RNA-Seq analysis of isolate- and growth phase-specific differences in the global transcriptomes of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli prototype isolates

Science.gov (United States)

Hazen, Tracy H.; Daugherty, Sean C.; Shetty, Amol; Mahurkar, Anup A.; White, Owen; Kaper, James B.; Rasko, David A.

2015-01-01

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are a leading cause of diarrheal illness among infants in developing countries. E. coli isolates classified as typical EPEC are identified by the presence of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and the bundle-forming pilus (BFP), and absence of the Shiga-toxin genes, while the atypical EPEC also encode LEE but do not encode BFP or Shiga-toxin. Comparative genomic analyses have demonstrated that EPEC isolates belong to diverse evolutionary lineages and possess lineage- and isolate-specific genomic content. To investigate whether this genomic diversity results in significant differences in global gene expression, we used an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach to characterize the global transcriptomes of the prototype typical EPEC isolates E2348/69, B171, C581-05, and the prototype atypical EPEC isolate E110019. The global transcriptomes were characterized during laboratory growth in two different media and three different growth phases, as well as during adherence of the EPEC isolates to human cells using in vitro tissue culture assays. Comparison of the global transcriptomes during these conditions was used to identify isolate- and growth phase-specific differences in EPEC gene expression. These analyses resulted in the identification of genes that encode proteins involved in survival and metabolism that were coordinately expressed with virulence factors. These findings demonstrate there are isolate- and growth phase-specific differences in the global transcriptomes of EPEC prototype isolates, and highlight the utility of comparative transcriptomics for identifying additional factors that are directly or indirectly involved in EPEC pathogenesis. PMID:26124752

Genetic Differences Between Humans and Great Apes -- Implications for the Evolution of Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Varki, Ajit

2004-06-01

At the level of individual protein sequences, humans are 97-100% identical to the great apes, our closest evolutionary relatives. The evolution of humans (and of human intelligence) from a common ancestor with the chimpanzee and bonobo involved many steps, influenced by interactions amongst factors of genetic, developmental, ecological, microbial, climatic, behavioral, cultural and social origin. The genetic factors can be approached by direct comparisons of human and great ape genomes, genes and gene products, and by elucidating biochemical and biological consequences of any differences found. We have discovered multiple genetic and biochemical differences between humans and great apes, particularly with respect to a family of cell surface molecules called sialic acids, as well as in the metabolism of thyroid hormones. The hormone differences have potential consequences for human brain development. The differences in sialic acid biology have multiple implications for the human condition, ranging from susceptibility or resistance to microbial pathogens, effects on endogenous receptors in the immune system, and potential effects on placental signaling, expression of oncofetal antigens in cancers, consequences of dietary intake of animal foods, and development of the mammalian brain.

High Levels of Antibiotic Resistance but No Antibiotic Production Detected Along a Gypsum Gradient in Great Onyx Cave, KY, USA

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Kathleen Lavoie

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A preliminary study of antibiotic production and antibiotic resistance was conducted in Great Onyx Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park, KY, to determine if gypsum (CaSO4∙2H2O affects these bacterial activities. The cave crosses through the width of Flint Ridge, and passages under the sandstone caprock are dry with different amounts of gypsum. The Great Kentucky Desert hypothesis posits that gypsum limits the distribution of invertebrates in the central areas of Great Onyx Cave. Twenty-four bacterial isolates were cultivated from swabs and soils. Using three methods (soil crumb, soil crumb with indicator bacteria, and the cross-streak method using isolated bacteria we did not detect any production of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance was widespread, with all 24 isolates resistant to a minimum of two antibiotics of seven tested, with three isolates resistant to all. Antibiotic resistance was high and not correlated with depth into the cave or the amount of gypsum. The Great Kentucky Desert hypothesis of the negative effects of gypsum seems to have no impact on bacterial activity.

Human and great ape red blood cells differ in plasmalogen levels and composition.

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Moser, Ann B; Steinberg, Steven J; Watkins, Paul A; Moser, Hugo W; Ramaswamy, Krishna; Siegmund, Kimberly D; Lee, D Rick; Ely, John J; Ryder, Oliver A; Hacia, Joseph G

2011-06-17

Plasmalogens are ether phospholipids required for normal mammalian developmental, physiological, and cognitive functions. They have been proposed to act as membrane antioxidants and reservoirs of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as influence intracellular signaling and membrane dynamics. Plasmalogens are particularly enriched in cells and tissues of the human nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Humans with severely reduced plasmalogen levels have reduced life spans, abnormal neurological development, skeletal dysplasia, impaired respiration, and cataracts. Plasmalogen deficiency is also found in the brain tissue of individuals with Alzheimer disease. In a human and great ape cohort, we measured the red blood cell (RBC) levels of the most abundant types of plasmalogens. Total RBC plasmalogen levels were lower in humans than bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, but higher than orangutans. There were especially pronounced cross-species differences in the levels of plasmalogens with a C16:0 moiety at the sn-1 position. Humans on Western or vegan diets had comparable total RBC plasmalogen levels, but the latter group showed moderately higher levels of plasmalogens with a C18:1 moiety at the sn-1 position. We did not find robust sex-specific differences in human or chimpanzee RBC plasmalogen levels or composition. Furthermore, human and great ape skin fibroblasts showed only modest differences in peroxisomal plasmalogen biosynthetic activity. Human and chimpanzee microarray data indicated that genes involved in plasmalogen biosynthesis show cross-species differential expression in multiple tissues. We propose that the observed differences in human and great ape RBC plasmalogens are primarily caused by their rates of biosynthesis and/or turnover. Gene expression data raise the possibility that other human and great ape cells and tissues differ in plasmalogen levels. Based on the phenotypes of humans and rodents with plasmalogen disorders, we propose that cross

Human and great ape red blood cells differ in plasmalogen levels and composition

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Ely John J

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmalogens are ether phospholipids required for normal mammalian developmental, physiological, and cognitive functions. They have been proposed to act as membrane antioxidants and reservoirs of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as influence intracellular signaling and membrane dynamics. Plasmalogens are particularly enriched in cells and tissues of the human nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Humans with severely reduced plasmalogen levels have reduced life spans, abnormal neurological development, skeletal dysplasia, impaired respiration, and cataracts. Plasmalogen deficiency is also found in the brain tissue of individuals with Alzheimer disease. Results In a human and great ape cohort, we measured the red blood cell (RBC levels of the most abundant types of plasmalogens. Total RBC plasmalogen levels were lower in humans than bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, but higher than orangutans. There were especially pronounced cross-species differences in the levels of plasmalogens with a C16:0 moiety at the sn-1 position. Humans on Western or vegan diets had comparable total RBC plasmalogen levels, but the latter group showed moderately higher levels of plasmalogens with a C18:1 moiety at the sn-1 position. We did not find robust sex-specific differences in human or chimpanzee RBC plasmalogen levels or composition. Furthermore, human and great ape skin fibroblasts showed only modest differences in peroxisomal plasmalogen biosynthetic activity. Human and chimpanzee microarray data indicated that genes involved in plasmalogen biosynthesis show cross-species differential expression in multiple tissues. Conclusion We propose that the observed differences in human and great ape RBC plasmalogens are primarily caused by their rates of biosynthesis and/or turnover. Gene expression data raise the possibility that other human and great ape cells and tissues differ in plasmalogen levels. Based on the phenotypes of humans and

Isolation, characterization and toxicity of native Bacillus thuringiensis isolates from different hosts and habitats in Iran

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Ghassemi-Kahrizeh Akbar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, aerobic, facultative anaerobic and endospore-forming bacterium. Different strains of this species have the ability to produce parasporal crystalline inclusions which are toxic to larvae of different insect orders and other invertebrates and cause rapid death of the host. To determine the importance of this species in microbial control, we collected native strains and studied their virulence on the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. More than 148 samples were collected from Alborz, Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces. Experimental samples, including soil samples from forests, fruit gardens, agricultural fields, diseased and dead larvae, were transferred to a laboratory in sterile plastic containers. For evaluating B. thuringiensis isolates virulence, a cabbage leaf dip method with 106 cell · ml−1 concentration of various Bt isolates was applied to diamondback moths. Larval mortality was recorded 72 h after treatment. Based on bioassay results, all isolates were classified into three high, medium and low virulence groups. Protein level characterization based on the SDS-PAGE gel analysis showed that two isolates from a high virulence group have proteins of high molecular masses of 121 and 109 kDa. Results revealed that there is a positive correlation between protein masses and virulence of isolates. In addition, this research introduced nine strains that are highly toxic to P. xylostella and would be valuable as insecticidal agents for controlling lepidopteran pests.

Evidence for mating between isolates of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with different host specificities.

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Cisar, C R; Spiegel, F W; TeBeest, D O; Trout, C

1994-04-01

Individual isolates of the ubiquitous plant pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (teleomorph Glomerella cingulata) can have very restricted host ranges. Isolates that share the same host range are considered to be genetically discrete units, and sexual compatibility has been reported to be limited to individuals that share the same host range. However, we have recently observed that some isolates of C. gloeosporioides that are specifically pathogenic to different, distantly-related hosts are sexually compatible. Ascospore progeny from one such cross were randomly isolated and outcrossing was verified by the reassortment of several RFLP markers among the progeny. In addition, the progeny were analyzed for pathogenicity to parental hosts. The implications of sexual compatibility between C. gloeosporioides isolates with different host specificities on the evolution of Colletotrichum species are discussed.

Biodiversity among Lactobacillus helveticus Strains Isolated from Different Natural Whey Starter Cultures as Revealed by Classification Trees

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Gatti, Monica; Trivisano, Carlo; Fabrizi, Enrico; Neviani, Erasmo; Gardini, Fausto

2004-01-01

Lactobacillus helveticus is a homofermentative thermophilic lactic acid bacterium used extensively for manufacturing Swiss type and aged Italian cheese. In this study, the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of strains isolated from different natural dairy starter cultures used for Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Provolone cheeses was investigated by a classification tree technique. A data set was used that consists of 119 L. helveticus strains, each of which was studied for its physiological characters, as well as surface protein profiles and hybridization with a species-specific DNA probe. The methodology employed in this work allowed the strains to be grouped into terminal nodes without difficult and subjective interpretation. In particular, good discrimination was obtained between L. helveticus strains isolated, respectively, from Grana Padano and from Provolone natural whey starter cultures. The method used in this work allowed identification of the main characteristics that permit discrimination of biotypes. In order to understand what kind of genes could code for phenotypes of technological relevance, evidence that specific DNA sequences are present only in particular biotypes may be of great interest. PMID:14711641

New Toxoplasma gondii genotypes isolated from free-range chickens from the Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: unexpected findings

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Worldwide comparison of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from free range chickens has indicated that T. gondii isolates from Brazil are phenotypically and genetically different than isolates from other countries; most strains from Brazil are pathogenic to mice, there is great genetic variability, most iso...

Virulence of geographically different Cryptosporidium parvum isolates in experimental animal model

Science.gov (United States)

Sayed, Fatma G.; Hamza, Amany I.; Galal, Lamia A.; Sayed, Douaa M.; Gaber, Mona

2016-10-01

Cryptosporidium parvum is a coccidian parasite which causes gastrointestinal disease in humans and a variety of other mammalian species. Several studies have reported different degrees of pathogenicity and virulence among Cryptosporidium species and isolates of the same species as well as evidence of variation in host susceptibility to infection. The study aimed to investigate infectivity and virulence of two Cryptosporidium parvum “Iowa isolate” (CpI) and a “local water isolate” (CpW). Thirty-three Swiss albino mice have been divided into three groups: Negative control Group (C), the CpI group infected with “Iowa isolate “and the CpW group infected with C. parvum oocysts isolated from a local water supply. Infectivity and virulence have been measured by evaluating clinical, parasitological and histological aspects of infection. Significant differences were detected regarding oocysts shedding rate, clinical outcomes, and the histopathological picture of the intestine, lung, and brain. It was concluded that the local water isolate is significantly more virulent than the exported one.

Assessing Social Isolation: Pilot Testing Different Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Harry Owen; Herbers, Stephanie; Talisman, Samuel; Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2016-04-01

Social isolation is a significant public health problem among many older adults; however, most of the empirical knowledge about isolation derives from community-based samples. There has been less attention given to isolation in senior housing communities. The objectives of this pilot study were to test two methods to identify socially isolated residents in low-income senior housing and compare findings about the extent of isolation from these two methods. The first method, self-report by residents, included 47 out of 135 residents who completed in-person interviews. To determine self-report isolation, residents completed the Lubben Social Network Scale 6 (LSNS-6). The second method involved a staff member who reported the extent of isolation on all 135 residents via an online survey. Results indicated that 26% of residents who were interviewed were deemed socially isolated by the LSNS-6. Staff members rated 12% of residents as having some or a lot of isolation. In comparing the two methods, staff members rated 2% of interviewed residents as having a lot of isolation. The combination of self-report and staff report could be more informative than just self-report alone, particularly when participation rates are low. However, researchers should be aware of the potential discrepancy between these two methods.

Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Different Toxigenic and Atoxigenic Isolates of Aspergillus flavus

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Jake C. Fountain

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Drought stress in the field has been shown to exacerbate aflatoxin contamination of maize and peanut. Drought and heat stress also produce reactive oxygen species (ROS in plant tissues. Given the potential correlation between ROS and exacerbated aflatoxin production under drought and heat stress, the objectives of this study were to examine the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2-induced oxidative stress on the growth of different toxigenic (+ and atoxigenic (− isolates of Aspergillus flavus and to test whether aflatoxin production affects the H2O2 concentrations that the isolates could survive. Ten isolates were tested: NRRL3357 (+, A9 (+, AF13 (+, Tox4 (+, A1 (−, K49 (−, K54A (−, AF36 (−, and Aflaguard (−; and one A. parasiticus isolate, NRRL2999 (+. These isolates were cultured under a H2O2 gradient ranging from 0 to 50 mM in two different media, aflatoxin-conducive yeast extract-sucrose (YES and non-conducive yeast extract-peptone (YEP. Fungal growth was inhibited at a high H2O2 concentration, but specific isolates grew well at different H2O2 concentrations. Generally the toxigenic isolates tolerated higher concentrations than did atoxigenic isolates. Increasing H2O2 concentrations in the media resulted in elevated aflatoxin production in toxigenic isolates. In YEP media, the higher concentration of peptone (15% partially inactivated the H2O2 in the media. In the 1% peptone media, YEP did not affect the H2O2 concentrations that the isolates could survive in comparison with YES media, without aflatoxin production. It is interesting to note that the commercial biocontrol isolates, AF36 (−, and Aflaguard (−, survived at higher levels of stress than other atoxigenic isolates, suggesting that this testing method could potentially be of use in the selection of biocontrol isolates. Further studies will be needed to investigate the mechanisms behind the variability among isolates with regard to their degree of oxidative stress

Heterogeneity of proteins expressed by Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates.

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Fernandes, Geisa Ferreira; Do Amaral, Cristiane Candida; Sasaki, Alexandre; Godoy, Patrício Martinez; De Camargo, Zoilo Pires

2009-12-01

The profiles of proteins present in the exoantigens of Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates were studied and compared by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Thirteen isolates from five different regions of Brazil (1,000 to 2,000 km apart) and ten from a more limited region (200 to 400 km apart within the state of São Paulo) were cultured in Sabouraud, M199 and minimum (MM) media. Qualitative and quantitative differences in the expression of proteins, which varied according to the medium and the isolate, were observed. Fractions with the same MW but varying in intensity were detected, as well as fractions present in 1 isolate but absent in others. Dendrograms were constructed and isolates grouped based on the fractions obtained, irrespective of the intensity. The results showed that Brazilian S. schenckii isolates express different protein profiles, a feature also present in isolates from a more restricted region. The exoantigens were found to have a maximum of 15 protein fractions, ranging in MW from 19-220 KDaltons depending on the medium used for the cultures. These data show the great heterogeneity of Brazilian S. schenckii protein expression.

Molecular Variability Among Isolates of Prunus Necrotic Ringspot Virus from Different Prunus spp.

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Aparicio, F; Myrta, A; Di Terlizzi, B; Pallás, V

1999-11-01

ABSTRACT Viral sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction from 25 isolates of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), varying in the symptomatology they cause in six different Prunus spp., were analyzed for restriction fragment polymorphisms. Most of the isolates could be discriminated by using a combination of three different restriction enzymes. The nucleotide sequences of the RNA 4 of 15 of these isolates were determined. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of the RNA 4 and coat proteins (CPs) revealed that all of the isolates clustered into three different groups, represented by three previously sequenced PNRSV isolates: PV32, PE5, and PV96. The PE5-type group was characterized by a 5' untranslated region that was clearly different from that of the other two groups. The PV32-type group was characterized by an extra hexanucleotide consisting of a duplication of the six immediately preceding nucleotides. Although most of the variability was observed in the first third of the CP, the amino acid residues in this region, which were previously thought to be functionally important in the replication cycle of the virus, were strictly conserved. No clear correlation with the type of symptom or host specificity could be observed. The validity of this grouping was confirmed when other isolates recently characterized by other authors were included in these analyses.

Fungal isolates and their toxicity from different ecosystems in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ONOS

2010-08-23

Aug 23, 2010 ... fungal species behave unexpectedly in different ecosystems. That is why the main ... All the isolates from marine environment were non toxic to brine ... by animals or humans. Severe health problems and death have occurred.

Survival and health in liveborn infants with transposition of great arteries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garne, Ester; Loane, Maria A; Nelen, Vera

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe treatment, survival, and morbidity for liveborn infants with isolated transposition of great arteries (TGA). DESIGN: Population-based data from 7 European registries of congenital malformations (EUROCAT). RESULTS: Ninety-seven infants were diagnosed with isolated TGA...

Emergence of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in the North American Great Lakes region is associated with low viral genetic diversity.

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Thompson, Tarin M; Batts, William N; Faisal, Mohamed; Bowser, Paul; Casey, James W; Phillips, Kenneth; Garver, Kyle A; Winton, James; Kurath, Gael

2011-08-29

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a fish rhabdovirus that causes disease in a broad range of marine and freshwater hosts. The known geographic range includes the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and recently it has invaded the Great Lakes region of North America. The goal of this work was to characterize genetic diversity of Great Lakes VHSV isolates at the early stage of this viral emergence by comparing a partial glycoprotein (G) gene sequence (669 nt) of 108 isolates collected from 2003 to 2009 from 31 species and at 37 sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates fell into sub-lineage IVb within the major VHSV genetic group IV. Among these 108 isolates, genetic diversity was low, with a maximum of 1.05% within the 669 nt region. There were 11 unique sequences, designated vcG001 to vcG011. Two dominant sequence types, vcG001 and vcG002, accounted for 90% (97 of 108) of the isolates. The vcG001 isolates were most widespread. We saw no apparent association of sequence type with host or year of isolation, but we did note a spatial pattern, in which vcG002 isolates were more prevalent in the easternmost sub-regions, including inland New York state and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Different sequence types were found among isolates from single disease outbreaks, and mixtures of types were evident within 2 isolates from individual fish. Overall, the genetic diversity of VHSV in the Great Lakes region was found to be extremely low, consistent with an introduction of a new virus into a geographic region with previously naive host populations.

Emergence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in the North American Great Lakes region is associated with low viral genetic diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, T.M.; Batts, W.N.; Faisal, M.; Bowser, P.; Casey, J.W.; Phillips, K.; Garver, K.A.; Winton, J.; Kurath, G.

2011-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a fish rhabdovirus that causes disease in a broad range of marine and freshwater hosts. The known geographic range includes the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and recently it has invaded the Great Lakes region of North Ame­rica. The goal of this work was to characterize genetic diversity of Great Lakes VHSV isolates at the early stage of this viral emergence by comparing a partial glycoprotein (G) gene sequence (669 nt) of 108 isolates collected from 2003 to 2009 from 31 species and at 37 sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates fell into sub-lineage IVb within the major VHSV genetic group IV. Among these 108 isolates, genetic diversity was low, with a maximum of 1.05% within the 669 nt region. There were 11 unique sequences, designated vcG001 to vcG011. Two dominant sequence types, vcG001 and vcG002, accounted for 90% (97 of 108) of the isolates. The vcG001 isolates were most widespread. We saw no apparent association of sequence type with host or year of isolation, but we did note a spatial pattern, in which vcG002 isolates were more prevalent in the easternmost sub-regions, including inland New York state and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Different sequence types were found among isolates from single disease outbreaks, and mixtures of types were evident within 2 isolates from ­individual fish. Overall, the genetic diversity of VHSV in the Great Lakes region was found to be extremely low, consistent with an introduction of a new virus into a geographic region with ­previously naïve host populations.

Biological Traits of Botrytis cinerea Pers. Isolates Differently Sensitive to Dicarboximides

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Brankica Tanović

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A study of biological characteristics of both field and laboratory isolates revealed that highly resistant isolates were morphologically different from their original wild types. The majority of them were less pathogenic and produced less sclerotia than the original ones.Significant negative correlation between osmotic sensitivity and the degree of resistance was recorded. The correlation between micelium growth rate and resistance to dicarboximides was also significant and negative. Growth medium, acidity and growth temperature had less effect on the micelium growth rate of the highly resistant isolates than on the sensitive ones.

Isolation and purification of Echinococcus granulosus antigen B from hydatid cyst fluid using three different methods

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Shirazi, S.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Hydatid cyst, the larval stage of cestodes Echinococcus spp., is recognized as a zoonotic infection in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO has recently classified echinococcosis in a group of neglected tropical diseases. The prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus infection is high in Iran due to the presence of various intermediate hosts in this country. Considering the rising trend of this zoonotic parasitic disease based on national epidemiological studies, diagnosis is of great significance. WHO has suggested the use of specific antigens, especially antigen B (AgB for serological diagnostic tests. In general, AgB is a polymeric lipoprotein, which disintegrates into 8.12, 16, and 20.24 kDa subunits. In the present study, we applied three different methods for AgB isolation from hydatid cyst fluid (HCF and compared their efficacy in AgB isolation. Finally, the protein concentration of this antigen was measured by Bradford assay and confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE. The results showed that the application of polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000 as a thickener agent beside purification of HCF in dialysis bag and filtering and also dialysis against acetate buffer leading to the best quantity in purified antigen B.

Genetic diversity of Actinobacillus lignieresii isolates from different hosts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kokotovic, Branko; Angen, Øystein; Bisgaard, Magne

2011-01-01

Genetic diversity detected by analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) of 54 Actinobacilus lignieresii isolates from different hosts and geographic localities is described. On the basis of variances in AFLP profiles, the strains were grouped in two major clusters; one comprisin...

Floor Response Spectra of a Base Isolated Auxiliary Building in Different Temperature Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Junhee; Choun, Youngsun; Choi, Inkil

2013-01-01

It is necessary to investigate the aging effect of degradation factors and to evaluate the seismic response of base isolated NPPs with age-related degradation. In this study, the seismic responses for NPPs using high damping rubber bearing with age-related degradation in different temperature were investigated by performing a nonlinear time history analysis. The floor response spectrums (FRS) were presented with time in different temperature environments. The degradation of HRB is found to be particularly sensitive to the ambient temperature. The increase of HRB stiffness leads to the increase of FRS it was observed that the seismic demand for equipment located in the AUX was changed. Therefore it is required that the seismic evaluation for the isolation system (e. g. isolators, equipment located in isolated structure) is performed considering the temperature environments. From the seismic fragility analysis, the seismic capacity of cabinet was affected by the degradation of HRB. Therefore the isolators in the isolated buildings should be carefully designed and manufactured considering the degradation during the life time

In Vitro Susceptibility Test of Different Clinical Isolates against Ceftriaxone

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Syed Hakim Masood

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Because of the prevailing penicillin resistance in microorganisms, broad spectrum cephalosporins are used empirically specially in developing countries. The aim of this study is to determine the susceptibility pattern of different gram positive and gram negative pathogens against third generation cephalosporin-ceftriaxone to explore the existing effectiveness of this antibiotic.Methods: 180 clinical isolates of different gram positive and gram negative pathogens including P.mirabilis, S. typhi P.aeruginosa, E. coli, S. aureus and Klebsiella were collected from blood and urine samples of in-patients. 30 isolates of all species were tested against each of six brands of ceftriaxone using in vitro sensitivity tests by disc diffusion method (NCCLS criteria. The susceptibility limit was ≥21 mm zone of inhibition, while moderately susceptible was considered at 20-14 mm, and those isolates which showed >13 mm or no zone of inhibition were resistant to this antibacterial drug.Results: Ceftriaxone was found most effective against S. aureus. While 96.1% of the isolates showed susceptibility towards ceftriaxone, followed by E. coli (95%, P. aeruginosa (92.7%, K. pneumonia (89.4% and S. typhi (87.2%. P. mirabilis showed lowest susceptibility amongst all the test organisms (83.8%.Conclusion: Ceftriaxone can be used as a drug of choice in infections caused by S. aureus, E. coli, P. aurigenosa, K. pneumonia and S. typhi. However, it should be used with other antimicrobial agents in order to increase its effectiveness against P. mirabilis.

Isolate-specific conidiation in Trichoderma in response to different nitrogen sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Steyaert, Johanna M; Weld, Richard J; Stewart, Alison

2010-01-01

A characteristic feature of Trichoderma is the production of concentric rings of conidia in response to alternating light/dark conditions and a single ring of conidia in response to a single burst of light. In this study, conidiation was investigated in four biocontrol isolates (T. hamatum, T. atroviride, T. asperellum, T. virens) and one isolate from the mushroom pathogen species, T. pleuroticola. All five isolates produced concentric conidial rings under alternating light/dark conditions on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), however, in response to a 15min burst of blue light, only T. asperellum and T. virens produced a clearly defined conidial ring. Both T. pleuroticola and T. hamatum photoconidiated in a disk-like fashion and T. atroviride produced a broken ring with a partially filled in appearance. In the presence of primary nitrogen, T. asperellum and T. pleuroticola conidiated in a disk, whereas, when grown in the presence of secondary nitrogen, a ring of conidia was produced. Primary nitrogen promoted photoconidiation and competency to conidiate in response to light appeared dependent on the nitrogen catabolite repression state of the cell. Mycelial injury was also investigated in the same five isolates of Trichoderma on PDA and under different nitrogen statuses. For the first time, we report that conidiation in response to injury is differentially regulated in different isolates/species of Trichoderma. Copyright © 2009 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of ß-Glucans Isolated from Brewer’s Yeast and Dried by Different Methods

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Vesna Zechner-Krpan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Two different procedures have been used for isolation of water-insoluble ß-glucans from brewer’s yeast: alkaline-acidic isolation (AA and alkaline-acidic isolation with mannoprotein removal (AAM. The obtained ß-glucans were then dried by air-drying, lyophilization and combination of sonication and spray-drying. ß-Glucan preparations obtained by AA and AAM isolations had similar values of dry mass, total polysaccharides, proteins and organic elemental microanalysis. The mass fractions of ß-glucan in total polysaccharides were significantly affected by different isolation procedures. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectra of all preparations had the appearance typical for (1→3-ß-D-glucan. Lyophilization and especially air-drying caused a higher degree of agglomeration and changes in ß-glucan microstructure. Sonication followed by spray-drying resulted in minimal structural changes and negligible formation of agglomerates.

Novel protocol for persister cells isolation.

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Silvia J Cañas-Duarte

Full Text Available Bacterial persistence, where a fraction of a population presents a transient resistance to bactericidal substances, has great medical importance due to its relation with the appearance of antibiotic resistances and untreatable bacterial chronic infections. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely unknown in spite of recent advances, in great part because of the difficulty in isolating the very small fraction of the population that is in this state at any given time. Current protocols for persister isolation have resulted in possible biases because of the induction of this state by the protocol itself. Here we present a novel protocol that allows rapid isolation of persister cells both from exponential and stationary phase. Moreover, it is capable of differentiating between type I and type II persister cells, which should allow the field to move beyond its current state of studying only one type. While this protocol prompts a revision of many of the current results, it should greatly facilitate further advances in the field.

Protein profiles of field isolates ofBacillus anthracis from different endemic areas of Indonesia

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M Bhakti Poerwadikarta

1998-03-01

Full Text Available Sonicated cell-free extract proteins of 14 field isolates ofBacillus anthracis from six different endemic areas of Indonesia were analyzed by the use of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE methods . The protein profiles of each field isolate tested demonstrated slightly different at the protein bands with molecular weights of 18, 37, 52, 65 and 70 kDa, and varied between the field isolates and vaccine strains. The variation could provide clues to the source of anthrax transmission whether it was originated from similar strain or not.

Biodegradation of wheat straw by different isolates of Trichoderma spp.

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A.R. Astaraei

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Efficient use of agricultural wastes due to their recycling and possible production of cost effective materials, have economic and ecological advantages. A biological method used for degrading agricultural wastes is a new method for improving the digestibility of these materials and favoring the ease of degradation by other microorganisms. This research was carried out to study the possible biodegradation of wheat straw by different species and isolates of Trichoderma fungi. Two weeks after inoculation of wheat straw by different isolates, oven drying in 75◦C, the samples were weighted and (Acid Detergent Fiber ADF and NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber reductions of each sample under influence of fungal growth were compared with their controls. The results showed that biodegradation of wheat straw were closely related to fungi species and also its isolates. The Reductions in NDF and ADF of wheat straw by T. reesei and T. longibrachiatum were more pronounced compared to others, although T. reesei was superior in ADF of wheat straw reduction. It is concluded that for improving in digestibility and also shortening the timing of composting process, it is recommended to treat the wheat straw with Trichoderma fungi and especially with T. reesei and T. longibrachiatum that performed well and had excellent efficiencies.

Variation in the Distribution of Putative Virulence and Colonization Factors in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Different Categories of Cattle

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Analía I. Etcheverría

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are pathogens of significant public health concern. Several studies have confirmed that cattle are the main reservoir of STEC in Argentina and other countries. Although Shiga toxins represent the primary virulence factors of STEC, the adherence and colonization of the gut are also important in the pathogenesis of the bacteria. The aim of this study was to analyze and to compare the presence of putative virulence factors codified in plasmid -katP, espP, subA, stcE- and adhesins involved in colonization of cattle -efa1, iha- in 255 native STEC strains isolated from different categories of cattle from different production systems. The most prevalent gene in all strains was espP, and the less prevalent was stcE. katP was highly detected in strains isolated from young and rearing calves (33.3%, while subA was predominant in those isolated from adults (71.21%. Strains from young calves showed the highest percentage of efa1 (72.46%, while iha showed a high distribution in strains from rearing calves and adults (87.04 and 98.48% respectively. It was observed that espP and iha were widely distributed throughout all strains, whereas katP, stcE, and efa1 were more associated with the presence of eae and subA with the eae-negative strains. A great proportion of eae-negative strains were isolated from adults -dairy and grazing farms- and from rearing calves -dairy and feedlot-, while mostly of the eae-positive strains were isolated from dairy young calves. Data exposed indicate a correlation between the category of the animal and the production systems with the presence or absence of several genes implicated in adherence and virulence of STEC.

Detection of toxin genes and RAPD analysis of bacillus cereus isolates from different soil types

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Savic Dejana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to detect genes for enterotoxins (hbla, entFM and bceT and for emetic toxin (cer, to determine antibiotic resistance, and to estimate intraspecies diversity in B. cereus isolates by RAPD analysis. B. cereus was identified in 12 out of 117 indigenous Bacillus spp. using the classical microbiological methods and PCR. All isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin, two to tetracyclin and four to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Also, all isolates produced inducible penicillinases and β-lactamase. Toxin genes were detected with PCR. EntFM and cer genes were present in all isolates, hbla in all, but two, and bceT in none. RAPD analysis was performed with four different primers, two of them designed for this study. The intraspecies diversity revealed 10 different patterns at the 90% similarity level. Two separate clusters were formed regardless of a soil type or utilization. The detection of genes encoding toxins in all B. cereus isolates indicated these bacteria as potentially pathogenic and seriously for human health. Regardless of a soil type or utilization, the RAPD analysis showed high intraspecies heterogeneity in B. cereus isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the presence of entero- and emetic toxin genes and genetic heterogeneity in B. cereus isolates from different soil types and different soil utilization in Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR37006

Molecular Characterization of Geographically Different Banana bunchy top virus Isolates in India.

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Selvarajan, R; Mary Sheeba, M; Balasubramanian, V; Rajmohan, R; Dhevi, N Lakshmi; Sasireka, T

2010-10-01

Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) caused by Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is one of the most devastating diseases of banana and poses a serious threat for cultivars like Hill Banana (Syn: Virupakshi) and Grand Naine in India. In this study, we have cloned and sequenced the complete genome comprised of six DNA components of BBTV infecting Hill Banana grown in lower Pulney hills, Tamil Nadu State, India. The complete genome sequence of this hill banana isolate showed high degree of similarity with the corresponding sequences of BBTV isolates originating from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh State, India, and from Fiji, Egypt, Pakistan, and Australia. In addition, sixteen coat protein (CP) and thirteen replicase genes (Rep) sequences of BBTV isolates collected from different banana growing states of India were cloned and sequenced. The replicase sequences of 13 isolates showed high degree of similarity with that of South Pacific group of BBTV isolates. However, the CP gene of BBTV isolates from Shervroy and Kodaikanal hills of Tamil Nadu showed higher amino acid sequence variability compared to other isolates. Another hill banana isolate from Meghalaya state had 23 nucleotide substitutions in the CP gene but the amino acid sequence was conserved. This is the first report of the characterization of a complete genome of BBTV occurring in the high altitudes of India. Our study revealed that the Indian BBTV isolates with distinct geographical origins belongs to the South Pacific group, except Shervroy and Kodaikanal hill isolates which neither belong to the South Pacific nor the Asian group.

Individual differences in the use of social information in foraging by captive great tits

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Marchetti, C.M.; Drent, P.J.

2000-01-01

We investigated individual differences in copying behaviour of captive great tits, Parus major, by analysing their response to a tutor indicating a new feeding site. We used two groups, each di seven male birds, labelled 'fast' and 'slow' explorers based on previous studies in which consistent

Genomic and Phenotypic Variation in Morphogenetic Networks of Two Candida albicans Isolates Subtends Their Different Pathogenic Potential

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Duccio Cavalieri

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The transition from commensalism to pathogenicity of Candida albicans reflects both the host inability to mount specific immune responses and the microorganism’s dimorphic switch efficiency. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing and microarray analysis to investigate the genomic determinants of the phenotypic changes observed in two C. albicans clinical isolates (YL1 and YQ2. In vitro experiments employing epithelial, microglial, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were thus used to evaluate C. albicans isolates interaction with first line host defenses, measuring adhesion, susceptibility to phagocytosis, and induction of secretory responses. Moreover, a murine model of peritoneal infection was used to compare the in vivo pathogenic potential of the two isolates. Genome sequence and gene expression analysis of C. albicans YL1 and YQ2 showed significant changes in cellular pathways involved in environmental stress response, adhesion, filamentous growth, invasiveness, and dimorphic transition. This was in accordance with the observed marked phenotypic differences in biofilm production, dimorphic switch efficiency, cell adhesion, invasion, and survival to phagocyte-mediated host defenses. The mutations in key regulators of the hyphal growth pathway in the more virulent strain corresponded to an overall greater number of budding yeast cells released. Compared to YQ2, YL1 consistently showed enhanced pathogenic potential, since in vitro, it was less susceptible to ingestion by phagocytic cells and more efficient in invading epithelial cells, while in vivo YL1 was more effective than YQ2 in recruiting inflammatory cells, eliciting IL-1β response and eluding phagocytic cells. Overall, these results indicate an unexpected isolate-specific variation in pathways important for host invasion and colonization, showing how the genetic background of C. albicans may greatly affect its behavior both in vitro and in vivo. Based on this approach, we

A high prevalence of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolated from pigs and a low prevalence of antimicrobial resistant E. coli from cattle and sheep in Great Britain at slaughter.

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Enne, Virve I; Cassar, Claire; Sprigings, Katherine; Woodward, Martin J; Bennett, Peter M

2008-01-01

The incidence of antimicrobial resistance and expressed and unexpressed resistance genes among commensal Escherichia coli isolated from healthy farm animals at slaughter in Great Britain was investigated. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among the isolates varied according to the animal species; of 836 isolates from cattle tested only 5.7% were resistant to one or more antimicrobials, while only 3.0% of 836 isolates from sheep were resistant to one or more agents. However, 92.1% of 2480 isolates from pigs were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Among isolates from pigs, resistance to some antimicrobials such as tetracycline (78.7%), sulphonamide (66.9%) and streptomycin (37.5%) was found to be common, but relatively rare to other agents such as amikacin (0.1%), ceftazidime (0.1%) and coamoxiclav (0.2%). The isolates had a diverse range of resistance gene profiles, with tet(B), sul2 and strAB identified most frequently. Seven out of 615 isolates investigated carried unexpressed resistance genes. One trimethoprim-susceptible isolate carried a complete dfrA17 gene but lacked a promoter for it. However, in the remaining six streptomycin-susceptible isolates, one of which carried strAB while the others carried aadA, no mutations or deletions in gene or promoter sequences were identified to account for susceptibility. The data indicate that antimicrobial resistance in E. coli of animal origin is due to a broad range of acquired genes.

Isolation, Identification and Seasonal Distribution of Soilborne Fungi in Different Areas of Erbil Governorate

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Farid M. Toma

2012-10-01

Full Text Available A survey study was undertaken for the isolation and identification of soilborne fungi inhabiting different areas in Erbil, Iraq. A total of 15 soil samples collected seasonally during August 2008-July 2009. Fungi were isolated from soil during this study's period, by soil dilution plate method on selective medium: Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA, eighty-one different genera of fungi were isolated during the four seasons; (30, 33, 70, and 53 genera isolated in (summer, autumn, winter and spring respectively, the most frequently isolated fungi during four seasons were Aspergillus sp. (539x103 colony forming units /g.soil, followed by Penicillium sp. (215x103 cfu/g.soil, Rhizopus spp. (115x103 cfu/g.soil, Emericella spp. (109x103 cfu/g.soil, Fusarium spp. (47x103 cfu/g.soil, and Ulocladium botrytis (47x103 cfu/g.soil, while the least frequently isolated fungal genera were Blakeslea tuningtam, Clasterosporium cyperi, Idriella sp., Naranus cryptomeriae and Torula alternata, (1x103 cfu/g.soil, for each one. Fungi isolated from soil by washing method counted for ninety three species belonging to fifty six genera, among them: Aspergillus sp., Circinella sp., Cunninghamella sp., Mucor spp., Mycelia sterilia, Rhizopus sp.

Is there ethological isolation among Drosophila melanogaster strains reared for more than 35 generations on different food?

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Pavković-Lučić Sofija

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Ethological isolation among three strains of D. melanogaster reared for more than 35 generations on different food (standard cornmeal-agar-yeast medium, banana, and tomato was tested in a series of multiple choice tests. Long-term maintenance on different substrates did not contribute to sexual isolation among three 'nutritional strains', as degrees of ethological isolation (Malogolowkin-Cohen's isolation indices were not statistically significant. Males and females reared on different nutritional resources were equally successful in matings, i.e., significant differences in the number of copulations achieved by males and females from various lines were not observed.

Field study on the epidemiology and pathogenicity of different isolates of bovine Ostertagia spp.

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Al Saqur, I; Armour, J; Bairden, K; Dunn, A M; Jennings, F W; Murray, M

1982-11-01

The epidemiological features of three different isolates of bovine Ostertagia spp under similar initial levels of larval challenge were compared in the field. Two of the isolates, consisting mainly of Ostertagia ostertagi, and a low proportion of Skrjabinagia lyrata conformed in epidemiological behaviour with those investigated by previous workers, though the worm burdens which established did not give rise to the expected clinical signs. The third isolate behaved in a different way, yielding very high faecal egg counts which were followed by high pasture larval counts, heavy worm burdens and severe clinical disease. This isolate, while consisting mainly of O ostertagi and a few S lyrata, also contained a proportion of O leptospicularis, and it is suggested that this species may influence the dynamics of the host-parasite relationship in bovine ostertagiasis.

Cell damage caused by vaginal Candida albicans isolates from women with different symptomatologies.

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Faria, Daniella Renata; Sakita, Karina Mayumi; Akimoto-Gunther, Luciene Setsuko; Kioshima, Érika Seki; Svidzinski, Terezinha Inez Estivalet; Bonfim-Mendonça, Patrícia de Souza

2017-08-01

The present study aimed to characterize cell damage caused by vaginal Candida albicans isolates from women with different symptomatologies. It was evaluated 12 clinical isolates of C. albicans from vaginal samples: 4 from asymptomatic women (AS), 4 from women with a single episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and 4 from women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). We evaluated the ability of C. albicans to adhere to human cervical cancer cells (SiHa), the yeast-SiHa cell interactions and cell damage. All of the clinical isolates presented a high adhesion capacity on SiHa cells. However, clinical isolates from symptomatic women (VVC and RVVC) had higher filamentation after contact (24 h) with SiHa cells and a greater capacity to cause cell damage (>80 %). Clinical isolates from symptomatic women had greater potential to invade SiHa cells, suggesting that they are more pathogenic than AS isolates.

A simple and efficient method for isolating small RNAs from different plant species

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de Folter Stefan

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Small RNAs emerged over the last decade as key regulators in diverse biological processes in eukaryotic organisms. To identify and study small RNAs, good and efficient protocols are necessary to isolate them, which sometimes may be challenging due to the composition of specific tissues of certain plant species. Here we describe a simple and efficient method to isolate small RNAs from different plant species. Results We developed a simple and efficient method to isolate small RNAs from different plant species by first comparing different total RNA extraction protocols, followed by streamlining the best one, finally resulting in a small RNA extraction method that has no need of first total RNA extraction and is not based on the commercially available TRIzol® Reagent or columns. This small RNA extraction method not only works well for plant tissues with high polysaccharide content, like cactus, agave, banana, and tomato, but also for plant species like Arabidopsis or tobacco. Furthermore, the obtained small RNA samples were successfully used in northern blot assays. Conclusion Here we provide a simple and efficient method to isolate small RNAs from different plant species, such as cactus, agave, banana, tomato, Arabidopsis, and tobacco, and the small RNAs from this simplified and low cost method is suitable for downstream handling like northern blot assays.

The Whole-Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis Strain SB1216 Isolated from the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma Reveals the Presence of a Novel Extracellular RNase with Antitumor Activity

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Marasini, Daya; Cornell, Carolyn R.; Oyewole, Opeoluwa; Sheaff, Robert J.; Fakhr, Mohamed K.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The whole-genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis strain SB1216, isolated from the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma, showed the presence of a 3,814,720-bp circular chromosome and no plasmids. The presence of a novel 870-bp extracellular RNase gene is predicted to be responsible for this strain’s antitumor activity.

Diversity of genotypes in CTX-M-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated in different hospitals in Brazil

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Thiago Pavoni Gomes Chagas

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to characterize CTX-M ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae collected from hospitals in different cities of Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-five K. pneumoniae strains isolated from hospitalized patients in six different hospitals of three cities of Brazil were analyzed. ESBL production was confirmed by the standard double-disk synergy test and the Etest®. The MIC50 and MIC90 for ESBL-producing isolates were determined by the Etest® method. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of bacterial isolates were determined using the agar diffusion method according to the CLSI. Screening for blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M genes and class 1 integron was performed by PCR amplification. To determine the genomic diversity of CTX-M-producers, isolates were analyzed by macrorestriction profile analysis following PFGE. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Seventy-one K. pneumoniae isolates were ESBL-producing. PCR and sequencing experiments detected 38 CTX-M-producing K. pneumoniae belonged to groups CTX-M 1, CTX-M 2, CTX-M 8 and CTX-M 9. The association of different types ESBL (CTX-M, SHV and TEM was frequent. All K. pneumoniae isolates carried class 1 integron. PFGE analysis revealed thirty-one clonal types among CTX-M-producing isolates. The data presented herein illustrate the diversity of genotypes of CTX-M producing K. pneumoniae among Brazilians hospitals.

Diversity of fungal endophytes in non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes

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Clay, Keith; Shearin, Zachery; Bourke, Kimberly; Bickford, Wesley A.; Kowalski, Kurt P.

2016-01-01

Plant–microbial interactions may play a key role in plant invasions. One common microbial interaction takes place between plants and fungal endophytes when fungi asymptomatically colonize host plant tissues. The objectives of this study were to isolate and sequence fungal endophytes colonizing non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes region to evaluate variation in endophyte community composition among three host tissue types and three geographical regions. We collected entire ramets from multiple clones and populations, surface sterilized plant tissues, and plated replicate tissue samples from leaves, stems, and rhizomes on corn meal agar plates to culture and isolate fungal endophytes. Isolates were then subjected to Sanger sequencing of the ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Sequences were compared to fungal databases to define operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that were analyzed statistically for community composition. In total, we obtained 173 endophyte isolates corresponding to 55 OTUs, 39 of which were isolated only a single time. The most common OTU corresponded most closely to Sarocladium strictum and comprised 25 % of all fungal isolates. More OTUs were found in stem tissues, but endophyte diversity was greatest in rhizome tissues. PERMANOVA analyses indicated significant differences in endophyte communities among tissue types, geographical regions, and the interaction between those factors, but no differences among individual ramets were detected. The functional role of the isolated endophytes is not yet known, but one genus isolated here (Stagonospora) has been reported to enhance Phragmites growth. Understanding the diversity and functions of Phragmites endophytes may provide targets for control measures based on disrupting host plant/endophyte interactions.

The Whole-Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis Strain SB1216 Isolated from the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma Reveals the Presence of a Novel Extracellular RNase with Antitumor Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Marasini, Daya; Cornell, Carolyn R; Oyewole, Opeoluwa; Sheaff, Robert J; Fakhr, Mohamed K

2017-11-22

The whole-genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis strain SB1216, isolated from the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma, showed the presence of a 3,814,720-bp circular chromosome and no plasmids. The presence of a novel 870-bp extracellular RNase gene is predicted to be responsible for this strain's antitumor activity. Copyright © 2017 Marasini et al.

Identification of bacterial strains isolated from the Mediterranean Sea exhibiting different abilities of biofilm formation.

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Brian-Jaisson, Florence; Ortalo-Magné, Annick; Guentas-Dombrowsky, Linda; Armougom, Fabrice; Blache, Yves; Molmeret, Maëlle

2014-07-01

The Mediterranean Sea has rarely been investigated for the characterization of marine bacteria as compared to other marine environments such as the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. Bacteria recovered from inert surfaces are poorly studied in these environments, when it has been shown that the community structure of attached bacteria can be dissimilar from that of planktonic bacteria present in the water column. The objectives of this study were to identify and characterize marine bacteria isolated from biofilms developed on inert surfaces immersed in the Mediterranean Sea and to evaluate their capacity to form a biofilm in vitro. Here, 13 marine bacterial strains have been isolated from different supports immersed in seawater in the Bay of Toulon (France). Phylogenetic analysis and different biological and physico-chemical properties have been investigated. Among the 13 strains recovered, 8 different genera and 12 different species were identified including 2 isolates of a novel bacterial species that we named Persicivirga mediterranea and whose genus had never been isolated from the Mediterranean Sea. Shewanella sp. and Pseudoalteromonas sp. were the most preponderant genera recovered in our conditions. The phenotypical characterization revealed that one isolate belonging to the Polaribacter genus differed from all the other ones by its hydrophobic properties and poor ability to form biofilms in vitro. Identifying and characterizing species isolated from seawater including from Mediterranean ecosystems could be helpful for example, to understand some aspects of bacterial biodiversity and to further study the mechanisms of biofilm (and biofouling) development in conditions approaching those of the marine environment.

Identification of differences in human and great ape phytanic acid metabolism that could influence gene expression profiles and physiological functions

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Siegmund Kimberly D

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been proposed that anatomical differences in human and great ape guts arose in response to species-specific diets and energy demands. To investigate functional genomic consequences of these differences, we compared their physiological levels of phytanic acid, a branched chain fatty acid that can be derived from the microbial degradation of chlorophyll in ruminant guts. Humans who accumulate large stores of phytanic acid commonly develop cerebellar ataxia, peripheral polyneuropathy, and retinitis pigmentosa in addition to other medical conditions. Furthermore, phytanic acid is an activator of the PPAR-alpha transcription factor that influences the expression of genes relevant to lipid metabolism. Results Despite their trace dietary phytanic acid intake, all great ape species had elevated red blood cell (RBC phytanic acid levels relative to humans on diverse diets. Unlike humans, chimpanzees showed sexual dimorphism in RBC phytanic acid levels, which were higher in males relative to females. Cultured skin fibroblasts from all species had a robust capacity to degrade phytanic acid. We provide indirect evidence that great apes, in contrast to humans, derive significant amounts of phytanic acid from the hindgut fermentation of plant materials. This would represent a novel reduction of metabolic activity in humans relative to the great apes. Conclusion We identified differences in the physiological levels of phytanic acid in humans and great apes and propose this is causally related to their gut anatomies and microbiomes. Phytanic acid levels could contribute to cross-species and sex-specific differences in human and great ape transcriptomes, especially those related to lipid metabolism. Based on the medical conditions caused by phytanic acid accumulation, we suggest that differences in phytanic acid metabolism could influence the functions of human and great ape nervous, cardiovascular, and skeletal systems.

Humoral response of paracoccidioidomycosis sera in hamsters with different Venezuelan isolates

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Lilian M Spencer

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Humoral response of paracoccidioidomycosis sera in hamsters with different Venezuelan isolates. Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM is a progressive systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Paraccocidioides brasiliensis (Pb, endemic to Venezuela and Latin America. In this study, eight different Venezuelan isolates obtained from patients with PCM, were inoculated intraperitoneally in Syrian hamsters (Cricetus auratus and studied by immune-serum. Each strain was collected by gently scraping the surface of the culture medium (Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and suspended in 3ml of 0.15 M phosphate-buffered saline. The antigen obtained was called Paraccocidioides brasiliensis Crude Antigen (CAP. Immunoblotting results showed that the immune-sera from hamsters recognized at least 3 bands: one over 200 kDa, and two of 80 and 15-20 kDa. This study suggests that IgG anti-CAP can reveal a significant variability in the eight Venezuelan isolates. Sera from 88 infected hamsters were evaluated by ELISA with eight different CAPs and Western blot with CAP 37383. ELISA results showed that, the antigen of the virulent isolate 37383 had the highest percentage (38% of positivity, while the non-virulent isolate 1458 had the lowest one (13.6%. Furthermore, scanning densitometry revealed that the isolate 37383 had less bands than the non-virulent isolates. These results suggest that the ELISA test with CAP 37383 can detect circulating antibodies, and that this virulent isolate may be useful for the diagnosis of PCM, and to monitor disease responses to treatments. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (3: 505-513. Epub 2009 September 30.La Paracoccidioidomicosis (PCM, es una micosis sistémica causada por el hongo Paraccocidioides brasiliensis (Pb, endémica en Venezuela y Latino América. En este estudio ocho diferentes aislados venezolanos, obtenidos de pacientes con PCM, fueron inoculados intraperitonealmente en hámsteres y fueron estudiados por ELISA e inmunoblotting. Los antígenos obtenidos de P

Comparative miRNA Analysis of Urine Extracellular Vesicles Isolated through Five Different Methods

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Felix Royo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Urine extracellular vesicles are a valuable low-invasive source of information, especially for the cells of the genitourinary tract. In the search for biomarkers, different techniques have been developed to isolate and characterize the cargo of these vesicles. In the present work, we compare five of these different isolation methods (three commercial isolation kits, ultracentrifugation, and lectin-based purification and perform miRNA profiling using a multiplex miRNA assay. The results showed high correlation through all isolation techniques, and 48 out of 68 miRNAs were detected above the detection limit at least 10 times. The results obtained by multiplex assay were validated through Taqman qPCR. In addition, using this technique combined with a clinically friendly extracellular vesicle (uEV-enrichment method, we performed the analysis of selected miRNAs in urine from patients affected with bladder cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, or prostate cancer. Importantly, we found that those miRNAs could be detected in almost 100% of the samples, and no significant differences were observed between groups. Our results support the feasibility of analyzing exosomes-associated miRNAs using a methodology that requires a small volume of urine and is compatible with a clinical environment and high-throughput analysis.

Immunodominant antigens of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases

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Farshad, S.; Alborzi, A.; Japoni, A.; Hayati, M.; Nasiri, J.; Rafatpour, N.; Saberfirouzi, M.; Lankarani, Kamran B.; Taghavi, Ali R.; Irajian, Gholam R.

2006-01-01

To detect the immunogenic proteins in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from patients with different gastric diseases. We performed this study in the Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, during July 2003 to September 2004. Total proteins of H. pylori strains isolated from the gastric biopsies of 3 groups of patients were separated by 1D-SDS-PAGE and then blotted with the sera of their respective hosts. In SDS-PAGE the members of each group showed high correlation according to similarity in their patterns, resulting in considering them in the same cluster. The patterns of immunoblots differed from that of Coomassie Brilliant Blue stained gels. The blotting method did not recognize some of the protein bands in the SDS-PAGE. Only the bands of 106 and 45 kDa from H. pylori strains isolated from patients with gastric cancer were significantly (p<0.05) recognized specifically with the sera of their respective patients, and the band of 13 kDa was recognized specifically (p<0.05) with the sera of nonulceric patients. With the exception of these bands, in the patterns of blotting of the sera from all patients no significant differences were observed. By using 1D blotting methods we could find 2 antigenic protein bands (106 and 45 kDa) for H. pylori strains isolated from cancerous patients, and one (13 kDa) for the strains isolated from nonulceric patients, which were specifically recognized with their respective host. (author)

Analysis of expression profile of mce operon genes (mce1, mce2, mce3 operon) in different Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates at different growth phases.

