Sample records for pathogenicity islands spi-1
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rogers, Lindsay D; Kristensen, Anders R; Boyle, Erin C
2008-01-01
Salmonella enterica is a bacterial pathogen responsible for enteritis and typhoid fever. Virulence is linked to two Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI-1 and SPI-2) on the bacterial chromosome, each of which encodes a type III secretion system. While both the SPI-1 and SPI-2 systems secrete...
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Obacunone Represses Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands 1 and 2 in an envZ-Dependent Fashion
Vikram, Amit; Jayaprakasha, Guddadarangavvanahally K.; Jesudhasan, Palmy R.
2012-01-01
Obacunone belongs to a class of unique triterpenoids called limonoids, present in Citrus species. Previous studies from our laboratory suggested that obacunone possesses antivirulence activity and demonstrates inhibition of cell-cell signaling in Vibrio harveyi and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The present work sought to determine the effect of obacunone on the food-borne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 by using a cDNA microarray. Transcriptomic studies indicated that obacunone represses Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1), the maltose transporter, and the hydrogenase operon. Furthermore, phenotypic data for the Caco-2 infection assay and maltose utilization were in agreement with microarray data suggesting repression of SPI1 and maltose transport. Further studies demonstrated that repression of SPI1 was plausibly mediated through hilA. Additionally, obacunone seems to repress SPI2 under SPI2-inducing conditions as well as in Caco-2 infection models. Furthermore, obacunone seems to repress hilA in an EnvZ-dependent fashion. Altogether, the results of the study seems to suggest that obacunone exerts an antivirulence effect on S. Typhimurium and may serve as a lead compound for development of antivirulence strategies for S. Typhimurium. PMID:22843534
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The SPI-1-like Type III secretion system: more roles than you think.
Egan, Frank; Barret, Matthieu; O'Gara, Fergal
2014-01-01
The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a protein delivery system which is involved in a wide spectrum of interactions, from mutualism to pathogenesis, between Gram negative bacteria and various eukaryotes, including plants, fungi, protozoa and mammals. Various phylogenetic families of the T3SS have been described, including the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 family (SPI-1). The SPI-1 T3SS was initially associated with the virulence of enteric pathogens, but is actually found in a diverse array of bacterial species, where it can play roles in processes as different as symbiotic interactions with insects and colonization of plants. We review the multiple roles of the SPI-1 T3SS and discuss both how these discoveries are changing our perception of the SPI-1 family and what impacts this has on our understanding of the specialization of the T3SS in general.
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The SPI-1-like Type III secretion system: more roles than you think
Egan, Frank; Barret, Matthieu; O’Gara, Fergal
2014-01-01
The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a protein delivery system which is involved in a wide spectrum of interactions, from mutualism to pathogenesis, between Gram negative bacteria and various eukaryotes, including plants, fungi, protozoa and mammals. Various phylogenetic families of the T3SS have been described, including the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 family (SPI-1). The SPI-1 T3SS was initially associated with the virulence of enteric pathogens, but is actually found in a diverse array of bacterial species, where it can play roles in processes as different as symbiotic interactions with insects and colonization of plants. We review the multiple roles of the SPI-1 T3SS and discuss both how these discoveries are changing our perception of the SPI-1 family and what impacts this has on our understanding of the specialization of the T3SS in general. PMID:24575107
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Supreet Saini
2010-08-01
Full Text Available Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a common food-borne pathogen that induces inflammatory diarrhea and invades intestinal epithelial cells using a type three secretion system (T3SS encoded within Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1. The genes encoding the SPI1 T3SS are tightly regulated by a network of interacting transcriptional regulators involving three coupled positive feedback loops. While the core architecture of the SPI1 gene circuit has been determined, the relative roles of these interacting regulators and associated feedback loops are still unknown. To determine the function of this circuit, we measured gene expression dynamics at both population and single-cell resolution in a number of SPI1 regulatory mutants. Using these data, we constructed a mathematical model of the SPI1 gene circuit. Analysis of the model predicted that the circuit serves two functions. The first is to place a threshold on SPI1 activation, ensuring that the genes encoding the T3SS are expressed only in response to the appropriate combination of environmental and cellular cues. The second is to amplify SPI1 gene expression. To experimentally test these predictions, we rewired the SPI1 genetic circuit by changing its regulatory architecture. This enabled us to directly test our predictions regarding the function of the circuit by varying the strength and dynamics of the activating signal. Collectively, our experimental and computational results enable us to deconstruct this complex circuit and determine the role of its individual components in regulating SPI1 gene expression dynamics.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Van Parys Alexander
2012-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract Foodborne salmonellosis is one of the most important bacterial zoonotic diseases worldwide. Salmonella Typhimurium is the serovar most frequently isolated from persistently infected slaughter pigs in Europe. Circumvention of the host’s immune system by Salmonella might contribute to persistent infection of pigs. In the present study, we found that Salmonella Typhimurium strain 112910a specifically downregulated MHC II, but not MHC I, expression on porcine alveolar macrophages in a Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI-1 and SPI-2 dependent way. Salmonella induced downregulation of MHC II expression and intracellular proliferation of Salmonella in macrophages were significantly impaired after opsonization with Salmonella specific antibodies prior to inoculation. Furthermore, the capacity to downregulate MHC II expression on macrophages differed significantly among Salmonella strains, independently of strain specific differences in invasion capacity, Salmonella induced cytotoxicity and altered macrophage activation status. The fact that strain specific differences in MHC II downregulation did not correlate with the extent of in vitro SPI-1 or SPI-2 gene expression indicates that other factors are involved in MHC II downregulation as well. Since Salmonella strain dependent interference with the pig’s immune response through downregulation of MHC II expression might indicate that certain Salmonella strains are more likely to escape serological detection, our findings are of major interest for Salmonella monitoring programs primarily based on serology.
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Martínez, Luary C; Yakhnin, Helen; Camacho, Martha I; Georgellis, Dimitris; Babitzke, Paul; Puente, José L; Bustamante, Víctor H
2011-06-01
Salmonella pathogenicity islands 1 and 2 (SPI-1 and SPI-2) play key roles in the pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica. Previously, we showed that when Salmonella grows in Luria-Bertani medium, HilD, encoded in SPI-1, first induces the expression of hilA, located in SPI-1, and subsequently of the ssrAB operon, located in SPI-2. These genes code for HilA and the SsrA/B two-component system, the positive regulators of the SPI-1 and SPI-2 regulons respectively. In this study, we demonstrate that CsrA, a global regulatory RNA binding protein, post-transcriptionally regulates hilD expression by directly binding near the Shine-Dalgarno and translation initiation codon sequences of the hilD mRNA, preventing its translation and leading to its accelerated turnover. Negative regulation is counteracted by the global SirA/BarA two-component system, which directly activates the expression of CsrB and CsrC, two non-coding regulatory RNAs that sequester CsrA, thereby preventing it from binding to its target mRNAs. Our results illustrate the integration of global and specific regulators into a multifactorial regulatory cascade controlling the expression of virulence genes acquired by horizontal transfer events. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Involvement of SPI-2-encoded SpiC in flagellum synthesis in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium
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Sugita Asami
2009-08-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background SpiC encoded within Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 on the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium chromosome is required for survival within macrophages and systemic infection in mice. Additionally, SpiC contributes to Salmonella-induced activation of the signal transduction pathways in macrophages by affecting the expression of FliC, a component of flagella filaments. Here, we show the contribution of SpiC in flagellum synthesis. Results Quantitative RT-PCR shows that the expression levels of the class 3 fliD and motA genes that encode for the flagella cap and motor torque proteins, respectively, were lower for a spiC mutant strain than for the wild-type Salmonella. Further, this mutant had lower expression levels of the class 2 genes including the fliA gene encoding the flagellar-specific alternative sigma factor. We also found differences in flagella assembly between the wild-type strain and the spiC mutant. Many flagella filaments were observed on the bacterial surface of the wild-type strain, whereas the spiC mutant had only few flagella. The absence of spiC led to reduced expression of the FlhD protein, which functions as the master regulator in flagella gene expression, although no significant difference at the transcription level of the flhDC operon was observed between the wild-type strain and the spiC mutant. Conclusion The data show that SpiC is involved in flagella assembly by affecting the post-transcription expression of flhDC.
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Takaya, Akiko; Kubota, Yohsuke; Isogai, Emiko; Yamamoto, Tomoko
2005-02-01
Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1) enables infecting Salmonella to cross the small intestinal barrier and to escape phagocytosis by inducing apoptosis. Several environmental signals and transcriptional regulators modulate the expression of hilA, which encodes a protein playing a central role in the regulatory hierarchy of SPI1 gene expression. We have previously shown that Lon, a stress-induced ATP-dependent protease, is a negative regulator of hilA, suggesting that it targets factors required for activating hilA expression. To elucidate the mechanisms by which Lon protease negatively regulates SPI1 transcription, we looked for its substrate proteins. We found that HilC and HilD, which are positive regulators of hilA expression, accumulate in Lon-depleted cells, and that the enhancement of SPI1 expression that occurs in a lon-disrupted mutant is not observed in the lon hilC hilD triple null mutant. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the half-lives of HilC and HilD are, respectively, about 12 times and three times longer in the Lon-depleted mutant, than in the Lon+ cells, suggesting that Lon targets both of HilC and HilD. In view of these findings, we suggest that the regulation of SPI1 expression is negatively controlled through degradation of the HilC and HilD transcriptional regulators by Lon.
