the process of the second injection of exogenous inoculants. On account of facilitating oil emulsification and accelerating bacterial growth with oil as the carbon source by the injection of exogenous consortia, γ-proteobacteria was finally the prominent bacterial community at class level varying from 25.55 to 32.67%, and the dominant bacterial populations were increased by 2-3 orders of magnitude during the whole processes. The content of organic acids and rhamnolipids in reservoir were promoted with the change of bacterial community diversity, respectively. Cumulative oil increments reached 26,190 barrels for 13 months after the first injection, and 55,947 barrels of oil had been accumulated in all of A20 wells block through two rounds of bacterial consortia injection. The performance of EOR has a cumulative improvement by the injection of exogenous inoculants without observable inhibitory effect on the indigenous bacterial populations, demonstrating the application potential in low permeability water

  16. In Silico Phylogenetic Analysis and Molecular Modelling Study of 2-Haloalkanoic Acid Dehalogenase Enzymes from Bacterial and Fungal Origin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raghunath Satpathy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available 2-Haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase enzymes have broad range of applications, starting from bioremediation to chemical synthesis of useful compounds that are widely distributed in fungi and bacteria. In the present study, a total of 81 full-length protein sequences of 2-haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase from bacteria and fungi were retrieved from NCBI database. Sequence analysis such as multiple sequence alignment (MSA, conserved motif identification, computation of amino acid composition, and phylogenetic tree construction were performed on these primary sequences. From MSA analysis, it was observed that the sequences share conserved lysine (K and aspartate (D residues in them. Also, phylogenetic tree indicated a subcluster comprised of both fungal and bacterial species. Due to nonavailability of experimental 3D structure for fungal 2-haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase in the PDB, molecular modelling study was performed for both fungal and bacterial sources of enzymes present in the subcluster. Further structural analysis revealed a common evolutionary topology shared between both fungal and bacterial enzymes. Studies on the buried amino acids showed highly conserved Leu and Ser in the core, despite variation in their amino acid percentage. Additionally, a surface exposed tryptophan was conserved in all of these selected models.

  17. Relationship between bacterial density and chemical composition of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Studies were carried out to examine the performance of the sewage oxidation pond situated in and serving the community of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A survey of the coliform and total bacterial populations was carried out. The sewage was also examined for biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved ...

  18. The DinJ/RelE Toxin-Antitoxin System Suppresses Bacterial Proliferation and Virulence of Xylella fastidiosa in Grapevine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burbank, Lindsey P; Stenger, Drake C

    2017-04-01

    Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of Pierce's disease of grapes, is a slow-growing, xylem-limited, bacterial pathogen. Disease progression is characterized by systemic spread of the bacterium through xylem vessel networks, causing leaf-scorching symptoms, senescence, and vine decline. It appears to be advantageous to this pathogen to avoid excessive blockage of xylem vessels, because living bacterial cells are generally found in plant tissue with low bacterial cell density and minimal scorching symptoms. The DinJ/RelE toxin-antitoxin system is characterized here for a role in controlling bacterial proliferation and population size during plant colonization. The DinJ/RelE locus is transcribed from two separate promoters, allowing for coexpression of antitoxin DinJ with endoribonuclease toxin RelE, in addition to independent expression of RelE. The ratio of antitoxin/toxin expressed is dependent on bacterial growth conditions, with lower amounts of antitoxin present under conditions designed to mimic grapevine xylem sap. A knockout mutant of DinJ/RelE exhibits a hypervirulent phenotype, with higher bacterial populations and increased symptom development and plant decline. It is likely that DinJ/RelE acts to prevent excessive population growth, contributing to the ability of the pathogen to spread systemically without completely blocking the xylem vessels and increasing probability of acquisition by the insect vector.

  19. Three common metal contaminants of urban runoff (Zn, Cu and Pb) accumulate in freshwater biofilm and modify embedded bacterial communities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ancion, Pierre-Yves; Lear, Gavin; Lewis, Gillian D.

    2010-01-01

    We investigated the absorption rates of zinc, copper and lead in freshwater biofilm and assessed whether biofilm bacterial populations are affected by exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of these metals in flow chamber microcosms. Metals were rapidly accumulated by the biofilm and then retained for at least 14 days after transfer to uncontaminated water. Changes in bacterial populations were assessed by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Significant differences in bacterial community structure occurred within only three days of exposure to metals and remained detectable at least 14 days after transfer to uncontaminated water. The rapid uptake of stormwater-associated metals and their retention in the biofilm highlight the potential role of biofilms in the transfer of metals to organisms at higher trophic levels. The sensitivity of stream biofilm bacterial populations to metal exposure supports their use as an indicator of stream ecological health. - The rapid accumulation of metals in biofilms and their impact on bacterial communities provide new insights into how these contaminants affect freshwater ecosystems.

  20. The human core of the shared socioeconomic pathways: Population scenarios by age, sex and level of education for all countries to 2100.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kc, Samir; Lutz, Wolfgang

    2017-01-01

    This paper applies the methods of multi-dimensional mathematical demography to project national populations based on alternative assumptions on future, fertility, mortality, migration and educational transitions that correspond to the five shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) storylines. In doing so it goes a significant step beyond past population scenarios in the IPCC context which considered only total population size. By differentiating the human population not only by age and sex-as is conventionally done in demographic projections-but also by different levels of educational attainment the most fundamental aspects of human development and social change are being explicitly addressed through modeling the changing composition of populations by these three important individual characteristics. The scenarios have been defined in a collaborative effort of the international Integrated Assessment Modeling community with the medium scenario following that of a major new effort by the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OEAW, WU) involving over 550 experts from around the world. As a result, in terms of total world population size the trajectories resulting from the five SSPs stay very close to each other until around 2030 and by the middle of the century already a visible differentiation appears with the range between the highest (SSP3) and the lowest (SSP1) trajectories spanning 1.5 billion. The range opens up much more with the SSP3 reaching 12.6 billion in 2100 and SSP1 falling to 6.9 billion which is lower than today's world population.

  1. Shared use agreements between municipalities and public schools in the United States, 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omura, John D; Carlson, Susan A; Paul, Prabasaj; Sliwa, Sarah; Onufrak, Stephen J; Fulton, Janet E

    2017-02-01

    Shared use agreements allow public use of school facilities during non-school hours. Such agreements can cover outdoor facilities alone or may be more comprehensive by also including indoor facilities. Our aim was to: 1) estimate the prevalence of shared use agreements and facility types covered among U.S. municipalities and 2) identify differences in prevalence by municipality characteristics. The 2014 National Survey of Community-based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living is a representative survey of US municipalities (n=2029). Data were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. Logistic and multinomial regression models determined odds ratios adjusting for municipality characteristics. Among 1930 municipalities with a school, 41.6% had a shared use agreement as reported by a local official, 45.6% did not, and 12.8% did not know. Significant differences in prevalence existed by population size, rural/urban status, poverty prevalence, median education level, and census region; however, after adjustment for other municipality characteristics significant differences remained only by population size, median education level, and census region. Among municipalities with a shared use agreement, 59.6% covered both outdoor and indoor facilities, 5.5% covered indoor facilities only, and 34.9% covered outdoor facilities only. Opportunities exist to expand the use of shared use agreements particularly in municipalities with small populations, lower education levels, and in the South, and to promote more comprehensive shared use agreements that include both indoor and outdoor facilities. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Organic carbon and nitrogen availability determine bacterial community composition in paddy fields of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Arvind; Rai, Lal Chand

    2017-07-01

    Soil quality is an important factor and maintained by inhabited microorganisms. Soil physicochemical characteristics determine indigenous microbial population and rice provides food security to major population of the world. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of physicochemical variables on bacterial community composition and diversity in conventional paddy fields which could reflect a real picture of the bacterial communities operating in the paddy agro-ecosystem. To fulfill the objective; soil physicochemical characterization, bacterial community composition and diversity analysis was carried out using culture-independent PCR-DGGE method from twenty soils distributed across eight districts. Bacterial communities were grouped into three clusters based on UPGMA cluster analysis of DGGE banding pattern. The linkage of measured physicochemical variables with bacterial community composition was analyzed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). CCA ordination biplot results were similar to UPGMA cluster analysis. High levels of species-environment correlations (0.989 and 0.959) were observed and the largest proportion of species data variability was explained by total organic carbon (TOC), available nitrogen, total nitrogen and pH. Thus, results suggest that TOC and nitrogen are key regulators of bacterial community composition in the conventional paddy fields. Further, high diversity indices and evenness values demonstrated heterogeneity and co-abundance of the bacterial communities.

  3. Bacterial filamentation accelerates colonization of adhesive spots embedded in biopassive surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Möller, Jens; Emge, Philippe; Vizcarra, Ima Avalos; Kollmannsberger, Philip; Vogel, Viola

    2013-01-01

    Sessile bacteria adhere to engineered surfaces and host tissues and pose a substantial clinical and economical risk when growing into biofilms. Most engineered and biological interfaces are of chemically heterogeneous nature and provide adhesive islands for bacterial attachment and growth. To mimic either defects in a surface coating of biomedical implants or heterogeneities within mucosal layers (Peyer's patches), we embedded micrometre-sized adhesive islands in a poly(ethylene glycol) biopassive background. We show experimentally and computationally that filamentation of Escherichia coli can significantly accelerate the bacterial surface colonization under physiological flow conditions. Filamentation can thus provide an advantage to a bacterial population to bridge non-adhesive distances exceeding 5 μm. Bacterial filamentation, caused by blocking of bacterial division, is common among bacterial species and can be triggered by environmental conditions or antibiotic treatment. While great awareness exists that the build-up of antibiotic resistance serves as intrinsic survival strategy, we show here that antibiotic treatment can actually promote surface colonization by triggering filamentation, which in turn prevents daughter cells from being washed away. Our combined microfabrication and computational approaches provide quantitative insights into mechanisms that enable biofouling of biopassive surfaces with embedded adhesive spots, even for spot distances that are multiples of the bacterial length. (paper)

  4. Bacterial filamentation accelerates colonization of adhesive spots embedded in biopassive surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Jens; Emge, Philippe; Avalos Vizcarra, Ima; Kollmannsberger, Philip; Vogel, Viola

    2013-12-01

    Sessile bacteria adhere to engineered surfaces and host tissues and pose a substantial clinical and economical risk when growing into biofilms. Most engineered and biological interfaces are of chemically heterogeneous nature and provide adhesive islands for bacterial attachment and growth. To mimic either defects in a surface coating of biomedical implants or heterogeneities within mucosal layers (Peyer's patches), we embedded micrometre-sized adhesive islands in a poly(ethylene glycol) biopassive background. We show experimentally and computationally that filamentation of Escherichia coli can significantly accelerate the bacterial surface colonization under physiological flow conditions. Filamentation can thus provide an advantage to a bacterial population to bridge non-adhesive distances exceeding 5 μm. Bacterial filamentation, caused by blocking of bacterial division, is common among bacterial species and can be triggered by environmental conditions or antibiotic treatment. While great awareness exists that the build-up of antibiotic resistance serves as intrinsic survival strategy, we show here that antibiotic treatment can actually promote surface colonization by triggering filamentation, which in turn prevents daughter cells from being washed away. Our combined microfabrication and computational approaches provide quantitative insights into mechanisms that enable biofouling of biopassive surfaces with embedded adhesive spots, even for spot distances that are multiples of the bacterial length.

  5. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Tikur Anbessa University Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    OpenAIRE

    Mengistie, Zemenu; Woldeamanuel, Yimtubezinash; Asrat, Daniel; Adera, Addis

    2014-01-01

    Background Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common genital tract infections among reproductive age group. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis varies from country to country even in the same country it varies among populations of interest. Different social and sexual factors can contribute to the development of bacterial vaginosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and to identify the possible risk factors associated among pregnant women atten...

  6. Bacterial Adhesion & Blocking Bacterial Adhesion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejborg, Rebecca Munk

    2008-01-01

    , which influence the transition from a planktonic lifestyle to a sessile lifestyle, have been studied. Protein conditioning film formation was found to influence bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation considerable, and an aqueous extract of fish muscle tissue was shown to significantly...... tract to the microbial flocs in waste water treatment facilities. Microbial biofilms may however also cause a wide range of industrial and medical problems, and have been implicated in a wide range of persistent infectious diseases, including implantassociated microbial infections. Bacterial adhesion...... is the first committing step in biofilm formation, and has therefore been intensely scrutinized. Much however, still remains elusive. Bacterial adhesion is a highly complex process, which is influenced by a variety of factors. In this thesis, a range of physico-chemical, molecular and environmental parameters...

  7. Bacterial disease management: challenges, experience, innovation and future prospects: Challenges in Bacterial Molecular Plant Pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundin, George W; Castiblanco, Luisa F; Yuan, Xiaochen; Zeng, Quan; Yang, Ching-Hong

    2016-12-01

    Plant diseases caused by bacterial pathogens place major constraints on crop production and cause significant annual losses on a global scale. The attainment of consistent effective management of these diseases can be extremely difficult, and management potential is often affected by grower reliance on highly disease-susceptible cultivars because of consumer preferences, and by environmental conditions favouring pathogen development. New and emerging bacterial disease problems (e.g. zebra chip of potato) and established problems in new geographical regions (e.g. bacterial canker of kiwifruit in New Zealand) grab the headlines, but the list of bacterial disease problems with few effective management options is long. The ever-increasing global human population requires the continued stable production of a safe food supply with greater yields because of the shrinking areas of arable land. One major facet in the maintenance of the sustainability of crop production systems with predictable yields involves the identification and deployment of sustainable disease management solutions for bacterial diseases. In addition, the identification of novel management tactics has also come to the fore because of the increasing evolution of resistance to existing bactericides. A number of central research foci, involving basic research to identify critical pathogen targets for control, novel methodologies and methods of delivery, are emerging that will provide a strong basis for bacterial disease management into the future. Near-term solutions are desperately needed. Are there replacement materials for existing bactericides that can provide effective disease management under field conditions? Experience should inform the future. With prior knowledge of bactericide resistance issues evolving in pathogens, how will this affect the deployment of newer compounds and biological controls? Knowledge is critical. A comprehensive understanding of bacterial pathosystems is required to not

  8. Insights into the concept and measurement of health literacy from a study of shared decision-making in a low literacy population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Sian K; Nutbeam, Don; McCaffery, Kirsten J

    2013-08-01

    This article explores the concept and measurement of health literacy in the context of shared health decision-making. It draws upon a series of qualitative and quantitative studies undertaken in the development and evaluation of a bowel cancer screening decision aid for low literacy populations. The findings indicate that different types of health literacy (functional, interactive and critical) are required in decision-making and present a set of instruments to assess and discriminate between higher level health literacy skills required for engagement in decision-making. It concludes that greater sophistication in both the definition and measurement of health literacy in research is needed.

  9. Shared Reading to Build Vocabulary and Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesler, Ted

    2010-01-01

    The author presents four approaches to shared reading that he used with first through third graders in a high-needs, urban elementary school with a large population of students from immigrant homes. Using sociocultural and cognitive constructivist principles, the author shows how these approaches built students' academic vocabulary and…

  10. Population control II: The population establishment today.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartmann, B

    1997-01-01

    Although population assistance represents a relatively small share of official development assistance, it influences many other aspects of development planning. The organizations that comprise the population establishment have a common purpose--the reduction of population growth in the Third World--but they are not homogeneous and sometimes have conflicting goals and strategies. National governments, multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, academic centers, and pressure groups all contribute to creating and sustaining what has become a virtual population control industry. Through scholarships, travel grants, awards, and favorable publicity, Third World elites have been encouraged to join the population establishment. The World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.N. Fund for Population Activities have pursued explicit strategies for pressuring Third World governments to design and implement population policies, most recently in Africa.

  11. Job sharing: a retention strategy for nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, D

    1999-01-01

    Job sharing is a part-time employment alternative which offers advantages for employers interested in retaining experienced staff and nurses who are seeking a more equitable balance between work life and home life responsibilities. This quasi experimental, ex post facto research study was designed to determine if there are differences in job satisfaction, burnout, and desire to leave their position, in nurses who are employed in full-time, part-time, or job sharing positions. The sample (N = 269) was drawn from a large Canadian teaching and referral hospital. Three sample groups were developed, consisting of job sharing, full-time, and part-time nurses, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to identify characteristics of the selected population. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences between the three employment groups on the outcome measures of job satisfaction, burnout, and desire to leave their position. The results of this study significantly support the belief that job sharing has a positive impact on job satisfaction and job retention. Implications for nursing administrators as well as individual nurses will be discussed.

  12. Death and cannibalism in a seasonal environment facilitate bacterial coexistence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rozen, D.E.; Philippe, N.; Visser, de J.A.G.M.; Lenski, R.E.; Schneider, D.

    2009-01-01

    Bacterial populations can evolve and adapt to become diverse niche specialists, even in seemingly homogeneous environments. One source of this diversity arises from newly 'constructed' niches that result from the activities of the bacteria themselves. Ecotypes specialized to exploit these distinct

  13. Epidemiology of bacterial endocarditis in The Netherlands. I. Patient characteristics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Meer, J. T.; Thompson, J.; Valkenburg, H. A.; Michel, M. F.

    1992-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Studies of the epidemiology of bacterial endocarditis are usually based on a retrospective review of medical records from referral centers serving diverse patient populations. These studies are therefore likely to suffer from selection bias. We conducted a nationwide prospective

  14. Own or share? - social science's analysis of car sharing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harms, S.

    2003-01-01

    This 339 page book examines the social aspects of car-sharing. Today's traffic system is not sustainable. In spite of its efforts not to restrict individual mobility, politics are showing first signs of ecological restructuring. Politics is, however, continuously trying to find the balance between acceptance and efficiency of the measures it proposes. The introduction of innovative mobility concepts can be very helpful here. These meet a wide range of consumers' wants and needs and can motivate them to change their patterns of behaviour towards a more environment-friendly direction at the same time. Car-sharing is chosen here as an example of such mobility technology. Because of its low entry costs and its fixed costs, this solution can be made use of by a large majority of the population and, according to experience already made, has a high potential for relieving the strain on the environment. It must be guaranteed, however, that a significant proportion of its users gives up ownership of their own cars and that not just 'car-less' people can be won over. The theoretical and empirical analyses of the factors that hinder or promote membership that are presented here show under which conditions this can be achieved

  15. Sharing Family Life Information Through Video Calls and Other Information and Communication Technologies and the Association With Family Well-Being: Population-Based Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Chen; Wang, Man Ping; Chu, Joanna Tw; Wan, Alice; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula; Chan, Sophia Siu Chee; Lam, Tai Hing

    2017-11-23

    The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for information sharing among family members is increasing dramatically. However, little is known about the associated factors and the influence on family well-being. The authors investigated the pattern and social determinants of family life information sharing with family and the associations of different methods of sharing with perceived family health, happiness, and harmony (3Hs) in Hong Kong, where mobile phone ownership and Internet access are among the most prevalent, easiest, and fastest in the world. A territory-wide population-based telephone survey was conducted from January to August 2016 on different methods of family life information (ie, information related to family communication, relationships with family members, emotion and stress management) sharing with family members, including face-to-face, phone, instant messaging (IM), social media sites, video calls, and email. Family well-being was assessed by three single items on perceived family health, happiness, and harmony, with higher scores indicating better family well-being. Adjusted prevalence ratios were used to assess the associations of sociodemographic factors with family life information sharing, and adjusted beta coefficients for family well-being. Of 2017 respondents, face-to-face was the most common method to share family life information (74.45%, 1502/2017), followed by IM (40.86%, 824/2017), phone (28.10%, 567/2017), social media sites (11.91%, 240/2017), video calls (5.89%, 119/2017), and email (5.48%, 111/2017). Younger age and higher education were associated with the use of any (at least one) method, face-to-face, IM, and social media sites for sharing family life information (all P for trend face-to-face, and IM (all P for trend face-to-face (beta=0.62, 95% CI 0.45-0.80) and video calls (beta=0.34, 95% CI 0.04-0.65). The combination of face-to-face and video calls was most strongly associated with a higher level of

  16. Molecular assessment of the bacterial community associated with Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation in Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarr, Papa Saliou; Sugiyama, Akifumi; Begoude, Aime Didier Boyogueno; Yazaki, Kazufumi; Araki, Shigeru; Nawata, Eiji

    2017-04-01

    Bacterial communities play an important role in nutrient cycles and plant development. Their distribution and activity may depend on location and environmental heterogeneity. This study characterized soil bacterial communities in cassava fields of Eastern (Andom) and Southern (Bityili) Cameroon using molecular tools. In both sites, two improved varieties (TMS-96/1414; TMS-92/0326) and a local variety (Local) were grown in a randomized block design. Composite bulk soils were collected at 10months after planting from cassava plots. The 16S rDNA region was amplified, MiSeq was performed and sequence data analyzed. The same 17 bacterial phyla were present in both Andom and Bityili, while Chlorobi and Deinococcus-Thermus were only specific to Andom. The phyla Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were dominant. Although both sites shared similar phyla, the principal coordinate analysis revealed significant variations in their composition, suggesting that the functions of the bacteria in nutrients cycling are likely to differ between Andom and Bityili. Cassava yields were generally higher in Andom which also displayed a higher diversity of bacterial communities. This study provides useful information on the composition of bacterial communities in cassava fields in two agro-ecologies of Cameroon. It constitutes to our knowledge the first report describing soil bacterial communities in association with cassava growth in the country, using molecular tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  17. Multi-fractal characterization of bacterial swimming dynamics: a case study on real and simulated Serratia marcescens

    OpenAIRE

    Koorehdavoudi, Hana; Bogdan, Paul; Wei, Guopeng; Marculescu, Radu; Zhuang, Jiang; Carlsen, Rika Wright; Sitti, Metin

    2017-01-01

    To add to the current state of knowledge about bacterial swimming dynamics, in this paper, we study the fractal swimming dynamics of populations of Serratia marcescens bacteria both in vitro and in silico, while accounting for realistic conditions like volume exclusion, chemical interactions, obstacles and distribution of chemoattractant in the environment. While previous research has shown that bacterial motion is non-ergodic, we demonstrate that, besides the non-ergodicity, the bacterial sw...

  18. Bacterial cell-cell communication in the host via RRNPP peptide-binding regulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David ePerez-Pascual

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Human microbiomes are composed of complex and dense bacterial consortia. In these environments, bacteria are able to react quickly to change by coordinating their gene expression at the population level via small signaling molecules. In Gram-positive bacteria, cell-cell communication is mostly mediated by peptides that are released into the extracellular environment. Cell-cell communication based on these peptides is especially widespread in the group Firmicutes, in which they regulate a wide array of biological processes, including functions related to host-microbe interactions. Among the different agents of communication, the RRNPP family of cytoplasmic transcriptional regulators, together with their cognate re-internalized signaling peptides, represents a group of emerging importance. RRNPP members that have been studied so far are found mainly in species of bacilli, streptococci, and enterococci. These bacteria are characterized as both human commensal and pathogenic, and share different niches in the human body with other microorganisms. The goal of this mini-review is to present the current state of research on the biological relevance of RRNPP mechanisms in the context of the host, highlighting their specific roles in commensalism or virulence.

  19. Correlation Coefficients Between Different Methods of Expressing Bacterial Quantification Using Real Time PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bahman Navidshad

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The applications of conventional culture-dependent assays to quantify bacteria populations are limited by their dependence on the inconsistent success of the different culture-steps involved. In addition, some bacteria can be pathogenic or a source of endotoxins and pose a health risk to the researchers. Bacterial quantification based on the real-time PCR method can overcome the above-mentioned problems. However, the quantification of bacteria using this approach is commonly expressed as absolute quantities even though the composition of samples (like those of digesta can vary widely; thus, the final results may be affected if the samples are not properly homogenized, especially when multiple samples are to be pooled together before DNA extraction. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation coefficients between four different methods of expressing the output data of real-time PCR-based bacterial quantification. The four methods were: (i the common absolute method expressed as the cell number of specific bacteria per gram of digesta; (ii the Livak and Schmittgen, ΔΔCt method; (iii the Pfaffl equation; and (iv a simple relative method based on the ratio of cell number of specific bacteria to the total bacterial cells. Because of the effect on total bacteria population in the results obtained using ΔCt-based methods (ΔΔCt and Pfaffl, these methods lack the acceptable consistency to be used as valid and reliable methods in real-time PCR-based bacterial quantification studies. On the other hand, because of the variable compositions of digesta samples, a simple ratio of cell number of specific bacteria to the corresponding total bacterial cells of the same sample can be a more accurate method to quantify the population.

  20. Social behaviour and decision making in bacterial conjugation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Günther eKoraimann

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria frequently acquire novel genes by HGT (horizontal gene transfer. HGT through the process of bacterial conjugation is highly efficient and depends on the presence of conjugative plasmids (CPs or integrated conjugative elements (ICEs that provide the necessary genes for DNA transmission. This review focuses on recent advancements in our understanding of ssDNA transfer systems and regulatory networks ensuring timely and spatially controlled DNA transfer (tra gene expression. As will become obvious by comparing different systems, by default, tra genes are shut off in cells in which conjugative elements are present. Only when conditions are optimal, donor cells – through epigenetic alleviation of negatively acting roadblocks and direct stimulation of DNA transfer genes – become transfer competent. These transfer competent cells have developmentally transformed into specialized cells capable of secreting ssDNA via a T4S (type IV secretion complex directly into recipient cells. Intriguingly, even under optimal conditions, only a fraction of the population undergoes this transition, a finding that indicates specialization and cooperative, social behavior. Thereby, at the population level, the metabolic burden and other negative consequences of tra gene expression are greatly reduced without compromising the ability to horizontally transfer genes to novel bacterial hosts. This undoubtedly intelligent strategy may explain why conjugative elements – CPs and ICEs – have been successfully kept in and evolved with bacteria to constitute a major driving force of bacterial evolution.

  1. Differences in Bacterial Diversity and Communities Between Glacial Snow and Glacial Soil on the Chongce Ice Cap, West Kunlun Mountains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Guang Li; Hou, Shu Gui; Le Baoge, Ri; Li, Zhi Guo; Xu, Hao; Liu, Ya Ping; Du, Wen Tao; Liu, Yong Qin

    2016-11-04

    A detailed understanding of microbial ecology in different supraglacial habitats is important due to the unprecedented speed of glacier retreat. Differences in bacterial diversity and community structure between glacial snow and glacial soil on the Chongce Ice Cap were assessed using 454 pyrosequencing. Based on rarefaction curves, Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices, we found that bacterial diversity in glacial snow was lower than that in glacial soil. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and heatmap analysis indicated that there were major differences in bacterial communities between glacial snow and glacial soil. Most bacteria were different between the two habitats; however, there were some common bacteria shared between glacial snow and glacial soil. Some rare or functional bacterial resources were also present in the Chongce Ice Cap. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the shifts in bacterial diversity and communities from glacial snow to glacial soil after the melting and inflow of glacial snow into glacial soil.

  2. [Polyvalence of bacteriophages isolated from fruit trees, affected by bacterial fire blight].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tovkach, F I; Moroz, S N; Korol', N A; Faĭdiuk, Iu V; Kushkina, A I

    2013-01-01

    Phage populations appearing as a result of a pathogenic process caused by Erwinia amylovora have been discovered and described. They accompany bacterial fire blight development in the process of quince, pear and apple trees vegetation in Zakarpattya region of Ukraine. Phage isolates of the affected pear and quince include polyvalent virulent phages able to develop on bacterial strains associated with plants--E. amylovora. E. "horticola" and Pantoea agglomerans. E. amylovora isolated from the plant tissues affected by the fire blight and detected at the same time as phages proved to be resistant to the viral infection. It is hard to explain now this characteristic however it was noticed that resistance to phages can change drastically in case of dissociation, lysogenization and mutagenesis of erwinia in laboratory conditions. Phage population study shows that they are heterogeneous and can obviously include not only polyvalent but also specific viruses. Further studies of biology and molecular genetics of pure lines of isolated phages will help to get closer to understanding the place and role of bacteriophages in the complicated network of relations between bacterial pathogens and plants.

  3. Detecting bacterial endophytes in tropical grasses of the Brachiaria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Plant-growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria include a diverse group of soil bacteria thought to stimulate plant growth by various mechanisms. Brachiaria forage grasses, of African origin, are perennials that often grow under low-input conditions and are likely to harbour unique populations of PGP bacteria. Three bacterial strains ...

  4. Sharing the Planet. Population - Consumption - Species. Science and Ethics for a Sustainable and Equitable World

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van der Zwaan, B.; Petersen, A. (eds.)

    2003-11-01

    The world is going through the profound changes of a demographic transition. Population growth is best taken care of when women and men are able to choose freely and responsibly their number of children. The most important aspects are the availability of reliable and safe means and the access women have to knowledge, resources and decision power. General education is a prerequisite. (Groningen Manifesto, statement no. 7). The current international, political, economic and financial order still primarily reflects the claims of international trade. There is a lack of public awareness as to the inescapable limits of the planet's resources and we hardly seem to be moving towards a sustainable and equitable world. The contributors to this volume provide an up-to-date and forceful exposition of this problematique. In the aftermath of the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, they suggest topical ways to alter the world's course. The keys to reaching a sustainable world, in which the planet is equitably shared among humans and other species, are to consider the impact of our collective actions at longer timescales and to deal head-on with the interconnected issues of population pressure, consumption volume and species loss. The volume displays a multidisciplinary and multicultural approach involving both scientific and ethical arguments. It is of interest to a wide audience of scholars and concerned citizens. With contributions by: Ernst Ulrich von Weizsaecker, Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek, Johan van Klinken, Anne Ehrlich, Sergey Kapitza, Roefie Hueting, Jan van Hooff, Lucas Reijnders, Arthur Petersen, Bob van der Zwaan, Vandana Shiva, Radha Holla, Koo van der Wal, Bas de Gaay Fortman, Atiq Rahman and Jane Goodall.

  5. Archaeal and Bacterial Communities Associated with the Surface Mucus of Caribbean Corals Differ in Their Degree of Host Specificity and Community Turnover Over Reefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frade, Pedro R; Roll, Katharina; Bergauer, Kristin; Herndl, Gerhard J

    2016-01-01

    Comparative studies on the distribution of archaeal versus bacterial communities associated with the surface mucus layer of corals have rarely taken place. It has therefore remained enigmatic whether mucus-associated archaeal and bacterial communities exhibit a similar specificity towards coral hosts and whether they vary in the same fashion over spatial gradients and between reef locations. We used microbial community profiling (terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism, T-RFLP) and clone library sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the diversity and community structure of dominant archaeal and bacterial communities associating with the mucus of three common reef-building coral species (Porites astreoides, Siderastrea siderea and Orbicella annularis) over different spatial scales on a Caribbean fringing reef. Sampling locations included three reef sites, three reef patches within each site and two depths. Reference sediment samples and ambient water were also taken for each of the 18 sampling locations resulting in a total of 239 samples. While only 41% of the bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) characterized by T-RFLP were shared between mucus and the ambient water or sediment, for archaeal OTUs this percentage was 2-fold higher (78%). About half of the mucus-associated OTUs (44% and 58% of bacterial and archaeal OTUs, respectively) were shared between the three coral species. Our multivariate statistical analysis (ANOSIM, PERMANOVA and CCA) showed that while the bacterial community composition was determined by habitat (mucus, sediment or seawater), host coral species, location and spatial distance, the archaeal community composition was solely determined by the habitat. This study highlights that mucus-associated archaeal and bacterial communities differ in their degree of community turnover over reefs and in their host-specificity.