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Singh, Pratibha; Katoch, V M; Mohanty, K K; Chauhan, Devendra Singh

2016-04-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) has four homologous mammalian cell entry (mce) operons (mce1-4) that encode exported proteins and have a possible role in the virulence mechanism of this pathogen. The expression of mce operon is considered to be complex and not completely understood. Although expression of mce operon at different in vitro growth phases has been studied earlier, its expression in different M. tuberculosis isolates under different growth phases is not yet studied. The present preliminary study was conducted on a limited number of isolates to know the trend of expression pattern of mce operon genes in different M. tuberculosis isolates under different growth stages. In this study, we monitored the transcriptional profile of selected mce operon genes (mce1A, mce1D, mce2A, mce2D, mce3A, mce3C) in different M.tuberculosis isolates (MDR1, MDR2, and sensitive isolate) at early exponential and stationary phases using real-time quantitative PCR. The expression ratio of all selected mce operon genes in all M. tuberculosis isolates was reduced at the initial phase and increased substantially at a later phase of growth. Higher expression of mce1 operon genes was found in all M. tuberculosis isolates as compared to other mce operon genes (mce2 and mce3 operons) at stationary growth phase. the higher expression of mce operon genes at stationary phase (as compared to early exponential phase) suggested growth phase dependent expression of mce operon genes. This indicated that the mce operon genes might have a role in M. tuberculosis survival and adaptation on the onset of adverse condition like stationary phase. Identification of differentially expressed genes will add to our understanding of the bacilli involved in adaptation to different growth conditions.

Characterization of Macrophomina phaseolina isolates by their response to different osmotic potentials and AFLP

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Bárbara J. Gutiérrez Cedeño

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Charcoal rot of Phaseolus vulgaris is caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, the disease is associated with high temperature and water stress. The objective of this study was to characterize isolates of M. phaseolina by their response to different osmotic potentials and AFLP. The growth of 11 isolates was determined on potato dextrose agar at 48 and 72 h in a gradient of osmotic potential induced using NaCl as well as their effects on germination of sclerotia. Three water groups were statistically different indicating differential response to osmotic potential and all sclerotia grown under these conditions, germinated between 24 and 48h. There were groups of isolates that were tolerant to water stress induced. The AFLP genotyping allowed the formation of five genetic groups, showing a wide genetic variability. Of the nine starters CTA-AT showed a high degree of confidence in the identification of genotypes of M. phaseolina and CAA-AC had the lowest discriminatory power. These results show that M. phaseolina isolates responded differently to osmotic potential and are genetically different between them. Although there was a clear correspondence of genetic groups to water groups; these responses are important features in the search for alternative management in black bean pathosystem. Keywords: molecular marker, M. phaseolina, water deficit

Experimental evidence of biological interactions among different isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi from the Chaco Region.

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Paula G Ragone

Full Text Available Many infectious diseases arise from co-infections or re-infections with more than one genotype of the same pathogen. These mixed infections could alter host fitness, the severity of symptoms, success in pathogen transmission and the epidemiology of the disease. Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, exhibits a high biological variability often correlated with its genetic diversity. Here, we developed an experimental approach in order to evaluate biological interaction between three T. cruzi isolates belonging to different Discrete Typing Units (DTUs TcIII, TcV and TcVI. These isolates were obtained from a restricted geographical area in the Chaco Region. Different mixed infections involving combinations of two isolates (TcIII + TcV, TcIII + TcVI and TcV + TcVI were studied in a mouse model. The parameters evaluated were number of parasites circulating in peripheral blood, histopathology and genetic characterization of each DTU in different tissues by DNA hybridization probes. We found a predominance of TcVI isolate in blood and tissues respect to TcIII and TcV; and a decrease of the inflammatory response in heart when the damage of mice infected with TcVI and TcIII + TcVI mixture were compared. In addition, simultaneous presence of two isolates in the same tissue was not detected. Our results show that biological interactions between isolates with different biological behaviors lead to changes in their biological properties. The occurrence of interactions among different genotypes of T. cruzi observed in our mouse model suggests that these phenomena could also occur in natural cycles in the Chaco Region.

Potential antagonism of some Trichoderma strains isolated from Moroccan soil against three phytopathogenic fungi of great economic importance

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Wafaa MOKHTARI

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, 17 Trichoderma strains were isolated from different soils (crop fields and Argan forests in Morocco. Purified monospore cultures were identified using molecular methods and tested for their potential antagonism against three phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium oxyxporum, verticillium dahlia and rhizoctonia solani. After DNA extraction, translation elongation factor (tef1 was amplified in extracts of 17 strains, sequenced and compared with their ex-types. As a result, three species were identified among the strains, which clustered in two different subclades of Trichoderma: the species T. afroharzianum, and T. guizhouense belong to the Harzianum clade, while T. longibrachiatum belongs to the Longibrachiatum clade. Investigation of potential antagonistic effects of these strains against the soil-borne phytopathogens F. oxysporum, R. solani and V. dahliae was conducted in a dual culture plate assay, using 17 promising Trichoderma strains that have been selected based on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR screening approach. In vitro, Trichoderma isolates showed effective antagonistic performance by decreasing soil borne pathogens mycelium radial growth. Trichoderma afroharzianum showed the highest Percentage of Radial Inhibition Growth (PRIG %. The highest PRIG% = 98% was for 8A2.3 isolate against R. solani and the lowest PRIG%= 67% for T9i10 against F. oxysporum. On the other hand, T9i12, which is T. reesei species, led to a high radial inhibition of pathogens’ mycelium.

Biosynthesis of Bio surfactant by Egyptian Local Bacterial Isolates Using Different Agricultural Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shahawy, M.R.

2014-01-01

Fifteen bacterial isolates were isolated from sea water from the coast of the General Petroleum Company on Suez Gulf. They were screened for bio surfactant production using emulsification activity and haemolytic activity. The most potent isolate B11 were selected according to two parameters: The ability to grow and produce surfactant and its haemolytic activity on blood agar plates. The isolate B11 was characterized and identified as Bacillus licheniformis according to API system. The isolate was subjected to different doses of gamma irradiation in a trial to improve its ability for bio surfactant production which resulted in a passive effect on bio surfactant production. Three types of agricultural wastes (Rice straw, Cane Bagasse, Corn straw) were used as fertilizers for bio surfactant biosynthesis by the promising isolate in concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 g/l. At five g/l concentration cane bagasse gave high production of bio surfactant with maximum capacity at (32%) flowed by rice straw at 18% and corn straw at 9.8 %.

Integrative transcriptome and proteome analyses define marked differences between Neospora caninum isolates throughout the tachyzoite lytic cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Horcajo, P; Xia, D; Randle, N; Collantes-Fernández, E; Wastling, J; Ortega-Mora, L M; Regidor-Cerrillo, J

2017-11-14

Neospora caninum is one of the main causes of transmissible abortion in cattle. Intraspecific variations in virulence have been widely shown among N. caninum isolates. However, the molecular basis governing such variability have not been elucidated to date. In this study label free LC-MS/MS was used to investigate proteome differences between the high virulence isolate Nc-Spain7 and the low virulence isolate Nc-Spain1H throughout the tachyzoite lytic cycle. The results showed greater differences in the abundance of proteins at invasion and egress with 77 and 62 proteins, respectively. During parasite replication, only 19 proteins were differentially abundant between isolates. The microneme protein repertoire involved in parasite invasion and egress was more abundant in the Nc-Spain1H isolate, which displays a lower invasion rate. Rhoptry and dense granule proteins, proteins related to metabolism and stress responses also showed differential abundances between isolates. Comparative RNA-Seq analyses during tachyzoite egress were also performed, revealing an expression profile of genes associated with the bradyzoite stage in the low virulence Nc-Spain1H isolate. The differences in proteome and RNA expression profiles between these two isolates reveal interesting insights into likely mechanisms involved in specific phenotypic traits and virulence in N. caninum. The molecular basis that governs biological variability in N. caninum and the pathogenesis of neosporosis has not been well-established yet. This is the first study in which high throughput technology of LC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq is used to investigate differences in the proteome and transcriptome between two well-characterized isolates. Both isolates displayed different proteomes throughout the lytic cycle and the transcriptomes also showed marked variations but were inconsistent with the proteome results. However, both datasets identified a pre-bradyzoite status of the low virulence isolate Nc-Spain1H. This study

Association of social isolation and health across different racial and ethnic groups of older Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyawaki, Christina E

2015-11-01

Social isolation is a social and public health problem that affects people of all ages, especially elders. Previous studies have found that social isolation across numerous industrialised countries is associated with negative health outcomes. However, it is unknown whether and how this association differs by race/ethnicity and age. To begin to address this gap, this study examines the association of social isolation and physical and mental health among Black, White and Hispanic elders in the United States of America. Building on Cornwell and Waite's perceived isolation and social disconnectedness dimension model of social isolation, the author used multi-stage survey data from a nationally representative sample of 3,005 community-residing adults aged 57-85 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Tests for association were conducted on health by age, gender, marital status, education and race/ethnicity separately. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to test the association of social isolation and health exclusively and separately among these three groups. Results showed that social isolation is strongly associated with physical and mental health. Both perceived isolation and social disconnectedness had a significant negative association with physical and mental health among White elders. For Blacks, social disconnectedness is negatively associated with their physical health while perceived isolation had a negative association with mental health. Among Hispanic elders, there seemed to be no association between social isolation and physical health, but a significant negative association was found with their mental health. Despite various associated patterns, however, social isolation overall was associated with health outcomes that were similar across three elder groups. By identifying factors influencing social isolation and health among minority older Americans, this study has relevance to the development of culturally sensitive health

Congestive heart failure effects on atrial fibroblast phenotype: differences between freshly-isolated and cultured cells.

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Kristin Dawson

Full Text Available Fibroblasts are important in the atrial fibrillation (AF substrate resulting from congestive heart failure (CHF. We previously noted changes in in vivo indices of fibroblast function in a CHF dog model, but could not detect changes in isolated cells. This study assessed CHF-induced changes in the phenotype of fibroblasts freshly isolated from control versus CHF dogs, and examined effects of cell culture on these differences.Left-atrial fibroblasts were isolated from control and CHF dogs (ventricular tachypacing 240 bpm × 2 weeks. Freshly-isolated fibroblasts were compared to fibroblasts in primary culture. Extracellular-matrix (ECM gene-expression was assessed by qPCR, protein by Western blot, fibroblast morphology with immunocytochemistry, and K(+-current with patch-clamp. Freshly-isolated CHF fibroblasts had increased expression-levels of collagen-1 (10-fold, collagen-3 (5-fold, and fibronectin-1 (3-fold vs. control, along with increased cell diameter (13.4 ± 0.4 µm vs control 8.4 ± 0.3 µm and cell spreading (shape factor 0.81 ± 0.02 vs. control 0.87 ± 0.02, consistent with an activated phenotype. Freshly-isolated control fibroblasts displayed robust tetraethylammonium (TEA-sensitive K(+-currents that were strongly downregulated in CHF. The TEA-sensitive K(+-current differences between control and CHF fibroblasts were attenuated after 2-day culture and eliminated after 7 days. Similarly, cell-culture eliminated the ECM protein-expression and shape differences between control and CHF fibroblasts.Freshly-isolated CHF and control atrial fibroblasts display distinct ECM-gene and morphological differences consistent with in vivo pathology. Culture for as little as 48 hours activates fibroblasts and obscures the effects of CHF. These results demonstrate potentially-important atrial-fibroblast phenotype changes in CHF and emphasize the need for caution in relating properties of cultured fibroblasts to in vivo systems.

Root anatomy and element distribution vary between two Salix caprea isolates with different Cd accumulation capacities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaculík, Marek; Konlechner, Cornelia; Langer, Ingrid; Adlassnig, Wolfram; Puschenreiter, Markus; Lux, Alexander; Hauser, Marie-Theres

2012-01-01

The understanding of the influence of toxic elements on root anatomy and element distribution is still limited. This study describes anatomical responses, metal accumulation and element distribution of rooted cuttings of Salix caprea after exposure to Cd and/or Zn. Differences in the development of apoplastic barriers and tissue organization in roots between two distinct S. caprea isolates with divergent Cd uptake and accumulation capacities in leaves might reflect an adaptive predisposition based on different natural origins. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that Cd and Zn interfered with the distribution of elements in a tissue- and isolate-specific manner. Zinc, Ca, Mg, Na and Si were enriched in the peripheral bark, K and S in the phloem and Cd in both vascular tissues. Si levels were lower in the superior Cd translocator. Since the cuttings originated from stocks isolated from polluted and unpolluted sites we probably uncovered different strategies against toxic elements. - Highlights: ► We describe responses in roots of S. caprea exposed to Cd and Zn. ► Apoplastic barrier development varied among isolates from differently polluted sites. ► EDX analyses revealed variations of element distributions in root tissues. ► Si weight% was lower in the isolate with a higher Cd translocation capacity. ► S. caprea isolates possessed different strategies to respond to Cd and Zn. - S. caprea altered element distribution and translocation, apoplastic barrier development and root anatomy upon Cd and/or Zn exposure.

Sexual Compatibility among Different Host-Originated Isolates of Aphelenchoides besseyi and the Inheritance of the Parasitism

OpenAIRE

Hsieh, Shu-Hua; Lin, Chun-Ju; Chen, Peichen

2012-01-01

Nine isolates of Aphelenchoides besseyi from two different hosts were studied. The isolates were identified at the species level according to morphometrics and fine structures observed under a scanning electron microscope. Two fern-originated isolates, Fu, and Fm, one rice-originated isolate, Rl, were not able to reproduce from a single juvenile, based on at least 50 replicates. The other six isolates were able to develop into a small population when inoculated with a single juvenile, demonst...

Estimation of the ancestral effective population sizes of African great apes under different selection regimes.

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Schrago, Carlos G

2014-08-01

Reliable estimates of ancestral effective population sizes are necessary to unveil the population-level phenomena that shaped the phylogeny and molecular evolution of the African great apes. Although several methods have previously been applied to infer ancestral effective population sizes, an analysis of the influence of the selective regime on the estimates of ancestral demography has not been thoroughly conducted. In this study, three independent data sets under different selective regimes were used were composed to tackle this issue. The results showed that selection had a significant impact on the estimates of ancestral effective population sizes of the African great apes. The inference of the ancestral demography of African great apes was affected by the selection regime. The effects, however, were not homogeneous along the ancestral populations of great apes. The effective population size of the ancestor of humans and chimpanzees was more impacted by the selection regime when compared to the same parameter in the ancestor of humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Because the selection regime influenced the estimates of ancestral effective population size, it is reasonable to assume that a portion of the discrepancy found in previous studies that inferred the ancestral effective population size may be attributable to the differential action of selection on the genes sampled.

Isolation and Screening of Thermo-Stable Cellulase Enzyme Fungal Producer at Different Temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noor Ashiqin Jamroo; Noor Azrimi Umor; Kamsani

2015-01-01

Thermo stable cellulase from fungi has high potential for industrial application. In this study, wild -type of fungal were isolate from different sources such as hot spring water, sea water, soft wood, rice straw and cow dung. The isolates were characterized by cultural and morphological observation. Based on morphological characteristics, the genera of all fungal cultures were identified namely Aspergillus fumigatus. The screening for thermo stable cellulase were done using 2 % carboxymethyl cellulose and congo red as an indicator at temperature 30, 37, 45 and 50 degree Celsius respectively. Out of 26 fungal isolates, only eight isolates were selected for further screening and showed the abilities to secrete cellulases by forming distinct halo zones on selective agar plate. The maximum halo zone ranging from 32 mm to 35 mm were obtained after 72 hour incubation at 50 degree Celsius by H2, SW1 and C1 isolates. As contrary other isolates showed halo zone range from 22 mm to 29 mm at same temperature. All the isolates showed the abilities to secrete cellulase enzyme at other temperature but lower when compared to 50 degree Celsius referred to the halo zone obtained. The SW1 isolates showed highest cellulolytic index which was 2.93 measured at 37 degree Celsius and 2.67 at 50 degree Celsius respectively. (author)

Molecular identification of Trichuris vulpis and Trichuris suis isolated from different hosts.

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Cutillas, Cristina; de Rojas, Manuel; Ariza, Concepción; Ubeda, José Manuel; Guevara, Diego

2007-01-01

Trichuris suis was isolated from the cecum of two different hosts (Sus scrofa domestica -- swine and Sus scrofa scrofa -- wild boar) and Trichuris vulpis from dogs in Sevilla, Spain. Genomic DNA was isolated and internal transcribed spacers (ITS)1-5.8S-ITS2 segment from the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was amplified and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction techniques. The sequence of T. suis from both hosts was 1,396 bp in length while that of T. vulpis was 1,044 bp. ITS1 of both populations isolated of T. suis was 661 nucleotides in length, while the ITS2 was 534 nucleotides in length. Furthermore, the ITS1 of T. vulpis was 410 nucleotides in length, while the ITS2 was 433 nucleotides in length. One hundred fifty-four nucleotides were observed along the 5.8S gene of T. suis and T. vulpis. Intraindividual and intraspecific variations were detected in the rDNA of both species. The presence of microsatellites was observed in all the individuals assayed. Sequence analysis of the ITSs and the 5.8S gene has demonstrated no sequence differences between T. suis isolated from both hosts (S. scrofa domestica -- swine and S. scrofa scrofa -- wild boar). Nevertheless, clear differences were detected between the ITS1 and ITS2 of T. suis and T. vulpis. Furthermore, a comparative molecular analysis between both species and the previously published ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequence data of Trichuris ovis, Trichuris leporis, Trichuris muris, Trichuris arvicolae, and Trichuris skrjabini was carried out. A common homology zone was detected in the ITS1 sequence of all species of trichurids.

[Isolation and physiological characteristics of endophytic actinobacteria from medicinal plants].

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Huijing; Su, Jing; Yu, Liyan; Zhang, Yuqin

2013-01-04

To isolate, incubate and characterize cultivable endophytic antinobacteria from medicinal plants, and analyze the diversity of the endophytic antinobacteria, then explore the novel microbial resources. Ten media were used to isolate endophytic antinobacteria from 37 fresh medicinal plant tissue samples. The optimal cultivation conditions for endophytic antinobacteria were determined by comparison. Based on the morphology of the colonies and cells of the new isolates, we chose 174 isolates to analyze their 16S rRNA gene sequences and the diversity of the medicinal plant endophytic antinobacteria. The physiological characteristics of 27 representative strains were studied using Biolog GEN III MicroPlates, API 50CH and API ZYM kits. In total 940 endophytics affiliated to 47 genera of 30 families were isolated, among which more than 600 actinobacteria belonged to 34 genera and 7 unknown taxa. Good growth of the endophytic antinobacteria on PYG (peptone-yeast-glycerol) medium with pH 7.2 at 28-32 degrees C was observed. Physiological characteristics differences of these isolates related to their phylogenetic relationships. Greater differences were shown among the strains from the same host plants than those from differ,ent plants grown in the same area. There are great diverse endophytic actinobacteria inside the medicinal plants. No direct relationship of the endophytic actinobacteria from medicinal plants with the host plants in the sole carbon source utilization, fermentation of carbon sources to produce acid and the enzyme activities was found, while it seemed that the physiological characteristics of the isolates related to the geographical distribution of their host.

Antibiotic resistance of Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from different animals gastrointestinal tracts

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Lukáš Hleba

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In this study we monitored antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from different animals gastrointestinal tracts  (GIT. We isolated Enterobacteriaceae from chicken, ducks, lambs, pigs, sheeps, cows and rabbits collected from slovakian farms. Enterobacteriaceae strains were cultivated on MacConkey agar at 35° ± 2°C at 24 hours. Pure cultures of Enterobacteriaceae strains were obtained by four-way streak method on Chromogenic coliform agar. Identification of purified Enterobacteriaceae strains were done by Enterotest 24 and MALDI TOF MS. For susceptibility testing disk diffusion method was used according by EUCAST. We determined the most resistance in Enterobacteriaceae strains against streptomycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, piperecillin, levofloxacine, chloramphenicol and smaller level of resistance against amikacin, ceftriaxone and ofloxacine. Equally we detected resistance to more antibiotics in one strain. The most resistance was Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium. Also E. coli was resistance against four antibiotics and Raoultella ornithinolytica too. Antibiotic resistance was found in other isolated strains too.

Isolation and characterization of microorganisms and volatiles associated with Moroccan saffron during different processing treatments.

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Fancello, Francesco; Petretto, Giacomo; Sanna, Maria Lina; Pintore, Giorgio; Lage, Mounira; Zara, Severino

2018-05-20

Saffron may be spoiled by a variety of microorganisms during cultivation, harvesting, and post harvesting. As saffron can be dried and stored in different ways, this preliminary study explored the natural microbiota present in Moroccan saffron when subjected to different drying techniques. An analysis of the carotenoid-derived volatiles present in the saffron was also carried out. The culturable microbiota of the saffron samples dried using different methods, namely in the shade (also called natural), in the sun, or in the oven, were studied using classical and molecular approaches. The effect of the drying methods on head-space chemical volatiles was also determined. Eighty-two isolates grown in the different culture media were chosen from the colonies, and genotype analysis grouped the microorganisms into 58 clusters, revealing a wide diversity. Out of the 82 isolates, 75 belonged to the Bacillaceae family. The other isolates were distributed within the Dietziaceae, Paenibacillaceae and Carnobacteriaceae families. The dominant species was Bacillus simplex, which was detected in all samples, regardless of the drying method used. Lysinibacillus macroides was dominant in the sun-dried saffron. No pathogens were isolated, but an isolate belonging to Dietzia maris, a potential human pathogenic species, was detected. The biodiversity indexes were linked to the drying method and generally decreased as the intensity of the treatment increased. The results of this preliminary work show that the different drying methods strongly influenced the microbiota and affect the saffron volatile profile. Further analysis will be needed to determine possible effects of selected microbiota on saffron volatiles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides isolated from green pepper in different culture media, temperatures, and light regimes

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Mello Alexandre Furtado Silveira

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Control of anthracnose in green pepper involves the use of resistant varieties and/or fungicides. The selection of varieties and efficient products demands great amounts of conidia as inoculum. It is thus necessary to optimize the production of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides conidia in the laboratory, establishing the best conditions for fungus development. The present study aimed at determining the most favorable culture media, temperature, and light conditions for the production of fungus inoculum. The fungus was isolated from green pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L. and transferred to four culture media (PDA, oat, filtered pepper extract, and autoclaved pepper extract, under different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35ºC and light conditions (24h dark, and 24h light. Colony growth was evaluated after 7 and 12 days of incubation. No differences were found between the culture media. However, the greatest number of conidia was obtained from colonies grown in oat medium at 25ºC. Temperatures of 20 and 25ºC were the most favorable for colony growth and sporulation. Higher sporulation was obtained under incubation in constant light. Cultivation of C. gloeosporioides in oat medium, at 25ºC, and constant light is recommended.

The effect of patch isolation on epifaunal colonization in two different seagrass ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gustafsson, Camilla; Salo, Tiina

2012-01-01

The macrofaunal colonization of isolated habitats is affected by many factors, ranging from distance to the nearest source population to the dispersal mechanism of the species. We investigated the initial epifaunal colonization at two sites, one situated in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and the other...... in the Northern Baltic Sea. At each site, artificial seagrass units were placed at 10- and 0-m distances from a continuous seagrass meadow, as well as inside the meadow over a 5-day colonization time. With the exception of amphipods in Gulf of Mexico, patch isolation had a negative effect on colonization...... for the other faunal species, irrespective of the sites. This inverse colonization pattern of amphipods suggests that they are not equally sensitive to patch isolation in different regions. Our results indicate that increasing habitat isolation can have serious consequences for the community composition...

Genetic differences between avian and human isolates of Candida dubliniensis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McManus, Brenda A

2009-09-01

When Candida dubliniensis isolates obtained from seabird excrement and from humans in Ireland were compared by using multilocus sequence typing, 13 of 14 avian isolates were genetically distinct from human isolates. The remaining avian isolate was indistinguishable from a human isolate, suggesting that transmission may occur between humans and birds.

Independent colonization and extensive cryptic speciation of freshwater amphipods in the isolated groundwater springs of Australia's Great Artesian Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Nicholas P; Adams, Mark; Austin, Andrew D

2009-01-01

The groundwater-dependent springs of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) in arid inland Australia represent a unique and threatened ecosystem. These incredibly isolated springs support a diverse array of endemic flora and fauna. One of the common faunal groups in the GAB springs is the freshwater amphipods of the family Chiltoniidae. The morphological conservatism and taxonomic uncertainty associated with these amphipods has ensured their true biodiversity, phylogeographical history and evolutionary affinities have remained unknown. We have used mitochondrial DNA and allozyme data to unravel a complicated history of isolation, extinction and dispersal among spring amphipod populations across the GAB. The results provide evidence for multiple independent colonizations in the GAB springs, particularly within the Lake Eyre group of springs. The inclusion of a group of Western Australian (WA) stygobitic amphipods from populations up to 1500 km away found surprising evidence for a shared evolutionary history between stygobitic and GAB spring amphipods. Approximate dating of the diversity found between major clades suggests the majority of lineages originated in the late Miocene, around the time of the aridification of inland Australia. The large number of independent lineages and the close connection between GAB spring and WA stygobitic amphipods suggest that a significantly rich amphipod fauna existed in the much wetter environment that once existed in inland Australia. The results also provide evidence for a gross underestimation of the species diversity within the springs, with 12 putative species identified, a conclusion with significant implications for the ongoing conservation of the GAB springs.

Forecasting the space-time stability of radioactive waste isolation in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, E.B.; Karelin, A.I.; Krivokhatsiy, A.S.; Savonenkov, V.G.

1992-01-01

The possibilities to use salt formations for radioactive waste isolation are realized by creating shaft-type underground repositories in these rocks in Germany and the USA. The burial safety of low- and intermediate-level wastes for several hundred years have been substantiated for the sites chosen. Specialists of different countries presented positive properties of rock salt as a medium for isolation of radionuclides. A rich experience in building subsurface structures for different purposes in salts is accumulated in our country. Detailed investigations of salt formation have shown that far from all the saliferous areas and structures may be used for constructing burial sites. One of the reasons for this limitation is a sharp difference of individual deposits by their compositions, structures, the character of deposition and the conditions of formation. The geological criteria of safety acquire special significance in connection with the necessity to isolate radionuclides having the half-loves more than 1000 years. The time intervals required for stable isolation make up millions of years and cover great cycles of the evolution of the Earth surface and biosphere

Culture Phenotypes of Genomically and Geographically Diverse Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Isolates from Different Hosts▿

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Richard J.; Marsh, Ian B.; Saunders, Vanessa; Grant, Irene R.; Juste, Ramon; Sevilla, Iker A.; Manning, Elizabeth J. B.; Whitlock, Robert H.

2011-01-01

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis causes paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in ruminants in most countries. Historical data suggest substantial differences in culturability of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from small ruminants and cattle; however, a systematic comparison of culture media and isolates from different countries and hosts has not been undertaken. Here, 35 field isolates from the United States, Spain, Northern Ireland, and Australia were propagated in Bactec 12B medium and Middlebrook 7H10 agar, genomically characterized, and subcultured to Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ), Herrold's egg yolk (HEY), modified Middlebrook 7H10, Middlebrook 7H11, and Watson-Reid (WR) agars, all with and without mycobactin J and some with sodium pyruvate. Fourteen genotypes of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis were represented as determined by BstEII IS900 and IS1311 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. There was no correlation between genotype and overall culturability, although most S strains tended to grow poorly on HEY agar. Pyruvate was inhibitory to some isolates. All strains grew on modified Middlebrook 7H10 agar but more slowly and less prolifically on LJ agar. Mycobactin J was required for growth on all media except 7H11 agar, but growth was improved by the addition of mycobactin J to 7H11 agar. WR agar supported the growth of few isolates. The differences in growth of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis that have historically been reported in diverse settings have been strongly influenced by the type of culture medium used. When an optimal culture medium, such as modified Middlebrook 7H10 agar, is used, very little difference between the growth phenotypes of diverse strains of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was observed. This optimal medium is recommended to remove bias in the isolation and cultivation of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. PMID:21430104

Differences in virulence and sporulation of Phytophthora kernoviae isolates originating from two distinct geographical regions

Science.gov (United States)

Phytophthora kernoviae has only been isolated from the United Kingdom (U.K.) and New Zealand. To understand what differences may exist between isolates from these two distinct geographical regions, virulence studies on three host plants and sporulation on host leaves were conducted on select isolat...

Differences in the early cognitive development of children and great apes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wobber, Victoria; Herrmann, Esther; Hare, Brian; Wrangham, Richard; Tomasello, Michael

2014-04-01

There is very little research comparing great ape and human cognition developmentally. In the current studies we compared a cross-sectional sample of 2- to 4-year-old human children (n=48) with a large sample of chimpanzees and bonobos in the same age range (n=42, hereafter: apes) on a broad array of cognitive tasks. We then followed a group of juvenile apes (n=44) longitudinally over 3 years to track their cognitive development in greater detail. In skills of physical cognition (space, causality, quantities), children and apes performed comparably at 2 years of age, but by 4 years of age children were more advanced (whereas apes stayed at their 2-year-old performance levels). In skills of social cognition (communication, social learning, theory of mind), children out-performed apes already at 2 years, and increased this difference even more by 4 years. Patterns of development differed more between children and apes in the social domain than the physical domain, with support for these patterns present in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal ape data sets. These results indicate key differences in the pattern and pace of cognitive development between humans and other apes, particularly in the early emergence of specific social cognitive capacities in humans. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Etiology and pathogenicity of two different isolates of Colletotrichum spp. obtained from physic nut seeds

OpenAIRE

Santos,Gil Rodrigues dos; Tozze Júnior,Hugo José; Sá,Danila Alves Corrêa de; Furtado,Gleiber Quintão; Massola Júnior,Nelson Sidnei

2013-01-01

The species known as physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) has become important as one of main sources of feedstock for biodiesel production. The aims of this study were characterizing two different isolates of Colletotrichum spp. obtained from seeds of this species, through morphological, cultural, and molecular analyses; as well as assessing pathogenicity of both isolates on leaves and fruit of this plant species. For morphological analysis, length and width of 30 spores of each isolate, produced...

Different phenotypic and molecular mechanisms associated with multidrug resistance in Gram-negative clinical isolates from Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helmy OM

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Omneya M Helmy, Mona T Kashef Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Objectives: We set out to investigate the prevalence, different mechanisms, and clonal relatedness of multidrug resistance (MDR among third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates from Egypt.Materials and methods: A total of 118 third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates were included in this study. Their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was determined using Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Efflux pump-mediated resistance was tested by the efflux-pump inhibitor-based microplate assay using chlorpromazine. Detection of different aminoglycoside-, β-lactam-, and quinolone-resistance genes was done using polymerase chain reaction. The genetic diversity of MDR isolates was investigated using random amplification of polymorphic DNA.Results: Most of the tested isolates exhibited MDR phenotypes (84.75%. The occurrence of efflux pump-mediated resistance in the different MDR species tested was 40%–66%. Acinetobacter baumannii isolates showed resistance to most of the tested antibiotics, including imipenem. The blaOXA-23-like gene was detected in 69% of the MDR A. baumannii isolates. The MDR phenotype was detected in 65% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, of which only 23% exhibited efflux pump-mediated resistance. On the contrary, efflux-mediated resistance to piperacillin and gentamicin was recorded in 47.5% of piperacillin-resistant and 25% of gentamicin-resistant MDR Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, the plasmid-mediated quinolone-resistance genes (aac(6’-Ib-cr, qnrB, and qnrS were detected in 57.6% and 83.33% of quinolone-resistant MDR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, respectively. The β-lactamase-resistance gene blaSHV-31 was detected for the first time in one MDR K. pneumoniae isolate from an endotracheal tube specimen in Egypt

Isolation of Campylobacter from Brazilian broiler flocks using different culturing procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, C S L; Voss-Rech, D; Pozza, J S; Coldebella, A; Silva, V S

2014-11-01

Conventional culturing methods enable the detection of Campylobacter in broiler flocks. However, laboratory culture of Campylobacter is laborious because of its fastidious behavior and the presence of competing nontarget bacteria. This study evaluated different protocols to isolate Campylobacter from broiler litter, feces, and cloacal and drag swabs. Samples taken from commercial Brazilian broiler flocks were directly streaked onto Preston agar (PA), Campy-Line agar (CLA), and modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) and also enriched in blood-free Bolton broth (bfBB) for 24 and 48 h followed by plating onto the different selective media. Higher numbers of Campylobacter-positive cloacal and drag swab samples were observed using either direct plating or enrichment for 24 h before plating onto PA, compared with enrichment for 48 h (P media. Together, these data showed that direct plating onto PA and onto either CLA or mCCDA as the second selective agar enabled the reliable isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter species from broiler samples. Finally, Campylobacter was detected in all broiler flocks sampled. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Phenotypic Tests for the Detection of β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Different Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Daniele V; Van Der Sand, Sueli T

2016-07-01

Some bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family are showing a significant capability to disseminate β-lactams resistance mechanisms among them, and these same mechanisms can be carried out from the hospital environment to superficial water. The aim of this study was to evaluate different phenotypic methods for the detection β-lactamases production by enterobacteria isolated from the anthropogenic environment: hospital wastewater and from a stream that cross the city of Porto Alegre. The applied tests were the modified Hodge test (MHT) and phenotypic tests with the following inhibitors: carbapenemase-phenylboronic acid (APB), metallo-β-lactamase-EDTA, AmpC β-lactamase-cloxacillin, and the confirmatory test for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-clavulanic acid. For this evaluation, 131 isolates were initially subjected to antibiogram using the following antimicrobials: cefotaxime (30 µg), cefpodoxime (10 μg), ceftazidime (30 µg), ertapenem (10 μg), meropenem (10 μg), and aztreonam (30 μg). After this first screening, 62 isolates showed a profile resistance for at least one antimicrobial. These isolates were subjected to all phenotypic tests. Of those, 40 isolates were positive for at least one phenotypic test. In MHT test, one isolate was positive and five were with inconclusive results. The results achieved with the inhibitors are as follows: APB 25/40 positive strains; EDTA 8/40 positive strains; and with CLOXA 2/40 positive strains. ESBL production was observed for 34/40 strains. This assessment shows a high level of bacteria which can produce enzymes that inactivate β-lactams present in the different environment like the stream waters and from the hospital settings.

Two Lactobacillus strains, isolated from breast milk, differently modulate the immune response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diaz-Ropero, M.P.; Martin, R.; Sierra, S.; Lara-Villoslada, F.; Rodriguez, J.M.; Xaus, J.; Olivares, M.

2007-01-01

Aims: The ability of two different Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus salivarius CECT5713 and Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716), isolated from human breast milk, to modulate the immune response was examined. Methods and Results: In rodent bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), the presence of

Effects of sub-culturing on genetic and physiological parameters in different Beauveria bassiana isolates.

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Eivazian Kary, Naser; Alizadeh, Zhila

2017-05-01

Beauveria bassiana is a fungus which is widely used as a biological insecticide to control a number of economically important insect pests. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of the isolates, understanding the underlying nature of these evolutionary phenomena and finding appropriate and simple screening tools play an important role in developing effective biocontrol agents. Here, we monitored changes of electrophoretic karyotype of small molecules of extrachromosomal DNAs, presumably mitochondrial DNA or plasmids in several individual isolates of B. bassiana during the forced in vitro evolution by continual subculture on artificial media and then we evaluated these changes on the virulence of the isolates. Through agarose gel electrophoresis of the small extrachromosomal DNAs molecules, we found that mutations accumulate quickly and obvious changes take place in extrachromosomal DNAs of some isolates, although this did not always occur. This plasticity in response to culturing pressure suggests that buffering capacity of fungal genome against mutations is isolate dependent. Following the forced evolution by sub-culturing, five discriminable electrophoretic karyotype of extrachromosomal DNAs was observed among isolates. The results showed that some isolates are prone to deep mutations, but during enforced sub-culturing some others have efficiently conserved genome. These differences are influensive in screening appropriate isolates for mass production as a keystone in biocontrol program. To determine the effects of these changes on isolate traits, virulence, germination rate and spore-bound Pr1 activity were assessed parallel to sub-culturing. The results clearly revealed that parallel to sub-culturing and in correlation with karyotypic changes, isolates significantly suffered from virulence, germination rate and spore-bound Pr1 activity deficiencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

White-opaque Switching in Different Mating Type-like Locus Gene Types of Clinical Candida albicans Isolates

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Li, Hou-Min; Shimizu-Imanishi, Yumi; Tanaka, Reiko; Li, Ruo-Yu; Yaguchi, Takashi

2016-01-01

Background: Candida albicans (C. albicans) can become a pathogen causing superficial as well as life-threatening systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Many phenotypic attributes contribute to its capacity to colonize human organs. In our study, 93 C. albicans isolates from patients of various candidiasis in a hospital of China were surveyed. We aimed to investigate the white-opaque (WO) switching competence, drug sensitivity, and virulence of mating type-like (MTL) a/α isolates. Methods: Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene and the MTL configuration were detected in all the isolates by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. White/opaque phenotype and doubling time of cell growth were determined. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of antifungal agent were measured using broth microdilution method. Results: Sixty-four isolates (69.6%) were classified to serotype A, 19 (20.6%) to serotype B, and 9 (9.8%) to serotype C. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed that these isolates were divided into four different subgroups of ITS genotypes. Most of our clinical isolates were MTLa/α type, while 6.8% remained MTLa or MTLα type. The frequency of opaque phenotype was 71.0% (66 isolates). Following the guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M27-A3, all isolates were susceptible to caspofungin and a few (0.6–3.2%) of them showed resistance against amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole. Conclusions: From these analyses, there were comparatively more C. albicans strains classified into serotype B, and the frequency of opaque phase strains was significant in the clinical isolates from China. Genetic, phenotypic, or drug susceptibility patterns were not significantly different from previous studies. MTLa/α isolates could also undergo WO switching which facilitates their survival. PMID:27824006

Candidate Genes for Aggressiveness in a Natural Fusarium culmorum Population Greatly Differ between Wheat and Rye Head Blight

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Valheria Castiblanco

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Fusarium culmorum is one of the species causing Fusarium head blight (FHB in cereals in Europe. We aimed to investigate the association between the nucleotide diversity of ten F. culmorum candidate genes and field ratings of aggressiveness in winter rye. A total of 100 F. culmorum isolates collected from natural infections were phenotyped for FHB at two locations and two years. Variance components for aggressiveness showed significant isolate and isolate-by-environment variance, as expected for quantitative host-pathogen interactions. Further analysis of the isolate-by-environment interaction revealed the dominant role of the isolate-by-year over isolate-by-location interaction. One single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in the cutinase (CUT gene was found to be significantly (p < 0.001 associated with aggressiveness and explained 16.05% of the genotypic variance of this trait in rye. The SNP was located 60 base pairs before the start codon, which suggests a role in transcriptional regulation. Compared to a previous study in winter wheat with the same nucleotide sequences, a larger variation of pathogen aggressiveness on rye was found and a different candidate gene was associated with pathogen aggressiveness. This is the first report on the association of field aggressiveness and a host-specific candidate gene codifying for a protein that belongs to the secretome in F. culmorum.

Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from different parts of the digestive tract of sheep

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E. Afshari-Safavi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate differences in resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolated from different parts of sheep digestive tract, the intestinal tracts of 24 sheep were sampled at various locations (duode-num, jejunum, caecum, colon and rectum after slaughter. Samples were cultured on MacConkey agar and obtained colonies were confirmed as E. coli based on the biochemical tests results. Isolates were tested for antimicrobial agent susceptibility to 10 antibiotics (colistin, gentamicin, oxytetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin, ampicillin, cephotaxime, neomycin and florfenicol, using disc diffusion method. The tested E. coli resistant to colistin, ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid were isolated more frequently from large intestine (rectum than from small intestine (duodenum (P<0.05. In conclusion, antimicrobial resistance pattern of generic E. coli inhabiting the intestinal tract of sheep depends on sampling location, which should be considered in interpreting the results of antimicrobial resistance tests of E. coli isolated from the faecal samples and generalising results to bacteria colonised in other parts of the digestive tract

Antimicrobial resistance of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from different food sources: A mini-review

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Deyan Stratev

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Summary: Aeromonas hydrophila is a Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, facultative, anaerobic, opportunistic aquatic pathogen. A. hydrophila produces virulence factors, such as hemolysins, aerolysins, adhesins, enterotoxins, phospholipase and lipase. In addition to isolation from aquatic sources, A. hydrophila has been isolated from meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, and vegetables. However, various studies showed that this opportunistic pathogen is resistant to commercial antibiotics. This is attributed to factors such as the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in aquaculture, plasmids or horizontal gene transfer. In this report, we highlight the occurrence, prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of A. hydrophila isolated from different food samples. The presence of antimicrobial-resistant A. hydrophila in food poses threats to public and aquatic animal health. Keywords: A. hydrophila, Antimicrobial resistance, Microbial food safety

Characterization of the variable-number tandem repeats in vrrA from different Bacillus anthracis isolates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, P.J.; Walthers, E.A.; Richmond, K.L. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

1997-04-01

PCR analysis of 198 Bacillus anthracis isolates revealed a variable region of DNA sequence differing in length among the isolates. Five Polymorphisms differed by the presence Of two to six copies of the 12-bp tandem repeat 5{prime}-CAATATCAACAA-3{prime}. This variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) region is located within a larger sequence containing one complete open reading frame that encodes a putative 30-kDa protein. Length variation did not change the reading frame of the encoded protein and only changed the copy number of a 4-amino-acid sequence (QYQQ) from 2 to 6. The structure of the VNTR region suggests that these multiple repeats are generated by recombination or polymerase slippage. Protein structures predicted from the reverse-translated DNA sequence suggest that any structural changes in the encoded protein are confined to the region encoded by the VNTR sequence. Copy number differences in the VNTR region were used to define five different B. anthracis alleles. Characterization of 198 isolates revealed allele frequencies of 6.1, 17.7, 59.6, 5.6, and 11.1% sequentially from shorter to longer alleles. The high degree of polymorphism in the VNTR region provides a criterion for assigning isolates to five allelic categories. There is a correlation between categories and geographic distribution. Such molecular markers can be used to monitor the epidemiology of anthrax outbreaks in domestic and native herbivore populations. 22 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

Postmating-prezygotic isolation between two allopatric populations of Drosophila montana: fertilisation success differs under sperm competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ala-Honkola, Outi; Ritchie, Michael G; Veltsos, Paris

2016-03-01

Postmating but prezygotic (PMPZ) interactions are increasingly recognized as a potentially important early-stage barrier in the evolution of reproductive isolation. A recent study described a potential example between populations of the same species: single matings between Drosophila montana populations resulted in differential fertilisation success because of the inability of sperm from one population (Vancouver) to penetrate the eggs of the other population (Colorado). As the natural mating system of D. montana is polyandrous (females remate rapidly), we set up double matings of all possible crosses between the same populations to test whether competitive effects between ejaculates influence this PMPZ isolation. We measured premating isolation in no-choice tests, female fecundity, fertility and egg-to-adult viability after single and double matings as well as second-male paternity success (P2). Surprisingly, we found no PMPZ reproductive isolation between the two populations under a competitive setting, indicating no difficulty of sperm from Vancouver males to fertilize Colorado eggs after double matings. While there were subtle differences in how P2 changed over time, suggesting that Vancouver males' sperm are somewhat less competitive in a first-male role within Colorado females, these effects did not translate into differences in overall P2. Fertilisation success can thus differ dramatically between competitive and noncompetitive conditions, perhaps because the males that mate second produce higher quality ejaculates in response to sperm competition. We suggest that unlike in more divergent species comparisons, where sperm competition typically increases reproductive isolation, ejaculate tailoring can reduce the potential for PMPZ isolation when recently diverged populations interbreed.

Occurrence of Beta2 toxigenic Clostridium perfringens isolates with different toxin types in Iran

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Jabbari, A.R.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Clostridium perfringens is an important cause of enteric diseases in both human and animals. The bacteria produce several toxins which play key roles in the pathogenesis of diseases and are classified into five toxin types, on the basis of the differential production of Alpha, Beta, Epsilon and Iota toxins. In this study a single PCR assay was developed and used for detection of cpb2 gene to identify the Beta2 harboring isolates among different types of C. perfringens isolated from animal enteric diseases in Iran. It was found that cpb2 presents among C. perfringens isolates types A, B, C and D with 54.5% (6/11, 62% (13/21, 42.8% (6/14, 69.25% (9/13, respectively. Totally 34 of 59 (56.7% isolates screened by PCR were cpb2-positive. This is the first report of cpb2 positive isolates of C. perfringens causing enteric diseases of animals in Iran. Further studies to demonstrate the exact role of Beta2 toxin in pathogenesis of the bacterium is suggested.

Genetic diversity of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. isolates from different stages of the poultry meat supply chain in Argentina.

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Zbrun, María V; Romero-Scharpen, Analía; Olivero, Carolina; Zimmermann, Jorge A; Rossler, Eugenia; Soto, Lorena P; Astesana, Diego M; Blajman, Jesica E; Berisvil, Ayelén; Frizzo, Laureano S; Signorini, Marcelo L

The objective of this study was to investigate a clonal relationship among thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. isolates from different stages of the poultry meat supply chain in Argentina. A total of 128 thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. (89 C. jejuni and 39 C. coli) isolates from six poultry meat chains were examined. These isolates were from: a) hens from breeder flocks, b) chickens on the farm (at ages 1 wk and 5 wk), c) chicken carcasses in the slaughterhouse, and d) chicken carcasses in the retail market. Chickens sampled along each food chain were from the same batch. Campylobacter spp. isolates were analyzed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to compare different profiles according to the source. Clustering of C. jejuni isolates resulted in 17 profiles, with four predominant genotypes and many small profiles with just a few isolates or unique patterns, showing a very high degree of heterogeneity among the C. jejuni isolates. Some clusters included isolates from different stages within the same chain, which would indicate a spread of strains along the same poultry meat chain. Moreover, twenty-two strains of C. coli clustered in seven groups and the remaining 17 isolates exhibited unique profiles. Evidence for transmission of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. through the food chain and cross contamination in the slaughterhouses were obtained. This collective evidence should be considered as the scientific basis to implement risk management measures to protect the public health. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Identification of three new isolates of Tomato spotted wilt virus from different hosts in China: molecular diversity, phylogenetic and recombination analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhenjia; Wang, Deya; Yu, Chengming; Wang, Zenghui; Dong, Jiahong; Shi, Kerong; Yuan, Xuefeng

2016-01-14

Destructive diseases caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) have been reported associated with many important plants worldwide. Recently, TSWV was reported to infect different hosts in China. It is of value to clone TSWV isolates from different hosts and examine diversity and evolution among different TSWV isolates in China as well as worldwide. RT-PCR was used to clone the full-length genome (L, M and S segments) of three new isolates of TSWV that infected different hosts (tobacco, red pepper and green pepper) in China. Identity of nucleotide and amino acid sequences among TSWV isolates were analyzed by DNAMAN. MEGA 5.0 was used to construct phylogenetic trees. RDP4 was used to detect recombination events during evolution of these isolates. Whole-genome sequences of three new TSWV isolates in China were determined. Together with other available isolates, 29 RNA L, 62 RNA M and 66 RNA S of TSWV isolates were analyzed for molecular diversity, phylogenetic and recombination events. This analysis revealed that the entire TSWV genome, especially the M and S RNAs, had major variations in genomic size that mainly involve the A-U rich intergenic region (IGR). Phylogenetic analyses on TSWV isolates worldwide revealed evidence for frequent reassortments in the evolution of tripartite negative-sense RNA genome. Significant numbers of recombination events with apparent 5' regional preference were detected among TSWV isolates worldwide. Moreover, TSWV isolates with similar recombination events usually had closer relationships in phylogenetic trees. All five Chinese TSWV isolates including three TSWV isolates of this study and previously reported two isolates can be divided into two groups with different origins based on molecular diversity and phylogenetic analysis. During their evolution, both reassortment and recombination played roles. These results suggest that recombination could be an important mechanism in the evolution of multipartite RNA viruses, even negative

Isolation of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria from different ecological sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, M.J.; Choudri, S.F.; Hameed, A.

1991-01-01

Among the various samples from different ecological sources oil contaminated soil samples and waste from sugar processing industry were found to have bacterial populations with ability of utilizing oil. In addition to oil, molasses base medium was also used to study the utilizing ability. Selection was made on the basis on the high gas production, decrease in pH, percentage of oil consumed and bacterial counts. Fermented scum and oil contaminated soil from Sehala (Islamabad) were found to contain microbes having maximum oil degrading ability. The bacterial isolates belong to the genera of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter and Escherichia. (author)

Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Three Species of Antarctic Penguins in Different Geographic Locations.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Peña, F J; Llorente, M T; Serrano, T; Ruano, M J; Belliure, J; Benzal, J; Herrera-León, S; Vidal, V; D'Amico, V; Pérez-Boto, D; Barbosa, A

2017-03-01

The presence of Campylobacter species was studied in three Antarctic penguin species, Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua). A total of 390 penguins were captured in 12 different rookeries along the Antarctic Peninsula with differences in the amount of human visitation: six colonies were highly visited [Stranger Point, King George Island (P. papua and P. adeliae); Hannah Point, Livingston Island (P. papua and P. antarctica); Deception Island (P. antarctica); and Paradise Bay, Antarctic Peninsula (P. papua)], and six colonies were rarely visited [Devil's Point, Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island (P. papua); Cierva Cove, Antarctic Peninsula (P. papua); Rongé Island (P. papua and P. antarctica); Yalour Island (P. adeliae); and Avian Island (P. adeliae)]. A total of 23 strains were isolated from penguins from nine different rookeries. Campylobacter lari subsp. lari was isolated from eight samples (seven from P. papua and one from P. adeliae); C. lari subsp. concheus from 13 (ten from P. adeliae and three from P. antarctica) and C. volucris from two samples (both from P. papua). We did not find any significant differences in the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. between the populations in highly and rarely visited areas. This is the first report of C. lari subsp. concheus and C. volucris isolation from penguins in the Antarctic region.

Biocontrol efficacy of different isolates of Trichoderma against soil borne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani.

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Asad, Saeed Ahmad; Ali, Naeem; Hameed, Abdul; Khan, Sabaz Ali; Ahmad, Rafiq; Bilal, Muhammad; Shahzad, Muhammad; Tabassum, Ayesha

2014-01-01

In this study, the biocontrol abilities of water-soluble and volatile metabolites of three different isolates of Trichoderma (T. asperellum, T. harzianum and Trichoderma spp.) against soil borne plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed for the first time that mycelial growth inhibition of the pathogen was 74.4-67.8% with water-soluble metabolites as compared to 15.3-10.6% with volatile metabolites in vitro. In vivo antagonistic activity of Trichoderma isolates against R. solani was evaluated on bean plants under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. We observed that T. asperellum was more effective and consistent, lowering disease incidence up to 19.3% in laboratory and 30.5% in green house conditions. These results showed that three isolates of Trichoderma could be used as effective biocontrol agents against R. solani.

Molecular Characterization of Clostridium difficile Isolates in China From 2010 to 2015

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Xiao-shu Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Clostridium difficile infection (CDI has become a worldwide public health problem causing high mortality and a large disease burden. Molecular typing and analysis is important for surveillance and infection control of CDI. However, molecular characterization of C. difficile across China is extremely rare. Here, we report on the toxin profiles, molecular subtyping with multilocus sequence typing (MLST and PCR ribotyping, and epidemiological characteristics of 199 C. difficile isolates collected between 2010 through 2015 from 13 participating centers across China. We identified 35 STs and 27 ribotypes (RTs among the 199 C. difficile isolates: ST35 (15.58%, ST3 (15.08%, ST37 (12.06%, and RT017 (14.07%, RT001 (12.06%, RT012 (11.56% are the most prevalent. One isolate with ST1 and 8 isolates with ST 11 were identified. We identified a new ST in this study, denoted ST332. The toxin profile tcdA+tcdB+tcdC+tcdR+tcdE+CDT- (65.83% was the predominant profile. Furthermore, 11 isolates with positive binary toxin genes were discovered. According to the PCR ribotyping, one isolate with RT 027, and 6 isolates with RT 078 were confirmed. The epidemiological characteristics of C. difficile in China shows geographical differences, and both the toxin profile and molecular types exhibit great diversity across the different areas.

Comparative studies of antifugal potentialities for some natural plant oils against different fungi isolated from poultry

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Ahmed, F. H.

1994-08-01

Full Text Available The inhibitory effect of eight natural oils on ten pathogenic fungi isolated from the digestive and respiratory tracts of dead chickens in Kena Governorate showed that crude peppermint oil only has a highest effect against some isolated fungi and a low response against others. While its 10% and 2% oil concentrations failed to give any effect against all the tested fungi. Crude chamomile and pelargonium oils showed moderate effect against all isolated fungi. The effect of different dilutions of chamomile, cumin and celery oils appeared that the 10% concentration showed more effective than the crude oil. Lemongrass and basil oils have almost the same behaviour towards the isolated fungi as the crude oils and the 10% concentration affected them greatly. On the other hand 2% basil oil gave no effect at all. Critical concentrations of the efficient oils against isolated fungi were calculated. The most efficient oils were lemongrass against Aspergillus flavipes, chamomile against A. fumigatus and cumin against A. nidulans, while cumin against A. glaucus, clove against A. flavus were chamomile against A. flavus and clove against A. flavipes were the lowest efficient oils.

El efecto inhibidor de ocho aceites naturales sobre diez aislados de hongos patógenos de los tractos digestivo y respiratorio de pollos muertos en "Kena Governorate" mostró que el aceite de menta crudo tiene un mayor efecto frente a algunos aislados y una repuesta menor frente a otros. Aunque sus concentraciones en aceite al 10% y 2% consiguieron dar algún efecto frente a todos los hongos ensayados. Aceites de geranio y manzanilla crudo mostraron efecto moderado frente a todos los aislados de hongos. El efecto de disoluciones diferentes de aceites de manzanilla, comino y apio dieron como resultado que la concentración al 10% era más efectiva que el aceite crudo. Aceites de lemongras y albahaca tienen casi el mismo

Double input converters for different voltage sources with isolated charger

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Chalash Sattayarak

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the double input converters for different voltage input sources with isolated charger coils. This research aims to increase the performance of the battery charger circuit. In the circuit, there are the different voltage levels of input source. The operating modes of the switch in the circuit use the microcontroller to control the battery charge and to control discharge mode automatically when the input voltage sources are lost from the system. The experimental result of this research shows better performance for charging at any time period of the switch, while the voltage input sources work together. Therefore, this research can use and develop to battery charger for present or future.