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Argemi, Xavier; Nanoukon, Chimène; Affolabi, Dissou; Keller, Daniel; Hansmann, Yves; Riegel, Philippe; Baba-Moussa, Lamine; Prévost, Gilles
2018-02-25
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, majorly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, and may transfer several mobile genetic elements among the members of its own species, as well as to Staphylococcus aureus ; however, a genetic exchange from S. aureus to S. epidermidis remains controversial. We recently identified two pathogenic clinical strains of S. epidermidis that produce a staphylococcal enterotoxin C3-like (SEC) similar to that by S. aureus pathogenicity islands. This study aimed to determine the genetic environment of the SEC-coding sequence and to identify the mobile genetic elements. Whole-genome sequencing and annotation of the S. epidermidis strains were performed using Illumina technology and a bioinformatics pipeline for assembly, which provided evidence that the SEC-coding sequences were located in a composite pathogenicity island that was previously described in the S. epidermidis strain FRI909, called SePI-1/SeCI-1, with 83.8-89.7% nucleotide similarity. Various other plasmids were identified, particularly p_3_95 and p_4_95, which carry antibiotic resistance genes ( hsrA and dfrG , respectively), and share homologies with SAP085A and pUSA04-2-SUR11, two plasmids described in S. aureus . Eventually, one complete prophage was identified, ΦSE90, sharing 30 out of 52 coding sequences with the Acinetobacter phage vB_AbaM_IME200. Thus, the SePI-1/SeCI-1 pathogenicity island was identified in two pathogenic strains of S. epidermidis that produced a SEC enterotoxin causing septic shock. These findings suggest the existence of in vivo genetic exchange from S. aureus to S. epidermidis .
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xavier Argemi
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, majorly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, and may transfer several mobile genetic elements among the members of its own species, as well as to Staphylococcus aureus; however, a genetic exchange from S. aureus to S. epidermidis remains controversial. We recently identified two pathogenic clinical strains of S. epidermidis that produce a staphylococcal enterotoxin C3-like (SEC similar to that by S. aureus pathogenicity islands. This study aimed to determine the genetic environment of the SEC-coding sequence and to identify the mobile genetic elements. Whole-genome sequencing and annotation of the S. epidermidis strains were performed using Illumina technology and a bioinformatics pipeline for assembly, which provided evidence that the SEC-coding sequences were located in a composite pathogenicity island that was previously described in the S. epidermidis strain FRI909, called SePI-1/SeCI-1, with 83.8–89.7% nucleotide similarity. Various other plasmids were identified, particularly p_3_95 and p_4_95, which carry antibiotic resistance genes (hsrA and dfrG, respectively, and share homologies with SAP085A and pUSA04-2-SUR11, two plasmids described in S. aureus. Eventually, one complete prophage was identified, ΦSE90, sharing 30 out of 52 coding sequences with the Acinetobacter phage vB_AbaM_IME200. Thus, the SePI-1/SeCI-1 pathogenicity island was identified in two pathogenic strains of S. epidermidis that produced a SEC enterotoxin causing septic shock. These findings suggest the existence of in vivo genetic exchange from S. aureus to S. epidermidis.
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Pathogenicity island mobility and gene content.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Williams, Kelly Porter
2013-10-01
Key goals towards national biosecurity include methods for analyzing pathogens, predicting their emergence, and developing countermeasures. These goals are served by studying bacterial genes that promote pathogenicity and the pathogenicity islands that mobilize them. Cyberinfrastructure promoting an island database advances this field and enables deeper bioinformatic analysis that may identify novel pathogenicity genes. New automated methods and rich visualizations were developed for identifying pathogenicity islands, based on the principle that islands occur sporadically among closely related strains. The chromosomally-ordered pan-genome organizes all genes from a clade of strains; gaps in this visualization indicate islands, and decorations of the gene matrix facilitate exploration of island gene functions. A %E2%80%9Clearned phyloblocks%E2%80%9D method was developed for automated island identification, that trains on the phylogenetic patterns of islands identified by other methods. Learned phyloblocks better defined termini of previously identified islands in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC BAA-2146, and found its only antibiotic resistance island.
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Nguyen, Scott V; McShan, William M
2014-01-01
Streptococcus pyogenes is a significant pathogen of humans, annually causing over 700,000,000 infections and 500,000 deaths. Virulence in S. pyogenes is closely linked to mobile genetic elements like phages and chromosomal islands (CI). S. pyogenes phage-like chromosomal islands (SpyCI) confer a complex mutator phenotype on their host. SpyCI integrate into the 5' end of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutL, which also disrupts downstream operon genes lmrP, ruvA, and tag. During early logarithmic growth, SpyCI excise from the bacterial chromosome and replicate as episomes, relieving the mutator phenotype. As growth slows and the cells enter stationary phase, SpyCI reintegrate into the chromosome, again silencing the MMR operon. This system creates a unique growth-dependent and reversible mutator phenotype. Additional CI using the identical attachment site in mutL have been identified in related species, including Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus parauberis, and Streptococcus canis. These CI have small genomes, which range from 13 to 20 kB, conserved integrase and DNA replication genes, and no identifiable genes encoding capsid proteins. SpyCI may employ a helper phage for packaging and dissemination in a fashion similar to the Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPI). Outside of the core replication and integration genes, SpyCI and related CI show considerable diversity with the presence of many indels that may contribute to the host cell phenotype or fitness. SpyCI are a subset of a larger family of streptococcal CI who potentially regulate the expression of other host genes. The biological and phylogenetic analysis of streptococcal chromosomal islands provides important clues as to how these chromosomal islands help S. pyogenes and other streptococcal species persist in human populations in spite of antibiotic therapy and immune challenges.
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Macrophage-specific gene functions in Spi1-directed innate immunity
Zakrzewska, Anna; Cui, Chao; Stockhammer, Oliver W.; Benard, Erica L.; Spaink, Herman P.; Meijer, Annemarie H.
2010-01-01
The Spi1/Pu.1 transcription factor plays a crucial role in myeloid cell development in vertebrates. Despite extensive studies of Spi1, the controlled gene group remains largely unknown. To identify genes dependent on Spi1, we used a microarray strategy using a knockdown approach in zebrafish embryos
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity island 1 (PAPI-1) is one of the largest genomic islands of this important opportunistic human pathogen. Previous studies have shown that PAPI-1 encodes several putative virulence factors, a major regulator of biofilm formation, and antibiotic-resistance traits, a...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Patricio Retamal
Full Text Available A bioinformatics comparison of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 3 sequences from S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium serovars showed that ten genes are highly conserved. However three of them are pseudogenes in S. Typhi. Our aim was to understand what functions are lost in S. Typhi due to pseudogenes by constructing a S. Typhi genetic hybrid carrying the SPI-3 region of S. Typhimurium instead of its own SPI-3. We observed that under stressful conditions the hybrid strain showed a clear impairment in resistance to hydrogen peroxide and decreased survival within U937 culture monocytes. We hypothesized that the marT-fidL operon, encoded in SPI-3, was responsible for the new phenotypes because marT is a pseudogen in S. Typhi and has a demonstrated role as a transcriptional regulator in S. Typhimurium. Therefore we cloned and transferred the S. Typhimurium marT-fidL operon into S. Typhi and confirmed that invasion of monocytes was dramatically decreased. Finally, our findings suggest that the genomic and functional differences between SPI-3 sequences have implications in the host specificity of Typhi and Typhimurium serovars.
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Structural basis of divergent cyclin-dependent kinase activation by Spy1/RINGO proteins
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McGrath, Denise A.; Fifield, Bre-Anne; Marceau, Aimee H.; Tripathi, Sarvind; Porter, Lisa A.; Rubin, Seth M. (UCSC); (Windsor)
2017-06-30
Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are principal drivers of cell division and are an important therapeutic target to inhibit aberrant proliferation. Cdk enzymatic activity is tightly controlled through cyclin interactions, posttranslational modifications, and binding of inhibitors such as the p27 tumor suppressor protein. Spy1/RINGO (Spy1) proteins bind and activate Cdk but are resistant to canonical regulatory mechanisms that establish cell-cycle checkpoints. Cancer cells exploit Spy1 to stimulate proliferation through inappropriate activation of Cdks, yet the mechanism is unknown. We have determined crystal structures of the Cdk2-Spy1 and p27-Cdk2-Spy1 complexes that reveal how Spy1 activates Cdk. We find that Spy1 confers structural changes to Cdk2 that obviate the requirement of Cdk activation loop phosphorylation. Spy1 lacks the cyclin-binding site that mediates p27 and substrate affinity, explaining why Cdk-Spy1 is poorly inhibited by p27 and lacks specificity for substrates with cyclin-docking sites. We identify mutations in Spy1 that ablate its ability to activate Cdk2 and to proliferate cells. Our structural description of Spy1 provides important mechanistic insights that may be utilized for targeting upregulated Spy1 in cancer.