  6. Bayesian inference of shared recombination hotspots between humans and chimpanzees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Rannala, Bruce

    2014-12-01

    Recombination generates variation and facilitates evolution. Recombination (or lack thereof) also contributes to human genetic disease. Methods for mapping genes influencing complex genetic diseases via association rely on linkage disequilibrium (LD) in human populations, which is influenced by rates of recombination across the genome. Comparative population genomic analyses of recombination using related primate species can identify factors influencing rates of recombination in humans. Such studies can indicate how variable hotspots for recombination may be both among individuals (or populations) and over evolutionary timescales. Previous studies have suggested that locations of recombination hotspots are not conserved between humans and chimpanzees. We made use of the data sets from recent resequencing projects and applied a Bayesian method for identifying hotspots and estimating recombination rates. We also reanalyzed SNP data sets for regions with known hotspots in humans using samples from the human and chimpanzee. The Bayes factors (BF) of shared recombination hotspots between human and chimpanzee across regions were obtained. Based on the analysis of the aligned regions of human chromosome 21, locations where the two species show evidence of shared recombination hotspots (with high BFs) were identified. Interestingly, previous comparative studies of human and chimpanzee that focused on the known human recombination hotspots within the β-globin and HLA regions did not find overlapping of hotspots. Our results show high BFs of shared hotspots at locations within both regions, and the estimated locations of shared hotspots overlap with the locations of human recombination hotspots obtained from sperm-typing studies. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

  7. Changes of Bacterial Diversity Depend on the Spoilage of Fresh Vegetables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Hwan Lee

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Almost 10~30% of vegetables were discarded by the spoilage from farms to tables. After harvest, vegetables are often spoiled by a wide variety of microorganisms including many bacterial and fungal species. This investigation was conducted to extent the knowledge of relationship the spoilage of vegetables and the diversity of microbes. The total aerobic bacterial numbers in fresh lettuce, perilla leaf, and chicory were 2.6~2.7×106, 4.6×105, 1.2×106 CFU/g of fresh weight, respectively. The most common bacterial species were Pseudomonas spp., Alysiella spp., and Burkholderia spp., and other 18 more genera were involved in. After one week of incubation of those vegetables at 28℃, the microbial diversity had been changed. The total aerobic bacterial numbers increased to 1.1~4.6×108, 4.9×107, and 7.6×108 CFU/g of fresh weight for lettuce, perilla leaf, and chicory that is about 102 times increased bacterial numbers than that before spoilage. However, the diversity of microbes isolated had been simplified and fewer bacterial species had been isolated. The most bacterial population (~48% was taken up by Pseudomonas spp., and followed by Arthrobacter spp. and Bacillus spp. The spoilage activity of individual bacterial isolates had been tested using axenic lettuce plants. Among tested isolates, Pseudomonas fluorescence and Pantoea agglomerans caused severe spoilage on lettuce.

  8. Information Sharing and Knowledge Sharing as Communicative Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savolainen, Reijo

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: This paper elaborates the picture of information sharing and knowledge sharing as forms of communicative activity. Method: A conceptual analysis was made to find out how researchers have approached information sharing and knowledge sharing from the perspectives of transmission and ritual. The findings are based on the analysis of one…

  9. Few microorganisms associated with bacterial vaginosis may constitute the pathologic core

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorsen, Poul; Jensen, Inge Panum; Jeune, Bernard

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between various microorganisms isolated from the genital tract in pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study among pregnant women addressed at their first antenatal visit before 24 full gestational weeks......) between the microorganisms isolated from the lower genital tract in pregnant women with and without clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: Three thousand five hundred ninety-six (3596) pregnant women were asked to participate. Of the 3596 pregnant women 3174 (88.4%) agreed to participate...

  10. Bacterial diversity and reductive dehalogenase redundancy in a 1,2-dichloroethane-degrading bacterial consortium enriched from a contaminated aquifer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wittebolle Lieven

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacteria possess a reservoir of metabolic functionalities ready to be exploited for multiple purposes. The use of microorganisms to clean up xenobiotics from polluted ecosystems (e.g. soil and water represents an eco-sustainable and powerful alternative to traditional remediation processes. Recent developments in molecular-biology-based techniques have led to rapid and accurate strategies for monitoring and identification of bacteria and catabolic genes involved in the degradation of xenobiotics, key processes to follow up the activities in situ. Results We report the characterization of the response of an enriched bacterial community of a 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA contaminated aquifer to the spiking with 5 mM lactate as electron donor in microcosm studies. After 15 days of incubation, the microbial community structure was analyzed. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone library showed that the most represented phylogenetic group within the consortium was affiliated with the phylum Firmicutes. Among them, known degraders of chlorinated compounds were identified. A reductive dehalogenase genes clone library showed that the community held four phylogenetically-distinct catalytic enzymes, all conserving signature residues previously shown to be linked to 1,2-DCA dehalogenation. Conclusions The overall data indicate that the enriched bacterial consortium shares the metabolic functionality between different members of the microbial community and is characterized by a high functional redundancy. These are fundamental features for the maintenance of the community's functionality, especially under stress conditions and suggest the feasibility of a bioremediation treatment with a potential prompt dehalogenation and a process stability over time.

  11. The impact of share wave elastography in differentiation of hepatic hemangioma from malignant liver tumors in pediatric population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Özmen, Evrim; Adaletli, İbrahim; Kayadibi, Yasemin; Emre, Şenol; Kılıç, Fahrettin; Dervişoğlu, Sergülen; Kuruğoğlu, Sebuh; Şenyüz, Osman Faruk

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We evaluated the impact of share wave elastography technique in differentiation hepatic hemangiomas from malignant liver tumors in pediatric population. • Share wave technique can increase the diagnostic capability of conventional ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of liver tumors in children. • Share wave elastography is a potential adjunctive diagnostic technique for pediatric liver tumors. - Abstract: Objective: In children it is crucial to differentiate malignant liver tumors from the most common benign tumor, hepatic hemangiomas since the treatment strategies are quite different. We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of shear wave elastography (SWE) technique in differentiation of malignant hepatic tumors and hepatic hemangiomas. Methods: Twenty patients with hepatic tumor were included in our study. Two radiologists performed SWE for 13 patients with malignant hepatic tumors including hepatoblastoma (n = 7), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 3), metastasis (n = 2), embryonal sarcoma (n = 1) and 7 patients with hepatic hemangioma. All of our patients were between the age of 1 and 192 months (mean age: 56.88 months). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was achieved to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SWE and to determine the optimal cut-off value in differentiation hepatic hemangioma from malignant hepatic tumors. Results: The mean SWE values (in kPa) for the first observer were 46.94 (13.8–145) and 22.38 (6.6–49.6) and those for the second observer were 57.91 (11–237) and 23.87 (6.4–57.5), respectively for malignant hepatic tumors and hepatic hemangiomas. The SWE values of malignant hepatic tumors were significantly higher than those of hepatic hemangioma (p = 0.02). The inter-observer agreement was almost perfect (0.81). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of SWE for differentiating the hepatic hemangioma from malignant hepatic tumors was 0.77 with a sensitivity of 72.7% and a specificity of 66

  12. Coral Bacterial-Core Abundance and Network Complexity as Proxies for Anthropogenic Pollution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deborah C. A. Leite

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Acclimatization via changes in the stable (core or the variable microbial diversity and/or abundance is an important element in the adaptation of coral species to environmental changes. Here, we explored the spatial-temporal dynamics, diversity and interactions of variable and core bacterial populations associated with the coral Mussismilia hispida and the surrounding water. This survey was performed on five reefs along a transect from the coast (Reef 1 to offshore (Reef 5, representing a gradient of influence of the river mouth, for almost 12 months (4 sampling times, in the dry and rainy seasons. A clear increasing gradient of organic-pollution proxies (nitrogen content and fecal coliforms was observed from Reef 1 to Reef 5, during both seasons, and was highest at the Buranhém River mouth (Reef 1. Conversely, a clear inverse gradient of the network analysis of the whole bacterial communities also revealed more-complex network relationships at Reef 5. Our data also indicated a higher relative abundance of members of the bacterial core, dominated by Acinetobacter sp., at Reef 5, and higher diversity of site-stable bacterial populations, likely related to the higher abundance of total coliforms and N content (proxies of sewage or organic pollution at Reef 1, during the rainy season. Thus, the less “polluted” areas may show a more-complex network and a high relative abundance of members of the bacterial core (almost 97% in some cases, resulting in a more-homogeneous and well-established bacteriome among sites/samples, when the influence of the river is stronger (rainy seasons.

  13. Bacterial dynamics in intestines of the black tiger shrimp and the Pacific white shrimp during Vibrio harveyi exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rungrassamee, Wanilada; Klanchui, Amornpan; Maibunkaew, Sawarot; Karoonuthaisiri, Nitsara

    2016-01-01

    The intestinal microbiota play important roles in health of their host, contributing to maintaining the balance and resilience against pathogen. To investigate effects of pathogen to intestinal microbiota, the bacterial dynamics upon a shrimp pathogen, Vibrio harveyi, exposures were determined in two economically important shrimp species; the black tiger shrimp (BT) and the Pacific white shrimp (PW). Both shrimp species were reared under the same diet and environmental conditions. Shrimp survival rates after the V. harveyi exposure revealed that the PW shrimp had a higher resistance to the pathogen than the BT shrimp. The intestinal bacterial profiles were determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and barcoded pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA sequences under no pathogen challenge control and under pathogenic V. harveyi challenge. The DGGE profiles showed that the presence of V. harveyi altered the intestinal bacterial patterns in comparison to the control in BT and PW intestines. This implies that bacterial balance in shrimp intestines was disrupted in the presence of V. harveyi. The barcoded pyrosequencing analysis showed the similar bacterial community structures in intestines of BT and PW shrimp under a normal condition. However, during the time course exposure to V. harveyi, the relative abundance of bacteria belong to Vibrio genus was higher in the BT intestines at 12h after the exposure, whereas relative abundance of vibrios was more stable in PW intestines. The principle coordinates analysis based on weighted-UniFrac analysis showed that intestinal bacterial population in the BT shrimp lost their ability to restore their bacterial balance during the 72-h period of exposure to the pathogen, while the PW shrimp were able to reestablish their bacterial population to resemble those seen in the unexposed control group. This observation of bacterial disruption might correlate to different mortality rates observed between the two shrimp species

  14. Modifiable risk factors for prescription medicine sharing behaviours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyene, Kebede; Aspden, Trudi; McNeill, Rob; Sheridan, Janie

    2018-04-06

    Prescription medicine sharing has been defined as giving one's own medicine to someone else (lending) or taking someone else's medicine (borrowing). Medicines can be shared for non-medical purposes (recreational sharing or drug abuse) or for their intended therapeutic benefits (non-recreational sharing, e.g. sharing antibiotics to self-treat); the latter is the focus of this research. Limited research evidence is available about modifiable risk factors for non-recreational medicine sharing and addressing this issue was the main aim of this research. An online, cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population comprised a convenience sample of 233 adults, who were primarily recruited through patient support groups across New Zealand. Principal component analysis was used to develop scales assessing attitudes toward medicine lending and borrowing. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between explanatory (demographics, medical conditions, and attitudes towards medicine sharing) and outcome (medicine sharing behaviours) variables. Half of the study participants reported ever borrowing/lending medicines, and approximately a third of participants reported borrowing/lending in the past year. Modifiable risk factors associated with an increased risk of medicine borrowing behaviour were having more difficulty with accessing medicine ('access-related issue'), stronger 'emotional beliefs about borrowing', and greater 'concern about missing doses.' Greater 'concern for the wellbeing of others' and stronger 'beliefs about the benefits and safety of lending' were associated with an increased risk of medicine lending behaviour. Those with a higher 'perceived risk of harm' were less likely to borrow or lend medicines. This research expands the current knowledge of medicine sharing by examining underlying behavioural factors which predict sharing behaviours and that can be modified by interventions. This research suggests using multifaceted

  15. Diversity of endophytic bacterial populations and their interaction with Xylella fastidiosa in citrus plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Araujo, W.L.; Marcon, J.; jr. Maccheroni, W.; Elsas, van J.D.; Vuurde, van J.W.L.; Azevedo, de J.L.

    2002-01-01

    Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) is caused by Xylella fastidiosa, a phytopathogenic bacterium that can infect all Citrus sinensis cultivars. The endophytic bacterial communities of healthy, resistant, and CVC-affected citrus plants were studied by using cultivation as well as

  16. Bacterial Population in Intestines of Litopenaeus vannamei Fed Different Probiotics or Probiotic Supernatant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Yujie; Liu, Mei; Wang, Baojie; Jiang, Keyong; Qi, Cancan; Wang, Lei

    2016-10-28

    The interactions of microbiota in the gut play an important role in promoting or maintaining the health of hosts. In this study, in order to investigate and compare the effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus pentosus HC-2 (HC-2), Enterococcus faecium NRW-2, or the bacteria-free supernatant of a HC-2 culture on the bacterial composition of Litopenaeus vannamei , Illumina sequencing of the V1-V2 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used. The results showed that unique species exclusively existed in specific dietary groups, and the abundance of Actinobacteria was significantly increased in the intestinal bacterial community of shrimp fed with the bacteria-free supernatant of an HC-2 culture compared with the control. In addition, the histology of intestines of the shrimp from the four dietary groups was also described, but no obvious improvements in the intestinal histology were observed. The findings in this work will help to promote the understanding of the roles of intestinal bacteria in shrimps when fed with probiotics or probiotic supernatant.

  17. Elvis is returning to the building: understanding a decline in unauthorized file sharing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poort, J.; Weda, J.

    2015-01-01

    A set of representative consumer surveys shows that in the Netherlands unauthorized file sharing of music has declined substantially between 2008 and 2012. It decreased slightly for games, but almost doubled for films and TV series. Overall, file sharing dropped from 38% to 27% of the population.

  18. Bacterial diversity and biogeography in deep-sea sediments of the South Atlantic Ocean

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schauer, Regina; Bienhold, Christina; Ramette, Alban

    2010-01-01

    in 1051 sequences. Phylotypes affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria were present in all three basins. The distribution of these shared phylotypes seemed to be influenced neither by the Walvis Ridge nor by different deep water masses, suggesting a high dispersal......Microbial biogeographic patterns in the deep sea depend on the ability of microorganisms to disperse. One possible limitation to microbial dispersal may be the Walvis Ridge that separates the Antarctic Lower Circumpolar Deep Water from the North Atlantic Deep Water. We examined bacterial...... communities in three basins of the eastern South Atlantic Ocean to determine diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in deep-sea surface sediments. The analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene clone libraries in each basin revealed a high diversity, representing 521 phylotypes with 98% identity...

  19. Bacterial diversity of surface sand samples from the Gobi and Taklamaken deserts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Shu; Couteau, Cécile; Luo, Fan; Neveu, Julie; DuBow, Michael S

    2013-11-01

    Arid regions represent nearly 30 % of the Earth's terrestrial surface, but their microbial biodiversity is not yet well characterized. The surface sands of deserts, a subset of arid regions, are generally subjected to large temperature fluctuations plus high UV light exposure and are low in organic matter. We examined surface sand samples from the Taklamaken (China, three samples) and Gobi (Mongolia, two samples) deserts, using pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified 16S V1/V2 rDNA sequences from total extracted DNA in order to gain an assessment of the bacterial population diversity. In total, 4,088 OTUs (using ≥97 % sequence similarity levels), with Chao1 estimates varying from 1,172 to 2,425 OTUs per sample, were discernable. These could be grouped into 102 families belonging to 15 phyla, with OTUs belonging to the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria phyla being the most abundant. The bacterial population composition was statistically different among the samples, though members from 30 genera were found to be common among the five samples. An increase in phylotype numbers with increasing C/N ratio was noted, suggesting a possible role in the bacterial richness of these desert sand environments. Our results imply an unexpectedly large bacterial diversity residing in the harsh environment of these two Asian deserts, worthy of further investigation.

  20. Detection of Spiroplasma and Wolbachia in the bacterial gonad community of Chorthippus parallelus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Rodríguez, P; Hernández-Pérez, M; Bella, J L

    2013-07-01

    We have recently detected the endosymbiont Wolbachia in multiple individuals and populations of the grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus (Orthoptera: acrididae). This bacterium induces reproductive anomalies, including cytoplasmic incompatibility. Such incompatibilities may help explain the maintenance of two distinct subspecies of this grasshopper, C. parallelus parallelus and C. parallelus erythropus, which are involved in a Pyrenean hybrid zone that has been extensively studied for the past 20 years, becoming a model system for the study of genetic divergence and speciation. To evaluate whether Wolbachia is the sole bacterial infection that might induce reproductive anomalies, the gonadal bacterial community of individuals from 13 distinct populations of C. parallelus was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments and sequencing. The study revealed low bacterial diversity in the gonads: a persistent bacterial trio consistent with Spiroplasma sp. and the two previously described supergroups of Wolbachia (B and F) dominated the gonad microbiota. A further evaluation of the composition of the gonad bacterial communities was carried out by whole cell hybridization. Our results confirm previous studies of the cytological distribution of Wolbachia in C. parallelus gonads and show a homogeneous infection by Spiroplasma. Spiroplasma and Wolbachia cooccurred in some individuals, but there was no significant association of Spiroplasma with a grasshopper's sex or with Wolbachia infection, although subtle trends might be detected with a larger sample size. This information, together with previous experimental crosses of this grasshopper, suggests that Spiroplasma is unlikely to contribute to sex-specific reproductive anomalies; instead, they implicate Wolbachia as the agent of the observed anomalies in C. parallelus.

  1. Evaluation of the bacterial diversity of pressure ulcers using bTEFAP pyrosequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Drake M; Snow, David E; Rees, Eric; Zischkau, Ann M; Hanson, J Delton; Wolcott, Randall D; Sun, Yan; White, Jennifer; Kumar, Shashi; Dowd, Scot E

    2010-09-21

    Decubitus ulcers, also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers, affect millions of hospitalized patients each year. The microflora of chronic wounds such as ulcers most commonly exist in the biofilm phenotype and have been known to significantly impair normal healing trajectories. Bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP), a universal bacterial identification method, was used to identify bacterial populations in 49 decubitus ulcers. Diversity estimators were utilized and wound community compositions analyzed in relation to metadata such as Age, race, gender, and comorbidities. Decubitus ulcers are shown to be polymicrobial in nature with no single bacterium exclusively colonizing the wounds. The microbial community among such ulcers is highly variable. While there are between 3 and 10 primary populations in each wound there can be hundreds of different species present many of which are in trace amounts. There is no clearly significant differences in the microbial ecology of decubitus ulcer in relation to metadata except when considering diabetes. The microbial populations and composition in the decubitus ulcers of diabetics may be significantly different from the communities in non-diabetics. Based upon the continued elucidation of chronic wound bioburdens as polymicrobial infections, it is recommended that, in addition to traditional biofilm-based wound care strategies, an antimicrobial/antibiofilm treatment program can be tailored to each patient's respective wound microflora.

  2. Evaluation of the bacterial diversity of Pressure ulcers using bTEFAP pyrosequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolcott Randall D

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Decubitus ulcers, also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers, affect millions of hospitalized patients each year. The microflora of chronic wounds such as ulcers most commonly exist in the biofilm phenotype and have been known to significantly impair normal healing trajectories. Methods Bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP, a universal bacterial identification method, was used to identify bacterial populations in 49 decubitus ulcers. Diversity estimators were utilized and wound community compositions analyzed in relation to metadata such as Age, race, gender, and comorbidities. Results Decubitus ulcers are shown to be polymicrobial in nature with no single bacterium exclusively colonizing the wounds. The microbial community among such ulcers is highly variable. While there are between 3 and 10 primary populations in each wound there can be hundreds of different species present many of which are in trace amounts. There is no clearly significant differences in the microbial ecology of decubitus ulcer in relation to metadata except when considering diabetes. The microbial populations and composition in the decubitus ulcers of diabetics may be significantly different from the communities in non-diabetics. Conclusions Based upon the continued elucidation of chronic wound bioburdens as polymicrobial infections, it is recommended that, in addition to traditional biofilm-based wound care strategies, an antimicrobial/antibiofilm treatment program can be tailored to each patient's respective wound microflora.

  3. Geographic variation in bacterial communities associated with the red turpentine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaron S. Adams; Sandye M. Adams; Cameron R. Currie; Nancy E. Gillette; Kenneth F. Raffa

    2010-01-01

    Bacterial communities are known to play important roles in insect life histories, yet their consistency or variation across populations is poorly understood. Bacteria associated with the bark beetle Dendroctonus valens LeConte from eight populations, ranging from Wisconsin to Oregon, were evaluated and compared. We used the culture-independent technique of denaturing...

  4. BPhyOG: An interactive server for genome-wide inference of bacterial phylogenies based on overlapping genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Kui

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Overlapping genes (OGs in bacterial genomes are pairs of adjacent genes of which the coding sequences overlap partly or entirely. With the rapid accumulation of sequence data, many OGs in bacterial genomes have now been identified. Indeed, these might prove a consistent feature across all microbial genomes. Our previous work suggests that OGs can be considered as robust markers at the whole genome level for the construction of phylogenies. An online, interactive web server for inferring phylogenies is needed for biologists to analyze phylogenetic relationships among a set of bacterial genomes of interest. Description BPhyOG is an online interactive server for reconstructing the phylogenies of completely sequenced bacterial genomes on the basis of their shared overlapping genes. It provides two tree-reconstruction methods: Neighbor Joining (NJ and Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic averages (UPGMA. Users can apply the desired method to generate phylogenetic trees, which are based on an evolutionary distance matrix for the selected genomes. The distance between two genomes is defined by the normalized number of their shared OG pairs. BPhyOG also allows users to browse the OGs that were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships. It provides detailed annotation for each OG pair and the features of the component genes through hyperlinks. Users can also retrieve each of the homologous OG pairs that have been determined among 177 genomes. It is a useful tool for analyzing the tree of life and overlapping genes from a genomic standpoint. Conclusion BPhyOG is a useful interactive web server for genome-wide inference of any potential evolutionary relationship among the genomes selected by users. It currently includes 177 completely sequenced bacterial genomes containing 79,855 OG pairs, the annotation and homologous OG pairs of which are integrated comprehensively. The reliability of phylogenies complemented by

  5. Improved Cognitive Development in Preterm Infants with Shared Book Reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braid, Susan; Bernstein, Jenny

    2015-01-01

    To examine the effect of shared book reading on the cognitive development of children born preterm and to determine what factors influence shared book reading in this population. Secondary analysis using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, a large, nationally representative survey of children born in the United States in 2001. One thousand four hundred singleton preterm infants (22-36 weeks gestation). Cognitive development measured using the Bayley Mental Scale score from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Research Edition. Adjusting for neonatal, maternal, and socioeconomic characteristics, reading aloud more than two times a week is associated with higher cognitive development scores in two-year-old children born preterm (p book reading holds potential as an early developmental intervention for this population.

  6. Microbial ecology of bacterially mediated PCB biodegradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pettigrew, C.A. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    The roles of plasmid mediated and consortia mediated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) biodegradation by bacterial populations isolated from PCB contaminated freshwater sediments were investigated. PCB degrading bacteria were isolated by DNA:DNA colony hybridization, batch enrichments, and chemostat enrichment. Analysis of substrate removal and metabolite production were done using chlorinated biphenyl spray plates, reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography, Cl - detection, and 14 C-labeled substrate mineralization methods. A bacterial consortium, designated LPS10, involved in a concerted metabolic attack on chlorinated biphenyls, was shown to mineralize 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) and 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (4,4' CB). The LPS10 consortium was isolated by both batch and chemostat enrichment using 4CB and biphenyl (BP) as sole carbon source and was found to have tree bacterial isolates that predominated; these included: Pseudomonas, testosteroni LPS10A which mediated the breakdown of 4CB and 4,4' CB to the putative meta-cleavage product and subsequently to 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4CBA), an isolate tentatively identified as an Arthrobacter sp. LPS10B which mediated 4CBA degradation, and Pseudomonas putida by A LPS10C whose role in the consortium has not been determined

  7. The impact of shrimp farming effluent on bacterial communities in mangrove waters, Ceará, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sousa, O V; Macrae, A; Menezes, F G R; Gomes, N C M; Vieira, R H S F; Mendonça-Hagler, L C S

    2006-12-01

    The effects of shrimp farm effluents on bacterial communities in mangroves have been infrequently reported. Classic and molecular biology methods were used to survey bacterial communities from four mangroves systems. Water temperature, salinity, pH, total heterotrophic bacteria and maximum probable numbers of Vibrio spp. were investigated. Genetic profiles of bacterial communities were also characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of eubacterial and Vibrio 16S rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Highest heterotrophic counts were registered in the mangrove not directly polluted by shrimp farming. The Enterobacteriaceae and Chryseomonas luteola dominated the heterotrophic isolates. Vibrio spp. pathogenic to humans and shrimps were identified. Eubacterial genetic profiles suggest a shared community structure independent of mangrove system. Vibrio genetic profiles were mangrove specific. Neither microbial counts nor genetic profiling revealed a significant decrease in species richness associated with shrimp farm effluent. The complex nature of mangrove ecosystems and their microbial communities is discussed.

  8. Highly Heterogeneous Soil Bacterial Communities around Terra Nova Bay of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hyoun Soo; Hong, Soon Gyu; Kim, Ji Hee; Lee, Joohan; Choi, Taejin; Ahn, Tae Seok; Kim, Ok-Sun

    2015-01-01

    Given the diminished role of biotic interactions in soils of continental Antarctica, abiotic factors are believed to play a dominant role in structuring of microbial communities. However, many ice-free regions remain unexplored, and it is unclear which environmental gradients are primarily responsible for the variations among bacterial communities. In this study, we investigated the soil bacterial community around Terra Nova Bay of Victoria Land by pyrosequencing and determined which environmental variables govern the bacterial community structure at the local scale. Six bacterial phyla, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, were dominant, but their relative abundance varied greatly across locations. Bacterial community structures were affected little by spatial distance, but structured more strongly by site, which was in accordance with the soil physicochemical compositions. At both the phylum and species levels, bacterial community structure was explained primarily by pH and water content, while certain earth elements and trace metals also played important roles in shaping community variation. The higher heterogeneity of the bacterial community structure found at this site indicates how soil bacterial communities have adapted to different compositions of edaphic variables under extreme environmental conditions. Taken together, these findings greatly advance our understanding of the adaption of soil bacterial populations to this harsh environment. PMID:25799273

  9. Wrox SharePoint 2010 SharePoint911 three-pack

    CERN Document Server

    Klindt, Todd; Mason, Jennifer; Rogers, Laura; Drisgill, Randy; Ross, John; Riemann, Larry; Perran, Amanda; Perran, Shane; Sanford, Jacob J; Stubbs, Paul; Caravajal, Steve

    2012-01-01

    The Wrox SharePoint 2010 SharePoint911 Three-Pack combines the contents of three full e-books written by the experts from SharePoint911.  That's over 1800 pages of hands-on advice from Todd Klindt, Shane Young, Laura Rogers, Randy Drisgill, Jennifer Mason, John Ross, and Larry Riemann, among others. In Beginning SharePoint 2010: Building Business Solutions with SharePoint (ISBN 978-0-470-61789-2) by Amanda Perran, Shane Perran, Jennifer Mason, and Laura Rogers, readers learn the core concepts, terminology, and features of SharePoint 2010. In Professiona

  10. Evidence for shared susceptibility to epilepsy and psychosis: a population-based family study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Clarke, Mary C

    2012-05-01

    There is emerging evidence of an etiological overlap between a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and epilepsy. Here we investigate shared familial vulnerability to psychotic illness and epilepsy in a family-based study.