Sex differences in the outcome of juvenile social isolation on HPA axis function in rats.

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Pisu, M G; Garau, A; Boero, G; Biggio, F; Pibiri, V; Dore, R; Locci, V; Paci, E; Porcu, P; Serra, M

2016-04-21

Women are more likely than men to suffer from anxiety disorders and major depression. These disorders share hyperresponsiveness to stress as an etiological factor. Thus, sex differences in brain arousal systems and their regulation by chronic stress may account for the increased vulnerability to these disorders in women. Social isolation is a model of early life stress that results in neurobiological alterations leading to increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors. Here we investigated the sex difference in the effects of post-weaning social isolation on acute stress sensitivity and behavior in rats. In both sexes, social isolation at weaning reduced basal levels of the neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone in the brain and of corticosterone in plasma. Moreover, acute stress increased plasma corticosterone levels in both group-housed and socially isolated male and female rats; however this effect was greater in male than female rats subjected to social isolation. Intriguingly, group-housed female rats showed no change in plasma and brain levels of allopregnanolone after acute foot-shock stress. The absence of stress-induced effects on allopregnanolone synthesis might be due to the physiologically higher levels of this hormone in females vs. males. Accordingly, increasing allopregnanolone levels in male rats blunted the response to foot-shock stress in these animals. Socially isolated male, but not female, rats also display depressive-like behavior and increased hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The ovarian steroids could "buffer" the effect of this adverse experience in females on these parameters. Finally, the dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test indicated that the chronic stress associated with social isolation impairs feedback inhibition in both sexes in which an increase in the abundance of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus was found. Altogether, these results demonstrate that social isolation affects neuroendocrine

Precharge strategies for isolated modular DC-DC converters under two different start-up conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yi; Wang, Huai; Li, Binbin

2017-01-01

The isolated modular DC-DC converter (IMDCC) is a new topology designed to connect high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines with different voltage levels, which ties two DC grids by using two modular multilevel converters (MMCs) via a medium-frequency transformer. Due to the large value of capaci......The isolated modular DC-DC converter (IMDCC) is a new topology designed to connect high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines with different voltage levels, which ties two DC grids by using two modular multilevel converters (MMCs) via a medium-frequency transformer. Due to the large value...... of capacitance in the IMDCC, proper precharge strategies before the start-up are significant for the safety and reliability of the whole system. This paper presents two closed-loop precharge control strategies to fully charge the sub-module (SM) capacitors of the IMDCC, considering two different start...

A comparative study of coastal and clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Anusree V. Nair

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium having a versatile metabolic potential and great ecological and clinical significance. The geographical distribution of P. aeruginosahas revealed the existence of an unbiased genetic arrangement in terrestrial isolates. In contrast, there are very few reports about P. aeruginosa strains from marine environments. The present work was aimed at studying the distribution of P. aeruginosa in coastal waters along the Indian Peninsula and understanding the environmental influence on genotypic, metabolic and phenotypic characteristics by comparing marine and clinical isolates. Of the 785 marine isolates obtained on selective media, only 32 (~4.1% were identified as P. aeruginosa, based on their fatty acid methyl ester profiles. A low Euclidian distance value (P. aeruginosa. While biogeographical separation was not evident based solely on phenotypic and metabolic typing, genomic and metatranscriptomic studies are more likely to show differences between these isolates. Thus, newer and more insightful methods are required to understand the ecological distribution of this complex group of bacteria.

Fault isolability with different forms of the faults–symptoms relation

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Kóscielny Jan Maciej

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The definitions and conditions for fault isolability of single faults for various forms of the diagnostic relation are reviewed. Fault isolability and unisolability on the basis of a binary diagnostic matrix are analyzed. Definitions for conditional and unconditional isolability and unisolability on the basis of a fault information system (FIS, symptom sequences and directional residuals are formulated. General definitions for conditional and unconditional isolability and unisolability in the cases of simultaneous evaluation of diagnostic signal values and a sequence of symptoms are provided. A comprehensive example is discussed.

Enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth of great apes: do differences in defect prevalence imply differential levels of physiological stress?

Science.gov (United States)

Lukacs, J R

1999-11-01

This paper presents new data on enamel hypoplasia in the deciduous canine teeth of great apes. The enamel defect under consideration is known as localized hypoplasia of primary canines (LHPC), and is characterized by an area of thin or missing enamel on the labial surface of deciduous canine teeth (Skinner [1986a] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 69:59-69). Goals of this study are: 1) to determine if significant differences in the frequency of LHPC occur among three genera of great apes, and 2) to evaluate variation in LHPC prevalence among great apes as evidence of differential physiological stress. Infant and juvenile apes with deciduous teeth were examined at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (n = 100) and at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History (n = 36). Deciduous teeth were observed under oblique incandescent light, with the naked eye and with a 10x hand lens. Enamel hypoplasia was scored using Federation Dentaire International (FDI)-Defects of Dental Enamel (DDE) standards. Hypoplasias were recorded by drawing defect location and size on a dental chart, and by measuring defect size and location with Helios needlepoint dial calipers. The prevalence of LHPC is reported by genus and sex, using two approaches: 1) the frequency of affected individuals-those having one or more deciduous canine teeth scored positive for LHPC; and 2) the number of canine teeth scored positive for LHPC as a percentage of all canine teeth observed. Variation in defect size and location will be described elsewhere. Localized hypoplasia of primary canine teeth was found in 62.5% of 128 individual apes, and in 45.5% of 398 great ape deciduous canines. As in humans, LHPC is the most common form of enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth of great apes, while LEH is rare or absent. The distribution and pattern of expression of LHPC in great apes is similar to that described in humans: side differences are not significant, but mandibular canines exhibit the defect two to

Different Ancestries of R Tailocins in Rhizospheric Pseudomonas Isolates

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Ghequire, Maarten G.K.; Dillen, Yörg; Lambrichts, Ivo; Proost, Paul; Wattiez, Ruddy; De Mot, René

2015-01-01

Bacterial genomes accommodate a variety of mobile genetic elements, including bacteriophage-related clusters that encode phage tail-like protein complexes playing a role in interactions with eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. Such tailocins are unable to replicate inside target cells due to the lack of a phage head with associated DNA. A subset of tailocins mediate antagonistic activities with bacteriocin-like specificity. Functional characterization of bactericidal tailocins of two Pseudomonas putida rhizosphere isolates revealed not only extensive similarity with the tail assembly module of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa R-type pyocins but also differences in genomic integration site, regulatory genes, and lytic release modules. Conversely, these three features are quite similar between strains of the P. putida and Pseudomonas fluorescens clades, although phylogenetic analysis of tail genes suggests them to have evolved separately. Unlike P. aeruginosa R pyocin elements, the tailocin gene clusters of other pseudomonads frequently carry cargo genes, including bacteriocins. Compared with P. aeruginosa, the tailocin tail fiber sequences that act as specificity determinants have diverged much more extensively among the other pseudomonad species, mostly isolates from soil and plant environments. Activity of the P. putida antibacterial particles requires a functional lipopolysaccharide layer on target cells, but contrary to R pyocins from P. aeruginosa, strain susceptibilities surpass species boundaries. PMID:26412856

Distinct difference of flaA genotypes of Legionella pneumophila between isolates from bath water and cooling tower water.

Science.gov (United States)

Amemura-Maekawa, Junko; Kura, Fumiaki; Chang, Bin; Suzuki-Hashimoto, Atsuko; Ichinose, Masayuki; Endo, Takuro; Watanabe, Haruo

2008-09-01

To investigate the genetic difference of Legionella pneumophila in human-made environments, we collected isolates of L. pneumophila from bath water (n = 167) and cooling tower water (n = 128) primarily in the Kanto region in 2001 and 2005. The environmental isolates were serogrouped and sequenced for a target region of flaA. A total of 14 types of flaA genotypes were found: 10 from cooling tower water and nine from bath water. The flaA genotypes of isolates from cooling tower water were quite different from those of bath water.

Molecular Characterization of Yeast Strains Isolated from Different Sources by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, M. S.; Latif, Z.

2016-01-01

Various molecular techniques like analysis of the amplified rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS), intragenic spacers and total ITS region analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) has been introduced for yeast identification but there are limited databases to identify yeast species on the basis of 5.8S rDNA. In this study, twenty nine yeast strains from various sources including spoiled fruits, vegetables, foodstuffs, and concentrated juices were characterized by PCR-RFLP. PCR-RFLP has been used to characterize yeasts present in different spoiled food samples after isolation of the yeasts. By using this technique, the isolated yeast strains were characterized by direct 5.8S-ITS rDNA region amplification. RFLP analysis was applied to each of the amplification products (varied from 400bp to 800bp) detected, and the corresponding yeast identifications were made according to each specific restriction patterns obtained after treatment with two endonucleases TaqI and HaeIII which yielded a specific banding pattern for each species. For further confirmation amplified products of eleven selected isolates were sequenced and blast on NCBI. Both RFLP and sequence analyses of the strains with accession nos. KF472163, KF472164, KF472165, KF472166, KF472167, KF472168, KF472169, KF472170, KF472171, KF472172, KF472173 gave significantly similar results. The isolates were found to belong five different yeast species including; Candida spp., Pichia spp., Kluyveromyces spp., Clavispora spp. and Hanseniaspora spp. This method provides a fast, easy, reliable and authentic way for determining yeast population present in different type of samples, as compared to traditional characterization technique. (author)

The GREAT3 challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

2014-01-01

The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

In vitro interactions between different beta-lactam antibiotics and fosfomycin against bloodstream isolates of enterococci.

Science.gov (United States)

Pestel, M; Martin, E; Aucouturier, C; Lemeland, J F; Caron, F

1995-01-01

The effects of 16 different beta-lactam-fosfomycin combinations against 50 bloodstream enterococci were compared by a disk diffusion technique. Cefotaxime exhibited the best interaction. By checkerboard studies, the cefotaxime-fosfomycin combination provided a synergistic bacteriostatic effect against 45 of the 50 isolates (MIC of cefotaxime at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited, >2,048 micrograms/ml; MIC of fosfomycin at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited, 128 micrograms/ml; mean of fractional inhibitory concentration indexes, 0.195). By killing curves, cefotaxime (at 64 micrograms/ml) combined with fosfomycin (at > or = 64 micrograms/ml) was bactericidal against 6 of 10 strains tested. PMID:8619593

Intraspecies differences in natural susceptibility to amphotericine B of clinical isolates of Leishmania subgenus Viannia.

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Carlos Franco-Muñoz

Full Text Available Amphotericin B (AmB is a recommended medication for the treatment of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis in cases of therapeutic failure with first-line medications; however, little is known about the in vitro susceptibility to AmB of clinical isolates of the subgenus Viannia, which is most prevalent in South America. This work aimed to determine the in vitro susceptibility profiles to AmB of clinical isolates of the species L. (V. panamensis, L. (V. guyanensis and L. (V. braziliensis. In vitro susceptibility to AmB was evaluated for 65 isolates. Macrophages derived from the U937 cell line were infected with promastigotes and exposed to different AmB concentrations. After 96 hours, the number of intracellular amastigotes was quantified by qPCR, and median effective concentration (EC50 was determined using the PROBIT model. The controls included sensitive strains and experimentally derived less sensitive strains generated in vitro, which presented EC50 values up to 7.57-fold higher than the values of the sensitive strains. The isolates were classified into groups according to their in vitro susceptibility profiles using Ward's hierarchical method. The susceptibility to AmB differed in an intraspecies-specific manner as follows: 28.21% (11/39 of L. (V. panamensis strains, 50% (3/6 of L. (V. guyanensis strains and 34.61% (9/26 of L. (V. braziliensis strains were classified as less sensitive. The latter subset featured three susceptibility groups. We identified Colombian isolates with different AmB susceptibility profiles. In addition, the capacity of species of subgenus Viannia to develop lower susceptibility to AmB was demonstrated in vitro. These new findings should be considered in the pharmacovigilance of AmB in Colombia and South America.

Variability in alternanthera mosaic virus isolates from different hosts

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We have determined the complete genome sequences of Alternanthera mosaic virus phlox isolate PA (AltMV-PA) and four infectious clone variants derived from AltMV-SP, as well as partial sequences of other isolates from various types of phlox, and from portulaca, nandina, and cineraria. Phylogenetic co...

Social Isolation and Adult Mortality: The Role of Chronic Inflammation and Sex Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang Claire; McClintock, Martha K.; Kozloski, Michael; Li, Ting

2014-01-01

The health and survival benefits of social embeddedness have been widely documented across social species, but the underlying biophysiological mechanisms have not been elucidated in the general population. We assessed the process by which social isolation increases the risk for all-cause and chronic disease mortality through proinflammatory mechanisms. Using the 18-year mortality follow-up data (n = 6,729) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–2006) on Social Network Index and multiple markers of chronic inflammation, we conducted survival analyses and found evidence that supports the mediation role of chronic inflammation in the link between social isolation and mortality. A high-risk fibrinogen level and cumulative inflammation burden may be particularly important in this link. There are notable sex differences in the mortality effects of social isolation in that they are greater for men and can be attributed in part to their heightened inflammatory responses. PMID:23653312

Lipolysis og different oils using crude enzyme isolate from the intestinal tract of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Göttsche, J.R.; Nielsen, Nina Skall; Nielsen, Henrik Hauch

2005-01-01

Crude enzyme isolate was prepared from the intestine of rainbow trout. Positional specificity of the crude enzyme isolate was determined from both 1(3)- and 2-MAG products after i n vitro lipolysis of radioactive-labeled triolein. The ratio of 2- MAG/1(3)-MAG was 2:1, suggesting that the overall...... lipase specificity of the enzyme isolate from rainbow trout tended to be 1,3-specific; however, activity against the sn -2 position also was shown. In vitro lipolysis of four different unlabeled oils was performed with the crude enzyme isolate. The oils were: structured lipid [SL; containing the medium...

Antibiotic susceptibility profiling and virulence potential of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from different sources in Pakistan.

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Siddiqui, Fariha Masood; Akram, Muhammad; Noureen, Nighat; Noreen, Zobia; Bokhari, Habib

2015-03-01

To determine antibiotic resistance patterns and virulence potential of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) isolates from clinical human diarrheal infections, cattle and healthy broilers. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of C. jejuni isolates were determined by Kirby Bauer Disc Diffusion assay. These isolates were then subjected to virulence profiling for the detection of mapA (membrane-associated protein), cadF (fibronectin binding protein), wlaN (beta-l,3-galactosyltransferase) and neuAB (sialic acid biosynthesis gene). Further C. jejuni isolates were grouped by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling. A total of 436 samples from poultry (n=88), cattle (n=216) and humans (n=132) from different locations were collected. Results revealed percentage of C. jejuni isolates were 35.2% (31/88), 25.0% (54/216) and 11.3% (15/132) among poultry, cattle and clinical human samples respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility results showed that similar resistance patterns to cephalothin was ie. 87.0%, 87.1% and 89%among humans, poultry and cattle respectively, followed by sulfamethoxazole+trimethoprim 40.0%, 38.7% and 31.0% in humans, poultry and cattle and Ampicillin 40%, 32% and 20% in humans, poultry and cattle respectively. Beta-lactamase activity was detected in 40.00% humans, 20.37% cattle and 32.25% in poultry C. jejuni isolates. CadF and mapA were present in all poultry, cattle and human C. jejuni isolates, wlaN was not detected in any isolate and neuAB was found in 9/31 (36%) poultry isolates. RAPD profiling results suggested high diversity of C. jejuni isolates. Detection of multidrug resistant C. jejuni strains from poultry and cattle is alarming as they can be potential hazard to humans. Moreover, predominant association of virulence factors, cadF and mapA (100% each) in C. jejuni isolates from all sources and neuAB (36%) with poultry isolates suggest the potential source of transmission of diverse types of C. jejuni to humans. Copyright © 2015 Hainan

Attenuated Phenotype of a Recent House Finch-Associated Mycoplasma gallisepticum Isolate in Domestic Poultry.

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Pflaum, K; Tulman, E R; Beaudet, J; Liao, X; Dhondt, K V; Dhondt, A A; Hawley, D M; Ley, D H; Kerr, K M; Geary, S J

2017-06-01

Mycoplasma gallisepticum , known primarily as a respiratory pathogen of domestic poultry, has emerged since 1994 as a significant pathogen of the house finch ( Haemorhous mexicanus ) causing severe conjunctivitis and mortality. House finch-associated M. gallisepticum (HFMG) spread rapidly and increased in virulence for the finch host in the eastern United States. In the current study, we assessed virulence in domestic poultry with two temporally distant, and yet geographically consistent, HFMG isolates which differ in virulence for house finches-Virginia 1994 (VA1994), the index isolate of the epidemic, and Virginia 2013 (VA2013), a recent isolate of increased house finch virulence. Here we report a significant difference between VA1994 and VA2013 in their levels of virulence for chickens; notably, this difference correlated inversely to the difference in their levels of virulence for house finches. VA1994, while moderately virulent in house finches, displayed significant virulence in the chicken respiratory tract. VA2013, while highly virulent in the house finch, was significantly attenuated in chickens relative to VA1994, displaying less-severe pathological lesions in, and reduced bacterial recovery from, the respiratory tract. Overall, these data indicate that a recent isolate of HFMG is greatly attenuated in the chicken host relative to the index isolate, notably demonstrating a virulence phenotype in chickens inversely related to that in the finch host. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Differences in virulence genes and genome patterns of mastitis-associated Staphylococcus aureus among goat, cow, and human isolates in Taiwan.

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Chu, Chishih; Wei, Yajiun; Chuang, Shih-Te; Yu, Changyou; Changchien, Chih-Hsuan; Su, Yaochi

2013-03-01

A total of 117 mastitis-associated Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cow, goat, and human patients were analyzed for differences in antibiotic susceptibility, virulence genes, and genotypes using accessory gene regulator (agr) typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. aureus were commonly found in all sources, though they were predominantly found in human and goat isolates. Almost 70% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin. Host-associated virulence genes were identified as follows: tst, a gene encoding toxic shock syndrome toxin, was found in goat isolates; lukED and lukM, genes encoding leukocidin, found in cow isolates; lukPV, a gene encoding leukocidin, found in human isolates; and eta, a gene encoding for exfoliative toxin, found in both human and cow isolates. All four types of hemolysin, α, β, γ, and δ, were identified in human isolates, three types (α, γ, and δ), were identified in cow isolates, and two types (α and δ) were identified in goat isolates. Agr-typing determined agr1 to be the main subtype in human and cow isolates. PFGE and MLST analysis revealed the presence of diverse genotypes among the three sources. In conclusion, mastitis-associated, genetically diverse strains of MDR S. aureus differed in virulence genes among human, cow, and goat isolates.

Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - second worldwide review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witherspoon, P.A.

1996-09-01

The first world wide review of the geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9-19, 1989 in Washington, D.C. Reports from 15 countries were presented at the workshop and four countries provided reports after the workshop, so that material from 19 different countries was included in the first review. It was apparent from the widespread interest in this first review that the problem of providing a permanent and reliable method of isolating radioactive waste from the biosphere is a topic of great concern among the more advanced, as well as the developing, nations of the world. This is especially the case in connection with high-level waste (HLW) after its removal from nuclear power plants. The general concensus is that an adequate isolation can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate geologic setting and carefully designing the underground system with its engineered barriers. This document contains the Second Worldwide Review of Geological Problems in Radioactive Waste Isolation, dated September 1996

Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - second worldwide review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witherspoon, P.A. [ed.

1996-09-01

The first world wide review of the geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9-19, 1989 in Washington, D.C. Reports from 15 countries were presented at the workshop and four countries provided reports after the workshop, so that material from 19 different countries was included in the first review. It was apparent from the widespread interest in this first review that the problem of providing a permanent and reliable method of isolating radioactive waste from the biosphere is a topic of great concern among the more advanced, as well as the developing, nations of the world. This is especially the case in connection with high-level waste (HLW) after its removal from nuclear power plants. The general concensus is that an adequate isolation can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate geologic setting and carefully designing the underground system with its engineered barriers. This document contains the Second Worldwide Review of Geological Problems in Radioactive Waste Isolation, dated September 1996.

Isolation of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains from different sources in Izmir region, Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozcal, Elif; Uzel, Atac; Aydemir, Sohret; Skurnik, Mikael

2015-11-01

Yersinia enterocolitica is a foodborne pathogen that is very rarely encountered in Turkey. In this work, several human, porcine, and environmental samples collected from Izmir region in Turkey were examined for the presence of Y. enterocolitica using different cultivation and enrichment methods. A total of nine pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains were isolated; five strains from pig stool and manure samples and four strains from waste water samples. On the other hand, no Y. enterocolitica was isolated from human diarrheal stool samples (n = 102) and from 12 gulf, canal, municipal pool, and well water samples. Biochemical and serological characterization of the nine Y. enterocolitica strains revealed that they belonged to three different bioserotypes: 4/O:3, 2/O:9, and 2/O:5,27. All the strains were deemed pathogenic based on virulence factor-specific PCR analysis. Detection of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains from the pig and waste water samples from the Izmir region indicates that Y. enterocolitica is a potential risk for public health.

Effect of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolates on growth and arsenic accumulation in Plantago lanceolata L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orłowska, Elżbieta; Godzik, Barbara; Turnau, Katarzyna

2012-01-01

The role of indigenous and non-indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on As uptake by Plantago lanceolata L. growing on substrate originating from mine waste rich in As was assessed in a pot experiment. P. lanceolata inoculated with AMF had higher shoot and root biomass and lower concentrations of As in roots than the non-inoculated plants. There were significant differences in As concentration and uptake between different AMF isolates. Inoculation with the indigenous isolate resulted in increased transfer of As from roots to shoots; AMF from non-polluted area apparently restricted plants from absorbing As to the tissue; and plants inoculated with an AMF isolate from Zn–Pb waste showed strong As retainment within the roots. Staining with dithizone indicated that AMF might be actively involved in As accumulation. The mycorrhizal colonization affected also the concentration of Cd and Zn in roots and Pb concentration, both in shoots and roots. - Highlights: ► The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in As uptake was studied. ► Growth of Plantago lanceolata was significantly enhanced by mycorrhizal inoculation. ► Arsenic concentration and uptake significantly depended on the AMF isolate. ► Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may be useful for bioremediation of As contaminated wastes. - Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on As uptake by Plantago lanceolata strongly depends on the origin of fungal isolates.

An Entamoeba sp. strain isolated from rhesus monkey is virulent but genetically different from Entamoeba histolytica.

Science.gov (United States)

Tachibana, Hiroshi; Yanagi, Tetsuo; Pandey, Kishor; Cheng, Xun-Jia; Kobayashi, Seiki; Sherchand, Jeevan B; Kanbara, Hiroji

2007-06-01

An Entamoeba sp. strain, P19-061405, was isolated from a rhesus monkey in Nepal and characterized genetically. The strain was initially identified as Entamoeba histolytica using PCR amplification of peroxiredoxin genes. However, sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene showed a 0.8% difference when compared to the reference E. histolytica HM-1:IMSS human strain. Differences were also observed in the 5.8S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions 1 and 2, and analysis of the serine-rich protein gene from the monkey strain showed unique codon usages compared to E. histolytica isolated from humans. The amino acid sequences of two hexokinases and two glucose phosphate isomerases also differed from those of E. histolytica. Isoenzyme analyses of these enzymes in the monkey strain showed different electrophoretic mobility patterns compared with E. histolytica isolates. Analysis of peroxiredoxin genes indicated the presence of at least seven different types of protein, none of which were identical to proteins in E. histolytica. When the trophozoites from the monkey strain were inoculated into the livers of hamsters, formation of amebic abscesses was observed 7 days after the injection. These results demonstrate that the strain is genetically different from E. histolytica and is virulent. Revival of the name Entamoeba nuttalli is proposed for the organism.

Differences of isolated dental stem cells dependent on donor age and consequences for autologous tooth replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, Manuela; Steindorff, Marina M; Strempel, Jürgen F; Winkel, Andreas; Kühnel, Mark P; Stiesch, Meike

2014-06-01

Autologous therapy via stem cell-based tissue regeneration is an aim to rebuild natural teeth. One option is the use of adult stem cells from the dental pulp (DPSCs), which have been shown to differentiate into several types of tissue in vitro and in vivo, especially into tooth-like structures. DPSCs are mainly isolated from the dental pulp of third molars routinely extracted for orthodontic reasons. Due to the extraction of third molars at various phases of life, DPSCs are isolated at different developmental stages of the tooth. The present study addressed the question whether DPSCs from patients of different ages were similar in their growth characteristics with respect to the stage of tooth development. Therefore DPSCs from third molars of 12-30 year-old patients were extracted, and growth characteristics, e.g. doubling time and maximal cell division potential were analysed. In addition, pulp and hard dental material weight were recorded. Irrespective of the age of patients almost all isolated cells reached 40-60 generations with no correlation between maximal cell division potential and patient age. Cells from patients <22 years showed a significantly faster doubling time than the cells from patients ≥22 years. The age of patients at the time of stem cell isolation is not a crucial factor concerning maximal cell division potential, but does have an impact on the doubling time. However, differences in individuals regarding growth characteristics were more pronounced than age-dependent differences. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virus fitness differences observed between two naturally occurring isolates of Ebola virus Makona variant using a reverse genetics approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Albariño, César G; Guerrero, Lisa Wiggleton; Chakrabarti, Ayan K; Kainulainen, Markus H; Whitmer, Shannon L M; Welch, Stephen R; Nichol, Stuart T

2016-09-01

During the large outbreak of Ebola virus disease that occurred in Western Africa from late 2013 to early 2016, several hundred Ebola virus (EBOV) genomes have been sequenced and the virus genetic drift analyzed. In a previous report, we described an efficient reverse genetics system designed to generate recombinant EBOV based on a Makona variant isolate obtained in 2014. Using this system, we characterized the replication and fitness of 2 isolates of the Makona variant. These virus isolates are nearly identical at the genetic level, but have single amino acid differences in the VP30 and L proteins. The potential effects of these differences were tested using minigenomes and recombinant viruses. The results obtained with this approach are consistent with the role of VP30 and L as components of the EBOV RNA replication machinery. Moreover, the 2 isolates exhibited clear fitness differences in competitive growth assays. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Anaplasma Marginale isolation from infected bovine erythrocytes or from its floating culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canon Q, Y.

1986-01-01

Isolation of Anaplasma Marginale is of great importance because this is the cause of anaplasmosis in cattle. Anaplasmosis is a mortal disease and spreads easily. To isolate the anaplasm, four different experiments were developed; in the first experiment, the parasite was isolated from parasitic blood, by means of three methods; osmotic shock, sonic vibration and treatment with hemolisine. In the second experiment, the parasite source was the top of the bacteriologic culture of anaplasma marginale obtained by means of slow centrifugation. In the third experiment, it was used parasitic blood diluted in PBS and liquid nitrogen criopreserved. In the fourth experiment.it was used parasitic blood which was separated by means of sonic oscillation. This method was more adequate to free the parasite from the host cell. Differential centrifugation was the best method to separate parasite of the stroma and ghost cells

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of B. cinerea Chilean isolates of different levels of fenhexamid sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARCELA ESTERIO

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Forty three Chilean Botrytis cinerea isolates of different fenhexamid sensitivities, obtained from table grapes, were phenotypically analyzed and sequenced for the erg27 gene that encodes the 3-ketoreductaseenzyme. Fifteen isolates were highly resistant to fenhexamid (HydR3+ with conidial germination EC50values >5 μg·mL-1 and colony growth EC50 values >2 μg·mL-1. Five isolates had slight to moderate resistance levels (HydR3- with conidial germination EC50 values between 0.7 and 2.6 μg·mL-1 and colony growth EC50 values between 0.4 and 3 μg·mL-1. Twenty-three isolates were fenhexamid sensitive (HydS (conidial germination and colony growth EC50 values <0.1 μg·mL-1. Resistance to anilinopyrimidine (phenotype AniR1, benzimidazole (phenotype BenR1 and dicarboximide fungicides (phenotype ImiR1 was common among isolate stested. When HydR3- and HydR3+ sequences were compared with fenhexamid-resistant French isolates, it was verified that all the HydR3+ had a modification in the C-terminal at position 412 of the protein, close tothe putative transmembrane domain responsible for fenhexamid resistance. The HydR3- isolates showed sixspecific amino acid changes in the sequenced region of the erg27 gene, between positions 199 and 408 of the protein, with three of these described for the first time.

Investigating the Keratinolytic Activities of the Bacteria Isolated from Different Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, S. X.

2017-12-01

Background InformationThe development of microbial keratinase has gained increasing attention over the million tons of keratinous wastes generated by the worldwide livestock population. Keratinous wastes not only serve as the niche for pathogenic microorganisms, but also they collapse environmental balance for being the source of air, soil, and water pollutions. Conversely, microbial keratinases can convert the unexploited keratinous wastes into bioaccessible animal feed. However, because of the recalcitrant structure of keratin, the complete keratin degradation is difficult to achieve with one keratinase as opposed to recombinant keratinases. Therefore, this study is designed to isolate the bacteria from different sources and to evaluate their keratinolytic activities using azokeratin substrates. Materials and Methods Soil, horse hooves, penguin stool, and chicken stool are collected from different sites. These samples are serially diluted and then streaked on feather-meal agar plates. Single colonies are screened for the ability to hydrolyze keratin. The isolate of single colonies is cultivated in a whole-feather medium. The sample is then centrifuged, and the supernatant is used for crude enzyme preparation. Azokeratin is synthesized by coupling bristle keratin with diazotized laurent's acid, and it is used as a substrate for assaying keratinase activity by using a spectrophotometer. ConclusionThis study will compare the keratinase activities on bristle azokeratin substrates from three different samples and thus evaluate the bacterium with the best ability to hydrolyze keratin amongst the three. Further steps will be taken to produce a blend of enzymes generated and select the optimum combination that can most efficiently degrade keratin.

The Great Recession was not so Great

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ours, J.C.

2015-01-01

The Great Recession is characterized by a GDP-decline that was unprecedented in the past decades. This paper discusses the implications of the Great Recession analyzing labor market data from 20 OECD countries. Comparing the Great Recession with the 1980s recession it is concluded that there is a

Plasmids in Vibrio parahemolyticus strains isolated in Japan and Bangladesh with special reference to different distributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Arai, T; Ando, T; Kusakabe, A; Ullah, M A

1983-01-01

We surveyed plasmids in naturally occurring Vibrio parahemolyticus strains isolated in Japan and Bangladesh. Among the strains isolated in Japan, about half of the strains isolated from stools of patients of domestic diarrhea outbreaks as well as of travelers returning from East Asia were found to have plasmids, but no strains from foods had plasmids. In contrast, among the strains isolated in Bangladesh, none of the four strains isolated from patients had plasmids, but two out of eight strains isolated from water had plasmids, suggesting that plasmids are common in strains from the water in Bangladesh. All plasmids so far reported in V. parahemolyticus were detected in strains isolated from stools of patients. Incidences of plasmids in this organism were not so high in either area. In Japan, all plasmids were detected in strains from human intestines at 37 C, but in Bangladesh, where the temperature is around 30-40 C, the plasmids were detected in strains from the natural environment. These results suggested the possibility that these plasmids can come from different bacteria under rather high temperatures and that incidences of plasmids are influenced by the incidences of plasmids in bacteria present in the vicinity of V. parahemolyticus strains. None of these plasmids were found to have any relation to the biological characters tested.

The effect of tigecycline and ertapenem against clinical isolates of Brucella melitensis detected by E-test on different media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanyel E

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, in vitro activity of tigecycline (TIG and ertapenem (ERT against clinical isolates of Brucella melitensis and the effect of different media on in vitro test results were investigated. The in vitro effects of TIG and ERT to 38 B. melitensis isolates were comparatively investigated in brucella agar and 5% sheep blood agar. MIC value of ERT was 0.032 μg/mL in 23 of 38 and 20 of 38 isolates on blood and brucella agar, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration values of TIG were substantially different ranging between 0.064-0.25 μg/mL on blood agar. However, MIC values of TIG were similar on brucella agar with 0.25 μg/mL in 15 of 38 isolates and 0.5 μg/mL in 10 of 38 isolates. In conclusion, although ERT and TIG were effective against B. melitensis isolates in vitro, further studies are needed in order to determine the use of these novel drugs in treatment of brucellosis.

Differential leaf gas exchange performance of mango cultivars infected by different isolates of Ceratocystis fimbriata

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Wilka Messner da Silva Bispo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Caused by the vascular fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata, mango wilt is considered to be one of the most serious threats in mango-producing regions worldwide. However, changes in leaf gas exchange level and the mechanisms underlying host responses to this fungal infection remain poorly described. This study aimed to evaluate potential changes in the leaf gas exchange of different mango cultivars (Ubá, Espada, Haden and Tommy Atkins in response to two Brazilian isolates of C. fimbriata (CEBS15 and MSAK16 to non-invasively assess cultivar variability in relation to the basal level of resistance to mango wilt. Both isolates, regardless of the cultivar, caused reductions in stomatal conductance and, thus, a reduction in CO2 assimilation via diffusive limitations. Taking into account the full length of the internal lesion and the radial colonization of the stem tissues, both isolates showed equivalent aggressiveness when inoculated into the Haden and Tommy Atkins cultivars. Conversely, when compared to the CEBS15 isolate of C. fimbriata, the MSAK16 isolate was more aggressive in cv. Espada and less aggressive in cv. Ubá.

Sexual selection, sexual isolation and pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster strains after long-term maintaining on different diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Trajković, Jelena; Miličić, Dragana; Savić, Tatjana; Pavković-Lučić, Sofija

2017-07-01

Evolution of reproductive isolation may be a consequence of a variety of signals used in courtship and mate preferences. Pheromones play an important role in both sexual selection and sexual isolation. The abundance of pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster may depend on different environmental factors, including diet. The aim of this study was to ascertain to which degree principal pheromones affect sexual selection in D. melanogaster. We used D. melanogaster strains reared for 14 years on four substrates: standard cornmeal substrate and those containing tomato, banana and carrot. We have previously determined that long-term maintaining of these dietary strains resulted in differences in their cuticular hydrocarbons profile (CHs). In this work, we have tested the level of sexual selection and sexual isolation between aforementioned strains. We found that the high levels of cis-vaccenyl acetate, 7-pentacosene and 7,11-nonacosadiene in the strain reared on a substrate containing carrot affected the individual attractiveness and influenced sexual isolation between flies of this strain and flies reared on a substrate containing banana. Based on these results, long-term different diets, may contribute, to sexual behaviour of D. melanogaster via the effects of principal pheromones. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.

Science.gov (United States)

El Nagar, Aliya; MacColl, Andrew D C

2016-08-17

Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and the reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, little strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here, we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Laboratory-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation. © 2016 The Author(s).

[Study on VNTR diversity of clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Qinghai].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Liu, Haican; Wang, Zhaofen; Ma, Yongcheng; Su, Xiaodong; Jiang, Mingxia; Wan, Kanglin; Liu, Shou; Zhao, Xiuqin; Qu, Shugen

2015-10-01

To investigate the variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) genetic polymorphisms, genotyping and distribution pattern of clinical Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis isolates from Qinghai province. The clinical M. tuberculosis strains isolated from the patients with tuberculosis and related background data were collected from Qinghai Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2012. Genotyping was conducted by using multiple locus VNTR analysis (MLVA). Genomic DNA was extracted and 15 VNTR loci were amplified with PCR and the PCR products were detected with gel electrophoresis. The VNTR diversity and clusters of genotyping were analyzed with BioNumerics (Version 5.0). A total of 251 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates were analyzed with 15 VNTR loci showing that there were great genetic diversity in these isolates. Six of the 15 VNTR loci, showed that the Hunter-Gaston index (HGI) were higher than 0.6, in which the highest resolution was MIRU26. The clusters of genotyping showed that these isolates could be categorized into four gene clusters and 238 genotypes. The four gene clusters accounted for 4.9%, 91.9%, 1.6% and 1.6% of the clinical isolates, respectively. The results showed that there is great variety of VNTR genetic polymorphisms in clinical M. tuberculosis isolates in Qinghai province.

Draft genome sequencing of giardia intestinalis assemblage B isolate GS: is human giardiasis caused by two different species?

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Oscar Franzén

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Giardia intestinalis is a major cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and two major Giardia genotypes, assemblages A and B, infect humans. The genome of assemblage A parasite WB was recently sequenced, and the structurally compact 11.7 Mbp genome contains simplified basic cellular machineries and metabolism. We here performed 454 sequencing to 16x coverage of the assemblage B isolate GS, the only Giardia isolate successfully used to experimentally infect animals and humans. The two genomes show 77% nucleotide and 78% amino-acid identity in protein coding regions. Comparative analysis identified 28 unique GS and 3 unique WB protein coding genes, and the variable surface protein (VSP repertoires of the two isolates are completely different. The promoters of several enzymes involved in the synthesis of the cyst-wall lack binding sites for encystation-specific transcription factors in GS. Several synteny-breaks were detected and verified. The tetraploid GS genome shows higher levels of overall allelic sequence polymorphism (0.5 versus <0.01% in WB. The genomic differences between WB and GS may explain some of the observed biological and clinical differences between the two isolates, and it suggests that assemblage A and B Giardia can be two different species.

Biodiversity of Bacteria Isolated from Different Soils

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Fatma YAMAN

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the biodiversity of PHB producing bacteria isolated from soils where fruit and vegetable are cultivated (onion, grape, olive, mulberry and plum in Aydın providence. Morphological, cultural, biochemical, and molecular methods were used for bacteria identification. These isolated bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and using BLAST. The following bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (6, Bacillus cereus (8, Bacillus anthrachis (1, Bacillus circulans (1, Bacillus weihenstephanensis (1, Pseudomonas putida (1, Azotobacter chroococcum (1, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans (1, Burkholderia sp. (1, Staphylococcus epidermidis (1, Streptomyces exfoliatus (1, Variovorax paradoxus (1 were found. The Maximum Likelihood method was used to produce a molecular phylogenetic analysis and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. These bacteria can produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB which is an organic polymer with commercial potential as a biodegradable thermoplastic. PHB can be used instead of petrol derivated non-degradable plastics. For this reason, PHB producing microorganisms are substantial in industry.

Efficient Isolation of Cardiac Stem Cells from Brown Adipose

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Zhiqiang Liu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiac stem cells represent a logical cell type to exploit in cardiac regeneration. The efficient harvest of cardiac stem cells from a suitable source would turn promising in cardiac stem cell therapy. Brown adipose was recently found to be a new source of cardiac stem cells, instrumental to myocardial regeneration. Unfortunately, an efficient method for the cell isolation is unavailable so far. In our study we have developed a new method for the efficient isolation of cardiac stem cells from brown adipose by combining different enzymes. Results showed that the total cell yield dramatically increased (more than 10 times, P<.01 compared with that by previous method. The content of CD133-positive cells (reported to differentiate into cardiomyocytes with a high frequency was much higher than that in the previous report (22.43% versus 3.5%. Moreover, the isolated cells could be the efficiently differentiated into functional cardiomyocytes in optimized conditions. Thus, the new method we established would be of great use in further exploring cardiac stem cell therapy.

Isolation of fusarium species from some food and feed and prevention their growth by irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youssef, K.A.; Abouzeid, M.A.; Hassan, A.A.; Abd-Elrahman, D.G.; Hammad, A.A.

2007-01-01

Seventy samples of different cereal grains, garlic, onion and animal feed were collected from the Egyptian markets to isolate associated moulds. Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Rhizopus were the most common fungal genera isolated from the different samples. The genus Fusarium was the most dominant among the fungal genera and all isolates were identified as F. verticillioides, F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. dimerum, F. tabacinum and F. xylaroides. Fusarium verticillioides and F. solani were the most dominant comprising 58% of the total isolates. All Fusarium isolates were proved to produce one or more of zearalenone, diacetoxyscirpenol and fusaric acids in liquid medium. Irradiation at a dose of 5 KGy reduced the Fusarium growth greatly relative to non-irradiated controls. On the basis of the radiation survival data, the radiation decimal reduction doses (D 10 values) for F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. verticillioides and F. dimerum were 1.44, 1.66, 1.73 and 1.00 KGy in corn, respectively. Application of radiation at a dose of 12.5 KGy made corn samples free from mould throughout all the storage period (12 weeks) and there was no fungal growth and no mycotoxins have been produced

Sequence diversities of serine-aspartate repeat genes among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from different hosts presumably by horizontal gene transfer.

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Huping Xue

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT is recognized as one of the major forces for bacterial genome evolution. Many clinically important bacteria may acquire virulence factors and antibiotic resistance through HGT. The comparative genomic analysis has become an important tool for identifying HGT in emerging pathogens. In this study, the Serine-Aspartate Repeat (Sdr family has been compared among different sources of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus to discover sequence diversities within their genomes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Four sdr genes were analyzed for 21 different S. aureus strains and 218 mastitis-associated S. aureus isolates from Canada. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that S. aureus strains from bovine mastitis (RF122 and mastitis isolates in this study, ovine mastitis (ED133, pig (ST398, chicken (ED98, and human methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA (TCH130, MRSA252, Mu3, Mu50, N315, 04-02981, JH1 and JH9 were highly associated with one another, presumably due to HGT. In addition, several types of insertion and deletion were found in sdr genes of many isolates. A new insertion sequence was found in mastitis isolates, which was presumably responsible for the HGT of sdrC gene among different strains. Moreover, the sdr genes could be used to type S. aureus. Regional difference of sdr genes distribution was also indicated among the tested S. aureus isolates. Finally, certain associations were found between sdr genes and subclinical or clinical mastitis isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Certain sdr gene sequences were shared in S. aureus strains and isolates from different species presumably due to HGT. Our results also suggest that the distributional assay of virulence factors should detect the full sequences or full functional regions of these factors. The traditional assay using short conserved regions may not be accurate or credible. These findings have important implications with regard to animal husbandry practices that may

Cunea n. g. (Amoebozoa, Dactylopodida) with two cryptic species isolated from different areas of the ocean

KAUST Repository

Kudryavtsev, Alexander

2015-06-01

© 2015 Elsevier GmbH. This paper describes a new genus, Cunea n. g., of marine naked amoebae with two cryptic species, Cunea profundata and Cunea thuwala, isolated from distant localities in the ocean and different depths (Brazilian abyssal plain, Western Atlantic Ocean, depth >5. km and the Red Sea off the Saudi Arabian coast, depth ca. 58.7. m). Both species are very similar to each other in the set of light microscopic and ultrastructural characters and might be described as a single species, yet their genetic divergence based on 3 molecular markers (small-subunit ribosomal RNA, actin and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) corresponds to the level of variation typically observed between different morphospecies of Amoebozoa. In addition, the studied strains differ strongly in their temperature tolerance ranges, C. profundata isolated from the cold Atlantic deep-sea habitat being able to reproduce under lower temperatures than C. thuwala isolated from the warm Red Sea benthos. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rRNA gene shows that the new genus robustly branches within the Dactylopodida, but forms an independent clade within this order that does not group with any of its known genera.

Cunea n. g. (Amoebozoa, Dactylopodida) with two cryptic species isolated from different areas of the ocean

KAUST Repository

Kudryavtsev, Alexander; Pawlowski, Jan

2015-01-01

© 2015 Elsevier GmbH. This paper describes a new genus, Cunea n. g., of marine naked amoebae with two cryptic species, Cunea profundata and Cunea thuwala, isolated from distant localities in the ocean and different depths (Brazilian abyssal plain, Western Atlantic Ocean, depth >5. km and the Red Sea off the Saudi Arabian coast, depth ca. 58.7. m). Both species are very similar to each other in the set of light microscopic and ultrastructural characters and might be described as a single species, yet their genetic divergence based on 3 molecular markers (small-subunit ribosomal RNA, actin and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) corresponds to the level of variation typically observed between different morphospecies of Amoebozoa. In addition, the studied strains differ strongly in their temperature tolerance ranges, C. profundata isolated from the cold Atlantic deep-sea habitat being able to reproduce under lower temperatures than C. thuwala isolated from the warm Red Sea benthos. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rRNA gene shows that the new genus robustly branches within the Dactylopodida, but forms an independent clade within this order that does not group with any of its known genera.

Comparative study of interventricular phase difference and pressure gradient in cases of isolated ventricular septal defect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elhaddad, SH; Moustafa, H; Ziada, G; Seleem, Z; Elsabban, KH; Mahmoud, F [Nuclear medicine department and pediatric cardiology department Faculty of medicine, Cairo university, Cairo, (Egypt)

1995-10-01

One hundred and fifty patients with isolated VSD were evaluated by radionuclide MUGA study and Echo-Doppler. Difference between phase angle of the right and left ventricles as detected by MUGA had been divided into main four groups according to pressure gradient between the two ventricles : group I (with pressure gradient {<=}30 mmHg and phase difference 80.10 degree{+-}34.1), group III (with pressure gradient > 70 mmHg and phase difference -0.5 degree {+-} 8.4). It has been found that there was a significant difference between the 4 groups as regards right - to - left ventricular phase difference (P<0.0001). There was significant delay in emptying of right ventricle in groups with pressure gradient < 50 mmHg. Regression analysis revealed inverse correlation between right -to- left ventricular phase difference with changes in pressure gradient (r= 0.81). Similarly, significant correlation had been found between right -to-left ventricular phase difference in relation Qp/Qs (r=0.85); conclusion: interventricular phase difference can be used to evaluate interventricular pressure gradient in cases of isolated VSD. 4 figs., 2 tabs.

State Recognition of High Voltage Isolation Switch Based on Background Difference and Iterative Search

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jiayuan; Yu, Chengtao; Bo, Bin; Xue, Yu; Xu, Changfu; Chaminda, P. R. Dushantha; Hu, Chengbo; Peng, Kai

2018-03-01

The automatic recognition of the high voltage isolation switch by remote video monitoring is an effective means to ensure the safety of the personnel and the equipment. The existing methods mainly include two ways: improving monitoring accuracy and adopting target detection technology through equipment transformation. Such a method is often applied to specific scenarios, with limited application scope and high cost. To solve this problem, a high voltage isolation switch state recognition method based on background difference and iterative search is proposed in this paper. The initial position of the switch is detected in real time through the background difference method. When the switch starts to open and close, the target tracking algorithm is used to track the motion trajectory of the switch. The opening and closing state of the switch is determined according to the angle variation of the switch tracking point and the center line. The effectiveness of the method is verified by experiments on different switched video frames of switching states. Compared with the traditional methods, this method is more robust and effective.

The great intimidators.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Roderick M

2006-02-01

After Disney's Michael Eisner, Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, and Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina fell from their heights of power, the business media quickly proclaimed thatthe reign of abrasive, intimidating leaders was over. However, it's premature to proclaim their extinction. Many great intimidators have done fine for a long time and continue to thrive. Their modus operandi runs counter to a lot of preconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. They're rough, loud, and in your face. Their tactics include invading others' personal space, staging tantrums, keeping people guessing, and possessing an indisputable command of facts. But make no mistake--great intimidators are not your typical bullies. They're driven by vision, not by sheer ego or malice. Beneath their tough exteriors and sharp edges are some genuine, deep insights into human motivation and organizational behavior. Indeed, these leaders possess political intelligence, which can make the difference between paralysis and successful--if sometimes wrenching--organizational change. Like socially intelligent leaders, politically intelligent leaders are adept at sizing up others, but they notice different things. Those with social intelligence assess people's strengths and figure out how to leverage them; those with political intelligence exploit people's weaknesses and insecurities. Despite all the obvious drawbacks of working under them, great intimidators often attract the best and brightest. And their appeal goes beyond their ability to inspire high performance. Many accomplished professionals who gravitate toward these leaders want to cultivate a little "inner intimidator" of their own. In the author's research, quite a few individuals reported having positive relationships with intimidating leaders. In fact, some described these relationships as profoundly educational and even transformational. So before we throw out all the great intimidators, the author argues, we should stop to consider what

In vitro differential activity of phospholipases and acid proteinases of clinical isolates of Candida

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Aurean D'Eça Júnior

2011-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Candida yeasts are commensals; however, if the balance of normal flora is disrupted or the immune defenses are compromised, Candida species can cause disease manifestations. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of Candida, including the production of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro activity of phospholipases and acid proteinases in clinical isolates of Candida spp. METHODS: Eighty-two isolates from hospitalized patients collected from various sites of origin were analyzed. Phospholipase production was performed in egg yolk medium and the production of proteinase was verified in a medium containing bovine serum albumin. The study was performed in triplicate. RESULTS: Fifty-six (68.3% of isolates tested were phospholipase positive and 16 (44.4% were positive for proteinase activity. C. tropicalis was the species with the highest number of positive isolates for phospholipase (91.7%. Statistically significant differences were observed in relation to production of phospholipases among species (p<0,0001 and among the strains from different sites of origin (p=0.014. Regarding the production of acid protease, the isolates of C. parapsilosis tested presented a larger number of producers (69.2%. Among the species analyzed, the percentage of protease producing isolates did not differ statistically (χ2=1.9 p=0.5901 (χ2=1.9 p=0.5901. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of C. non-albicans and all C. albicans isolates were great producers of hydrolytic enzymes and, consequently, might be able to cause infection under favorable conditions.

Multidrug resistance among different serotypes of clinical Salmonella isolates in Taiwan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauderdale, T. L.; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Chen, P. C.

2006-01-01

(41%) and was highly prevalent in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (72.7%, 176/242) the most common serotype. Additional resistance to trimethoprim was present in 155 (19.4% overall) of the ACSSuT R-type isolates from several serotypes. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolone (FQ...... multiresistant to other antimicrobials. Studies are needed to determine the sources of different multidrug-resistant serotypes. Continued national surveillance is underway to monitor changes in resistance trends and to detect further emergence of resistant Salmonella serotypes in Taiwan. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc...

The Potential of Different Fungal Isolates for Production of Lovostatin Under Solid State Fermentation (SSF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezzat, S.M.; Ahmed, A.S.; Auda, S.M.; Younis, N.A.; Yousef, S.A.

2015-01-01

Eleven fungal isolates were grown on different agricultural wastes (maize stalks, rice husk, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse) at a concentration of 30% to detect their ability for the production of lovastatin. The highest yield on maize stalks was obtained by Aspergillus flavus 11 while for rice husk, Aspergillus niger 12 exhibited the highest yield of lovastatin. Also Aspergillus flavus 11, Aspergillus niger 12 and A. terreus 18 were found to produce the highest lovastatin production with wheat straw and the highest yield on bagasse was obtained by A. terreus 18. Different concentrations of the best agricultural wastes (maize stalks, rice husk and wheat straw) were used as solid substrates to study their effects on lovastatin yield by the selected fungal isolates. The highest yield of lovastatin for the tested fungal isolates was obtained at 10% concentration for the three substrates and the highest yield was obtained by A. niger 14 and A. terreus 18. The influence of mutagenic agents (UV light and gamma rays) on these two potent fungal isolates in relation to lovastatin production showed that UV exposure for 120 min was the best in case of A. niger 14 while it was 30 min in case of A. terreus 18. On the other hand, gamma rays exhibited the highest lovastatin yield at exposure dose of 0.5 kGy for A. niger 14 and 0.25 kGy for A. terreus 18.

The development of base-isolated APWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, T.; Nitta, T.

2001-01-01

The full text follows: The seismic design of nuclear power stations plays a critical role in the assurance of plant safety in Japan, and standardization of design is difficult to achieve because every site is subject to different seismic conditions. However, the introduction of seismic -isolation devices is one way to rationally achieve safety assurance and promote design standardization. Base-isolated APWR (advanced pressurized water reactor) plants were developed by applying seismic -isolation devices to APWR plants. The introduction of seismic -isolation devices, which are installed between the ground and buildings, largely decreases the effect of seismic force on buildings. Therefore, the limitation of building shape and eccentricity, which are undertaken in order to prevent the floating of buildings, could be eliminated. This permits the flexibility of building layouts, which result in a reduction of building volume. At the same time, the thickness of the buildings walls that are specific to nuclear power stations, can also be decreased except radiation shield. As for the base-isolated APWR equipment design, the rational design of support structures for equipment and pipings is possible, because the floor response acceleration is greatly reduced. For the cost reduction, it has been confirmed that the base-isolated APWR plants are more economical than traditional APWR plants even after the additionally required expenses for seismic-isolation devices are taken into account. This is primarily because of the rational design of the buildings and equipment which is possible as described above. Another advantage is that building standardization can be promoted because the seismic-isolation devices are able to control the seismic force transmitted to the buildings. This is accomplished by arranging the characteristics of the isolation devices according to the seismic conditions of each site. The introduction of these devices to nuclear power stations is nearly ready

[Molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus isolates obtained from different hosts].