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SPI Trend Analysis of New Zealand Applying the ITA Technique
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Tommaso Caloiero
2018-03-01
Full Text Available A natural temporary imbalance of water availability, consisting of persistent lower-than-average or higher-than-average precipitation, can cause extreme dry and wet conditions that adversely impact agricultural yields, water resources, infrastructure, and human systems. In this study, dry and wet periods in New Zealand were expressed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI. First, both the short term (3 and 6 months and the long term (12 and 24 months SPI were estimated, and then, possible trends in the SPI values were detected by means of a new graphical technique, the Innovative Trend Analysis (ITA, which allows the trend identification of the low, medium, and high values of a series. Results show that, in every area currently subject to drought, an increase in this phenomenon can be expected. Specifically, the results of this paper highlight that agricultural regions on the eastern side of the South Island, as well as the north-eastern regions of the North Island, are the most consistently vulnerable areas. In fact, in these regions, the trend analysis mainly showed a general reduction in all the values of the SPI: that is, a tendency toward heavier droughts and weaker wet periods.
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Das, Susmita; Ray, Shilpa; Ryan, Daniel; Sahu, Bikash; Suar, Mrutyunjay
2018-01-01
Salmonella enterica subsp. I serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), one of the causative agents for non-typhoidal gastrointestinal diseases in humans is an intracellular bacterium and mechanism for its invasion into host cells is critical to cause infection. The virulence of the pathogen is explained by the expression of genes located on its pathogenicity islands, mostly encoded under SPI-1 and SPI-2. However, S. Typhimurium SL1344, despite sharing ∼98% of its genome with S. Enteritidis P125109, lacks few regions of differences (ROD) that are hypothesized to impart virulence potential to S. Enteritidis. In this study, we created different mutants in the ROD9 island of S. Enteritidis, also referred as SPI-19 and identified a novel locus, SEN1005, encoding a hypothetical protein that is involved in its pathogenesis. ΔSEN1005 displayed significantly reduced entry into cultured epithelial cells as well as uptake by macrophages and failed to cause acute colitis in C57BL/6 mice at day 3 post-infection (p.i.). Additionally, the global transcriptome analysis revealed a highly repressed SPI-1 and other down-regulated genes responsible for flagellar assembly, chemotaxis and motility in the mutant which correlated with decreased invasion and abated inflammation as compared to the wild-type. Therefore, our findings revealed that ΔSEN1005 was attenuated in vitro as well as in vivo and we propose this hypothetical protein to play a role in altering the expression of genes involved in Salmonella virulence.
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Identifying Pathogenicity Islands in Bacterial Pathogenomics Using Computational Approaches
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Dongsheng Che
2014-01-01
Full Text Available High-throughput sequencing technologies have made it possible to study bacteria through analyzing their genome sequences. For instance, comparative genome sequence analyses can reveal the phenomenon such as gene loss, gene gain, or gene exchange in a genome. By analyzing pathogenic bacterial genomes, we can discover that pathogenic genomic regions in many pathogenic bacteria are horizontally transferred from other bacteria, and these regions are also known as pathogenicity islands (PAIs. PAIs have some detectable properties, such as having different genomic signatures than the rest of the host genomes, and containing mobility genes so that they can be integrated into the host genome. In this review, we will discuss various pathogenicity island-associated features and current computational approaches for the identification of PAIs. Existing pathogenicity island databases and related computational resources will also be discussed, so that researchers may find it to be useful for the studies of bacterial evolution and pathogenicity mechanisms.
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Engineering Protein Hydrogels Using SpyCatcher-SpyTag Chemistry.
Gao, Xiaoye; Fang, Jie; Xue, Bin; Fu, Linglan; Li, Hongbin
2016-09-12
Constructing hydrogels from engineered proteins has attracted significant attention within the material sciences, owing to their myriad potential applications in biomedical engineering. Developing efficient methods to cross-link tailored protein building blocks into hydrogels with desirable mechanical, physical, and functional properties is of paramount importance. By making use of the recently developed SpyCatcher-SpyTag chemistry, we successfully engineered protein hydrogels on the basis of engineered tandem modular elastomeric proteins. Our resultant protein hydrogels are soft but stable, and show excellent biocompatibility. As the first step, we tested the use of these hydrogels as a drug carrier, as well as in encapsulating human lung fibroblast cells. Our results demonstrate the robustness of the SpyCatcher-SpyTag chemistry, even when the SpyTag (or SpyCatcher) is flanked by folded globular domains. These results demonstrate that SpyCatcher-SpyTag chemistry can be used to engineer protein hydrogels from tandem modular elastomeric proteins that can find applications in tissue engineering, in fundamental mechano-biological studies, and as a controlled drug release vehicle.
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2016-08-01
subsystems in the AEGIS Weapon System that searches, detects, and tracks air and surface targets to support Anti -Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile... System that searches, detects, and tracks air and surface targets to support Anti -Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense missions. The SPY-1 radar...a series on SPY-1 radar spare parts. The SPY-1 radar is an advanced, automatic detect and track radar system . The SPY-1 radar is one of 13 major
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Ge, Zhongming; Sterzenbach, Torsten; Whary, Mark; Rickman, Barry; Rogers, Arlin; Shen, Zeli; Taylor, Nancy S.; Schauer, David B.; Josenhans, Christine; Suerbaum, Sebastian; Fox, James G.
2008-01-01
Helicobacter hepaticus strain 3B1 (H. hepaticus) contains a genomic island of ∼71 kb, HHGI1, with some of the common features shared among known bacterial pathogenicity islands. In this study, we characterized the pathogenic potential of HHGI1 by infecting B6.129-IL10tm1Cgn (IL10-/-) mice with an isogenic mutant (namely HhPAId1) lacking 19 predicted genes within HHGI1. In contrast to H. hepaticus (P < 0.001), HhPAId1did not cause typhlocolitis and hyperplasia in IL10-/- mice. Colonization levels of HhPAId1 were significantly higher in the cecum (P <0.007) and similar in the colon (P=0.27) when compared to H. hepaticus by 13 or 16 weeks post inoculation (WPI). The magnitude of the Th1-associated IgG2c response against HhPAId1 was less than that against H. hepaticus (P < 0.004). There was no significant difference in Th2-associated IgG1 responses against these two strains. Cecal and colonic mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17a in the HhPAId1-infected mice were significantly lower than those in the H. hepaticus-infected mice (P <0.05) at 13 WPI. These results demonstrate that genes in the HHGI1 contribute to the pathogenicity of H. hepaticus, at least in part via up-regulation of proinflammatory mediators IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17a. PMID:18538610
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Polyamines Are Required for Virulence in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jelsbak, Lotte; Thomsen, Line Elnif; Wallrodt, Inke
2012-01-01
for studying typhoid fever. Central to its virulence are two major virulence loci Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 and 2 (SPI1 and SPI2). SPI1 promotes invasion of epithelial cells, whereas SPI2 enables S. Typhimurium to survive and proliferate within specialized compartments inside host cells. In this study......, we show that an S. Typhimurium polyamine mutant is defective for invasion, intracellular survival, killing of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and systemic infection of the mouse model of typhoid fever. Virulence of the mutant could be restored by genetic complementation, and invasion...
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Environmental sensing by mature B cells is controlled by the transcription factors PU.1 and SpiB.
Willis, Simon N; Tellier, Julie; Liao, Yang; Trezise, Stephanie; Light, Amanda; O'Donnell, Kristy; Garrett-Sinha, Lee Ann; Shi, Wei; Tarlinton, David M; Nutt, Stephen L
2017-11-10
Humoral immunity requires B cells to respond to multiple stimuli, including antigen, membrane and soluble ligands, and microbial products. Ets family transcription factors regulate many aspects of haematopoiesis, although their functions in humoral immunity are difficult to decipher as a result of redundancy between the family members. Here we show that mice lacking both PU.1 and SpiB in mature B cells do not generate germinal centers and high-affinity antibody after protein immunization. PU.1 and SpiB double-deficient B cells have a survival defect after engagement of CD40 or Toll-like receptors (TLR), despite paradoxically enhanced plasma cell differentiation. PU.1 and SpiB regulate the expression of many components of the B cell receptor signaling pathway and the receptors for CD40L, BAFF and TLR ligands. Thus, PU.1 and SpiB enable B cells to appropriately respond to environmental cues.
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Crystal structure of Spy0129, a Streptococcus pyogenes class B sortase involved in pilus assembly.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hae Joo Kang
2011-01-01
Full Text Available Sortase enzymes are cysteine transpeptidases that mediate the covalent attachment of substrate proteins to the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria, and thereby play a crucial role in virulence, infection and colonisation by pathogens. Many cell-surface proteins are anchored by the housekeeping sortase SrtA but other more specialised sortases exist that attach sub-sets of proteins or function in pilus assembly. The sortase Spy0129, or SrtC1, from the M1 SF370 strain of Streptococcus pyogenes is responsible for generating the covalent linkages between the pilin subunits in the pili of this organism. The crystal structure of Spy0129 has been determined at 2.3 Å resolution (R = 20.4%, Rfree = 26.0%. The structure shows that Spy0129 is a class B sortase, in contrast to other characterised pilin polymerases, which belong to class C. Spy0129 lacks a flap believed to function in substrate recognition in class C enzymes and instead has an elaborated β6/β7 loop. The two independent Spy0129 molecules in the crystal show differences in the positions and orientations of the catalytic Cys and His residues, Cys221 and His126, correlated with movements of the β7/β8 and β4/β5 loops that respectively follow these residues. Bound zinc ions stabilise these alternative conformations in the crystal. This conformational variability is likely to be important for function although there is no evidence that zinc is involved in vivo.
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Crystal structure of Spy0129, a Streptococcus pyogenes class B sortase involved in pilus assembly.