  11. Grapevine rootstocks shape underground bacterial microbiome and networking but not potential functionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marasco, Ramona; Rolli, Eleonora; Fusi, Marco; Michoud, Grégoire; Daffonchio, Daniele

    2018-01-03

    The plant compartments of Vitis vinifera, including the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, root endosphere, phyllosphere and carposphere, provide unique niches that drive specific bacterial microbiome associations. The majority of phyllosphere endophytes originate from the soil and migrate up to the aerial compartments through the root endosphere. Thus, the soil and root endosphere partially define the aerial endosphere in the leaves and berries, contributing to the terroir of the fruit. However, V. vinifera cultivars are invariably grafted onto the rootstocks of other Vitis species and hybrids. It has been hypothesized that the plant species determines the microbiome of the root endosphere and, as a consequence, the aerial endosphere. In this work, we test the first part of this hypothesis. We investigate whether different rootstocks influence the bacteria selected from the surrounding soil, affecting the bacterial diversity and potential functionality of the rhizosphere and root endosphere. Bacterial microbiomes from both the root tissues and the rhizosphere of Barbera cultivars, both ungrafted and grafted on four different rootstocks, cultivated in the same soil from the same vineyard, were characterized by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. To assess the influence of the root genotype on the bacterial communities' recruitment in the root system, (i) the phylogenetic diversity coupled with the predicted functional profiles and (ii) the co-occurrence bacterial networks were determined. Cultivation-dependent approaches were used to reveal the plant-growth promoting (PGP) potential associated with the grafted and ungrafted root systems. Richness, diversity and bacterial community networking in the root compartments were significantly influenced by the rootstocks. Complementary to a shared bacterial microbiome, different subsets of soil bacteria, including those endowed with PGP traits, were selected by the root system compartments of different rootstocks. The interaction

  12. The Bacterial Mobile Resistome Transfer Network Connecting the Animal and Human Microbiomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yongfei; Yang, Xi; Li, Jing; Lv, Na; Liu, Fei; Wu, Jun; Lin, Ivan Y C; Wu, Na; Weimer, Bart C; Gao, George F; Liu, Yulan; Zhu, Baoli

    2016-11-15

    Horizontally acquired antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria are highly mobile and have been ranked as principal risk resistance determinants. However, the transfer network of the mobile resistome and the forces driving mobile ARG transfer are largely unknown. Here, we present the whole profile of the mobile resistome in 23,425 bacterial genomes and explore the effects of phylogeny and ecology on the recent transfer (≥99% nucleotide identity) of mobile ARGs. We found that mobile ARGs are mainly present in four bacterial phyla and are significantly enriched in Proteobacteria The recent mobile ARG transfer network, which comprises 703 bacterial species and 16,859 species pairs, is shaped by the bacterial phylogeny, while an ecological barrier also exists, especially when interrogating bacteria colonizing different human body sites. Phylogeny is still a driving force for the transfer of mobile ARGs between farm animals and the human gut, and, interestingly, the mobile ARGs that are shared between the human and animal gut microbiomes are also harbored by diverse human pathogens. Taking these results together, we suggest that phylogeny and ecology are complementary in shaping the bacterial mobile resistome and exert synergistic effects on the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. The development of antibiotic resistance threatens our modern medical achievements. The dissemination of antibiotic resistance can be largely attributed to the transfer of bacterial mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Revealing the transfer network of these genes in bacteria and the forces driving the gene flow is of great importance for controlling and predicting the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the clinic. Here, by analyzing tens of thousands of bacterial genomes and millions of human and animal gut bacterial genes, we reveal that the transfer of mobile ARGs is mainly controlled by bacterial phylogeny but under ecological constraints. We also found

  13. Grapevine rootstocks shape underground bacterial microbiome and networking but not potential functionality

    KAUST Repository

    Marasco, Ramona; Rolli, Eleonora; Fusi, Marco; Michoud, Gregoire; Daffonchio, Daniele

    2018-01-01

    The plant compartments of Vitis vinifera, including the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, root endosphere, phyllosphere and carposphere, provide unique niches that drive specific bacterial microbiome associations. The majority of phyllosphere endophytes originate from the soil and migrate up to the aerial compartments through the root endosphere. Thus, the soil and root endosphere partially define the aerial endosphere in the leaves and berries, contributing to the terroir of the fruit. However, V. vinifera cultivars are invariably grafted onto the rootstocks of other Vitis species and hybrids. It has been hypothesized that the plant species determines the microbiome of the root endosphere and, as a consequence, the aerial endosphere. In this work, we test the first part of this hypothesis. We investigate whether different rootstocks influence the bacteria selected from the surrounding soil, affecting the bacterial diversity and potential functionality of the rhizosphere and root endosphere.Bacterial microbiomes from both the root tissues and the rhizosphere of Barbera cultivars, both ungrafted and grafted on four different rootstocks, cultivated in the same soil from the same vineyard, were characterized by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. To assess the influence of the root genotype on the bacterial communities' recruitment in the root system, (i) the phylogenetic diversity coupled with the predicted functional profiles and (ii) the co-occurrence bacterial networks were determined. Cultivation-dependent approaches were used to reveal the plant-growth promoting (PGP) potential associated with the grafted and ungrafted root systems.Richness, diversity and bacterial community networking in the root compartments were significantly influenced by the rootstocks. Complementary to a shared bacterial microbiome, different subsets of soil bacteria, including those endowed with PGP traits, were selected by the root system compartments of different rootstocks. The interaction

  14. Grapevine rootstocks shape underground bacterial microbiome and networking but not potential functionality

    KAUST Repository

    Marasco, Ramona

    2018-01-03

    The plant compartments of Vitis vinifera, including the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, root endosphere, phyllosphere and carposphere, provide unique niches that drive specific bacterial microbiome associations. The majority of phyllosphere endophytes originate from the soil and migrate up to the aerial compartments through the root endosphere. Thus, the soil and root endosphere partially define the aerial endosphere in the leaves and berries, contributing to the terroir of the fruit. However, V. vinifera cultivars are invariably grafted onto the rootstocks of other Vitis species and hybrids. It has been hypothesized that the plant species determines the microbiome of the root endosphere and, as a consequence, the aerial endosphere. In this work, we test the first part of this hypothesis. We investigate whether different rootstocks influence the bacteria selected from the surrounding soil, affecting the bacterial diversity and potential functionality of the rhizosphere and root endosphere.Bacterial microbiomes from both the root tissues and the rhizosphere of Barbera cultivars, both ungrafted and grafted on four different rootstocks, cultivated in the same soil from the same vineyard, were characterized by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. To assess the influence of the root genotype on the bacterial communities\\' recruitment in the root system, (i) the phylogenetic diversity coupled with the predicted functional profiles and (ii) the co-occurrence bacterial networks were determined. Cultivation-dependent approaches were used to reveal the plant-growth promoting (PGP) potential associated with the grafted and ungrafted root systems.Richness, diversity and bacterial community networking in the root compartments were significantly influenced by the rootstocks. Complementary to a shared bacterial microbiome, different subsets of soil bacteria, including those endowed with PGP traits, were selected by the root system compartments of different rootstocks. The interaction

  15. The ageing of Croatian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murgić, Jure; Jukić, Tomislav; Tomek-Roksandić, Spomenka; Ljubicić, Mate; Kusić, Zvonko

    2009-06-01

    With a share of people older than 65 years of 16.64 per cent in total population, Croatia is considered a very old country regarding it's population. This percentage is one of the highest in already old Europe. Demographic projections reveal a further increase of share of people older than 65 years in future. There are many causes of this condition. This fact carries negative economic and health care implications which burden Croatia. Many administrative reforms are necessary to resolve this issue and to avoid economy problems and intergenerational conflicts.

  16. Bacterial diversity in relatively pristine and anthropogenically-influenced mangrove ecosystems (Goa, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheryl Oliveira Fernandes

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available To appreciate differences in benthic bacterial community composition at the relatively pristine Tuvem and the anthropogenically-influenced Divar mangrove ecosystems in Goa, India, parallel tag sequencing of the V6 region of 16S rDNA was carried out. We hypothesize that availability of extraneously-derived anthropogenic substrates could act as a stimulatant but not a deterrent to promote higher bacterial diversity at Divar. Our observations revealed that the phylum Proteobacteria was dominant at both locations comprising 43-46% of total tags. The Tuvem ecosystem was characterized by an abundance of members belonging to the class Deltaproteobacteria (21%, ~ 2100 phylotypes and 1561 operational taxonomic units (OTUs sharing > 97% similarity. At Divar, the Gammaproteobacteria were ~ 2x higher (17% than at Tuvem. A more diverse bacterial community with > 3300 phylotypes and > 2000 OTUs mostly belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and a significantly higher DNT (n = 9, p < 0.001, df = 1 were recorded at Divar. These findings suggest that the quantity and quality of pollutants at Divar are perhaps still at a level to maintain high diversity. Using this technique we could show higher diversity at Divar with the possibility of Gammaproteobacteria contributing to modulating excess nitrate.

  17. Assessment of bacterial diversity during composting of agricultural byproducts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Composting is microbial decomposition of biodegradable materials and it is governed by physicochemical, physiological and microbiological factors. The importance of microbial communities (bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi) during composting is well established. However, the microbial diversity during composting may vary with the variety of composting materials and nutrient supplements. Therefore, it is necessary to study the diversity of microorganisms during composting of different agricultural byproducts like wheat bran, rice bran, rice husk, along with grass clippings and bulking agents. Here it has been attempted to assess the diversity of culturable bacteria during composting of agricultural byproducts. Results The culturable bacterial diversity was assessed during the process by isolating the most prominent bacteria. Bacterial population was found to be maximum during the mesophilic phase, but decreased during the thermophilic phase and declined further in the cooling and maturation phase of composting. The bacterial population ranged from 105 to 109 cfu g-1 compost. The predominant bacteria were characterized biochemically, followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolated strains, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative groups belonged to the order Burkholderiales, Enterobacteriales, Actinobacteriales and Bacillales, which includes genera e.g. Staphylococcus, Serratia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Terribacillus, Lysinibacillus Kocuria, Microbacterium, Acidovorax and Comamonas. Genera like Kocuria, Microbacterium, Acidovorax, Comamonas and some new species of Bacillus were also identified for the first time from the compost made from agricultural byproducts. Conclusion The use of appropriate nitrogen amendments and bulking agents in composting resulted in good quality compost. The culture based strategy enabled us to isolate some novel bacterial isolates like Kocuria, Microbacterium, Acidovorax and Comamonas first time from agro-byproducts compost

  18. Changes in the Total Fecal Bacterial Population in Individual Horses Maintained on a Restricted Diet Over 6 Weeks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirsty Dougal

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Twelve mature (aged 5–16 years horses and ponies of mixed breed and type were fed restricted (1.25% BM Dry matter quantities of one of two fiber based diets formulated to be iso-caloric. Diet 1 comprised of 0.8% body mass (BM of chaff based complete feed plus 0.45% BM low energy grass hay (the same hay used for both diets. Diet 2 comprised 0.1% BM of a nutrient balancer plus 1.15% BM grass hay. Fecal samples were collected at week 10 and week 16. DNA was extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA were 454-pyrosequenced to investigate the bacterial microbiome of the horse. The two most abundant phyla found in both diets and sampling periods were the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. There was a clear reduction in Bacteroidetes with a concordant increase in Firmicutes over time. There was a limited degree of stability within the bacterial community of the hindgut of horses, with 65% of bacteria retained, over a 6 week period whilst on a uniform diet. The presence of a core community defined by being present in all samples (each animal/diet combination included in the study and being present at 0.1% relative abundance (or greater was identified. In total 65 operational taxonomic units (OTUs were identified that fit the definition of core making up 21–28% of the total sequences recovered. As with total population the most abundant phyla were the Bacteroidetes followed by the Firmicutes, however there was no obvious shift in phyla due to period. Indeed, when the relative abundance of OTUs was examined across diets and periods there was no significant effect of diet or period alone or in combination on the relative abundance of the core OTUs.

  19. Archaeal and Bacterial Communities Associated with the Surface Mucus of Caribbean Corals Differ in Their Degree of Host Specificity and Community Turnover Over Reefs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro R Frade

    Full Text Available Comparative studies on the distribution of archaeal versus bacterial communities associated with the surface mucus layer of corals have rarely taken place. It has therefore remained enigmatic whether mucus-associated archaeal and bacterial communities exhibit a similar specificity towards coral hosts and whether they vary in the same fashion over spatial gradients and between reef locations. We used microbial community profiling (terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism, T-RFLP and clone library sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the diversity and community structure of dominant archaeal and bacterial communities associating with the mucus of three common reef-building coral species (Porites astreoides, Siderastrea siderea and Orbicella annularis over different spatial scales on a Caribbean fringing reef. Sampling locations included three reef sites, three reef patches within each site and two depths. Reference sediment samples and ambient water were also taken for each of the 18 sampling locations resulting in a total of 239 samples. While only 41% of the bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs characterized by T-RFLP were shared between mucus and the ambient water or sediment, for archaeal OTUs this percentage was 2-fold higher (78%. About half of the mucus-associated OTUs (44% and 58% of bacterial and archaeal OTUs, respectively were shared between the three coral species. Our multivariate statistical analysis (ANOSIM, PERMANOVA and CCA showed that while the bacterial community composition was determined by habitat (mucus, sediment or seawater, host coral species, location and spatial distance, the archaeal community composition was solely determined by the habitat. This study highlights that mucus-associated archaeal and bacterial communities differ in their degree of community turnover over reefs and in their host-specificity.

  20. Bacterial community composition in the water column of a lake formed by a former uranium open pit mine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edberg, Frida; Andersson, Anders F; Holmström, Sara J M

    2012-11-01

    Mining of pyrite minerals is a major environmental issue involving both biological and geochemical processes. Here we present a study of an artificial lake of a former uranium open pit mine with the aim to connect the chemistry and bacterial community composition (454-pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes) in the stratified water column. A shift in the water chemistry from oxic conditions in the epilimnion to anoxic, alkaline, and metal and sulfide-rich conditions in the hypolimnion was corresponded by a strong shift in the bacterial community, with few shared operational taxonomic units (OTU) between the water layers. The epilimnetic bacterial community of the lake (~20 years old) showed similarities to other temperate freshwater lakes, while the hypolimnetic bacterial community showed similarity to extreme chemical environments. The epilimnetic bacterial community had dominance of Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. The hypolimnion displayed a higher bacterial diversity and was dominated by the phototrophic green sulphur bacterium of the genus Chlorobium (ca. 40 % of the total community). Deltaproteobacteria were only represented in the hypolimnion and the most abundant OTUs were affiliated with ferric iron and sulfate reducers of the genus Geobacter and Desulfobulbus, respectively. The chemistry is clearly controlling, especially the hypolimnetic, bacterial community but the community composition also indicates that the bacteria are involved in metal cycling in the lake.

  1. Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses of Bacterial Symbionts in Three Whitefly Species from Southeast Europe

    OpenAIRE

    Skaljac, Marisa; Kanakala, Surapathrudu; Zanic, Katja; Puizina, Jasna; Lepen Pleic, Ivana; Ghanim, Murad

    2017-01-01

    Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) are whitefly species that harm agricultural crops in many regions of the world. These insects live in close association with bacterial symbionts that affect host fitness and adaptation to the environment. In the current study, we surveyed the infection of whitefly populations in Southeast Europe by various bacterial symbionts and performed phylogenetic analyses on the different symbionts dete...

  2. Beginning SharePoint 2010 Administration Windows SharePoint Foundation 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

    CERN Document Server

    Husman, Göran

    2010-01-01

    Complete coverage on the latest advances in SharePoint 2010 administration. SharePoint 2010 comprises an abundance of new features, and this book shows you how to take advantage of all SharePoint 2010's many improvements. Written by a four-time SharePoint MVP, Beginning SharePoint 2010 Administration begins with a comparison of SharePoint 2010 compared to the previous version and then examines the differences between WSS 4.0 and MSS 2010. Packed with step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks, and real-world examples, this book dives into the basics of how to install, manage, and administrate

  3. Evaluation of gastrointestinal bacterial population for the production of holocellulose enzymes for biomass deconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asem, Dhaneshwaree; Leo, Vincent Vineeth; Passari, Ajit Kumar; Tonsing, Mary Vanlalhruaii; Joshi, J Beslin; Uthandi, Sivakumar; Hashem, Abeer; Abd Allah, Elsayed Fathi; Singh, Bhim Pratap

    2017-01-01

    The gastrointestinal (GI) habitat of ruminant and non-ruminant animals sustains a vast ensemble of microbes that are capable of utilizing lignocellulosic plant biomass. In this study, an indigenous swine (Zovawk) and a domesticated goat (Black Bengal) were investigated to isolate bacteria having plant biomass degrading enzymes. After screening and enzymatic quantification of eighty-one obtained bacterial isolates, Serratia rubidaea strain DBT4 and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus strain DBT87 were revealed as the most potent strains, showing both cellulase and xylanase production. A biomass utilization study showed that submerged fermentation (SmF) of D2 (alkaline pretreated pulpy biomass) using strain DBT4 resulted in the most efficient biomass deconstruction with maximum xylanase (11.98 U/mL) and FPase (0.5 U/mL) activities (55°C, pH 8). The present study demonstrated that bacterial strains residing in the gastrointestinal region of non-ruminant swine are a promising source for lignocellulose degrading microorganisms that could be used for biomass conversion.

  4. Evaluation of gastrointestinal bacterial population for the production of holocellulose enzymes for biomass deconstruction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhaneshwaree Asem

    Full Text Available The gastrointestinal (GI habitat of ruminant and non-ruminant animals sustains a vast ensemble of microbes that are capable of utilizing lignocellulosic plant biomass. In this study, an indigenous swine (Zovawk and a domesticated goat (Black Bengal were investigated to isolate bacteria having plant biomass degrading enzymes. After screening and enzymatic quantification of eighty-one obtained bacterial isolates, Serratia rubidaea strain DBT4 and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus strain DBT87 were revealed as the most potent strains, showing both cellulase and xylanase production. A biomass utilization study showed that submerged fermentation (SmF of D2 (alkaline pretreated pulpy biomass using strain DBT4 resulted in the most efficient biomass deconstruction with maximum xylanase (11.98 U/mL and FPase (0.5 U/mL activities (55°C, pH 8. The present study demonstrated that bacterial strains residing in the gastrointestinal region of non-ruminant swine are a promising source for lignocellulose degrading microorganisms that could be used for biomass conversion.

  5. The effect of antibiotics on associated bacterial community of stored product mites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Kopecky

    Full Text Available Bacteria are associated with the gut, fat bodies and reproductive organs of stored product mites (Acari: Astigmata. The mites are pests due to the production of allergens. Addition of antibiotics to diets can help to characterize the association between mites and bacteria.Ampicillin, neomycin and streptomycin were added to the diets of mites and the effects on mite population growth (Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae and associated bacterial community structure were assessed. Mites were treated by antibiotic supplementation (1 mg g(-1 of diet for 21 days and numbers of mites and bacterial communities were analyzed and compared to the untreated control. Bacterial quantities, determined by real-time PCR, significantly decreased in antibiotic treated specimens from 5 to 30 times in A. siro and T. putrescentiae, while no decline was observed in L. destructor. Streptomycin treatment eliminated Bartonella-like bacteria in the both A. siro and T. putrescentiae and Cardinium in T. putrescentiae. Solitalea-like bacteria proportion increased in the communities of neomycin and streptomycin treated A. siro specimens. Kocuria proportion increased in the bacterial communities of ampicillin and streptomycin treated A. siro and neomycin and streptomycin treated L. destructor.The work demonstrated the changes of mite associated bacterial community under antibiotic pressure in pests of medical importance. Pre-treatment of mites by 1 mg g(-1 antibiotic diets improved mite fitness as indicated accelerated population growth of A. siro pretreated streptomycin and neomycin and L. destructor pretreated by neomycin. All tested antibiotics supplemented to diets caused the decrease of mite growth rate in comparison to the control diet.

  6. Evaluation of free-stall mattress bedding treatments to reduce mastitis bacterial growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kristula, M A; Dou, Z; Toth, J D; Smith, B I; Harvey, N; Sabo, M [University of Penn, Kennett Square, PA (United States)

    2008-05-15

    Bacterial counts were compared in free-stall mattresses and teat ends exposed to 5 treatments in a factorial study design on 1 dairy farm. Mattresses in five 30-cow groups were subjected to 1 of 5 bedding treatments every other day: 0.5 kg of hydrated limestone, 120 mL of commercial acidic conditioner, 1 kg of coal fly ash, 1 kg of kiln-dried wood shavings, and control (no bedding). Counts of coliforms, Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus spp. were lowest on mattresses bedded with lime. Mattresses bedded with the commercial acidic conditioner had the next lowest counts for coliforms, Klebsiella spp., and Streptococcus spp. Wood shavings and the no-bedding control had the highest counts for coliform and Klebsiella spp. Compared with wood shavings or control, fly ash reduced the counts of coliforms, whereas for the other 3 bacterial groups, the reduction was not always significant. Streptococcus spp. counts were greatest in the control group and did not differ among the shavings and fly ash groups. Teat swab results indicated that hydrated lime was the only bedding treatment that significantly decreased the counts of both coliforms and Klebsiella spp. There were no differences in Streptococcus spp. numbers on the teats between any of the bedding treatments. Bacterial populations grew steadily on mattresses and were generally higher at 36 to 48 h than at 12 to 24 h, whereas bacterial populations on teats grew rapidly by 12 h and then remained constant. Hydrated lime was the only treatment that significantly reduced bacterial counts on both mattresses and teat ends, but it caused some skin irritation.

  7. Influence of Uranium on Bacterial Communities: A Comparison of Natural Uranium-Rich Soils with Controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondani, Laure; Benzerara, Karim; Carrière, Marie; Christen, Richard; Mamindy-Pajany, Yannick; Février, Laureline; Marmier, Nicolas; Achouak, Wafa; Nardoux, Pascal; Berthomieu, Catherine; Chapon, Virginie

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the influence of uranium on the indigenous bacterial community structure in natural soils with high uranium content. Radioactive soil samples exhibiting 0.26% - 25.5% U in mass were analyzed and compared with nearby control soils containing trace uranium. EXAFS and XRD analyses of soils revealed the presence of U(VI) and uranium-phosphate mineral phases, identified as sabugalite and meta-autunite. A comparative analysis of bacterial community fingerprints using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed the presence of a complex population in both control and uranium-rich samples. However, bacterial communities inhabiting uraniferous soils exhibited specific fingerprints that were remarkably stable over time, in contrast to populations from nearby control samples. Representatives of Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and seven others phyla were detected in DGGE bands specific to uraniferous samples. In particular, sequences related to iron-reducing bacteria such as Geobacter and Geothrix were identified concomitantly with iron-oxidizing species such as Gallionella and Sideroxydans. All together, our results demonstrate that uranium exerts a permanent high pressure on soil bacterial communities and suggest the existence of a uranium redox cycle mediated by bacteria in the soil. PMID:21998695

  8. Control of intestinal bacterial proliferation in regulation of lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Portal-Celhay Cynthia

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A powerful approach to understanding complex processes such as aging is to use model organisms amenable to genetic manipulation, and to seek relevant phenotypes to measure. Caenorhabditis elegans is particularly suited to studies of aging, since numerous single-gene mutations have been identified that affect its lifespan; it possesses an innate immune system employing evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways affecting longevity. As worms age, bacteria accumulate in the intestinal tract. However, quantitative relationships between worm genotype, lifespan, and intestinal lumen bacterial load have not been examined. We hypothesized that gut immunity is less efficient in older animals, leading to enhanced bacterial accumulation, reducing longevity. To address this question, we evaluated the ability of worms to control bacterial accumulation as a functional marker of intestinal immunity. Results We show that as adult worms age, several C. elegans genotypes show diminished capacity to control intestinal bacterial accumulation. We provide evidence that intestinal bacterial load, regulated by gut immunity, is an important causative factor of lifespan determination; the effects are specified by bacterial strain, worm genotype, and biologic age, all acting in concert. Conclusions In total, these studies focus attention on the worm intestine as a locus that influences longevity in the presence of an accumulating bacterial population. Further studies defining the interplay between bacterial species and host immunity in C. elegans may provide insights into the general mechanisms of aging and age-related diseases.

  9. Histo-FISH protocol to detect bacterial compositions and biofilms formation in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madar, M; Slizova, M; Czerwinski, J; Hrckova, G; Mudronova, D; Gancarcikova, S; Popper, M; Pistl, J; Soltys, J; Nemcova, R

    2015-01-01

    The study of biofilm function in vivo in various niches of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is rather limited. It is more frequently used in in vitro approaches, as an alternative to the studies focused on formation mechanisms and function of biofilms, which do not represent the actual in vivo complexity of microbial structures. Additionally, in vitro tests can sometimes lead to unreliable results. The goal of this study was to develop a simple approach to detect bacterial populations, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in biofilms, in vivo by the fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) method. We standardised a new Histo-FISH method based on specific fluorochrome labelling probes which are able to detect Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. within biofilms on the mucosal surface of the GIT embedded in paraffin in histological slices. This method is also suitable for visualisation of bacterial populations in the GIT internal content. Depending on the labelling probes, the Histo-FISH method has the potential to detect other probiotic strains or pathogenic bacteria. This original approach permits us to analyse bacterial colonisation processes as well as biofilm formation in stomach and caecum of BALB/c and germ-free mice.

  10. The disease complex of the gypsy moth. II. Aerobic bacterial pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    J.D. Podgwaite; R.W. Campbell

    1972-01-01

    Eighty-six pathogenic aerobic bacterial isolates from diseased gypsy moth larvae collected in both sparse and dense populations were characterized and identified as members of the families Bacillaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Achromobacteraceae. The commonest pathogens were Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus...

  11. Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambur, Ole Herman; Engelstädter, Jan; Johnsen, Pål J.

    2016-01-01

    Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes.  This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’. PMID:27619692

  12. Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambur, Ole Herman; Engelstädter, Jan; Johnsen, Pål J; Miller, Eric L; Rozen, Daniel E

    2016-10-19

    Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes. This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  13. Share and share alike? Social information and interaction style in coordination of shared use

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niemantsverdriet, Karin; van de Werff, T.C.F.; van Essen, H.A.; Eggen, J.H.

    2018-01-01

    Interfaces are commonly designed from the perspective of individual users, even though most of the systems we use in everyday life are in fact shared. We argue that more attention is needed for system sharing, especially because interfaces are known to influence coordination of shared use. In this

  14. Bacterial mycophagy: definition and diagnosis of a unique bacterial-fungal interaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leveau, J.H.J.; Preston, G.M.

    2008-01-01

    This review analyses the phenomenon of bacterial mycophagy, which we define as a set of phenotypic behaviours that enable bacteria to obtain nutrients from living fungi and thus allow the conversion of fungal into bacterial biomass. We recognize three types of bacterial strategies to derive

  15. Grape berry bacterial inhibition by different copper fungicides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martins Guilherme

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Copper fungicides are widely used in viticulture. Due to its large spectrum of action, copper provides an efficient control over a great number of vine pathogens. Previous studies showed that, high levels of cupric residues can impact grape-berry microbiota, in terms of the size and population structure, reducing the diversity and the abundance. Due to the importance of grape-berry bacterial in crop health, and the potential impact of copper fungicides over the microbiota, we determined Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC of different copper formulations for bacterial species isolated from grape berries. We study the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC of different copper formulations (copper sulphate (CuSO4 pure, Bordeaux mixture (CuSO4 + Ca(OH2, copper oxide (Cu2O, copper hydroxide (Cu(OH2 over 92 bacterial strains isolated from grape berries in different stages of the ripening process. The results of MIC measurements revealed that the different copper formulations have a variable inhibitory effect and among the different isolates, some species are the most resistant to all copper formulations than others. This study confirm that usage of cupric phytosanitary products should be reasonable independently of the farming system; they also provide evidence of the importance of the choice of which copper formulations are to be used regarding their impact on the grape berry bacterial microbiota.

  16. iDASH: integrating data for analysis, anonymization, and sharing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bafna, Vineet; Boxwala, Aziz A; Chapman, Brian E; Chapman, Wendy W; Chaudhuri, Kamalika; Day, Michele E; Farcas, Claudiu; Heintzman, Nathaniel D; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Kim, Hyeoneui; Kim, Jihoon; Matheny, Michael E; Resnic, Frederic S; Vinterbo, Staal A

    2011-01-01

    iDASH (integrating data for analysis, anonymization, and sharing) is the newest National Center for Biomedical Computing funded by the NIH. It focuses on algorithms and tools for sharing data in a privacy-preserving manner. Foundational privacy technology research performed within iDASH is coupled with innovative engineering for collaborative tool development and data-sharing capabilities in a private Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-certified cloud. Driving Biological Projects, which span different biological levels (from molecules to individuals to populations) and focus on various health conditions, help guide research and development within this Center. Furthermore, training and dissemination efforts connect the Center with its stakeholders and educate data owners and data consumers on how to share and use clinical and biological data. Through these various mechanisms, iDASH implements its goal of providing biomedical and behavioral researchers with access to data, software, and a high-performance computing environment, thus enabling them to generate and test new hypotheses. PMID:22081224

  17. Effect of Knowledge Sharing on Success of IT Outsourcing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    فرج‌اله رهنورد

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, Outsourcing relationship in the area of information technology for local organizations is not an option, but a necessity strategy. By outsourcing, organizations can focus on core functions, decrease their operational costs and technology risk, and to use external sources to achieve the organizational objectives. In this research, local organizations in Zanjan province which have outsourcing experience in the area of information technology, were selected as statistical population, to study the effect of knowledge sharing based on outsourcing with regards to contingency approach. Findings of this research showed that knowledge sharing with regards to situational variables, leads to influence success of IT outsourcing. To put it in other words, relationship between knowledge sharing as independent variable and success of IT outsourcing as a dependent variable, is influenced by partnership and organizational capabilities. Therefore, IT outsourcing is a successful strategy if partners through partnership to share their organizational knowledge and by enhancing their organizational capabilities to use the transferred knowledge in an effective way.

  18. Genes as early responders regulate quorum-sensing and control bacterial cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelei Zhao

    Full Text Available Quorum-sensing (QS allows bacterial communication to coordinate the production of extracellular products essential for population fitness at higher cell densities. It has been generally accepted that a significant time duration is required to reach appropriate cell density to activate the relevant quiescent genes encoding these costly but beneficial public goods. Which regulatory genes are involved and how these genes control bacterial communication at the early phases are largely un-explored. By determining time-dependent expression of QS-related genes of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aerugionsa, we show that the induction of social cooperation could be critically influenced by environmental factors to optimize the density of population. In particular, small regulatory RNAs (RsmY and RsmZ serving as early responders, can promote the expression of dependent genes (e.g. lasR to boost the synthesis of intracellular enzymes and coordinate instant cooperative behavior in bacterial cells. These early responders, acting as a rheostat to finely modulate bacterial cooperation, which may be quickly activated under environment threats, but peter off when critical QS dependent genes are fully functional for cooperation. Our findings suggest that RsmY and RsmZ critically control the timing and levels of public goods production, which may have implications in sociomicrobiology and infection control.

  19. Fluid limits for bandwidth-sharing networks with rate constraints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Frolkova (Masha); J. Reed (Josh); A.P. Zwart (Bert)

    2013-01-01

    htmlabstractBandwidth-sharing networks as introduced by Massouli\\'e~\\& Roberts (1998) model the dynamic interaction among an evolving population of elastic flows competing for several links. With policies based on optimization procedures, such models are of interest both from a~Queueing Theory and

  20. Effect of Sucrose as Carbon Source and Probiotic Administrations on Bacterial Population Dinamic and Water Quality in White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei Culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    . Sukenda

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Disinfection and nutrient enrichment prior stocking of  post larvae in the pond will be affected on the growth and composition of microbe.  Attention should be taken to some factors related to deterministic and stochastic factors of aquaculture environment  in order to develop microbe community.  This study was performed to determine effect of sucrose and probiotic supplementation to shrimp culture pond on water quality profile and population dynamic on shrimp culture media.  The treatments were supplementation of sucrose as carbon source, probiotic, and sucrose + probiotic into 25 L culture medium containing white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.  Shrimp were fed commercial diet containing 30% protein by 5% body weight every day.  The result of study showed that bacterial population was increased by increasing time of shrimp rearing.  Increased of bacterial population was contrary to DO value.   Bacteria grew was heterotrop and vibrio that its intensity varied during experiment.  Supplementation of sucrose supported proliferation of bacteria including heterotrop, probiotik and vibrio groups.  Specifically, interaction between probiotic bacteria and vibrio was also found.  The presence of probiotic bacteria showed a negative impact on vibrio population.  Further, development of bacteria in general was also implicated to fluctuation of ammonia concentration in pond. Keywords: carbon, sucrose, probiotic, white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei   ABSTRAK Kegiatan disinfeksi dan pengkayaan nutrien sebelum penebaran PL akan mempengaruhi pola pertumbuhan dan komposisi mikroba di tambak. Hal-hal yang perlu diperhatikan dalam pengembangan komunitas mikroba adalah faktor-faktor deterministic dan sthocastic masing-masing lingkungan budidaya. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemberian bahan berkarbon (sukrosa dan probiotik di tambak terhadap profil kualitas air serta dinamika populasi pada perairan budidaya. Pada penelitian ini

  1. Effect of flow and active mixing on bacterial growth in a colon-like geometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Jonas; Segota, Igor; Arnoldini, Markus; Groisman, Alex; Hwa, Terence

    The large intestine harbors bacteria from hundreds of species, with bacterial densities reaching up to 1012 cells per gram. Many different factors influence bacterial growth dynamics and thus bacterial density and microbiota composition. One dominant force is flow which can in principle lead to a washout of bacteria from the proximal colon. Active mixing by Contractions of the colonic wall together with bacterial growth might counteract such flow-forces and allow high bacterial densities to occur. As a step towards understanding bacterial growth in the presence of mixing and flow, we constructed an in-vitro setup where controlled wall-deformations of a channel emulate Contractions. We investigate growth along the channel under a steady nutrient inflow. In the limits of no or very frequent Contractions, the device behaves like a plug-flow reactor and a chemostat respectively. Depending on mixing and flow, we observe varying spatial gradients in bacterial density along the channel. Active mixing by deformations of the channel wall is shown to be crucial in maintaining a steady-state bacterial population in the presence of flow. The growth-dynamics is quantitatively captured by a simple mathematical model, with the effect of mixing described by an effective diffusion term.