Science.gov (United States)

Erdoğan, Emrah; Özkan, Bora; Mutlu, Fatih; Karaca, Serkan; Şahin, İzzet

2017-01-01

Echinococcus granulosus is a parasite that can be seen throughout the world. So far, five species of genus Echinococcus have been identified as parasite in people: E.granulosus, E.multilocularis, E.vogeli, E.oligarthrus, E.shiquicus. Larval (metacestod) form of parasite settles in internal organs of hoofed animals (cattle, goats, pigs, horses, sheep, etc.) and human; the adult form is found in small intestine of final host, canine. Disease caused by parasite called as "Cystic echinococcosis" (CE) is an important health problem and causes economic losses in many countries including our country that livestock is common. Infective eggs cause infections in intermediate hosts by taking oral way and rarely inhalation. Received egg opens in the stomach and intestines of intermediate host and oncosphere is released. Oncosphere quickly reaches the lamina propria of the villus epithelium by its histolytic enzymes and hooks. It usually transported from here to the liver and lungs, less frequently, muscle, brain, spleen, kidney and to other organs through the veins. By molecular studies, five species have been validated taxonomically and 10 different variants or strains of E.granulosus have been identified. Host and developmental differences between strains may negatively affect control studies and fight against the parasite. This study aimed to determinate E.granulosus strains obtained from cyst material of different intermediate hosts from different regions of Turkey by molecular methods. In the study, 25 human, 8 cattle, 6 sheep and 2 goat cysts material has been collected. Total genomic DNA was isolated from protoscoleces in cyst fluid and analyzed by PCR with COX-1 (L) and COX-1 (S) genes specific primers. DNA sequence analysis for each PCR product has been made. DNA sequence analysis results evaluated phylogenetically by MEGA analyze and BLAST software. As a result of this study, all isolates were identified as E.granulosus sensu stricto (G1) by DNA sequence analysis. CE

Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Goot, M. H.; Tomasello, Michael; Liszkowski, Ulf

2014-01-01

This study investigated how great apes and human infants use imperative pointing to request objects. In a series of three experiments (infants, N = 44; apes, N = 12), subjects were given the opportunity to either point to a desired object from a distance or else to approach closer and request it

Isolation, characterization, antibiogram and pathology of Pasteurella multocida isolated from pigs

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Mamta Tigga

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Aim: Isolation, characterization and antibiogram of Pasteurella multocida from diseased pigs of district Durg of Chhattisgarh, and to study pathological changes caused by swine pasteurellosis. Materials and Methods: An outbreak of swine pasteurellosis was suspected in pigs of Ruwabandha (Bhilai, Anjora, Somni, Tedesara, Tirgajhola villages of Durg district in Chhattisgarh, India during August and September of 2011. Nasal Swabs and blood samples from ailing pigs and heart blood and impression smears from morbid pigs were processed for detection and isolation of P. multocida by bacteriological methods. Detailed necropsy was conducted and gross and histopathological lesions were recorded. The test Isolates were subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity profile by disc-diffusion method. Results: The blood smears from heart blood and tissue impression smears revealed teaming of bipolar organisms indicating the presence of Pasteurella spp. The isolates obtained were subjected to Gram's staining for checking the purity and bipolar morphology and characterized biochemically. Gross lesions included severe acute pneumonia and haemorrhages in lungs, petechial haemorrhages on serous membranes and other visceral organs. On histopathological examination, lungs showed typical fibrinous bronchopneumonia, multifocal suppuration. All the isolates of P. multocida were 100% sensitive to Amoxicillin, Gentamicin, Enrofloxacin and showed100% resistance to Ceftizoxim and Cloxacillin. Conclusion: Gross and microscopic lesions in dead animals are of great diagnostic value and are of characteristic of P. multocida infection. Cultural, morphological and biochemical characters are useful to rule out the causative agent as P. multocida. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the isolates should routinely be carried out for knowing the antibiotic resistance trends in an endemic area.

Hydrocarbonoclastic Alcanivorax Isolates Exhibit Different Physiological and Expression Responses to n-dodecane

KAUST Repository

Barbato, Marta

2016-12-21

Autochthonous microorganisms inhabiting hydrocarbon polluted marine environments play a fundamental role in natural attenuation and constitute promising resources for bioremediation approaches. Alcanivorax spp. members are ubiquitous in contaminated surface waters and are the first to flourish on a wide range of alkanes after an oil-spill. Following oil contamination, a transient community of different Alcanivorax spp. develop, but whether they use a similar physiological, cellular and transcriptomic response to hydrocarbon substrates is unknown. In order to identify which cellular mechanisms are implicated in alkane degradation, we investigated the response of two isolates belonging to different Alcanivorax species, A. dieselolei KS 293 and A. borkumensis SK2 growing on n-dodecane (C12) or on pyruvate. Both strains were equally able to grow on C12 but they activated different strategies to exploit it as carbon and energy source. The membrane morphology and hydrophobicity of SK2 changed remarkably, from neat and hydrophilic on pyruvate to indented and hydrophobic on C12, while no changes were observed in KS 293. In addition, SK2 accumulated a massive amount of intracellular grains when growing on pyruvate, which might constitute a carbon reservoir. Furthermore, SK2 significantly decreased medium surface tension with respect to KS 293 when growing on C12, as a putative result of higher production of biosurfactants. The transcriptomic responses of the two isolates were also highly different. KS 293 changes were relatively balanced when growing on C12 with respect to pyruvate, giving almost the same amount of upregulated (28%), downregulated (37%) and equally regulated (36%) genes, while SK2 transcription was upregulated for most of the genes (81%) when growing on pyruvate when compared to C12. While both strains, having similar genomic background in genes related to hydrocarbon metabolism, retained the same capability to grow on C12, they nevertheless presented very

Secondary typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates with matching IS6110 fingerprints from different geographic regions of the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Z H; Bates, J H; Eisenach, K D; Cave, M D

2001-05-01

Fifty-nine isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis obtained from different states in the United States and representing 25 interstate clusters were investigated. These clusters were identified by computer-assisted analysis of DNA fingerprints submitted during 1996 and 1997 by different laboratories participating in the CDC National Genotyping and Surveillance Network. Isolates were fingerprinted with the IS6110 right-hand probe (IS6110-3'), the IS6110 left-hand probe (IS6110-5'), and the probe pTBN12, containing the polymorphic GC-rich sequence (PGRS). Spoligotyping based on the polymorphism in the 36-bp direct-repeat locus was also performed. As a control, 43 M. tuberculosis isolates in 17 clusters obtained from patients in Arkansas during the study period were analyzed. Of the 25 interstate clusters, 19 were confirmed as correctly clustered when all the isolates were analyzed on the same gel using the IS6110-3' probe. Of the 19 true IS6110-3' clusters, 10 (53%) were subdivided by one or more secondary typing methods. Clustering of the control group was virtually identical by all methods. Of the three different secondary typing methods, spoligotyping was the least discriminating. IS6110-5' fingerprinting was as discriminating as PGRS fingerprinting. The data indicate that the IS6110-5' probe not only is a useful secondary typing method but also probably would prove to be a more useful primary typing method for a genotyping network which involves isolates from different geographic regions.

Susceptibility of different bacterial species isolated from food animals to copper sulphate, zinc chloride and antimicrobial substances used for disinfection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Hasman, Henrik

2004-01-01

that Danish bacterial isolates from livestock so far have not or have only to a limited degree developed resistance to antimicrobial compounds commonly used for disinfection. Acquired copper resistance was only found in enterococci. There were large differences in the intrinsic susceptibility of the different...... of susceptibilities to the different antimicrobial agents. Large variations were observed in the susceptibility of the different bacterial species to the different compounds. Staphylococci were in general very susceptible to all antimicrobial compounds tested. The Salmonella isolates were in general less susceptible...

Identification of different subsets of lung cells using Raman microspectroscopy and whole cell nucleus isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pijanka, Jacek K; Stone, Nicholas; Rutter, Abigail V; Forsyth, Nicholas; Sockalingum, Ganesh D; Yang, Ying; Sulé-Suso, Josep

2013-09-07

Raman spectroscopy has been widely used to study its possible clinical application in cancer diagnosis. However, in order to make it into clinical practice, it is important that this technique is able not only to identify cancer cells from their normal counterparts, but also from the array of cells present in human tissues. To this purpose, we used Raman spectroscopy to assess whether this technique was able to differentiate not only between lung cancer cells and lung epithelial cells but also from lung fibroblasts. Furthermore, we studied whether the differences were due to cell lineage (epithelial versus fibroblast) or to different proliferative characteristics of cells, and where in the cell compartment these differences might reside. To answer these questions we studied cell cytoplasm, cell nucleus and isolated whole cell nuclei. Our data suggests that Raman spectroscopy can differentiate between lung cancer, lung epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts. More important, it can also differentiate between 2 cells from the same lineage (fibroblast) but with one of them rendered immortal and with an increased proliferative activity. Finally, it seems that the main spectral differences reside in the cell nucleus and that the study of isolated nuclei strengthens the differences between cells.

Excretory/secretory products from two Fasciola hepatica isolates induce different transcriptional changes and IL-10 release in LPS-activated bovine "BOMA" macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Bąska, Piotr; Norbury, Luke James; Zawistowska-Deniziak, Anna; Wiśniewski, Marcin; Januszkiewicz, Kamil

2017-10-01

Fasciola hepatica are trematodes that reside in the bile ducts of mammals. Infection causes US$3 billion in losses annually in animal production and is considered a zoonosis of growing importance. An under-represented area in F. hepatica research has been the examination of the different immunomodulatory abilities of various parasite isolates on the host immune system. In this paper, this issue was explored, with the bovine macrophage cell line "BOMA". The cells were matured by LPS treatment and stimulated with excretory/secretory antigens (ES) from two Fasciola hepatica isolates: a laboratory isolate "Weybridge" (Fh-WeyES) and a wild isolate (Fh-WildES). As expected, stimulation with antigen mixtures with highly similar compositions resulted in mild transcriptomic differences. However, there were significant differences in cytokine levels. Compared to Fh-WeyES, exposure to Fh-WildES upregulated 27 and downregulated 30 genes. Fh-ES from both isolates diminished the release of TNF-α, whereas only Fh-WildES decreased IL-10 secretion. Neither Fh-WeyES nor Fh-WildES had an impact on IL-12 release. Our results indicate that various isolates can have different immunomodulatory abilities and impacts on the bovine immune system.

Gender differences in left ventricular function in patients with isolated aortic stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Favero, Luca; Giordan, Massimo; Tarantini, Giuseppe; Ramondo, Angelo Bruno; Cardaioli, Paolo; Isabella, Giambattista; Chioin, Raffaello; Lupia, Mario; Razzolini, Renato

2003-05-01

Hypertrophic response of the left ventricle to systolic overload in aortic stenosis appears to be gender-dependent. To examine gender-related differences in left ventricular (LV) function in patients with isolated severe aortic stenosis, 145 patients (65 women, 80 men; mean age 66 +/- 8 years; range: 50 to 89 years) with aortic valve area 199 mmHg, the mass:volume ratio was increased in men compared with women; of note, the mass:volume ratio in women was not increased in this subgroup compared with the general population. LV pump function in this subgroup was normal and did not differ between men and women. Although no clear-cut difference in hemodynamic parameters was seen, there was a trend towards a less compensatory increase in LV mass in females.

State Government Revenue Recovery from the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

James Alm; David L. Sjoquist

2014-01-01

The "Great Recession" lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, and it wreaked havoc on the revenues of state (and local) governments. While the U.S. economy has improved since the end of the Great Recession, state government revenues have in most cases still not completely recovered. We use various indicators to measure how different states have -- or have not -- recovered in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and we also attempt to explain why these different patterns of recovery have emer...

Emergence and clonal dissemination of carbapenem-hydrolysing OXA-58-producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Bolivia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevillano, Elena; Fernández, Elena; Bustamante, Zulema; Zabalaga, Silvia; Rosales, Ikerne; Umaran, Adelaida; Gallego, Lucía

2012-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen and very little information is available regarding its imipenem resistance in Latin American countries such as Bolivia. This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile of 46 clinical strains from different hospitals in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from March 2008 to July 2009, and the presence of carbapenemases as a mechanism of resistance to imipenem. Isolates were obtained from 46 patients (one isolate per patient; 30 males,16 females) with an age range of 1 day to 84 years, and were collected from different sample types, the majority from respiratory tract infections (17) and wounds (13). Resistance to imipenem was detected in 15 isolates collected from different hospitals of the city. These isolates grouped into the same genotype, named A, and were resistant to all antibiotics tested including imipenem, with susceptibility only to colistin. Experiments to detect carbapenemases revealed the presence of the OXA-58 carbapenemase. Further analysis revealed the location of the bla(OXA-58) gene on a 40 kb plasmid. To our knowledge, this is the first report of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii isolates from Bolivia that is conferred by the OXA-58 carbapenemase. The presence of this gene in a multidrug-resistant clone and its location within a plasmid is of great concern with regard to the spread of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii in the hospital environment in Bolivia.

Isolation, Identification, Prevalence, and Genetic Diversity of Bacillus cereus Group Bacteria From Different Foodstuffs in Tunisia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gdoura-Ben Amor, Maroua; Siala, Mariam; Zayani, Mariem; Grosset, Noël; Smaoui, Salma; Messadi-Akrout, Feriele; Baron, Florence; Jan, Sophie; Gautier, Michel; Gdoura, Radhouane

2018-01-01

Bacillus cereus group is widespread in nature and foods. Several members of this group are recognized as causing food spoilage and/or health issues. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of the B. cereus group strains isolated in Tunisia from different foods (cereals, spices, cooked food, fresh-cut vegetables, raw and cooked poultry meats, seafood, canned, pastry, and dairy products). In total, 687 different samples were collected and searched for the presence of the B. cereus group after selective plating on MYP agar and enumeration of each sample. The typical pink-orange uniform colonies surrounded by a zone of precipitate were assumed to belong to the B. cereus group. One typical colony from each sample was subcultured and preserved as cryoculture. Overall, 191 (27.8%) food samples were found positive, giving rise to a collection of 191 B. cereus -like isolates. The concentration of B. cereus -like bacteria were below 10 3 cfu/g or ml in 77.5% of the tested samples. Higher counts (>10 4 cfu/g or ml) were found in 6.8% of samples including fresh-cut vegetables, cooked foods, cereals, and pastry products. To verify whether B. cereus -like isolates belonged to the B. cereus group, a PCR test targeting the sspE gene sequence specific of the group was carried out. Therefore, 174 isolates were found to be positive. Food samples were contaminated as follows: cereals (67.6%), pastry products (46.2%), cooked food (40.8%), cooked poultry meat (32.7%), seafood products (32.3%), spices (28.8%), canned products (16.7%), raw poultry meat (9.4%), fresh-cut vegetables (5.0%), and dairy products (4.8%). The 174 B. cereus isolates were characterized by partial sequencing of the panC gene, using a Sym'Previous software tool to assign them to different phylogenetic groups. Strains were distributed as follows: 61.3, 29.5, 7.5, and 1.7% in the group III, IV, II, and V, respectively. The genetic diversity was further assessed by ERIC-PCR and PFGE

Isolation, Identification, Prevalence, and Genetic Diversity of Bacillus cereus Group Bacteria From Different Foodstuffs in Tunisia

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Maroua Gdoura-Ben Amor

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Bacillus cereus group is widespread in nature and foods. Several members of this group are recognized as causing food spoilage and/or health issues. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of the B. cereus group strains isolated in Tunisia from different foods (cereals, spices, cooked food, fresh-cut vegetables, raw and cooked poultry meats, seafood, canned, pastry, and dairy products. In total, 687 different samples were collected and searched for the presence of the B. cereus group after selective plating on MYP agar and enumeration of each sample. The typical pink-orange uniform colonies surrounded by a zone of precipitate were assumed to belong to the B. cereus group. One typical colony from each sample was subcultured and preserved as cryoculture. Overall, 191 (27.8% food samples were found positive, giving rise to a collection of 191 B. cereus-like isolates. The concentration of B. cereus-like bacteria were below 103 cfu/g or ml in 77.5% of the tested samples. Higher counts (>104 cfu/g or ml were found in 6.8% of samples including fresh-cut vegetables, cooked foods, cereals, and pastry products. To verify whether B. cereus-like isolates belonged to the B. cereus group, a PCR test targeting the sspE gene sequence specific of the group was carried out. Therefore, 174 isolates were found to be positive. Food samples were contaminated as follows: cereals (67.6%, pastry products (46.2%, cooked food (40.8%, cooked poultry meat (32.7%, seafood products (32.3%, spices (28.8%, canned products (16.7%, raw poultry meat (9.4%, fresh-cut vegetables (5.0%, and dairy products (4.8%. The 174 B. cereus isolates were characterized by partial sequencing of the panC gene, using a Sym'Previous software tool to assign them to different phylogenetic groups. Strains were distributed as follows: 61.3, 29.5, 7.5, and 1.7% in the group III, IV, II, and V, respectively. The genetic diversity was further assessed by ERIC-PCR and PFGE

'Great Power Style' in China's Economic Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Yang

2011-01-01

China’s ascendance attracts concern, even though Beijing claims to be a responsible great power and tries to demonstrate its ‘great power style’ in economic diplomacy. This article therefore discusses the following questions: to what extent does the current notion and practice of Chinese ‘great...... power style’ in economic diplomacy comply with, or differ from, the criteria of benign hegemony; and what are the major constraining factors? Conceptually, China’s ‘great power style’ is rooted in ancient Chinese political philosophy and institution, but it highly resembles the Western notion of benign...

Isolation of bacillus thuringiensis from different samples from Mansehra District

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Younis, F.; Lodhi, A.F.; Raza, G.

2009-01-01

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis has made it very interesting for the control of a variety of agricultural pests and human disease vectors. The present study is an attempt to explore the potential and diversity. of Bacillus thuringiensis. from the local environment for the control of cotton spotted bollworm (Earias sp.), a major pest of cotton. Two hundred and ninety eight samples of soil, grain dust, wild animal dung, birds dropping, decaying leaves and dead insects were collected from different ecological environments of Mansehra District yielding 438 Bacillus thuringiensis isolates that produce parasporal crystalline inclusions. In this study the soil samples were found to be the richest source for Bacillus thuringiensis. (author)

Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants

Science.gov (United States)

van der Goot, Marloes H.; Tomasello, Michael; Liszkowski, Ulf

2014-01-01

This study investigated how great apes and human infants use imperative pointing to request objects. In a series of three experiments (infants, N = 44; apes, N = 12), subjects were given the opportunity to either point to a desired object from a distance or else to approach closer and request it proximally. The apes always approached close to the…

Antibacterial Effect of Copper on Microorganisms Isolated from Bovine Mastitis

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-Jara, Angelica; Cordero, Ninoska; Aguirre, Juan; Troncoso, Miriam; Figueroa, Guillermo

2016-01-01

The antimicrobial properties of copper have been recognized for several years; applying these properties to the prevention of diseases such as bovine mastitis is a new area of research. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial activity of copper on bacteria isolated from subclinical and clinical mastitis milk samples from two regions in Chile. A total of 327 microorganisms were recovered between March and September 2013, with different prevalence by sample origin (25 and 75% from the central and southern regions of Chile, respectively). In the central region, Escherichia coli and coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) were the most frequently detected in clinical mastitis cases (33%), while in the southern region S. uberis, S. aureus, and CNS were detected with frequencies of 22, 21, and 18%, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility studies revealed that 34% of isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics and the resistance profile was different between bacterial species and origins of isolation of the bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration of copper (MIC-Cu) was evaluated in all the isolates; results revealed that a concentration as low as 250 ppm copper was able to inhibit the great majority of microorganisms analyzed (65% of isolates). The remaining isolates showed a MIC-Cu between 375 and 700 ppm copper, and no growth was observed at 1000 ppm. A linear relationship was found between the logarithm of viable bacteria number and time of contact with copper. With the application of the same concentration of copper (250 ppm), CNS showed the highest tolerance to copper, followed by S. uberis and S. aureus; the least resistant was E. coli. Based on these in vitro results, copper preparations could represent a good alternative to dipping solutions, aimed at preventing the presence and multiplication of potentially pathogenic microorganisms involved in bovine mastitis disease. PMID:27199953

Expression of curli by Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from patients during outbreaks is different from similar strains isolated from leafy green production environments

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Subbarao Venkata Ravva

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We previously reported that the strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157 that survived longer in austere soil environment lacked expression of curli, a fitness trait linked with intestinal colonization. In addition, the proportion of curli-positive variants of EcO157 decreased with repeated soil exposure. Here we evaluated 84 and 176 clinical strains from outbreaks and sporadic infections in the US, plus 211 animal fecal and environmental strains for curli expression. These shiga-toxigenic strains were from 328 different genotypes, as characterized by multi-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA. More than half of the fecal strains (human and animal and a significant proportion of environmental isolates (82% were found to lack curli expression. EcO157 strains from several outbreaks linked with the consumption of contaminated apple juice, produce, hamburgers, steak and beef were also found to lack curli expression. Phylogenetic analysis of fecal strains indicates curli expression is distributed throughout the population. However, a significant proportion of animal fecal isolates (84% gave no curli expression compared to human fecal isolates (58%. In addition, analysis of environmental isolates indicated nearly exclusive clustering of curli expression to a single branch of the minimal spanning tree. This indicates that curli expression depends primarily upon the type of environmental exposure and the isolation source, although genotypic differences also contribute to clonal variation in curli. Furthermore, curli-deficient phenotype appears to be a selective trait for survival of EcO157 in agricultural environments.

A Multifunctional Isolated and Non-Isolated Dual Mode Converter for Renewable Energy Conversion Applications

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Yiwang Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a multifunctional isolated and non-isolated dual-mode low-power converter was designed for renewable energy conversion applications such as photovoltaic power generation to achieve different operating modes under bi-directional electrical conversion. The proposed topology consists of a bidirectional non-isolated DC/DC circuit and an isolated converter with a high-frequency transformer, which merge the advantages of both the conventional isolated converter and non-isolated converter with the combination of the two converter technologies. Compared with traditional converters, the multifunctional converter can not only realize conventional bi-directional functions, but can also be applied for many different operation modes and meet the high output/input ratio demands with the two converter circuits operating together. A novel control algorithm was proposed to achieve the various functions of the proposed converter. An experimental platform based on the proposed circuit was established. Both the simulation and experimental results indicated that the proposed converter could provide isolated and non-isolated modes in different applications, which could meet different practical engineering requirements.

In vitro degradation of linamarin by microorganisms isolated from cassava wastewater treatment lagoons

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S. P Vasconcellos

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at isolating and characterizing of microorganisms able to use linamarin as sole carbon source. Thirty one microbial strains were isolated from manipueira, a liquid effluent of cassava processing factories. Among these strains, Bacillus licheniformis (isolate 2_2 and Rhodotorulla glutinis (isolate L1 were able to degrade 71% and 95% of added linamarin, respectively, within 7 days, showing high biodegradation activity and great potential for detoxification of cassava processing wastewaters.

Isolation of peat swamp forest foliar endophyte fungi as biofertilizer

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Safinah Surya Hakim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Peatland restoration activity is facing many obstacles, particularly in planting techniques and poor nutrient in peat soil. Naturally, endophytic fungi are abundant and have great potential as biofertilizer. This research investigates the potential endophytic fungi isolated from leaves of peat swamp tree species for biofertilizer. Research activities include: exploration, in vitro test to examine the phosphate solubilization and identification. Result showed that there were 360 leave segments collected from 4 sampling locations. The colonization percentage of 222 isolates ranged from 52.17% - 60.17%. Fifty seven morphospecies were selected from 222 isolates. Twelve isolates demonstrated ability to produce clear zones and ten isolates were selected for identification. It is concluded that twelve isolated demonstrated potential ability to produce clear zone and Penicillum citrinum isolate P3.10 was identified as an isolate that show the highest potential ability as a biofertilizer

Great Ellipse Route Planning Based on Space Vector

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LIU Wenchao

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aiming at the problem of navigation error caused by unified earth model in great circle route planning using sphere model and modern navigation equipment using ellipsoid mode, a method of great ellipse route planning based on space vector is studied. By using space vector algebra method, the vertex of great ellipse is solved directly, and description of great ellipse based on major-axis vector and minor-axis vector is presented. Then calculation formulas of great ellipse azimuth and distance are deduced using two basic vectors. Finally, algorithms of great ellipse route planning are studied, especially equal distance route planning algorithm based on Newton-Raphson(N-R method. Comparative examples show that the difference of route planning between great circle and great ellipse is significant, using algorithms of great ellipse route planning can eliminate the navigation error caused by the great circle route planning, and effectively improve the accuracy of navigation calculation.

Biological response of Azospirillum spp. to different types of stress

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Carlos Alberto Sangoquiza Caiza

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Azospirillum is one of the most studied free-living rhizobacteria currently of great agricultural interest because of its ability to bind biological nitrogen and produce phytohormones. The present research aimed at the biological response of Azospirillum spp. facing different types of stress. For this purpose, the micro and macro morphological characterization of Azospirillum spp. And its biological response to stress temperature, pH, salinity. The results revealed that the isolates (C2, C3 and C4 of Azospirillum spp. Grow in greater abundance at temperatures between 28-38 °C and pH between 7-8. The C2 and C3 isolates showed good growth up to 3.5 % (m / v NaCl, whereas the C4 strain was less tolerant. These results have biotechnological applicability and are of great importance when defining and controlling the mass production conditions of Azospirillum spp. for future formulations as biofertilizer in several crops of interest in Ecuador.

Comparison of enzymatic activities in different Candida species isolated from women with vulvovaginitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatahinia, M; Halvaeezadeh, M; Rezaei-Matehkolaei, A

2017-06-01

Comparing the activities of secreted enzymes in different fungal species can improve our understanding of their pathogenic role. Secretion of various enzymes by Candida species has been considered for determination of their virulence in different Candida infections including vulvovaginitis. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the activity of secreted enzymes in Candidia strains isolated from women suspected to vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and referred to some health centers in Khuzestan, Southwestern Iran. The vaginal secretion samples were taken by swap from 250 suspected women with symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis and cultured on CHROMagar Candida medium. Identification of the isolated Candida from culture positive samples performed by the color of colonies and some standard mycological procedures. Activities of phospholipase, hemolysin-α, hemolysin-β, esterase and proteinase were measured in vitro by standard laboratory protocols. The enzymatic activity index (EAI) was calculated for each enzyme in accordance to relevant protocols. Totally in eighty cases (32%), a Candida strain was isolated which found to be as 52 (65%) Candida albicans; 12 (15%) C. glabrata; 10 (12.5%) C. dubliniensis; 4 (5%) C. krusei, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis species (each=1; 1.3%). Among C. albicans strains, 89.1% produced all studied enzymes, while 86% of C. glabrata strains failed to produce proteinase and phospholipase. The EAIs in decreasing order were as hemolysin-β=0.2895, hemolysin-α=0.5420, esterase=0.5753, proteinase=0.7413, and phospholipase=0.7446, respectively. Activity of phospholipase, esterase and proteinase secreted by C. albicans and C. dubliniensis were significantly more than those released by C. glabrata and C. krusei, while 86% of C. glabrata strains did not show esterase activity. On the other hand, the activity rates of hemolysin α and β among all studied isolates were almost similar. In the present study, the prevalence

Analysis of kinetoplast cytochrome b gene of 16 Leishmania isolates from different foci of China: different species of Leishmania in China and their phylogenetic inference

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Leishmania species belong to the family Trypanosomatidae and cause leishmaniasis, a geographically widespread disease that infects humans and other vertebrates. This disease remains endemic in China. Due to the large geographic area and complex ecological environment, the taxonomic position and phylogenetic relationship of Chinese Leishmania isolates remain uncertain. A recent internal transcribed spacer 1 and cytochrome oxidase II phylogeny of Chinese Leishmania isolates has challenged some aspects of their traditional taxonomy as well as cladistics hypotheses of their phylogeny. The current study was designed to provide further disease background and sequence analysis. Methods We systematically analyzed 50 cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequences of 19 isolates (16 from China, 3 from other countries) sequenced after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a special primer for cyt b as well as 31 sequences downloaded from GenBank. After alignment, the data were analyzed using the maximum parsimony, Bayesian and netwok methods. Results Sequences of six haplotypes representing 10 Chinese isolates formed a monophyletic group and clustered with Leishmania tarentolae. The isolates GS1, GS7, XJ771 of this study from China clustered with other isolates of Leishmania donovani complex. The isolate JS1 was a sister to Leishmania tropica, which represented an L. tropica complex instead of clustering with L. donovani complex or with the other 10 Chinese isolates. The isolates KXG-2 and GS-GER20 formed a monophyletic group with Leishmania turanica from central Asia. In the different phylogenetic trees, all of the Chinese isolates occurred in at least four groups regardless of geographic distribution. Conclusions The undescribed Leishmania species of China, which are clearly causative agents of canine leishmaniasis and human visceral leishmaniasis and are related to Sauroleishmania, may have evolved from a common ancestral parasite that came from the Americas and may have

Multidrug resistant bacteria isolated from septic arthritis in horses

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Rodrigo G. Motta

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Septic arthritis is a debilitating joint infectious disease of equines that requires early diagnosis and immediate therapeutic intervention to prevent degenerative effects on the articular cartilage, as well as loss of athletic ability and work performance of the animals. Few studies have investigated the etiological complexity of this disease, as well as multidrug resistance of isolates. In this study, 60 horses with arthritis had synovial fluid samples aseptically collected, and tested by microbiological culture and in vitro susceptibility test (disk diffusion using nine antimicrobials belonging to six different pharmacological groups. Bacteria were isolated in 45 (75.0% samples, as follows: Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (11=18.3%, Escherichia coli (9=15.0%, Staphylococcus aureus (6=10.0%, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (5=8.3%, Staphylococcus intermedius (2=3.3%, Proteus vulgaris (2=3.3%, Trueperella pyogenes (2=3.3%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2=3.3%, Klebsiella pneumoniae (1=1.7%, Rhodococcus equi (1=1.7%, Staphylococcus epidermidis (1=1.7%, Klebsiella oxytoca (1=1.7%, Nocardia asteroides (1=1.7%, and Enterobacter cloacae (1=1.7%. Ceftiofur was the most effective drug (>70% efficacy against the pathogens in the disk diffusion test. In contrast, high resistance rate (>70% resistance was observed to penicillin (42.2%, enrofloxacin (33.3%, and amikacin (31.2%. Eleven (24.4% isolates were resistant to three or more different pharmacological groups and were considered multidrug resistant strains. The present study emphasizes the etiological complexity of equine septic arthritis, and highlights the need to institute treatment based on the in vitro susceptibility pattern, due to the multidrug resistance of isolates. According to the available literature, this is the first report in Brazil on the investigation of the etiology. of the septic arthritis in a great number of horses associated with multidrug resistance of the isolates.

The population genetics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from different patient populations exhibits high-level host specificity.

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Rosa van Mansfeld

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine whether highly prevalent P. aeruginosa sequence types (ST in Dutch cystic fibrosis (CF patients are specifically linked to CF patients we investigated the population structure of P. aeruginosa from different clinical backgrounds. We first selected the optimal genotyping method by comparing pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, multilocus sequence typing (MLST and multilocus variable number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA. METHODS: Selected P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 60 were genotyped with PFGE, MLST and MLVA to determine the diversity index (DI and congruence (adjusted Rand and Wallace coefficients. Subsequently, isolates from patients admitted to two different ICUs (n = 205, from CF patients (n = 100 and from non-ICU, non-CF patients (n = 58, of which 19 were community acquired were genotyped with MLVA to determine distribution of genotypes and genetic diversity. RESULTS: Congruence between the typing methods was >79% and DIs were similar and all >0.963. Based on costs, ease, speed and possibilities to compare results between labs an adapted MLVA scheme called MLVA9-Utrecht was selected as the preferred typing method. In 363 clinical isolates 252 different MLVA types (MTs were identified, indicating a highly diverse population (DI  = 0.995; CI  = 0.993-0.997. DI levels were similarly high in the diverse clinical sources (all >0.981 and only eight genotypes were shared. MTs were highly specific (>80% for the different patient populations, even for similar patient groups (ICU patients in two distinct geographic regions, with only three of 142 ICU genotypes detected in both ICUs. The two major CF clones were unique to CF patients. CONCLUSION: The population structure of P. aeruginosa isolates is highly diverse and population specific without evidence for a core lineage in which major CF, hospital or community clones co-cluster. The two genotypes highly prevalent among Dutch CF patients appeared unique to CF patients

Whole-genome comparison of two Campylobacter jejuni isolates of the same sequence type reveals multiple loci of different ancestral lineage.

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Patrick J Biggs

Full Text Available Campylobacter jejuni ST-474 is the most important human enteric pathogen in New Zealand, and yet this genotype is rarely found elsewhere in the world. Insight into the evolution of this organism was gained by a whole genome comparison of two ST-474, flaA SVR-14 isolates and other available C. jejuni isolates and genomes. The two isolates were collected from different sources, human (H22082 and retail poultry (P110b, at the same time and from the same geographical location. Solexa sequencing of each isolate resulted in ~1.659 Mb (H22082 and ~1.656 Mb (P110b of assembled sequences within 28 (H22082 and 29 (P110b contigs. We analysed 1502 genes for which we had sequences within both ST-474 isolates and within at least one of 11 C. jejuni reference genomes. Although 94.5% of genes were identical between the two ST-474 isolates, we identified 83 genes that differed by at least one nucleotide, including 55 genes with non-synonymous substitutions. These covered 101 kb and contained 672 point differences. We inferred that 22 (3.3% of these differences were due to mutation and 650 (96.7% were imported via recombination. Our analysis estimated 38 recombinant breakpoints within these 83 genes, which correspond to recombination events affecting at least 19 loci regions and gives a tract length estimate of ~2 kb. This includes a ~12 kb region displaying non-homologous recombination in one of the ST-474 genomes, with the insertion of two genes, including ykgC, a putative oxidoreductase, and a conserved hypothetical protein of unknown function. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the source of this recombined DNA is more likely to have come from C. jejuni strains that are more closely related to ST-474. This suggests that the rates of recombination and mutation are similar in order of magnitude, but that recombination has been much more important for generating divergence between the two ST-474 isolates.

Cross-Comparison of Leaching Strains Isolated from Two Different Regions: Chambishi and Dexing Copper Mines

OpenAIRE

Ngom, Baba; Liang, Yili; Liu, Xueduan

2014-01-01

A cross-comparison of six strains isolated from two different regions, Chambishi copper mine (Zambia, Africa) and Dexing copper mine (China, Asia), was conducted to study the leaching efficiency of low grade copper ores. The strains belong to the three major species often encountered in bioleaching of copper sulfide ores under mesophilic conditions: Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, and Leptospirillum ferriphilum. Prior to their study in bioleaching, the different...

Isolation of intact elastin fibers devoid of microfibrils.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daamen, W.F.; Hafmans, T.G.M.; Veerkamp, J.H.; Kuppevelt, A.H.M.S.M. van

2005-01-01

Purification protocols for elastin generally result in greatly damaged elastin fibers and this likely influences the biological response. We here describe a novel protocol for the isolation of elastin whereby the fibers stay intact, and introduce the term "elastin fiber" for intact elastic fibers

Properties of humic substances isolated from different natural sources

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G Dolmaa

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of study was to determine properties of humic substances by combination of modern and traditional methods. Humic substances isolated from three different sources from Mongolia such as peloid from Lake Gurban nuur, coal from Baganuur deposit and oil shale from Shine khudag deposit. On the basis of determination H/C and O/C atomic ratios in humic substances by elemental analysis, confirmed existing of aromatic structures in the molecules and oxidized functional groups. Have been studied the structure of humic substances by spectral method. For example infrared spectrums showed that humic substances are characterizing with poly-structural components, with different quantity in the samples. Light adsorption of samples in the UV-Vis region, a decrease on the absorption intensity with an increase of the wave length was observed (Fig. 2. The high ratio Н/С, attributed to stretching of C=C bond of aromatic rings in IR spectrums, the high content of functional groups, lower extinction coefficients, confirmed that aromatic fragments to prevail than aliphatic chain fragments in structure of all studied HS. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v14i0.199 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 14 (40, 2013, p51-56

Determination antimicrobial resistance profile of Acinetobacter strains isolated from hospitalized patients in Different Part of Taleghani Hospital (Ahvaz, Iran

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Khadijah Ahmadi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The members of the genus Acinetobacter are Gram-negative cocobacilli that are frequently found in the environment but also in the hospital setting where they have been associated with outbreaks of nosocomial infections such as meningitis, endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infections, urinary tract infection, conjunctivitis, burn wound infection and bacteremia. This organism has been shown resistance to different antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to determination antibiotic resistance profile of Acinetobacter strains isolated from hospitalized patients in Taleghani hospital (Ahvaz, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 43 Acinetobacter strains isolated from hospitalized patients. Clinical specimens were cultured on microbiological media. Subsequently, drug susceptibility test was performed using the disc diffusion method according to CLSI recommendations. Results: Acinetobacter strains were isolated from different specimens consisting biopsy 24 (55.8%, wound 13 (30/2% and blood 6 (14%. In antimicrobial susceptibility testing, colistin exhibited the greatest activity (60.5% against isolated strains. 33 (76/7% isolates demonstrated resistance to imipenem. Conclusion: In outbreak situations, surveillance cultures of patients involved in the outbreak or who are deemed at risk for colonization/infection with the outbreak organism are often parts of the planned intervention.

Verification and improvement of analytical modeling of seismic isolation bearings and isolated structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forni, M.; La Grotteria, M.; Martelli, A.; Bertola, S.; Bettinali, F.; Dusi, A.; Bergamo, G.; Bonacina, G.

2002-01-01

Due to the complexity of dynamic behaviour of seismic isolation (SI) devices, high cost of their tests and non-negligible number of devices having excellent potential for nuclear applications, several countries judged of great interest to extend validation of their numerical models of such devices to the analysis of experimental data obtained by others. Thus, a four-years Coordinated Research Program (CRP) on Intercomparison of Analysis Methods for Isolated Nuclear Structures, proposed by ENEA (1995), was endorsed by the IAEA in 1995. There, Italy was jointly represented by ENEA, ENEL and ISMES, and supplied test results concerning both High Damping Rubber Bearings (HDRBs) and the MISS (Model of Isolated Steel Structure) mock-up, which had been isolated using such bearings. Test data provided by Italy to the other countries were also re-analysed to improve mathematical models. Aim of this final report is to summarise, after a brief description of the devices and structures considered, the most important results and conclusions of the numerical analyses carried out by Italy. For more detailed information, especially as far as the execution of the tests and the implementation of the numerical models are concerned, please refer to the technical reports presented by Italy to the Research Coordination Meetings (RCMs). (author)

Degradation of bisphenol A and acute toxicity reduction by different thermo-tolerant ascomycete strains isolated from arid soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Mtibaà, Rim; Olicón-Hernández, Dario Rafael; Pozo, Clementina; Nasri, Moncef; Mechichi, Tahar; González, Jesus; Aranda, Elisabet

2018-07-30

Four different laccase-producing strains were isolated from arid soils and used for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation. These strains were identified as Chaetomium strumarium G5I, Thielavia arenaria CH9, Thielavia arenaria HJ22 and Thielavia arenaria SM1(III) by internal transcribed spacer 5.8 S rDNA analysis. Residual BPA was evaluated by HPLC analysis during 48 h of incubation. A complete removal of BPA was observed by the whole cell fungal cultures within different times, depending on each strain. C. strumarium G5I was the most efficient degrader, showing 100% of removal within 8 h of incubation. The degradation of BPA was accompanied by the production of laccase and dye decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) under degradation conditions. The presence of aminobenzotriazole (ABT) as an inhibitor of cytochrome P450s monooxygenases (CYP) demonstrated a slight decrease in BPA removal rate, suggesting the effective contribution of CYP in the conversion. The great involvement of laccase in BPA transformation together with cell-associated enzymes, such as CYP, was supported by the identification of hydroxylated metabolites by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-MS). The metabolic pathway of BPA transformation was proposed based on the detected metabolites. The acute toxicity of BPA and its products was investigated and showed a significant reduction, except for T. arenaria SM1(III) that did not caused reduction of toxicity (IC 50 strumarium G5I as an efficient degrader of BPA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Great Teachers Do Differently: Seventeen Things That Matter Most. Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, Todd

2012-01-01

In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation's leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers…

Mutation and premating isolation

Science.gov (United States)

Woodruff, R. C.; Thompson, J. N. Jr

2002-01-01

While premating isolation might be traceable to different genetic mechanisms in different species, evidence supports the idea that as few as one or two genes may often be sufficient to initiate isolation. Thus, new mutation can theoretically play a key role in the process. But it has long been thought that a new isolation mutation would fail, because there would be no other individuals for the isolation-mutation-carrier to mate with. We now realize that premeiotic mutations are very common and will yield a cluster of progeny carrying the same new mutant allele. In this paper, we discuss the evidence for genetically simple premating isolation barriers and the role that clusters of an isolation mutation may play in initiating allopatric, and even sympatric, species divisions.

[Rd7 genotyping of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with lung tuberculosis in different areas of Kazakhstan].

Science.gov (United States)

Demkin, V V; Korneva, I N; Riazanova, Iu A; Muminov, T A; Beĭsembaeva, Sh A; Zhakipbaeva, B T; Shopaeva, G A; Dauletbakova, A M

2008-01-01

A three-primer PCR assay was designed for detection of possible deletions in the RD7 region of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex chromosome. The assay produced amplicons of different size depending on the presence or absence of the deletions. The PCR assay was applied to 176 isolates from patients with lung tuberculosis collected in different areas of Kazakhstan in summer 2004. The isolates were initially characterized by culture and biochemical tests. The RD7 genotyping results demonstrated no polymorphism and the absence of deletions in the RD7 genome region. Some strains were additionally characterized using PCR-RFLP analysis of gyrB and hsp64 genes. The RFLP-patterns obtained corresponded to the M. tuberculosis genotypes. The results of this work are consistent with certain previous studies, indicating population stability of the RD7 region in M. tuberculosis strains. Species characterization of the isolates shows that M. tuberculosis sensu stricto is the principal causative agent of human lung tuberculosis in Kazakhstan.

Rapid and reliable MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification of Candida non-albicans isolates from bloodstream infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulcrano, Giovanna; Iula, Dora Vita; Vollaro, Antonio; Tucci, Alessandra; Cerullo, Monica; Esposito, Matilde; Rossano, Fabio; Catania, Maria Rosaria

2013-09-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) fingerprinting has recently become an effective instrument for rapid microbiological diagnostics and in particular for identification of micro-organisms directly in a positive blood culture. The aim of the study was to evaluate a collection of 82 stored yeast isolates from bloodstream infection, by MALDI-TOF MS; 21 isolates were identified also directly from positive blood cultures and in the presence of other co-infecting micro-organisms. Of the 82 isolates grown on plates, 64 (76%) were correctly identified by the Vitek II system and 82 (100%) by MALDI-TOF MS; when the two methods gave different results, the isolate was identified by PCR. MALDI-TOF MS was unreliable in identifying two isolates (Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis) directly from blood culture; however, direct analysis from positive blood culture samples was fast and effective for the identification of yeast, which is of great importance for early and adequate treatment. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Lactobacillus isolated from different curd ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lactic acid bacteria are commonly found in the fermented dairy products. Lactobacillus is a genus of lactic acid bacteria and described as heterogeneous group of regular, non-spore forming, gram-positive, rod shaped, non-motile bacteria and absence of catalase enzyme. The aim of this study was to isolate Lactobacillus ...

Comparative Transcriptomics of Bacillus mycoides Strains in Response to Potato-Root Exudates Reveals Different Genetic Adaptation of Endophytic and Soil Isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Yanglei; de Jong, Anne; Frenzel, Elrike; Kuipers, Oscar P

2017-01-01

Plant root secreted compounds alter the gene expression of associated microorganisms by acting as signal molecules that either stimulate or repel the interaction with beneficial or harmful species, respectively. However, it is still unclear whether two distinct groups of beneficial bacteria, non-plant-associated (soil) strains and plant-associated (endophytic) strains, respond uniformly or variably to the exposure with root exudates. Therefore, Bacillus mycoides , a potential biocontrol agent and plant growth-promoting bacterium, was isolated from the endosphere of potatoes and from soil of the same geographical region. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of plants inoculated with GFP-tagged B. mycoides strains showed that the endosphere isolate EC18 had a stronger plant colonization ability and competed more successfully for the colonization sites than the soil isolate SB8. To dissect these phenotypic differences, the genomes of the two strains were sequenced and the transcriptome response to potato root exudates was compared. The global transcriptome profiles evidenced that the endophytic isolate responded more pronounced than the soil-derived isolate and a higher number of significant differentially expressed genes were detected. Both isolates responded with the alteration of expression of an overlapping set of genes, which had previously been reported to be involved in plant-microbe interactions; including organic substance metabolism, oxidative reduction, and transmembrane transport. Notably, several genes were specifically upregulated in the endosphere isolate EC18, while being oppositely downregulated in the soil isolate SB8. These genes mainly encoded membrane proteins, transcriptional regulators or were involved in amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis. By contrast, several genes upregulated in the soil isolate SB8 and downregulated in the endosphere isolate EC18 were related to sugar transport, which might coincide with the different nutrient availability

Isolated Neutron Stars: From the Surface to the Interior

CERN Document Server

Zane, Silvia; Page, Dany

2007-01-01

This book collects the contributions presented at the conference Isolated Neutron Stars: From the Surface to the Interior, held in London in April 2006. Forty years after the discovery of radio pulsars it presents an up-to-date description of the new vision of isolated neutron stars that has emerged in recent years with the advance of multi-wavelength observations. The great variety of isolated neutron stars, from pulsars to magnetars, some of them discovered very recently and many of them not detectable in radio wavelengths, is amply covered by descriptions of recent observational results and presentations of the latest theoretical interpretation of these data.

Paracoccidioides brasilienses isolates obtained from patients with acute and chronic disease exhibit morphological differences after animal passage

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SVIDZINSKI Terezinha Inez Estivalet

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The basis for virulence in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is not completely understood. There is a consensus that the sequencial in vitro subcultivation of P. brasiliensis leads to loss of its pathogenicity, which can be reverted by reisolation from animal passage. Attention to morphological and biochemical properties that are regained or demonstrated after animal passage may provide new insights into factors related to the pathogenicity and virulence of P. brasiliensis. We evaluated morphological characters: the percentage of budding cells, number of buds by cell and the diameter of 100 mother cells of yeast-like cells of 30 P. brasiliensis isolates, before and after animal passage. The isolates were obtained from patients with different clinical forms of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM: acute form (group A, n=15 and chronic form (group C, n=15. The measurement of the yeast cell sizes was carried out with the aid of an Olympus CBB microscope coupled with a micrometer disc. We measured the major transverse and longitudinal axes of 100 viable cells of each preparation. The percentage of budding cells as also the number of buds by cell was not influenced by animal passage, regardless of the source of the strain (acute or chronic groups. The size values of P. brasiliensis isolates from groups A and C, measured before the animal passage exhibited the same behavior. After animal passage, there was a statistically significant difference between the cell sizes of P. brasiliensis isolates recovered from testicles inoculated with strains from groups A and C. The maximum diameter of mother cells from group A isolates exhibited a size of 42.1mm in contrast with 32.9mm exhibited by mother cells from group C (p<0.05. The diameter of 1500 mother cells from group A isolates exhibited a medium size of 16.0mm (SD ± 4.0, a value significantly higher than the 14.1mm (SD = ± 3.3 exhibited by 1500 mother cells from group C isolates (p<0.05. Our results reinforce the

Microbiological and biochemical studies on certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from certain clinical specimens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nada, H M.AL.M. [National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt)

2008-07-01

Infection is a dynamic process involving invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms and reactions of the tissues to microorganisms and their toxins. Pathogenic microorganisms isolated from clinical samples are of great threat to human health.The outcome of an infection depends on the virulence of the pathogen and the relative degree of resistance or susceptibility to antimicrobial chemotherapy. Antimicrobial agents interfere with specific processes that are essential for growth and division.Development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a problem of great concern. The high prevalence of resistant bacteria seems to be related to uncontrolled usage of antibiotics. B-lactamases are the most common cause of bacterial resistance to B-lactam antimicrobial agents, and it is one of the most important reason for increasing the resistance in pathogenic bacteria against some antibiotics especially those acting on inhibition of cell wall synthesis. One hundred and seven clinical samples and specimens were collected from public, private hospitals and National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Cairo, Egypt. Out of them 72 cases positive for microbial infection. Twelve cases were showed mixed infection. Eighty four isolates of pathogenic bacteria and yeast were collected from single and mixed culture. Susceptibilities of the isolates to 20 different antimicrobial agents were determined according to Kirby-Bauer method. Nine multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacterial strains were identified by (Micro Scan WalkAway 96 SI System). Six of them urine isolates, 2 wound (pus) isolates and one sputum isolate. The identified strains were exposed to in-vitro gamma irradiation at dose level of 24.4 Gy, which is biologically equivalent to the fractionated multiple therapeutic dose used in the protocol of cancer treatment of some patients. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the nine multi-drug resistant strains were carried out by disk diffusion method before and after irradiation

Microbiological and biochemical studies on certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from certain clinical specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nada, H.M.AL.M.

2008-01-01

Infection is a dynamic process involving invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms and reactions of the tissues to microorganisms and their toxins. Pathogenic microorganisms isolated from clinical samples are of great threat to human health.The outcome of an infection depends on the virulence of the pathogen and the relative degree of resistance or susceptibility to antimicrobial chemotherapy. Antimicrobial agents interfere with specific processes that are essential for growth and division.Development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a problem of great concern. The high prevalence of resistant bacteria seems to be related to uncontrolled usage of antibiotics. B-lactamases are the most common cause of bacterial resistance to B-lactam antimicrobial agents, and it is one of the most important reason for increasing the resistance in pathogenic bacteria against some antibiotics especially those acting on inhibition of cell wall synthesis. One hundred and seven clinical samples and specimens were collected from public, private hospitals and National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Cairo, Egypt. Out of them 72 cases positive for microbial infection. Twelve cases were showed mixed infection. Eighty four isolates of pathogenic bacteria and yeast were collected from single and mixed culture. Susceptibilities of the isolates to 20 different antimicrobial agents were determined according to Kirby-Bauer method. Nine multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacterial strains were identified by (Micro Scan WalkAway 96 SI System). Six of them urine isolates, 2 wound (pus) isolates and one sputum isolate. The identified strains were exposed to in-vitro gamma irradiation at dose level of 24.4 Gy, which is biologically equivalent to the fractionated multiple therapeutic dose used in the protocol of cancer treatment of some patients. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the nine multi-drug resistant strains were carried out by disk diffusion method before and after irradiation

Isolation and molecular characterization of Newcastle disease viruses from raptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jindal, Naresh; Chander, Yogesh; Primus, Alexander; Redig, Patrick T; Goyal, Sagar M

2010-12-01

The present study was undertaken to detect and characterize Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in raptors. Cloacal and oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from 60 casualty raptors during January to March 2009 in Minnesota. Inoculation of all these samples (n=120) in 9-day-old embryonated hens' eggs resulted in isolation of haemagglutinating viruses in three samples from two bald eagles and one great horned owl. These three haemagglutinating viruses were confirmed as NDV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using fusion gene-specific primers, and were negative for avian influenza virus by RT-PCR. Further characterization revealed that all three possessed (112)GKQGRL(117) at the fusion gene cleavage site, indicating that they were lentogenic strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all three isolates clustered with published class II genotype II NDVs. The nucleotide sequence homology of the three NDV isolates among themselves was 98.4 to 99.6% and the sequence homology with lentogenic strains from wild birds used for comparison varied between 94.5 and 100%. Detection of NDV strains from raptors merits further epidemiological studies to determine the prevalence of different NDV strains in raptors and their impact in relation to transmission to domestic poultry.

Characterization of Microorganisms Isolated from Petroleum Hydrocarbon Polluted Soil

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Adriana Criste

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Bioremediation has received a great deal of attention, and bacteria isolated from polluted soil can be usedin that process. In this study, we performed an evaluation of the physiological groups of microorganisms fromsoil contaminated with petroleum. Bacterial strains were isolated from contaminated soil using the selectiveenrichment technique. Minimal Salt Media was used for serial dilutions to determine viable cell count. Thenumber of total viable cells and different types of microorganisms in the original sample was determined by serialdilution, agar plating procedure using selective media. The plates were incubated at 300C for 24-72 hours. Distinctcolonies growing on each plate were selected, and stored at freezing temperatures. The bacterial colonies werethen identified by Gram staining and biochemical tests. Following our research, it was observed that although thetotal microbial load of soil is relatively close in value, there are differences regarding the physiological group ofmicroorganisms. In the oil contaminated soil sample the largest group of microorganisms was the nitrous nitrifyingbacteria followed by nitrate bacteria. All bacterial strains that were isolated from soil samples contaminated withhydrocarbons but also the Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtillis strains can use diesel fuel as a food source.With the increase of diesel fuel concentration from culture medium, the majority of the bacterial strains that wereused in our experiments showed an increased value of absorbance. This fact suggests that these strains can be usedin bioremediation processes.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Pleurotus spp. Isolates from Jordan

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Hanan Aref Hasan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Pleurotus is considered an important genus that belongs to the family Pleurotaceae and includes the edible King Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii. In the present study, 19 Pleurotus isolates were collected from two locations in the north of Jordan (Tell ar-Rumman and Um-Qais. The morphological characteristics among collected isolates revealed that there was a morphological similarity among the collected isolates. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS4 region and 28S nuclear large subunit (nLSU in the ribosomal DNA gene of the isolated stains showed that all of them share over 98% sequence similarity with P. eryngii. Genetic diversity among the collected strains was assessed using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR analysis using 18 different primer pairs. Using this approach, 141 out of 196 bands obtained were considered polymorphic and the highest percentage of polymorphism was observed using primer UBC827 (92.3% with an overall Polymorphism Information Content (PIC value of 70.56%. Cluster analysis showed that the Jordanian Pleurotus isolates fall into two main clades with a coefficient of similarity values ranging from 0.59 to 0.74 with a clear clustering based on collection sites. The results of the present study reveal that molecular techniques of ISSR and rDNA sequencing can greatly aid in classification and identification of Pleurotus spp. in Jordan.

Grape berry bacterial inhibition by different copper fungicides

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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.