Kang, Hae Joo; Coulibaly, Fasséli; Proft, Thomas; Baker, Edward N
2011-01-11
Sortase enzymes are cysteine transpeptidases that mediate the covalent attachment of substrate proteins to the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria, and thereby play a crucial role in virulence, infection and colonisation by pathogens. Many cell-surface proteins are anchored by the housekeeping sortase SrtA but other more specialised sortases exist that attach sub-sets of proteins or function in pilus assembly. The sortase Spy0129, or SrtC1, from the M1 SF370 strain of Streptococcus pyogenes is responsible for generating the covalent linkages between the pilin subunits in the pili of this organism. The crystal structure of Spy0129 has been determined at 2.3 Å resolution (R = 20.4%, Rfree = 26.0%). The structure shows that Spy0129 is a class B sortase, in contrast to other characterised pilin polymerases, which belong to class C. Spy0129 lacks a flap believed to function in substrate recognition in class C enzymes and instead has an elaborated β6/β7 loop. The two independent Spy0129 molecules in the crystal show differences in the positions and orientations of the catalytic Cys and His residues, Cys221 and His126, correlated with movements of the β7/β8 and β4/β5 loops that respectively follow these residues. Bound zinc ions stabilise these alternative conformations in the crystal. This conformational variability is likely to be important for function although there is no evidence that zinc is involved in vivo.
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A hierarchy of SPI activities for software SMEs: results from ISO/IEC 12207-based SPI assessments
Clarke, Paul; O'Connor, Rory; Yilmaz, Murat
2012-01-01
peer-reviewed In an assessment of software process improvement (SPI) in 15 software small- and ???medium-sized enterprises (software SMEs), we applied the broad spectrum of software specific and system context processes in ISO/IEC 12207 to the task of examining SPI in practice. Using the data collected in the study, we developed a four-tiered pyramidal hierarchy of SPI for software SMEs, with processes in the higher tiers undergoing SPI in more companies than processes on lower level tiers...
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Carpenter, Megan R; Rozovsky, Sharon; Boyd, E Fidelma
2015-12-14
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are mobile integrated genetic elements (MIGEs) that contain a diverse range of virulence factors and are essential in the evolution of pathogenic bacteria. PAIs are widespread among bacteria and integrate into the host genome, commonly at a tRNA locus, via integrase-mediated site-specific recombination. The excision of PAIs is the first step in the horizontal transfer of these elements and is not well understood. In this study, we examined the role of recombination directionality factors (RDFs) and their relationship with integrases in the excision of two PAIs essential for Vibrio cholerae host colonization: Vibrio pathogenicity island 1 (VPI-1) and VPI-2. VPI-1 does not contain an RDF, which allowed us to answer the question of whether RDFs are an absolute requirement for excision. We found that an RDF was required for efficient excision of VPI-2 but not VPI-1 and that RDFs can induce excision of both islands. Expression data revealed that the RDFs act as transcriptional repressors to both VPI-1- and VPI-2-encoded integrases. We demonstrated that the RDFs Vibrio excision factor A (VefA) and VefB bind at the attachment sites (overlapping the int promoter region) of VPI-1 and VPI-2, thus supporting this mode of integrase repression. In addition, V. cholerae RDFs are promiscuous due to their dual functions of promoting excision of both VPI-1 and VPI-2 and acting as negative transcriptional regulators of the integrases. This is the first demonstration of cross talk between PAIs mediated via RDFs which reveals the complex interactions that occur between separately acquired MIGEs. Deciphering the mechanisms of pathogenicity island excision is necessary for understanding the evolution and spread of these elements to their nonpathogenic counterparts. Such mechanistic insight would assist in predicting the mobility of uncharacterized genetic elements. This study identified extensive RDF-mediated cross talk between two nonhomologous VPIs and
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David Pezoa
Full Text Available The role of the Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPIs in pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium infection in the chicken is poorly studied, while many studies have been completed in murine models. The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS is a recently described protein secretion system in Gram-negative bacteria. The genus Salmonella contains five phylogenetically distinct T6SS encoded in differentially distributed genomic islands. S. Typhimurium harbors a T6SS encoded in SPI-6 (T6SSSPI-6, which contributes to the ability of Salmonella to colonize mice. On the other hand, serotype Gallinarum harbors a T6SS encoded in SPI-19 (T6SSSPI-19 that is required for colonization of chicks. In this work, we investigated the role of T6SSSPI-6 in infection of chicks by S. Typhimurium. Oral infection of White Leghorn chicks showed that a ΔT6SSSPI-6 mutant had reduced colonization of the gut and internal organs, compared with the wild-type strain. Transfer of the intact T6SSSPI-6 gene cluster into the T6SS mutant restored bacterial colonization. In addition, our results showed that transfer of T6SSSPI-19 from S. Gallinarum to the ΔT6SSSPI-6 mutant of S. Typhimurium not only complemented the colonization defect but also resulted in a transient increase in the colonization of the cecum and ileum of chicks at days 1 and 3 post-infection. Our data indicates that T6SSSPI-6 contributes to chicken colonization and suggests that both T6SSSPI-6 and T6SSSPI-19 perform similar functions in vivo despite belonging to different phylogenetic families.
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InSpiRe - Intelligent Spine Rehabilitation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bøg, Kasper Hafstrøm; Helms, Niels Henrik; Kjær, Per
Rapport on InSpiRe-projektet: InSpiRe er et nationalt netværk, der skal fremme mulighederne for intelligent genoptræning i forhold til ryglidelser. I netværket mødes forskere, virksomheder, kiropraktorer og fysioterapeuter for at udvikle nye genoptrænings og/eller behandlingsteknologier.......Rapport on InSpiRe-projektet: InSpiRe er et nationalt netværk, der skal fremme mulighederne for intelligent genoptræning i forhold til ryglidelser. I netværket mødes forskere, virksomheder, kiropraktorer og fysioterapeuter for at udvikle nye genoptrænings og/eller behandlingsteknologier....
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Characterization of the SPI-1 and Rsp type three secretion systems in Pseudomonas fluorescens F113.
Barret, Matthieu; Egan, Frank; Moynihan, Jennifer; Morrissey, John P; Lesouhaitier, Olivier; O'Gara, Fergal
2013-06-01
Pseudomonas fluorescens F113 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from the sugar beet rhizosphere. The recent annotation of the F113 genome sequence has revealed that this strain encodes a wide array of secretion systems, including two complete type three secretion systems (T3SSs) belonging to the Hrp1 and SPI-1 families. While Hrp1 T3SSs are frequently encoded in other P. fluorescens strains, the presence of a SPI-1 T3SS in a plant-beneficial bacterial strain was unexpected. In this work, the genetic organization and expression of these two T3SS loci have been analysed by a combination of transcriptional reporter fusions and transcriptome analyses. Overexpression of two transcriptional activators has shown a number of genes encoding putative T3 effectors. In addition, the influence of these two T3SSs during the interaction of P. fluorescens F113 with some bacterial predators was also assessed. Our data revealed that the transcriptional activator hilA is induced by amoeba and that the SPI-1 T3SS could potentially be involved in resistance to amoeboid grazing. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Durden, L.
2012-05-01
Full Text Available Modern surveys of ectoparasites and potential vector-borne pathogens in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Wake Island are poorly documented. We report on field surveys of ectoparasites from 2010 with collections from dogs, cats, and rats. Five ectoparasites were identified: the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis, a sucking louse Hoplopleura pacifica, the mites Laelaps nuttalli and Radfordia ensifera, and the brown dog tickRhipicephalus sanguineus. Ectoparasites were screened for rickettsial pathogens. DNA from Anaplasma platys, a Coxiella symbiont of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, anda Rickettsia sp. were identified by PCR and DNA sequencing from ticks and fleas on Kwajalein Atoll. An unidentified spotted fever group Rickettsia was detected in a pool of Laelaps nuttalli and Hoplopleura pacifica from Wake Island. The records of Hoplopleura pacifica, Laelaps nuttalli, and Radfordia ensifera and the pathogens are new for Kwajalein Atoll and Wake Island.
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The zebrafish spi1 promoter drives myeloid-specific expression in stable transgenic fish
Ward, AC; McPhee, DO; Condron, MM; Varma, S; Cody, SH; Onnebo, SMN; Paw, BH; Zon, LI; Lieschke, GJ
2003-01-01
The spi1 (pu.1) gene has recently been identified as a useful marker of early myeloid cells in zebrafish. To enhance the versatility of this organism as a model for studying myeloid development, the promoter of this gene has been isolated and characterized. Transient transgenesis revealed that a 5.3
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Assessment of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) in Tegal City, Central Java, Indonesia
Pramudya, Y.; Onishi, T.