  2. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Bacterial Vaginosis and Other Vulvovaginitis in a Population of Sexually Active Adolescents from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita Elizabeth Moreira Mascarenhas

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and genital candidiasis are considered the main etiologies of vulvovaginitis. Few studies estimate the prevalence of vulvovaginitis among adolescents, especially in Brazil. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and main risk factors associated with bacterial vaginosis and genital infection by C. albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis among a group of adolescents from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. One hundred sexually active adolescents followed at an adolescent gynecology clinic were included. Endocervical and vaginal samples were obtained during gynecological examination. Nugent criteria were applied for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. For Candida albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis detection, culture in Sabouraud agar plates and Papanicolaou cytology were used, respectively. The mean age of participants was 16.6±1.6 years. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 20% (95% CI 12–28 and of genital infection by Candida was 22% (95% CI 14–30. Vaginal cytology detected Trichomonas vaginalis in one patient. Alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use (P=0.02 and multiple lifetime partners were statistically related to bacterial vaginosis (P=0.01. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and genital candidiasis was similar to other studies carried out among adolescents worldwide.

  3. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Bacterial Vaginosis and Other Vulvovaginitis in a Population of Sexually Active Adolescents from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira Mascarenhas, Rita Elizabeth; Sacramento Cunha Machado, Márcia; Borges da Costa e Silva, Bruno Fernando; Fernandes Weyll Pimentel, Rodrigo; Teixeira Ferreira, Tatiana; Silva Leoni, Fernanda Maria; Grassi, Maria Fernanda Rios

    2012-01-01

    Bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and genital candidiasis are considered the main etiologies of vulvovaginitis. Few studies estimate the prevalence of vulvovaginitis among adolescents, especially in Brazil. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and main risk factors associated with bacterial vaginosis and genital infection by C. albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis among a group of adolescents from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. One hundred sexually active adolescents followed at an adolescent gynecology clinic were included. Endocervical and vaginal samples were obtained during gynecological examination. Nugent criteria were applied for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. For Candida albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis detection, culture in Sabouraud agar plates and Papanicolaou cytology were used, respectively. The mean age of participants was 16.6 ± 1.6 years. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 20% (95% CI 12–28) and of genital infection by Candida was 22% (95% CI 14–30). Vaginal cytology detected Trichomonas vaginalis in one patient. Alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use (P = 0.02) and multiple lifetime partners were statistically related to bacterial vaginosis (P = 0.01). The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and genital candidiasis was similar to other studies carried out among adolescents worldwide. PMID:23133306

  4. Economic benefits of sharing and redistributing influenza vaccines when shortages occurred.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sheng-I

    2017-01-01

    Recurrent influenza outbreak has been a concern for government health institutions in Taiwan. Over 10% of the population is infected by influenza viruses every year, and the infection has caused losses to both health and the economy. Approximately three million free vaccine doses are ordered and administered to high-risk populations at the beginning of flu season to control the disease. The government recommends sharing and redistributing vaccine inventories when shortages occur. While this policy intends to increase inventory flexibility, and has been proven as widely valuable, its impact on vaccine availability has not been previously reported. This study developed an inventory model adapted to vaccination protocols to evaluate government recommended polices under different levels of vaccine production. Demands were uncertain and stratified by ages and locations according to the demographic data in Taiwan. When vaccine supply is sufficient, sharing pediatric vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 43% and overstock by 54%, and sharing adult vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 9% and overstock by 15%. Redistributing vaccines obtained greater gains for both pediatrics and adults (by 75%). When the vaccine supply is in short, only sharing pediatric vaccine yielded a 48% reduction of unused inventory, while other polices do not improve performances. When implementing vaccination activities for seasonal influenza intervention, it is important to consider mismatches of demand and vaccine inventory. Our model confirmed that sharing and redistributing vaccines can substantially increase availability and reduce unused vaccines.

  5. Economic benefits of sharing and redistributing influenza vaccines when shortages occurred.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheng-I Chen

    Full Text Available Recurrent influenza outbreak has been a concern for government health institutions in Taiwan. Over 10% of the population is infected by influenza viruses every year, and the infection has caused losses to both health and the economy. Approximately three million free vaccine doses are ordered and administered to high-risk populations at the beginning of flu season to control the disease. The government recommends sharing and redistributing vaccine inventories when shortages occur. While this policy intends to increase inventory flexibility, and has been proven as widely valuable, its impact on vaccine availability has not been previously reported.This study developed an inventory model adapted to vaccination protocols to evaluate government recommended polices under different levels of vaccine production. Demands were uncertain and stratified by ages and locations according to the demographic data in Taiwan.When vaccine supply is sufficient, sharing pediatric vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 43% and overstock by 54%, and sharing adult vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 9% and overstock by 15%. Redistributing vaccines obtained greater gains for both pediatrics and adults (by 75%. When the vaccine supply is in short, only sharing pediatric vaccine yielded a 48% reduction of unused inventory, while other polices do not improve performances.When implementing vaccination activities for seasonal influenza intervention, it is important to consider mismatches of demand and vaccine inventory. Our model confirmed that sharing and redistributing vaccines can substantially increase availability and reduce unused vaccines.

  6. Susceptibility of metallic magnesium implants to bacterial biofilm infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Muhammad Imran; Rohde, Manfred; Rais, Bushra; Seitz, Jan-Marten; Mueller, Peter P

    2016-06-01

    Magnesium alloys have promising mechanical and biological properties as biodegradable medical implant materials for temporary applications during bone healing or as vascular stents. Whereas conventional implants are prone to colonization by treatment resistant microbial biofilms in which bacteria are embedded in a protective matrix, magnesium alloys have been reported to act antibacterial in vitro. To permit a basic assessment of antibacterial properties of implant materials in vivo an economic but robust animal model was established. Subcutaneous magnesium implants were inoculated with bacteria in a mouse model. Contrary to the expectations, bacterial activity was enhanced and prolonged in the presence of magnesium implants. Systemic antibiotic treatments were remarkably ineffective, which is a typical property of bacterial biofilms. Biofilm formation was further supported by electron microscopic analyses that revealed highly dense bacterial populations and evidence for the presence of extracellular matrix material. Bacterial agglomerates could be detected not only on the implant surface but also at a limited distance in the peri-implant tissue. Therefore, precautions may be necessary to minimize risks of metallic magnesium-containing implants in prospective clinical applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1489-1499, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Assessing Genetic Heterogeneity within Bacterial Species Isolated from Gastrointestinal and Environmental Samples: How Many Isolates Does It Take?▿

    OpenAIRE

    Döpfer, D.; Buist, W.; Soyer, Y.; Munoz, M. A.; Zadoks, R. N.; Geue, L.; Engel, B.

    2008-01-01

    Strain typing of bacterial isolates is increasingly used to identify sources of infection or product contamination and to elucidate routes of transmission of pathogens or spoilage organisms. Usually, the number of bacterial isolates belonging to the same species that is analyzed per sample is determined by convention, convenience, laboratory capacity, or financial resources. Statistical considerations and knowledge of the heterogeneity of bacterial populations in various sources can be used t...

  8. Energy spectrum scaling in an agent-based model for bacterial turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikel-Stites, Maxwell; Staples, Anne

    2017-11-01

    Numerous models have been developed to examine the behavior of dense bacterial swarms and to explore the visually striking phenomena of bacterial turbulence. Most models directly impose fluid dynamics physics, either by modeling the active matter as a fluid or by including interactions between the bacteria and a fluid. In this work, however, the `turbulence' is solely an emergent property of the collective behavior of the bacterial population, rather than a consequence of imposed fluid dynamics physical modeling. The system is simulated using a two dimensional Vicsek-style model, with the addition of individual repulsion to simulate bacterial collisions and physical interactions, and without the common flocking or sensing behaviors. Initial results indicate the presence of k-1 scaling in a portion of the kinetic energy spectrum that can be considered analogous to the inertial subrange in turbulent energy spectra. This result suggests that the interaction of large numbers of individual active bacteria may also be a contributing factor in the emergence of fluid dynamics phenomena, in addition to the physical interactions between bacteria and their fluid environment.

  9. Besifloxacin: a novel anti-infective for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timothy L Comstock

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Timothy L Comstock1, Paul M Karpecki2, Timothy W Morris3, Jin-Zhong Zhang41Global Medical Affairs, Pharmaceuticals, Bausch and Lomb, Inc., Rochester, NY, USA; 2Koffler Vision Group, Lexington, KY, USA; 3Research and Development Microbiology and Sterilization Sciences, Bausch and Lomb, Inc., Rochester, NY, USA; 4Global Preclinical Development, Bausch and Lomb, Inc., Rochester, NY, USAAbstract: Bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye, is demographically unbiased in its prevalence and can be caused by a variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Timely empiric treatment with a broad-spectrum anti-infective, such as a topical fluoroquinolone, is critical in preventing potentially irreversible ocular damage. However, the rise in ocular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates and the patterns of fluoroquinolone resistance for patients with other ocular bacterial infections mandate the need for new agents targeted for ocular use. Besifloxacin, a novel broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone, is approved for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. It has a uniquely balanced dual-targeting activity that inhibits both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV and is associated with a lower incidence of resistance development. Besifloxacin is not marketed in other formulations, ensuring that its exposure is limited to bacterial populations in and around the eye. This specifically precludes any bacterial exposure to besifloxacin resulting from systemic use, which further reduces the likelihood of emergence of bacterial resistance. In vitro, besifloxacin has demonstrated equivalent or superior activity compared with other commonly used topical antibiotics. In clinical trials, besifloxacin has consistently demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with bacterial conjunctivitis. Besifloxacin is considered safe and is well tolerated with no observed contraindications.Keywords: conjunctivitis, fluoroquinolones, besifloxacin

  10. Bacterial meningitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roos, Karen L.; van de Beek, Diederik

    2010-01-01

    Bacterial meningitis is a neurological emergency. Empiric antimicrobial and adjunctive therapy should be initiated as soon as a single set of blood cultures has been obtained. Clinical signs suggestive of bacterial meningitis include fever, headache, meningismus, vomiting, photophobia, and an

  11. Beginning SharePoint 2010 Building Business Solutions with SharePoint

    CERN Document Server

    Perran, Amanda; Mason, Jennifer; Rogers, Laura

    2010-01-01

    Two SharePoint MVPs provide the ultimate introduction to SharePoint 2010Beginning SharePoint 2010: Building Team Solutions with SharePoint provides information workers and site managers with extensive knowledge and expert advice, empowering them to become SharePoint champions within their organizations.Provides expansive coverage of SharePoint topics, as well as specialty areas such as forms, excel services, records management, and web content managementDetails realistic usage scenarios, and includes practice examples that highlight best practices for configuration and customizationIncludes de

  12. Information sharing for consumption tax purposes : An empirical analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ligthart, Jenny E.

    The paper studies the determinants of information sharing between Swedish tax authorities and 14 EU tax authorities for value-added tax (VAT) purposes. It is shown that trade-related variables (such as the partner country's net trade position and population size), reciprocity, and legal arrangements

  13. Hydrogeochemistry and coal-associated bacterial populations from a methanogenic coal bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnhart, Elliott P.; Weeks, Edwin P.; Jones, Elizabeth J.P.; Ritter, Daniel J.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Clark, Arthur C.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Cunningham, Alfred B.; Vinson, David S.; Orem, William H.; Fields, Matthew W.

    2016-01-01

    Biogenic coalbed methane (CBM), a microbially-generated source of natural gas trapped within coal beds, is an important energy resource in many countries. Specific bacterial populations and enzymes involved in coal degradation, the potential rate-limiting step of CBM formation, are relatively unknown. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established a field site, (Birney test site), in an undeveloped area of the Powder River Basin (PRB), with four wells completed in the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, one in the overlying sandstone formation, and four in overlying and underlying coal beds (Knoblach, Nance, and Terret). The nine wells were positioned to characterize the hydraulic conductivity of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed and were selectively cored to investigate the hydrogeochemistry and microbiology associated with CBM production at the Birney test site. Aquifer-test results indicated the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, in a zone from about 112 to 120 m below land surface at the test site, had very low hydraulic conductivity (0.005 m/d) compared to other PRB coal beds examined. Consistent with microbial methanogenesis, groundwater in the coal bed and overlying sandstone contain dissolved methane (46 mg/L average) with low δ13C values (−67‰ average), high alkalinity values (22 meq/kg average), relatively positive δ13C-DIC values (4‰ average), and no detectable higher chain hydrocarbons, NO3−, or SO42−. Bioassay methane production was greatest at the upper interface of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed near the overlying sandstone. Pyrotag analysis identified Aeribacillus as a dominant in situbacterial community member in the coal near the sandstone and statistical analysis indicated Actinobacteria predominated coal core samples compared to claystone or sandstone cores. These bacteria, which previously have been correlated with hydrocarbon-containing environments such as oil reservoirs, have demonstrated the ability to produce biosurfactants to break down

  14. Highly heterogeneous bacterial communities associated with the South China Sea reef corals Porites lutea, Galaxea fascicularis and Acropora millepora.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Li

    Full Text Available Coral harbor diverse and specific bacteria play significant roles in coral holobiont function. Bacteria associated with three of the common and phylogenetically divergent reef-building corals in the South China Sea, Porites lutea, Galaxea fascicularis and Acropora millepora, were investigated using 454 barcoded-pyrosequencing. Three colonies of each species were sampled, and 16S rRNA gene libraries were constructed individually. Analysis of pyrosequencing libraries showed that bacterial communities associated with the three coral species were more diverse than previous estimates based on corals from the Caribbean Sea, Indo-Pacific reefs and the Red Sea. Three candidate phyla, including BRC1, OD1 and SR1, were found for the first time in corals. Bacterial communities were separated into three groups: P. lutea and G. fascicular, A. millepora and seawater. P. lutea and G. fascicular displayed more similar bacterial communities, and bacterial communities associated with A. millepora differed from the other two coral species. The three coral species shared only 22 OTUs, which were distributed in Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and an unclassified bacterial group. The composition of bacterial communities within each colony of each coral species also showed variation. The relatively small common and large specific bacterial communities in these corals implies that bacterial associations may be structured by multiple factors at different scales and that corals may associate with microbes in terms of similar function, rather than identical species.

  15. Teilen, Sharing 1 und Sharing 2: die Sharing Economy im Licht theoretischer Zugänge

    OpenAIRE

    Haase, Michaela; Pick, Doreén

    2016-01-01

    Der Artikel geht theoretischen Zugängen zum Sharing-Begriff nach. Er erläutert den Beitrag, aber auch die Grenzen von Dienstleistungstheorie und Property-Rights-Theorie für das Verständnis der Sharing Economy. Gründe für die Unterscheidung zwischen kommerzieller und nichtkommerzieller Sharing Economy werden dargelegt sowie mögliche Impulse der Sharing Economy für Änderungen im Verständnis wirtschaftlichen Handels und seiner Organisationsformen erörtert. This article elaborates on theoretic...

  16. Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Anita Yn; Tan, Chuen Seng; Low, Bernadette Pl; Lau, Tang Ching; Tan, Tze Lee; Goh, Lee Gan; Teng, Gim Gee

    2015-01-01

    Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, "right siting" aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits. Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow. About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients) and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care. Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care. Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

  17. Nonlinear Stochastic Modelling of Antimicrobial resistance in Bacterial Populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Philipsen, Kirsten Riber

    -mutator population. The growth rates of the two populations were initially compared by a maximum likelihood approach and the growth rates were found to be equal. Thereafter a model for the competing growth was developed. The models showthat mutatorswill obtain a higher fitness by adapting faster to an environment...... an important role for the evolution of resistance. When growing under stressed conditions, such as in the presence of antibiotics, mutators are considered to have an advantages in comparison to non-mutators. This has been supported by a mathematical model for competing growth between a mutator and a non...

  18. Effect of catchment land use and soil type on the concentration, quality, and bacterial degradation of riverine dissolved organic matter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Autio, Iida; Soinne, Helena; Helin, Janne

    2016-01-01

    We studied the effects of catchment characteristics (soil type and land use) on the concentration and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in river water and on the bacterial degradation of terrestrial DOM. The share of organic soil was the strongest predictor of high concentrations...... of dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (DOC, DON, and DOP, respectively), and was linked to DOM quality. Soil type was more important than land use in determining the concentration and quality of riverine DOM. On average, 5–9 % of the DOC and 45 % of the DON were degraded by the bacterial...

  19. Generation of acid mine drainage around the Karaerik copper mine (Espiye, Giresun, NE Turkey): implications from the bacterial population in the Acısu effluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sağlam, Emine Selva; Akçay, Miğraç; Çolak, Dilşat Nigar; İnan Bektaş, Kadriye; Beldüz, Ali Osman

    2016-09-01

    The Karaerik Cu mine is a worked-out deposit with large volumes of tailings and slags which were left around the mine site without any protection. Natural feeding of these material and run-off water from the mineralised zones into the Acısu effluent causes a serious environmental degradation and creation of acid mine drainage (AMD) along its entire length. This research aims at modelling the formation of AMD with a specific attempt on the characterisation of the bacterial population in association with AMD and their role on its occurrence. Based on 16SrRNA analyses of the clones obtained from a composite water sample, the bacterial community was determined to consist of Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Ferrovum myxofaciens, Leptospirillum ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans as iron-oxidising bacteria, Acidocella facilis, Acidocella aluminiidurans, Acidiphilium cryptum and Acidiphilium multivorum as iron-reducing bacteria, and Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidiphilium cryptum as sulphur-oxidising bacteria. This association of bacteria with varying roles was interpreted as evidence of a concomitant occurrence of sulphur and iron cycles during the generation of AMD along the Acısu effluent draining the Karaerik mine.

  20. Bacterial and archaeal diversity in two hot spring microbial mats from the geothermal region of Tengchong, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagaling, Eulyn; Grant, William D; Cowan, Don A; Jones, Brian E; Ma, Yanhe; Ventosa, Antonio; Heaphy, Shaun

    2012-07-01

    We investigated the bacterial and archaeal diversity in two hot spring microbial mats from the geothermal region of Tengchong in the Yunnan Province, China, using direct molecular analyses. The Langpu (LP) laminated mat was found by the side of a boiling pool with temperature of 60-65 °C and a pH of 8.5, while the Tengchong (TC) streamer mat consisted of white streamers in a slightly acidic (pH 6.5) hot pool outflow with a temperature of 72 °C. Four 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were constructed and restriction enzyme analysis of the inserts was used to identify unique sequences and clone frequencies. From almost 200 clones screened, 55 unique sequences were retrieved. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the LP mat consisted of a diverse bacterial population [Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Chlorobia, Nitrospirae, 'Deinococcus-Thermus', Proteobacteria (alpha, beta and delta subdivisions), Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria], while the archaeal population was dominated by methanogenic Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. In contrast, the TC streamer mat consisted of a bacterial population dominated by Aquificae, while the archaeal population also contained Korarchaeota as well as Crenarchaeota and methanogenic Euryarchaeota. These mats harboured clone sequences affiliated to unidentified lineages, suggesting that they are a potential source for discovering novel bacteria and archaea.

  1. Environmental factors shaping cultured free-living amoebae and their associated bacterial community within drinking water network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delafont, Vincent; Bouchon, Didier; Héchard, Yann; Moulin, Laurent

    2016-09-01

    Free-living amoebae (FLA) constitute an important part of eukaryotic populations colonising drinking water networks. However, little is known about the factors influencing their ecology in such environments. Because of their status as reservoir of potentially pathogenic bacteria, understanding environmental factors impacting FLA populations and their associated bacterial community is crucial. Through sampling of a large drinking water network, the diversity of cultivable FLA and their bacterial community were investigated by an amplicon sequencing approach, and their correlation with physicochemical parameters was studied. While FLA ubiquitously colonised the water network all year long, significant changes in population composition were observed. These changes were partially explained by several environmental parameters, namely water origin, temperature, pH and chlorine concentration. The characterisation of FLA associated bacterial community reflected a diverse but rather stable consortium composed of nearly 1400 OTUs. The definition of a core community highlighted the predominance of only few genera, majorly dominated by Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas. Co-occurrence analysis also showed significant patterns of FLA-bacteria association, and allowed uncovering potentially new FLA - bacteria interactions. From our knowledge, this study is the first that combines a large sampling scheme with high-throughput identification of FLA together with associated bacteria, along with their influencing environmental parameters. Our results demonstrate the importance of physicochemical parameters in the ecology of FLA and their bacterial community in water networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Cuticles of European and American lobsters harbor diverse bacterial species and differ in disease susceptibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitten, Miranda M A; Davies, Charlotte E; Kim, Anita; Tlusty, Michael; Wootton, Emma C; Chistoserdov, Andrei; Rowley, Andrew F

    2014-06-01

    Diseases of lobster shells have a significant impact on fishing industries but the risk of disease transmission between different lobster species has yet to be properly investigated. This study compared bacterial biofilm communities from American (Homarus americanus) and European lobsters (H. gammarus), to assess both healthy cuticle and diseased cuticle during lesion formation. Culture-independent molecular techniques revealed diversity in the bacterial communities of cuticle biofilms both within and between the two lobster species, and identified three bacterial genera associated with shell lesions plus two putative beneficial bacterial species (detected exclusively in healthy cuticle or healing damaged cuticle). In an experimental aquarium shared between American and European lobsters, heterospecific transmission of potentially pathogenic bacteria appeared to be very limited; however, the claws of European lobsters were more likely to develop lesions when reared in the presence of American lobsters. Aquarium biofilms were also examined but revealed no candidate pathogens for environmental transmission. Aquimarina sp. 'homaria' (a potential pathogen associated with a severe epizootic form of shell disease) was detected at a much higher prevalence among American than European lobsters, but its presence correlated more with exacerbation of existing lesions rather than with lesion initiation. © 2014 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Exploring lot-to-lot variation in spoilage bacterial communities on commercial modified atmosphere packaged beef.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Säde, Elina; Penttinen, Katri; Björkroth, Johanna; Hultman, Jenni

    2017-04-01

    Understanding the factors influencing meat bacterial communities is important as these communities are largely responsible for meat spoilage. The composition and structure of a bacterial community on a high-O 2 modified-atmosphere packaged beef product were examined after packaging, on the use-by date and two days after, to determine whether the communities at each stage were similar to those in samples taken from different production lots. Furthermore, we examined whether the taxa associated with product spoilage were distributed across production lots. Results from 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing showed that while the early samples harbored distinct bacterial communities, after 8-12 days storage at 6 °C the communities were similar to those in samples from different lots, comprising mainly of common meat spoilage bacteria Carnobacterium spp., Brochothrix spp., Leuconostoc spp. and Lactococcus spp. Interestingly, abundant operational taxonomic units associated with product spoilage were shared between the production lots, suggesting that the bacteria enable to spoil the product were constant contaminants in the production chain. A characteristic succession pattern and the distribution of common spoilage bacteria between lots suggest that both the packaging type and the initial community structure influenced the development of the spoilage bacterial community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Shared leadership

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulhøi, John Parm; Müller, Sabine

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this paper is twofold. First, this paper comprehensively will review the conceptual and empirical literature to identify such critical underlying mechanisms which enable shared or collective leadership. Second, this article identifies the antecedents and outcomes of shared leadership...... according to the literature review to develop a re-conceptualised and synthesized framework for managing the organizational issues associated with shared leadership on various organizational levels. The paper rectifies this by identifying the critical factors and mechanisms which enable shared leadership...... and its antecedents and outcomes, and to develop a re-conceptualized and synthesized framework of shared leadership. The paper closes with a brief discussion of avenues for future research and implications for managers....

  5. The science of sharing and the sharing of science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milkman, Katherine L; Berger, Jonah

    2014-09-16

    Why do members of the public share some scientific findings and not others? What can scientists do to increase the chances that their findings will be shared widely among nonscientists? To address these questions, we integrate past research on the psychological drivers of interpersonal communication with a study examining the sharing of hundreds of recent scientific discoveries. Our findings offer insights into (i) how attributes of a discovery and the way it is described impact sharing, (ii) who generates discoveries that are likely to be shared, and (iii) which types of people are most likely to share scientific discoveries. The results described here, combined with a review of recent research on interpersonal communication, suggest how scientists can frame their work to increase its dissemination. They also provide insights about which audiences may be the best targets for the diffusion of scientific content.

  6. Punishment in the form of shared cost promotes altruism in the cooperative dilemma games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chunyan; Zhu, Yuying; Chen, Zengqiang; Zhang, Jianlei

    2017-05-07

    One phenomenon or social institution often observed in multi-agent interactions is the altruistic punishment, i.e. the punishment of unfair behavior by others at a personal cost. Inspired by the works focusing on punishment and the intricate mechanism behind it, we theoretically study the strategy evolution in the framework of two-strategy game models with the punishment on defectors, moreover, the cost of punishing will be evenly shared among the cooperators. Theoretical computations suggest that larger punishment on defectors or smaller punishment cost incurred by cooperators will enhance the fixation of altruistic cooperation in the population. Through the replicate dynamics, the group size of the randomly selected individuals from the sufficiently large population will notably affect the strategy evolution in populations nested within a dilemma. By theoretical modeling the concept of shared cost for punishment from one point of view, our findings underscore the importance of punishment with shared cost as a factor in real-life decisions in an evolutionary game context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A Population Biology Perspective on the Stepwise Infection Process of the Bacterial Pathogen Pasteuria ramosa in Daphnia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebert, Dieter; Duneau, David; Hall, Matthew D; Luijckx, Pepijn; Andras, Jason P; Du Pasquier, Louis; Ben-Ami, Frida

    2016-01-01

    The infection process of many diseases can be divided into series of steps, each one required to successfully complete the parasite's life and transmission cycle. This approach often reveals that the complex phenomenon of infection is composed of a series of more simple mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that a population biology approach, which takes into consideration the natural genetic and environmental variation at each step, can greatly aid our understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping disease traits. We focus in this review on the biology of the bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa and its aquatic crustacean host Daphnia, a model system for the evolutionary ecology of infectious disease. Our analysis reveals tremendous differences in the degree to which the environment, host genetics, parasite genetics and their interactions contribute to the expression of disease traits at each of seven different steps. This allows us to predict which steps may respond most readily to selection and which steps are evolutionarily constrained by an absence of variation. We show that the ability of Pasteuria to attach to the host's cuticle (attachment step) stands out as being strongly influenced by the interaction of host and parasite genotypes, but not by environmental factors, making it the prime candidate for coevolutionary interactions. Furthermore, the stepwise approach helps us understanding the evolution of resistance, virulence and host ranges. The population biological approach introduced here is a versatile tool that can be easily transferred to other systems of infectious disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Substrate Type and Free Ammonia Determine Bacterial Community Structure in Full-Scale Mesophilic Anaerobic Digesters Treating Cattle or Swine Manure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiabao; Rui, Junpeng; Yao, Minjie; Zhang, Shiheng; Yan, Xuefeng; Wang, Yuanpeng; Yan, Zhiying; Li, Xiangzhen

    2015-01-01

    The microbial-mediated anaerobic digestion (AD) process represents an efficient biological process for the treatment of organic waste along with biogas harvest. Currently, the key factors structuring bacterial communities and the potential core and unique bacterial populations in manure anaerobic digesters are not completely elucidated yet. In this study, we collected sludge samples from 20 full-scale anaerobic digesters treating cattle or swine manure, and investigated the variations of bacterial community compositions using high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Clustering and correlation analysis suggested that substrate type and free ammonia (FA) play key roles in determining the bacterial community structure. The COD: [Formula: see text] (C:N) ratio of substrate and FA were the most important available operational parameters correlating to the bacterial communities in cattle and swine manure digesters, respectively. The bacterial populations in all of the digesters were dominated by phylum Firmicutes, followed by Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Increased FA content selected Firmicutes, suggesting that they probably play more important roles under high FA content. Syntrophic metabolism by Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Synergistetes and Planctomycetes are likely inhibited when FA content is high. Despite the different manure substrates, operational conditions and geographical locations of digesters, core bacterial communities were identified. The core communities were best characterized by phylum Firmicutes, wherein Clostridium predominated overwhelmingly. Substrate-unique and abundant communities may reflect the properties of manure substrate and operational conditions. These findings extend our current understanding of the bacterial assembly in full-scale manure anaerobic digesters.

  9. Share Conversion, Pseudorandom Secret-Sharing and Applications to Secure Computation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J.F. Cramer (Ronald); I.B. Damgård (Ivan); Y. Ishai

    2005-01-01

    htmlabstractWe present a method for converting shares of a secret into shares of the same secret in a different secret-sharing scheme using only local computation and no communication between players. In particular, shares in a replicated scheme based on a CNF representation of the access structure

  10. Sharing City

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This magazine offers an insight into the growing commercial innovation, civic movements, and political narratives surrounding sharing economy services, solutions and organisational types. It presents a cross-section of the manifold sharing economy services and solutions that can be found in Denmark....... Moreover, 15 thought leading experts - professionals and academic - have been invited to give their perspective on sharing economy for cities. This magazine touches upon aspects of the sharing economy as mobility, communities, sustainability, business development, mobility, and urban-rural relation....

  11. Assessing the evidence for shared genetic risks across psychiatric disorders and traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Joanna; Taylor, Mark J; Lichtenstein, Paul

    2017-12-04

    Genetic influences play a significant role in risk for psychiatric disorders, prompting numerous endeavors to further understand their underlying genetic architecture. In this paper, we summarize and review evidence from traditional twin studies and more recent genome-wide molecular genetic analyses regarding two important issues that have proven particularly informative for psychiatric genetic research. First, emerging results are beginning to suggest that genetic risk factors for some (but not all) clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders or extreme manifestations of psychiatric traits in the population share genetic risks with quantitative variation in milder traits of the same disorder throughout the general population. Second, there is now evidence for substantial sharing of genetic risks across different psychiatric disorders. This extends to the level of characteristic traits throughout the population, with which some clinical disorders also share genetic risks. In this review, we summarize and evaluate the evidence for these two issues, for a range of psychiatric disorders. We then critically appraise putative interpretations regarding the potential meaning of genetic correlation across psychiatric phenotypes. We highlight several new methods and studies which are already using these insights into the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders to gain additional understanding regarding the underlying biology of these disorders. We conclude by outlining opportunities for future research in this area.