Composition of physiologically important fatty acids in great tits differs between urban and rural populations on a seasonal basis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin N Andersson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Fatty acids (FA have crucial functions in animals, affecting e.g. inflammatory responses, thermoregulation, and cell membrane fluidity. Diet and ambient temperature affect animals’ FA composition, which, in turn, may influence these physiological processes. Great tits (Parus major −common in both urban and rural habitats− are mainly granivorous during winter and insectivorous during summer. These diets show pronounced differences in FA composition. Such variation has context-dependent effects on physiology, because the thermal environment, food availability, and levels of pro-inflammatory environmental stressors differ between urban and rural areas. Thus, we investigated how great tit plasma FA composition varied between urban and rural habitats and across seasons. Eight FAs differed between urban and rural birds. Among these, arachidonic acid (omega (ω-6 polyunsaturated FA with thermoregulatory and pro-inflammatory properties was more abundant in urban than rural birds in winter, whereas ω-3 FAs with anti-inflammatory properties were more abundant in rural birds. The difference in pro- and anti-inflammatory FAs suggest that the negative health effects that urban birds suffer from being exposed to higher levels of pollutants might be enhanced by an elevated inflammatory response. Eight FAs differed between winter and summer birds. This variation reflected the diet change: FAs common in seeds, e.g. oleic- and linoleic acid, were present in higher amounts in winter birds, whereas ω-3 polyunsaturated FAs that are common in caterpillars were more abundant in summer birds. Overall, a larger seasonal variation was seen among the urban birds. This study is the first to reveal a difference in FA composition between urban and rural populations for all animals studied to date. Future experiments should unravel the physiological implications of this variation, and ultimately, link its effects to fitness of animals with different physiological and

Genetic and phenotypic characterization of Saccharomyces spp. strains isolated in distillery plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Úbeda, Juan F; Chacón-Ocaña, Maria; Díaz-Hellín, Patricia; Ramírez-Pérez, Hector; Briones, Ana

2016-06-01

In this study, the biodiversity and some interesting phenotypic properties of Saccharomyces wild yeasts isolated in distilleries, at least 100 years old, located in La Mancha (Spain), were determined. Strains were genetically characterized by RFLP-mtDNA, which confirmed a great genetic biodiversity with 73% of strains with different mtDNA profiles, highlighting the large variability found in sweet and fermented piquette substrata. The predominant species identified was S. cerevisiae, followed by S. paradoxus and S. bayanus Due to the residual sugar-alcohol extraction process using warm water, a great number of thermophilic Saccharomyces strains with a great cell vitality were found to have potential use as starters in distillery plants. Interesting technological properties such as cell vitality and growth rate at different temperatures were studied. The thermal washing process for the extraction of alcohol and reducing sugars of some raw materials contributes to the presence of Saccharomyces strains with technologically interesting properties, especially in terms of vitality and resistance to high temperatures. Due to the fact that fermentation is spontaneous, the yeast biota of these environments, Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces, is very varied so these ecological niches are microbial reserves of undoubted biotechnological interest. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Distribution of different efflux pump genes in clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and their correlation with antimicrobial resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ming-Feng; Lin, Yun-You; Tu, Chi-Chao; Lan, Chung-Yu

2017-04-01

Efflux pumps are one of the major mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. This study aimed to understand the distribution of different types of pump genes in clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDRAB) and to reveal the relationship between their presence and expression with antimicrobial resistance. MDRAB isolates were collected from five hospitals in Taiwan. Different categories of pump genes, including adeB, adeJ, macB, abeM, abeS, emrA-like, emrB-like, and craA, were chosen, and their presence in the collected isolates was determined. Three induced resistant strains of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 to tigecycline, imipenem, and amikacin were also included. The expressions of the selected pump genes were determined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-one MDRAB clinical isolates were obtained from five hospitals. All of the studied pump genes were present in the collected MDRAB isolates except one isolate that lacked the emrA-like gene. The gene expression of these efflux pumps was variable among the strains. The upregulation of the adeB, adeJ, and macB genes was responsible for tigecycline resistance, and the increased abeS expression was strongly related to amikacin resistance. Of all the antibiotics studied, tigecycline was the strongest inducer of gene expression for many efflux pumps in A. baumannii. Efflux pump genes are universally present in the collected clinical MDRAB isolates. The upregulation of the adeB, adeJ, macB and abeS genes is more related with antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

New records of marginal locations for American pika (Ochotona princeps) in the Western Great Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Constance I. Millar; Robert D. Westfall; Diane L. Delany

2013-01-01

We describe 46 new site records documenting occupancy by American pika (Ochotona princeps) at 21 locations from 8 mountain regions in the western Great Basin, California, and Nevada. These locations comprise a subset of sites selected from regional surveys to represent marginal, isolated, or otherwise atypical pika locations, and to provide...

Antimicrobial drug resistance evaluations and monitoring in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry environment at different time intervals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar, R.; Khan, M.A.

2004-01-01

A high prevalence of multiple drug resistance was observed in population of E. coli isolated in 1992-93 from poultry carcasses, fluff, hatchery environment and water at different broiler farms in Karachi, Pakistan. Five hundred isolate of E. coli were made of which 375 were tested for their sensitivity of five antimicrobials using the tube dilution method. Similarly, during 1995-1996, 430 E. coli isolates were made (from the same farms) of which 315 were tested for their sensitivity to the same antimicrobials studied in 1992-93. E. coli isolates during 1992-93 and 1995-96 showed increase in resistance from 50 to 56% against amoxicillin, from 62 to 71% against neomycin, from 97 to 100% against oxytetracycline, from 95 to 100% against tetracycline and from 95 to 98% against trimethoprim. It appears that exposure of E. coli of poultry origin in Pakistan to the five studies antimicrobials could well be the cause of increasing antimicrobials resistance. This data supports the growing contention that subtherapeutic doses of antimicrobials should be eliminated as a means of promoting rapid growth. (author)

Antimicrobial drug resistance evaluations and monitoring in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry environment at different time intervals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anwar, R; Khan, M A [University of Karachi (Pakistan). Inst. of Environmental Studies

2004-06-01

A high prevalence of multiple drug resistance was observed in population of E. coli isolated in 1992-93 from poultry carcasses, fluff, hatchery environment and water at different broiler farms in Karachi, Pakistan. Five hundred isolate of E. coli were made of which 375 were tested for their sensitivity of five antimicrobials using the tube dilution method. Similarly, during 1995-1996, 430 E. coli isolates were made (from the same farms) of which 315 were tested for their sensitivity to the same antimicrobials studied in 1992-93. E. coli isolates during 1992-93 and 1995-96 showed increase in resistance from 50 to 56% against amoxicillin, from 62 to 71% against neomycin, from 97 to 100% against oxytetracycline, from 95 to 100% against tetracycline and from 95 to 98% against trimethoprim. It appears that exposure of E. coli of poultry origin in Pakistan to the five studies antimicrobials could well be the cause of increasing antimicrobials resistance. This data supports the growing contention that subtherapeutic doses of antimicrobials should be eliminated as a means of promoting rapid growth. (author)

Differences among incarcerated women with assaultive offenses: isolated versus patterned use of violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott; Kim, Woo Jong; Fedock, Gina; Bybee, Deborah

2013-08-01

A majority of the existing research on women's use of violence focuses on intimate partner violence, often excluding other types of violence for which women may be incarcerated. The current study expands this area of research by assessing between and within-group differences among a randomly selected group of incarcerated women (n = 543). Comparisons between violent and nonviolent offense types among women found few differences, but significant differences among women with an assaultive offense, based on the presence or absence of a self-reported uncaught violence, were found. Differences in women with isolated (i.e., single incident of violence perpetration through a review of formal and self-report data) and patterned uses of violence were present in relation to issues of mental health, substance abuse, criminogenic risk, and expressions of anger and personality factors. These findings have important implications for intervention as well as future research.

Thirty years of great ape gestures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomasello, Michael; Call, Josep

2018-02-21

We and our colleagues have been doing studies of great ape gestural communication for more than 30 years. Here we attempt to spell out what we have learned. Some aspects of the process have been reliably established by multiple researchers, for example, its intentional structure and its sensitivity to the attentional state of the recipient. Other aspects are more controversial. We argue here that it is a mistake to assimilate great ape gestures to the species-typical displays of other mammals by claiming that they are fixed action patterns, as there are many differences, including the use of attention-getters. It is also a mistake, we argue, to assimilate great ape gestures to human gestures by claiming that they are used referentially and declaratively in a human-like manner, as apes' "pointing" gesture has many limitations and they do not gesture iconically. Great ape gestures constitute a unique form of primate communication with their own unique qualities.

Bacteriology of the teeth from a great white shark: potential medical implications for shark bite victims.

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, J D; Spotte, S; Gadbaw, J J

1984-11-01

Bacteria were cultured for the first time from the teeth of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Isolates included Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and other genera. All are common in the marine environment and some may be associated with wound infections in humans. Shark bite lacerations may serve as a source of these potentially infectious bacteria, particularly Vibrio spp., and should be treated immediately. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns are shown for representatives of Vibrio isolates and indicate that a variety of new agents may be appropriate chemotherapy for shark bite victims.

antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from conifers needles

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ravnikar, Matjaž

2015-03-11

Mar 11, 2015 ... taxonomically place fungi producing ones to determined active metabolites. Seventy three strains of endophytic fungi were isolated ... great number of diverse bioactive compounds (Devaraju and Satish, 2010), which have been ... closed with a glass stopper. The extraction solvents utilized were methanol ...

Ecological investigations on plant associations in differently disturbed heavy-metal contaminated soils of Great Britain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, W

1968-01-01

In different areas of Great Britain comparing ecological studies have been made on disturbed and undisturbed heavy metal contaminated soils. In Grizedale (Pennine), sampling of an undisturbed transect having high levels of major nutrients showed marked differentiation within a small area, only related to the plant available levels of zinc, copper, and lead. However, studies on disturbed heavy metal soils and spoil-heaps revealed a low water capacity and a low supply of major nutrients, particularly of N and P. These suggest that here both the enrichment of heavy metals and the considerable decrease of other nutrients are important in determining the heavy metal vegetation, and in maintaining it against other species. The quantity of zinc in plants is not related to the total or plant-available amount of zinc in soil, but confirmed physiological experiments on the influence of phosphorus and different zinc compounds (complexed or inorganic) on the uptake and distribution of zinc in Thlaspi alpestre and Minnartia rerum. Also an antagonism between lead and copper was revealed. 24 references.

Precipitation Dynamical Downscaling Over the Great Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiao-Ming; Xue, Ming; McPherson, Renee A.; Martin, Elinor; Rosendahl, Derek H.; Qiao, Lei

2018-02-01

Detailed, regional climate projections, particularly for precipitation, are critical for many applications. Accurate precipitation downscaling in the United States Great Plains remains a great challenge for most Regional Climate Models, particularly for warm months. Most previous dynamic downscaling simulations significantly underestimate warm-season precipitation in the region. This study aims to achieve a better precipitation downscaling in the Great Plains with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. To this end, WRF simulations with different physics schemes and nudging strategies are first conducted for a representative warm season. Results show that different cumulus schemes lead to more pronounced difference in simulated precipitation than other tested physics schemes. Simply choosing different physics schemes is not enough to alleviate the dry bias over the southern Great Plains, which is related to an anticyclonic circulation anomaly over the central and western parts of continental U.S. in the simulations. Spectral nudging emerges as an effective solution for alleviating the precipitation bias. Spectral nudging ensures that large and synoptic-scale circulations are faithfully reproduced while still allowing WRF to develop small-scale dynamics, thus effectively suppressing the large-scale circulation anomaly in the downscaling. As a result, a better precipitation downscaling is achieved. With the carefully validated configurations, WRF downscaling is conducted for 1980-2015. The downscaling captures well the spatial distribution of monthly climatology precipitation and the monthly/yearly variability, showing improvement over at least two previously published precipitation downscaling studies. With the improved precipitation downscaling, a better hydrological simulation over the trans-state Oologah watershed is also achieved.

Isolated acquired factor VII deficiency: review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulliez, Sylvie M N; Devreese, Katrien M J

2016-04-01

Isolated acquired factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare haemorrhagic disorder. We report what is currently known about the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of acquired FVII deficiency. We performed a literature search and included all articles published between 1980 and August 2015. Acquired FVII deficiency has been reported in 42 patients. There are well-established clinical diseases associated with acquired FVII deficiency, most notably infections, malignancy and haematological stem cell transplantation. The exact pathogenesis of the diseases is still unknown, but different pathophysiological hypotheses have been suggested. The clinical manifestation of acquired FVII deficiency varies greatly in severity; asymptomatic course as well as severe life-threatening bleeding diathesis and fatal bleedings have been described.

Life-cycle cost assessment of seismically base-isolated structures in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hao; Weng, Dagen; Lu, Xilin; Lu, Liang

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The life-cycle cost of seismic base-isolated nuclear power plants is modeled. • The change law of life-cycle cost with seismic fortification intensity is studied. • The initial cost of laminated lead rubber bearings can be expressed as the function of volume. • The initial cost of a damper can be expressed as the function of its maximum displacement and tonnage. • The use of base-isolation can greatly reduce the expected damage cost, which leads to the reduction of the life-cycle cost. -- Abstract: Evaluation of seismically base-isolated structural life-cycle cost is the key problem in performance based seismic design. A method is being introduced to address the life-cycle cost of base-isolated reinforced concrete structures in nuclear power plants. Each composition of life-cycle cost is analyzed including the initial construction cost, the isolators cost and the excepted damage cost over life-cycle of the structure. The concept of seismic intensity is being used to estimate the expected damage cost, greatly simplifying the calculation. Moreover, French Cruas nuclear power plant is employed as an example to assess its life-cycle cost, compared to the cost of non-isolated plant at the same time. The results show that the proposed method is efficient and the expected damage cost is enormously reduced because of the application of isolators, which leads to the reduction of the life-cycle cost of nuclear power plants

Bacterial isolates from the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea: influence of culture media on isolation and antimicrobial activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Heindl, Herwig; Thiel, Vera; Wiese, Jutta; Imhoff, Johannes F

2012-03-01

From specimens of the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea collected in the Baltic Sea, bacteria were isolated on four different media, which significantly increased the diversity of the isolated groups. All isolates were classified according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and tested for antimicrobial properties using a panel of five indicator strains and six different media. Each medium featured a unique set of isolated phylotypes, and a phylogenetically diverse collection of isolates was obtained. A total of 96 isolates were assigned to 49 phylotypes and 29 genera. Only one-third of the members of these genera had been isolated previously from comparable sources. The isolates were affiliated with Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria. A comparable large portion of up to 22 isolates, i.e., 15 phylotypes, probably represent new species. Likewise, 47 isolates (approximately 50%) displayed antibiotic activities, mostly against grampositive indicator strains. Of the active strains, 63.8 % had antibiotic traits only on one or two of the growth media, whereas only 12.7 % inhibited growth on five or all six media. The application of six different media for antimicrobial testing resulted in twice the number of positive hits as obtained with only a single medium. The use of different media for the isolation of bacteria as well as the variation of media considered suitable for the production of antibiotic substances significantly enhanced both the number of isolates obtained and the proportion of antibiotic active cultures. Thus the approach described herein offers an improved strategy in the search for new antibiotic compounds.

Isolation of transplutonium elements on ion exchangers from solutions of high salt concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guseva, L.I.; Tikhomirova, G.S.; Stepushkina, V.V.

1985-01-01

The behaviour of transplutonium elements (TPE) on cation and anion exchangers in aqueous alcoholic solutions of chlorides and nitrates of some alkali and alkaline earth metals depending on different factors: salt concentration, content of alcohol and of acid in the solution as well as the nature of a cation was studied. The data obtained were used to determine the optimal conditions of concentration of TPE on ion exchangers from solutions containing great quantities of salts. The advantages of the use of aqueous alcoholic solutions of nitric acid in the isolation of TPE are shown. (author)

Burden of different beta-lactamase classes among clinical isolates of AmpC-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in burn patients: A prospective study

OpenAIRE

Kumar, V.; Sen, M. R.; Nigam, C.; Gahlot, R.; Kumari, S.

2012-01-01

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common pathogens causing infections in burns, and shows increasing resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by producing different classes of beta-lactamases. It is also not unusual to find a single isolate that expresses multiple β-lactamase enzymes, further complicating the treatment options. Thus, in this study, we aimed to determine the coexistence of different beta-lactamase enzymes in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa in the burn ward. Ma...

Investigation of base isolation for fast breeder reactor building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morishita, M.; Kobatake, M.; Ohta, K.; Okada, Y.

1989-01-01

Achievement of great rationalization for seismic-resistant design of equipment system is necessary and indispensable from the viewpoints of economical and structural validity for a fast breeder reactor to be made practical. The method of reducing seismic loads on the building and equipment by application of base isolation may be an effective method, but in application to nuclear facilities, it will become necessary to examine the feasibility to actual design considering the severe seismic design requirements in Japan. With these considerations as the background, the authors carried out analytical studies from various viewpoints such as restoring force characteristics of base isolation device, influence of input earthquake motion, soil-structure interaction in base- isolated structure, etc. in case of providing base isolation system for a fast breeder reactor building. Based on these analytical studies, vibration tests on a base-isolated structure using a triaxial shaking table and simulation analyses of the tests were performed attempting to verify the effectiveness of the base isolation system and appropriateness of the analysis method. Results are presented

Great Apes

Science.gov (United States)

Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Cerveny, Shannon

2014-01-01

Anesthesia of great apes is often necessary to conduct diagnostic analysis, provide therapeutics, facilitate surgical procedures, and enable transport and translocation for conservation purposes. Due to the stress of remote delivery injection of anesthetic agents, recent studies have focused on oral delivery and/or transmucosal absorption of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents. Maintenance of the airway and provision of oxygen is an important aspect of anesthesia in great ape species. The provision of analgesia is an important aspect of the anesthesia protocol for any procedure involving painful stimuli. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered alone, or in combination to provide multi-modal analgesia. There is increasing conservation management of in situ great ape populations, which has resulted in the development of field anesthesia techniques for free-living great apes for the purposes of translocation, reintroduction into the wild, and clinical interventions.

Sensory and Functionality Differences of Whey Protein Isolate Bleached by Hydrogen or Benzoyl Peroxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Tucker J; Foegeding, E Allen; Drake, MaryAnne

2015-10-01

Whey protein is a highly functional food ingredient used in a wide variety of applications. A large portion of fluid whey produced in the United States is derived from Cheddar cheese manufacture and contains annatto (norbixin), and therefore must be bleached. The objective of this study was to compare sensory and functionality differences between whey protein isolate (WPI) bleached by benzoyl peroxide (BP) or hydrogen peroxide (HP). HP and BP bleached WPI and unbleached controls were manufactured in triplicate. Descriptive sensory analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were conducted to determine flavor differences between treatments. Functionality differences were evaluated by measurement of foam stability, protein solubility, SDS-PAGE, and effect of NaCl concentration on gelation relative to an unbleached control. HP bleached WPI had higher concentrations of lipid oxidation and sulfur containing volatile compounds than both BP and unbleached WPI (P protein loss at pH 4.6 of WPI decreased by bleaching with either hydrogen peroxide or benzoyl peroxide (P whey with either BP or HP resulted in protein degradation, which likely contributed to functionality differences. These results demonstrate that bleaching has flavor effects as well as effects on many of the functionality characteristics of whey proteins. Whey protein isolate (WPI) is often used for its functional properties, but the effect of oxidative bleaching chemicals on the functional properties of WPI is not known. This study identifies the effects of hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide on functional and flavor characteristics of WPI bleached by hydrogen and benzoyl peroxide and provides insights for the product applications which may benefit from bleaching. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Using Music to Teach about the Great Depression

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Robert L.; Fogel, Jared A.

2007-01-01

The Great Depression is typically taught through history textbooks, but the music of this time allows students to learn about this era through different perspectives. The Great Depression witnessed many musical styles--from the light heartedness of popular music to the sadness of the blues, gospel, which offered inspiration, to the tension between…

Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from cold-smoked salmon produced in different smokehouses as assessed by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogel, Birte Fonnesbech; Jørgensen, Lasse Vigel; Ojeniyi, B.

2001-01-01

a standardised RAPD analysis by four primers separately. The grouping of the 148 strains was exactly the same for the four primers used. For a sub-set of 20 strains typed by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), only one strain was allocated into a different group as compared to the grouping by RAPD typing....... Different RAPD types dominated in products from different smokehouses. Some identical RAPD types were isolated in several smokehouses. In each of four smokehouses, one particular RAPD type could he repeatedly isolated from products. Each smokehouse/product carried its own specific RAPD type and this may...

Phylogenetic and physiological diversity of microorganisms isolated from a deep greenland glacier ice core

Science.gov (United States)

Miteva, V. I.; Sheridan, P. P.; Brenchley, J. E.

2004-01-01

We studied a sample from the GISP 2 (Greenland Ice Sheet Project) ice core to determine the diversity and survival of microorganisms trapped in the ice at least 120,000 years ago. Previously, we examined the phylogenetic relationships among 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences in a clone library obtained by PCR amplification from genomic DNA extracted from anaerobic enrichments. Here we report the isolation of nearly 800 aerobic organisms that were grouped by morphology and amplified rDNA restriction analysis patterns to select isolates for further study. The phylogenetic analyses of 56 representative rDNA sequences showed that the isolates belonged to four major phylogenetic groups: the high-G+C gram-positives, low-G+C gram-positives, Proteobacteria, and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group. The most abundant and diverse isolates were within the high-G+C gram-positive cluster that had not been represented in the clone library. The Jukes-Cantor evolutionary distance matrix results suggested that at least 7 isolates represent new species within characterized genera and that 49 are different strains of known species. The isolates were further categorized based on the isolation conditions, temperature range for growth, enzyme activity, antibiotic resistance, presence of plasmids, and strain-specific genomic variations. A significant observation with implications for the development of novel and more effective cultivation methods was that preliminary incubation in anaerobic and aerobic liquid prior to plating on agar media greatly increased the recovery of CFU from the ice core sample.

A comparison of the compositional differences between humic fractions isolated by the IHSS and exhaustive extraction procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, R. R.; Mylotte, R.; Hayes, M. H. B.; Mclnerney, R.; Tzou, Y. M.

2014-03-01

Humic substances (HSs), consisting, on the basis of solubilities in aqueous acid and basic media, of humic acids (HAs), fulvic acids (FAs), and humin (Hu), are the major components of soil organic matter (SOM). Most studies of soil/natural organic matter (SOM/NOM) have been carried out on extracts of soils in dilute sodium hydroxide solutions, the solvent used to extract the Standards of the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). However, Hu, the major component in the classical definition of HSs, is insoluble in aqueous base and is not isolated by the traditional IHSS method. Recently, a sequential exhaustive extraction (SEE) process has been shown to be capable of isolating and separating the major components of the classically defined HSs from the soils of the temperate and tropical regions. The SEE system was used in the present study to isolate the HA/FA and Hu fractions from a subtropical volcanic Taiwanese soil. Chemical and compositional properties of these extracts were then compared with similarly obtained isolates from soils from the different climatic regions. Increases in the aliphatic relative to aromatic carbon contents were observed for both the HA and FA fractions when the pH values of the extraction media were increased. HAs and FAs isolated using the SEE method have spectroscopic profiles similar to those from the IHSS isolate; however, the cumulative extraction efficiency (%) of the SEE method (65 %) for the volcanic soil was much higher than for the traditional IHSS method (33 %). When the residual volcanic soil, following extractions once, three, and eight times with 0.1 M NaOH were then extracted with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) plus concentrated sulphuric acid (the final solvent in the SEE sequence) it was seen that the content of crystalline polymethylene hydrocarbon (33 ppm 13C-NMR resonance in the Hu (or DMSO/acid)) extract increased relative to the amorphous methylene (30 ppm). That highlights the difficulty in dissolving the more

Great ape origins of personality maturation and sex differences: a study of orangutans and chimpanzees.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Alexander; King, James E

2015-04-01

Human personality development evinces increased emotional stability, prosocial tendencies, and responsibility. One hypothesis offered to explain this pattern is Social-Investment Theory, which posits that culturally defined social roles, including marriage and employment, are responsible for the increased maturity. Alternatively, Five-Factor Theory emphasizes the role of biological factors, such as those governing physical development, which may predate the emergence of humans. Five-Factor Theory, unlike Social-Investment Theory, predicts that all or some of the human personality developmental trends should be present in great apes, our closest evolutionary relatives. To test this prediction and to better understand the evolutionary origins of sex differences, we examined age and sex differences in the chimpanzee and orangutan personality domains Extraversion, Dominance, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness. We also examined the Activity and Gregariousness facets of Extraversion and the orangutan Intellect domain. Extraversion and Neuroticism declined across age groups in both species, in common with humans. A significant interaction indicated that Agreeableness declined in orangutans but increased in chimpanzees, as it does in humans, though this may reflect differences in how Agreeableness was defined in each species. Significant interactions indicated that male chimpanzees, unlike male orangutans, displayed higher Neuroticism scores than females and maintained higher levels of Activity and Dominance into old age than female chimpanzees, male orangutans, and female orangutans. Personality-age correlations were comparable across orangutans and chimpanzees and were similar to those reported in human studies. Sex differences were stronger in chimpanzees than in humans or orangutans. These findings support Five-Factor Theory, suggest the role of gene-culture coevolution in shaping personality development, and suggest that sex differences evolved independently in different

Development of novel Alicyclobacillus spp. isolation medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, S; Kang, D-H

2005-01-01

To develop a new isolation medium with higher recovery rates of Alicyclobacillus spp. SK agar was developed with optimized incubation temperature, pH, acidulant, Tween 80 concentration and divalent cation addition. Results indicate that detection of Alicyclobacillus spp. by SK agar was significantly higher (P > 0.05) than those obtained by K agar, orange serum agar, and potato dextrose agar. Current media used for Alicyclobacillus spp. isolation still resulted in high numbers of false negative products. The sensitivity of SK agar to Alicyclobacillus spp. allows detection of low numbers of Alicyclobacillus spp. and also provides a more higher isolation results compared with currently used media. SK agar will be useful to the fruit juice industry to obtain more accurate numbers of contaminant Alicyclobacillus spp. With this media, false negative samples can be reduced, and the likelihood of exported products being rejected can be greatly reduced.

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from Different Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Doijad, Swapnil P.; Barbuddhe, Sukhadeo B.; Garg, Sandeep; Poharkar, Krupali V.; Kalorey, Dewanand R.; Kurkure, Nitin V.; Rawool, Deepak B.; Chakraborty, Trinad

2015-01-01

A total of 98 previously characterized and serotyped L. monocytogenes strains, comprising 32 of 1/2a; 20 of 1/2b and 46 of 4b serotype, from clinical and food sources were studied for their capability to form a biofilm. The microtiter plate assay revealed 62 (63.26%) strains as weak, 27 (27.55%) strains as moderate, and 9 (9.18%) strains as strong biofilm formers. Among the strong biofilm formers, 6 strains were of serotype 1/2a and 3 strains were of serotype 1/2b. None of the strain from 4b serotype exhibited strong biofilm formation. No firm correlation (p = 0.015) was noticed between any serotype and respective biofilm formation ability. Electron microscopic studies showed that strong biofilm forming isolates could synthesize a biofilm within 24 h on surfaces important in food industries such as stainless steel, ceramic tiles, high-density polyethylene plastics, polyvinyl chloride pipes, and glass. Cell enumeration of strong, moderate, and weak biofilm was performed to determine if the number of cells correlated with the biofilm-forming capabilities of the isolates. Strong, moderate, and weak biofilm showed 570±127× 103 cells/cm2, 33±26× 103 cells/cm2, 5±3× 103 cells/cm2, respectively, indicating that the number of cells was directly proportional to the strength of the biofilm. The hydrophobicity index (HI) analysis revealed higher hydrophobicity with an increased biofilm formation. Fatty acid methyl esterase analysis revealed the amount of certain fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and anteiso-C17:0 fatty acids correlated with the biofilm-forming capability of L. monocytogenes. This study showed that different strains of L. monocytogenes form biofilm of different intensities which did not completely correlate with their serotype; however, it correlated with the number of cells, hydrophobicity, and amount of certain fatty acids. PMID:26360831

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from Different Sources.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swapnil P Doijad

Full Text Available A total of 98 previously characterized and serotyped L. monocytogenes strains, comprising 32 of 1/2a; 20 of 1/2b and 46 of 4b serotype, from clinical and food sources were studied for their capability to form a biofilm. The microtiter plate assay revealed 62 (63.26% strains as weak, 27 (27.55% strains as moderate, and 9 (9.18% strains as strong biofilm formers. Among the strong biofilm formers, 6 strains were of serotype 1/2a and 3 strains were of serotype 1/2b. None of the strain from 4b serotype exhibited strong biofilm formation. No firm correlation (p = 0.015 was noticed between any serotype and respective biofilm formation ability. Electron microscopic studies showed that strong biofilm forming isolates could synthesize a biofilm within 24 h on surfaces important in food industries such as stainless steel, ceramic tiles, high-density polyethylene plastics, polyvinyl chloride pipes, and glass. Cell enumeration of strong, moderate, and weak biofilm was performed to determine if the number of cells correlated with the biofilm-forming capabilities of the isolates. Strong, moderate, and weak biofilm showed 570±127× 103 cells/cm2, 33±26× 103 cells/cm2, 5±3× 103 cells/cm2, respectively, indicating that the number of cells was directly proportional to the strength of the biofilm. The hydrophobicity index (HI analysis revealed higher hydrophobicity with an increased biofilm formation. Fatty acid methyl esterase analysis revealed the amount of certain fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and anteiso-C17:0 fatty acids correlated with the biofilm-forming capability of L. monocytogenes. This study showed that different strains of L. monocytogenes form biofilm of different intensities which did not completely correlate with their serotype; however, it correlated with the number of cells, hydrophobicity, and amount of certain fatty acids.

Sequence Variation in Rhoptry Neck Protein 10 Gene among Toxoplasma gondii Isolates from Different Hosts and Geographical Locations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu ZHAO

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Toxoplasma gondii, as a eukaryotic parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can infect almost all the warm-blooded animals and humans, causing toxoplasmosis. Rhoptry neck proteins (RONs play a key role in the invasion process of T. gondii and are potential vaccine candidate molecules against toxoplasmosis.Methods: The present study examined sequence variation in the rhoptry neck protein 10 (TgRON10 gene among 10 T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations from Lanzhou province during 2014, and compared with the corresponding sequences of strains ME49 and VEG obtained from the ToxoDB database, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR amplification, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction by Bayesian inference (BI and maximum parsimony (MP. Results: Analysis of all the 12 TgRON10 genomic and cDNA sequences revealed 7 exons and 6 introns in the TgRON10 gDNA. The complete genomic sequence of the TgRON10 gene ranged from 4759 bp to 4763 bp, and sequence variation was 0-0.6% among the 12 T. gondii isolates, indicating a low sequence variation in TgRON10 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of TgRON10 sequences showed that the cluster of the 12 T. gondii isolates was not completely consistent with their respective genotypes.Conclusion: TgRON10 gene is not a suitable genetic marker for the differentiation of T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations, but may represent a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis, worth further studies.

Sequence Variation in Rhoptry Neck Protein 10 Gene among Toxoplasma gondii Isolates from Different Hosts and Geographical Locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yu; Zhou, Donghui; Chen, Jia; Sun, Xiaolin

2017-01-01

Toxoplasma gondii, as a eukaryotic parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can infect almost all the warm-blooded animals and humans, causing toxoplasmosis. Rhoptry neck proteins (RONs) play a key role in the invasion process of T. gondii and are potential vaccine candidate molecules against toxoplasmosis. The present study examined sequence variation in the rhoptry neck protein 10 (TgRON10) gene among 10 T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations from Lanzhou province during 2014, and compared with the corresponding sequences of strains ME49 and VEG obtained from the ToxoDB database, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction by Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum parsimony (MP). Analysis of all the 12 TgRON10 genomic and cDNA sequences revealed 7 exons and 6 introns in the TgRON10 gDNA. The complete genomic sequence of the TgRON10 gene ranged from 4759 bp to 4763 bp, and sequence variation was 0-0.6% among the 12 T. gondii isolates, indicating a low sequence variation in TgRON10 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of TgRON10 sequences showed that the cluster of the 12 T. gondii isolates was not completely consistent with their respective genotypes. TgRON10 gene is not a suitable genetic marker for the differentiation of T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations, but may represent a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis, worth further studies.

Investigation of colistin sensitivity via three different methods in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with multiple antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinirtaş, Melda; Akalin, Halis; Gedikoğlu, Suna

2009-09-01

In recent years there has been an increase in life-threatening infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii with multiple antibiotic resistance, which has lead to the use of polymyxins, especially colistin, being reconsidered. The aim of this study was to investigate the colistin sensitivity of A. baumannii isolates with multiple antibiotic resistance via different methods, and to evaluate the disk diffusion method for colistin against multi-resistant Acinetobacter isolates, in comparison to the E-test and Phoenix system. The study was carried out on 100 strains of A. baumannii (colonization or infection) isolated from the microbiological samples of different patients followed in the clinics and intensive care units of Uludağ University Medical School between the years 2004 and 2005. Strains were identified and characterized for their antibiotic sensitivity by Phoenix system (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA). In all studied A. baumannii strains, susceptibility to colistin was determined to be 100% with the disk diffusion, E-test, and broth microdilution methods. Results of the E-test and broth microdilution method, which are accepted as reference methods, were found to be 100% consistent with the results of the disk diffusion tests; no very major or major error was identified upon comparison of the tests. The sensitivity and the positive predictive value of the disk diffusion method were found to be 100%. Colistin resistance in A. baumannii was not detected in our region, and disk diffusion method results are in accordance with those of E-test and broth microdilution methods.

Production of exfoliative toxin by isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus from different countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Lars Ole

2005-01-01

A total of 218 isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus from pigs in eight countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Slovenia, the UK and the USA) and 44 isolates from other animals in Belgium, India, Japan and the USA were examined for the genes encoding the exfoliative toxins ExhA, ExhB, Exhc...

The Great Migration and African-American Genomic Diversity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soheil Baharian

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We present a comprehensive assessment of genomic diversity in the African-American population by studying three genotyped cohorts comprising 3,726 African-Americans from across the United States that provide a representative description of the population across all US states and socioeconomic status. An estimated 82.1% of ancestors to African-Americans lived in Africa prior to the advent of transatlantic travel, 16.7% in Europe, and 1.2% in the Americas, with increased African ancestry in the southern United States compared to the North and West. Combining demographic models of ancestry and those of relatedness suggests that admixture occurred predominantly in the South prior to the Civil War and that ancestry-biased migration is responsible for regional differences in ancestry. We find that recent migrations also caused a strong increase in genetic relatedness among geographically distant African-Americans. Long-range relatedness among African-Americans and between African-Americans and European-Americans thus track north- and west-bound migration routes followed during the Great Migration of the twentieth century. By contrast, short-range relatedness patterns suggest comparable mobility of ∼15-16km per generation for African-Americans and European-Americans, as estimated using a novel analytical model of isolation-by-distance.

Adsorption of pharmaceuticals onto isolated polyamide active layer of NF/RO membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan-Ling; Wang, Xiao-Mao; Yang, Hong-Wei; Xie, Yuefeng F

2018-06-01

Adsorption of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) onto the membrane materials has a great impact on their rejection by nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. This study aimed to investigate the difference in adsorption of various pharmaceuticals (PhACs) onto different NF/RO membranes and to demonstrate the necessity of isolating the polyamide (PA) active layer from the polysulfone (PS) support layer for adsorption characterization and quantification. Both the isolated PA layers and the PA+PS layers of NF90 and ESPA1 membranes were used to conduct static adsorption tests. Results showed that apparent differences existed between the PA layer and the PA+PS layer in the adsorption capacity of PhACs as well as the time necessary to reach the adsorption equilibrium. PhACs with different physicochemical properties could be adsorbed to different extents by the isolated PA layer, which was mainly attributed to electrostatic attraction/repulsion and hydrophobic interactions. The PA layer of ESPA1 exhibited apparently higher adsorption capacities for the positively charged PhACs and similar adsorption capacities for the neutral PhACs although it had significantly less total interfacial area (per unit membrane surface area) for adsorption compared to the PA layer of NF90. The higher affinity of the PA layer of ESPA1 for the PhACs could be due to its higher capacity of forming hydrogen bonds with PhACs resulted from the modified chemistry with more -OH groups. This study provides a novel approach to determining the TrOC adsorption onto the active layer of membranes for the ease of investigating adsorption mechanisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cytokine gene expression and pathology in mice experimentally infected with different isolates of Trypanosoma evansi.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamoorthy, P; Sengupta, P P; Das, Sangita; Ligi, M; Shome, B R; Rahman, H

2016-11-01

Aim of the present study was to assess the cytokine gene expression in liver, kidney and spleen and histopathological changes in mice infected with buffalo and dog isolates of Trypanosoma evansi. Forty-four Swiss albino mice was divided into eleven groups of four mice each and injected subcutaneously with 1 × 10 5 trypanosomes of buffalo and dog isolate to twenty mice each, four mice served as control. Mice were examined for clinical signs, blood smear for trypanosome counts. Blood for PCR, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, testis and abdominal muscle for histopathology and liver, kidney, spleen for cytokine gene expression studies, were collected. Mice showed dullness, lethargy, hunched back, sluggish movements on D4 and D5 in buffalo and dog isolate, respectively. Parasite count in blood varied between the two isolates of T. evansi. By PCR, trypanosome DNA was detected on D1 and D2 for buffalo and dog isolate, respectively. Splenomegaly was observed in mice infected with buffalo isolate but not with dog isolate. Histopathological changes were observed in liver, kidney, spleen and heart of mice but no changes in testis and abdominal muscles. Blood vessels of liver, heart, lung showed presence of trypanosomes in mice infected with buffalo isolate but not for dog isolate. Cytokine gene expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ increased in liver, kidney and spleen in both these isolates. However, the buffalo isolate exhibited pronounced increase in cytokine gene expression when compare to dog isolate of T. evansi. Anti-inflammatory cytokine gene IL-10 showed 50-60 and 10-20 folds increment in buffalo and dog isolates, respectively. This is the first report of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 cytokine changes in mice infected with T. evansi. A variation in pathogenicity between buffalo and dog isolates was recorded indicating buffalo isolate of T. evansi remained more pathogenic in mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Mussel Watch(2009-2014)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Following the inception of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to address the significant environmental issues plaguing the Great Lakes region, the...

Frequency and expression of mutacin biosynthesis genes in isolates of Streptococcus mutans with different mutacin-producing phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamiya, Regianne Umeko; Höfling, José Francisco; Gonçalves, Reginaldo Bruno

2008-05-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency and expression of biosynthesis genes in 47 Streptococcus mutans isolates with different mutacin-producing phenotypes. Detection of the frequency and expression of genes encoding mutacin types I, II, III and IV were carried out by PCR and semi-quantitative RT-PCR, respectively, using primers specific for each type of biosynthesis gene. In addition, a further eight genes encoding putative bacteriocins, designated bsm 283, bsm 299, bsm 423, bsm 1889c, bsm 1892c, bsm 1896, bsm 1906c and bsm 1914, were also screened. There was a high phenotypic diversity; some Streptococcus mutans isolates presented broad antimicrobial spectra against other Streptococcus mutans clinical isolates, including bacteria resistant to common antibiotics, as well as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pyogenes. The expression frequency of the bsm gene was higher than that of the previously characterized mutacins (I-IV). There was no positive correlation between the number of indicator strains inhibited (antimicrobial spectra) and the number of biosynthesis genes expressed (Spearman correlation test, r=-0.03, P>0.05). In conclusion, the high diversity of mutacin-producing phenotypes, associated with high frequency of expression of the biosynthesis genes screened, reveals a broad repertoire of genetic determinants encoding antimicrobial peptides that can act in different combinations.

UK contribution to CEGB-EPRI-CRIEPI program on seismic isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austin, N.M.; Hattori, S.; Rodwell, E.; Womack, G.J.

1989-01-01

Over the last decade the concept of seismic isolation applied to nuclear power plants has generated a great deal of interest worldwide and a number of comprehensive reviews on the topic have been published. Understandably, most of the design and research and development (R and D) effort on seismic isolation has come from countries where larger magnitude earthquakes are an ever-present problem; e.g., Japan, USA, etc. In some areas of these countries seismic isolation may in fact present the only feasible design solution for potential sites of Liquid-Metal-Cooled Reactors (LMR's). This paper summarizes the test results obtained from a small scale seismic isolation system consisting of a laminated steel/natural rubber bearing and a viscodamper. Dynamic characteristics of the system; e.g., stiffness and damping, were measured for a variety of loading conditions. The results are suitable for developing a mathematical model of the isolation system and providing data for use in the design of larger scale bearings and viscodampers

Experimental Study of Vibration Isolation Characteristics of a Geometric Anti-Spring Isolator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixun Yan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In order to realize low-frequency vibration isolation, a novel geometric anti-spring isolator consisting of several cantilever blade springs are developed in this paper. The optimal design parameters of the geometric anti-spring isolator for different nonlinear geometric parameters are theoretically obtained. The transmissibility characteristic of the geometric anti-spring isolator is investigated through mathematical simulation. A geometric anti-spring isolator with a nonlinear geometric parameter of 0.92 is designed and its vibration isolation performance and nonlinearity characteristic is experimentally studied. The experiment results show that the designed isolator has good low-frequency vibration isolation performance, of which the initial isolation frequency is less than 3.6 Hz when the load weight is 21 kg. The jump phenomena of the response of the isolator under linear frequency sweep excitation are observed, and this result demonstrates that the geometric anti-spring isolator has a complex nonlinearity characteristics with the increment of excitation amplitude. This research work provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of the nonlinear geometric anti-spring low-frequency passive vibration isolation technology in engineering practice.

Physico-chemical properties of starches isolated from potato cultivars grown in soils with different phosphorus availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonel, Magali; Carmo, Ezequiel L; Fernandes, Adalton M; Franco, Célia M L; Soratto, Rogério P

2016-04-01

Starch is the major component of potato tubers, amounting approximately to 150-200 g kg (-1) of the tuber weight. Starch is considered to be a major factor for the functionality of the potato in food applications. This study evaluated the physical characteristics of potato starches isolated from tubers of different potato cultivars grown in soil with three levels of phosphorus (P) availability. All potatoes were growing according the same method. The starches were isolated by physical methods and the samples were analyzed for the amylose, P content, paste properties (RVA) and thermal properties of gelatinization and retrogradation (DSC). Experimental data were analyzed considering the potato cultivars and the three soil P availability. For all measured parameters significant impact of cultivar and soil P availability was determined. Phosphorus contents in potato starches ranged from 0.252 to 0.647 g kg(-1) and amylose from 27.18 to 30.8%. Starches from different potato cultivars independent of soil showed a small range of gelatinization temperature. All starches showed low resistance heating and shear stress. The results showed the influence of growing conditions (soil P availability) and also of the differences between the potato cultivars on important characteristics of applicability of starches. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Differences in Virulence Between Legionella pneumophila Isolates From Human and Non-human Sources Determined in Galleria mellonella Infection Model

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Patrícia S. Sousa

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous bacterium in freshwater environments and in many man-made water systems capable of inducing pneumonia in humans. Despite its ubiquitous character most studies on L. pneumophila virulence focused on clinical strains and isolates from man-made environments, so little is known about the nature and extent of virulence variation in strains isolated from natural environments. It has been established that clinical isolates are less diverse than man-made and natural environmental strains, suggesting that only a subset of environmental isolates is specially adapted to infect humans. In this work we intended to determine if unrelated L. pneumophila strains, isolated from different environments and with distinct virulence-related genetic backgrounds, displayed differences in virulence, using the Wax Moth Galleria mellonella infection model. We found that all tested strains were pathogenic in G. mellonella, regardless of their origin. Indeed, a panoply of virulence-related phenotypes was observed sustaining the existence of significant differences on the ability of L. pneumophila strains to induce disease. Taken together our results suggest that the occurrence of human infection is not related with the increased capability of some strains to induce disease since we also found a concentration threshold above which L. pneumophila strains are equally able to cause disease. In addition, no link could be established between the sequence-type (ST and L. pneumophila pathogenicity. We envision that in man-made water distribution systems environmental filtering selection and biotic competition acts structuring L. pneumophila populations by selecting more resilient and adapted strains that can rise to high concentration if no control measures are implemented. Therefore, public health strategies based on the sequence based typing (STB scheme analysis should take into account that the major disease-associated clones of L

The great scientific revolutions of the 20. century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrochia, D.

1997-01-01

Three great physical revolutions are studied here: the theory of relativity (general and restricted); the quantum mechanics (and its different interpretations); the theory of the determinist chaos (its pre-history as its applications). These three theories contribute to modify the answers that it is possible to bring to great metaphysical questions and to give a hint of a new philosophical landscape. (N.C.)

Great software debates

CERN Document Server

Davis, A

2004-01-01

The industry’s most outspoken and insightful critic explains how the software industry REALLY works. In Great Software Debates, Al Davis, shares what he has learned about the difference between the theory and the realities of business and encourages you to question and think about software engineering in ways that will help you succeed where others fail. In short, provocative essays, Davis fearlessly reveals the truth about process improvement, productivity, software quality, metrics, agile development, requirements documentation, modeling, software marketing and sales, empiricism, start-up financing, software research, requirements triage, software estimation, and entrepreneurship.

Hybrid Control System for Greater Resilience Using Multiple Isolation and Building Connection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaki Taniguchi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available An innovative hybrid control building system of multiple isolation and connection is proposed and investigated using both time-history and input energy responses for various types of ground motions together with transfer functions. It is concerned that the seismic displacement response at the base-isolation layer of the existing base-isolated buildings may extremely increase under long-period and long-duration ground motions which are getting great attention recently. In order to enhance the seismic performance of those base-isolated buildings, a novel hybrid system of multiple isolation and building-connection is proposed and compared with other structural systems such as an independent multiple isolation system, a hybrid system of base-isolation and building-connection. Furthermore, the robustness of seismic responses of the proposed hybrid system for various types of ground motion is discussed through the comparison of various structural systems including non-hybrid systems. Finally the optimal connection damper location is investigated using a sensitivity-type optimization approach.

Primary metabolism in Lactobacillus sakei food isolates by proteomic analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Champomier-Vergès Marie-Christine

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lactobacillus sakei is an important food-associated lactic acid bacterium commonly used as starter culture for industrial meat fermentation, and with great potential as a biopreservative in meat and fish products. Understanding the metabolic mechanisms underlying the growth performance of a strain to be used for food fermentations is important for obtaining high-quality and safe products. Proteomic analysis was used to study the primary metabolism in ten food isolates after growth on glucose and ribose, the main sugars available for L. sakei in meat and fish. Results Proteins, the expression of which varied depending on the carbon source were identified, such as a ribokinase and a D-ribose pyranase directly involved in ribose catabolism, and enzymes involved in the phosphoketolase and glycolytic pathways. Expression of enzymes involved in pyruvate and glycerol/glycerolipid metabolism were also affected by the change of carbon source. Interestingly, a commercial starter culture and a protective culture strain down-regulated the glycolytic pathway more efficiently than the rest of the strains when grown on ribose. The overall two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE protein expression pattern was similar for the different strains, though distinct differences were seen between the two subspecies (sakei and carnosus, and a variation of about 20% in the number of spots in the 2-DE gels was observed between strains. A strain isolated from fermented fish showed a higher expression of stress related proteins growing on both carbon sources. Conclusions It is obvious from the data obtained in this study that the proteomic approach efficiently identifies differentially expressed proteins caused by the change of carbon source. Despite the basic similarity in the strains metabolic routes when they ferment glucose and ribose, there were also interesting differences. From the application point of view, an understanding of regulatory

Comparison of isolates and antibiotic sensitivity pattern in pediatric and adult cancer patients; is it different?

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhash, K; Bajpai, J; Gokarn, A; Arora, B; Kurkure, P A; Medhekar, A; Kelkar, R; Biswas, S; Gupta, S; Naronha, V; Shetty, N; Goyel, G; Banavali, S D

2014-01-01

Infection is a common cause of mortality and morbidity in cancer patients. Organisms are becoming resistant to antibiotics; age appears to be one of the factors responsible. We analyzed common organisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in the correlation with age. This is a single institutional, retrospective analysis of all culture positive adult and pediatric cancer patients from January 2007 to December 2007. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test for trend was used and P values were obtained. Of 1251 isolates, 262 were from children 12 years of age). Gram-negative organisms were predominant (64.95) while Gram-positive constituted 35.09% of isolates. The most common source in all age groups was peripheral-blood, accounting to 47.8% of all samples. The most common organisms in adults were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.3%) while in children it was coagulase negative Staphylococcus aureus (19.8%). Antibiotic sensitivity was different in both groups. In pediatric group higher sensitivity was seen for Cefoparazone-sulbactum, Cefipime, Amikacin, and Tobramycin. No resistance was found for Linezolid. The isolates in both children and adults were predominantly Gram-negative though children had proportionately higher Gram-positive organisms. High-dose cytarabine use, cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, and frequent use of central lines in children especially in hematological malignancies could explain this observation. Children harbor less antibiotic resistance than adults; Uncontrolled, cumulative exposure to antibiotics in our community with increasing age, age-related immune factors and variable bacterial flora in different wards might explain the higher antibiotic resistance in adults. Thus age is an important factor to be considered while deciding empirical antibiotic therapy.

Fasciola hepatica in Cuba: compatibility of different isolates with two intermediate snail hosts, Galba cubensis and Pseudosuccinea columella.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez, A A; Sánchez, J; Pointier, J-P; Théron, A; Hurtrez-Boussès, S

2014-12-01

In Cuba, only two lymnaeid snails, Galba cubensis and Pseudosuccinea columella, with different ecology and distribution patterns, are intermediate hosts for Fasciola hepatica. The compatibility of these two species as hosts was analysed through their rates of infection, the production of rediae and survivorship when exposed to F. hepatica miracidia. Ten populations of G. cubensis, eight of P. columella collected from various habitats and six isolates of F. hepatica sampled in slaughterhouses from different localities were tested. Our results clearly demonstrate that G. cubensis is a more compatible host for F. hepatica in Cuba when compared with P. columella. However, the role that P. columella may have in fascioliasis transmission under certain conditions should not be disregarded. Variation in infectivity among isolates of F. hepatica were also observed and may explain why some regions in Cuba are more commonly subjected to fascioliasis outbreaks.

Phylogenetic analysis of Escherichia coli isolates from healthy and diarrhoeic calves in Mashhad, Iran

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M. Barzan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrates. Certain Escherichia coli strains have been associated with neonatal diarrhoea in ruminants. These strains can be assigned to one of the four main phylogenetic groups, A, B1, B2 and D. Several studies have shown the rela-tionship between phylogeny and pathogenicity of E. coli, a great deal can be obtained by determining the phylogroup of unknown E. coli strains. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the influence of diar-rhoea on the genetic composition of E. coli populations isolated from calves. A total of 80 Es-cherichia coli isolates were obtained from healthy and diarrhoeic calves. Phylogenetic grouping was done based on the Clermont triplex PCR method using primers targeted at three genetic markers, chuA, yjaA and TspE4.C2. According to our results, phylogenetic group A strains was the most prevalent in both healthy (37.5% and diarrhoeic calves (55%. Group B1 contained 27.5% of isolates in healthy calves, followed by group B2 (17.5%, and group D (7.5%. Also, four isolates from healthy calves were not included in the major phylogenetic groups or subgroups. A total of 14% and 4% of isolates from diarrhoeic calves beloned to phylogroups B2 and D respectively. Although no isolate from diarrhoeic calves was found to belong to group B1, there was no significant difference between healthy and diarrhoeic calves for other phylogroups. There was not a dramatic shift in E. coli phylogroup/subgroup due to occurrence of diarrhoea in calves, except for phylogroup B1 which was higher in healthy calves. This can be due to the difference in secretions of digestive system in diarrhoeic calves which can prevent the conditions for instability of Escherichia coli isolates of phy-logroup B1. The majority of isolates from both healthy and diarrhoeic calves belonged to non-pathogenic phylogentic group A and B1.

Isolation and characterization of two different flavodoxins from the eukaryote Chlorella fusca.

Science.gov (United States)

Peleato, M L; Ayora, S; Inda, L A; Gómez-Moreno, C

1994-01-01

Two different molecular forms of flavodoxin from the green alga Chlorella fusca have been purified to homogeneity and their properties compared. The molecular masses are 22 kDa (flavodoxin I) and 20 kDa (flavodoxin II). Western blots of axenic crude extract show the two bands. Both are single polypeptide chains and their N-terminal sequences differ but are very similar. Each form contains 1 mol of FMN/mol of apoprotein, exhibits a typical flavodoxin u.v.-visible absorption spectrum and does not contain covalently bound phosphate. The oxidation-reduction properties of the FMN in the flavodoxins differ considerably. Redox potentials of flavodoxin I at pH8 are -240 mV for the oxidized/semiquinone couple and -350 mV for the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple. Flavodoxin II gives more electronegative values: -278 mV and -458 mV respectively. Flavodoxin II fulfils better the redox requirements for photosynthetic electron transport and, as expected, it is more efficient at mediating NADP+ photoreduction in the photosynthetic electron flow. A new h.p.l.c. method for flavodoxin purification is described, which is useful for the isolation of very similar anionic proteins. Images Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:7945206

Physics in isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1986-01-01

In late May, about 330 physicists made their way up to isolated and beautiful Lake Louise high in the Canadian Rockies about 100 miles west of Calgary in a second effort to increase interactions between particle and nuclear physicists. The conference series aims to foster exciting and diverse physics by bringing the different physicists together somewhere which is so isolated that they must interact with each other. The formula worked very well and isolated Lake Louise was a huge success

Physics in isolation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1986-09-15

In late May, about 330 physicists made their way up to isolated and beautiful Lake Louise high in the Canadian Rockies about 100 miles west of Calgary in a second effort to increase interactions between particle and nuclear physicists. The conference series aims to foster exciting and diverse physics by bringing the different physicists together somewhere which is so isolated that they must interact with each other. The formula worked very well and isolated Lake Louise was a huge success.