2018-03-01
One of the adverse impacts of climate change is drought, which occurs more frequently in Tegal city, Indonesia. The application of drought index analysis is useful for drought assessment to consider adaptation and mitigation method in order to deal with climate change. By figuring out the level and duration of the drought. In order to analyze drought in the specific area, Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is an index to quantify the rainfall deficit for multiple timescales. In 2015, Indonesia experienced severe drought, which has not been analyzed, yet. Thus, it is important to assess a quantitative evaluation of the drought condition. The study shows that from all deficit periods, the most severe drought in duration and peak took place in 2015, with each drought index as follows: 1 month deficit or SPI-1 (-3.11) in 1985 (-2.51) in 2015, 3 month deficit or SPI-3 (-2.291) in 1995 (-1.82) in 2015, 6 month deficit or SPI-6 (-2.40) in 1997 and (-1.84) in 2015, 9 month deficit or SPI-9 (-1.12) in 2015, 12 month deficit or SPI-12 (-1.19) in 2015. The result underlines the potential that SPI exhibits in drought identification and the use of the rainfall strongly linked to drought relief policy and measure implementation in Tegal city.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amelia T. Soderholm
2018-05-01
Full Text Available Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus; GAS commonly causes pharyngitis in children and adults, with severe invasive disease and immune sequelae being an infrequent consequence. The ability of GAS to invade the host and establish infection likely involves subversion of host immune defenses. However, the signaling pathways and innate immune responses of epithelial cells to GAS are not well-understood. In this study, we utilized RNAseq to characterize the inflammatory responses of primary human tonsil epithelial (TEpi cells to infection with the laboratory-adapted M6 strain JRS4 and the M1T1 clinical isolate 5448. Both strains induced the expression of genes encoding a wide range of inflammatory mediators, including IL-8. Pathway analysis revealed differentially expressed genes between mock and JRS4- or 5448-infected TEpi cells were enriched in transcription factor networks that regulate IL-8 expression, such as AP-1, ATF-2, and NFAT. While JRS4 infection resulted in high levels of secreted IL-8, 5448 infection did not, suggesting that 5448 may post-transcriptionally dampen IL-8 production. Infection with 5448ΔcepA, an isogenic mutant lacking the IL-8 protease SpyCEP, resulted in IL-8 secretion levels comparable to JRS4 infection. Complementation of 5448ΔcepA and JRS4 with a plasmid encoding 5448-derived SpyCEP significantly reduced IL-8 secretion by TEpi cells. Our results suggest that intracellular infection with the pathogenic GAS M1T1 clone induces a strong pro-inflammatory response in primary tonsil epithelial cells, but modulates this host response by selectively degrading the neutrophil-recruiting chemokine IL-8 to benefit infection.
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Preemptive mobile code protection using spy agents
Kalogridis, Georgios
2011-01-01
This thesis introduces 'spy agents' as a new security paradigm for evaluating trust in remote hosts in mobile code scenarios. In this security paradigm, a spy agent, i.e. a mobile agent which circulates amongst a number of remote hosts, can employ a variety of techniques in order to both appear 'normal' and suggest to a malicious host that it can 'misuse' the agent's data or code without being held accountable. A framework for the operation and deployment of such spy agents is described. ...
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Application of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI in Greece
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christos A. Karavitis
2011-08-01
Full Text Available The main premise of the current effort is that the use of a drought index, such as Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI, may lead to a more appropriate understanding of drought duration, magnitude and spatial extent in semi-arid areas like Greece. The importance of the Index may be marked in its simplicity and its ability to identify the beginning and end of a drought event. Thus, it may point towards drought contingency planning and through it to drought alert mechanisms. In this context, Greece, as it very often faces the hazardous impacts of droughts, presents an almost ideal case for the SPI application. The present approach examines the SPI drought index application for all of Greece and it is evaluated accordingly by historical precipitation data. Different time series of data from 46 precipitation stations, covering the period 1947–2004, and for time scales of 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months, were used. The computation of the index was achieved by the appropriate usage of a pertinent software tool. Then, spatial representation of the SPI values was carried out with geo-statistical methods using the SURFER 9 software package. The results underline the potential that the SPI usage exhibits in a drought alert and forecasting effort as part of a drought contingency planning posture.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Andrea L Radtke
Full Text Available The prevailing paradigm of Salmonella enteropathogenesis based on monolayers asserts that Salmonella pathogenicity island-1 Type Three Secretion System (SPI-1 T3SS is required for bacterial invasion into intestinal epithelium. However, little is known about the role of SPI-1 in mediating gastrointestinal disease in humans. Recently, SPI-1 deficient nontyphoidal Salmonella strains were isolated from infected humans and animals, indicating that SPI-1 is not required to cause enteropathogenesis and demonstrating the need for more in vivo-like models. Here, we utilized a previously characterized 3-D organotypic model of human intestinal epithelium to elucidate the role of all characterized Salmonella enterica T3SSs. Similar to in vivo reports, the Salmonella SPI-1 T3SS was not required to invade 3-D intestinal cells. Additionally, Salmonella strains carrying single (SPI-1 or SPI-2, double (SPI-1/2 and complete T3SS knockout (SPI-1/SPI-2: flhDC also invaded 3-D intestinal cells to wildtype levels. Invasion of wildtype and TTSS mutants was a Salmonella active process, whereas non-invasive bacterial strains, bacterial size beads, and heat-killed Salmonella did not invade 3-D cells. Wildtype and T3SS mutants did not preferentially target different cell types identified within the 3-D intestinal aggregates, including M-cells/M-like cells, enterocytes, or Paneth cells. Moreover, each T3SS was necessary for substantial intracellular bacterial replication within 3-D cells. Collectively, these results indicate that T3SSs are dispensable for Salmonella invasion into highly differentiated 3-D models of human intestinal epithelial cells, but are required for intracellular bacterial growth, paralleling in vivo infection observations and demonstrating the utility of these models in predicting in vivo-like pathogenic mechanisms.
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Neuromodulated Synaptic Plasticity on the SpiNNaker Neuromorphic System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mantas Mikaitis
2018-02-01
Full Text Available SpiNNaker is a digital neuromorphic architecture, designed specifically for the low power simulation of large-scale spiking neural networks at speeds close to biological real-time. Unlike other neuromorphic systems, SpiNNaker allows users to develop their own neuron and synapse models as well as specify arbitrary connectivity. As a result SpiNNaker has proved to be a powerful tool for studying different neuron models as well as synaptic plasticity—believed to be one of the main mechanisms behind learning and memory in the brain. A number of Spike-Timing-Dependent-Plasticity(STDP rules have already been implemented on SpiNNaker and have been shown to be capable of solving various learning tasks in real-time. However, while STDP is an important biological theory of learning, it is a form of Hebbian or unsupervised learning and therefore does not explain behaviors that depend on feedback from the environment. Instead, learning rules based on neuromodulated STDP (three-factor learning rules have been shown to be capable of solving reinforcement learning tasks in a biologically plausible manner. In this paper we demonstrate for the first time how a model of three-factor STDP, with the third-factor representing spikes from dopaminergic neurons, can be implemented on the SpiNNaker neuromorphic system. Using this learning rule we first show how reward and punishment signals can be delivered to a single synapse before going on to demonstrate it in a larger network which solves the credit assignment problem in a Pavlovian conditioning experiment. Because of its extra complexity, we find that our three-factor learning rule requires approximately 2× as much processing time as the existing SpiNNaker STDP learning rules. However, we show that it is still possible to run our Pavlovian conditioning model with up to 1 × 104 neurons in real-time, opening up new research opportunities for modeling behavioral learning on SpiNNaker.
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Aggressive root pathogen Phellinus noxius and implications for western Pacific Islands
Sara M. Ashiglar; Phil G. Cannon; Ned B. Klopfenstein
2015-01-01
Phellinus noxius is an aggressive root rot pathogen affecting tropical and subtropical forests. Causing much damage in tropical Asia, Africa, Taiwan, Japan and the Pacific Islands, its wide host range encompasses more than 200 plant species representing 59 families (Ann et al. 2002). It can devastate agricultural plantations of tea, rubber, cocoa, avocados,...
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SPI Project Criticality Task Force initial review and assessment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
McKinley, K.B.; Cannon, J.W.; Marsden, R.S.; Worle, H.A.
1980-03-01
The Slagging Pyrolysis Incinerator (SPI) Facility is being developed to process transuranic waste stored and buried at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) into a chemically inert, physically stable, basalt-like residue acceptable for a Federal Repository. A task force was established by the SPI Project Division to review and assess all aspects of criticality safety for the SPI Facility. This document presents the initial review, evaluations, and recommendations of the task force and includes the following: background information on waste characterization, and criticality control approaches and philosophies, a description of the SPI Facility Waste Processing Building, a review and assessment of potentially relevant codes and regulations; a review and assessment of the present state of criticality and assaying/monitoring studies, and recommendations for changes in and additions to these studies. The review and assessment of potentially relevant codes and regulations indicate that ERDAM 0530, Nuclear Criticality Safety should be the controlling document for criticality safety for the SPI Project. In general, the criticality control approaches and philosophies for the SPI Project comply with this document
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Towards Model Checking a Spi-Calculus Dialect
Gnesi, S.; Latella, D.; Lenzini, Gabriele
We present a model checking framework for a spi-calculus dialect which uses a linear time temporal logic for expressing security properties. We have provided our spi-calculus dialect, called SPID, with a semantics based on labeled transition systems (LTS), where the intruder is modeled in the
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lim, Sangyong; Jung, Jinwoo; Kim, Dongho
2007-01-01
The principle benefit of food irradiation is the reduction of food-borne bacteria in food products. However, the microbiological safety with respect to increased virulence of surviving pathogens after irradiation remains an important issue with regard to the effectiveness of food irradiation. In this study, the transcriptional changes of virulence genes of Salmonella and Vibrio spp. after γ radiation were investigated by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Samonella typhimurium is dependent upon the products of a large number of genes located within Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI) on the chromosome. The expressions of seven genes including four SPI genes, hilD, ssrB, pipB, and sopD, were measured at 1 h after 1 kGy irradiation. Compared with non-irradiated controls, the expression of hilD encoded within SPI1 and sopD encoding SPI1-related effector proteins was reduced about 4- and 16-fold, respectively. The expressions of Vibrio toxin genes, vvhA, ctxA, and tdh, were also monitored during the course of a growth cycle after re-inoculation of irradiated Vibrio spp. (0.5 and 1.0 kGy). The expressions of Vibrio toxin genes tested did not increase compared with non-irradiated counterparts. Results from this study indicate that γ radiation is much more likely to reduce the virulence gene expression of surviving pathogens
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lim, Sangyong; Jung, Jinwoo [Radiation Food Science and Biotechnology Team, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dongho [Radiation Food Science and Biotechnology Team, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: fungikim@kaeri.re.kr
2007-11-15
The principle benefit of food irradiation is the reduction of food-borne bacteria in food products. However, the microbiological safety with respect to increased virulence of surviving pathogens after irradiation remains an important issue with regard to the effectiveness of food irradiation. In this study, the transcriptional changes of virulence genes of Salmonella and Vibrio spp. after {gamma} radiation were investigated by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Samonella typhimurium is dependent upon the products of a large number of genes located within Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI) on the chromosome. The expressions of seven genes including four SPI genes, hilD, ssrB, pipB, and sopD, were measured at 1 h after 1 kGy irradiation. Compared with non-irradiated controls, the expression of hilD encoded within SPI1 and sopD encoding SPI1-related effector proteins was reduced about 4- and 16-fold, respectively. The expressions of Vibrio toxin genes, vvhA, ctxA, and tdh, were also monitored during the course of a growth cycle after re-inoculation of irradiated Vibrio spp. (0.5 and 1.0 kGy). The expressions of Vibrio toxin genes tested did not increase compared with non-irradiated counterparts. Results from this study indicate that {gamma} radiation is much more likely to reduce the virulence gene expression of surviving pathogens.