  12. High temperature and bacteriophages can indirectly select for bacterial pathogenicity in environmental reservoirs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ville-Petri Friman

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The coincidental evolution hypothesis predicts that traits connected to bacterial pathogenicity could be indirectly selected outside the host as a correlated response to abiotic environmental conditions or different biotic species interactions. To investigate this, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen, Serratia marcescens, was cultured in the absence and presence of the lytic bacteriophage PPV (Podoviridae at 25°C and 37°C for four weeks (N = 5. At the end, we measured changes in bacterial phage-resistance and potential virulence traits, and determined the pathogenicity of all bacterial selection lines in the Parasemia plantaginis insect model in vivo. Selection at 37°C increased bacterial motility and pathogenicity but only in the absence of phages. Exposure to phages increased the phage-resistance of bacteria, and this was costly in terms of decreased maximum population size in the absence of phages. However, this small-magnitude growth cost was not greater with bacteria that had evolved in high temperature regime, and no trade-off was found between phage-resistance and growth rate. As a result, phages constrained the evolution of a temperature-mediated increase in bacterial pathogenicity presumably by preferably infecting the highly motile and virulent bacteria. In more general perspective, our results suggest that the traits connected to bacterial pathogenicity could be indirectly selected as a correlated response by abiotic and biotic factors in environmental reservoirs.

  13. Microsatellite analysis in two populations of Kunming mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shang, Haitao; Wei, Hong; Yue, Bingfei

    2009-01-01

    populations are unclear. Fifteen microsatellite markers were screened by a fluorescence-based semi-automated genotyping method for the two main populations of Kunming mice from Beijing (BJ) and Shanghai (SH) in China. The observed number of alleles, effective number of alleles, observed heterozygosity......Kunming mice are the most widely used outbred colony in China. Differences in biological characters and drug reactions among different populations have been observed when using Kunming mice. But the molecular genetic profiles of Kunming mice and the extent of genetic differentiation among...... that there is abundant genetic variation in the populations of Kunming mice. Population differentiation was shown by shared alleles, F-statistics, Nei genetic distance and Nei genetic identity. In population BJ and population SH, respectively, only 35 of 61 and 35 of 63 alleles were shared by both. The Fst per locus...

  14. Interspecific bacterial interactions are reflected in multispecies biofilm spatial organization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Wenzheng; Røder, Henriette Lyng; Madsen, Jonas Stenløkke

    2016-01-01

    not only the enabling sub-populations. However, the specific molecular mechanisms of cellular processes affecting spatial organization, and vice versa, are poorly understood and very complex to unravel. Therefore, detailed description of the spatial organization of individual bacterial cells...... environments. Species residing in these complex bacterial communities usually interact both intra- and interspecifically. Such interactions are considered to not only be fundamental in shaping overall biomass and the spatial distribution of cells residing in multispecies biofilms, but also to result......, industrial, and clinical implications. This review briefly presents the state of the art of studying interspecies interactions and spatial organization of multispecies communities, aiming to support theoretical and practical arguments for further advancement of this field....

  15. A multiplex real-time PCR assay for routine diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kusters, J. G.; Reuland, E. A.; Bouter, S.; Koenig, P.; Dorigo-Zetsma, J. W.

    2015-01-01

    A semi-quantitative multiplex PCR assay for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) was evaluated in a prospective study in a population of Dutch women with complaints of abnormal vaginal discharge. The PCR targets Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Megasphaera phylotype 1, Lactobacillus

  16. Plumage bacterial assemblages in a breeding wild passerine: relationships with ecological factors and body condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saag, Pauli; Tilgar, Vallo; Mänd, Raivo; Kilgas, Priit; Mägi, Marko

    2011-05-01

    Microorganisms have been shown to play an important role in shaping the life histories of animals, and it has recently been suggested that feather-degrading bacteria influence the trade-off between parental effort and self-preening behavior in birds. We studied a wild breeding population of great tits (Parus major) to explore habitat-, seasonal-, and sex-related variation in feather-degrading and free-living bacteria inhabiting the birds' yellow ventral feathers and to investigate associations with body condition. The density and species richness of bacterial assemblages was studied using flow cytometry and ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. The density of studied bacteria declined between the nest-building period and the first brood. The number of bacterial phylotypes per bird was higher in coniferous habitat, while bacterial densities were higher in deciduous habitat. Free-living bacterial density was positively correlated with female mass; conversely, there was a negative correlation between attached bacterial density and female mass during the period of peak reproductive effort. Bacterial species richness was sex dependent, with more diverse bacterial assemblages present on males than females. Thus, this study revealed that bacterial assemblages on the feathers of breeding birds are affected both by life history and ecological factors and are related to body condition.

  17. The science of sharing and the sharing of science

    OpenAIRE

    Milkman, Katherine L.; Berger, Jonah

    2014-01-01

    Why do members of the public share some scientific findings and not others? What can scientists do to increase the chances that their findings will be shared widely among nonscientists? To address these questions, we integrate past research on the psychological drivers of interpersonal communication with a study examining the sharing of hundreds of recent scientific discoveries. Our findings offer insights into (i) how attributes of a discovery and the way it is described impact sharing, (ii)...

  18. Host imprints on bacterial genomes--rapid, divergent evolution in individual patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslaw Zdziarski

    Full Text Available Bacteria lose or gain genetic material and through selection, new variants become fixed in the population. Here we provide the first, genome-wide example of a single bacterial strain's evolution in different deliberately colonized patients and the surprising insight that hosts appear to personalize their microflora. By first obtaining the complete genome sequence of the prototype asymptomatic bacteriuria strain E. coli 83972 and then resequencing its descendants after therapeutic bladder colonization of different patients, we identified 34 mutations, which affected metabolic and virulence-related genes. Further transcriptome and proteome analysis proved that these genome changes altered bacterial gene expression resulting in unique adaptation patterns in each patient. Our results provide evidence that, in addition to stochastic events, adaptive bacterial evolution is driven by individual host environments. Ongoing loss of gene function supports the hypothesis that evolution towards commensalism rather than virulence is favored during asymptomatic bladder colonization.

  19. Dynamics of indigenous bacterial communities associated with crude oil degradation in soil microcosms during nutrient-enhanced bioremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chikere, Chioma B; Surridge, Karen; Okpokwasili, Gideon C; Cloete, Thomas E

    2012-03-01

    Bacterial population dynamics were examined during bioremediation of an African soil contaminated with Arabian light crude oil and nutrient enrichment (biostimulation). Polymerase chain reaction followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were used to generate bacterial community fingerprints of the different treatments employing the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene as molecular marker. The DGGE patterns of the nutrient-amended soils indicated the presence of distinguishable bands corresponding to the oil-contaminated-nutrient-enriched soils, which were not present in the oil-contaminated and pristine control soils. Further characterization of the dominant DGGE bands after excision, reamplification and sequencing revealed that Corynebacterium spp., Dietzia spp., Rhodococcus erythropolis sp., Nocardioides sp., Low G+C (guanine plus cytosine) Gram positive bacterial clones and several uncultured bacterial clones were the dominant bacterial groups after biostimulation. Prominent Corynebacterium sp. IC10 sequence was detected across all nutrient-amended soils but not in oil-contaminated control soil. Total heterotrophic and hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial counts increased significantly in the nutrient-amended soils 2 weeks post contamination whereas oil-contaminated and pristine control soils remained fairly stable throughout the experimental period. Gas chromatographic analysis of residual hydrocarbons in biostimulated soils showed marked attenuation of contaminants starting from the second to the sixth week after contamination whereas no significant reduction in hydrocarbon peaks were seen in the oil-contaminated control soil throughout the 6-week experimental period. Results obtained indicated that nutrient amendment of oil-contaminated soil selected and enriched the bacterial communities mainly of the Actinobacteria phylogenetic group capable of surviving in toxic contamination with concomitant biodegradation of the hydrocarbons. The

  20. Modeling physiological resistance in bacterial biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogan, N G; Cortez, Ricardo; Fauci, Lisa

    2005-07-01

    A mathematical model of the action of antimicrobial agents on bacterial biofilms is presented. The model includes the fluid dynamics in and around the biofilm, advective and diffusive transport of two chemical constituents and the mechanism of physiological resistance. Although the mathematical model applies in three dimensions, we present two-dimensional simulations for arbitrary biofilm domains and various dosing strategies. The model allows the prediction of the spatial evolution of bacterial population and chemical constituents as well as different dosing strategies based on the fluid motion. We find that the interaction between the nutrient and the antimicrobial agent can reproduce survival curves which are comparable to other model predictions as well as experimental results. The model predicts that exposing the biofilm to low concentration doses of antimicrobial agent for longer time is more effective than short time dosing with high antimicrobial agent concentration. The effects of flow reversal and the roughness of the fluid/biofilm are also investigated. We find that reversing the flow increases the effectiveness of dosing. In addition, we show that overall survival decreases with increasing surface roughness.

  1. Selective labelling and eradication of antibiotic-tolerant bacterial populations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chua, Song Lin; Yam, Joey Kuok Hoong; Hao, Piliang

    2016-01-01

    Drug resistance and tolerance greatly diminish the therapeutic potential of antibiotics against pathogens. Antibiotic tolerance by bacterial biofilms often leads to persistent infections, but its mechanisms are unclear. Here we use a proteomics approach, pulsed stable isotope labelling with amino...... acids (pulsed-SILAC), to quantify newly expressed proteins in colistin-tolerant subpopulations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (colistin is a 'last-resort' antibiotic against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens). Migration is essential for the formation of colistin-tolerant biofilm...

  2. Homozygosity and risk of childhood death due to invasive bacterial disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Williams Thomas N

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic heterozygosity is increasingly being shown to be a key predictor of fitness in natural populations, both through inbreeding depression, inbred individuals having low heterozygosity, and also through chance linkage between a marker and a gene under balancing selection. One important component of fitness that is often highlighted is resistance to parasites and other pathogens. However, the significance of equivalent loci in human populations remains unclear. Consequently, we performed a case-control study of fatal invasive bacterial disease in Kenyan children using a genome-wide screen with microsatellite markers. Methods 148 cases, comprising children aged Results At five markers homozygosity was strongly associated with mortality (odds ratio range 4.7 – 12.2 with evidence of interactions between some markers. Mortality was associated with different non-overlapping marker groups in Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial disease. Homozygosity at susceptibility markers was common (prevalence 19–49% and, with the large effect sizes, this suggests that bacterial disease mortality may be strongly genetically determined. Conclusion Balanced polymorphisms appear to be more widespread in humans than previously appreciated and play a critical role in modulating susceptibility to infectious disease. The effect sizes we report, coupled with the stochasticity of exposure to pathogens suggests that infection and mortality are far from random due to a strong genetic basis.

  3. Effects of heavy metals and soil physicochemical properties on wetland soil microbial biomass and bacterial community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chang; Nie, Shuang; Liang, Jie; Zeng, Guangming; Wu, Haipeng; Hua, Shanshan; Liu, Jiayu; Yuan, Yujie; Xiao, Haibing; Deng, Linjing; Xiang, Hongyu

    2016-07-01

    Heavy metals (HMs) contamination is a serious environmental issue in wetland soil. Understanding the micro ecological characteristic of HMs polluted wetland soil has become a public concern. The goal of this study was to identify the effects of HMs and soil physicochemical properties on soil microorganisms and prioritize some parameters that contributed significantly to soil microbial biomass (SMB) and bacterial community structure. Bacterial community structure was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Relationships between soil environment and microorganisms were analyzed by correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA). The result indicated relationship between SMB and HMs was weaker than SMB and physicochemical properties. The RDA showed all eight parameters explained 74.9% of the variation in the bacterial DGGE profiles. 43.4% (contain the variation shared by Cr, Cd, Pb and Cu) of the variation for bacteria was explained by the four kinds of HMs, demonstrating HMs contamination had a significant influence on the changes of bacterial community structure. Cr solely explained 19.4% (pstructure, and Cd explained 17.5% (pstructure changes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Spatial and vertical distribution of bacterial community in the northern South China Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Fu-Lin; Wang, You-Shao; Wu, Mei-Lin; Sun, Cui-Ci; Cheng, Hao

    2015-10-01

    Microbial communities are highly diverse in coastal oceans and response rapidly with changing environments. Learning about this will help us understand the ecology of microbial populations in marine ecosystems. This study aimed to assess the spatial and vertical distributions of the bacterial community in the northern South China Sea. Multi-dimensional scaling analyses revealed structural differences of the bacterial community among sampling sites and vertical depth. Result also indicated that bacterial community in most sites had higher diversity in 0-75 m depths than those in 100-200 m depths. Bacterial community of samples was positively correlation with salinity and depth, whereas was negatively correlation with temperature. Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were the dominant groups, which accounted for the majority of sequences. The α-Proteobacteria was highly diverse, and sequences belonged to Rhodobacterales bacteria were dominant in all characterized sequences. The current data indicate that the Rhodobacterales bacteria, especially Roseobacter clade are the diverse group in the tropical waters.

  5. Shared decision making

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000877.htm Shared decision making To use the sharing features on this page, ... treatment you both support. When to use Shared Decision Making Shared decision making is often used when you ...

  6. Bacterial anoxygenic photosynthesis on plant leaf surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atamna-Ismaeel, Nof; Finkel, Omri; Glaser, Fabian; von Mering, Christian; Vorholt, Julia A; Koblížek, Michal; Belkin, Shimshon; Béjà, Oded

    2012-04-01

    The aerial surface of plants, the phyllosphere, is colonized by numerous bacteria displaying diverse metabolic properties that enable their survival in this specific habitat. Recently, we reported on the presence of microbial rhodopsin harbouring bacteria on the top of leaf surfaces. Here, we report on the presence of additional bacterial populations capable of harvesting light as a means of supplementing their metabolic requirements. An analysis of six phyllosphere metagenomes revealed the presence of a diverse community of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, including the previously reported methylobacteria, as well as other known and unknown phototrophs. The presence of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria was also confirmed in situ by infrared epifluorescence microscopy. The microscopic enumeration correlated with estimates based on metagenomic analyses, confirming both the presence and high abundance of these microorganisms in the phyllosphere. Our data suggest that the phyllosphere contains a phylogenetically diverse assemblage of phototrophic species, including some yet undescribed bacterial clades that appear to be phyllosphere-unique. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  7. Sharing data is a shared responsibility: Commentary on: "The essential nature of sharing in science".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giffels, Joe

    2010-12-01

    Research data should be made readily available. A robust data-sharing plan, led by the principal investigator of the research project, requires considerable administrative and operational resources. Because external support for data sharing is minimal, principal investigators should consider engaging existing institutional information experts, such as librarians and information systems personnel, to participate in data-sharing efforts.

  8. Bacterial communities in batch and continuous-flow wetlands treating the herbicide S-metolachlor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elsayed, O.F. [Laboratory of Hydrology and Geochemistry of Strasbourg (LHyGeS), UMR 7517 University of Strasbourg/ENGEES/CNRS (France); Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie (GMGM), UMR 7156 University of Strasbourg/CNRS (France); Maillard, E. [Laboratory of Hydrology and Geochemistry of Strasbourg (LHyGeS), UMR 7517 University of Strasbourg/ENGEES/CNRS (France); Vuilleumier, S. [Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie (GMGM), UMR 7156 University of Strasbourg/CNRS (France); Imfeld, G., E-mail: imfeld@unistra.fr [Laboratory of Hydrology and Geochemistry of Strasbourg (LHyGeS), UMR 7517 University of Strasbourg/ENGEES/CNRS (France)

    2014-11-15

    Knowledge of wetland bacterial communities in the context of pesticide contamination and hydrological regime is scarce. We investigated the bacterial composition in constructed wetlands receiving Mercantor Gold{sup ®} contaminated water (960 g L{sup −1} of the herbicide S-metolachlor, > 80% of the S-enantiomer) operated under continuous-flow or batch modes to evaluate the impact of the hydraulic regime. In the continuous-flow wetland, S-metolachlor mass removal was > 40%, whereas in the batch wetland, almost complete removal of S-metolachlor (93–97%) was observed. Detection of ethanesulfonic and oxanilic acid degradation products further indicated S-metolachlor biodegradation in the two wetlands. The dominant bacterial populations were characterised by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and 454 pyrosequencing. The bacterial profiles evolved during the first 35 days of the experiment, starting from a composition similar to that of inlet water, with the use of nitrate and to a lesser extent sulphate and manganese as terminal electron acceptors for microbial metabolism. Proteobacteria were the most abundant phylum, with Beta-, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria representing 26%, 19% and 17% respectively of total bacterial abundance. Bacterial composition in wetland water changed gradually over time in continuous-flow wetland and more abruptly in the batch wetland. Differences in overall bacterial water structure in the two systems were modest but significant (p = 0.008), and S-metolachlor, nitrate, and total inorganic carbon concentrations correlated with changes in the bacterial profiles. Together, the results highlight that bacterial composition profiles and their dynamics may be used as bioindicators of herbicide exposure and hydraulic disturbances in wetland systems. - Highlights: • We evaluated the bacterial composition in wetlands treating S-metolachlor • Hydraulic regime impacted biogeochemical processes and S-metolachlor removal

  9. Bacterial communities in batch and continuous-flow wetlands treating the herbicide S-metolachlor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elsayed, O.F.; Maillard, E.; Vuilleumier, S.; Imfeld, G.

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge of wetland bacterial communities in the context of pesticide contamination and hydrological regime is scarce. We investigated the bacterial composition in constructed wetlands receiving Mercantor Gold ® contaminated water (960 g L −1 of the herbicide S-metolachlor, > 80% of the S-enantiomer) operated under continuous-flow or batch modes to evaluate the impact of the hydraulic regime. In the continuous-flow wetland, S-metolachlor mass removal was > 40%, whereas in the batch wetland, almost complete removal of S-metolachlor (93–97%) was observed. Detection of ethanesulfonic and oxanilic acid degradation products further indicated S-metolachlor biodegradation in the two wetlands. The dominant bacterial populations were characterised by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and 454 pyrosequencing. The bacterial profiles evolved during the first 35 days of the experiment, starting from a composition similar to that of inlet water, with the use of nitrate and to a lesser extent sulphate and manganese as terminal electron acceptors for microbial metabolism. Proteobacteria were the most abundant phylum, with Beta-, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria representing 26%, 19% and 17% respectively of total bacterial abundance. Bacterial composition in wetland water changed gradually over time in continuous-flow wetland and more abruptly in the batch wetland. Differences in overall bacterial water structure in the two systems were modest but significant (p = 0.008), and S-metolachlor, nitrate, and total inorganic carbon concentrations correlated with changes in the bacterial profiles. Together, the results highlight that bacterial composition profiles and their dynamics may be used as bioindicators of herbicide exposure and hydraulic disturbances in wetland systems. - Highlights: • We evaluated the bacterial composition in wetlands treating S-metolachlor • Hydraulic regime impacted biogeochemical processes and S-metolachlor removal

  10. Bacterial Standing Stock, Activity, and Carbon Production during Formation and Growth of Sea Ice in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossmann, S; Dieckmann, G S

    1994-08-01

    Bacterial response to formation and growth of sea ice was investigated during autumn in the northeastern Weddell Sea. Changes in standing stock, activity, and carbon production of bacteria were determined in successive stages of ice development. During initial ice formation, concentrations of bacterial cells, in the order of 1 x 10 to 3 x 10 liter, were not enhanced within the ice matrix. This suggests that physical enrichment of bacteria by ice crystals is not effective. Due to low concentrations of phytoplankton in the water column during freezing, incorporation of bacteria into newly formed ice via attachment to algal cells or aggregates was not recorded in this study. As soon as the ice had formed, the general metabolic activity of bacterial populations was strongly suppressed. Furthermore, the ratio of [H]leucine incorporation into proteins to [H]thymidine incorporation into DNA changed during ice growth. In thick pack ice, bacterial activity recovered and growth rates up to 0.6 day indicated actively dividing populations. However, biomass-specific utilization of organic compounds remained lower than in open water. Bacterial concentrations of up to 2.8 x 10 cells liter along with considerably enlarged cell volumes accumulated within thick pack ice, suggesting reduced mortality rates of bacteria within the small brine pores. In the course of ice development, bacterial carbon production increased from about 0.01 to 0.4 mug of C liter h. In thick ice, bacterial secondary production exceeded primary production of microalgae.

  11. Bacterial lung abscess

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groskin, S.A.; Panicek, D.M.; Ewing, D.K.; Rivera, F.; Math, K.; Teixeira, J.; Heitzman, E.R.

    1987-01-01

    A retrospective review of patients with bacterial lung abscess was carried out. Demographic, clinical, and radiographical features of this patient group are compared with similar data from patients with empyema and/or cavitated lung carcinoma; differential diagnostic points are stressed. The entity of radiographically occult lung abscess is discussed. Complications associated with bacterial lung abscess are discussed. Current therapeutic options and treatment philosophy for patients with bacterial lung abscess are noted

  12. Statistics of Shared Components in Complex Component Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzolini, Andrea; Gherardi, Marco; Caselle, Michele; Cosentino Lagomarsino, Marco; Osella, Matteo

    2018-04-01

    Many complex systems are modular. Such systems can be represented as "component systems," i.e., sets of elementary components, such as LEGO bricks in LEGO sets. The bricks found in a LEGO set reflect a target architecture, which can be built following a set-specific list of instructions. In other component systems, instead, the underlying functional design and constraints are not obvious a priori, and their detection is often a challenge of both scientific and practical importance, requiring a clear understanding of component statistics. Importantly, some quantitative invariants appear to be common to many component systems, most notably a common broad distribution of component abundances, which often resembles the well-known Zipf's law. Such "laws" affect in a general and nontrivial way the component statistics, potentially hindering the identification of system-specific functional constraints or generative processes. Here, we specifically focus on the statistics of shared components, i.e., the distribution of the number of components shared by different system realizations, such as the common bricks found in different LEGO sets. To account for the effects of component heterogeneity, we consider a simple null model, which builds system realizations by random draws from a universe of possible components. Under general assumptions on abundance heterogeneity, we provide analytical estimates of component occurrence, which quantify exhaustively the statistics of shared components. Surprisingly, this simple null model can positively explain important features of empirical component-occurrence distributions obtained from large-scale data on bacterial genomes, LEGO sets, and book chapters. Specific architectural features and functional constraints can be detected from occurrence patterns as deviations from these null predictions, as we show for the illustrative case of the "core" genome in bacteria.

  13. Bacterial growth on macrophyte leachate and fate of bacterial production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Findlay, S.; Carlough, L.; Crocker, M.T.; Gill, H.K.; Meyer, J.L.; Smith, P.J.

    1986-01-01

    The role bacteria play in transferring organic carbon to other trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems depends on the efficiency with which they convert dissolved organic [ 14 C]-labelled carbon into bacterial biomass and on the ability of consumers to graze bacteria. The authors have measured the conversion efficiency for bacteria growing on macrophyte-derived dissolved organic carbon and estimated the amount of bacterial production removed by grazing. Bacteria converted this DOC into new tissue with an efficiency of 53%, substantially higher than the apparent conversion efficiency of macrophyte-derived particulate organic carbon or other types of DOC. Two estimates of grazing indicate that the decline in bacterial numbers after the bloom was probably due to grazing by flagellates. These results show the significance of the bacterial link between DOC and other trophic levels

  14. Clonal structure in Ichthyobacterium seriolicida, the causative agent of bacterial haemolytic jaundice in yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, inferred from molecular epidemiological analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuyama, T; Fukuda, Y; Sakai, T; Tanimoto, N; Nakanishi, M; Nakamura, Y; Takano, T; Nakayasu, C

    2017-08-01

    Bacterial haemolytic jaundice caused by Ichthyobacterium seriolicida has been responsible for mortality in farmed yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, in western Japan since the 1980s. In this study, polymorphic analysis of I. seriolicida was performed using three molecular methods: amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Twenty-eight isolates were analysed using AFLP, while 31 isolates were examined by MLST and MLVA. No polymorphisms were identified by AFLP analysis using EcoRI and MseI, or by MLST of internal fragments of eight housekeeping genes. However, MLVA revealed variation in repeat numbers of three elements, allowing separation of the isolates into 16 sequence types. The unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages cluster analysis of the MLVA data identified four major clusters, and all isolates belonged to clonal complexes. It is likely that I. seriolicida populations share a common ancestor, which may be a recently introduced strain. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Effects of triclosan on bacterial community composition and Vibrio populations in natural seawater microcosms

    OpenAIRE

    Lydon, Keri Ann; Glinski, Donna A.; Westrich, Jason R.; Henderson, W. Matthew; Lipp, Erin K.

    2017-01-01

    Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including antimicrobials, can be found at trace levels in treated wastewater effluent. Impacts of chemical contaminants on coastal aquatic microbial community structure and pathogen abundance are unknown despite the potential for selection through antimicrobial resistance. In particular, 'Vibrio', a marine bacterial genus that includes several human pathogens, displays resistance to the ubiquitous antimicrobial compound triclosan. Here we demonstrat...

  16. Bacterial Community Dynamics in Dichloromethane-Contaminated Groundwater Undergoing Natural Attenuation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin Wright

    2017-11-01

    ranges, indicating niche-specific responses of these autochthonous populations. Altogether, our findings suggest that monitored natural attenuation is an appropriate remediation strategy for DCM contamination, and that high-throughput sequencing technologies are a robust method for assessing the potential role of biodegrading bacterial assemblages in the apparent reduction of DCM concentrations in environmental scenarios.

  17. Sexually transmitted infections, bacterial vaginosis, and candidiasis in women of reproductive age in rural Northeast Brazil: a population-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabíola Araújo Oliveira

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Population-based data on sexually transmitted infections (STI, bacterial vaginosis (BV, and candidiasis reflect the epidemiological situation more accurately than studies performed in specific populations, but such data are scarce. To determine the prevalence of STI, BV, and candidiasis among women of reproductive age from a resource-poor community in Northeast Brazil, a population-based cross sectional study was undertaken. All women from seven hamlets and the centre of Pacoti municipality in the state of Ceará, aged 12 to 49 years, were invited to participate. The women were asked about socio-demographic characteristics and genital symptoms, and thereafter examined gynaecologically. Laboratory testing included polymerase chain reaction (PCR for human papillomavirus (HPV, ligase chain reaction (LCR for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, ELISA for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL and fluorescent treponema antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS for syphilis, and analysis of wet mounts, gram stains and Pap smears for trichomoniasis, candidiasis, and BV. Only women who had initiated sexual life were included in the analysis (n = 592. The prevalences of STI were: HPV 11.7% (95% confidence interval: 9.3-14.7, chlamydia 4.5% (3.0-6.6, trichomoniasis 4.1% (2.7-6.1, gonorrhoea 1.2% (0.5-2.6, syphilis 0.2% (0.0-1.1, and HIV 0%. The prevalence of BV and candidiasis was 20% (16.9-23.6 and 12.5% (10.0-15.5, respectively. The most common gynaecological complaint was lower abdominal pain. STI are common in women in rural Brazil and represent an important health threat in view of the HIV pandemic.

  18. Potential Environmental Factors Affecting Oil-Degrading Bacterial Populations in Deep and Surface Waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiqing; Bacosa, Hernando P; Liu, Zhanfei

    2016-01-01

    Understanding bacterial community dynamics as a result of an oil spill is important for predicting the fate of oil released to the environment and developing bioremediation strategies in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of temperature, water chemistry (nutrients), and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders through a series of incubation experiments. Surface (2 m) and bottom (1537 m) waters, collected near the Deepwater Horizon site, were amended with 200 ppm light Louisiana sweet crude oil and bacterial inoculums from surface or bottom water, and incubated at 4 or 24°C for 50 days. Bacterial community and residual oil were analyzed by pyrosequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The results showed that temperature played a key role in selecting oil-degrading bacteria. Incubation at 4°C favored the development of Cycloclasticus, Pseudoalteromonas , Sulfitobacter , and Reinekea , while 24°C incubations enhanced Oleibacter, Thalassobius, Phaeobacter, and Roseobacter. Water chemistry and the initial community also had potential roles in the development of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities. Pseudoalteromonas , Oleibacter , and Winogradskyella developed well in the nutrient-enriched bottom water, while Reinekea and Thalassobius were favored by low-nutrient surface water. We revealed that the combination of 4°C, crude oil and bottom inoculum was a key factor for the growth of Cycloclasticus , while the combination of surface inoculum and bottom water chemistry was important for the growth of Pseudoalteromonas . Moreover, regardless of the source of inoculum, bottom water at 24°C was a favorable condition for Oleibacter. Redundancy analysis further showed that temperature and initial community explained 57 and 19% of the variation observed, while oil and water chemistry contributed 14 and 10%, respectively. Overall, this study revealed the relative roles of temperature, water

  19. Anti-bacterial activity of Achatina CRP and its mechanism of action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Sandip; Barman, Soma; Mandal, Narayan Chandra; Bhattacharya, Shelley

    2014-07-01

    The physiological role of C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute-phase protein, is not well documented, despite many reports on biological effects of CRP in vitro and in model systems in vivo. It has been suggested that CRP protects mice against lethal toxicity of bacterial infections by implementing immunological responses. In Achatina fulica CRP is a constitutive multifunctional protein in haemolymph and considered responsible for their survival in the environment for millions of years. The efficacy of Achatina CRP (ACRP) was tested against both Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis infections in mice where endogenous CRP level is negligible even after inflammatory stimulus. Further, growth curves of the bacteria revealed that ACRP (50 microg/mL) is bacteriostatic against gram negative salmonellae and bactericidal against gram positive bacilli. ACRP induced energy crises in bacterial cells, inhibited key carbohydrate metabolic enzymes such as phosphofructokinase in glycolysis, isocitrate dehydrogenase in TCA cycle, isocitrate lyase in glyoxylate cycle and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in gluconeogenesis. ACRP disturbed the homeostasis of cellular redox potential as well as reduced glutathione status, which is accompanied by an enhanced rate of lipid peroxidation. Annexin V-Cy3/CFDA dual staining clearly showed ACRP induced apoptosis-like death in bacterial cell population. Moreover, immunoblot analyses also indicated apoptosis-like death in ACRP treated bacterial cells, where activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP) and caspase-3 was noteworthy. It is concluded that metabolic impairment by ACRP in bacterial cells is primarily due to generation of reactive oxygen species and ACRP induced anti-bacterial effect is mediated by metabolic impairment leading to apoptosis-like death in bacterial cells.