TRANSPOSITION OF GREAT ARTERIES: NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE PATHOGENESIS

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Marta eUnolt

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Transposition of great arteries (TGA is one of the most common and severe congenital heart diseases (CHD. It is also one of the most mysterious CHD because it has no precedent in phylogenetic and ontogenetic development, it does not represent an alternative physiological model of blood circulation and its etiology and morphogenesis are still largely unknown. However, recent epidemiologic, experimental and genetic data suggest new insights into the pathogenesis. TGA is very rarely associated with the most frequent genetic syndromes, such as Turner, Noonan, Williams or Marfan syndromes, and in Down syndrome, it is virtually absent. The only genetic syndrome with a strong relation with TGA is Heterotaxy. Moreover, TGA is rather frequent in cases of isolated dextrocardia with situs solitus, showing link with defect of visceral situs. In lateralization defects TGA is frequently associated with asplenia syndrome. Nowadays, the most reliable method to induce TGA consists in treating pregnant mice with retinoic acid or with retinoic acid inhibitors. Following such treatment not only cases of TGA with d-ventricular loop have been registered, but also some cases of congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (CCTGA. In another experiment, the embryos of mice treated with retinoic acid in day 6.5 presented Heterotaxy, suggesting a relationship among these morphologically different CHD. In some families, beside TGA cases, there were first-degree relatives with CCTGA. This data suggest that monogenic inheritance with a variable phenotypic expression could explain the familial aggregation of TGA and CCTGA. In some of these families we previously found multiple mutations in laterality genes including Nodal and ZIC3, confirming a pathogenetic relation between TGA and Heterotaxy. These overall data suggest to include TGA in the pathogenetic group of laterality defects instead of conotruncal abnormalities due to ectomesenchymal tissue migration.

Effect of isolation techniques on the characteristics of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) protein isolates

OpenAIRE

Adenekan, Monilola K.; Fadimu, Gbemisola J.; Odunmbaku, Lukumon A.; Oke, Emmanuel K.

2017-01-01

Abstract In this study, the effect of different isolation techniques on the isolated proteins from pigeon pea was investigated. Water, methanol, ammonium sulfate, and acetone were used for the precipitation of proteins from pigeon pea. Proximate composition, and antinutritional and functional properties of the pigeon pea flour and the isolated proteins were measured. Data generated were statistically analyzed. The proximate composition of the water‐extracted protein isolate was moisture 8.30%...

Changes in properties of starch isolated from whole rice grains with brown, black, and red pericarp after storage at different temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Valmor; Ferreira, Cristiano Dietrich; Goebel, Jorge Tiago Schwanz; El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Santetti, Gabriela Soster; Gutkoski, Luiz Carlos; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa; Elias, Moacir Cardoso

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical, morphological, crystallinity, thermal, and pasting properties of starches isolated from rice grains with brown, black, and red pericarp. Starch was isolated from the rice grains at initial storage time, and after 6months of storage at different storage temperatures (16, 24, 32 and 40°C). Starch isolated from the grains stored for 6months at 40°C showed darker coloration, surface deformation of granules, and a significant reduction in the extraction yield, final viscosity, enthalpy, and crystallinity, independent of the grain pericarp coloration. The time and storage temperature not influence the swelling power and solubility of starch isolated from grains with brown pericarp, while for the grains with black and red pericarp there was reduction in swelling power and solubility of starches isolated of grains stored at 40°C. Grains stored at 16°C showed minimum changes in starch properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic variability among Trichuris ovis isolates from different hosts in Guangdong Province, China revealed by sequences of three mitochondrial genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Liu, Guo-Hua; Li, Jia-Yuan; Xu, Min-Jun; Ye, Yong-Gang; Zhou, Dong-Hui; Song, Hui-Qun; Lin, Rui-Qing; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2013-02-01

This study examined sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5) and cytochrome b (cytb), among Trichuris ovis isolates from different hosts in Guangdong Province, China. A portion of the cox1 (pcox1), nad5 (pnad5) and cytb (pcytb) genes was amplified separately from individual whipworms by PCR, and was subjected to sequencing from both directions. The size of the sequences of pcox1, pnad5 and pcytb was 618, 240 and 464 bp, respectively. Although the intra-specific sequence variations within T. ovis were 0-0.8% for pcox1, 0-0.8% for pnad5 and 0-1.9% for pcytb, the inter-specific sequence differences among members of the genus Trichuris were significantly higher, being 24.3-26.5% for pcox1, 33.7-56.4% for pnad5 and 24.8-26.1% for pcytb, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using combined sequences of pcox1, pnad5 and pcytb, with three different computational algorithms (maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference), indicated that all of the T. ovis isolates grouped together with high statistical support. These findings demonstrated the existence of intra-specific variation in mtDNA sequences among T. ovis isolates from different hosts, and have implications for studying molecular epidemiology and population genetics of T. ovis.

THE HALOPHILICITY OF FILAMENTOUS FUNGI ISOLATED FROM SALINE SOILS OF SOUTH CAUCASUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kvesitadze E.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The work is devoted to the isolation, purification, determination of taxonomical characteristics and application in soil improvement and other biotechnological processes halophilic microscopic fungi strains isolated from saline soils of Eastern Georgia (middle part of South Caucasus, where their existence is maximally supposed. In all soilclimatic zones the dominate forms of spread fungi are genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium, followed by Trichoderma and Mucor. Other genera are met less intensively. The genera Aspergillus is widely spread in chestnut soils and in chernozem, in green forest soils the genera Penicillium is prevailing. The salinity of soil, lake or any other objects from which the isolation of microscopic fungi is performed greatly determines halophilisity of isolated strains. Finally, the collection of halophilic microscopic fungi has been created accounting 96 isolates of extreme halophiles, halophiles and week halophiles.

Yersinia ruckeri biotype 2 isolates from mainland Europe and the UK likely represent different clonal groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wheeler, Richard W.; Davies, Robert L.; Dalsgaard, Inger

2009-01-01

the restriction enzyme NotI. Serotype O1 isolates responsible for ERM in rainbow trout in both the US and Europe, and including biotype 2 isolates, represented a distinct subgroup of similar pulsotypes. Biotype 2 isolates, responsible for outbreaks of the disease in rainbow trout in the UK, Denmark and Spain, had....... In contrast, US biotype 2 isolate YRNC10 had an identical pulsotype and OMP profile to UK biotype 2 isolates, suggesting that there had been exchange of these isolates between the UK and the US in the past. UK Atlantic salmon isolates were genetically and serologically diverse, with 12 distinct pulsotypes...... their likely origins and relationships, a geographically and temporally diverse collection of isolates were characterised by serotyping, biotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and outer membrane protein (OMP) profiling. A total of 44 pulsotypes were identified from 160 isolates by PFGE, using...

Isolated Tenosynovitis as a Sole Manifestation: The Great Mimicker Still Continues to Surprise Us

Science.gov (United States)

De, Abhishek; Surana, Trupti V; Biswas, Saugato; Reja, Abu Hena Hasanoor; Chatterjee, Gobinda

2015-01-01

A middle aged male presented with non-tender cystic swelling over left distal forearm since 1 year. No other cutaneous abnormality could be found except mild paresthesia of the overlying skin and equivocal thickening of the ipsilateral ulnar nerve. Routine investigation was within normal limits. Detailed workup of the patient including MRI of the lesion suggested the diagnosis as tenosynovitis with a soft tissue mass. Fine needle aspiration cytology from the cyst showed foamy macrophages and acid fast bacilli; while PCR of the aspirate confirmed the etiological agent as M. leprae. We, thus, report a unique case of isolated tenosynovitis as a sole manifestation of pure neural leprosy which is extremely rare in world literature. PMID:25814736

The interior working mechanism and temperature characteristics of a fluid based micro-vibration isolator

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Zhao, Shougen; Wu, Dafang; Jing, Xingjian

2016-01-01

Micro-vibration isolation is a hot topic in spacecraft vibration control, and fluid based vibration isolators alternatively provide a good and reliable solution to this challenging issue. In this paper, a novel fluid based micro-vibration isolator (FBMVI) is investigated. According to its inherent working principle and deformation pattern, the generation mechanisms of the damping and stiffness characteristics are derived, which are nonlinear functions of the environmental temperature. Then a lumped parameter model which is expressed by the physical design parameters (PDPs) is constructed, and the corresponding performance objective indices (POIs) are also obtained by applying the equivalence of mechanical impedance. Based on the finite element analysis of the internal damping component, a single variable method is further adopted to carry out the parametric study, and the influences of each PDP on the POIs are analyzed in details. Finally, experiments are conducted to identify the variation of fluid bulk modulus with the outside environmental temperature, and to validate the performance of the isolator under different temperature environments. The tested results show great consistence compared with the predicted tendencies of the parametric study. The results of this study can provide a very useful insight into and/or an important guidance for the design and application of this type of FBMVIs in engineering practice.

The chemical and mechanical differences between alginate-like exopolysaccharides isolated from aerobic flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lin, Y. M.; Sharma, P. K.; van Loosdrecht, M. C. M.

2013-01-01

This study aimed to investigate differences in the gel matrix of aerobic granular sludge and normal aerobic flocculent sludge. From both types of sludge that fed with the same municipal sewage, the functional gel-forming exopolysaccharides, alginate-like exopolysaccharides, were isolated. These two

Survival and health in liveborn infants with transposition of great arteries--a population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Garne, Ester; Loane, Maria A; Nelen, Vera; Bakker, Marian K; Gener, Blanca; Abramsky, Lenore; Addor, Marie-Claude; Queisser-Luft, Annette

2007-01-01

To describe treatment, survival, and morbidity for liveborn infants with isolated transposition of great arteries (TGA). Population-based data from 7 European registries of congenital malformations (EUROCAT). Ninety-seven infants were diagnosed with isolated TGA and livebirth prevalence was 2.0 per 10,000 livebirths. The majority of infants were treated with prostaglandins (83%) and 57% had a catheter atrial septostomia performed. Arterial switch surgery was performed in 78 infants, other or unknown type of surgery was performed in 3 cases, and for 6 infants there was no information on surgery. At 1 year of age 69 infants were alive (71%) and 24 (25%) were dead (4 unknown). There were 10 deaths before surgery and 58% of all deaths took place during the first week. There was no statistically significant regional difference in mortality. Eight infants diagnosed prenatally all survived to 1 year and only 71% of infants diagnosed after birth survived (P = 0.08). Data on morbidity at 1 year of age was available for 57 infants. Fifty-one infants were reported with normal health and development. In this population-based study survival for liveborn infants with TGA is lower than in studies published from tertiary centers. Outcome for survivors at 1 year of age seems favorable.

Clonal Diversity of Chilean Isolates of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli from Patients with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome, Asymptomatic Subjects, Animal Reservoirs, and Food Products

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Rios, Maritza; Prado, Valeria; Trucksis, Michele; Arellano, Carolina; Borie, Consuelo; Alexandre, Marcela; Fica, Alberto; Levine, Myron M.

1999-01-01

To determine clonal relationship among Chilean enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains from different sources (clinical infections, animal reservoirs, and food), 54 EHEC isolates (44 of E. coli O157, 5 of E. coli O111, and 5 of E. coli O26) were characterized for virulence genes by colony blot hybridization and by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). By colony blotting, 12 different genotypes were identified among the 44 E. coli O157 isolates analyzed, of which the genetic profile stx1+ stx2+ hly+ eae+ was the most prevalent. All human O157 strains that were associated with sporadic cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) carried both the stx1 and stx2 toxin-encoding genes and were eaeA positive. Only 9 of 13 isolates from human controls were stx1+ stx2+, and 8 carried the eaeA gene. Comparison of profiles obtained by PFGE of XbaI-digested genomic DNA showed a great diversity among the E. coli O157 isolates, with 37 different profiles among 39 isolates analyzed. Cluster analysis of PFGE profiles showed a wide distribution of clinical isolates obtained from HUS cases and asymptomatic individuals and a clonal relationship among O157 isolates obtained from HUS cases and pigs. Analysis of virulence genes showed that a correlation exists among strains with the genotype stx1+ stx2+ eae+ and pathogenic potential. A larger difference in the PFGE restriction patterns was observed among the EHEC strains of serogroups O26 and O111. These results indicate that several different EHEC clones circulate in Chile and suggest that pigs are an important animal reservoir for human infections by EHEC. Guidelines have been proposed for better practices in the slaughter of animals in Chile. PMID:9986852

Ohcratoxin producing Aspergillus spp. Isolated from tropical soils in Sarawak, Malaysia

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J.S.S. Seelan

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus strains isolated from tropical soils were selected for additional characterization and for ochratoxin analysis, which was determined by ELISA method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC profiles. Because of its great morphological variability and mycotoxin production availability, 18 isolates of Aspergillus species were selected for this study. Only two isolates of these tropical soils, A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius, showed positive results for ohcratoxin (OA in lower concentration (0.05-0.10 µg/ml. Ochratoxin production by these species was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. HPLC analysis for ochratoxin producing A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius showed retention time, Rt value = 4.417 and Rt value = 4.081 respectively.

Isolation, identification, characterization and antibiotic sensitivity profile of pathogenic Legionella pneumophila isolates from different water sources

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Kannan Subbaram

2017-05-01

Conclusions: Serious and fatal L. pneumophila infections may be transmitted through water. Legionella can survive under various conditions in various water sources. L. pneumophila is the important pathogen causing human disease. Great challenge prevails to health care professionals because these Legionellae acquired antibiotic resistance to many routinely prescribed antibiotics.

Great Lakes Literacy Principles

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Fortner, Rosanne W.; Manzo, Lyndsey

2011-03-01

Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie together form North America's Great Lakes, a region that contains 20% of the world's fresh surface water and is home to roughly one quarter of the U.S. population (Figure 1). Supporting a $4 billion sport fishing industry, plus $16 billion annually in boating, 1.5 million U.S. jobs, and $62 billion in annual wages directly, the Great Lakes form the backbone of a regional economy that is vital to the United States as a whole (see http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/economy/11-708-Great-Lakes-Jobs.pdf). Yet the grandeur and importance of this freshwater resource are little understood, not only by people in the rest of the country but also by many in the region itself. To help address this lack of knowledge, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed literacy principles for the Great Lakes to serve as a guide for education of students and the public. These “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” represent an understanding of the Great Lakes' influences on society and society's influences on the Great Lakes.

Multiple var2csa-type PfEMP1 genes located at different chromosomal loci occur in many Plasmodium falciparum isolates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sander, Adam F; Salanti, Ali; Lavstsen, Thomas

2009-01-01

in the VAR2CSA protein, sequence variation in the DBL2X region of var2csa genes in 54 P.falciparum samples was analyzed. Chromosome mapping of var2csa loci was carried out and a quantitative PCR assay was developed to estimate the number of var2csa genes in P.falciparum isolates from the placenta of pregnant....... falciparum isolates. One gene is on chromosome 12 but additional var2csa-type genes are on different chromosomes in different isolates. Multiplicity of var2csa genes appears more common in infected placentae than in samples from non-pregnant donors indicating a possible advantage of this genotype...

Microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones in Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks: how do these features relate to differences in flight and hunting behavior?

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Marelli, Crystal A; Simons, Erin L R

2014-01-01

The Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl are two species of raptor that are similar in body size, diet, and habitat. Both species use their hindlimbs during hunting, but differ in foot morphology, how they approach and immobilize prey, and the average size of prey captured. They also differ in primary flight style: the Red-tailed Hawk uses static soaring and the Great Horned Owl uses flap-gliding. The objectives of this study were to characterize the microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones of these species and examine the relationship with flight and hunting behaviors. The mid-shaft of six limb bones from six individuals of each species was sampled. The degree of bone laminarity (proportion of circular primary vascular canals) and cross-sectional geometric parameters were calculated. In both species, the humerus and femur exhibited features that suggest high resistance to torsional loading, whereas the tibiotarsus and phalanges had a shape more likely to resist compression and bending in a specific plane. The femur of the Red-tailed Hawk exhibited higher laminarity and larger polar moment of area than that of the Great Horned Owl. The tibiotarsus was more elliptical than that of the Great Horned Owl. The hawk approaches prey from a more horizontal axis, takes prey of greater mass, and is more likely to pursue prey on the ground, which could potentially be causing more torsional loads on the femur and bending loads on the tibiotarsus. In addition, differences in polar moment of area of the phalanges between the species could relate to differences in foot morphology or digit length. The humerus and ulna of the flap-gliding Great Horned Owl are more elliptical than the static soaring Red-tailed Hawk, a shape that may better resist the bending loads associated with a larger amount of flapping.

Isolation and Genetic Characterization of Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Wild Birds in the Azov-Black Sea Region of Ukraine (2001-2012).

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Muzyka, Denys; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary; Spackman, Erica; Smith, Diane; Rula, Oleksandr; Muzyka, Nataliia; Stegniy, Borys

2016-05-01

Wild bird surveillance for avian influenza virus (AIV) was conducted from 2001 to 2012 in the Azov - Black Sea region of the Ukraine, considered part of the transcontinental wild bird migration routes from northern Asia and Europe to the Mediterranean, Africa, and southwest Asia. A total of 6281 samples were collected from wild birds representing 27 families and eight orders for virus isolation. From these samples, 69 AIVs belonging to 15 of the 16 known hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes and seven of nine known neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were isolated. No H14, N5, or N9 subtypes were identified. In total, nine H6, eight H1, nine H5, seven H7, six H11, six H4, five H3, five H10, four H8, three H2, three H9, one H12, one H13, one H15, and one H16 HA subtypes were isolated. As for the NA subtypes, twelve N2, nine N6, eight N8, seven N7, six N3, four N4, and one undetermined were isolated. There were 27 HA and NA antigen combinations. All isolates were low pathogenic AIV except for eight highly pathogenic (HP) AIVs that were isolated during the H5N1 HPAI outbreaks of 2006-08. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the HA genes revealed epidemiological connections between the Azov-Black Sea regions and Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia. H1, H2, H3, H7, H8, H6, H9, and H13 AIV subtypes were closely related to European, Russian, Mongolian, and Georgian AIV isolates. H10, H11, and H12 AIV subtypes were epidemiologically linked to viruses from Europe and Southeast Asia. Serology conducted on serum and egg yolk samples also demonstrated previous exposure of many wild bird species to different AIVs. Our results demonstrate the great genetic diversity of AIVs in wild birds in the Azov-Black Sea region as well as the importance of this region for monitoring and studying the ecology of influenza viruses. This information furthers our understanding of the ecology of avian influenza viruses in wild bird species.

The heterogeneity of socially isolated older adults: a social isolation typology.

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Machielse, Anja

2015-01-01

Recent statistics show a growing number of older adults who are living alone and are socially isolated. It is against this background that, in recent years, many interventions have been developed to address social isolation among the elderly. Evaluative studies show that most interventions are hardly effective, though. An important reason for this is the heterogeneity of the socially isolated. This article offers insight into this heterogeneity by presenting a typology with different profiles of socially isolated older adults and the intervention implications of this typology. The typology is derived from an extensive qualitative study on socially isolated elderly individuals in the Netherlands. The typology imposes some degree of order to a diversity of circumstances, ambitions, and possibilities of the socially isolated elderly, thereby deepening the understanding of the heterogeneity of this population. The definition of social isolation used in this study starts from a societal angle of incidence, namely the current policy context of Western European welfare states, in which governments emphasize the importance of independence and self-reliance of their citizens. Developed from that perspective, the typology provides a theoretical basis for applying interventions aimed at increasing self-reliance of social isolated elderly. This perspective on social isolation also has consequences for the way in which the effectiveness of interventions to alleviate social isolation is assessed.

Moral reasoning about great apes in research

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Okamoto, Carol Midori

2006-04-01

This study explored how individuals (biomedical scientists, Great Ape Project activists, lay adults, undergraduate biology and environmental studies students, and Grade 12 and 9 biology students) morally judge and reason about using great apes in biomedical and language research. How these groups perceived great apes' mental capacities (e.g., pain, logical thinking) and how these perceptions related to their judgments were investigated through two scenarios. In addition, the kinds of informational statements (e.g., biology, economics) that may affect individuals' scenario judgments were investigated. A negative correlation was found between mental attributions and scenario judgments while no clear pattern occurred for the informational statements. For the biomedical scenario, all groups significantly differed in mean judgment ratings except for the biomedical scientists, GAP activists and Grade 9 students. For the language scenario, all groups differed except for the GAP activists, and undergraduate environmental studies and Grade 9 students. An in-depth qualitative analysis showed that although the biomedical scientists, GAP activists and Grade 9 students had similar judgments, they produced different mean percentages of justifications under four moral frameworks (virtue, utilitarianism, deontology, and welfare). The GAP activists used more virtue reasoning while the biomedical scientists and Grade 9 students used more utilitarian and welfare reasoning, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of developing environmental/humane education curricula.

Variation of DNA damage levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated in different laboratories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godschalk, Roger W L; Ersson, Clara; Stępnik, Maciej

2014-01-01

This study investigated the levels of DNA strand breaks and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) sensitive sites, as assessed by the comet assay, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy women from five different countries in Europe. The laboratory in each country (referred...... to as 'centre') collected and cryopreserved PBMC samples from three donors, using a standardised cell isolation protocol. The samples were analysed in 13 different laboratories for DNA damage, which is measured by the comet assay. The study aim was to assess variation in DNA damage in PBMC samples that were......%) by standardisation of the primary comet assay endpoint with calibration curve samples. The level of DNA strand breaks in the samples from two of the centres (0.56-0.61 lesions/10(6) bp) was significantly higher compared with the other three centres (0.41-0.45 lesions/10(6) bp). In contrast, there was no difference...

Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Bovine Mastitis in Eight Countries: Genotypes, Detection of Genes Encoding Different Toxins and Other Virulence Genes

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Valentina Monistero

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is recognized worldwide as one of the major agents of dairy cow intra-mammary infections. This microorganism can express a wide spectrum of pathogenic factors used to attach, colonize, invade and infect the host. The present study evaluated 120 isolates from eight different countries that were genotyped by RS-PCR and investigated for 26 different virulence factors to increase the knowledge on the circulating genetic lineages among the cow population with mastitis. New genotypes were observed for South African strains while for all the other countries new variants of existing genotypes were detected. For each country, a specific genotypic pattern was found. Among the virulence factors, fmtB, cna, clfA and leucocidins genes were the most frequent. The sea and sei genes were present in seven out of eight countries; seh showed high frequency in South American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, while sel was harboured especially in one Mediterranean country (Tunisia. The etb, seb and see genes were not detected in any of the isolates, while only two isolates were MRSA (Germany and Italy confirming the low diffusion of methicillin resistance microorganism among bovine mastitis isolates. This work demonstrated the wide variety of S. aureus genotypes found in dairy cattle worldwide. This condition suggests that considering the region of interest might help to formulate strategies for reducing the infection spreading.

Selective cultures for the isolation of biosurfactant producing bacteria: comparison of different combinations of environmental inocula and hydrophobic carbon sources.

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Domingues, Patrícia M; Louvado, António; Oliveira, Vanessa; Coelho, Francisco J C R; Almeida, Adelaide; Gomes, Newton C M; Cunha, Angela

2013-01-01

The potential of estuarine microniches as reservoirs of biosurfactant-producing bacteria was evaluated by testing different combinations of inocula and hydrophobic carbon sources. Selective cultures using diesel, petroleum, or paraffin as hydrophobic carbon sources were prepared and inoculated with water from the surface microlayer, bulk sediments, and sediment of the rhizosphere of Halimione portulacoides. These inocula were compared regarding the frequency of biosurfactant-producing strains among selected isolates. The community structure of the selective cultures was profiled using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 16S rRNA gene fragments at the end of the incubation. The DGGE profiles corresponding to the communities established in selective cultures at the end of the incubation revealed that communities were different in terms of structural diversity. The highest diversity was observed in the selective cultures containing paraffin (H (') = 2.5). Isolates were obtained from the selective cultures (66) and tested for biosurfactant production by the atomized oil assay. Biosurfactant production was detected in 17 isolates identified as Microbacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Serratia. The combination of estuarine surface microlayer (SML) water as inoculum and diesel as carbon source seems promising for the isolation of surfactant-producing bacteria. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Preparative Biochemistry and Biotechnology to view the supplemental file.

Similarities and differences in imperial administration Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1878-1903

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Nikolić Anja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the similarities and differences of the position of Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the age of New Imperialism. Comparative approach will allow us to put both situations in their historical context. Austria-Hungary’s absorption of Bosnia-Herzegovina was part of colonial involvement throughout the world. Egypt and Bosnia-Herzegovina were formally parts of the Ottoman Empire, although occupied and administrated by European Powers. Two administrators, Evelyn Baring as consul-general in Egypt and Benjamin von Kállay as civil administrator of Bosnia-Herzegovina, believed that it was their duty to bring “civilization”, prosperity and western culture to these lands - a classic argumentation found in the New Imperialism discourse. One of the most important tasks for both administrators was fighting the national movements, which led to the suppression of political freedoms and the introduction of a large administrative apparatus to govern the newly-occupied lands. Complete control over political life and the educational system was also one of the major features of both administrations. Both Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina never tackled the agrarian question for their own political reasons. British rule in Egypt and Austro-Hungarian in Bosnia-Herzegovina bore striking resemblances.

Investigation of class 1 integrons in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical and microbiota isolates belonging to different phylogenetic groups in Recife, State of Pernambuco

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Alexsandra Maria Silva Lima

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction The high prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae infections is related to the ability of K. pneumoniae to acquire and disseminate exogenous genes associated with mobile elements, such as R plasmids, transposons and integrons. This study investigated the presence of class 1 integrons in clinical and microbiota isolates of K. pneumoniae belonging to different phylogenetic groups and correlated these results with the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the studied isolates. Methods Of the 51 isolates of K. pneumoniae selected for this study, 29 were from multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, and 22 were from children's microbiota. The susceptibility profile was determined using the disk diffusion method, and class 1 integrons were detected through polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Results The results showed that none of the 22 microbiota isolates carried class 1 integrons. Among the 29 clinical isolates, 19 (65.5% contained class 1 integrons, and resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim was identified in 18 of these isolates (94.7%. Among the K. pneumoniae isolates with class 1 integrons, 47% belonged to the KpI phylogenetic group, and one isolate (14.3% carrying these genetic elements belonged to the KpIII group. Conclusions The wide variety of detected class 1 integrons supports the presence of high rates of antimicrobial resistance, genetic variability, and rapid dissemination of beta-lactamase genes among K. pneumoniae clinical isolates in recent years in hospitals in Recife-PE, Brazil. The findings of this study indicate that the surveillance of K. pneumoniae integrons in clinical isolates could be useful for monitoring the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the hospital environment.

Cadmium tolerant characteristic of a newly isolated Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.

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Sheng, Yao; Wang, Ying; Yang, Xuan; Zhang, Boyang; He, Xiaoyun; Xu, Wentao; Huang, Kunlun

2016-12-01

Environmental contamination caused by heavy metals poses a major threat to the wildlife and human health for their toxicity and intrinsically persistent nature. Some specific food grade bacteria have properties that enable them to eliminate heavy metals from food and water. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, newly isolated from pickles, is a cadmium (Cd) tolerant bacteria. Cd resistant properties of the lactis was evaluated under different Cd stresses. Cd accumulation in different cellular parts was determined by ICP-MS and cell morphology changes were measured by SEM-EDS and TEM-EDS. In addition, functional groups associated with Cd resistance were detected by infrared spectroscopic analysis. The results indicated that Cd mainly accumulated in the cell surface structures including cytoderm and cytomembrane. Functional groups such as OH and NH 2 in the cell surface played essential roles in Cd biosorption. The elements of O, P, S, and N of polysaccharide, membrane protein and phosphatidate in the cell surface structures might be responsible for Cd biosorption for their strong electronegativity. This study indicated that ultrastructural analysis can be a supplemental method to study heavy metal resistance mechanism of microorganism and the newly isolated lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis has great potential to be applied to decontamination of heavy metals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency of isolation and antibiotic resistance patterns of bacterial isolates from wound infections

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Stojanović-Radić, Z.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Six hundred and thirteen bacterial strains were isolated from wound swabs and the isolates were identified on the basis of growth on differential and selective media. In order to test the sensitivity of isolated strains to different antibiotics, the disc diffusion method, according to EUCAST protocol v 5.0 was used. The most common species isolated from wound swabs was Staphylococcus epidermidis (18.4%, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis (16.8%, 12.7% and 10.4%, respectively. The maximum resistance of Gram-positive cocci was observed to penicillin and the lowest to linezolid. Gram-negative bacteria showed the highest resistance to tetracyclines, while the same strains demonstrated the highest sensitivity to polypeptide antibiotics. Comparison of the resistance patterns of Gramnegative and Gram-positive bacterial strains showed significant difference in the tetracycline efficiency.

Contribution of different mechanisms to the resistance to fluoroquinolones in clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica

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Abeer Ahmed Rushdy

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To study the potential factors include gene mutation, efflux pump and alteration of permeability associated with quinolone-resistance of Salmonella enterica strains isolated from patients with acute gastroenteritis and to evaluate the degree of synergistic activity of efflux pump inhibitors when combined with ciprofloxacin against resistant isolates. METHODS: Antimicrobial resistance patterns of fifty-eight Salmonella isolates were tested. Five isolates were selected to study the mechanism of resistance associated with quinolone group, including mutation in topoisomerase-encoding gene, altered cell permeability, and expression of an active efflux system. In addition, the combination between antibiotics and efflux pump inhibitors to overcome the microbial resistance was evaluated. RESULTS: Five Salmonella isolates totally resistant to all quinolones were studied. All isolates showed alterations in outer membrane proteins including disappearance of some or all of these proteins (Omp-A, Omp-C, Omp-D and Omp-F. Minimum inhibitory concentration values of ciprofloxacin were determined in the presence/absence of the efflux pump inhibitors: carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, norepinephrin and trimethoprim. Minimum inhibitory concentration values for two of the isolates were 2-4 fold lower with the addition of efflux pump inhibitors. All five Salmonella isolates were amplified for gyrA and parC genes and only two isolates were sequenced. S. Enteritidis 22 had double mutations at codon 83 and 87 in addition to three mutations at parC at codons 67, 76 and 80 whereas S. Typhimurium 57 had three mutations at codons 83, 87 and 119, but no mutations at parC. CONCLUSIONS: Efflux pump inhibitors may inhibit the major AcrAB-TolC in Salmonella efflux systems which are the major efflux pumps responsible for multidrug resistance in Gramnegative clinical isolates.

Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes Basin

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Claramunt, Randall M.; Madenjian, Charles P.; Clapp, David; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

2012-01-01

Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) are a valuable resource, both within their native range in the North Pacific rim and in the Great Lakes basin. Understanding their value from a biological and economic perspective in the Great Lakes, however, requires an understanding of changes in the ecosystem and of management actions that have been taken to promote system stability, integrity, and sustainable fisheries. Pacific salmonine introductions to the Great Lakes are comprised mainly of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead and have accounted for 421, 177, and 247 million fish, respectively, stocked during 1966-2007. Stocking of Pacific salmonines has been effective in substantially reducing exotic prey fish abundances in several of the Great Lakes (e.g., lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario). The goal of our evaluation was to highlight differences in management strategies and perspectives across the basin, and to evaluate policies for Pacific salmonine management in the Great Lakes. Currently, a potential conflict exists between Pacific salmonine management and native fish rehabilitation goals because of the desire to sustain recreational fisheries and to develop self-sustaining populations of stocked Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes. We provide evidence that suggests Pacific salmonines have not only become naturalized to the food webs of the Great Lakes, but that their populations (specifically Chinook salmon) may be fluctuating in concert with specific prey (i.e., alewives) whose populations are changing relative to environmental conditions and ecosystem disturbances. Remaining questions, however, are whether or not “natural” fluctuations in predator and prey provide enough “stability” in the Great Lakes food webs, and even more importantly, would a choice by managers to attempt to reduce the severity of predator-prey oscillations be antagonistic to native fish restoration efforts. We argue that, on each of the Great Lakes, managers are pursuing

Social isolation, drunkenness, and cigarette use among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Niño, Michael D; Cai, Tianji; Ignatow, Gabe

2016-02-01

This study compares isolated to sociable youth to investigate the relations between different network types of social isolation and alcohol and cigarette use. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health we developed a network measure that includes various types of social isolation. Types of social isolation were operationalized as socially avoidant, actively isolated, and socially disinterested, with sociable youth as the reference category. Random effects ordinal logit models were fit to estimate the association between different types of social isolation and drunkenness and cigarette use. Different types of social isolation had varying effects on drunkenness and cigarette use. On the one hand, socially disinterested youth were at an increased risk for drunkenness and cigarette use. On the other hand, socially avoidant youth had lower odds of drunkenness and no significant differences in cigarette use when compared to sociable youth. Actively isolated youth showed no differences in drunkenness and cigarette use. The role played by marginalized social positions in youth substance use is an important yet overlooked problem. This study can contribute to better targeted and more effective health behavior prevention efforts for vulnerable adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy and water in the Great Lakes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

2011-11-01

The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat of global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decisionmaking is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

COMPARISON OF THE QUALITY OF RNA ISOLATED FROM THE RAINBOW TROUT (Oncorhynchus mykiss TISSUE IN FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS

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Irena Vardić

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Rapid and accurate diagnostic procedures for identification of reared fish diseases are important in order to reduce serious losses in relation of diseases outbrakes. Therefore, molecular biology methods are required for such types of investigations. First level in these experiments are DNA or RNA isolation. Tissue preparation for isolation of RNA, which is used in further RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerise chain reaction analysis is the key step on which is the whole process of analysis dependent. Our goal was to compare quality and integrity of RNA isolated from the rainbow trout tissue, which was prepared in four different ways: fresh tissue, frozen tissue, in formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue as well as in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue. Isolated RNA was analyzed in gel electrophoresis on non-denaturated, 1% agarose gel. Quality and integrity of RNA was proved by RT-PCR reaction with primers for ß-actin gene. Additional, prepared tissue was tested on presence of two fish viruses: viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS virus and infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN virus in RT-PCR reaction with primers specific for these viruses. RNA isolated from fresh and frozen tissue was of high quality, integrity and quantity. RNA isolated from in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue was quite disintegrated, but in RT-PCR with primers for ß-actin gave expected products. These products were absent after RT-PCR reaction with in formallin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. That agrees with the facts from the literature about very agressive affect of formalin as a fixative on RNA in tissue. Inspected fish were not infected with VHS and IHN viruses and that was in agreement with results of clinical examination and pathological analysis. According to our knowledge, this is the first successful RNA isolation from in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded fish tissue. Isolated RNA can be used for further analysis in RT-PCR reaction. This

[Isolation methods and diversity of culturable fecal actinobacteria associated with Panthera tigris tigris in Yunnan Safari Park].

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Cao, Yanru; Jiang, Yi; Li, Youlong; Chen, Xiu; Jin, Rongxian; He, Wenxiang

2012-07-04

We studied the isolation methods and diversity of culturable fecal actinobacteria associated with Panthera tigris tigris by using culture-dependent approaches. Fresh fecal samples of healthy Panthera tigris tigris were collected from Yunnan Safari Park. Pretreatment of the samples, isolation media and inhibitors were tested for actinobacteria isolation. 16S rRNA genes of actinobacteria were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The abundance of culturable actinobacteria was 1.10 x 10(8) cfu/g colony forming units (CFU) per gram of feces (wet weight). We obtained 110 purified cultural actinobacterium strains. The analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that these strains were distributed in 10 different families and 12 genera of actinobacteria at least, and most of them were non-filamentous, such as Arthrobacter, Dietzia, Kocuria, Corynebacterium and Microbacterium. Streptomyces was the mainly classical filamentous actinobacteria, and up to 64% of total. Drying and heating up the fecal samples can greatly increase the rate of the actinobacteria. Many kinds of inhibitors and chemical defined media are suitable for isolation of fecal actinobacteria. The culturable actinobacteria are abundant in Panthera tigris tigris feces. Our study found an effective method to isolate animals' fecal actinobacteria and it's useful for studying and exploiting animals' fecal actinobacteria.

The evolution of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) in Great Britain: a molecular epidemiological study.

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Aldous, E W; Fuller, C M; Ridgeon, J H; Irvine, R M; Alexander, D J; Brown, I H

2014-04-01

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), is considered throughout the world as one of the most important animal diseases. For over three decades now, there has been a continuing panzootic caused by a variant virulent APMV-1 strain, so-called pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1), primarily in racing pigeons, which has also spread to wild birds and poultry. PPMV-1 isolations have been made in Great Britain every year since 1983. In this study, we have completed a comparative phylogenetic analysis based on a 374 nucleotide section of the fusion protein gene of 63 isolates of PPMV-1 that were isolated over a 26-year period; 43 of these were sequenced for this study. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed that all were closely related and placed in the genetic sublineage 4b (VIb), subdivision 4biif. © 2012 Crown copyright.

Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Fasciola spp. Isolated from Different Host Species in a Newly Emerging Focus of Human Fascioliasis in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Shafiei, Reza; Sarkari, Bahador; Sadjjadi, Seyed Mahmuod; Mowlavi, Gholam Reza; Moshfe, Abdolali

2014-01-01

The current study aimed to find out the morphometric and genotypic divergences of the flukes isolated from different hosts in a newly emerging focus of human fascioliasis in Iran. Adult Fasciola spp. were collected from 34 cattle, 13 sheep, and 11 goats from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, southwest of Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted from the flukes and PCR-RFLP was used to characterize the isolates. The ITS1, ITS2, and mitochondrial genes (mtDNA) of NDI and COI from individual liver flukes were amplified and the amplicons were sequenced. Genetic variation within and between the species was evaluated by comparing the sequences. Moreover, morphometric characteristics of flukes were measured through a computer image analysis system. Based on RFLP profile, from the total of 58 isolates, 41 isolates (from cattle, sheep, and goat) were identified as Fasciola hepatica, while 17 isolates from cattle were identified as Fasciola gigantica. Comparison of the ITS1 and ITS2 sequences showed six and seven single-base substitutions, resulting in segregation of the specimens into two different genotypes. The sequences of COI markers showed seven DNA polymorphic sites for F. hepatica and 35 DNA polymorphic sites for F. gigantica. Morphological diversity of the two species was observed in linear, ratios, and areas measurements. The findings have implications for studying the population genetics, epidemiology, and control of the disease. PMID:25018891

Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Fasciola spp. Isolated from Different Host Species in a Newly Emerging Focus of Human Fascioliasis in Iran

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Reza Shafiei

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The current study aimed to find out the morphometric and genotypic divergences of the flukes isolated from different hosts in a newly emerging focus of human fascioliasis in Iran. Adult Fasciola spp. were collected from 34 cattle, 13 sheep, and 11 goats from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, southwest of Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted from the flukes and PCR-RFLP was used to characterize the isolates. The ITS1, ITS2, and mitochondrial genes (mtDNA of NDI and COI from individual liver flukes were amplified and the amplicons were sequenced. Genetic variation within and between the species was evaluated by comparing the sequences. Moreover, morphometric characteristics of flukes were measured through a computer image analysis system. Based on RFLP profile, from the total of 58 isolates, 41 isolates (from cattle, sheep, and goat were identified as Fasciola hepatica, while 17 isolates from cattle were identified as Fasciola gigantica. Comparison of the ITS1 and ITS2 sequences showed six and seven single-base substitutions, resulting in segregation of the specimens into two different genotypes. The sequences of COI markers showed seven DNA polymorphic sites for F. hepatica and 35 DNA polymorphic sites for F. gigantica. Morphological diversity of the two species was observed in linear, ratios, and areas measurements. The findings have implications for studying the population genetics, epidemiology, and control of the disease.

Implication of lateral genetic transfer in the emergence of Aeromonas hydrophila isolates of epidemic outbreaks in channel catfish.

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Mohammad J Hossain

Full Text Available To investigate the molecular basis of the emergence of Aeromonas hydrophila responsible for an epidemic outbreak of motile aeromonad septicemia of catfish in the Southeastern United States, we sequenced 11 A. hydrophila isolates that includes five reference and six recent epidemic isolates. Comparative genomics revealed that recent epidemic A. hydrophila isolates are highly clonal, whereas reference isolates are greatly diverse. We identified 55 epidemic-associated genetic regions with 313 predicted genes that are present in epidemic isolates but absent from reference isolates and 35% of these regions are located within genomic islands, suggesting their acquisition through lateral gene transfer. The epidemic-associated regions encode predicted prophage elements, pathogenicity islands, metabolic islands, fitness islands and genes of unknown functions, and 34 of the genes encoded in these regions were predicted as virulence factors. We found two pilus biogenesis gene clusters encoded within predicted pathogenicity islands. A functional metabolic island that encodes a complete pathway for myo-inositol catabolism was evident by the ability of epidemic A. hydrophila isolates to use myo-inositol as a sole carbon source. Testing of A. hydrophila field isolates found a consistent correlation between myo-inositol utilization as a sole carbon source and the presence of an epidemic-specific genetic marker. All epidemic isolates and one reference isolate shared a novel O-antigen cluster. Altogether we identified four different O-antigen biosynthesis gene clusters within the 11 sequenced A. hydrophila genomes. Our study reveals new insights into the evolutionary changes that have resulted in the emergence of recent epidemic A. hydrophila strains.

A multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from Norwegian salmon-processing factories and from listeriosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunestad, B T; Truong, T T T; Lindstedt, B-A

2013-10-01

The objective of this study was to characterize Listeria monocytogenes isolated from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and the processing environment in three different Norwegian factories, and compare these to clinical isolates by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The 65 L. monocytogenes isolates obtained gave 15 distinct MLVA profiles. There was great heterogeneity in the distribution of MLVA profiles in factories and within each factory. Nine of the 15 MLVA profiles found in the fish-associated isolates were found to match human profiles. The MLVA profile 07-07-09-10-06 was the most common strain in Norwegian listeriosis patients. L. monocytogenes with this profile has previously been associated with at least two known listeriosis outbreaks in Norway, neither determined to be due to fish consumption. However, since this profile was also found in fish and in the processing environment, fish should be considered as a possible food vehicle during sporadic cases and outbreaks of listeriosis.

Differences in pathogenicity of three animal isolates of Mycobacterium species in a mouse model.

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Haodi Dong

Full Text Available Animal mycobacterioses are among the most important zoonoses worldwide. These are generally caused by either Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB, M. bovis (MBO or M. avium (MAV. To test the hypothesis that different species of pathogenic mycobacteria isolated from varied anatomic locations or animal species differ in virulence and pathogenicity, we performed experiments with three mycobacteria strains (NTSE-3(MTB, NTSE-4(MBO and NTSE-5 (MAV obtained from animal species. Spoligotyping analysis was used to confirm both MTB and MBO strains while the MAV strain was confirmed by 16s rDNA sequencing. BALB/c mice were intranasally infected with the three strains at low and high CFU doses to evaluate variations in pathogenicity. Clinical and pathological parameters were assessed. Infected mice were euthanized at 80 days post-inoculation (dpi. Measures of lung and body weights indicated that the MBO infected group had higher mortality, more weight loss, higher bacterial burden and more severe lesions in lungs than the other two groups. Cytokine profiles showed higher levels of TNF-α for MBO versus MTB, while MAV had the highest amounts of IFN-β in vitro and in vivo. In vitro levels of other cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, and IFN-β showed that Th1 cells had the strongest response in MBO infected mice and that Th2 cells were inhibited. We found that the level of virulence among the three isolates decreased in the following order MBO>MTB>MAV.

Isolated colonic inertia is not usually the cause of chronic constipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ragg, J; McDonald, R; Hompes, R; Jones, O M; Cunningham, C; Lindsey, I

2011-11-01

Chronic constipation is classified as outlet obstruction, colonic inertia or both. We aimed to determine the incidence of isolated colonic inertia in chronic constipation and to study symptom pattern in those with prolonged colonic transit time. Chronic constipation patients were classified radiologically by surgeon-reported defaecating proctography and transit study into four groups: isolated outlet obstruction, isolated colonic inertia, outlet obstruction plus colonic inertia, or normal. Symptom patterns were defined as stool infrequency (twice weekly or less) or frequent unsuccessful evacuations (more than twice weekly). Of 541 patients with chronic constipation, 289 (53%) were classified as isolated outlet obstruction, 26 (5%) as isolated colonic inertia, 159 (29%) as outlet obstruction plus colonic inertia and 67 (12%) as normal. Of 448 patients (83%) with outlet obstruction, 35% had additional colonic inertia. Only 14% of those with prolonged colonic transit time had isolated colonic inertia. Frequent unsuccessful evacuations rather than stool infrequency was the commonest symptom pattern in all three disease groups (isolated outlet obstruction 86%, isolated colonic inertia 54% and outlet obstruction plus colonic inertia 63%). Isolated colonic inertia is an unusual cause of chronic constipation. Most patients with colonic inertia have associated outlet obstruction. These data question the clinical significance of isolated colonic inertia. © 2011 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2011 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Genetic diversity of Gallibacterium anatis isolates from different chicken flocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bojesen, A.M.; Torpdahl, Mia; Christensen, H.

2003-01-01

of chickens from an organic, egg-producing flock and a layer parent flock. A subset of strains was also characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and biotyping. The organic flock isolates were characterized by more than 94% genetic similarity, indicating that only a single clone was apparent...

Intramacrophage survival of uropathogenic Escherichia coli: Differences between diverse clinical isolates and between mouse and human macrophages

KAUST Repository

Bokil, Nilesh J.

2011-11-01

Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infections. Recent studies have demonstrated that UPEC can invade and replicate within epithelial cells, suggesting that this bacterial pathogen may occupy an intracellular niche within the host. Given that many intracellular pathogens target macrophages, we assessed the interactions between UPEC and macrophages. Colonization of the mouse bladder by UPEC strain CFT073 resulted in increased expression of myeloid-restricted genes, consistent with the recruitment of inflammatory macrophages to the site of infection. In in vitro assays, CFT073 was able to survive within primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) up to 24h post-infection. Three additional well-characterized clinical UPEC isolates associated with distinct UTI symptomatologies displayed variable long-term survival within BMM. UPEC strains UTI89 and VR50, originally isolated from patients with cystitis and asymptomatic bacteriuria respectively, showed elevated bacterial loads in BMM at 24h post-infection as compared to CFT073 and the asymptomatic bacteriuria strain 83972. These differences did not correlate with differential effects on macrophage survival or initial uptake of bacteria. E. coli UTI89 localized to a Lamp1 + vesicular compartment within BMM. In contrast to survival within mouse BMM, intracellular bacterial loads of VR50 were low in both human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) and in human T24 bladder epithelial cells. Collectively, these data suggest that some UPEC isolates may subvert macrophage anti-microbial pathways, and that host species differences may impact on intracellular UPEC survival. © 2011 Elsevier GmbH.

Cadmium tolerance and bioremediation potential of bacteria isolated from soils irrigated with untreated industrial effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, R.; Hassan, M.M.U.

2015-01-01

The present study was aimed to investigate the Cd tolerance of bacteria isolated from municipal effluent irrigated soils. Thirty bacterial strains were isolated and screened for their Cd+ tolerance by growing on nutrient agar plates amended with varying amount of Cd +. Out of them four bacteria (GS 2, GS5, GS10 and GS20) were found highly Cd tolerant (600 ppm Cd). The minimum inhibitory concentration of Cd+ was found 200 ppm. The isolates showed optimum growth at 30 degree C and pH 7.5-8.5. Growth curve study against different concentrations of Cd (0-600 ppm) revealed that GS2 was more tolerant among selected strains showing only 33% reduction in growth compared to 64% by GS5 and 77% by both GS 10 and GS20 at 600 ppm Cd. Inoculation of maize seeds with Cd tolerant bacteria for root elongation demonstrated upto 1.7 fold increase in root elongation (in the absence of Cd) and up to 1.5 fold (in the presence of 50 ppm Cd) compared to the un-inoculated plants. The results of the study revealed that the bacterial isolates exhibiting great Cd tolerance and growth promoting activity can be potential candidates for bioremediation of metal contaminated soils and wastewaters. (author)

Relationship of biofilm formation and different virulence genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from Northwest Iran

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Fattahi, Sargol

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: The ( bacterium is one of the main causative agents of urinary tract infections (UTI worldwide. The ability of this bacterium to form biofilms on medical devices such as catheters plays an important role in the development of UTI. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible relationship between virulence factors and biofilm formation of isolates responsible for urinary tract infection.Materials and methods: A total of 100 isolates isolated from patients with UTI were collected and characterized by routine bacteriological methods. In vitro biofilm formation by these isolates was determined using the 96-well microtiter-plate test, and the presence of , , and virulence genes was examined by PCR assay. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0 software.Results: From 100 isolates isolated from UTIs, 92% were shown to be biofilm positive. The genes , , and were detected in 43%, 94% and 26% of isolates, respectively. Biofilm formation in isolates that expressed , , and genes was 100%, 93%, and 100%, respectively. A significant relationship was found between presence of the gene and biofilm formation in isolates isolated from UTI (<0.01, but there was no statistically significant correlation between presence of and genes with biofilm formation (<0.072, <0.104. Conclusion: Results showed that and genes do not seem to be necessary or sufficient for the production of biofilm in , but the presence of correlates with increased biofilm formation of urinary tract isolates. Overall, the presence of , , and virulence genes coincides with in vitro biofilm formation in uropathogenic

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose from Different Fruit and Vegetable Pomaces

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Monika Szymańska-Chargot

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A new fractionation process was developed to achieve valorization of fruit and vegetable pomaces. The importance of the residues from fruits and vegetables is still growing; therefore; the study presents the novel route of a fractioning process for the conversion of agro-industrial biomasses, such as pomaces, into useful feedstocks with potential application in the fields of fuels, chemicals, and polymers. Hence, the biorefinery process is expected to convert them into various by-products offering a great diversity of low-cost materials. The final product of the process is the cellulose of the biofuel importance. The study presents the novel route of the fractioning process for the conversion of agro-industrial biomasses, such as pomaces, into useful feedstocks with a potential application in the fields of fuels, chemicals, and polymers. Therefore the aim of this paper was to present the novel route of the pomaces fraction and the characterization of residuals. Pomaces from apple, cucumber, carrot, and tomato were treated sequentially with water, acidic solution, alkali solution, and oxidative reagent in order to obtain fractions reach in sugars, pectic polysaccharides, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Pomaces were characterized by dry matter content, neutral detergent solubles, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Obtained fractions were characterized by the content of pectins expressed as galacturonic acid equivalent and hemicelluloses expressed as a xyloglucan equivalent. The last fraction and residue was cellulose characterized by crystallinity degree by X-ray diffractometer (XRD, microfibril diameter by atomic force microscope (AFM, and overall morphology by scanning electron microscope (SEM. The hemicelluloses content was similar in all pomaces. Moreover, all the materials were characterized by the high pectins level in extracts evaluated as galacturonic acid content. The lignins content compared with other plant biomasses was on a

Epidemiological trends and patterns of antimicrobial resistance of Shigella spp. isolated from stool cultures in two different populations in Southern Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Peleg, Itai; Givon-Lavi, Noga; Leibovitz, Eugene; Broides, Arnon

2014-03-01

Southern Israel is inhabited by Bedouins, living in conditions similar to developing countries and Jews, living in conditions similar to developed countries. We determined the epidemiology of Shigella spp. in these populations. We retrospectively reviewed Shigella spp. stool isolations between 2005-2009. Overall, 3295 isolates were analyzed. S. sonnei was isolated in 2057/3295 (62.4%) and S. flexneri in 1058 (32.1%). S. sonnei was isolated in 1567/1707 (91.8%) from Jewish patients and S. flexneri in 931/1542 (60.4%) from Bedouin patients. Ampicillin resistance increased linearly from 217/373 (58.2%) in 2005 to 186/256 (72.7%) in 2009, (P Shigella spp. to ampicilin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were found in Jewish patients: 1527/1706 (89.5%) versus 977/1542 (63.4%) (P Shigella spp. infections can differ in populations residing in the same geographical area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parameter design and experimental study of a bifunctional isolator for optical payload protection and stabilization

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guang-yuan; Guan, Xin; Cao, Dong-jing; Tang, Shao-fan; Chen, Xiang; Liang, Lu; Zheng, Gang-tie

2017-11-01

With the raise of resolution, optical payloads are becoming increasingly sensitive to satellite jitter. An approach where the entire spacecraft is pointed with great accuracy requires sophisticated and expensive bus design. In an effort to lower the overall cost of space missions that require highly stable line-of-sight pointing, a method of separating the bus and the payload with low frequency isolators is proposed. This isolation system can block the transmission of disturbance and allow relatively large bus motion. However, if the isolator is linear then there is a trade-off between isolation and static deflection as the launch and the on-orbit stage have difference requirements on the isolation frequency. Otherwise, an extra locking system should be appended to protect the payload before getting into orbit, as the STABLE isolation system[1] and the MIM isolation system[2] did. To overcome this limitation, an alternative approach is to design a nonlinear isolator with high-static stiffness during launch and low dynamic stiffness on orbit. Several specially designed nonlinear isolators have achieved low dynamic stiffness with large static load capacity. Virgin[3] considered a structure made from a highly deformed elastic element to achieve a softening spring. Platus[4] exploited the buckling of beams under axial load in a specific configuration to achieve a negative stiffness in combination with a positive stiffness, and hence low-dynamic stiffness. Others have achieved the same by connecting linear springs with positive stiffness in parallel with elements of negative stiffness[5] [7]. In the present study, a bifunctional isolator has been developed for optical payloads. The isolator have good performance both during launch and on orbit because of its specially designed nonlinear stiffness and damping. The isolator works in a linear part with low stiffness and small damping ratio under the micro-vibration and microgravity on orbit. The transmissibility

Enhancing the laccase production and laccase gene expression in the white-rot fungus Trametes velutina 5930 with great potential for biotechnological applications by different metal ions and aromatic compounds.

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Yang Yang

Full Text Available Laccase is useful for various biotechnological and industrial applications. The white-rot fungus Trametes velutina 5930 and its laccase, isolated from the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in China by our laboratory, has great potential for practical application in environmental biotechnology. However, the original level of laccase produced by Trametes velutina 5930 was relatively low in the absence of any inducer. Therefore, in order to enhance the laccase production by Trametes velutina 5930 and make better use of this fungus in the field of environmental biotechnology, the regulation of laccase production and laccase gene expression in Trametes velutina 5930 were investigated in this study. Different metal ions such as Cu(2+ and Fe(2+ could stimulate the laccase synthesis and laccase gene transcription in Trametes velutina 5930. Some aromatic compounds structurally related to lignin, such as tannic acid, syringic acid, cinnamic acid, gallic acid and guaiacol, could also enhance the level of laccase activity and laccase gene transcription. We also found that there existed a positive synergistic effect of aromatic compound and metal ion on the laccase production and laccase gene transcription in Trametes velutina 5930. Taken together, our study may contribute to the improvement of laccase productivity by Trametes velutina 5930.