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Mapping of SPI drought index in South-Eastern Europe, theory and practice
Bihari, Z.; Szentimrey, T.; Lakatos, M.; Gregorič, G.; Likso, T.
2010-09-01
In recent decades drought has a major impact on the economy in South-Eastern Europe (SEE). The annual precipitation has decreased from the beginning of 20th century. Additional problem is that the intensity of precipitation increases in average. The part of runoff became larger, and greater part of the precipitation runs to the rivers, streamlets, and less part infiltrates into the soil. Therefore, the available water reduces for vegetation. Summarized, the drought tendency increases in the region. The Drought Management Centre for South East Europe was established to deal with these events and try to improve drought management and policy. One method to calculate the extent of a drought event is the application of drought indices. Several indices are used for this purpose, one of them is the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) developed by McKee et al. The SPI is based only on precipitation and can be used to monitor conditions on a variety of time scales. The SPI calculation for any location is based on long-term precipitation record for a desired period. This long-term record is fitted to a gamma probability distribution, which is then transformed into the standard normal distribution. In the practice SPI is calculated mainly for 1, 3, 6 months. The SPI calculator which is offered on the project page of DMCSEE is applied for SPI calculations in this study. For the interpolation of SPI we use the MISH interpolation method developed at Hungarian Meteorological Service (Meteorological Interpolation based on Surface Homogenized Data Basis; Szentimrey, Bihari, 2007). The interpolation can be realized in to ways: 1. The SPI values are calculated in grid points after gridding (by gridding part of MISH) the station precipitation data series 2. The station based SPI values are interpolated by method MISH One of the main feature of MISH is that it use longtime data series for modelling of the necessary climate statistical parameters while the SPI calculations are also based
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The Spy in Early America: The Emergence of a Genre
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Weir, Alison
1998-01-01
... after the Revolution through the antebellum period. By examining the paradoxical figure of the heroic spy, the dissertation explores how the spy story emerged as the adventure tale of the Revolution, the spy became a potential hero, and how the...
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Positron astronomy with SPI/INTEGRAL
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weidenspointner, G.; Diehl, R.; Strong, A.; Weidenspointner, G.; Skinner, G.K.; Skinner, G.K.; Jean, P.; Knoedlseder, J.; Von Ballmoos, P.; Cordier, B.; Schanne, S.; Winkler, C.
2008-01-01
We provide an overview of positron astronomy results that have been obtained using the INTEGRAL spectrometer SPI, and discuss their implications for the still mysterious origin of positrons in our Galaxy. It has long been known that the 511 keV positron annihilation emission is strongest from the central region of our Galaxy. Recently, it has been discovered with the SPI spectrometer that the weaker 511 keV line emission from the inner Galactic disk appears to be asymmetric, with the emission to the west of the Galactic center being about twice as strong than that to the east. This distribution of positron annihilation resembles that of low mass X-ray binaries as observed with the INTEGRAL imager IBIS at hard X-ray energies, suggesting that these systems could provide a significant portion of the positrons in our Galaxy. In addition, the spectrometer SPI has permitted unprecedented spectroscopy of annihilation radiation from the bulge and disk regions of the Galaxy, which commences to yield important insights into the conditions of the medium in which the positrons annihilate. (authors)
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iSpy: a powerful and lightweight event display
Alverson, G.; Eulisse, G.; McCauley, T.; Taylor, L.
2012-12-01
iSpy is a general-purpose event data and detector visualization program that was developed as an event display for the CMS experiment at the LHC and has seen use by the general public and teachers and students in the context of education and outreach. Central to the iSpy design philosophy is ease of installation, use, and extensibility. The application itself uses the open-access packages Qt4 and Open Inventor and is distributed either as a fully-bound executable or a standard installer package: one can simply download and double-click to begin. Mac OSX, Linux, and Windows are supported. iSpy renders the standard 2D, 3D, and tabular views, and the architecture allows for a generic approach to production of new views and projections. iSpy reads and displays data in the ig format: event information is written in compressed JSON format files designed for distribution over a network. This format is easily extensible and makes the iSpy client indifferent to the original input data source. The ig format is the one used for release of approved CMS data to the public.
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iSpy: a powerful and lightweight event display
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Alverson, G; Eulisse, G; McCauley, T; Taylor, L
2012-01-01
iSpy is a general-purpose event data and detector visualization program that was developed as an event display for the CMS experiment at the LHC and has seen use by the general public and teachers and students in the context of education and outreach. Central to the iSpy design philosophy is ease of installation, use, and extensibility. The application itself uses the open-access packages Qt4 and Open Inventor and is distributed either as a fully-bound executable or a standard installer package: one can simply download and double-click to begin. Mac OSX, Linux, and Windows are supported. iSpy renders the standard 2D, 3D, and tabular views, and the architecture allows for a generic approach to production of new views and projections. iSpy reads and displays data in the ig format: event information is written in compressed JSON format files designed for distribution over a network. This format is easily extensible and makes the iSpy client indifferent to the original input data source. The ig format is the one used for release of approved CMS data to the public.
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How Do Artifact Models Help Direct SPI Projects?
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kuhrmann, Marco; Richardson, Ita
2015-01-01
To overcome shortcomings associated with software process improvement (SPI), we previously recommended that process engineers focus on the artifacts to be developed in SPI projects. These artifacts should define desired outcomes, rather than specific methods. During this prior research, we develo...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Niemann, George; Brown, Roslyn N.; Gustin, Jean K.; Stufkens, Afke; Shaikh-Kidwai, Afshan S.; Li, Jie; McDermott, Jason E.; Brewer, Heather M.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Heffron, Fred
2011-01-01
The intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in the world. This pathogen has two type-III secretion systems (TTSS) necessary for virulence that are encoded in Salmonella pathogenicity islands 1 and 2 (SPI-1 and SPI-2) and are expressed during extracellular or intracellular infectious states, respectively, to deliver virulence factors (effectors) to the host cell cytoplasm. While many have been identified and at least partially characterized, the full repertoire of effectors has not been catalogued. In this mass spectrometry-based proteomics study, we identified effector proteins secreted under minimal acidic medium growth conditions that induced the SPI-2 TTSS and its effectors, and compared the secretome from the parent strain to the secretome from strains missing either essential (SsaK) or regulatory components (SsaL) of the SPI-2 secretion apparatus. We identified 75% of the known TTSS effector repertoire. Excluding translocon components, 95% of the known effectors were biased for identification in the ssaL mutant background, which demonstrated that SsaL regulates SPI-2 type III secretion. To confirm secretion to animal cells, we made translational fusions of several of the best candidates to the calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase of Bordetella pertussis and assayed cAMP levels of infected J774 macrophage-like cells. From these infected cells we identified six new TTSS effectors and two others that are secreted independent of TTSS. Our results substantiate reports of additional secretion systems encoded by Salmonella other than TTSS.
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Genetic islands in pome fruit pathogenic and nonpathogenic Erwinia species and related plasmids
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pablo eLlop
2015-08-01
Full Text Available New pathogenic bacteria species belonging to the genus Erwinia associated with pome fruit trees (Erwinia pyrifoliae, E. piriflorinigrans, E. uzenensis have been increasingly described in the last years, and comparative analyses have found that all these species share several genetic characteristics. Studies at different level (whole genome comparison, virulence genes, plasmid content, etc. show a high intraspecies homogeneity (i.e. among E. amylovora strains and also abundant similarities appear between the different Erwinia species: presence of plasmids of similar size in the pathogenic species; high similarity in several genes associated with exopolysaccharide production and hence, with virulence, as well as in some other genes, in the chromosomes. Many genetic similarities have been observed also among some of the plasmids (and genomes from the pathogenic species and E. tasmaniensis or E. billingiae, two epiphytic species on the same hosts. The amount of genetic material shared in this genus varies from individual genes to clusters, genomic islands and genetic material that even may constitute a whole plasmid. Recent research on evolution of erwinias point out the horizontal transfer acquisition of some genomic islands that were subsequently lost in some species and several pathogenic traits that are still present. How this common material has been obtained and is efficiently maintained in different species belonging to the same genus sharing a common ecological niche provides an idea of the origin and evolution of the pathogenic Erwinia and the interaction with nonpathogenic species present in the same niche, and the role of the genes that are conserved in all of them.