  20. Shaping bacterial population behavior through computer-interfaced control of individual cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chait, Remy; Ruess, Jakob; Bergmiller, Tobias; Tkačik, Gašper; Guet, Călin C

    2017-11-16

    Bacteria in groups vary individually, and interact with other bacteria and the environment to produce population-level patterns of gene expression. Investigating such behavior in detail requires measuring and controlling populations at the single-cell level alongside precisely specified interactions and environmental characteristics. Here we present an automated, programmable platform that combines image-based gene expression and growth measurements with on-line optogenetic expression control for hundreds of individual Escherichia coli cells over days, in a dynamically adjustable environment. This integrated platform broadly enables experiments that bridge individual and population behaviors. We demonstrate: (i) population structuring by independent closed-loop control of gene expression in many individual cells, (ii) cell-cell variation control during antibiotic perturbation, (iii) hybrid bio-digital circuits in single cells, and freely specifiable digital communication between individual bacteria. These examples showcase the potential for real-time integration of theoretical models with measurement and control of many individual cells to investigate and engineer microbial population behavior.

  1. An investigation into the practices of resource sharing among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the practice of resource sharing among Academic Libraries in Federal Universities in the South-South Geo-Political zone of Nigeria. The survey research design was employed for the study. The population for the study consists of the federal universities in the zone, except the Federal University of ...

  2. A Pattern to Evaluation of Motivational Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elnaz Hajian

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to identify the motivational factors affecting the willingness of employees to share knowledge and examine intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and influences on attitudes toward knowledge sharing and explicit and implicit knowledge sharing intention. Planned behavior pattern is used as a theoretical framework. This research was conducted in two phases. First, factors were identified according to the literature review and exploratory interviews. Then the impact of each factor was evaluated in terms of structural equation modeling. This is an empirical research and the research method is descriptive survey. Data was collected using a questionnaire and interview. The study was on the staff working in administrative units of Tehran Municipality and the number of staff at the time of study was 2230. Cluster sampling method and sample size based on population and using Cochran formula of 328 people determined that 35 persons were not held accountable. To determine the reliability of questionnaires, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated to 0.824 which was found at a high level. Data was analyzed by SPSS and LISREL software. Finally, the proposed pattern was confirmed. The results showed that the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors influence on the attitude of employees and the attitude influence on tacit and explicit knowledge sharing intention. Also, extrinsic motivational factors influence on tacit knowledge sharing intention and intrinsic motivational factors influence on explicit knowledge sharing intention. Extrinsic motivational factors influence on explicit knowledge sharing intention and intrinsic motivational factors influence on tacit knowledge sharing intention by the attitude and tacit knowledge sharing intention influence on explicit knowledge sharing intention.

  3. Range expansion of heterogeneous populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiter, Matthias; Rulands, Steffen; Frey, Erwin

    2014-04-11

    Risk spreading in bacterial populations is generally regarded as a strategy to maximize survival. Here, we study its role during range expansion of a genetically diverse population where growth and motility are two alternative traits. We find that during the initial expansion phase fast-growing cells do have a selective advantage. By contrast, asymptotically, generalists balancing motility and reproduction are evolutionarily most successful. These findings are rationalized by a set of coupled Fisher equations complemented by stochastic simulations.

  4. Sharing electronic health records: the patient view

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Powell

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available The introduction of a national electronic health record system to the National Health Service (NHS has raised concerns about issues of data accuracy, security and confidentiality. The primary aim of this project was to identify the extent to which primary care patients will allow their local electronic record data to be shared on a national database. The secondary aim was to identify the extent of inaccuracies in the existing primary care records, which will be used to populate the new national Spine. Fifty consecutive attenders to one general practitioner were given a paper printout of their full primary care electronic health record. Participants were asked to highlight information which they would not want to be shared on the national electronic database of records, and information which they considered to be incorrect. There was a 62% response rate (31/50. Five of the 31 patients (16% identified information that they would not want to be shared on the national record system. The items they identified related almost entirely to matters of pregnancy, contraception, sexual health and mental health. Ten respondents (32% identified incorrect information in their records (some of these turned out to be correct on further investigation. The findings in relation to data sharing fit with the commonly held assumption that matters related to sensitive or embarrassing issues, which may affect how the patient will be treated by other individuals or institutions, are most likely to be censored by patients. Previous work on this has tended to ask hypothetical questions concerning data sharing rather than examine a real situation. A larger study of representative samples of patients in both primary and secondary care settings is needed to further investigate issues of data sharing and consent.

  5. Temporal Dynamics of Bacterial and Fungal Colonization on Plastic Debris in the North Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Tender, Caroline; Devriese, Lisa I; Haegeman, Annelies; Maes, Sara; Vangeyte, Jürgen; Cattrijsse, André; Dawyndt, Peter; Ruttink, Tom

    2017-07-05

    Despite growing evidence that biofilm formation on plastic debris in the marine environment may be essential for its biodegradation, the underlying processes have yet to be fully understood. Thus, far, bacterial biofilm formation had only been studied after short-term exposure or on floating plastic, yet a prominent share of plastic litter accumulates on the seafloor. In this study, we explored the taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal communities on polyethylene plastic sheets and dolly ropes during long-term exposure on the seafloor, both at a harbor and an offshore location in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We reconstructed the sequence of events during biofilm formation on plastic in the harbor environment and identified a core bacteriome and subsets of bacterial indicator species for early, intermediate, and late stages of biofilm formation. Additionally, by implementing ITS2 metabarcoding on plastic debris, we identified and characterized for the first time fungal genera on plastic debris. Surprisingly, none of the plastics exposed to offshore conditions displayed the typical signature of a late stage biofilm, suggesting that biofilm formation is severely hampered in the natural environment where most plastic debris accumulates.

  6. Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita YN Lim

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, “right siting” aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits. Methods: Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow. Results: About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care. Discussion: Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care. Conclusions: Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

  7. Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita YN Lim

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, “right siting” aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits.Methods: Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow.Results: About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care.Discussion: Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care.Conclusions: Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

  8. Analysis and exploitation of bacterial population from natural uranium-rich soils: selection of a model specie

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondani, L.

    2010-01-01

    It is well known that soils play a key role in controlling the mobility of toxic metals and this property is greatly influenced by indigenous bacterial communities. This study has been conducted on radioactive and controls soils, collected in natural uraniferous areas (Limousin). A physico-chemical and mineralogical analysis of soils samples was carried out.The structure of bacterial communities was estimated by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). The community structure is remarkably more stable in the uranium-rich soils than in the control ones, indicating that uranium exerts a high selection from the soils was constructed and screened for uranium resistance in order to study bacteria-uranium interactions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that a phylo-genetically diverse set of uranium-resistant species ware able to chelate uranium at the cell surface. (author) [fr

  9. Shifts in soil bacterial community after eight years of land-use change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suleiman, Afnan Khalil Ahmad; Manoeli, Lupatini; Boldo, Juliano Tomazzoni; Pereira, Marcos G; Roesch, Luiz Fernando Wurdig

    2013-03-01

    The interaction between plants, soil and microorganisms is considered to be the major driver of ecosystem functions and any modification of plant cover and/or soil properties might affect the microbial structure, which, in turn, will influence ecological processes. Assuming that soil properties are the major drivers of soil bacterial diversity and structure within the same soil type, it can be postulated whether plant cover causes significant shifts in soil bacterial community composition. To address this question, this study used 16S rRNA pyrosequencing to detect differences in diversity, composition and/or relative abundance of bacterial taxa from an area covered by pristine forest, as well as eight-year-old grassland surrounded by the same forest. It was shown that a total of 69% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were shared between environments. Overall, forest and grassland samples presented the same diversity and the clustering analysis did not show the occurrence of very distinctive bacterial communities between environments. However, 11 OTUs were detected in statistically significant higher abundance in the forest samples but in lower abundance in the grassland samples, whereas 12 OTUs occurred in statistically significant higher abundance in the grassland samples but in lower abundance in the forest samples. The results suggested the prevalence of a resilient core microbial community that did not suffer any change related to land use, soil type or edaphic conditions. The results illustrated that the history of land use might influence present-day community structure. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of streptomycin treatment on bacterial community structure in the apple phyllosphere.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika Yashiro

    Full Text Available We studied the effect of many years of streptomycin use in apple orchards on the proportion of phyllosphere bacteria resistant to streptomycin and bacterial community structure. Leaf samples were collected during early July through early September from four orchards that had been sprayed with streptomycin during spring of most years for at least 10 years and four orchards that had not been sprayed. The percentage of cultured phyllosphere bacteria resistant to streptomycin at non-sprayed orchards (mean of 65% was greater than at sprayed orchards (mean of 50% (P = 0.0271. For each orchard, a 16S rRNA gene clone library was constructed from leaf samples. Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities at all orchards, accounting for 71 of 104 OTUs (determined at 97% sequence similarity and 93% of all sequences. The genera Massilia, Methylobacterium, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Sphingomonas were shared across all sites. Shannon and Simpson's diversity indices and Pielou's evenness index were similar among orchards regardless of streptomycin use. Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM indicated that long-term streptomycin treatment did not account for the observed variability in community structure among orchards (R = -0.104, P = 0.655. Other variables, including time of summer, temperature and time at sampling, and relative distance of the orchards from each other, also had no significant effect on bacterial community structure. We conclude that factors other than streptomycin exposure drive both the proportion of streptomycin-resistant bacteria and phylogenetic makeup of bacterial communities in the apple phyllosphere in middle to late summer.

  11. Bacterial infections and hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis-prophylaxis and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piotrowski, Damian; Boroń-Kaczmarska, Anna

    2017-09-01

    Infections are common among patients with liver cirrhosis. They occur more often in cirrhotic patient groups than in the general population and result in higher mortality. One reason for this phenomenon is bacterial translocation from the intestinal lumen that occurs as a consequence of intestinal bacterial overgrowth, increased permeability and decreased motility. The most common infections in cirrhotic patients are spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and urinary tract infections, followed by pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth is also responsible for hyperammonemia, which leads to hepatic encephalopathy. All of these complications make this group of patients at high risk for mortality. The role of antibiotics in liver cirrhosis is to treat and in some cases to prevent the development of infectious complications. Based on our current knowledge, antibiotic prophylaxis should be administered to patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, low ascitic fluid protein concentration combined with liver or renal failure, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis as a secondary prophylaxis, as well as after hepatic encephalopathy episodes (also as a secondary prophylaxis). In some cases, the use of non-antibiotic prophylaxis can also be considered. Current knowledge of the treatment of infections allows the choice of a preferred antibiotic for empiric therapy depending on the infection location and whether the source of the disease is nosocomial or community-acquired. Copyright © 2017 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Bacterial surface adaptation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Utada, Andrew

    2014-03-01

    Biofilms are structured multi-cellular communities that are fundamental to the biology and ecology of bacteria. Parasitic bacterial biofilms can cause lethal infections and biofouling, but commensal bacterial biofilms, such as those found in the gut, can break down otherwise indigestible plant polysaccharides and allow us to enjoy vegetables. The first step in biofilm formation, adaptation to life on a surface, requires a working knowledge of low Reynolds number fluid physics, and the coordination of biochemical signaling, polysaccharide production, and molecular motility motors. These crucial early stages of biofilm formation are at present poorly understood. By adapting methods from soft matter physics, we dissect bacterial social behavior at the single cell level for several prototypical bacterial species, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio cholerae.

  13. Plaque bacterial microbiome diversity in children younger than 30 months with or without caries prior to eruption of second primary molars.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    He Xu

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Our primary objective is to phylogenetically characterize the supragingival plaque bacterial microbiome of children prior to eruption of second primary molars by pyrosequencing method for studying etiology of early childhood caries. METHODS: Supragingival plaque samples were collected from 10 caries children and 9 caries-free children. Plaque DNA was extracted, used to generate DNA amplicons of the V1-V3 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and subjected to 454-pyrosequencing. RESULTS: On average, over 22,000 sequences per sample were generated. High bacterial diversity was noted in the plaque of children with caries [170 operational taxonomical units (OTU at 3% divergence] and caries-free children (201 OTU at 3% divergence with no significant difference. A total of 8 phyla, 15 classes, 21 orders, 30 families, 41 genera and 99 species were represented. In addition, five predominant phyla (Firmicute, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria and seven genera (Leptotrichia, Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Neisseria, and Veillonella constituted a majority of contents of the total microbiota, independent of the presence or absence of caries. Principal Component Analysis (PCA presented that caries-related genera included Streptococcus and Veillonella; while Leptotrichia, Selenomonas, Fusobacterium, Capnocytophaga and Porphyromonas were more related to the caries-free samples. Neisseria and Prevotella presented approximately in between. In both groups, the degree of shared organism lineages (as defined by species-level OTUs among individual supragingival plaque microbiomes was minimal. CONCLUSION: Our study represented for the first time using pyrosequencing to elucidate and monitor supragingival plaque bacterial diversity at such young age with second primary molar unerrupted. Distinctions were revealed between caries and caries-free microbiomes in terms of microbial community

  14. Mass Cytometry for Detection of Silver at the Bacterial Single Cell Level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuting Guo

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mass cytometry (Cytometry by Time of Flight, CyTOF allows single-cell characterization on the basis of specific metal-based cell markers. In addition, other metals in the mass range such as silver can be detected per cell. Bacteria are known to be sensible to silver and a protocol was developed to measure both the number of affected cells per population and the quantities of silver per cell.Methods: For mass cytometry ruthenium red was used as a marker for all cells of a population while parallel application of cisplatin discriminated live from dead cells. Silver quantities per cell and frequencies of silver containing cells in a population were measured by mass cytometry. In addition, live/dead subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry and distinguished by cell sorting based on ruthenium red and propidium iodide double staining. Verification of the cells’ silver load was performed on the bulk level by using ICP-MS in combination with cell sorting. The protocol was developed by conveying both, fast and non-growing Pseudomonas putida cells as test organisms.Results: A workflow for labeling bacteria in order to be analyzed by mass cytometry was developed. Three different parameters were tested: ruthenium red provided counts for all bacterial cells in a population while consecutively applied cisplatin marked the frequency of dead cells. Apparent population heterogeneity was detected by different frequencies of silver containing cells. Silver quantities per cell were also well measurable. Generally, AgNP-10 treatment caused higher frequencies of dead cells, higher frequencies of silver containing cells and higher per-cell silver quantities. Due to an assumed chemical equilibrium of free and bound silver ions live and dead cells were associated with silver in equal quantities and this preferably during exponential growth. With ICP-MS up to 1.5 fg silver per bacterial cell were detected.Conclusion: An effective mass cytometry

  15. HydroShare: A Platform for Collaborative Data and Model Sharing in Hydrology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarboton, D. G.; Idaszak, R.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Ames, D. P.; Goodall, J. L.; Couch, A.; Hooper, R. P.; Dash, P. K.; Stealey, M.; Yi, H.; Bandaragoda, C.; Castronova, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    HydroShare is an online, collaboration system for sharing of hydrologic data, analytical tools, and models. It supports the sharing of and collaboration around "resources" which are defined by standardized content types for data formats and models commonly used in hydrology. With HydroShare you can: Share your data and models with colleagues; Manage who has access to the content that you share; Share, access, visualize and manipulate a broad set of hydrologic data types and models; Use the web services application programming interface (API) to program automated and client access; Publish data and models and obtain a citable digital object identifier (DOI); Aggregate your resources into collections; Discover and access data and models published by others; Use web apps to visualize, analyze and run models on data in HydroShare. This presentation will describe the functionality and architecture of HydroShare highlighting its use as a virtual environment supporting education and research. HydroShare has components that support: (1) resource storage, (2) resource exploration, and (3) web apps for actions on resources. The HydroShare data discovery, sharing and publishing functions as well as HydroShare web apps provide the capability to analyze data and execute models completely in the cloud (servers remote from the user) overcoming desktop platform limitations. The HydroShare GIS app provides a basic capability to visualize spatial data. The HydroShare JupyterHub Notebook app provides flexible and documentable execution of Python code snippets for analysis and modeling in a way that results can be shared among HydroShare users and groups to support research collaboration and education. We will discuss how these developments can be used to support different types of educational efforts in Hydrology where being completely web based is of value in an educational setting as students can all have access to the same functionality regardless of their computer.

  16. Substrate type and free ammonia determine bacterial community structure in full-scale mesophilic anaerobic digesters treating cattle or swine manure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiabao eLi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The microbial-mediated anaerobic digestion (AD process represents an efficient biological process for the treatment of organic waste along with biogas harvest. Currently, the key factors structuring bacterial communities and the potential core and unique bacterial populations in manure anaerobic digesters are not completely elucidated yet. In this study, we collected sludge samples from 20 full-scale anaerobic digesters treating cattle or swine manure, and investigated the variations of bacterial community compositions using high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Clustering and correlation analysis suggested that substrate type and free ammonia (FA play key roles in determining the bacterial community structure. The COD: NH4+-N (C:N ratio of substrate and FA were the most important available operational parameters correlating to the bacterial communities in cattle and swine manure digesters, respectively. The bacterial populations in all of the digesters were dominated by phylum Firmicutes, followed by Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Increased FA content selected Firmicutes, suggesting that they probably play more important roles under high FA content. Syntrophic metabolism by Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Synergistetes and Planctomycetes are likely inhibited when FA content is high. Despite the different manure substrates, operational conditions and geographical locations of digesters, core bacterial communities were identified. The core communities were best characterized by phylum Firmicutes, wherein Clostridium predominated overwhelmingly. Substrate-unique and abundant communities may reflect the properties of manure substrate and operational conditions. These findings extend our current understanding of the bacterial assembly in full-scale manure anaerobic digesters.

  17. Spatial and Species Variations in Bacterial Communities Associated with Corals from the Red Sea as Revealed by Pyrosequencing

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, O. O.

    2012-08-03

    Microbial associations with corals are common and are most likely symbiotic, although their diversity and relationships with environmental factors and host species remain unclear. In this study, we adopted a 16S rRNA gene tag-pyrosequencing technique to investigate the bacterial communities associated with three stony Scleractinea and two soft Octocorallia corals from three locations in the Red Sea. Our results revealed highly diverse bacterial communities in the Red Sea corals, with more than 600 ribotypes detected and up to 1,000 species estimated from a single coral species. Altogether, 21 bacterial phyla were recovered from the corals, of which Gammaproteobacteria was the most dominant group, and Chloroflexi, Chlamydiae, and the candidate phylum WS3 were reported in corals for the first time. The associated bacterial communities varied greatly with location, where environmental conditions differed significantly. Corals from disturbed areas appeared to share more similar bacterial communities, but larger variations in community structures were observed between different coral species from pristine waters. Ordination methods identified salinity and depth as the most influential parameters affecting the abundance of Vibrio, Pseudoalteromonas, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, and Achromobacter in the corals. On the other hand, bacteria such as Chloracidobacterium and Endozoicomonas were more sensitive to the coral species, suggesting that the host species type may be influential in the associated bacterial community, as well. The combined influences of the coral host and environmental factors on the associated microbial communities are discussed. This study represents the first comparative study using tag-pyrosequencing technology to investigate the bacterial communities in Red Sea corals.

  18. Metagenomic Analysis of Airborne Bacterial Community and Diversity in Seoul, Korea, during December 2014, Asian Dust Event.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Seho; Srinivasan, Sathiyaraj; Jang, Jun Hyeong; Lee, Dongwook; Lim, Sora; Kim, Kyung Sang; Jheong, Weonhwa; Lee, Dong-Won; Park, Eung-Roh; Chung, Hyun-Mi; Choe, Joonho; Kim, Myung Kyum; Seo, Taegun

    2017-01-01

    Asian dust or yellow sand events in East Asia are a major issue of environmental contamination and human health, causing increasing concern. A high amount of dust particles, especially called as particulate matter 10 (PM10), is transported by the wind from the arid and semi-arid tracks to the Korean peninsula, bringing a bacterial population that alters the terrestrial and atmospheric microbial communities. In this study, we aimed to explore the bacterial populations of Asian dust samples collected during November-December 2014. The dust samples were collected using the impinger method, and the hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified using PCR followed by pyrosequencing. Analysis of the sequencing data were performed using Mothur software. The data showed that the number of operational taxonomic units and diversity index during Asian dust events were higher than those during non-Asian dust events. At the phylum level, the proportions of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were different between Asian dust and non-Asian dust samples. At the genus level, the proportions of the genus Bacillus (6.9%), Arthrobacter (3.6%), Blastocatella (2%), Planomicrobium (1.4%) were increased during Asian dust compared to those in non-Asian dust samples. This study showed that the significant relationship between bacterial populations of Asian dust samples and non-Asian dust samples in Korea, which could significantly affect the microbial population in the environment.

  19. The evolution of extreme cooperation via shared dysphoric experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehouse, Harvey; Jong, Jonathan; Buhrmester, Michael D; Gómez, Ángel; Bastian, Brock; Kavanagh, Christopher M; Newson, Martha; Matthews, Miriam; Lanman, Jonathan A; McKay, Ryan; Gavrilets, Sergey

    2017-03-14

    Willingness to lay down one's life for a group of non-kin, well documented historically and ethnographically, represents an evolutionary puzzle. Building on research in social psychology, we develop a mathematical model showing how conditioning cooperation on previous shared experience can allow individually costly pro-group behavior to evolve. The model generates a series of predictions that we then test empirically in a range of special sample populations (including military veterans, college fraternity/sorority members, football fans, martial arts practitioners, and twins). Our empirical results show that sharing painful experiences produces "identity fusion" - a visceral sense of oneness - which in turn can motivate self-sacrifice, including willingness to fight and die for the group. Practically, our account of how shared dysphoric experiences produce identity fusion helps us better understand such pressing social issues as suicide terrorism, holy wars, sectarian violence, gang-related violence, and other forms of intergroup conflict.

  20. Archaeal and bacterial diversity in two hot spring microbial mats from a geothermal region in Romania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coman, Cristian; Drugă, Bogdan; Hegedus, Adriana; Sicora, Cosmin; Dragoş, Nicolae

    2013-05-01

    The diversity of archaea and bacteria was investigated in two slightly alkaline, mesophilic hot springs from the Western Plain of Romania. Phylogenetic analysis showed a low diversity of Archaea, only three Euryarchaeota taxa being detected: Methanomethylovorans thermophila, Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis and Methanococcus aeolicus. Twelve major bacterial groups were identified, both springs being dominated by Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. While at the phylum/class-level the microbial mats share a similar biodiversity; at the species level the geothermal springs investigated seem to be colonized by specific consortia. The dominant taxa were filamentous heterocyst-containing Fischerella, at 45 °C and non-heterocyst Leptolyngbya and Geitlerinema, at 55 °C. Other bacterial taxa (Thauera sp., Methyloversatilis universalis, Pannonibacter phragmitetus, Polymorphum gilvum, Metallibacterium sp. and Spartobacteria) were observed for the first time in association with a geothermal habitat. Based on their bacterial diversity the two mats were clustered together with other similar habitats from Europe and part of Asia, most likely the water temperature playing a major role in the formation of specific microbial communities that colonize the investigated thermal springs.

  1. Emergence of a New Population of Rathayibacter toxicus: An Ecologically Complex, Geographically Isolated Bacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arif, Mohammad; Busot, Grethel Y; Mann, Rachel; Rodoni, Brendan; Liu, Sanzhen; Stack, James P

    2016-01-01

    Rathayibacter toxicus is a gram-positive bacterium that infects the floral parts of several Poaceae species in Australia. Bacterial ooze is often produced on the surface of infected plants and bacterial galls are produced in place of seed. R. toxicus is a regulated plant pathogen in the U.S. yet reliable detection and diagnostic tools are lacking. To better understand this geographically-isolated plant pathogen, genetic variation as a function of geographic location, host species, and date of isolation was determined for isolates collected over a forty-year period. Discriminant analyses of recently collected and archived isolates using Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) identified three populations of R. toxicus; RT-I and RT-II from South Australia and RT-III from Western Australia. Population RT-I, detected in 2013 and 2014 from the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, is a newly emerged population of R. toxicus not previously reported. Commonly used housekeeping genes failed to discriminate among the R. toxicus isolates. However, strategically selected and genome-dispersed MLST genes representing an array of cellular functions from chromosome replication, antibiotic resistance and biosynthetic pathways to bacterial acquired immunity were discriminative. Genetic variation among isolates within the RT-I population was less than the within-population variation for the previously reported RT-II and RT-III populations. The lower relative genetic variation within the RT-I population and its absence from sampling over the past 40 years suggest its recent emergence. RT-I was the dominant population on the Yorke Peninsula during the 2013-2014 sampling period perhaps indicating a competitive advantage over the previously detected RT-II population. The potential for introduction of this bacterial plant pathogen into new geographic areas provide a rationale for understanding the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of R. toxicus.

  2. Emergence of a New Population of Rathayibacter toxicus: An Ecologically Complex, Geographically Isolated Bacterium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Arif

    Full Text Available Rathayibacter toxicus is a gram-positive bacterium that infects the floral parts of several Poaceae species in Australia. Bacterial ooze is often produced on the surface of infected plants and bacterial galls are produced in place of seed. R. toxicus is a regulated plant pathogen in the U.S. yet reliable detection and diagnostic tools are lacking. To better understand this geographically-isolated plant pathogen, genetic variation as a function of geographic location, host species, and date of isolation was determined for isolates collected over a forty-year period. Discriminant analyses of recently collected and archived isolates using Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR identified three populations of R. toxicus; RT-I and RT-II from South Australia and RT-III from Western Australia. Population RT-I, detected in 2013 and 2014 from the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, is a newly emerged population of R. toxicus not previously reported. Commonly used housekeeping genes failed to discriminate among the R. toxicus isolates. However, strategically selected and genome-dispersed MLST genes representing an array of cellular functions from chromosome replication, antibiotic resistance and biosynthetic pathways to bacterial acquired immunity were discriminative. Genetic variation among isolates within the RT-I population was less than the within-population variation for the previously reported RT-II and RT-III populations. The lower relative genetic variation within the RT-I population and its absence from sampling over the past 40 years suggest its recent emergence. RT-I was the dominant population on the Yorke Peninsula during the 2013-2014 sampling period perhaps indicating a competitive advantage over the previously detected RT-II population. The potential for introduction of this bacterial plant pathogen into new geographic areas provide a rationale for understanding the ecological and evolutionary

  3. Cutaneous Microbial Community Variation across Populations of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Obed Hernández-Gómez

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Multicellular hosts maintain complex associations with microbial communities. While microbial communities often serve important functional roles for their hosts, our understanding of the local and regional processes that structure these communities remains limited. Metacommunity analyses provide a promising tool for investigating mechanisms shaping microbiome heterogeneity, which is essential for predicting functional variation between hosts. Using a metacommunity framework, we examined heterogeneity in the skin microbiome of the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis. Hellbenders are broadly distributed throughout river systems in the eastern United States, but are present in specific environmental locations throughout their range. The large range of the species and history of population fragmentation suggest that local and regional processes contribute to the distribution of cutaneous symbiont diversity. Therefore, we characterized the skin and environmental bacterial communities at eight rivers throughout the range of the species. We observed variation among hellbender populations in skin microbial community diversity and proportion of shared operational taxonomic units (OTUs between animal and river water communities. Among populations sampled, we noted significant clumped OTU turnover (i.e., Clementsian structure resulting in unique cutaneous communities. In addition, we observed a significant positive correlation between skin community divergence and hellbender population genetic divergence. Host-population skin community dissimilarity did not correlate strongly with distance between sampling locations, indicating a weak spatial effect on the distribution of symbionts. These results suggest that species sorting mechanisms (i.e., local processes structure local skin microbial communities in hellbenders. The variation in skin community composition observed among host populations foreshadows a similar pattern in

  4. FastStats: Health of Mexican American Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Submit Button NCHS Home Health of Mexican American Population Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Data are ... Source: Summary Health Statistics Tables for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2015, Table P-1c [ ...

  5. Bacterial diversity and community structure in lettuce soil are shifted by cultivation time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yiqian; Chang, Qing; Guo, Xu; Yi, Xinxin

    2017-08-01

    Compared with cereal production, vegetable production usually requires a greater degree of management and larger input of nutrients and irrigation, but these systems are not sustainable in the long term. This study aimed to what extent lettuce determine the bacterial community composition in the soil, during lettuce cultivation, pesticides and fertilizers were not apply to soil. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0-20cm and 20-40cm. A highthroughput sequencing approach was employed to investigate bacterial communities in lettuce-cultivated soil samples in a time-dependent manner. The dominant bacteria in the lettuce soil samples were mainly Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Gemmatimo nadetes, Cyanobacteria. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in the 6 soil samples. The relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria decreased through time of lettuce cultivation, but the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes and Nitrospirae increased over time. In the 0-20cm depth group and the 20-40cm depth soil, a similar pattern was observed that the percentage number of only shared OTUs between the early and late stage was lower than that between the early and middle stage soil, the result showed that lettuce growth can affect structure of soil bacterial communities.

  6. Nonabsorbable Antibiotics Reduce Bacterial and Endotoxin Translocation in Hepatectomised Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. K. Kakkos

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that septic complications, occurring after major hepatectomies, may be caused by gram negative bacteria, translocating from the gut. We investigated in rats, the effect of extended hepatectomy on the structure and morphology of the intestinal mucosa as well as on the translocation of intestinal bacteria and endotoxins. We also examined the effect of nonabsorbable antibiotics on reducing the intestinal flora and consequently the phenomenon of translocation by administering neomycin sulphate and cefazoline. Hepatectomy was found to increase translocation, while administration of nonabsorbable antibiotics decreased it significantly. In addition, hepatectomy increased the aerobic cecal bacterial population, which normalised in the group receiving antibiotics. Among the histological parameters evaluated, villus height demonstrated a significant reduction after hepatectomy, while the number of villi per cm and the number of mitoses per crypt, remained unchanged. Our results indicate that administration of nonabsorbable antibiotics presents a positive effect on bacterial and endotoxin translocation after extended hepatectomy, and this may be related to reduction of colonic bacterial load as an intraluminal effect of antibiotics.

  7. To share or not to share : Parental, sibling, and situational influences on sharing with a younger sibling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Berkel, Sheila R.; Van Der Pol, Lotte D.; Groeneveld, Marleen G.; Hallers-Haalboom, Elizabeth T.; Endendijk, Joyce J.; Mesman, Judi; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.

    2015-01-01

    Sharing is an important indicator of internalised prosocial values. We examined predictors of sharing of 302 preschoolers with their younger siblings in a one-year longitudinal study. Sharing was observed during different home visits, once with father and once with mother. We examined the following

  8. To share or not to share, that is the question. Conditions for the willingness to share knowledge

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Andriessen, J.H.E.