Enhancing the laccase production and laccase gene expression in the white-rot fungus Trametes velutina 5930 with great potential for biotechnological applications by different metal ions and aromatic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Wei, Fuxiang; Zhuo, Rui; Fan, Fangfang; Liu, Huahua; Zhang, Chen; Ma, Li; Jiang, Mulan; Zhang, Xiaoyu

2013-01-01

Laccase is useful for various biotechnological and industrial applications. The white-rot fungus Trametes velutina 5930 and its laccase, isolated from the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in China by our laboratory, has great potential for practical application in environmental biotechnology. However, the original level of laccase produced by Trametes velutina 5930 was relatively low in the absence of any inducer. Therefore, in order to enhance the laccase production by Trametes velutina 5930 and make better use of this fungus in the field of environmental biotechnology, the regulation of laccase production and laccase gene expression in Trametes velutina 5930 were investigated in this study. Different metal ions such as Cu(2+) and Fe(2+) could stimulate the laccase synthesis and laccase gene transcription in Trametes velutina 5930. Some aromatic compounds structurally related to lignin, such as tannic acid, syringic acid, cinnamic acid, gallic acid and guaiacol, could also enhance the level of laccase activity and laccase gene transcription. We also found that there existed a positive synergistic effect of aromatic compound and metal ion on the laccase production and laccase gene transcription in Trametes velutina 5930. Taken together, our study may contribute to the improvement of laccase productivity by Trametes velutina 5930.

Genetic diversity among brazilian isolates of beauveria bassiana: comparisons with non-brazilian isolates and other beauveria species

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, E.K.K.; Moraes, A.M.L.; Pacheco, R.S.; Rangel, D.E.N.; Miller, M.P.; Bittencourt, V.R.E.P.; Roberts, D.W.

2009-01-01

Aims: The genetic diversity of Beauveria bassiana was investigated by comparing isolates of this species to each other (49 from different geographical regions of Brazil and 4 from USA) and to other Beauveria spp. Methods and Results: The isolates were examined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and rDNA sequencing. MLEE and AFLP revealed considerable genetic variability among B. bassiana isolates. Several isolates from South and Southeast Brazil had high similarity coefficients, providing evidence of at least one population with clonal structure. There were clear genomic differences between most Brazilian and USA B. bassiana isolates. A Mantel test using data generated by AFLP provided evidence that greater geographical distances were associated with higher genetic distances. AFLP and rDNA sequencing demonstrated notable genotypic variation between B. bassiana and other Beauveria spp. Conclusion: Geographical distance between populations apparently is an important factor influencing genotypic variability among B. bassiana populations in Brazil. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study characterized many B. bassiana isolates. The results indicate that certain Brazilian isolates are considerably different from others and possibly should be regarded as separate species from B. bassiana sensu latu. The information on genetic variation among the Brazilian isolates, therefore, will be important to comprehending the population structure of B. bassiana in Brazil. ?? 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Spatial distribution and ecological environment analysis of great gerbil in Xinjiang Plague epidemic foci based on remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Mengxu; Wang, Juanle; Li, Qun; Cao, Chunxiang

2014-01-01

Yersinia pestis (Plague bacterium) from great gerbil was isolated in 2005 in Xinjiang Dzungarian Basin, which confirmed the presence of the plague epidemic foci. This study analysed the spatial distribution and suitable habitat of great gerbil based on the monitoring data of great gerbil from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the ecological environment elements obtained from remote sensing products. The results showed that: (1) 88.5% (277/313) of great gerbil distributed in the area of elevation between 200 and 600 meters. (2) All the positive points located in the area with a slope of 0–3 degree, and the sunny tendency on aspect was not obvious. (3) All 313 positive points of great gerbil distributed in the area with an average annual temperature from 5 to 11 °C, and 165 points with an average annual temperature from 7 to 9 °C. (4) 72.8% (228/313) of great gerbil survived in the area with an annual precipitation of 120–200mm. (5) The positive points of great gerbil increased correspondingly with the increasing of NDVI value, but there is no positive point when NDVI is higher than 0.521, indicating the suitability of vegetation for great gerbil. This study explored a broad and important application for the monitoring and prevention of plague using remote sensing and geographic information system

Characterization of Escherichia coli isolates from different fecal sources by means of classification tree analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Seurinck, Sylvie; Deschepper, Ellen; Deboch, Bishaw; Verstraete, Willy; Siciliano, Steven

2006-03-01

Microbial source tracking (MST) methods need to be rapid, inexpensive and accurate. Unfortunately, many MST methods provide a wealth of information that is difficult to interpret by the regulators who use this information to make decisions. This paper describes the use of classification tree analysis to interpret the results of a MST method based on fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of Escherichia coli isolates, and to present results in a format readily interpretable by water quality managers. Raw sewage E. coli isolates and animal E. coli isolates from cow, dog, gull, and horse were isolated and their FAME profiles collected. Correct classification rates determined with leaveone-out cross-validation resulted in an overall low correct classification rate of 61%. A higher overall correct classification rate of 85% was obtained when the animal isolates were pooled together and compared to the raw sewage isolates. Bootstrap aggregation or adaptive resampling and combining of the FAME profile data increased correct classification rates substantially. Other MST methods may be better suited to differentiate between different fecal sources but classification tree analysis has enabled us to distinguish raw sewage from animal E. coli isolates, which previously had not been possible with other multivariate methods such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis.

Selected fault testing of electronic isolation devices used in nuclear power plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villaran, M.; Hillman, K.; Taylor, J.; Lara, J.; Wilhelm, W.

1994-05-01

Electronic isolation devices are used in nuclear power plants to provide electrical separation between safety and non-safety circuits and systems. Major fault testing in an earlier program indicated that some energy may pass through an isolation device when a fault at the maximum credible potential is applied in the transverse mode to its output terminals. During subsequent field qualification testing of isolators, concerns were raised that the worst case fault, that is, the maximum credible fault (MCF), may not occur with a fault at the maximum credible potential, but rather at some lower potential. The present test program investigates whether problems can arise when fault levels up to the MCF potential are applied to the output terminals of an isolator. The fault energy passed through an isolated device during a fault was measured to determine whether the levels are great enough to potentially damage or degrade performance of equipment on the input (Class 1E) side of the isolator

Accuracy of phenotypic methicillin susceptibility methods in the detection of Staphylococcus aureus isolates carrying different SCCmec types

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Pricilla DM de Matos

2010-11-01

Full Text Available A total of 138 isolates, 118 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA isolates (staphylococcal cassette chromosome type II, 20 isolates, type III, 39 isolates and type IV, 59 isolates and 20 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates were evaluated by phenotypic methods: cefoxitin and oxacillin disk diffusion (DD, agar dilution (AD, latex agglutination (LA, oxacillin agar screening (OAS and chromogenic agar detection. All methods showed 100% specificity, but only the DD tests presented 100% sensitivity. The sensitivity of the other tests ranged from 82.2% (OAS-98.3% (AD. The LA test showed the second lowest sensitivity (86.4%. The DD test showed high accuracy in the detection of MRSA isolates, but there was low precision in the detection of type IV isolates by the other tests, indicating that the genotypic characteristics of the isolates should be considered.

Accuracy of phenotypic methicillin susceptibility methods in the detection of Staphylococcus aureus isolates carrying different SCCmec types.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Pricilla D M de; Schuenck, Ricardo P; Cavalcante, Fernanda S; Caboclo, Roberta M F; Santos, Kátia Regina N dos

2010-11-01

A total of 138 isolates, 118 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates (staphylococcal cassette chromosome type II, 20 isolates, type III, 39 isolates and type IV, 59 isolates) and 20 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates were evaluated by phenotypic methods: cefoxitin and oxacillin disk diffusion (DD), agar dilution (AD), latex agglutination (LA), oxacillin agar screening (OAS) and chromogenic agar detection. All methods showed 100% specificity, but only the DD tests presented 100% sensitivity. The sensitivity of the other tests ranged from 82.2% (OAS)-98.3% (AD). The LA test showed the second lowest sensitivity (86.4%). The DD test showed high accuracy in the detection of MRSA isolates, but there was low precision in the detection of type IV isolates by the other tests, indicating that the genotypic characteristics of the isolates should be considered.

Study of electrical power facilities and measures for planned outages in Japanese hemodialysis clinics after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, Kai; Sawa, Manami; Fujiwara, Kousaku; Hirose, Minoru; Tsuruta, Harukazu; Takeuchi, Akihiro; Ikeda, Noriaki

2013-02-01

The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 caused major damage in northeastern Japan. The Kanto region experienced a massive electrical power shortage in the summer of 2011. A questionnaire was submitted to 354 hemodialysis clinics in Kanagawa prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area, excluding isolated islands, and 176 responses were analyzed (49.7%). The questions included evaluation of the availability of a private electricity generator, countermeasures in case of a planned outage, awareness of saving electricity, and improvement of safety of medical devices or electrical facilities after the earthquake. Only 12% of the clinics had private electricity generators and many clinics had no plans to introduce this facility. However, 96% of the clinics had established countermeasures to deal with a planned outage. Many clinics planned to provide dialysis on a different day or at a different time. All clinics had tried hard to establish procedures to save electricity in the summer of 2011, and 84% of the clinics had reconsidered and improved the safety of medical devices or electricity facilities after the earthquake. These results show that the awareness of crisis management was greatly improved in the wake of the earthquake. © 2012 The Authors. Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis © 2012 International Society for Apheresis.

A hydrogen-oxidizing, Fe(III)-reducing microorganism from the Great Bay estuary, New Hampshire

Science.gov (United States)

Caccavo, F.; Blakemore, R.P.; Lovley, D.R.

1992-01-01

A dissimilatory Fe(III)- and Mn(IV)-reducing bacterium was isolated from bottom sediments of the Great Bay estuary, New Hampshire. The isolate was a facultatively anaerobic gram-negative rod which did not appear to fit into any previously described genus. It was temporarily designated strain BrY. BrY grew anaerobically in a defined medium with hydrogen or lactate as the electron donor and Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. BrY required citrate, fumarate, or malate as a carbon source for growth on H2 and Fe(III). With Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor, BrY metabolized hydrogen to a minimum threshold at least 60-fold lower than the threshold reported for pure cultures of sulfate reducers. This finding supports the hypothesis that when Fe(III) is available, Fe(III) reducers can outcompete sulfate reducers for electron donors. Lactate was incompletely oxidized to acetate and carbon dioxide with Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Lactate oxidation was also coupled to the reduction of Mn(IV), U(VI), fumarate, thiosulfate, or trimethylamine n-oxide under anaerobic conditions. BrY provides a model for how enzymatic metal reduction by respiratory metal-reducing microorganisms has the potential to contribute to the mobilization of iron and trace metals and to the immobilization of uranium in sediments of Great Bay Estuary.

Wire rope isolators for vibration isolation of equipment and structures – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaji, P S; Rahman, M E; Lau, H H; Moussa, Leblouba

2015-01-01

Vibrations and shocks are studied using various techniques and analyzed to predict their detrimental effect on the equipment and structures. In cases, where the effects of vibration become unacceptable, it may cause structural damage and affect the operation of the equipment. Hence, adding a discrete system to isolate the vibration from source becomes necessary. The Wire Rope Isolator (WRI) can be used to effectively isolate the system from disturbing vibrations. The WRI is a type of passive isolator that exhibits nonlinear behavior. It consists of stranded wire rope held between two metal retainer bars and the metal wire rope is made up of individual wire strands that are in frictional contact with each other, hence, it is a kind of friction-type isolator. This paper compiles the research work on wire rope isolators. This paper presents the research work under two categories, namely monotonic and cyclic loading behaviors of WRI. The review also discusses the different terminologies associated with vibration isolation system and highlights the comparison between various isolation systems. (paper)

Analytical Comparison of Dual-Input Isolated dc-dc Converter with an ac or dc Inductor for Renewable Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Zhe; Mira Albert, Maria del Carmen; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2017-01-01

This paper presents two configurations of dualinput (DI) or three-port (TPC) isolated dc-dc converters for hybrid renewable energy systems such as photovoltaics and batteries. These two converters are derived by integrating an interleaved boost converter and a single-active bridge converter...... and control perspective, distinct in operation principles, voltage/power transfer functions, loss distributions, soft-switching constraints, and power efficiency under the same operating conditions. Moreover, the inductor design differs greatly between these two cases. In this paper, a comprehensive...

Testing properties of potato starch from different scales of isolations - A ringtest

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wischmann, Bente; Ahmt, T.; Bandsholm, O.

2007-01-01

and maceration of potato tubers followed by separation of starch and cell debris by sieving, filtration or sedimentation. The properties of the processed starch were analysed both in water-based systems of 10 mM NaCl as well as in a milk based food model, dutch vla. Analysis of chemical and physical properties...... included content of phosphate, protein, ash and dry weight, pH and amylopectin chain length distribution. Other analysis included starch granule size distribution, melting properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheological properties by small deformation testing, gel pasting characteristics...... by a rapid visco analyser (RVA) and freeze/thaw stability and retrogradation characteristics analysed by pulse-NMR. Various theological flow properties were included in the analysis of the starch samples in the food model. Only the sample of starch isolated in distilled water showed significant difference...

Cross-cultural differences in psychosocial adaptation to isolated and confined environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Palinkas, Lawrence A; Johnson, Jeffrey C; Boster, James S; Rakusa-Suszczewski, Stanislaw; Klopov, Valeri P; Fu, Xue Quan; Sachdeva, Usha

2004-11-01

Differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation under conditions of prolonged isolation and confinement in Antarctica were examined to determine the extent to which they were influenced by national culture in general and the individualist-collectivist orientation of national cultures in particular. The Profile of Mood States and measures of structural and functional social support were administered over an 8-mo period (March through October) to 13 winter-over crews from 5 nations operating research stations in the Antarctic: United States (3 crews, n = 77), Poland (3 crews, n = 40), Russia (3 crews, n = 34), China (3 crews, n = 40), and India (1 crew, n = 26). Americans at South Pole Station reported significant increases in fatigue and anxiety and a significant decrease in vigor over the winter. During the same period, Russians at Vostok Station reported significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and confusion, and Indians at Maitri Station reported a significant decrease in anger. A significant decrease in social interaction with fellow crewmembers occurred at South Pole Station, Vostok Station, and Poland's Arctowski Station. Several differences were also observed between the five stations in correlations between mood scores and measures of structural and functional social support. An individualistic cultural orientation was significantly associated with low social support and low negative mood. Cultural background is associated with mood and social support as well as changes in these measures during the austral winter. Cultural differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation must be considered in the formation and training of multinational crews for long duration missions in space.

MLVA-16 typing of 295 marine mammal Brucella isolates from different animal and geographic origins identifies 7 major groups within Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis

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Jacques Isabelle

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 1994, Brucella strains have been isolated from a wide range of marine mammals. They are currently recognized as two new Brucella species, B. pinnipedialis for the pinniped isolates and B. ceti for the cetacean isolates in agreement with host preference and specific phenotypic and molecular markers. In order to investigate the genetic relationships within the marine mammal Brucella isolates and with reference to terrestrial mammal Brucella isolates, we applied in this study the Multiple Loci VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Analysis (MLVA approach. A previously published assay comprising 16 loci (MLVA-16 that has been shown to be highly relevant and efficient for typing and clustering Brucella strains from animal and human origin was used. Results 294 marine mammal Brucella strains collected in European waters from 173 animals and a human isolate from New Zealand presumably from marine origin were investigated by MLVA-16. Marine mammal Brucella isolates were shown to be different from the recognized terrestrial mammal Brucella species and biovars and corresponded to 3 major related groups, one specific of the B. ceti strains, one of the B. pinnipedialis strains and the last composed of the human isolate. In the B. ceti group, 3 subclusters were identified, distinguishing a cluster of dolphin, minke whale and porpoise isolates and two clusters mostly composed of dolphin isolates. These results were in accordance with published analyses using other phenotypic or molecular approaches, or different panels of VNTR loci. The B. pinnipedialis group could be similarly subdivided in 3 subclusters, one composed exclusively of isolates from hooded seals (Cystophora cristata and the two others comprising other seal species isolates. Conclusion The clustering analysis of a large collection of marine mammal Brucella isolates from European waters significantly strengthens the current view of the population structure of these two

Minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from different clinical samples at a tertiary care hospital in Nepal

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Arjun Ojha Kshetry

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA has evolved as a serious threat to public health. It has capability to cause infections not only in health care settings but also in community. Due to the multidrug resistance shown by MRSA, there are limited treatment options for the infections caused by this superbug. Vancomycin is used as the drug of choice for the treatment of infections caused by MRSA. Different studies from all around the world have documented the emergence of strains of S. aureus those are intermediate sensitive or resistant to vancomycin. And recently, there have been reports of reduced susceptibility of MRSA to vancomycin, from Nepal also. So the main purpose of this study was to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of vancomycin to methicillin resistant S. aureus isolated from different clinical specimens. Methods Total 125 strains of S. aureus isolated from different clinical samples at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal from Nov 2012 to June 2013, were subjected to MRSA detection by cefoxitin disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin to confirmed MRSA strains were determined by agar dilution method. Yellow colored colonies in mannitol salt agar, which were gram positive cocci, catalase positive and coagulase positive were confirmed to be S. aureus. Results Among, total 125 S. aureus strains isolated; 47(37.6% were MRSA. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin to the strains of MRSA ranged from 0.125 μg/ml to 1 μg/ml. Conclusion From our findings we concluded that the rate of isolation of MRSA among all the strains of S. aureus isolated from clinical samples was very high. However, none of the MRSA strains were found to be vancomycin intermediate-sensitive or vancomycin-resistant.

Comparative Analysis of Membrane Vesicles from Three Piscirickettsia salmonis Isolates Reveals Differences in Vesicle Characteristics.

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Julia I Tandberg

Full Text Available Membrane vesicles (MVs are spherical particles naturally released from the membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Bacterial MV production is associated with a range of phenotypes including biofilm formation, horizontal gene transfer, toxin delivery, modulation of host immune responses and virulence. This study reports comparative profiling of MVs from bacterial strains isolated from three widely disperse geographical areas. Mass spectrometry identified 119, 159 and 142 proteins in MVs from three different strains of Piscirickettsia salmonis isolated from salmonids in Chile (LF-89, Norway (NVI 5692 and Canada (NVI 5892, respectively. MV comparison revealed several strain-specific differences related to higher virulence capability for LF-89 MVs, both in vivo and in vitro, and stronger similarities between the NVI 5692 and NVI 5892 MV proteome. The MVs were similar in size and appearance as analyzed by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The MVs from all three strains were internalized by both commercial and primary immune cell cultures, which suggest a potential role of the MVs in the bacterium's utilization of leukocytes. When MVs were injected into an adult zebrafish infection model, an upregulation of several pro-inflammatory genes were observed in spleen and kidney, indicating a modulating effect on the immune system. The present study is the first comparative analysis of P. salmonis derived MVs, highlighting strain-specific vesicle characteristics. The results further illustrate that the MV proteome from one bacterial strain is not representative of all bacterial strains within one species.

Age-related associative deficits and the isolation effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Badham, Stephen P; Maylor, Elizabeth A

2013-01-01

If all but one of the items in a list are similar (e.g., all black except one red), memory for the different item is enhanced (the isolation effect). Older adults generally show similar or smaller isolation effects compared to young adults, which has been attributed to age-related deficits in associative memory whereby older adults are less able to associate an isolated stimulus to its isolating feature. Experiment 1 examined the isolation effect for isolation based on spatial position, modality and color; in Experiment 2, the criterion for isolation was the associative relation between stimuli. The results consistently showed no differences between young and older participants in the magnitude of the isolation effect. Whilst age deficits in associative memory may act to reduce the isolation effect in older adults, age deficits in self-initiated processing and inhibitory functionality may counteract this reduction by enhancing the isolation effect in older adults.

Bacteriology of the teeth from a great white shark: potential medical implications for shark bite victims.

OpenAIRE

Buck, J D; Spotte, S; Gadbaw, J J

1984-01-01

Bacteria were cultured for the first time from the teeth of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Isolates included Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and other genera. All are common in the marine environment and some may be associated with wound infections in humans. Shark bite lacerations may serve as a source of these potentially infectious bacteria, particularly Vibrio spp., and should be treated immediately. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns are sh...

Detection and viability of Campylobacter species isolates from different species of poultry and humans in Sokoto State, Nigeria

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I. O. Nwankwo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and viability of Campylobacter species isolates from different species of poultry and humans in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in the live birds markets, humans on admission and at outpatient clinics in the randomly selected hospitals in Sokoto State. Isolation and characterization of Campylobacter species were performed using standard culture isolation techniques and biochemical characterization. A total of 798 (506 cloacal and 292 fecal swabs from poultry and humans, respectively, were collected and analyzed. The viability of 307 isolates stored in 15% glycerol and 85% tryptone broth at −20°C was determined after 7-13 months. Results: A total of 312 (39% were positive for Campylobacter species which comprises 119 (30%, 20 (30%, 3 (14%, 9 (56%, 1 (50%, and 160 (55% in chicken, guinea fowls, pigeons, ducks, turkey, and humans, respectively. The total of 38 (24%, 63 (39%, and 59 (37% humans and 29 (19%, 79 (52%, and 44 (29% poultry isolates were positive for Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter Coli, and Campylobacter Lari, respectively. A total of 261 (85% of the stored isolates were still viable on re-isolation with the viability rates of 41 (95%, 67 (85%, and 17 (59% at 7, 9, and 13 months of storage, respectively. There was a negative correlation between months of storage and viability rates. However, there was no significant statistical association (p>0.05 between prevalence rate and species of poultry. Conclusion: Campylobacter species have been detected with varying degree of prevalence in both poultry and humans and their ability to survive freezing at −20°C (95% for up to 7 months has been revealed in the study. This is not only a concern to food and livestock industries but also a concern to the public health at large, especially, in view of the study area being considered one of the largest livestock producers in Nigeria

Figuring Somepin 'bout the Great Depression. Learning Page Lesson Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

McElroy, Amy; Pietsch, Chris

These 10th and 11th grade lessons plans related to the Great Depression and the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" help students to: develop research skills and strategies, such as keyword searches, for finding information; recognize and use the different voices of migrants; and understand the politics of migration and the Great Depression. By…

Evaluation of isolation methods for pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica from pig intestinal content.

Science.gov (United States)

Laukkanen, R; Hakkinen, M; Lundén, J; Fredriksson-Ahomaa, M; Johansson, T; Korkeala, H

2010-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of four isolation methods for the detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica from pig intestinal content. The four methods comprised of 15 isolation steps using selective enrichments (irgasan-ticarcillin-potassium chlorate and modified Rappaport broth) and mildly selective enrichments at 4 or 25 degrees C. Salmonella-Shigella-desoxycholate-calcium chloride agar, cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar were used as plating media. The most sensitive method detected 78% (53/68) of the positive samples. Individual isolation steps using cold enrichment as the only enrichment or as a pre-enrichment step with further selective enrichment showed the highest sensitivities (55-66%). All isolation methods resulted in high numbers of suspected colonies not confirmed as pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. Cold enrichment should be used in the detection of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica from pig intestinal contents. In addition, more than one parallel isolation step is needed. The study shows that depending on the isolation method used for Y. enterocolitica, the detected prevalence of Y. enterocolitica in pig intestinal contents varies greatly. More selective and sensitive isolation methods need to be developed for pathogenic Y. enterocolitica.

Asynchronous spore germination in isogenic natural isolates of Saccharomyces paradoxus.

Science.gov (United States)

Stelkens, Rike B; Miller, Eric L; Greig, Duncan

2016-05-01

Spores from wild yeast isolates often show great variation in the size of colonies they produce, for largely unknown reasons. Here we measure the colonies produced from single spores from six different wild Saccharomyces paradoxus strains. We found remarkable variation in spore colony sizes, even among spores that were genetically identical. Different strains had different amounts of variation in spore colony sizes, and variation was not affected by the number of preceding meioses, or by spore maturation time. We used time-lapse photography to show that wild strains also have high variation in spore germination timing, providing a likely mechanism for the variation in spore colony sizes. When some spores from a laboratory strain make small colonies, or no colonies, it usually indicates a genetic or meiotic fault. Here, we demonstrate that in wild strains spore colony size variation is normal. We discuss and assess potential adaptive and non-adaptive explanations for this variation. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The implementation of base isolation in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, J.M.

1993-01-01

The concept of base isolation as an innovative means of providing earthquake resistance to structural systems was met initially with a great deal of skepticism by the engineering community. Today, however, it is on the cutting edge of seismic-resistance engineering, as evidenced by the rapidly increasing number of buildings, both new construction and retrofit, using this earthquake-resistant technique. It is now generally accepted that a base-isolated building will perform better than a conventional fixed-base building in moderate or strong earthquakes. In the structures in which it has been used so far, the major benefit has been to reduce the effects of seismic forces on contents and internal equipment, more than justifying the increased cost of isolated construction. This review will mainly cover the development and application of base isolation to buildings in the US. The acceptance of this approach has been slow, but as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake there is an increasing interest in its use for repair of buildings damaged in that earthquake and for the retrofit of historic buildings that are considered vulnerable to earthquake loading. Base isolation may play a major role in the future in projects as diverse as advanced nuclear reactors and public housing in developing countries

Isolation and Cultivation of Anaerobes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aragao Börner, Rosa

2016-01-01

Anaerobic microorganisms play important roles in different biotechnological processes. Their complex metabolism and special cultivation requirements have led to less isolated representatives in comparison to their aerobic counterparts.In view of that, the isolation and cultivation of anaerobic...

Isolation and partial characterization of two porcine spleen ferritin fractions with different electrophoretic mobility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.M. Van Gelder (Carin); M.I.E. Huijskes-Heins (M. I E); D. Klepper (D.); W.L. van Noort (W.); M.I. Cleton-Soeteman (Maud); H.G. van Eijk (Henk)

1996-01-01

textabstractFerritin isolated from porcine spleen could routinely be separated in two fractions on nondenaturating gradient gels. Both fractions could be isolated with a purity of 96% when applied to two serially linked columns, each 200 cm in length, packed respectively with Sepharose 4B and

Cross-Comparison of Leaching Strains Isolated from Two Different Regions: Chambishi and Dexing Copper Mines

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Baba Ngom

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A cross-comparison of six strains isolated from two different regions, Chambishi copper mine (Zambia, Africa and Dexing copper mine (China, Asia, was conducted to study the leaching efficiency of low grade copper ores. The strains belong to the three major species often encountered in bioleaching of copper sulfide ores under mesophilic conditions: Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, and Leptospirillum ferriphilum. Prior to their study in bioleaching, the different strains were characterized and compared at physiological level. The results revealed that, except for copper tolerance, strains within species presented almost similar physiological traits with slight advantages of Chambishi strains. However, in terms of leaching efficiency, native strains always achieved higher cell density and greater iron and copper extraction rates than the foreign microorganisms. In addition, microbial community analysis revealed that the different mixed cultures shared almost the same profile, and At. ferrooxidans strains always outcompeted the other strains.

QnrS1- and Aac(6’-Ib-cr-producing Escherichia coli among isolates from animals of different sources: susceptibility and genomic characterization

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Daniela eJones-Dias

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli can inhabit humans and animals from multiple origins. These bacteria are often associated with gastroenteritis in animals, being a frequent cause of resistant zoonotic infections. In fact, bacteria from animals can be transmitted to humans through the food chain and direct contact. In this study, we aimed to assess the antibiotic susceptibility of a collection of S. enterica and E. coli recovered from animals of different sources, performing a genomic comparison of the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR-producing isolates detected.Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed a high number of non wild-type isolates for fluoroquinolones among S. enterica recovered from poultry isolates. In turn, the frequency of non-wild-type E. coli to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin was higher in food-producing animals than in companion or zoo animals. Globally, we detected two qnrS1 and two aac(6’-Ib-cr in E. coli isolates recovered from animals of different origins. The genomic characterization of QnrS1-producing E. coli showed high genomic similarity (O86:H12 and ST2297, although they have been recovered from a healthy turtle dove from a Zoo Park, and from a dog showing symptoms of infection. The qnrS1 gene was encoded in a IncN plasmid, also carrying blaTEM-1-containing Tn3. Isolates harboring aac(6’-Ib-cr were detected in two captive bottlenose dolphins, within a time span of two years. The additional antibiotic resistance genes of the two aac(6’-Ib-cr-positive isolates (blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-15, catB3, aac(3-IIa and tetA were enclosed in IncFIA plasmids that differed in a single transposase and 60 single nucleotide variants. The isolates could be assigned to the same genetic sublineage – ST131 fimH30-Rx (O25:H4, confirming clonal spread. PMQR-producing isolates were associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic hosts, which highlight the aptitude of E. coli to act as silent vehicles, allowing

Evapotranspiration in winter wheat under different grazing and tillage practices in the southern Great Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Precipitation in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) is highly variable both spatially and temporally with recurring periods of severe drought. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – summer fallow system with conventional tillage is the principal dryland cropping system in this region for both grazing an...

Differences in cell morphometry, cell wall topography and gp70 expression correlate with the virulence of Sporothrix brasiliensis clinical isolates.

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Rafaela A Castro

Full Text Available Sporotrichosis is a chronic infectious disease affecting both humans and animals. For many years, this subcutaneous mycosis had been attributed to a single etiological agent; however, it is now known that this taxon consists of a complex of at least four pathogenic species, including Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis. Gp70 was previously shown to be an important antigen and adhesin expressed on the fungal cell surface and may have a key role in immunomodulation and host response. The aim of this work was to study the virulence, morphometry, cell surface topology and gp70 expression of clinical isolates of S. brasiliensis compared with two reference strains of S. schenckii. Several clinical isolates related to severe human cases or associated with the Brazilian zoonotic outbreak of sporotrichosis were genotyped and clustered as S. brasiliensis. Interestingly, in a murine subcutaneous model of sporotrichosis, these isolates showed a higher virulence profile compared with S. schenckii. A single S. brasiliensis isolate from an HIV-positive patient not only showed lower virulence but also presented differences in cell morphometry, cell wall topography and abundant gp70 expression compared with the virulent isolates. In contrast, the highly virulent S. brasiliensis isolates showed reduced levels of cell wall gp70. These observations were confirmed by the topographical location of the gp70 antigen using immunoelectromicroscopy in both species. In addition, the gp70 molecule was sequenced and identified using mass spectrometry, and the sequenced peptides were aligned into predicted proteins using Blastp with the S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis genomes.

Variations in the occurrence of specific rpoB mutations in rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients of different ethnic groups in Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Suhail; Al-Mutairi, Noura M; Mokaddas, Eiman

2012-05-01

Frequency of resistance-conferring mutations vary among isoniazid- and ethambutol-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates obtained from patients of various ethnic groups. This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of specific rpoB mutations in rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates from tuberculosis patients of various ethnic groups in Kuwait. Rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates (n=119) from South Asian (n=55), Southeast Asian (n=23), Middle Eastern (n=39) and other (n=2) patients and 107 rifampicin-susceptible isolates were tested. Mutations in rpoB were detected by DNA sequencing. Polymorphisms at katG463 and gyrA95 were detected by PCR-RFLP for genetic group assignment. None of rifampicin-susceptible but 116 of 119 rifampicin-resistant isolates showed rpoB mutation(s). Mutations among isolates from South Asian patients were distributed at rpoB516 (20%), rpoB526 (24%) and rpoB531 (27%) while 78 and 51 per cent of isolates from Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern patients, respectively, contained a mutated rpoB531. All isolates with rpoB N-terminal and cluster II mutations were obtained from Middle Eastern and South Asian patients. Most isolates from South Asian (84%) and Southeast Asian (70%) patients belonged to genetic group I while nearly all remaining isolates belonged to genetic group II. Isolates from Middle Eastern patients were distributed among genetic group I (46%), genetic group II (33%) and genetic group III (21%). The occurrence of specific rpoB mutations varied considerably in rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates obtained from patients of different ethnic groups within the same country. The present data have important implications for designing region-specific rapid methods for detecting majority of rifampicin-resistant strains.

The Great Recession, unemployment and suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Norström, Thor; Grönqvist, Hans

2015-02-01

How have suicide rates responded to the marked increase in unemployment spurred by the Great Recession? Our paper puts this issue into a wider perspective by assessing (1) whether the unemployment-suicide link is modified by the degree of unemployment protection, and (2) whether the effect on suicide of the present crisis differs from the effects of previous economic downturns. We analysed the unemployment-suicide link using time-series data for 30 countries spanning the period 1960-2012. Separate fixed-effects models were estimated for each of five welfare state regimes with different levels of unemployment protection (Eastern, Southern, Anglo-Saxon, Bismarckian and Scandinavian). We included an interaction term to capture the possible excess effect of unemployment during the Great Recession. The largest unemployment increases occurred in the welfare state regimes with the least generous unemployment protection. The unemployment effect on male suicides was statistically significant in all welfare regimes, except the Scandinavian one. The effect on female suicides was significant only in the eastern European country group. There was a significant gradient in the effects, being stronger the less generous the unemployment protection. The interaction term capturing the possible excess effect of unemployment during the financial crisis was not significant. Our findings suggest that the more generous the unemployment protection the weaker the detrimental impact on suicide of the increasing unemployment during the Great Recession. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Great Lakes Science Center

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Since 1927, Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) research has provided critical information for the sound management of Great Lakes fish populations and other important...

Sensitivity of seismically isolated structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Politopoulos, I.; Hoan, Khac Pham

2009-01-01

In this paper we study the sensitivity of seismically isolated structures to a small variability of the earthquake excitation and of some structural properties with respect to the probability of failure and floor spectra. In particular, the influence of the nonlinear behaviour of the isolated superstructure on the vulnerability and on the floor spectra is investigated by means of a series of Monte Carlo simulations of simple two degrees-of-freedom systems. Several types of passive and active isolation systems are examined and three different idealized nonlinear constitutive laws are considered for the superstructure. It is found that, in general, the probability of failure does not depend on the specific cyclic behaviour of the assumed constitutive law and general trends regarding the impact of different isolation devices on vulnerability are established. As for the floor spectra, the influence of moderate nonlinear behaviour of isolated Superstructures, with the exception of the case of a non-dissipative elastic nonlinear law is negligible, contrary to the case of conventional Structures. (authors)

Sensitivity of seismically isolated structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Politopoulos, I. [CEA Saclay, DEN DANS DM2S, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Hoan, Khac Pham

2009-07-15

In this paper we study the sensitivity of seismically isolated structures to a small variability of the earthquake excitation and of some structural properties with respect to the probability of failure and floor spectra. In particular, the influence of the nonlinear behaviour of the isolated superstructure on the vulnerability and on the floor spectra is investigated by means of a series of Monte Carlo simulations of simple two degrees-of-freedom systems. Several types of passive and active isolation systems are examined and three different idealized nonlinear constitutive laws are considered for the superstructure. It is found that, in general, the probability of failure does not depend on the specific cyclic behaviour of the assumed constitutive law and general trends regarding the impact of different isolation devices on vulnerability are established. As for the floor spectra, the influence of moderate nonlinear behaviour of isolated Superstructures, with the exception of the case of a non-dissipative elastic nonlinear law is negligible, contrary to the case of conventional Structures. (authors)

Identification of factors that influence the stiffness of high-damping elastomer seismic isolation bearings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulak, R.F.; Hughes, T.H.

1994-01-01

During the past decade, high-damping elastomer, steel-laminated seismic isolation bearings have gained acceptance as a device for isolating large buildings and structures from earthquake damage. In the United States, architectural engineering firms custom design isolators for each project and ten have the isolators manufactured by one of less than a hand-full of manufactures. The stiffness of the bearing is the single most important design parameter that the molded bearing must meet because it determines the fundamental frequency of the isolation system. This paper reports on recent research that examined several factors that cause real and potential variations to the stiffness of the bearing. The resulting changes to the fundamental frequency of the isolated structure are quantified for each factor. The following were examined: (1) dimensional tolerances, (2) frequency effects, (3) temperature effects, (4) cyclical effects, and (5) aging effects. It was found that geometric variations barely affect the stiffness whereas temperature variations greatly affect the stiffness

Unemployment of Non-western Immigrants in the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Cerveny, J.; Ours, J.C. van

2013-01-01

Abstract: This paper examines whether unemployment of non-western immigrant workers in the Netherlands was disproportionally affected by the Great Recession. We analyze unemployment data covering the period November 2007 to February 2013 finding that the Great Recession affected unemployment rates of non-western immigrant workers in absolute terms more than unemployment rates of native workers. However, in relative terms there is not much of a difference. We also find that the sensitivity of ...

Differences in the Effects of the Great Recession on Health Outcomes among Minority Working-Age Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Towne, Samuel D; Probst, Janice C; Hardin, James W; Bell, Bethany A; Glover, Saundra

2015-03-01

We examined the effects of the Great Recession (December 2007-June 2009) among vulnerable adults who may be at high risk of poor health and low access to health care. Our primary outcomes of interest were self-reported health status (fair/poor versus good/very good/excellent), and foregoing needed health care due to cost in the past 12 months. Racial and ethnic minorities, except Asians, experienced higher rates of poor/fair health and higher rates of forgone medical care than did White adults. Hispanic and AIAN adults experienced differential effects of the Great Recession, as compared to White adults. Understanding how vulnerable populations react in times of economic flux will enable policy makers to identify strategies/policies to lessen the burden experienced by vulnerable adults.

Gender and Race/Ethnicity Differences in Mental Health Care Use before and during the Great Recession.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Dagher, Rada

2016-04-01

This study examines the changes in health care utilization for mental health disorders among patients who were diagnosed with depressive and/or anxiety disorders during the Great Recession 2007-2009 in the USA. Negative binomial regressions are used to estimate the association of the economic recession and mental health care use for females and males separately. Results show that prescription drug utilization (e.g., antidepressants, psychotropic medications) increased significantly during the economic recession 2007-2009 for both females and males. Physician visits for mental health disorders decreased during the same period. Results show that racial disparities in mental health care might have increased, while ethnic disparities persisted during the Great Recession. Future research should separately examine mental health care utilization by gender and race/ethnicity.

Comparative study of different methods used to isolate Trypanosoma cruz i for defibrinated blood of irradiated mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontes, G.; Romanha, A.J.; Brener, Z.

1991-01-01

Different methods are being used for the isolation and purification of Trypanosoma cruzi blood forms from infected vertebrate hosts. In this study, we compare four of these methods (differential centrifugation, Ficoll-Hypaque, Histopaque 1077 and metrizamide) in terms of parasite recovery rates, contamination with cells, duration of the process and role of host irradiation. Male albino Swiss mice irradiated in a Gamma Cell 220(500 rads) were inoculated with C L and V-10 T.cruzi strains and bled at the peak of parasitemia. Infected defibrinated blood was then used for the isolation. Although all methods permitted the recovery of viable trypomastigotes, the best results were obtained with Ficoll-Hypaque and Histopaque 1077. Recovery rates ranged between 71% to 88% and parasite-enriched preparations were obtained in approximately 75 min. Irradiation and blood defibrination drastically reduced platelet and leukocyte contamination of the preparations. (author)

Isolation & characterization of Brucella melitensis isolated from patients suspected for human brucellosis in India

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Barua, Anita; Kumar, Ashu; Thavaselvam, Duraipandian; Mangalgi, Smita; Prakash, Archana; Tiwari, Sapana; Arora, Sonia; Sathyaseelan, Kannusamy

2016-01-01

Background & objectives: Brucellosis is endemic in the southern part of India. A combination of biochemical, serological and molecular methods is required for identification and biotyping of Brucella. The present study describes the isolation and biochemical, molecular characterization of Brucella melitensis from patients suspected for human brucellosis. Methods: The blood samples were collected from febrile patients suspected to have brucellosis. A total of 18 isolates were obtained from 102 blood samples subjected to culture. The characterization of these 18 isolates was done by growth on Brucella specific medium, biochemical reactions, CO2 requirement, H2S production, agglutination with A and M mono-specific antiserum, dye sensitivity to basic fuchsin and thionin. Further, molecular characterization of the isolates was done by amplification of B. melitensis species specific IS711 repetitive DNA fragment and 16S (rRNA) sequence analysis. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of omp2 locus and IS711 gene was also done for molecular characterization. Results: All 102 suspected samples were subjected to bacteria isolation and of these, 18 isolates could be recovered on blood culture. The biochemical, PCR and PCR-RFLP and 16s rRNA sequencing revealed that all isolates were of B. melitensis and matched exactly with reference strain B. melitensis 16M. Interpretation & conclusions: The present study showed an overall isolation rate of 17.64 per cent for B. melitensis. There is a need to establish facilities for isolation and characterization of Brucella species for effective clinical management of the disease among patients as well as surveillance and control of infection in domestic animals. Further studies are needed from different geographical areas of the country with different level of endemicity to plan and execute control strategies against human brucellosis. PMID:27488010

Virulence characterisation of Salmonella enterica isolates of differing antimicrobial resistance recovered from UK livestock and imported meat samples.

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Roderick eCard

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Salmonella enterica is a foodborne zoonotic pathogen of significant public health concern. We have characterised the virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene content of 95 Salmonella isolates from 11 serovars by DNA microarray recovered from UK livestock or imported meat. Genes encoding resistance to sulphonamides (sul1, sul2, tetracycline (tet(A, tet(B, streptomycin (strA, strB, aminoglycoside (aadA1, aadA2, beta-lactam (blaTEM, and trimethoprim (dfrA17 were common. Virulence gene content differed between serovars; S. Typhimurium formed two subclades based on virulence plasmid presence. Thirteen isolates were selected by their virulence profile for pathotyping using the Galleria mellonella pathogenesis model. Infection with a chicken invasive S. Enteritidis or S. Gallinarum isolate, a multidrug resistant S. Kentucky, or a S. Typhimurium DT104 isolate resulted in high mortality of the larvae; notably presence of the virulence plasmid in S. Typhimurium was not associated with increased larvae mortality. Histopathological examination showed that infection caused severe damage to the Galleria gut structure. Enumeration of intracellular bacteria in the larvae 24 hours post-infection showed increases of up to 7 log above the initial inoculum and transmission electron microscopy (TEM showed bacterial replication in the haemolymph. TEM also revealed the presence of vacuoles containing bacteria in the haemocytes, similar to Salmonella containing vacuoles observed in mammalian macrophages; although there was no evidence from our work of bacterial replication within vacuoles. This work shows that microarrays can be used for rapid virulence genotyping of S. enterica and that the Galleria animal model replicates some aspects of Salmonella infection in mammals. These procedures can be used to help inform on the pathogenicity of isolates that may be antibiotic resistant and have scope to aid the assessment of their potential public and animal health risk.

Isolated anomalous origin of the vertebral artery from the common carotid artery.

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Kesler, William W; Sabat, Shyamsunder B

2018-04-18

Anomalous origins of the vertebral arteries are uncommon and typically associated with other abnormalities of the great vessels. We present a case of an isolated origin of the right vertebral artery from the ipsilateral common carotid artery detected using magnetic resonance angiography. Such variants can significantly affect endovascular and surgical planning.

Comparison of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Isolates Recovered from Pigs in Apparently Healthy Multiplier Herds with Isolates from Herds with Swine Dysentery.

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Tom La

Full Text Available Swine dysentery (SD is a mucohaemorrhagic colitis of grower/finisher pigs classically resulting from infection by the anaerobic intestinal spirochaete Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. This study aimed to determine whether B. hyodysenteriae isolates from pigs in three healthy German multiplier herds supplying gilts to other farms differed from isolates from nine German production herds with SD. Isolates were subjected to whole genomic sequencing, and in silico multilocus sequence typing showed that those from the three multiplier herds were of previously undescribed sequence types (ST132, ST133 and ST134, with all isolates from the same herd having the same ST. All isolates were examined for the presence of 332 genes encoding predicted virulence or virulence lifestyle associated factors, and these were well conserved. Isolates from one multiplier herd were atypical in being weakly haemolytic: they had 10 amino acid substitutions in the haemolysin III protein and five in the haemolysin activation protein compared to reference strain WA1, and had a disruption in the promoter site of the hlyA gene. These changes likely contribute to the weakly haemolytic phenotype and putative lack of virulence. These same isolates also had nine base pair insertions in the iron metabolism genes bitB and bitC and lacked five of six plasmid genes that previously have been associated with colonisation. Other overall differences between isolates from the different herds were in genes from three of five outer membrane proteins, which were not found in all the isolates, and in members of a block of six plasmid genes. Isolates from three herds with SD had all six plasmid genes, while isolates lacking some of these genes were found in the three healthy herds-but also in isolates from six herds with SD. Other differences in genes of unknown function or in gene expression may contribute to variation in virulence; alternatively, superior husbandry and better general health may have

Preventing social isolation in older people.

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Cotterell, Natalie; Buffel, Tine; Phillipson, Christopher

2018-07-01

The extent of social isolation amongst older people has emerged as a major concern for health and social policy. Although the social and health outcomes of social isolation are well documented, evidence regarding the prevention of isolation in later life remains scarce. This article addresses this by presenting the findings from a literature review focusing on the identification, assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies relevant to social isolation in older age. The paper first addresses the issues of identification and assessment, using an ecological framework to identify the risk factors for social isolation at four levels: individual, relationship, community, and societal. It then reviews different types of interventions to reduce or prevent social isolation in later life, including one-to-one, group, service provision, technology-based, neighbourhood, and structural interventions. The paper discusses both the opportunities and the constraints associated with these different approaches. The discussion highlights future directions for research, emphasising the need for a cultural change from 'cure' to 'prevention' of social isolation across the life-course, and the importance of acknowledging greater diversity within the ageing population. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from different water sources in the Mmabatho locality, Northwest Province, South Africa

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C. Njie Ateba

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli (E. coli, isolated from different water sources in the Mmabatho locality were evaluated. Water samples were collected from the local wastewater- and water-treatment plants, the Modimola Dam and homes in the area, and then analysed for the presence of E. coli, using standard methods. Presumptive isolates obtained were confirmed by the analytical profile index test. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the disc diffusion method. Of the 230 E. coli isolates tested, marked antibiotic resistances (over 70% were observed for erythromycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and norfloxacin. Multiple antibiotic resistance patterns were also compiled. Overall, the phenotype T-Ap-E was frequent for E. coli isolated from the local wastewater and water-treatment plants, Modimola Dam and tap water. Cluster analysis performed showed a unique antibiotic resistance pattern which suggested a link between isolates from all sampling points. The findings indicated that improper wastewater treatment may have a potential impact on the dissemination and survival of E. coli, as well as other pathogenic bacteria in water for human and animal consumption. This may result in water- and food-borne disease outbreaks with a negative effect on antibiotic therapy.

Isolation & characterization of Brucella melitensis isolated from patients suspected for human brucellosis in India

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Anita Barua

2016-01-01

Interpretation & conclusions: The present study showed an overall isolation rate of 17.64 per cent for B. melitensis. There is a need to establish facilities for isolation and characterization of Brucella species for effective clinical management of the disease among patients as well as surveillance and control of infection in domestic animals. Further studies are needed from different geographical areas of the country with different level of endemicity to plan and execute control strategies against human brucellosis.

Assignment of Colletotrichum coccodes isolates into vegetative compatibility groups using infrared spectroscopy: a step towards practical application.

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Salman, A; Shufan, E; Lapidot, I; Tsror, L; Moreh, R; Mordechai, S; Huleihel, M

2015-05-07

Colletotrichum coccodes (C. coccodes) is a pathogenic fungus that causes anthracnose on tomatoes and black dot disease in potatoes. It is considered as a seed tuber and soil-borne pathogen that is difficult to control. C. coccodes isolates are classified into Vegetative Compatibility Groups (VCGs). Early classification of isolates into VCGs is of great importance for a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease and improving its control. Moreover, the differentiation among these isolates and the assignment of newly-discovered isolates enable control of the disease at its early stages. Distinguishing between isolates using microbiological or genetic methods is time-consuming and not readily available. Our results show that it is possible to assign the isolates into their VCGs and to classify them at the isolate level with a high success rate using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA).

Hepatitis B virus genotypes circulating in Brazil: molecular characterization of genotype F isolates

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Virgolino Helaine A

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV isolates have been classified in eight genotypes, A to H, which exhibit distinct geographical distributions. Genotypes A, D and F are predominant in Brazil, a country formed by a miscegenated population, where the proportion of individuals from Caucasian, Amerindian and African origins varies by region. Genotype F, which is the most divergent, is considered indigenous to the Americas. A systematic molecular characterization of HBV isolates from different parts of the world would be invaluable in establishing HBV evolutionary origins and dispersion patterns. A large-scale study is needed to map the region-by-region distribution of the HBV genotypes in Brazil. Results Genotyping by PCR-RFLP of 303 HBV isolates from HBsAg-positive blood donors showed that at least two of the three genotypes, A, D, and F, co-circulate in each of the five geographic regions of Brazil. No other genotypes were identified. Overall, genotype A was most prevalent (48.5%, and most of these isolates were classified as subgenotype A1 (138/153; 90.2%. Genotype D was the most common genotype in the South (84.2% and Central (47.6% regions. The prevalence of genotype F was low (13% countrywide. Nucleotide sequencing of the S gene and a phylogenetic analysis of 32 HBV genotype F isolates showed that a great majority (28/32; 87.5% belonged to subgenotype F2, cluster II. The deduced serotype of 31 of 32 F isolates was adw4. The remaining isolate showed a leucine-to-isoleucine substitution at position 127. Conclusion The presence of genotypes A, D and F, and the absence of other genotypes in a large cohort of HBV infected individuals may reflect the ethnic origins of the Brazilian population. The high prevalence of isolates from subgenotype A1 (of African origin indicates that the African influx during the colonial slavery period had a major impact on the circulation of HBV genotype A currently found in Brazil. Although most genotype F

Seismic isolation of nuclear power plants using sliding isolation bearings

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Kumar, Manish

Nuclear power plants (NPP) are designed for earthquake shaking with very long return periods. Seismic isolation is a viable strategy to protect NPPs from extreme earthquake shaking because it filters a significant fraction of earthquake input energy. This study addresses the seismic isolation of NPPs using sliding bearings, with a focus on the single concave Friction Pendulum(TM) (FP) bearing. Friction at the sliding surface of an FP bearing changes continuously during an earthquake as a function of sliding velocity, axial pressure and temperature at the sliding surface. The temperature at the sliding surface, in turn, is a function of the histories of coefficient of friction, sliding velocity and axial pressure, and the travel path of the slider. A simple model to describe the complex interdependence of the coefficient of friction, axial pressure, sliding velocity and temperature at the sliding surface is proposed, and then verified and validated. Seismic hazard for a seismically isolated nuclear power plant is defined in the United States using a uniform hazard response spectrum (UHRS) at mean annual frequencies of exceedance (MAFE) of 10-4 and 10 -5. A key design parameter is the clearance to the hard stop (CHS), which is influenced substantially by the definition of the seismic hazard. Four alternate representations of seismic hazard are studied, which incorporate different variabilities and uncertainties. Response-history analyses performed on single FP-bearing isolation systems using ground motions consistent with the four representations at the two shaking levels indicate that the CHS is influenced primarily by whether the observed difference between the two horizontal components of ground motions in a given set is accounted for. The UHRS at the MAFE of 10-4 is increased by a design factor (≥ 1) for conventional (fixed base) nuclear structure to achieve a target annual frequency of unacceptable performance. Risk oriented calculations are performed for

Prevalence of dental anomalies of number in different subphenotypes of isolated cleft palate.

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Schwartz, João Paulo; Somensi, Daniele Salazar; Yoshizaki, Priscila; Reis, Luciana Laís Savero; de Cássia Moura Carvalho Lauris, Rita; da Silva Filho, Omar Gabriel; Dalbén, Gisele; Garib, Daniela Gamba

2014-01-01

This study aimed at carrying out a radiographic analysis on the prevalence of dental anomalies of number (agenesis and supernumerary teeth) in permanent dentition, in different subphenotypes of isolated cleft palate preadolescent patients. Panoramic radiographs of 300 patients aged between 9 and 12 years, with cleft palate and enrolled in a single treatment center, were retrospectively analyzed. The sample was divided into two groups according to the extension/severity of the cleft palate: complete and incomplete. The chi-square test was used for intergroup comparison regarding the prevalence of the investigated dental anomalies (Pdental anomalies of number in preadolescents with cleft palate was higher than that reported for the general population. The severity of cleft palate did not seem to be associated with the prevalence of dental anomalies of number.

Fasciola hepatica from naturally infected sheep and cattle in Great Britain are diploid.

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Beesley, N J; Cwiklinski, K; Williams, D J L; Hodgkinson, J

2015-08-01

Diploid (2n = 2x = 20) and triploid (2n = 3x = 30) Fasciola hepatica have been reported in the UK, and in Asia diploid, triploid and mixoploid (2x/3x) Fasciola spp. exist but there is little information to indicate how common triploidy is, particularly in UK fluke. Here the ploidy of 565 adult F. hepatica from 66 naturally infected British sheep and 150 adult F. hepatica from 35 naturally infected British cattle was determined. All 715 of these parasites were diploid, based on observation of 10 bivalent chromosomes and sperm (n = 335) or, since triploids are aspermic, sperm alone (n = 380). This constitutes the first extensive analysis of the ploidy of F. hepatica field isolates from Great Britain and shows that most F. hepatica isolated from cattle and sheep are diploid and have the capacity to sexually reproduce. These data suggest that triploidy, and by extension parthenogenesis, is rare or non-existent in wild British F. hepatica populations. Given that F. hepatica is the only species of Fasciola present in Britain our results indicate that the parasite is predominantly diploid in areas where F. hepatica exists in isolation and suggests that triploidy may only originate in natural populations where co-infection of F. hepatica and its sister species Fasciola gigantica commonly occurs.

Fungal communities in mycorrhizal roots of conifer seedlings in forest nurseries under different cultivation systems, assessed by morphotyping, direct sequencing and mycelial isolation.