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Carpenter, Megan R; Kalburge, Sai S; Borowski, Joseph D; Peters, Molly C; Colwell, Rita R; Boyd, E Fidelma
2017-05-15
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are mobile integrated genetic elements that contain a diverse range of virulence factors. PAIs integrate into the host chromosome at a tRNA locus that contains their specific bacterial attachment site, attB , via integrase-mediated site-specific recombination generating attL and attR sites. We identified conserved recombination modules (integrases and att sites) previously described in choleragenic Vibrio cholerae PAIs but with novel cargo genes. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated proteins (Cas proteins) and a type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster were identified at the Vibrio pathogenicity island 1 (VPI-1) insertion site in 19 V. cholerae strains and contained the same recombination module. Two divergent type I-F CRISPR-Cas systems were identified, which differed in Cas protein homology and content. The CRISPR repeat sequence was identical among all V. cholerae strains, but the CRISPR spacer sequences and the number of spacers varied. In silico analysis suggests that the CRISPR-Cas systems were active against phages and plasmids. A type III secretion system (T3SS) was present in 12 V. cholerae strains on a 68-kb island inserted at the same tRNA-serine insertion site as VPI-2 and contained the same recombination module. Bioinformatics analysis showed that two divergent T3SSs exist among the strains examined. Both the CRISPR and T3SS islands excised site specifically from the bacterial chromosome as complete units, and the cognate integrases were essential for this excision. These data demonstrated that identical recombination modules that catalyze integration and excision from the chromosome can acquire diverse cargo genes, signifying a novel method of acquisition for both CRISPR-Cas systems and T3SSs. IMPORTANCE This work demonstrated the presence of CRISPR-Cas systems and T3SSs on PAIs. Our work showed that similar recombination modules can associate with different cargo genes and
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SailSpy: a vision system for yacht sail shape measurement
Olsson, Olof J.; Power, P. Wayne; Bowman, Chris C.; Palmer, G. Terry; Clist, Roger S.
1992-11-01
SailSpy is a real-time vision system which we have developed for automatically measuring sail shapes and masthead rotation on racing yachts. Versions have been used by the New Zealand team in two America's Cup challenges in 1988 and 1992. SailSpy uses four miniature video cameras mounted at the top of the mast to provide views of the headsail and mainsail on either tack. The cameras are connected to the SailSpy computer below deck using lightweight cables mounted inside the mast. Images received from the cameras are automatically analyzed by the SailSpy computer, and sail shape and mast rotation parameters are calculated. The sail shape parameters are calculated by recognizing sail markers (ellipses) that have been attached to the sails, and the mast rotation parameters by recognizing deck markers painted on the deck. This paper describes the SailSpy system and some of the vision algorithms used.
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Employees' Motivation for SPI: Case Study in a Small Finnish Software Company
Valtanen, Anu; Sihvonen, Hanna-Miina
In small software companies the resources available for SPI are often limited. With limited resources, the motivation of the employees becomes one of the key factors for SPI. In this article, the motivational factors affecting a small company's SPI efforts are discussed. In the research, we carried out interviews and a survey in a small Finnish software company considering the motivation towards SPI. The results are presented here and compared with earlier motivation research. There were differences revealed while comparing the motivating factors of smaller companies to those of larger ones. In large companies the focus seems to be on the business related motivators and in small ones the motivators related to comfortability of work are emphasized. Motivation survey and the interviews proved to be useful tools in planning the future SPI strategy. A lot of valuable information was discovered for planning and implementing the next steps of SPI.
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The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of an SPI Project
Carlsson, Sven; Schönström, Mikael
Commentators on contemporary themes of strategic management and firm competitiveness stress that a firm's competitive advantage flows from its unique knowledge and how it manages knowledge, and for many firms their ability to create, share, exchange, and use knowledge have a major impact on their competitiveness (Nonaka & Teece 2001). In software development, knowledge management (KM) plays an increasingly important role. It has been argued that the KM-field is an important source for creating new perspectives on the software development process (Iivari 2000). Several Software Process Improvement (SPI) approaches stress the importance of managing knowledge and experiences as a way for improving software processes (Ahem et al. 2001). Another SPI-trend is the use of ideas from process management like in the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). Unfortunately, little research on the effects of the use of process management ideas in SPI exists. Given the influx of process management ideas to SPI, the impact of these ideas should be addressed.
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The Spy VI child : A newly discovered Neandertal infant
Crevecoeur, Isabelle; Bayle, Priscilla; Rougier, Helene; Maureille, Bruno; Higham, Thomas; van der Plicht, Johannes; De Clerck, Nora; Semal, Patrick
2010-01-01
Spy cave (Jemeppe-sur-Sambre Belgium) is reputed for the two adult Neandertal individuals discovered in situ in 1886 Recent reassessment of the Spy collections has allowed direct radiocarbon dating of these individuals The sorting of all of the faunal collections has also led to the discovery of the
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SPI Conformance Gel Applications in Geothermal Zonal Isolation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Burns, Lyle [Clean Tech Innovations, Bartlesville, OK (United States)
2017-08-08
Zonal isolation in geothermal injection and producing wells is important while drilling the wells when highly fractured geothermal zones are encountered and there is a need to keep the fluids from interfering with the drilling operation. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) objectives are to advance technologies to make it more cost effective to develop, produce, and monitor geothermal reservoirs and produce geothermal energy. Thus, zonal isolation is critical to well cost, reservoir evaluation and operations. Traditional cementing off of the lost circulation or thief zones during drilling is often done to stem the drilling mud losses. This is an expensive and generally unsuccessful technique losing the potential of the remaining fracture system. Selective placement of strong SPI gels into only the offending fractures can maintain and even improve operational efficiency and resource life. The SPI gel system is a unique silicate based gel system that offers a promising solution to thief zones and conformance problems with water and CO2 floods and potentially geothermal operations. This gel system remains a low viscosity fluid until an initiator (either internal such as an additive or external such as CO2) triggers gelation. This is a clear improvement over current mechanical methods of using packers, plugs, liners and cementing technologies that often severely damage the highly fractured area that is isolated. In the SPI gels, the initiator sets up the fluid into a water-like (not a precipitate) gel and when the isolated zone needs to be reopened, the SPI gel may be removed with an alkaline solution without formation damage occurring. In addition, the SPI gel in commercial quantities is expected to be less expensive than competing mechanical systems and has unique deep placement possibilities. This project seeks to improve upon the SPI gel integrity by modifying the various components to impart temperature stability for use in
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Curcumin increases the pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in murine model.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sandhya A Marathe
Full Text Available Curcumin has gained immense importance for its vast therapeutic and prophylactic applications. Contrary to this, our study reveals that it regulates the defense pathways of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium to enhance its pathogenicity. In a murine model of typhoid fever, we observed higher bacterial load in Peyer's patches, mesenteric lymph node, spleen and liver, when infected with curcumin-treated Salmonella. Curcumin increased the resistance of S. Typhimurium against antimicrobial agents like antimicrobial peptides, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This increased tolerance might be attributed to the up-regulation of genes involved in resistance against antimicrobial peptides--pmrD and pmrHFIJKLM and genes with antioxidant function--mntH, sodA and sitA. We implicate that iron chelation property of curcumin have a role in regulating mntH and sitA. Interestingly, we see that the curcumin-mediated modulation of pmr genes is through the PhoPQ regulatory system. Curcumin downregulates SPI1 genes, required for entry into epithelial cells and upregulates SPI2 genes required to intracellular survival. Since it is known that the SPI1 and SPI2 system can be regulated by the PhoPQ system, this common regulator could explain curcumin's mode of action. This data urges us to rethink the indiscriminate use of curcumin especially during Salmonella outbreaks.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hochhut Bianca
2011-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background A substantial amount of data has been accumulated supporting the important role of genomic islands (GEIs - including pathogenicity islands (PAIs - in bacterial genome plasticity and the evolution of bacterial pathogens. Their instability and the high level sequence similarity of different (partial islands suggest an exchange of PAIs between strains of the same or even different bacterial species by horizontal gene transfer (HGT. Transfer events of archetypal large genomic islands of enterobacteria which often lack genes required for mobilisation or transfer have been rarely investigated so far. Results To study mobilisation of such large genomic regions in prototypic uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC strain 536, PAI II536 was supplemented with the mobRP4 region, an origin of replication (oriVR6K, an origin of transfer (oriTRP4 and a chloramphenicol resistance selection marker. In the presence of helper plasmid RP4, conjugative transfer of the 107-kb PAI II536 construct occured from strain 536 into an E. coli K-12 recipient. In transconjugants, PAI II536 existed either as a cytoplasmic circular intermediate (CI or integrated site-specifically into the recipient's chromosome at the leuX tRNA gene. This locus is the chromosomal integration site of PAI II536 in UPEC strain 536. From the E. coli K-12 recipient, the chromosomal PAI II536 construct as well as the CIs could be successfully remobilised and inserted into leuX in a PAI II536 deletion mutant of E. coli 536. Conclusions Our results corroborate that mobilisation and conjugal transfer may contribute to evolution of bacterial pathogens through horizontal transfer of large chromosomal regions such as PAIs. Stabilisation of these mobile genetic elements in the bacterial chromosome result from selective loss of mobilisation and transfer functions of genomic islands.