    2006-01-01

    Sharing knowledge is an important aspect of most modern organisation. Ideas about how to stimulate knowledge sharing abound, but without much theorising. The objective of this article is to link basic motivation theories to empirical studies of knowledge sharing and its conditions. The paper starts

  9. Genetic Ancestry of Hadza and Sandawe Peoples Reveals Ancient Population Structure in Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shriner, Daniel; Tekola-Ayele, Fasil; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Rotimi, Charles N

    2018-03-01

    The Hadza and Sandawe populations in present-day Tanzania speak languages containing click sounds and therefore thought to be distantly related to southern African Khoisan languages. We analyzed genome-wide genotype data for individuals sampled from the Hadza and Sandawe populations in the context of a global data set of 3,528 individuals from 163 ethno-linguistic groups. We found that Hadza and Sandawe individuals share ancestry distinct from and most closely related to Omotic ancestry; share Khoisan ancestry with populations such as ≠Khomani, Karretjie, and Ju/'hoansi in southern Africa; share Niger-Congo ancestry with populations such as Yoruba from Nigeria and Luhya from Kenya, consistent with migration associated with the Bantu Expansion; and share Cushitic ancestry with Somali, multiple Ethiopian populations, the Maasai population in Kenya, and the Nama population in Namibia. We detected evidence for low levels of Arabian, Nilo-Saharan, and Pygmy ancestries in a minority of individuals. Our results indicate that west Eurasian ancestry in eastern Africa is more precisely the Arabian parent of Cushitic ancestry. Relative to the Out-of-Africa migrations, Hadza ancestry emerged early whereas Sandawe ancestry emerged late.

  10. Image Sharing Technologies and Reduction of Imaging Utilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vest, Joshua R.; Jung, Hye-Young; Ostrovsky, Aaron; Das, Lala Tanmoy; McGinty, Geraldine B.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Image sharing technologies may reduce unneeded imaging by improving provider access to imaging information. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to summarize the impact of image sharing technologies on patient imaging utilization. Methods Quantitative evaluations of the effects of PACS, regional image exchange networks, interoperable electronic heath records, tools for importing physical media, and health information exchange systems on utilization were identified through a systematic review of the published and gray English-language literature (2004–2014). Outcomes, standard effect sizes (ESs), settings, technology, populations, and risk of bias were abstracted from each study. The impact of image sharing technologies was summarized with random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression models. Results A total of 17 articles were included in the review, with a total of 42 different studies. Image sharing technology was associated with a significant decrease in repeat imaging (pooled effect size [ES] = −0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [−0.25, −0.09]; P utilization (pooled ES = 0.20; 95% CI = [0.07, 0.32]; P = .002). For all outcomes combined, image sharing technology was not associated with utilization. Most studies were at risk for bias. Conclusions Image sharing technology was associated with reductions in repeat and unnecessary imaging, in both the overall literature and the most-rigorous studies. Stronger evidence is needed to further explore the role of specific technologies and their potential impact on various modalities, patient populations, and settings. PMID:26614882

  11. Ordinary Share Price Behaviour Around 'C' Share Issues by Investment Trusts

    OpenAIRE

    Adams, Andrew T; Szakacs, M

    1995-01-01

    This paper examines the "C" share issue, a method of issuing shares which is peculiar to the UK investment trust industry. In particular, we analyse abnormal returns and discount/premium to net asset value behaviour of the ordinary shares both before and after the announcement of "C" share issues. The research was conducted using event study methodology and an innovative approach to the analysis of discount/premium movements. The results suggest a tendency for the ordinary shares to outperfor...

  12. Interoperable Data Sharing for Diverse Scientific Disciplines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, John S.; Crichton, Daniel; Martinez, Santa; Law, Emily; Hardman, Sean

    2016-04-01

    For diverse scientific disciplines to interoperate they must be able to exchange information based on a shared understanding. To capture this shared understanding, we have developed a knowledge representation framework using ontologies and ISO level archive and metadata registry reference models. This framework provides multi-level governance, evolves independent of implementation technologies, and promotes agile development, namely adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and rapid and flexible response to change. The knowledge representation framework is populated through knowledge acquisition from discipline experts. It is also extended to meet specific discipline requirements. The result is a formalized and rigorous knowledge base that addresses data representation, integrity, provenance, context, quantity, and their relationships within the community. The contents of the knowledge base is translated and written to files in appropriate formats to configure system software and services, provide user documentation, validate ingested data, and support data analytics. This presentation will provide an overview of the framework, present the Planetary Data System's PDS4 as a use case that has been adopted by the international planetary science community, describe how the framework is being applied to other disciplines, and share some important lessons learned.

  13. A model of antibiotic-resistant bacterial epidemics in hospitals

    OpenAIRE

    Webb, Glenn F.; D'Agata, Erika M. C.; Magal, Pierre; Ruan, Shigui

    2005-01-01

    The emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria is an increasing threat to society, especially in hospital settings. Many antibiotics that were formerly effective in combating bacterial infections in hospital patients are no longer effective because of the evolution of resistant strains, which compromises medical care worldwide. In this article, we formulate a two-level population model to quantify key elements in nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. At the bacteria level, patients ...

  14. Differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial community-acquired pneumonia by thin-section computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ito, Isao [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki 710-8602 (Japan); Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan)], E-mail: isaoito@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Ishida, Tadashi [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki 710-8602 (Japan)], E-mail: ishidat@kchnet.or.jp; Togashi, Kaori [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan)], E-mail: ktogashi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Niimi, Akio [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan)], E-mail: niimi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Koyama, Hiroshi [General Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, 1-1 Fukakusa-Mukohatacho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8555 (Japan)], E-mail: hkoyama-kyt@umin.ac.jp; Ishimori, Takayoshi [Department of Radiology, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki 710-8602 (Japan)], E-mail: ti10794@kchnet.or.jp; Kobayashi, Hisataka [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 1B40, MSC1088, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-1088 (United States)], E-mail: kobayash@mail.nih.gov; Mishima, Michiaki [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan)], E-mail: mishima@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp

    2009-12-15

    Background and objective: The management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends, in part, on the identification of the causative agents. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of thin-section computed tomography (CT) in differentiating bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonia. Patients and methods: Thin-section CT studies were prospectively examined in hospitalized CAP patients within 2 days of admission, followed by retrospective assessment by two pulmonary radiologists. Thin-section CT findings on the pneumonias caused by each pathogen were examined, and two types of pneumonias were compared. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were produced. Results: Among 183 CAP episodes (181 patients, 125 men and 56 women, mean age {+-} S.D.: 61.1 {+-} 19.7) examined by thin-section CT, the etiologies of 125 were confirmed (94 bacterial pneumonia and 31 non-bacterial pneumonia). Centrilobular nodules were specific for non-bacterial pneumonia and airspace nodules were specific for bacterial pneumonia (specificities of 89% and 94%, respectively) when located in the outer lung areas. When centrilobular nodules were the principal finding, they were specific but lacked sensitivity for non-bacterial pneumonia (specificity 98% and sensitivity 23%). To distinguish the two types of pneumonias, centrilobular nodules, airspace nodules and lobular shadows were found to be important by multivariate analyses. ROC curve analysis discriminated bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia among patients without underlying lung diseases, yielding an optimal point with sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 79%, respectively, but was less effective when all patients were analyzed together (70% and 84%, respectively). Conclusion: Thin-section CT examination was applied for the differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonias. Though showing some potential, this examination at the present time would

  15. Differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial community-acquired pneumonia by thin-section computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Isao; Ishida, Tadashi; Togashi, Kaori; Niimi, Akio; Koyama, Hiroshi; Ishimori, Takayoshi; Kobayashi, Hisataka; Mishima, Michiaki

    2009-01-01

    Background and objective: The management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends, in part, on the identification of the causative agents. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of thin-section computed tomography (CT) in differentiating bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonia. Patients and methods: Thin-section CT studies were prospectively examined in hospitalized CAP patients within 2 days of admission, followed by retrospective assessment by two pulmonary radiologists. Thin-section CT findings on the pneumonias caused by each pathogen were examined, and two types of pneumonias were compared. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were produced. Results: Among 183 CAP episodes (181 patients, 125 men and 56 women, mean age ± S.D.: 61.1 ± 19.7) examined by thin-section CT, the etiologies of 125 were confirmed (94 bacterial pneumonia and 31 non-bacterial pneumonia). Centrilobular nodules were specific for non-bacterial pneumonia and airspace nodules were specific for bacterial pneumonia (specificities of 89% and 94%, respectively) when located in the outer lung areas. When centrilobular nodules were the principal finding, they were specific but lacked sensitivity for non-bacterial pneumonia (specificity 98% and sensitivity 23%). To distinguish the two types of pneumonias, centrilobular nodules, airspace nodules and lobular shadows were found to be important by multivariate analyses. ROC curve analysis discriminated bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia among patients without underlying lung diseases, yielding an optimal point with sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 79%, respectively, but was less effective when all patients were analyzed together (70% and 84%, respectively). Conclusion: Thin-section CT examination was applied for the differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonias. Though showing some potential, this examination at the present time would not

  16. Bacterial Prostatitis: Bacterial Virulence, Clinical Outcomes, and New Directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krieger, John N; Thumbikat, Praveen

    2016-02-01

    Four prostatitis syndromes are recognized clinically: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and asymptomatic prostatitis. Because Escherichia coli represents the most common cause of bacterial prostatitis, we investigated the importance of bacterial virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance in E. coli strains causing prostatitis and the potential association of these characteristics with clinical outcomes. A structured literature review revealed that we have limited understanding of the virulence-associated characteristics of E. coli causing acute prostatitis. Therefore, we completed a comprehensive microbiological and molecular investigation of a unique strain collection isolated from healthy young men. We also considered new data from an animal model system suggesting certain E. coli might prove important in the etiology of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Our human data suggest that E. coli needs multiple pathogenicity-associated traits to overcome anatomic and immune responses in healthy young men without urological risk factors. The phylogenetic background and accumulation of an exceptional repertoire of extraintestinal pathogenic virulence-associated genes indicate that these E. coli strains belong to a highly virulent subset of uropathogenic variants. In contrast, antibiotic resistance confers little added advantage to E. coli strains in these healthy outpatients. Our animal model data also suggest that certain pathogenic E. coli may be important in the etiology of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome through mechanisms that are dependent on the host genetic background and the virulence of the bacterial strain.

  17. Internet Access, Use and Sharing Levels among Students during the Teaching-Learning Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tutkun, Omer F.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness among students and levels regarding student access, use, and knowledge sharing during the teaching-learning process. The triangulation method was utilized in this study. The population of the research universe was 21,747. The student sample population was 1,292. Two different data collection…

  18. Eradication of the corrosion-causing bacterial strains Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans using photodisinfection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Street, C.N.; Gibbs, A.J. [Biocorrosion Solutions Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) can cause oil and gas pipelines to fail prematurely. The free-floating bacteria collects on the inner pipeline surface to form complex adherent biofilms. This study evaluated the use of photodisinfection as a means of treating 2 sulfate-reducing bacterial strains known to contribute to MIC. The sulfate-reducing strains Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were studied experimentally to a concentration of 10{sup 7} colony-forming units per millimeter. Bacterial inocula was made to an optical density of 0.150 at 420 nm in order to assess biofilm growth. The study showed that photodisinfection was able to eradicate more than 99 per cent of the bacterial populations prepared in the study. The method was highly effective in removing the biofilms known to cause MIC in oil and gas pipelines. A close-loop dynamic flow system model will be prepared to evaluate the ability of photodisinfection to inhibit bacterially-influenced corrosion of steel coupons. 24 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig.

  19. Apoptosis, Toll-like, RIG-I-like and NOD-like Receptors Are Pathways Jointly Induced by Diverse Respiratory Bacterial and Viral Pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, Isidoro; Oliveros, Juan C.; Cuesta, Isabel; de la Barrera, Jorge; Ausina, Vicente; Casals, Cristina; de Lorenzo, Alba; García, Ernesto; García-Fojeda, Belén; Garmendia, Junkal; González-Nicolau, Mar; Lacoma, Alicia; Menéndez, Margarita; Moranta, David; Nieto, Amelia; Ortín, Juan; Pérez-González, Alicia; Prat, Cristina; Ramos-Sevillano, Elisa; Regueiro, Verónica; Rodriguez-Frandsen, Ariel; Solís, Dolores; Yuste, José; Bengoechea, José A.; Melero, José A.

    2017-01-01

    Lower respiratory tract infections are among the top five leading causes of human death. Fighting these infections is therefore a world health priority. Searching for induced alterations in host gene expression shared by several relevant respiratory pathogens represents an alternative to identify new targets for wide-range host-oriented therapeutics. With this aim, alveolar macrophages were independently infected with three unrelated bacterial (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus) and two dissimilar viral (respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A virus) respiratory pathogens, all of them highly relevant for human health. Cells were also activated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a prototypical pathogen-associated molecular pattern. Patterns of differentially expressed cellular genes shared by the indicated pathogens were searched by microarray analysis. Most of the commonly up-regulated host genes were related to the innate immune response and/or apoptosis, with Toll-like, RIG-I-like and NOD-like receptors among the top 10 signaling pathways with over-expressed genes. These results identify new potential broad-spectrum targets to fight the important human infections caused by the bacteria and viruses studied here. PMID:28298903

  20. To Share or Not to Share: Parental, Sibling, and Situational Influences on Sharing with a Younger Sibling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Berkel, Sheila R.; Van der Pol, Lotte D.; Groeneveld, Marleen G.; Hallers-Haalboom, Elizabeth T.; Endendijk, Joyce J.; Mesman, Judi; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.

    2015-01-01

    Sharing is an important indicator of internalised prosocial values. We examined predictors of sharing of 302 preschoolers with their younger siblings in a one-year longitudinal study. Sharing was observed during different home visits, once with father and once with mother. We examined the following predictors: both children's externalising…

  1. Factors affecting the bacterial community composition and heterotrophic production of Columbia River estuarine turbidity maxima.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herfort, Lydie; Crump, Byron C; Fortunato, Caroline S; McCue, Lee Ann; Campbell, Victoria; Simon, Holly M; Baptista, António M; Zuber, Peter

    2017-12-01

    Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) function as hotspots of microbial activity and diversity in estuaries, yet, little is known about the temporal and spatial variability in ETM bacterial community composition. To determine which environmental factors affect ETM bacterial populations in the Columbia River estuary, we analyzed ETM bacterial community composition (Sanger sequencing and amplicon pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene) and bulk heterotrophic production ( 3 H-leucine incorporation rates). We collected water 20 times to cover five ETM events and obtained 42 samples characterized by different salinities, turbidities, seasons, coastal regimes (upwelling vs. downwelling), locations, and particle size. Spring and summer populations were distinct. All May samples had similar bacterial community composition despite having different salinities (1-24 PSU), but summer non-ETM bacteria separated into marine, freshwater, and brackish assemblages. Summer ETM bacterial communities varied depending on coastal upwelling or downwelling conditions and on the sampling site location with respect to tidal intrusion during the previous neap tide. In contrast to ETM, whole (>0.2 μm) and free-living (0.2-3 μm) assemblages of non-ETM waters were similar to each other, indicating that particle-attached (>3 μm) non-ETM bacteria do not develop a distinct community. Brackish water type (ETM or non-ETM) is thus a major factor affecting particle-attached bacterial communities. Heterotrophic production was higher in particle-attached than free-living fractions in all brackish waters collected throughout the water column during the rise to decline of turbidity through an ETM event (i.e., ETM-impacted waters). However, free-living communities showed higher productivity prior to or after an ETM event (i.e., non-ETM-impacted waters). This study has thus found that Columbia River ETM bacterial communities vary based on seasons, salinity, sampling location, and particle size, with the

  2. Population dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi in Lyme disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Christoph Binder

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Many chronic inflammatory diseases are known to be caused by persistent bacterial or viral infections. A well-studied example is the tick-borne infection by the gram-negative Spirochaetes of the genus Borrelia in humans and other mammals, causing severe symptoms of chronic inflammation and subsequent tissue damage (Lyme Disease, particularly in large joints and the central nervous system, but also in the heart and other tissues of untreated patients. Although killed efficiently by human phagocytic cells in vitro, Borrelia exhibits a remarkably high infectivity in mice and men. In experimentally infected mice, the first immune response almost clears the infection. However, approximately one week post infection, the bacterial population recovers and reaches an even larger size before entering the chronic phase. We developed a mathematical model describing the bacterial growth and the immune response against Borrelia burgdorferi in the C3H mouse strain that has been established as an experimental model for Lyme disease. The peculiar dynamics of the infection exclude two possible mechanistic explanations for the regrowth of the almost cleared bacteria. Neither the hypothesis of bacterial dissemination to different tissue nor a limitation of phagocytic capacity were compatible with experiment. The mathematical model predicts that Borrelia recovers from the strong initial immune response by the regrowth of an immune-resistant sub-population of the bacteria. The chronic phase appears as an equilibration of bacterial growth and adaptive immunity. This result has major implications for the development of the chronic phase of Borrelia infections as well as on potential protective clinical interventions.

  3. Bacterial population in traditional sourdough evaluated by molecular methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Randazzo, C.L.; Heilig, G.H.J.; Restuccia, C.; Giudici, P.; Caggia, C.

    2005-01-01

    Aims: To study the microbial communities in artisanal sourdoughs, manufactured by traditional procedure in different areas of Sicily, and to evaluate the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population by classical and culture-independent approaches. Methods and Results: Forty-five LAB isolates were

  4. Statistics of Shared Components in Complex Component Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Mazzolini

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Many complex systems are modular. Such systems can be represented as “component systems,” i.e., sets of elementary components, such as LEGO bricks in LEGO sets. The bricks found in a LEGO set reflect a target architecture, which can be built following a set-specific list of instructions. In other component systems, instead, the underlying functional design and constraints are not obvious a priori, and their detection is often a challenge of both scientific and practical importance, requiring a clear understanding of component statistics. Importantly, some quantitative invariants appear to be common to many component systems, most notably a common broad distribution of component abundances, which often resembles the well-known Zipf’s law. Such “laws” affect in a general and nontrivial way the component statistics, potentially hindering the identification of system-specific functional constraints or generative processes. Here, we specifically focus on the statistics of shared components, i.e., the distribution of the number of components shared by different system realizations, such as the common bricks found in different LEGO sets. To account for the effects of component heterogeneity, we consider a simple null model, which builds system realizations by random draws from a universe of possible components. Under general assumptions on abundance heterogeneity, we provide analytical estimates of component occurrence, which quantify exhaustively the statistics of shared components. Surprisingly, this simple null model can positively explain important features of empirical component-occurrence distributions obtained from large-scale data on bacterial genomes, LEGO sets, and book chapters. Specific architectural features and functional constraints can be detected from occurrence patterns as deviations from these null predictions, as we show for the illustrative case of the “core” genome in bacteria.

  5. Physiological and DNA fingerprinting of the bacterial community of Meloidogyne fallax egg masses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papert, A; Kok, CJ; van Elsas, JD

    2004-01-01

    Bacterial communities associated with the plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne fallax egg masses were compared with those present in the rhizoplane. Two agricultural soils with different nematode population dynamics were used in a glasshouse study, with either potato or tomato as host plant for the

  6. Physiological and DNA fingerprinting of the bacterial community of Meloidogyne fallax egg masses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papert, A; Kok, CJ; van Elsas, JD

    Bacterial communities associated with the plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne fallax egg masses were compared with those present in the rhizoplane. Two agricultural soils with different nematode population dynamics were used in a glasshouse study, with either potato or tomato as host plant for the

  7. Bacterial Diversity in Bentonites, Engineered Barrier for Deep Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Fernandez, Margarita; Cherkouk, Andrea; Vilchez-Vargas, Ramiro; Jauregui, Ruy; Pieper, Dietmar; Boon, Nico; Sanchez-Castro, Ivan; Merroun, Mohamed L

    2015-11-01

    The long-term disposal of radioactive wastes in a deep geological repository is the accepted international solution for the treatment and management of these special residues. The microbial community of the selected host rocks and engineered barriers for the deep geological repository may affect the performance and the safety of the radioactive waste disposal. In this work, the bacterial population of bentonite formations of Almeria (Spain), selected as a reference material for bentonite-engineered barriers in the disposal of radioactive wastes, was studied. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-based approaches were used to study the bacterial community of the bentonite samples by traditional clone libraries and Illumina sequencing. Using both techniques, the bacterial diversity analysis revealed similar results, with phylotypes belonging to 14 different bacterial phyla: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, Verrucomicrobia and an unknown phylum. The dominant groups of the community were represented by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. A high diversity was found in three of the studied samples. However, two samples were less diverse and dominated by Betaproteobacteria.

  8. Multidrug Efflux Pumps from Enterobacteriaceae, Vibrio cholerae and Staphylococcus aureus Bacterial Food Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jody L. Andersen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial microorganisms are common worldwide and constitute a serious public health concern. In particular, microorganisms belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families of Gram-negative bacteria, and to the Staphylococcus genus of Gram-positive bacteria are important causative agents of food poisoning and infection in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Recently, variants of these bacteria have developed resistance to medically important chemotherapeutic agents. Multidrug resistant Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, Enterobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus are becoming increasingly recalcitrant to clinical treatment in human patients. Of the various bacterial resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial agents, multidrug efflux pumps comprise a major cause of multiple drug resistance. These multidrug efflux pump systems reside in the biological membrane of the bacteria and actively extrude antimicrobial agents from bacterial cells. This review article summarizes the evolution of these bacterial drug efflux pump systems from a molecular biological standpoint and provides a framework for future work aimed at reducing the conditions that foster dissemination of these multidrug resistant causative agents through human populations.

  9. Multidrug Efflux Pumps from Enterobacteriaceae, Vibrio cholerae and Staphylococcus aureus Bacterial Food Pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Jody L.; He, Gui-Xin; Kakarla, Prathusha; KC, Ranjana; Kumar, Sanath; Lakra, Wazir Singh; Mukherjee, Mun Mun; Ranaweera, Indrika; Shrestha, Ugina; Tran, Thuy; Varela, Manuel F.

    2015-01-01

    Foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial microorganisms are common worldwide and constitute a serious public health concern. In particular, microorganisms belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families of Gram-negative bacteria, and to the Staphylococcus genus of Gram-positive bacteria are important causative agents of food poisoning and infection in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Recently, variants of these bacteria have developed resistance to medically important chemotherapeutic agents. Multidrug resistant Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, Enterobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus are becoming increasingly recalcitrant to clinical treatment in human patients. Of the various bacterial resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial agents, multidrug efflux pumps comprise a major cause of multiple drug resistance. These multidrug efflux pump systems reside in the biological membrane of the bacteria and actively extrude antimicrobial agents from bacterial cells. This review article summarizes the evolution of these bacterial drug efflux pump systems from a molecular biological standpoint and provides a framework for future work aimed at reducing the conditions that foster dissemination of these multidrug resistant causative agents through human populations. PMID:25635914

  10. Pervasive Selection for Cooperative Cross-Feeding in Bacterial Communities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Germerodt

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial communities are taxonomically highly diverse, yet the mechanisms that maintain this diversity remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that an obligate and mutual exchange of metabolites, as is very common among bacterial cells, could stabilize different genotypes within microbial communities. To test this, we developed a cellular automaton to model interactions among six empirically characterized genotypes that differ in their ability and propensity to produce amino acids. By systematically varying intrinsic (i.e. benefit-to-cost ratio and extrinsic parameters (i.e. metabolite diffusion level, environmental amino acid availability, we show that obligate cross-feeding of essential metabolites is selected for under a broad range of conditions. In spatially structured environments, positive assortment among cross-feeders resulted in the formation of cooperative clusters, which limited exploitation by non-producing auxotrophs, yet allowed them to persist at the clusters' periphery. Strikingly, cross-feeding helped to maintain genotypic diversity within populations, while amino acid supplementation to the environment decoupled obligate interactions and favored auxotrophic cells that saved amino acid production costs over metabolically autonomous prototrophs. Together, our results suggest that spatially structured environments and limited nutrient availabilities should facilitate the evolution of metabolic interactions, which can help to maintain genotypic diversity within natural microbial populations.

  11. What to Share and Why to Share? A Case Study of CrossBoundary Information Sharing in Taiwan e-Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tung-Mou Yang

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In the public sector, cross-boundary information sharing has been an important theme among governmental collaboration and is critical to organizational efficiency and performance. This research explores the types and characteristics of shared information and the intended purposes of information sharing. In the case study, the cross-boundary shared information can be abstracted into five fundamental types: the collected raw data, the value-added information, the administration oriented information, the administration-oriented knowledge, and the domain-oriented knowledge. Another framework is proposed to conceptualize the purposes of interagency information sharing. The identified seven purposes are administrative work, information search and verification, information aggregation, business process chain, innovative service, experience-based knowledge sharing, and crisis and emergency. The seven purposes do not mean to be an exhaustive list but to provide an initial conceptualization to perceive the functionalities and roles that cross-boundary information sharing plays among government agencies. The two proposed frameworks can help both researchers and practitioners perceive and clarify the fundamental part of cross-boundary information sharing in the public sector. The finding of this research is also expected to enrich the current information-sharing theories and to contribute to the current e-Government literature from an international perspective.

  12. Is an increased elderly population related to decreased CO2 emissions from road transportation?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, Akira

    2012-01-01

    Few studies have focused on the potential effects of an increase in the share of aged population on the environmental impacts of road transportation. In order to fill this gap in the literature, this paper empirically analyzes whether there is a relationship between the share of aged population and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from road transportation by applying a quadratic function. Using international panel data, it also addresses the level of the turning point in the relationships between the share of aged population and CO 2 emissions. The analysis in this paper uses a first-order differential equation to estimate an inverted U-shaped relationship between them in order to alleviate the unit roots issue. The results from 25 OECD countries, consisting mainly of European countries and Japan, indicate that there is a quadratic relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita and the share of aged population, and that the turning point is around 16 percent. The results also imply that a relative increase in the number of elderly people is associated with a decrease in CO 2 emissions per capita from the road sector when the share of aged population reaches more than 16 percent. - Highlights: ► I estimate the relationship between a country's share of elderly population and CO 2 emissions from road transport. ► In order to alleviate the unit roots issue, the analysis uses a first-order differential equation to estimate models. ► There is a quadratic relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita and the share of elderly. ► The level of the turning point in terms of the share of elderly in OECD European countries and Japan is around 16 percent.

  13. Solving a Hamiltonian Path Problem with a bacterial computer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Treece Jessica

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Hamiltonian Path Problem asks whether there is a route in a directed graph from a beginning node to an ending node, visiting each node exactly once. The Hamiltonian Path Problem is NP complete, achieving surprising computational complexity with modest increases in size. This challenge has inspired researchers to broaden the definition of a computer. DNA computers have been developed that solve NP complete problems. Bacterial computers can be programmed by constructing genetic circuits to execute an algorithm that is responsive to the environment and whose result can be observed. Each bacterium can examine a solution to a mathematical problem and billions of them can explore billions of possible solutions. Bacterial computers can be automated, made responsive to selection, and reproduce themselves so that more processing capacity is applied to problems over time. Results We programmed bacteria with a genetic circuit that enables them to evaluate all possible paths in a directed graph in order to find a Hamiltonian path. We encoded a three node directed graph as DNA segments that were autonomously shuffled randomly inside bacteria by a Hin/hixC recombination system we previously adapted from Salmonella typhimurium for use in Escherichia coli. We represented nodes in the graph as linked halves of two different genes encoding red or green fluorescent proteins. Bacterial populations displayed phenotypes that reflected random ordering of edges in the graph. Individual bacterial clones that found a Hamiltonian path reported their success by fluorescing both red and green, resulting in yellow colonies. We used DNA sequencing to verify that the yellow phenotype resulted from genotypes that represented Hamiltonian path solutions, demonstrating that our bacterial computer functioned as expected. Conclusion We successfully designed, constructed, and tested a bacterial computer capable of finding a Hamiltonian path in a three node

  14. Solving a Hamiltonian Path Problem with a bacterial computer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgardner, Jordan; Acker, Karen; Adefuye, Oyinade; Crowley, Samuel Thomas; DeLoache, Will; Dickson, James O; Heard, Lane; Martens, Andrew T; Morton, Nickolaus; Ritter, Michelle; Shoecraft, Amber; Treece, Jessica; Unzicker, Matthew; Valencia, Amanda; Waters, Mike; Campbell, A Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J; Poet, Jeffrey L; Eckdahl, Todd T

    2009-01-01

    Background The Hamiltonian Path Problem asks whether there is a route in a directed graph from a beginning node to an ending node, visiting each node exactly once. The Hamiltonian Path Problem is NP complete, achieving surprising computational complexity with modest increases in size. This challenge has inspired researchers to broaden the definition of a computer. DNA computers have been developed that solve NP complete problems. Bacterial computers can be programmed by constructing genetic circuits to execute an algorithm that is responsive to the environment and whose result can be observed. Each bacterium can examine a solution to a mathematical problem and billions of them can explore billions of possible solutions. Bacterial computers can be automated, made responsive to selection, and reproduce themselves so that more processing capacity is applied to problems over time. Results We programmed bacteria with a genetic circuit that enables them to evaluate all possible paths in a directed graph in order to find a Hamiltonian path. We encoded a three node directed graph as DNA segments that were autonomously shuffled randomly inside bacteria by a Hin/hixC recombination system we previously adapted from Salmonella typhimurium for use in Escherichia coli. We represented nodes in the graph as linked halves of two different genes encoding red or green fluorescent proteins. Bacterial populations displayed phenotypes that reflected random ordering of edges in the graph. Individual bacterial clones that found a Hamiltonian path reported their success by fluorescing both red and green, resulting in yellow colonies. We used DNA sequencing to verify that the yellow phenotype resulted from genotypes that represented Hamiltonian path solutions, demonstrating that our bacterial computer functioned as expected. Conclusion We successfully designed, constructed, and tested a bacterial computer capable of finding a Hamiltonian path in a three node directed graph. This proof

  15. Towards allele mining of bacterial wilt disease resistance gene in tomato

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvez, H.F.; Narciso, J.O.; Opina, N.L.; Canama, A.O.; Colle, M.G.; Latiza, M.A.; Caspillo, C.L.; Bituin, J.L.; Frankie, R.B.; Hautea, D.M.