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Menkis, Audrius; Vasiliauskas, Rimvydas; Taylor, Andrew F S; Stenlid, Jan; Finlay, Roger

2005-12-01

Fungi colonising root tips of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies grown under four different seedling cultivation systems were assessed by morphotyping, direct sequencing and isolation methods. Roots were morphotyped using two approaches: (1) 10% of the whole root system from 30 seedlings of each species and (2) 20 randomly selected tips per plant from 300 seedlings of each species. The first approach yielded 15 morphotypes, the second yielded 27, including 18 new morphotypes. The overall community consisted of 33 morphotypes. The level of mycorrhizal colonisation of roots determined by each approach was about 50%. The cultivation system had a marked effect on the level of mycorrhizal colonisation. In pine, the highest level of colonisation (48%) was observed in bare-root systems, while in spruce, colonisation was highest in polyethylene rolls (71%). Direct internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA sequencing and isolation detected a total of 93 fungal taxa, including 27 mycorrhizal. A total of 71 (76.3%) fungi were identified at least to a genus level. The overlap between the two methods was low. Only 13 (13.9%) of taxa were both sequenced and isolated, 47 (50.5%) were detected exclusively by sequencing and 33 (35.5%) exclusively by isolation. All isolated mycorrhizal fungi were also detected by direct sequencing. Characteristic mycorrhizas were Phialophora finlandia, Amphinema byssoides, Rhizopogon rubescens, Suillus luteus and Thelephora terrestris. There was a moderate similarity in mycorrhizal communities between pine and spruce and among different cultivation systems.

RAPD Analysis and Antibiotic Susceptibility for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains Isolated from Different Locations in Egypt

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Ali, A. M.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The routine identification of mycobacterial strains isolated from patients in different locations in Egypt was confirmed by specific DNA fragment amplification. The susceptibilities of 72 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains against the four antibiotics used in tuberculosis treatment (Isoniazid, INH; Rifampicin, Rif; Streptomycin, St and Ethambutol, E were examined. Our results indicated that, multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB represents about 19.5% of the tested strains, whereas sensitive strains represented 26.4%. The genetic polymorphism of the tested strains was examined using RAPD analysis. Six selected strains represent the different antibiotic susceptibility groups were examined using RAPD fingerprinting. No difference between the strains was recorded using the RFLP analysis of amplified specific fragment. The discrimination power of RAPD analysis was inadequate to clarify the genetic correlation between the tested strains. MDR-TB was approximately double time in 2008 compared with the value in 2007. Most of the new MDRTB was correlated with resident dense population regions.

Susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to various antibiotics among strains isolated from patients and healthy carriers in different regions of Brazil (1999-2000

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F. Rossi

Full Text Available Resistance of microbes to commonly used antibiotics became a major concern at the end of the last century. Because Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common pathogen in respiratory infections, we conducted microbiological assessment of drug susceptibility patterns among strains collected from two different population groups: 1 adult and pediatric patients (375 isolates with different infections, and 2 healthy children in day care centers (< 5 years old; 350 isolates. High level resistance to penicillin was not identified in either group. Intermediate resistance levels were similar in both groups (adults: 9.9%; children: 9.2%. The Central West region of Brazil tended to have lower susceptibility of S.pneumoniae from infected adults and children to penicillin (81% vs. 93% in the South and 90% in the Southeast, tetracycline (64% vs. 80% and 76%, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (14% vs. 34%. Susceptibility was similar among strains from nasal cultures of healthy children tested in each of 4 regions of Brazil. All isolates were susceptible to cefaclor, cefotaxime and amoxacillin/clavulanate. This study, in two distinct populations, allowed characterization of local microbiological resistance patterns. This data is expected to be of use in guiding empiric therapy in the different regions of Brazil.

Great Lakes

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Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

1998-01-01

The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

Patogenicidade de isolados de Corynespora cassiicola a diferentes espécies de plantas Pathogenicity of Corynespora cassiicola isolates on different host plants

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Ricardo Ribeiro Oliveira

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Corynespora cassiicola, relatado como um patógeno com ampla gama de espécies hospedeiras, tem causado danos em várias culturas de interesse comercial. Neste trabalho avaliou-se, em ambiente de casa-de-vegetação, a patogenicidade de 15 isolados de C. cassiicola originados de diferentes espécies hospedeiras, quando inoculados em 12 diferentes espécies vegetais. Os isolados de pepino foram os mais patogênicos. Além dos híbridos de pepino, estes infectaram outras seis espécies vegetais testadas. Já os isolados de trapoeraba e de alface foram os que apresentaram menor patogenicidade, pois além dos hospedeiros originais infectaram somente uma espécie hospedeira. A maioria dos isolados apresentou elevada inespecificidade. As espécies vegetais testadas reagiram de formas diferentes quando inoculadas com diferentes isolados. O mamoeiro apresentou maior suscetibilidade, sendo infectado por 12 dos 15 isolados. Contrariamente, a trapoeraba e o assa-peixe foram suscetíveis a três e dois isolados, respectivamente.Corynespora cassiicola, causes target leaf spot on a wide host range, including several economically important crops. This study investigated the pathogenicity of 15 C. cassiicola isolates on several hosts, in greenhouse. The fungal isolates were collected from several hosts. These isolates were inoculated on 12 different plant species. The isolates from cucumber showed the widest host range, infecting also six other hosts. The isolates from C. benghalensis and lettuce showed the narrowest host range, since they infected their host of origin and only another host plant. Most of the isolates lacked host specificity. Papaya plant, which showed the greatest susceptibility to the C. cassiicola isolates, were colonized by 12 of the 15 isolates tested. On the opposite, Vernonia sp. and C benghalensis were susceptible to only two and three C. cassiicola isolates, respectively.

Extracts of Canadian first nations medicinal plants, used as natural products, inhibit neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with different antibiotic resistance profiles.

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Cybulska, Paulina; Thakur, Sidharath D; Foster, Brian C; Scott, Ian M; Leduc, Renée I; Arnason, John T; Dillon, Jo-Anne R

2011-07-01

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) has developed resistance to most antimicrobial agents and the antibiotics recommended for therapy are restricted, for the most part, to third generation cephalosporins. In order to investigate new potential sources of antimicrobial agents, the antibacterial properties of 14 Canadian plants used in traditional First Nations' medicine were tested against Ng isolates having differing antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Ethanolic extracts of 14 Canadian botanicals, analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, were tested for their antimicrobial activity (disc diffusion and/or agar dilution assays) against susceptible Ng reference strains and a panel of 28 Ng isolates with various antimicrobial resistance profiles. Extracts of Arctostaphylos uva ursi (kinnikinnick or bearberry), Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Prunus serotina (black cherry), and Rhodiola rosea (roseroot) inhibited the growth of all Ng isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 32 μg/mL, 4 to 32 μg/mL, 16 to >32 μg/mL, and 32 to 64 μg/mL, respectively. Extracts of Acorus americanus (sweet flag), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh), Equisetum arvense (field horsetail), Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen), Ledum groenlandicum (Labrador tea), Ledum palustre (marsh Labrador tea), Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose), Sambucus nigra (elderberry), and Zanthoxylum americanum (prickly ash) had weak or no antimicrobial activity against the Ng isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations ≥256 μg/mL. The phytochemical berberine from H. canadensis inhibited the growth of all Ng isolates. The phytochemicals, salidroside and rosavin, present in R. rosea, also showed inhibitory activity against Ng strains. Canadian botanicals represent a potential source of novel compounds which inhibit Ng, including isolates resistant to antibiotics.

Photosynthesis by isolated chloroplasts. VIII. Photosynthetic phosphorylation and the generation of assimilatory power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnon, D I; Whatley, F R; Allen, M B

1959-01-01

Photochemical ATP formation by isolated chloroplasts was coupled with a reduction of ferricyanide or TPN. Esterification of two moles of orthophosphate was coupled with the formation of two moles of TPNH/sub 2/ and the evolution of one mole of oxygen. The addition of catalytic amounts of FMN, vitamin K or phenazine methosulfate to the TPN phosphorylating system suppressed TPNH/sub 2/ accumulation as well as oxygen evolution and greatly increased the light-dependent ATP formation. A revised general scheme is presented for photosynthesis by isolated chloroplasts. 35 references, 9 figures, 4 tables.

Rheological Properties, Water-Holding and Oil-Binding Capacities of Particulate β-Glucans Isolated from Spent Brewer’s Yeast by Three Different Procedures

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Vlatka Petravić-Tominac

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Particulate β-glucans were isolated from brewer’s yeast using three different procedures – alkaline (A, alkaline-acidic (AA and alkaline-acidic with mannoprotein removal (AAM and dried using three different methods – air drying (AD, lyophilization (L and spray drying (SD. In this work, the obtained β-glucan preparations were tested for their microstructure, rheological properties, swelling, water-holding and oil-binding capacities. According to their rheological properties, suspensions containing 1 and 2 % (by mass of spray-dried samples belong to the category of dilatant fluids. Among the spray-dried samples, rheological behaviour and water-holding capacity of the preparation AA-SD differed from those obtained by other two procedures (A-SD and AAM-SD. Concerning different drying methods applied, swelling was the lowest in the lyophilized samples and the most pronounced in the air-dried ones. Oil-binding capacity was the highest in the lyophilized preparations and increased proportionally to the number of processing steps applied in the isolation procedure.

Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes: the Power of Isolated Populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mette Korre; Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov; Moltke, Ida

2016-01-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects millions of people worldwide. Improving the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and ultimately improving the treatment strategies are, thus, of great interest. To achieve this, identification of genetic variation predisposing to T2D is important. A large number...... of complex disease variants and describe their contributions to the understanding of the genetics of T2D. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York....... disease-associated variants due to genetic drift. Collectively, this increases the statistical power to detect association signals in isolated populations compared to large outbred populations. In this review, we elaborate on why isolated populations are a powerful resource for the identification...

Comparison of Antibacterial Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Isolated from Two Different Kinds of Regional Cheeses from Poland: Oscypek and Korycinski Cheese

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Aleksandra Ołdak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Oscypek and korycinski are traditional Polish cheeses, exclusively produced in Tatra and in Podlasie region, respectively, produced from raw, unpasteurized milk. The 29 Lactobacillus plantarum strains were isolated on MRS agar from 12 cheese samples and used as a material for study. The main purpose of the work was to assess the antimicrobial properties and recognition of selected strains for the unique antagonistic activity and preservation role in food. It has been found that the highest antimicrobial activity was observed in the case of L. monocytogenes strains; however, the level of that activity was different depending on the Lb. plantarum strain. Strains from oscypek produced broad spectrum, and a few strains isolated from korycinski cheese produced a narrow spectrum of antimicrobial compounds, other than organic acids and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the antagonistic activity shown by Lb. plantarum strains is connected with the source from which a given strain was isolated. Strains isolated from oscypek cheese represented stronger activity against L. monocytogenes, whereas strains isolated from korycinski cheese were more active against E. coli. Strains Lb. plantarum Os13 and Kor14 could be considered as good candidates for protective cultures to extend durability of food products.

Comparison of Antibacterial Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Isolated from Two Different Kinds of Regional Cheeses from Poland: Oscypek and Korycinski Cheese

Science.gov (United States)

Ołdak, Aleksandra; Rzepkowska, Anna

2017-01-01

Oscypek and korycinski are traditional Polish cheeses, exclusively produced in Tatra and in Podlasie region, respectively, produced from raw, unpasteurized milk. The 29 Lactobacillus plantarum strains were isolated on MRS agar from 12 cheese samples and used as a material for study. The main purpose of the work was to assess the antimicrobial properties and recognition of selected strains for the unique antagonistic activity and preservation role in food. It has been found that the highest antimicrobial activity was observed in the case of L. monocytogenes strains; however, the level of that activity was different depending on the Lb. plantarum strain. Strains from oscypek produced broad spectrum, and a few strains isolated from korycinski cheese produced a narrow spectrum of antimicrobial compounds, other than organic acids and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the antagonistic activity shown by Lb. plantarum strains is connected with the source from which a given strain was isolated. Strains isolated from oscypek cheese represented stronger activity against L. monocytogenes, whereas strains isolated from korycinski cheese were more active against E. coli. Strains Lb. plantarum Os13 and Kor14 could be considered as good candidates for protective cultures to extend durability of food products. PMID:28626762

Yeast Isolation for Bioethanol Production

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EKA RURIANI

2012-09-01

Full Text Available We have isolated 12 yeast isolates from five different rotten fruits by using a yeast glucose chloramphenicol agar (YGCA medium supplemented with tetracycline. From pre-screening assay, four isolates exhibited higher substrate (glucose-xylose consumption efficiency in the reaction tube fermentation compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae dan Saccharomyces ellipsoids as the reference strains. Based on the fermentation process in gooseneck flasks, we observed that two isolates (K and SB showed high fermentation efficiency both in sole glucose and mixed glucose-xylose substrate. Moreover, isolates K and SB produced relatively identical level of ethanol concentration compared to the reference strains. Isolates H and MP could only produce high levels of ethanol in glucose fermentation, while only half of that amount of ethanol was detected in glucose-xylose fermentation. Isolate K and SB were identified as Pichia kudriavzeevii (100% based on large sub unit (LSU ribosomal DNA D1/D2 region.

A Novel Dual–Parallelogram Passive Rocking Vibration Isolator: A Theoretical Investigation and Experiment

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Shuai Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Vibration isolators with quasi-zero stiffness (QZS perform well for low- or ultra-low-frequency vibration isolation. This paper proposes a novel dual-parallelogram passive rocking vibration isolator with QZS that could effectively attenuate in-plane disturbances with low-frequency vibration. First, a kinematic model of the proposed vibration isolator was established and four linear spring configuration schemes were developed to implement the QZS. Next, an optimal scheme with good high-static-low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS performance was obtained through comparison and analysis, and used as a focus for the QZS model. Subsequently, a dynamic model-based Lagrangian equation that considered the spring stiffness and damping and the influence of the payload gravity center on the vibration isolation system was developed, and an average approach was used to analyze the vibration transmissibility. Finally, the prototype and test system were constructed. A comparison of the simulation and experimental results showed that this novel passive rocking vibration isolator could bolster a heavy payload. Experimentally, the vibration amplitude decreased by 53% and 86% under harmonic disturbances of 0.08 Hz and 0.35 Hz, respectively, suggesting the great practical applicability of this presented vibration isolator.

An investigation of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration creep among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pediatric patients and healthy children in Northern Taiwan

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Chia-Ning Chang

2017-06-01

Conclusion: Vancomycin MIC creeps existed in both clinical MRSA isolates and colonized MRSA strains. Great diversity of PFGE typing was in both strains collected. There was no association between the clinical and colonized MRSA isolates with vancomycin MIC creep.

Potentially of using vertical and three dimensional isolation systems in nuclear structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Zhiuang [Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction, Tongji University, Shanghai (China); Wong, Jenna [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Berkeley (United States); Mahin, Stephen [University of California, Berkeley (United States)

2016-10-15

Although the horizontal component of an earthquake response can be significantly reduced through the use of conventional seismic isolators, the vertical component of excitation is still transmitted directly into the structure. Records from instrumented structures, and some recent tests and analyses have actually seen increases in vertical responses in base isolated structures under the combined effects of horizontal and vertical ground motions. This issue becomes a great concern to facilities such as a Nuclear Power Plants (NPP), with specialized equipment and machinery that is not only expensive, but critical to safe operation. As such, there is considerable interest worldwide in vertical and three-dimensional (3D) isolation systems. This paper examines several vertical and 3D isolation systems that have been proposed and their potential application to modern nuclear facilities. In particular, a series of case study analyses of a modern NPP model are performed to examine the benefits and challenges associated with 3D isolation compared with horizontal isolation. It was found that compared with the general horizontal isolators, isolators that have vertical frequencies of no more than 3 Hz can effectively reduce the vertical in-structure responses for the studied NPP model. Among the studied cases, the case that has a vertical isolation frequency of 3 Hz is the one that can keep the horizontal period of the isolators as the first period while having the most flexible vertical isolator properties. When the vertical frequency of isolators reduces to 1 Hz, the rocking effect is obvious and rocking restraining devices are necessary.

Potentially of using vertical and three dimensional isolation systems in nuclear structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Zhiuang; Wong, Jenna; Mahin, Stephen

2016-01-01

Although the horizontal component of an earthquake response can be significantly reduced through the use of conventional seismic isolators, the vertical component of excitation is still transmitted directly into the structure. Records from instrumented structures, and some recent tests and analyses have actually seen increases in vertical responses in base isolated structures under the combined effects of horizontal and vertical ground motions. This issue becomes a great concern to facilities such as a Nuclear Power Plants (NPP), with specialized equipment and machinery that is not only expensive, but critical to safe operation. As such, there is considerable interest worldwide in vertical and three-dimensional (3D) isolation systems. This paper examines several vertical and 3D isolation systems that have been proposed and their potential application to modern nuclear facilities. In particular, a series of case study analyses of a modern NPP model are performed to examine the benefits and challenges associated with 3D isolation compared with horizontal isolation. It was found that compared with the general horizontal isolators, isolators that have vertical frequencies of no more than 3 Hz can effectively reduce the vertical in-structure responses for the studied NPP model. Among the studied cases, the case that has a vertical isolation frequency of 3 Hz is the one that can keep the horizontal period of the isolators as the first period while having the most flexible vertical isolator properties. When the vertical frequency of isolators reduces to 1 Hz, the rocking effect is obvious and rocking restraining devices are necessary

Potentiality of Using Vertical and Three-Dimensional Isolation Systems in Nuclear Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiguang Zhou

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Although the horizontal component of an earthquake response can be significantly reduced through the use of conventional seismic isolators, the vertical component of excitation is still transmitted directly into the structure. Records from instrumented structures, and some recent tests and analyses have actually seen increases in vertical responses in base isolated structures under the combined effects of horizontal and vertical ground motions. This issue becomes a great concern to facilities such as a Nuclear Power Plants (NPP, with specialized equipment and machinery that is not only expensive, but critical to safe operation. As such, there is considerable interest worldwide in vertical and three-dimensional (3D isolation systems. This paper examines several vertical and 3D isolation systems that have been proposed and their potential application to modern nuclear facilities. In particular, a series of case study analyses of a modern NPP model are performed to examine the benefits and challenges associated with 3D isolation compared with horizontal isolation. It was found that compared with the general horizontal isolators, isolators that have vertical frequencies of no more than 3 Hz can effectively reduce the vertical in-structure responses for the studied NPP model. Among the studied cases, the case that has a vertical isolation frequency of 3 Hz is the one that can keep the horizontal period of the isolators as the first period while having the most flexible vertical isolator properties. When the vertical frequency of isolators reduces to 1 Hz, the rocking effect is obvious and rocking restraining devices are necessary.

Measuring protected-area isolation and correlations of isolation with land-use intensity and protection status.

Science.gov (United States)

Seiferling, Ian S; Proulx, Raphaël; Peres-Neto, Pedro R; Fahrig, Lenore; Messier, Christian

2012-08-01

Protected areas cover over 12% of the terrestrial surface of Earth, and yet many fail to protect species and ecological processes as originally envisioned. Results of recent studies suggest that a critical reason for this failure is an increasing contrast between the protected lands and the surrounding matrix of often highly altered land cover. We measured the isolation of 114 protected areas distributed worldwide by comparing vegetation-cover heterogeneity inside protected areas with heterogeneity outside the protected areas. We quantified heterogeneity as the contagion of greenness on the basis of NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) values, for which a higher value of contagion indicates less heterogeneous land cover. We then measured isolation as the difference between mean contagion inside the protected area and mean contagion in 3 buffer areas of increasing distance from the protected-area border. The isolation of protected areas was significantly positive in 110 of the 114 areas, indicating that vegetation cover was consistently more heterogeneous 10-20 km outside protected areas than inside their borders. Unlike previous researchers, we found that protected areas in which low levels of human activity are allowed were more isolated than areas in which high levels are allowed. Our method is a novel way to assess the isolation of protected areas in different environmental contexts and regions. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.

Comparative genomics of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 isolates differing in virulence and propensity to cause systemic infection in mice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fiebig, A.; Loof, T.G.; Babbar, A.; Itzeg, A.; Koehorst, J.J.; Schaap, P.J.; Nitsche-Schmitz, D.P.

2015-01-01

Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M1 is a frequent cause of severe infections in humans. Some M1 isolates are pathogenic in mice and used in studies on infection pathogenesis. We observed marked differences in murine infections caused by M1 strain SF370, 5448, 5448AP or AP1 which prompted us to

Silicon efflux transporters isolated from two pumpkin cultivars contrasting in Si uptake

Science.gov (United States)

Mitani-Ueno, Namiki; Yamaji, Naoki

2011-01-01

The accumulation of silicon (Si) differs greatly with plant species and cultivars due to different ability of the roots to take up Si. In Si accumulating plants such as rice, barley and maize, Si uptake is mediated by the influx (Lsi1) and efflux (Lsi2) transporters. Here we report isolation and functional analysis of two Si efflux transporters (CmLsi2-1 and CmLsi2-2) from two pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) cultivars contrasting in Si uptake. These cultivars are used for rootstocks of bloom and bloomless cucumber, respectively. Different from mutations in the Si influx transporter CmLsi1, there was no difference in the sequence of either CmLsi2 between two cultivars. Both CmLsi2-1 and CmLsi2-2 showed an efflux transport activity for Si and they were expressed in both the roots and shoots. These results confirm our previous finding that mutation in CmLsi1, but not in CmLsi2-1 and CmLsi2-2 are responsible for bloomless phenotype resulting from low Si uptake. PMID:21617377

Isolated lingual involvement in Wilson′s disease

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Neera Choudhary

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Lingual involvement can occur in a variety of neurological disorders including pyramidal, extrapyramidal and lower motor neuron disorders. It can be seen in the form of tremor, bradykinesia, dystonia, atrophy and weakness of tongue movements and can clinically present as difficulty in swallowing and dysarthria which can be a source of great discomfort to the patient. We describe a patient who presented with isolated lingual involvement and was diagnosed to have Wilsons′s disease. This case emphasizes the clinical variability in presentation of Wilson′s disease and importance of early clinical diagnosis.

Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: the Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Hylton Hollander; Guangling Liu

2014-01-01

This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: The Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Hylton Hollander and Guangling Liu

2014-01-01

This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

Food-related life style in Great Britain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Brunsø, Karen; Bisp, Søren

1995-01-01

Executive summary 1. This report is about an investigation of food-related lifestyle in Great Britain, based on a representative sample of 1000 households. 2. The British consumers are described by five segments, which differ in how and to which extent they use food and cooking to attain their ce...

Effect of methionine and cysteine deprivation on growth of different natural isolates of Lactobacillus spp. in chemically defined media

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Lozo Jelena

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of natural isolates of lactobacilli from different ecological niches to grow in a chemically defined medium in the presence or absence of sulphur-containing amino acids, methionine and/or cysteine. The obtained results indicate that cysteine is essential for growth of L. paracasei subsp. paracasei BGHN14 and BGSJ2-8, while methionine is essential for isolates BGHN40, BGCG31, and BGHV54T of the species L. plantarum. Methionine is also essential for growth of L. rhamnosus BGHV58T. Other analyzed strains, such as L. plantarum BGSJ3-18, BGZB19, BGHV52Ta, and BGHV43T, require the presence of both amino acids for their growth.

Copaifera langsdorffii: evaluation of potential gastroprotective of extract and isolated compounds obtained from leaves

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Marivane Lemos

Full Text Available AbstractGastric ulcer is a prevalent gastrointestinal disease, and the drugs currently used in the treatment produce several adverse effects. In this context, the search for new therapeutic antiulcer agents is essential, and medicinal plants have great potential. Here, we investigated the gastroprotective properties of Copaifera langsdorffii Desf., Fabaceae, hydroalcoholic extract obtained from leaves and its isolated compounds. The phytochemistry studies and the compounds isolations were performed using chromatographic and spectroscopic methodologies. The hydroalcoholic extract was evaluated using ethanol/HCl, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, stress-induced-ulcer and chronic ulcer-model. The effects on gastric content volume, pH, total acidity and mucus stomach production were evaluated in the pylorus ligated-model. The C. langsdorffii extract obtained from leaves (50, 250 or 500 mg/kg reduced the injured area compared to control group in all experiments. The extract showed a significant decrease in the total gastric juice acidity and an increase in mucus production (500 mg/kg when compared to vehicle. Among isolated compounds (30 mg/kg α-humulene, β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide showed greater gastroprotective activity in the ethanol/HCl induced ulcer model. The data herein obtained shown that C. langsdorffii leaves extract and isolated compounds from it, presented gastroprotective properties in different animal models of gastric ulcer. These effects may be associated with the ability of the extract to decrease gastric secretion and increase the mucus production.

The Effectiveness Evaluation of Current Disinfectants on Pathogens Isolated from Surface of Different Parts of Shahid Sadughi Accidents Burns Hospital in City of Yazd

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Fatemeh Sahlabadi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The burn unit is a suitable environment for the growth of pathogenic bacteria that can reduce these pathogens by appropriate disinfection methods. So, choosing an appropriate disinfectant and applying standard methods of disinfection can be effective in reducing nosocomial infections. The aim of this study is evaluation of efficacy of current disinfectants on pathogens isolated from surface of different parts of Shahid Sadughi accidents burns hospital in city of Yazd. Methods: In this study, the sampling method has done simple randomly and 240 samples were collected from 30 different parts of hospital surfaces (for every disinfectant 30 samples before and 30 samples after disinfection. The samples in the Microbiology laboratory of Medical Sciences University were cultured on blood agar and EMB agar culture. Colonies that were suspected to pathogens were identified by biochemical tests and their colony count was determined. Data were analyzed using Paired T-test. Results: The average of isolated bacteria at 4 parts of burn unit of hospital before disinfecting by Deconex 50 AF, Descoscid, Epimax SC and Silvosept was 58.02, 18897.28, 30989.05 and 38.52 respectively and after disinfecting was 12.8, 0.62, 1.65 and 5.09 respectively. Reducing of contamination in all disinfectants shown a significant difference (p<0.05. The most common isolated pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella, staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter and Escherichia coli. Conclusion: The results showed that all disinfectants was effective on isolated pathogens and also have shown a significant difference (p<0.05 between the average of bacteria count before and after disinfection.

Isolation and characterization of CXC receptor genes in a range of elasmobranchs.

Science.gov (United States)

Goostrey, Anna; Jones, Gareth; Secombes, Christopher J

2005-01-01

The CXC group of chemokines exert their cellular effects via the CXCR group of G-protein coupled receptors. Six CXCR genes have been identified in humans (CXCR1-6), and homologues to some of these have been isolated from a range of vertebrate species. Here we isolate and characterize CXCR genes from a range of elasmobranch species. One CXCR1/2 gene fragment isolated from Scyliorhinus caniculus (lesser spotted catshark), and two CXCR1/2 copies from each of the elasmobranchs, Cetorhinus maximus (basking shark), Carcharodon carcharias (great white shark), and Raja naevus (cuckoo ray), exhibit high similarity to both CXCR1 and CXCR2. The two copies evident in the cuckoo ray and lamniform sharks provide strong evidence of CXCR1/2 lineage specific duplication in rays and sharks. A CXCR fragment isolated from Lamna ditropis (salmon shark) shows high similarity to a range of CXCR4 genes and strong clustering with CXCR4 gene homologues was apparent during phylogenetic reconstruction.

Differences in genotype and virulence among four multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates belonging to the PMEN1 clone.

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N Luisa Hiller

Full Text Available We report on the comparative genomics and characterization of the virulence phenotypes of four S. pneumoniae strains that belong to the multidrug resistant clone PMEN1 (Spain(23F ST81. Strains SV35-T23 and SV36-T3 were recovered in 1996 from the nasopharynx of patients at an AIDS hospice in New York. Strain SV36-T3 expressed capsule type 3 which is unusual for this clone and represents the product of an in vivo capsular switch event. A third PMEN1 isolate - PN4595-T23 - was recovered in 1996 from the nasopharynx of a child attending day care in Portugal, and a fourth strain - ATCC700669 - was originally isolated from a patient with pneumococcal disease in Spain in 1984. We compared the genomes among four PMEN1 strains and 47 previously sequenced pneumococcal isolates for gene possession differences and allelic variations within core genes. In contrast to the 47 strains - representing a variety of clonal types - the four PMEN1 strains grouped closely together, demonstrating high genomic conservation within this lineage relative to the rest of the species. In the four PMEN1 strains allelic and gene possession differences were clustered into 18 genomic regions including the capsule, the blp bacteriocins, erythromycin resistance, the MM1-2008 prophage and multiple cell wall anchored proteins. In spite of their genomic similarity, the high resolution chinchilla model was able to detect variations in virulence properties of the PMEN1 strains highlighting how small genic or allelic variation can lead to significant changes in pathogenicity and making this set of strains ideal for the identification of novel virulence determinants.

Species-Specific and Drug-Specific Differences in Susceptibility of Candida Biofilms to Echinocandins: Characterization of Less Common Bloodstream Isolates

Science.gov (United States)

Simitsopoulou, Maria; Peshkova, Pavla; Tasina, Efthymia; Katragkou, Aspasia; Kyrpitzi, Daniela; Velegraki, Aristea; Walsh, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

Candida species other than Candida albicans are increasingly recognized as causes of biofilm-associated infections. This is a comprehensive study that compared the in vitro activities of all three echinocandins against biofilms formed by different common and infrequently identified Candida isolates. We determined the activities of anidulafungin (ANID), caspofungin (CAS), and micafungin (MFG) against planktonic cells and biofilms of bloodstream isolates of C. albicans (15 strains), Candida parapsilosis (6 strains), Candida lusitaniae (16 strains), Candida guilliermondii (5 strains), and Candida krusei (12 strains) by XTT [2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] assay. Planktonic and biofilm MICs were defined as ≥50% fungal damage. Planktonic cells of all Candida species were susceptible to the three echinocandins, with MICs of ≤1 mg/liter. By comparison, differences in the MIC profiles of biofilms in response to echinocandins existed among the Candida species. Thus, C. lusitaniae and C. guilliermondii biofilms were highly recalcitrant to all echinocandins, with MICs of ≥32 mg/liter. In contrast, the MICs of all three echinocandins for C. albicans and C. krusei biofilms were relatively low (MICs ≤ 1 mg/liter). While echinocandins exhibited generally high MICs against C. parapsilosis biofilms, MFG exhibited the lowest MICs against these isolates (4 mg/liter). A paradoxical growth effect was observed with CAS concentrations ranging from 8 to 64 mg/liter against C. albicans and C. parapsilosis biofilms but not against C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, or C. guilliermondii. While non-albicans Candida planktonic cells were susceptible to all echinocandins, there were drug- and species-specific differences in susceptibility among biofilms of the various Candida species, with C. lusitaniae and C. guilliermondii exhibiting profiles of high MICs of the three echinocandins. PMID:23529739

Effect of isolation techniques on the characteristics of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) protein isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Adenekan, Monilola K; Fadimu, Gbemisola J; Odunmbaku, Lukumon A; Oke, Emmanuel K

2018-01-01

In this study, the effect of different isolation techniques on the isolated proteins from pigeon pea was investigated. Water, methanol, ammonium sulfate, and acetone were used for the precipitation of proteins from pigeon pea. Proximate composition, and antinutritional and functional properties of the pigeon pea flour and the isolated proteins were measured. Data generated were statistically analyzed. The proximate composition of the water-extracted protein isolate was moisture 8.30%, protein 91.83%, fat 0.25%, ash 0.05%, and crude fiber 0.05%. The methanol-extracted protein isolate composition was moisture 7.87%, protein 91.83%, fat 0.17%, and ash 0.13%, while crude fiber and carbohydrates were not detected. The composition of the ammonium sulfate-extracted protein isolate was moisture 7.73%, protein 91.73%, fat 0.36, ash 0.13%, and crude fiber 0.67%. The acetone-extracted protein isolate composition was moisture 8.03%, protein 91.50%, ash 0.67%, and fat 0.30%, but crude fiber and carbohydrates were not detected. The isolate precipitated with ammonium sulfate displayed the highest foaming capacity (37.63%) and foaming stability (55.75%). Isolates precipitated with methanol and acetone had the highest water absorption capacity (160%). Pigeon pea protein isolates extracted with methanol and ammonium sulfate had the highest oil absorption capacity of 145%. Protein isolates recovered through acetone and methanol had the highest emulsifying capacity of 2.23% and emulsifying stability of 91.47%, respectively. The proximate composition of the recovered protein isolates were of high purity. This shows the efficiency of the extraction techniques. The isolates had desirable solubility index. All the isolation techniques brought significant impact on the characteristics of the isolated pigeon pea protein.

Isolation and antibiotic resistance of Ureaplasma spp. isolated from urogenital specimen between 2002 to 2007

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Tito Del Gaudio

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Ureaplasma spp. and Mycoplasma hominis are frequently isolated from urogenital samples. Ureaplasma spp is responsible for cervicovaginitis, salpingitis, urethritis, epididymitis, male and female infertility, spontaneous abortion, and during pregnancy, for the premature rupture of the membranes, because of chorionamnionitis. Our study aimed to establish the pattern of antimicrobial resistance among Ureaplasma spp isolated in the area of Andria,Apulia Region, from January 2002 to December 2007. 240/781 (30.7% of the urogenital samples examined were found Ureaplasma spp.-positive. 152/240 (63.3 % were >104 UFC/ml and 88/240 (36.7 % were <104 UFC/ml. With regard to the resistance rate, we observed significant increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin. While we did not observe resistance to doxycycline, strains resistant to tetracycline, josamycin, and pristinamycins, were isolated during last years of investigation. Our data may help improve the management of these infections above all in consideration of the differences among isolates in different geographic regions.

Assessment of two different types of sample for the early detection and isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter in broiler farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Urdaneta, Saulo; Dolz, Roser; Cerdà-Cuéllar, Marta

2015-01-01

In order to assess the optimal method for the early detection and isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter in broilers at farm level, two types of samples were compared: caecal contents obtained by necropsy and cloacal swabs transported in charcoal Amies medium. The study was conducted in five batches of broilers from five different farms, where weekly samples (caecal contents and cloacal swabs) from 30 birds were obtained. Samples were plated onto selective agar (modified charcoal cefoperazone desoxycholate agar, mCCDA) for Campylobacter isolation. Four out of five batches were positive for Campylobacter. No marked differences in sensitivity of both sample types were observed. However, a higher percentage of positive birds were detected when cloacal swabs were used. The results show that cloacal swab samples are adequate, and in some cases even better than caecal samples for the early detection of Campylobacter in broiler flocks at farm level. Also, this sample avoids sacrificing birds to test Campylobacter, which not only allows saving time in sample collection, transportation and processing at the laboratory, but also improves bird welfare and cost of sampling.

Effect of venlafaxine hydrochloride in different preparations of isolated guinea-pig and rat organ tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Velasco, A; Arruza, A; Maroto, M; Carvajal, A; Fernández del Busto, E; García del Pozo, J

1999-04-01

A study was undertaken to know better the effects of venlafaxine hydrochloride on the responses of isolated rat vas deferens to noradrenaline and dopamine, those of isolated rat uterus to serotonin and histamine, and those of isolated guinea-pig ileum to acetylcholine and histamine. Venlafaxine hydrochloride increased the response of rat vas deferens to noradrenaline but not to dopamine. Venlafaxine did not alter the response of rat isolated uterus to serotonin. In rat uterus, venlafaxine did not modify the response to histamine but was able to increase it in guinea-pig ileum. An anticholinergic effect was observed with the lowest concentration tested. Although venlafaxine is a selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor in the central nervous system, serotonin uptake was not seen in the rat uterus. The anticholinergic effects observed in the present study might be consistent with some of the side-effects associated with venlafaxine.

Application of new pre-isolation techniques to mode cleaner design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barriga, Pablo [School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Woolley, Andrew [School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Zhao Chunnong [Computer and Information Science, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA 6050 (Australia); Blair, David G [School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia)

2004-03-07

Two very low frequency pre-isolation stages can greatly reduce the residual motion of suspended optical components. In a mode cleaner this can reduce the control forces required on the mirrors, simplifying lock acquisition and reducing noise injection through control forces. This paper describes a 12 m triangular suspended mode cleaner under construction for the AIGO high optical power interferometer. A novel and very compact multistage isolator supports the cavity mirrors. It combines an inverse pendulum in series with a low-mass Roberts linkage, both with pendulum frequencies below 0.1 Hz. The suspension chain is connected to the Roberts linkage via a Euler spring stage and a cantilever spring assembly for vertical isolation. We present an analysis of the mode cleaner, emphasizing the advantage of the improved mode-cleaner suspension and its power-handling capability. The effect of seismic noise on the residual velocity of the mirrors and the predicted frequency stability of the optical cavity are presented.

Application of new pre-isolation techniques to mode cleaner design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barriga, Pablo; Woolley, Andrew; Zhao Chunnong; Blair, David G

2004-01-01

Two very low frequency pre-isolation stages can greatly reduce the residual motion of suspended optical components. In a mode cleaner this can reduce the control forces required on the mirrors, simplifying lock acquisition and reducing noise injection through control forces. This paper describes a 12 m triangular suspended mode cleaner under construction for the AIGO high optical power interferometer. A novel and very compact multistage isolator supports the cavity mirrors. It combines an inverse pendulum in series with a low-mass Roberts linkage, both with pendulum frequencies below 0.1 Hz. The suspension chain is connected to the Roberts linkage via a Euler spring stage and a cantilever spring assembly for vertical isolation. We present an analysis of the mode cleaner, emphasizing the advantage of the improved mode-cleaner suspension and its power-handling capability. The effect of seismic noise on the residual velocity of the mirrors and the predicted frequency stability of the optical cavity are presented

Isolate resistance of Blastocystis hominis to metronidazole.

Science.gov (United States)

Haresh, K; Suresh, K; Khairul Anus, A; Saminathan, S

1999-04-01

Isolates of Blastocystis hominis from infected immigrant workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and infected individuals from Singapore and Malaysia were assessed for growth pattern and degree of resistance to different concentrations of metronidazole. Viability of the cells was assessed using eosin-brillian cresyl blue which stained viable cells green and nonviable cells red. The Bangladeshi and Singaporean isolates were nonviable even at the lowest concentration of 0.01 mg/ml, whereas 40% of the initial inoculum of parasites from the Indonesian isolate at day one were still viable in cultures with 1.0 mg/ml metronidazole. The study shows that isolates of B. hominis of different geographical origin have different levels of resistance to metronidazole. The search for more effective drugs to eliminate th parasite appears inevitable, especially since surviving parasites from metronidazole cultures show greater ability to multiply in subcultures than controls.

Albinism in the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) and other owls

Science.gov (United States)

Pentti Alaja; Heimo Mikkola

1997-01-01

An incomplete albino Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) was observed in Vesanto and Kajaani, Finland, 1994-1995. The literature pertaining to albinism in owls indicates that total and incomplete albinism has only been reported in 13 different owl species, the Great Gray Owl being the only species with more than five records. Thus six to seven incomplete...

Isolation, identification and characterization of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BZ-6, a bacterial isolate for enhancing oil recovery from oily sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wuxing; Wang, Xiaobing; Wu, Longhua; Chen, Mengfang; Tu, Chen; Luo, Yongming; Christie, Peter

2012-06-01

Over 100 biosurfactant-producing microorganisms were isolated from oily sludge and petroleum-contaminated soil from Shengli oil field in north China. Sixteen of the bacterial isolates produced biosurfactants and reduced the surface tension of the growth medium from 71 to treat oily sludge and the recovery efficiencies of oil from oily sludge were determined. The oil recovery efficiencies of different isolates ranged from 39% to 88%. Bacterial isolate BZ-6 was found to be the most efficient strain and the three phases (oil, water and sediment) were separated automatically after the sludge was treated with the culture medium of BZ-6. Based on morphological, physiological characteristics and molecular identification, isolate BZ-6 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The biosurfactant produced by isolate BZ-6 was purified and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. There were four ion peaks representing four different fengycin A homologues. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Prevalence of dental anomalies of number in different subphenotypes of isolated cleft palate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Paulo Schwartz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at carrying out a radiographic analysis on the prevalence of dental anomalies of number (agenesis and supernumerary teeth in permanent dentition, in different subphenotypes of isolated cleft palate pre-adolescent patients. METHODS: Panoramic radiographs of 300 patients aged between 9 and 12 years, with cleft palate and enrolled in a single treatment center, were retrospectively analyzed. The sample was divided into two groups according to the extension/severity of the cleft palate: complete and incomplete . The chi-square test was used for intergroup comparison regarding the prevalence of the investigated dental anomalies (P < 0.05. RESULTS: Agenesis was found in 34.14% of patients with complete cleft palate and in 30.27% of patients with incomplete cleft palate. Supernumerary teeth were found in 2.43% of patients with complete cleft palate and in 0.91% of patients with incomplete cleft palate. No statistically significant difference was found between groups with regard to the prevalence of agenesis and supernumerary teeth. There was no difference in cleft prevalence between genders within each study group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental anomalies of number in pre-adolescents with cleft palate was higher than that reported for the general population. The severity of cleft palate did not seem to be associated with the prevalence of dental anomalies of number.

Isolation, serotype diversity and antibiogram of Salmonella enterica isolated from different species of poultry in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irfan Ahmad Mir

2015-07-01

Conclusions: Occurrence of high proportion of serovars in our study which can cause serious gastroenteritis in humans is a matter of concern. Salmonella Altona has been detected for the first time in India from poultry. This serotype is known to cause serious outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans. Multidrug resistant isolates were recovered at high percentage which can be attributed to non-judicious use of antibiotics both in prophylaxis and treatment regimen. This observation draws serious attention as poultry serves as an important source of transmission of these multidrug resistant Salmonella serovars to humans.

A CMOS-compatible silicon substrate optimization technique and its application in radio frequency crosstalk isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chen; Liao Huailin; Huang Ru; Wang Yangyuan

2008-01-01

In this paper, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible silicon substrate optimization technique is proposed to achieve effective isolation. The selective growth of porous silicon is used to effectively suppress the substrate crosstalk. The isolation structures are fabricated in standard CMOS process and then this post-CMOS substrate optimization technique is carried out to greatly improve the performances of crosstalk isolation. Three-dimensional electro-magnetic simulation is implemented to verify the obvious effect of our substrate optimization technique. The morphologies and growth condition of porous silicon fabricated have been investigated in detail. Furthermore, a thick selectively grown porous silicon (SGPS) trench for crosstalk isolation has been formed and about 20dB improvement in substrate isolation is achieved. These results demonstrate that our post-CMOS SGPS technique is very promising for RF IC applications. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

National trends of incidence, treatment, and hospital charges of isolated C-2 fractures in three different age groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Kukreja, Sunil; Kalakoti, Piyush; Murray, Richard; Nixon, Menarvia; Missios, Symeon; Guthikonda, Bharat; Nanda, Anil

2015-04-01

Incidence of C-2 fracture is increasing in elderly patients. Patient age also influences decision making in the management of these fractures. There are very limited data on the national trends of incidence, treatment interventions, and resource utilization in patients in different age groups with isolated C-2 fractures. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence, treatment, complications, length of stay, and hospital charges of isolated C-2 fracture in patients in 3 different age groups by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The data were obtained from NIS from 2002 to 2011. Data on patients with closed fractures of C-2 without spinal cord injury were extracted using ICD-9-CM diagnosis code 805.02. Patients with isolated C-2 fractures were identified by excluding patients with other associated injuries. The cohort was divided into 3 age groups: 80 years. Incidence, treatment characteristics, inpatient/postoperative complications, and hospital charges (mean and total annual charges) were compared between the 3 age groups. A total of 10,336 patients with isolated C-2 fractures were identified. The majority of the patients were in the very elderly age group (> 80 years; 42.3%) followed by 29.7% in the 65- to 80-year age group and 28% in age group. From 2002 to 2011, the incidence of hospitalization significantly increased in the 65- to 80-year and > 80-year age groups (p age group (p = 0.287). Overall, 21% of the patients were treated surgically, and 12.2% of the patients underwent nonoperative interventions (halo and spinal traction). The rate of nonoperative interventions significantly decreased over time in all age groups (p age groups had a greater risk of inpatient/postoperative complications, nonroutine discharges, and longer hospitalization. The mean hospital charges were significantly higher in older age groups (p age groups. Simultaneously, there has been a steadily decreasing trend in the preference for nonoperative

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-01-01

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field. PMID:26213926

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre Gross

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage, laser microdissection (17%, manual cell picking (17%, random seeding/dilution (15%, and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12% are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-07-24

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

African and Asian Zika virus isolates display phenotypic differences both in vitro and in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that has emerged since 2007 to cause outbreaks in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and most recently in the Americas. Here we utilized isolate history, as well as genetic and phylogenetic analyses to characterize three low-passage isolates representing African ...

Diversity of β-lactamases produced by imipenem resistant, Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the bloodstream.

Science.gov (United States)

Najar Peerayeh, Shahin; Pirhajati Mahabadi, Rahim; Pakbaten Toupkanlou, Sanaz; Siadat, Seyed Davar

2014-11-01

The emergence of imipenem non-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates is a matter of great concern because these isolates can become resistant to all available antibiotics. This study conducted to characterize β-lactamase genes in imipenem resistant P. aeruginosa isolates from bloodstream. 56 non-duplicate clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected in Tehran hospitals. Antibacterial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion and MIC methods. ESBL and MBL production was confirmed by combined disk. β-Lactamase classes A, B and D genes were identified by PCR. Seventeen (30.3%) isolates were imipenem resistant for which 16 isolates simultaneously were resistant to all tested antibiotics. While among 39 imipenem susceptible isolates, only two isolates were resistant to all tested antibiotics. In imipenem resistant isolates, blaTEM, blaSHV and blaOXA-10 were found in 41.1% of isolates and blaVIM, blaIMP and blaPER were identified in 47%, 11.7% and 5.8% of isolates respectively, while in imipenem susceptible isolates, blaTEM, blaSHV and blaOXA-10 were determined in 2.5%, 7.6% and 33.3% of isolates, respectively. The imipenem resistant isolates had been recovered mostly (67.7%) from patients in the Burn hospital. The result of this study indicated the emergence of multidrug resistant MBL and non-MBL producing P. aeruginosa, particularly in the Burn hospital and blaVIM was dominant β-lactamase genes in imipenem resistant isolates. The isolation of carrier patients may lead to prevent a further dissemination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Impromptu: great impromptu speaking is never just impromptu

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Ramlah A. Nawi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Great impromptu speaking, reciting and singing are never just an isolated impromptu act. It is the result of endless practice to perfect performance that can then be given impromptu. One of the main objectives of learning English as a Second Language (ESL is to be able to speak English impromptu, not just on the stage or in front of an audience but also in a casual meeting, on the street or during a formal meeting in a board-room. In fact to be able to speak “impromptu” should be the Holy Grail of teaching and learning ESL, more important than reading, writing and listening. So how come it is not given the priority it deserves – and how come it seems such a difficult goal? We believe it is because teachers and learners neglect to emphasize and practice the key to learning impromptu speaking. That key we believe is practice, practice and more practice. We can remember songs from our kindergarten years and we can still sing them because we practiced, practiced and practiced them. We believe that the teaching of ESL often overlooks the critical importance of lots of practice to create depth of learning and that creative methods of practicing need to be taught and practiced in ESL courses until such methods become deeply habitual, in fact they become a new personal paradigm. If our students aim to become great at ESL, they, too, must take continuous never-ending practice to heart.

Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of adult great tits (Parus major)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dauwe, Tom; Janssens, Ellen; Eens, Marcel

2006-01-01

We examined the possible effects of heavy metal exposure on the quality and health of adult great tits (Parus major) at four study sites along a pollution gradient near a non-ferrous smelter in Belgium. Tarsus length, wing length, body mass and condition of great tits were compared with respect to study site, age (first-year and older great tits), sex and season (birds caught in winter and during breeding). Tarsus length did not differ significantly among study sites. The wing length of great tits was larger at the study site furthest from the smelter, especially for older great tits. The length of the outermost tail feathers, however, did not differ significantly among study sites. We found no signs of loss of body mass or condition towards the pollution source. The body mass and condition was lowest for female great tits at the site furthest from the smelter, especially during winter. Haematocrit values did not differ significantly among sites. Overall, we found no clear significant effects of heavy metal pollution on morphological measurements and health parameters of great tits. - Heavy metal pollution had no clear effect on condition and health, but this may have been masked by habitat quality differences and gene flow

Optimal design of base isolation and energy dissipation system for nuclear power plant structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Fulin

1991-01-01

This paper suggests the method of optimal design of base isolation and energy dissipation system for earthquake resistant nuclear power plant structures. This method is based on dynamic analysis, shaking table tests for a 1/4 scale model, and a great number of low cycle fatigue failure tests for energy dissipating elements. A set of calculation formulas for optimal design of structures with base isolation and energy dissipation system were introduced, which are able to be used in engineering design for earthquake resistant nuclear power plant structures or other kinds of structures. (author)

Using shadow page cache to improve isolated drivers performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hao; Dong, Xiaoshe; Wang, Endong; Chen, Baoke; Zhu, Zhengdong; Liu, Chengzhe

2015-01-01

With the advantage of the reusability property of the virtualization technology, users can reuse various types and versions of existing operating systems and drivers in a virtual machine, so as to customize their application environment. In order to prevent users' virtualization environments being impacted by driver faults in virtual machine, Chariot examines the correctness of driver's write operations by the method of combining a driver's write operation capture and a driver's private access control table. However, this method needs to keep the write permission of shadow page table as read-only, so as to capture isolated driver's write operations through page faults, which adversely affect the performance of the driver. Based on delaying setting frequently used shadow pages' write permissions to read-only, this paper proposes an algorithm using shadow page cache to improve the performance of isolated drivers and carefully study the relationship between the performance of drivers and the size of shadow page cache. Experimental results show that, through the shadow page cache, the performance of isolated drivers can be greatly improved without impacting Chariot's reliability too much.

What Makes a Great Journal Great in Economics? The Singer Not the Song.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael); L. Oxley (Les)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe paper is concerned with analysing what makes a great journal great in economics, based on quantifiable measures. Alternative Research Assessment Measures (RAM) are discussed, with an emphasis on the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database (hereafter ISI). The various ISI RAM that

Separation of phytochemicals from Helichrysum italicum: An analysis of different isolation techniques and biological activity of prepared extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Maksimovic, Svetolik; Tadic, Vanja; Skala, Dejan; Zizovic, Irena

2017-06-01

Helichrysum italicum presents a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds. In this work, a literature review of terpenes, phenolic compounds, and other less common phytochemicals from H. italicum with regard to application of different separation methods is presented. Data including extraction/separation methods and experimental conditions applied, obtained yields, number of identified compounds, content of different compound groups, and analytical techniques applied are shown as corresponding tables. Numerous biological activities of both isolates and individual compounds are emphasized. In addition, the data reported are discussed, and the directions for further investigations are proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human adipose-derived stem cells: definition, isolation, tissue-engineering applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Nae, S; Bordeianu, I; Stăncioiu, A T; Antohi, N

2013-01-01

Recent researches have demonstrated that the most effective repair system of the body is represented by stem cells - unspecialized cells, capable of self-renewal through successive mitoses, which have also the ability to transform into different cell types through differentiation. The discovery of adult stem cells represented an important step in regenerative medicine because they no longer raises ethical or legal issues and are more accessible. Only in 2002, stem cells isolated from adipose tissue were described as multipotent stem cells. Adipose tissue stem cells benefits in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are numerous. Development of adipose tissue engineering techniques offers a great potential in surpassing the existing limits faced by the classical approaches used in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Adipose tissue engineering clinical applications are wide and varied, including reconstructive, corrective and cosmetic procedures. Nowadays, adipose tissue engineering is a fast developing field, both in terms of fundamental researches and medical applications, addressing issues related to current clinical pathology or trauma management of soft tissue injuries in different body locations.

Great Basin Experimental Range: Annotated bibliography

Science.gov (United States)

E. Durant McArthur; Bryce A. Richardson; Stanley G. Kitchen

2013-01-01

This annotated bibliography documents the research that has been conducted on the Great Basin Experimental Range (GBER, also known as the Utah Experiment Station, Great Basin Station, the Great Basin Branch Experiment Station, Great Basin Experimental Center, and other similar name variants) over the 102 years of its existence. Entries were drawn from the original...

Isolation of a 60 kDa protein with in vitro anticancer activity against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sea hares have greatly attracted the interest of all those investigating chemical defense substances. Most of these substances are low molecular weight compounds derived from algal diets. In vitro anticancer effect of a 60 kDa protein isolated from the purple fluid of Aplysia dactylomela on four human cancer cell lines was ...

Use of the TLX ultracentrifuge for the isolation of different density lipoproteins and effects of freeze/thawing of human plasma before ultracentrifugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlton-Menys, Valentine; Chobotova, Jelena; Durrington, Paul N

2008-01-01

Isolation of different density lipoproteins by ultracentrifugation can require lengthy centrifugation times and freeze/thawing of plasma may influence recovery. We isolated a range of lipoproteins using a preparative ultracentrifuge and the TLX micro-ultracentrifuge and determined the effect of freeze/thawing of plasma beforehand. In fresh plasma, there was no significant difference in results for small-dense low-density lipoprotein apolipoprotein B (LDL apoB) (density >1.044 g/mL) or cholesterol at density >1.006 g/mL. Freeze/thawing had no effect on closely correlated results for small-dense LDL apoB (r=0.85; pTLX micro-ultracentrifuge is a reliable alternative to the preparative ultracentrifuge and freeze/thawing has only a small effect on small-dense LDL apoB or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Isolation and characterization of extreme halophilic archaea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franze, Madlen; Cherkouk, Andrea [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). HZDR Young Investigator Group

2017-06-01

Extreme halophilic archaea from the family Halobactereacea represent a dominant part of the microbial community present in saline soils as well as rock salts. By using a culture-dependent approach different Haloarchaea could be isolated and were phylogenetic analysed. Interestingly, isolates closely related to different Halobacterium spp. were found in both environments.