    2005-01-01

    Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is the most important vegetable commodity of the Philippines. Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one serious constraint in tomato production particularly during off-season planting. A major locus derived from H7996 that confers resistance to bacterial wilt has been mapped in the tomato genome. To validate the biological function of the resistance locus and generate multiple allele -mimics-, targeted mutation was induced in tomato using gamma ray and ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutagens. Suitable mutagen treatment was established by evaluating a wide range of mutagen doses/concentrations for a) percent seed germination, b) reduction in plant height, and c) loss of resistance. Six hundred Gy and 1.0% EMS were identified to generate large M1 families of H7996. From 10,000 initial seeds treated with either gamma ray or EMS, a total of 3,663 M1 plants were generated. M2 seeds were harvested from all surviving M1 plants. Several DNA markers have been resourced and are being developed specific to the bacterial wilt resistant gene. In the large M2 population, of H7996, both the phenotypic manifestation of bacterial wilt susceptibility and nucleotide changes in the resistance locus will be evaluated. Large M3 families for the different allele series of the bacterial wilt resistance gene will be established for future high throughput TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes) analysis in the gene region

  16. Metagenomic analysis of the bacterial communities and their functional profiles in water and sediments of the Apies River, South Africa, as a function of land use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abia, Akebe Luther King; Alisoltani, Arghavan; Keshri, Jitendra; Ubomba-Jaswa, Eunice

    2018-03-01

    Water quality is an important public health issue given that the presence of pathogenic organisms in such waters can adversely affect human and animal health. Despite the numerous studies conducted to assess the quality of environmental waters in many countries, limited efforts have been put on investigating the microbial quality of the sediments in developing countries and how this relates to different land uses. The present study evaluated the bacterial diversity in water and sediments in a highly used South African river to find out how the different land uses influenced the bacterial diversity, and to verify the human diseases functional classes of the bacterial populations. Samples were collected on river stretches influenced by an informal, a peri-urban and a rural settlement. Genomic DNA was extracted from water and sediment samples and sequenced on an Illumina® MiSeq platform targeting the 16S rRNA gene variable region V3-V4 from the genomic DNA. Metagenomic data analysis revealed that there was a great diversity in the microbial populations associated with the different land uses, with the informal settlement having the most considerable influence on the bacterial diversity in the water and sediments of the Apies River. The Proteobacteria (69.8%), Cyanobacteria (4.3%), Bacteroidetes (2.7%), and Actinobacteria (2.7%) were the most abundant phyla; the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Anaerolineae were the most recorded classes. Also, the sediments had a greater diversity and abundance in bacterial population than the water column. The functional profiles of the bacterial populations revealed an association with many human diseases including cancer pathways. Further studies that would isolate these potentially pathogenic organisms in the aquatic environment are therefore needed as this would help in protecting the lives of communities using such rivers, especially against emerging bacterial pathogens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  17. Exploitation of algal-bacterial associations in a two-stage biohydrogen and biogas generation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirth, Roland; Lakatos, Gergely; Maróti, Gergely; Bagi, Zoltán; Minárovics, János; Nagy, Katalin; Kondorosi, Éva; Rákhely, Gábor; Kovács, Kornél L

    2015-01-01

    The growing concern regarding the use of agricultural land for the production of biomass for food/feed or energy is dictating the search for alternative biomass sources. Photosynthetic microorganisms grown on marginal or deserted land present a promising alternative to the cultivation of energy plants and thereby may dampen the 'food or fuel' dispute. Microalgae offer diverse utilization routes. A two-stage energetic utilization, using a natural mixed population of algae (Chlamydomonas sp. and Scenedesmus sp.) and mutualistic bacteria (primarily Rhizobium sp.), was tested for coupled biohydrogen and biogas production. The microalgal-bacterial biomass generated hydrogen without sulfur deprivation. Algal hydrogen production in the mixed population started earlier but lasted for a shorter period relative to the benchmark approach. The residual biomass after hydrogen production was used for biogas generation and was compared with the biogas production from maize silage. The gas evolved from the microbial biomass was enriched in methane, but the specific gas production was lower than that of maize silage. Sustainable biogas production from the microbial biomass proceeded without noticeable difficulties in continuously stirred fed-batch laboratory-size reactors for an extended period of time. Co-fermentation of the microbial biomass and maize silage improved the biogas production: The metagenomic results indicated that pronounced changes took place in the domain Bacteria, primarily due to the introduction of a considerable bacterial biomass into the system with the substrate; this effect was partially compensated in the case of co-fermentation. The bacteria living in syntrophy with the algae apparently persisted in the anaerobic reactor and predominated in the bacterial population. The Archaea community remained virtually unaffected by the changes in the substrate biomass composition. Through elimination of cost- and labor-demanding sulfur deprivation, sustainable

  18. Genetics and Improvement of Bacterial Blight Resistance of Hybrid Rice in China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANG Qi

    2009-01-01

    Since 1980s, rice breeding for resistance to bacterial blight has been rapidly progressing in China. The gene Xa4 was mainly used in three-line indica hybrid and two-line hybrid rice. The disease has been 'quiet' for 20 years in China, yet in recent years it has gradually emerged and been prevalent in fields planted with newly released rice varieties in the Changjiang River valley. Under the circumstances, scientists inevitably raised several questions: what causes the resurgence and what should we do next? And/or is resistance breeding still one of the main objectives in rice improvement? Which approach do we take on resistance breeding so that the resistance will be more durable, and the resistance gene will be used more efficiently? A combined strategy involving traditional method, molecular marker-assisted selection, and transgenic technology should bring a new era to the bacterial blight resistance hybrid rice breeding program. This review also briefly discusses and deliberates on issues related to the broadening of bacterial blight resistance, and suitable utilization of resistance genes, alternate planting of available resistance genes; and understands the virulent populations of the bacterial pathogen in China even in Asia.

  19. Ammonia produced by bacterial colonies promotes growth of ampicillin-sensitive Serratia sp. by means of antibiotic inactivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cepl, Jaroslav; Blahůšková, Anna; Cvrčková, Fatima; Markoš, Anton

    2014-05-01

    Volatiles produced by bacterial cultures are known to induce regulatory and metabolic alterations in nearby con-specific or heterospecific bacteria, resulting in phenotypic changes including acquisition of antibiotic resistance. We observed unhindered growth of ampicillin-sensitive Serratia rubidaea and S. marcescens on ampicillin-containing media, when exposed to volatiles produced by dense bacterial growth. However, this phenomenon appeared to result from pH increase in the medium caused by bacterial volatiles rather than alterations in the properties of the bacterial cultures, as alkalization of ampicillin-containing culture media to pH 8.5 by ammonia or Tris exhibited the same effects, while pretreatment of bacterial cultures under the same conditions prior to antibiotic exposure did not increase ampicillin resistance. Ampicillin was readily inactivated at pH 8.5, suggesting that observed bacterial growth results from metabolic alteration of the medium, rather than an active change in the target bacterial population (i.e. induction of resistance or tolerance). However, even such seemingly simple mechanism may provide a biologically meaningful basis for protection against antibiotics in microbial communities growing on semi-solid media. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Bacterial diversity of Grenache and Carignan grape surface from different vineyards at Priorat wine region (Catalonia, Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portillo, Maria del Carmen; Franquès, Judit; Araque, Isabel; Reguant, Cristina; Bordons, Albert

    2016-02-16

    Epiphytic bacteria on grape berries play a critical role in grape health and quality, which decisively influence the winemaking process. Despite their importance, the bacteria related with grape berry surface remain understudied and most previous work has been based on culture-dependent methods, which offer a limited view of the actual diversity. Herein, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the bacterial diversity on the surface from two grape varieties, Grenache and Carignan, and compared them across five vineyards included within the Priorat region (Spain). We could detect up to 14 bacterial phyla with Firmicutes (37.6% Bacillales and 14% Lactobacillales), Proteobacteria (16.8% Pseudomonadales and 11.6% Enterobacteriales) and Actinobacteria (3.4% Actinomycetales) being the most abundant. Bacterial community was different at each vineyard being grape varietal, geographical situation and orientation related with changes in bacterial populations. The most abundant bacterial taxa and those driving differences between the vineyards and grape varietals were identified. This study indicates that bacterial community heterogeneities can be influenced by geographic factors like orientation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Bacterial community profile of contaminated soils in a typical antimony mining site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ningning; Zhang, Suhuan; He, Mengchang

    2018-01-01

    The soils around the world's largest antimony mine have been contaminated by high concentrations of Sb and As, which might influence microbial diversity in the surrounding soils. The ecological effects of bioavailable Sb and As on the composition and diversity of microbial community in soils remain unknown. In this study, the relative abundance, taxonomic diversity and composition of bacterial community in soils from a typical Sb mine area, and the relationship between the bacterial community and bioavailable concentrations as well as environmental factors have been investigated comprehensively using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). The results indicated that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Cyanobacteria were the dominant bacterial populations at phylum level in all soil samples, accounting for more than 80% of the bacteria sequenced. The abundance and diversity of bacterial community vary along a metal contamination gradient. Redundancy discriminate analysis (RDA) revealed that 74.74% of bacterial community variation in the contaminated soils was explained by six environmental factors (pH, Sb DGT , As DGT , potential ecological risk index (RI), TC, TN), among which pH, Sb DGT , and As DGT were dominant factors influencing the composition and diversity of bacteria. This study contributes to our understanding of microbial diversity in a local ecosystem and introduces the option of studying bioavailable Sb and As using DGT.

  2. Population cycles and species diversity in dynamic Kill-the-Winner model of microbial ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maslov, Sergei; Sneppen, Kim

    2017-01-01

    Determinants of species diversity in microbial ecosystems remain poorly understood. Bacteriophages are believed to increase the diversity by the virtue of Kill-the-Winner infection bias preventing the fastest growing organism from taking over the community. Phage-bacterial ecosystems are traditionally described in terms of the static equilibrium state of Lotka-Volterra equations in which bacterial growth is exactly balanced by losses due to phage predation. Here we consider a more dynamic scenario in which phage infections give rise to abrupt and severe collapses of bacterial populations whenever they become sufficiently large. As a consequence, each bacterial population in our model follows cyclic dynamics of exponential growth interrupted by sudden declines. The total population of all species fluctuates around the carrying capacity of the environment, making these cycles cryptic. While a subset of the slowest growing species in our model is always driven towards extinction, in general the overall ecosystem diversity remains high. The number of surviving species is inversely proportional to the variation in their growth rates but increases with the frequency and severity of phage-induced collapses. Thus counter-intuitively we predict that microbial communities exposed to more violent perturbations should have higher diversity. PMID:28051127

  3. Flow and active mixing have a strong impact on bacterial growth dynamics in the proximal large intestine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Jonas; Segota, Igor; Yang, Chih-Yu; Arnoldini, Markus; Groisman, Alex; Hwa, Terence

    2016-11-01

    More than half of fecal dry weight is bacterial mass with bacterial densities reaching up to 1012 cells per gram. Mostly, these bacteria grow in the proximal large intestine where lateral flow along the intestine is strong: flow can in principal lead to a washout of bacteria from the proximal large intestine. Active mixing by contractions of the intestinal wall together with bacterial growth might counteract such a washout and allow high bacterial densities to occur. As a step towards understanding bacterial growth in the presence of mixing and flow, we constructed an in-vitro setup where controlled wall-deformations of a channel emulate contractions. We investigate growth along the channel under a steady nutrient inflow. Depending on mixing and flow, we observe varying spatial gradients in bacterial density along the channel. Active mixing by deformations of the channel wall is shown to be crucial in maintaining a steady-state bacterial population in the presence of flow. The growth-dynamics is quantitatively captured by a simple mathematical model, with the effect of mixing described by an effective diffusion term. Based on this model, we discuss bacterial growth dynamics in the human large intestine using flow- and mixing-behavior having been observed for humans.

  4. The Sharing Economy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Avital, Michel; Carroll, John M.; Hjalmarsson, Anders

    2015-01-01

    The sharing economy is spreading rapidly worldwide in a number of industries and markets. The disruptive nature of this phenomenon has drawn mixed responses ranging from active conflict to adoption and assimilation. Yet, in spite of the growing attention to the sharing economy, we still do not know...... much about it. With the abundant enthusiasm about the benefits that the sharing economy can unleash and the weekly reminders about its dark side, further examination is required to determine the potential of the sharing economy while mitigating its undesirable side effects. The panel will join...... the ongoing debate about the sharing economy and contribute to the discourse with insights about how digital technologies are critical in shaping this turbulent ecosystem. Furthermore, we will define an agenda for future research on the sharing economy as it becomes part of the mainstream society as well...

  5. A phylogenomic analysis of the bacterial phylum Fibrobacteres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurdyana eAbdul Rahman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The Fibrobacteres has been recognized as a bacterial phylum for over a decade, but little is known about the group beyond its environmental distribution, and characterization of its sole cultured representative genus, Fibrobacter, after which the phylum was named. Based on these incomplete data, it is thought that cellulose hydrolysis, anaerobic metabolism, and lack of motility are unifying features of the phylum. There are also contradicting views as to whether an uncultured sister lineage, candidate phylum TG3, should be included in the Fibrobacteres. Recently, chitin-degrading cultured representatives of TG3 were obtained isolated from a hypersaline soda lake, and the genome of one species, Chitinivibrio alkaliphilus, sequenced and described in detail. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of Fibrobacter succinogenes, C. alkaliphilus and eight near or substantially complete Fibrobacteres/TG3 genomes of environmental populations recovered from termite gut, anaerobic digester, and sheep rumen metagenomes. We propose that TG3 should be amalgamated with the Fibrobacteres phylum based on robust monophyly of the two lineages and shared character traits. Polymer hydrolysis, using a distinctive set of glycoside hydrolases and binding domains, appears to be a prominent feature of members of the Fibrobacteres. Not all members of this phylum are strictly anaerobic as some termite gut Fibrobacteres have respiratory chains adapted to the microaerophilic conditions found in this habitat. Contrary to expectations, motility is is predicted to be an ancestral and common trait in this phylum and has only recently been lost in F. succinogenes and its relatives based on phylogenetic distribution of flagellar genes. Our findings extend current understanding of the Fibrobacteres and provide an improved basis for further investigation of this phylum.

  6. Convergent bacterial microbiotas in the fungal agricultural systems of insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aylward, Frank O; Suen, Garret; Biedermann, Peter H W; Adams, Aaron S; Scott, Jarrod J; Malfatti, Stephanie A; Glavina del Rio, Tijana; Tringe, Susannah G; Poulsen, Michael; Raffa, Kenneth F; Klepzig, Kier D; Currie, Cameron R

    2014-11-18

    The ability to cultivate food is an innovation that has produced some of the most successful ecological strategies on the planet. Although most well recognized in humans, where agriculture represents a defining feature of civilization, species of ants, beetles, and termites have also independently evolved symbioses with fungi that they cultivate for food. Despite occurring across divergent insect and fungal lineages, the fungivorous niches of these insects are remarkably similar, indicating convergent evolution toward this successful ecological strategy. Here, we characterize the microbiota of ants, beetles, and termites engaged in nutritional symbioses with fungi to define the bacterial groups associated with these prominent herbivores and forest pests. Using culture-independent techniques and the in silico reconstruction of 37 composite genomes of dominant community members, we demonstrate that different insect-fungal symbioses that collectively shape ecosystems worldwide have highly similar bacterial microbiotas comprised primarily of the genera Enterobacter, Rahnella, and Pseudomonas. Although these symbioses span three orders of insects and two phyla of fungi, we show that they are associated with bacteria sharing high whole-genome nucleotide identity. Due to the fine-scale correspondence of the bacterial microbiotas of insects engaged in fungal symbioses, our findings indicate that this represents an example of convergence of entire host-microbe complexes. The cultivation of fungi for food is a behavior that has evolved independently in ants, beetles, and termites and has enabled many species of these insects to become ecologically important and widely distributed herbivores and forest pests. Although the primary fungal cultivars of these insects have been studied for decades, comparatively little is known of their bacterial microbiota. In this study, we show that diverse fungus-growing insects are associated with a common bacterial community composed of the

  7. Inferring modes of colonization for pest species using heterozygosity comparisons and a shared-allele test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sved, J A; Yu, H; Dominiak, B; Gilchrist, A S

    2003-02-01

    Long-range dispersal of a species may involve either a single long-distance movement from a core population or spreading via unobserved intermediate populations. Where the new populations originate as small propagules, genetic drift may be extreme and gene frequency or assignment methods may not prove useful in determining the relation between the core population and outbreak samples. We describe computationally simple resampling methods for use in this situation to distinguish between the different modes of dispersal. First, estimates of heterozygosity can be used to test for direct sampling from the core population and to estimate the effective size of intermediate populations. Second, a test of sharing of alleles, particularly rare alleles, can show whether outbreaks are related to each other rather than arriving as independent samples from the core population. The shared-allele statistic also serves as a genetic distance measure that is appropriate for small samples. These methods were applied to data on a fruit fly pest species, Bactrocera tryoni, which is quarantined from some horticultural areas in Australia. We concluded that the outbreaks in the quarantine zone came from a heterogeneous set of genetically differentiated populations, possibly ones that overwinter in the vicinity of the quarantine zone.

  8. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines; impact on nasopharyngeal bacterial carriage and optimizing vaccination strategies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spijkerman, J.

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this thesis was to first assess nasopharyngeal bacterial carriage to evaluate population effects after introduction of PCV7 in the NIP in 2006 and to assess the potential impact of PCV10 as introduced in 2011 on carriage of NTHi in a randomized trial (Part One) and second, to assess

  9. The physical basis of bacterial quorum communication

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    This book aims to educate physical scientists and quantitatively-oriented biologists on the application of physical experimentation and analysis, together with appropriate modeling, to understanding and interpreting microbial chemical communication and especially quorum sensing (QS). Quorum sensing describes a chemical communication behavior that is nearly universal among bacteria. Individual cells release a diffusible small molecule (an autoinducer) into their environment. A high concentration of this autoinducer serves as a signal of high population density, triggering new patterns of gene expression throughout the population. However QS is often much more complex than simple census-taking. Many QS bacteria produce and detect multiple autoinducers, which generate quorum signal cross talk with each other and with other bacterial species. QS gene regulatory networks operate in physically complex environments and respond to a range of inputs in addition to autoinducer signals. While many individual QS systems ...

  10. Bacterial Cell Mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auer, George K; Weibel, Douglas B

    2017-07-25

    Cellular mechanical properties play an integral role in bacterial survival and adaptation. Historically, the bacterial cell wall and, in particular, the layer of polymeric material called the peptidoglycan were the elements to which cell mechanics could be primarily attributed. Disrupting the biochemical machinery that assembles the peptidoglycan (e.g., using the β-lactam family of antibiotics) alters the structure of this material, leads to mechanical defects, and results in cell lysis. Decades after the discovery of peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzymes, the mechanisms that underlie their positioning and regulation are still not entirely understood. In addition, recent evidence suggests a diverse group of other biochemical elements influence bacterial cell mechanics, may be regulated by new cellular mechanisms, and may be triggered in different environmental contexts to enable cell adaptation and survival. This review summarizes the contributions that different biomolecular components of the cell wall (e.g., lipopolysaccharides, wall and lipoteichoic acids, lipid bilayers, peptidoglycan, and proteins) make to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cell mechanics. We discuss the contribution of individual proteins and macromolecular complexes in cell mechanics and the tools that make it possible to quantitatively decipher the biochemical machinery that contributes to bacterial cell mechanics. Advances in this area may provide insight into new biology and influence the development of antibacterial chemotherapies.

  11. Knowledge Sharing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holdt Christensen, Peter

    The concept of knowledge management has, indeed, become a buzzword that every single organization is expected to practice and live by. Knowledge management is about managing the organization's knowledge for the common good of the organization -but practicing knowledge management is not as simple...... as that. This article focuses on knowledge sharing as the process seeking to reduce the resources spent on reinventing the wheel.The article introduces the concept of time sensitiveness; i.e. that knowledge is either urgently needed, or not that urgently needed. Furthermore, knowledge sharing...... is considered as either a push or pull system. Four strategies for sharing knowledge - help, post-it, manuals and meeting, and advice are introduced. Each strategy requires different channels for sharing knowledge. An empirical analysis in a production facility highlights how the strategies can be practiced....

  12. Soil Bacterial Community Was Changed after Brassicaceous Seed Meal Application for Suppression of Fusarium Wilt on Pepper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaidi Ren

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Application of Brassicaceous seed meal (BSM is a promising biologically based disease-control practice but BSM could directly and indirectly also affect the non-target bacterial communities, including the beneficial populations. Understanding the bacterial response to BSM at the community level is of great significance for directing plant disease management through the manipulation of resident bacterial communities. Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease on pepper. However, little is known about the response of bacterial communities, especially the rhizosphere bacterial community, to BSM application to soil heavily infested with Fusarium wilt pathogen and cropped with peppers. In this study, a 25-day microcosm incubation of a natural Fusarium wilt pathogen-infested soil supplemented with three BSMs, i.e., Camelina sativa ‘Crantz’ (CAME, Brassica juncea ‘Pacific Gold’ (PG, and a mixture of PG and Sinapis alba cv. ‘IdaGold’ (IG (PG+IG, 1:1 ratio, was performed. Then, a further 35-day pot experiment was established with pepper plants growing in the BSM treated soils. The changes in the bacterial community in the soil after 25 days of incubation and changes in the rhizosphere after an additional 35 days of pepper growth were investigated by 454 pyrosequencing technique. The results show that the application of PG and PG+IG reduced the disease index by 100% and 72.8%, respectively, after 35 days of pepper growth, while the application of CAME did not have an evident suppressive effect. All BSM treatments altered the bacterial community structure and decreased the bacterial richness and diversity after 25 days of incubation, although this effect was weakened after an additional 35 days of pepper growth. At the phylum/class and the genus levels, the changes in specific bacterial populations resulting from the PG and PG+IG treatments, especially the significant increase in Actinobacteria-affiliated Streptomyces and an unclassified genus and

  13. A Qualitative Analysis of Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Sharing with Care Partners: To Share or Not to Share?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litchman, Michelle L; Allen, Nancy A; Colicchio, Vanessa D; Wawrzynski, Sarah E; Sparling, Kerri M; Hendricks, Krissa L; Berg, Cynthia A

    2018-01-01

    Little research exists regarding how real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) data sharing plays a role in the relationship between patients and their care partners. To (1) identify the benefits and challenges related to RT-CGM data sharing from the patient and care partner perspective and (2) to explore the number and type of individuals who share and follow RT-CGM data. This qualitative content analysis was conducted by examining publicly available blogs focused on RT-CGM and data sharing. A thematic analysis of blogs and associated comments was conducted. A systematic appraisal of personal blogs examined 39 blogs with 206 corresponding comments. The results of the study provided insight about the benefits and challenges related to individuals with diabetes sharing their RT-CGM data with a care partner(s). The analysis resulted in three themes: (1) RT-CGM data sharing enhances feelings of safety, (2) the need to communicate boundaries to avoid judgment, and (3) choice about sharing and following RT-CGM data. RT-CGM data sharing occurred within dyads (n = 46), triads (n = 15), and tetrads (n = 2). Adults and children with type 1 diabetes and their care partners are empowered by the ability to share and follow RT-CGM data. Our findings suggest that RT-CGM data sharing between an individual with diabetes and their care partner can complicate relationships. Healthcare providers need to engage patients and care partners in discussions about best practices related to RT-CGM sharing and following to avoid frustrations within the relationship.

  14. Effect of autochthonous bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus lactis on bacterial population dynamics and growth of halotolerant bacteria in Brazilian charqui.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biscola, Vanessa; Abriouel, Hikmate; Todorov, Svetoslav Dimitrov; Capuano, Verena Sant'Anna Cabral; Gálvez, Antonio; Franco, Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo

    2014-12-01

    Charqui is a fermented, salted and sun-dried meat product, widely consumed in Brazil and exported to several countries. Growth of microorganisms in this product is unlikely due to reduced Aw, but halophilic and halotolerant bacteria may grow and cause spoilage. Charqui is a good source of lactic acid bacteria able to produce antimicrobial bacteriocins. In this study, an autochthonous bacteriocinogenic strain (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 69), isolated from charqui, was added to the meat used for charqui manufacture and evaluated for its capability to prevent the growth of spoilage bacteria during storage up to 45 days. The influence of L. lactis 69 on the bacterial diversity during the manufacturing of the product was also studied, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). L. lactis 69 did not affect the counts and diversity of lactic acid bacteria during manufacturing and storage, but influenced negatively the populations of halotolerant microorganisms, reducing the spoilage potential. The majority of tested virulence genes was absent, evidencing the safety and potential technological application of this strain as an additional hurdle to inhibit undesirable microbial growth in this and similar fermented meat products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Bacterial genomics reveal the complex epidemiology of an emerging pathogen in arctic and boreal ungulates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forde, Taya L.; Orsel, Karin; Zadoks, Ruth N.; Biek, Roman; Adams, Layne G.; Checkley, Sylvia L.; Davison, Tracy; De Buck, Jeroen; Dumond, Mathieu; Elkin, Brett T.; Finnegan, Laura; Macbeth, Bryan J.; Nelson, Cait; Niptanatiak, Amanda; Sather, Shane; Schwantje, Helen M.; van der Meer, Frank; Kutz, Susan J.

    2016-01-01

    Northern ecosystems are currently experiencing unprecedented ecological change, largely driven by a rapidly changing climate. Pathogen range expansion, and emergence and altered patterns of infectious disease, are increasingly reported in wildlife at high latitudes. Understanding the causes and consequences of shifting pathogen diversity and host-pathogen interactions in these ecosystems is important for wildlife conservation, and for indigenous populations that depend on wildlife. Among the key questions are whether disease events are associated with endemic or recently introduced pathogens, and whether emerging strains are spreading throughout the region. In this study, we used a phylogenomic approach to address these questions of pathogen endemicity and spread for Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, an opportunistic multi-host bacterial pathogen associated with recent mortalities in arctic and boreal ungulate populations in North America. We isolated E. rhusiopathiae from carcasses associated with large-scale die-offs of muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and from contemporaneous mortality events and/or population declines among muskoxen in northwestern Alaska and caribou and moose in western Canada. Bacterial genomic diversity differed markedly among these locations; minimal divergence was present among isolates from muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic, while in caribou and moose populations, strains from highly divergent clades were isolated from the same location, or even from within a single carcass. These results indicate that mortalities among northern ungulates are not associated with a single emerging strain of E. rhusiopathiae, and that alternate hypotheses need to be explored. Our study illustrates the value and limitations of bacterial genomic data for discriminating between ecological hypotheses of disease emergence, and highlights the importance of studying emerging pathogens within the broader context of environmental and host factors.

  16. Target Product Profile for a Diagnostic Assay to Differentiate between Bacterial and Non-Bacterial Infections and Reduce Antimicrobial Overuse in Resource-Limited Settings: An Expert Consensus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Dittrich

    Full Text Available Acute fever is one of the most common presenting symptoms globally. In order to reduce the empiric use of antimicrobial drugs and improve outcomes, it is essential to improve diagnostic capabilities. In the absence of microbiology facilities in low-income settings, an assay to distinguish bacterial from non-bacterial causes would be a critical first step. To ensure that patient and market needs are met, the requirements of such a test should be specified in a target product profile (TPP. To identify minimal/optimal characteristics for a bacterial vs. non-bacterial fever test, experts from academia and international organizations with expertise in infectious diseases, diagnostic test development, laboratory medicine, global health, and health economics were convened. Proposed TPPs were reviewed by this working group, and consensus characteristics were defined. The working group defined non-severely ill, non-malaria infected children as the target population for the desired assay. To provide access to the most patients, the test should be deployable to community health centers and informal health settings, and staff should require 90% and >80% for sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Other key characteristics, to account for the challenging environment at which the test is targeted, included: i time-to-result <10 min (but maximally <2 hrs; ii storage conditions at 0-40°C, ≤90% non-condensing humidity with a minimal shelf life of 12 months; iii operational conditions of 5-40°C, ≤90% non-condensing humidity; and iv minimal sample collection needs (50-100μL, capillary blood. This expert approach to define assay requirements for a bacterial vs. non-bacterial assay should guide product development, and enable targeted and timely efforts by industry partners and academic institutions.

  17. Does market integration buffer risk, erode traditional sharing practices and increase inequality? A test among Bolivian forager-farmers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurven, Michael; Jaeggi, Adrian V; von Rueden, Chris; Hooper, Paul L; Kaplan, Hillard

    2015-08-01

    Sharing and exchange are common practices for minimizing food insecurity in rural populations. The advent of markets and monetization in egalitarian indigenous populations presents an alternative means of managing risk, with the potential impact of eroding traditional networks. We test whether market involvement buffers several types of risk and reduces traditional sharing behavior among Tsimane Amerindians of the Bolivian Amazon. Results vary based on type of market integration and scale of analysis (household vs. village), consistent with the notion that local culture and ecology shape risk management strategies. Greater wealth and income were unassociated with the reliance on others for food, or on reciprocity, but wealth was associated with a greater proportion of food given to others (i.e., giving intensity) and a greater number of sharing partners (i.e., sharing breadth). Across villages, greater mean income was negatively associated with reciprocity, but economic inequality was positively associated with giving intensity and sharing breadth. Incipient market integration does not necessarily replace traditional buffering strategies but instead can often enhance social capital.

  18. Conserving the birds of Uganda's banana-coffee arc: land sparing and land sharing compared.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark F Hulme

    Full Text Available Reconciling the aims of feeding an ever more demanding human population and conserving biodiversity is a difficult challenge. Here, we explore potential solutions by assessing whether land sparing (farming for high yield, potentially enabling the protection of non-farmland habitat, land sharing (lower yielding farming with more biodiversity within farmland or a mixed strategy would result in better bird conservation outcomes for a specified level of agricultural production. We surveyed forest and farmland study areas in southern Uganda, measuring the population density of 256 bird species and agricultural yield: food energy and gross income. Parametric non-linear functions relating density to yield were fitted. Species were identified as "winners" (total population size always at least as great with agriculture present as without it or "losers" (total population sometimes or always reduced with agriculture present for a range of targets for total agricultural production. For each target we determined whether each species would be predicted to have a higher total population with land sparing, land sharing or with any intermediate level of sparing at an intermediate yield. We found that most species were expected to have their highest total populations with land sparing, particularly loser species and species with small global range sizes. Hence, more species would benefit from high-yield farming if used as part of a strategy to reduce forest loss than from low-yield farming and land sharing, as has been found in Ghana and India in a previous study. We caution against advocacy for high-yield farming alone as a means to deliver land sparing if it is done without strong protection for natural habitats, other ecosystem services and social welfare. Instead, we suggest that conservationists explore how conservation and agricultural policies can be better integrated to deliver land sparing by, for example, combining land-use planning and agronomic

  19. The implications of automation for economic growth and the labor share of income

    OpenAIRE

    Prettner, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    We introduce automation into the standard Solovian model of capital accumulation and show that (i) there is the possibility of perpetual growth, even in the absence of technological progress; (ii) the long-run economic growth rate declines with population growth, which is consistent with the available empirical evidence; (iii) there is a unique share of savings diverted to automation that maximizes the long-run growth rate of the economy; (iv) the labor share declines with automation to an ex...

  20. Rethinking the Sharing Economy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kornberger, Martin; Leixnering, Stephan; Meyer, Renate

    2017-01-01

    Our paper focuses on a non-standard sharing example that harbors the potential to disrupt received wisdom on the sharing economy. While originally entering the field to analyze, broadly from a governance perspective, how the 2015 refugee crisis was handled in Vienna, Austria, we found that the no...... of sharing: economic and moral. Our paper contributes to this Special Issue of the Academy of Management Discoveries by highlighting and explaining the two-fold economic and moral nature of sharing and the organization of sharing between movement and platform....... sharing of resources (i.e., the economic dimension): the sharing of a distinct concern (i.e., the moral dimension of sharing). Our discovery exemplifies such a moral dimension that is rather different from the status quo materialistic treatments focusing on economic transactions and property rights...