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InSpiRe - Intelligent Spine Rehabilitation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bøg, Kasper Hafstrøm; Helms, Niels Henrik; Kjær, Per
InSpiRe er et projekt, der har haft omdrejningspunkt i etableringen af et nyt netværk indenfor intelligent genoptræning med særligt fokus på rygsmerter. Projektet er gennemført i perioden 1/3 2011 2011-1/3 2012, med støtte fra Syddansk Vækstforum, og er blevet drevet af projektparterne Knowledge ...... Lab, Syddansk Universitet (SDU), Institut for Idræt og Biomekanik (IoB), SDU, samt University College Lillebælt....
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Oglesby, Kenneth
2014-01-31
SPI gels are multi-component silicate based gels for improving (areal and vertical) conformance in oilfield enhanced recovery operations, including water-floods and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) floods, as well as other applications. SPI mixtures are like-water when pumped, but form light up to very thick, paste-like gels in contact with CO{sub 2}. When formed they are 3 to 10 times stronger than any gelled polyacrylamide gel now available, however, they are not as strong as cement or epoxy, allowing them to be washed / jetted out of the wellbore without drilling. This DOE funded project allowed 8 SPI field treatments to be performed in 6 wells (5 injection wells and 1 production well) in 2 different fields with different operators, in 2 different basins (Gulf Coast and Permian) and in 2 different rock types (sandstone and dolomite). Field A was in a central Mississippi sandstone that injected CO{sub 2} as an immiscible process. Field B was in the west Texas San Andres dolomite formation with a mature water-alternating-gas miscible CO{sub 2} flood. Field A treatments are now over 1 year old while Field B treatments have only 4 months data available under variable WAG conditions. Both fields had other operational events and well work occurring before/ during / after the treatments making definitive evaluation difficult. Laboratory static beaker and dynamic sand pack tests were performed with Ottawa sand and both fields’ core material, brines and crude oils to improve SPI chemistry, optimize SPI formulations, ensure SPI mix compatibility with field rocks and fluids, optimize SPI treatment field treatment volumes and methods, and ensure that strong gels set in the reservoir. Field quality control procedures were designed and utilized. Pre-treatment well (surface) injectivities ranged from 0.39 to 7.9 MMCF/psi. The SPI treatment volumes ranged from 20.7 cubic meters (m{sup 3}, 5460 gallons/ 130 bbls) to 691 m{sup 3} (182,658 gallons/ 4349 bbls). Various size and types
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klanke, voëlgeluide en musiek in die digkuns van Lina Spies
African Journals Online (AJOL)
27 Jan 2006 ... 1999: 11-23), maak Spies self ook nie melding van musiek as tema nie; sy noem die. Afrikaanse digteres se “siening van die natuur, die religie, die politiek, medekunste- naars, verwantskap, digterskap” (Spies 1999: 22). Maar die digter verklaar in 'n onder- houd (Spies 2004b) dat sy drie groot passies het: ...
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Penerapan Metoda Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI pada Rancang Bangun Data Logger berbasis SD card
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
RATNA SUSANA
2018-03-01
Full Text Available ABSTRAK Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI adalah protokol komunikasi yang dapat digunakan sebagai interface komunikasi antara mikrokontroler dengan SD Card. Dengan menerapkan metoda SPI pada data logger berbasis SD Card, maka dapat diketahui karakteristik protokol komunikasi SPI antara mikrokontroler dengan SD Card. SD Card diformat dengan tipe FAT 16, dan data di dalam SD Card berupa sekumpulan paket data sensor yang diambil secara periodik dan disimpan dalam bentuk file dengan format.csv. Berdasarkan format paket data sensor yang dibuat, dapat dihitungwaktu perekaman data yang diperlukan agar kapasitas SD Card terisi penuh oleh data sensor. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan,bahwa metoda SPI yang diterapkan pada penelitian ini memiliki sifat akan melakukan pemeriksaan berulang pada pin MISO terhadap command yang dikirimkan oleh mikrokontroler melalui pin MOSI. Proses read/write data pada SD Card data logger memiliki keberhasilan 100%, karena SD Card telah terinisialisasi dalam mode SPI melalui perintah reset dan init SD Card. Komunikasi ini dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan crystal 4 Mhz – 20 Mhz. Untuk pengujian konfigurasi SPI, hanya Independent Slave Configuration yang dapat digunakan pada komunikasi SPI dengan 2 SD card sebagai slave. Kata kunci: Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI, Data Logger, SD card, FAT16 ABSTRACT Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI is a communication protocol that can be applied as a communication interface between microcontroller to SD Card. By implementing the SPI method to a data logger based on SD Card, it can be known the characteristics of the SPI communications protocol between microcontroller to SD Card. SD Card formatted in FAT 16 type, and data on the SD Card is the form of sensor data packets collection which be captured periodically and saved in .csv format file. Based on the sensor data packet format is created, it can be calculated recording time data required so that the SD Card capacity completely filled by the
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Synapse-centric mapping of cortical models to the SpiNNaker neuromorphic architecture
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James Courtney Knight
2016-09-01
Full Text Available While the adult human brain has approximately 8.8x10^10 neurons, this number is dwarfed by its 1x10^15 synapses. From the point of view of neuromorphic engineering and neural simulation in general this makes the simulation of these synapses a particularly complex problem. SpiNNaker is a digital, neuromorphic architecture designed for simulating large-scale spiking neural networks at speeds close to biological real-time. Current solutions for simulating spiking neural networks on SpiNNaker are heavily inspired by work on distributed high-performance computing. However, while SpiNNaker shares many characteristics with such distributed systems, its component nodes have much more limited resources and, as the system lacks global synchronization, the computation performed on each node must complete within a fixed time step. We first analyze the performance of the current SpiNNaker neural simulation software and identify several problems that occur when it is used to simulate networks of the type often used to model the cortex which contain large numbers of sparsely connected synapses. We then present a new, more flexible approach for mapping the simulation of such networks to SpiNNaker which solves many of these problems. Finally we analyze the performance of our new approach using both benchmarks, designed to represent cortical connectivity, and larger, functional cortical models. In a benchmark network where neurons receive input from 8000 STDP synapses, our new approach allows more neurons to be simulated on each SpiNNaker core than has been previously possible. We also demonstrate that the largest plastic neural network previously simulated on neuromorphic hardware can be run in real time using our new approach: double the speed that was previously achieved. Additionally this network contains two types of plastic synapse which previously had to be trained separately but, using our new approach, can be trained simultaneously.
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Learning and Organizational Change in SPI Initiatives
Heikkilä, Marikka
Explaining how organizations chance has been a central and enduring quest of management scholars and many other disciplines. In order to be successful change requires not only a new process or technology but also the engagement and participation of the people involved. In this vein the change process results in new behavior and is routinized in practical daily business life of the company. Change management provides a framework for managing the human side of these changes. In this article we present a literature review on the change management in the context of Software Process Improvement. The traditional view of learning, as a “lessons learned” or post-mortem reporting activity is often apparent in SPI literature. However, learning can also be viewed as a continuous change process where specific learning cycle starts with creative conflict and ends up in formal norms and systems. Since this perspective has almost no visibility in SPI literature of past it could show a new direction to the future development of change management in SPI.
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Schoene, C; Bennett, S P; Howarth, M
2016-01-01
Enzymes often have marginal stability, with unfolding typically leading to irreversible denaturation. This sensitivity is a major barrier, both for de novo enzyme development and for expanding enzyme impact beyond the laboratory. Seeking an approach to enhance resilience to denaturation that could be applied to a range of different enzymes, we developed SpyRing cyclization. SpyRings contain genetically encoded SpyTag (13 amino acids) on the N-terminus and SpyCatcher (12kDa) on the C-terminus of the enzyme, so that the Spy partners spontaneously react together through an irreversible isopeptide bond. SpyRing cyclization gave major increases in thermal resilience, including on a model for enzyme evolution, β-lactamase, and an industrially important enzyme in agriculture and nutrition, phytase. We outline the SpyRing rationale, including comparison of SpyRing cyclization to other cyclization strategies. The cloning strategy is presented for the simple insertion of enzyme genes for recombinant expression. We discuss structure-based approaches to select suitable enzyme cyclization targets. Approaches to evaluate the cyclization reaction and its effect on enzyme resilience are described. We also highlight the use of differential scanning calorimetry to understand how SpyRing cyclization promotes enzyme refolding. Efficiently searching sequence space will continue to be important for enzyme improvement, but the SpyRing platform may be a valuable rational adjunct for conferring resilience. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Wołkowicz, Tomasz; Zacharczuk, Katarzyna; Rokosz-Chudziak, Natalia; Rastawicki, Waldemar; Gierczyński, Rafał
2015-01-01
Yersinia secretion apparatus (Ysa), the chromosomal type three secretion system (T3SS) is considered to contribute to virulence of high-pathogenicity Yersina enterocolitica biovar 1B. DNA-sequence of Ysa pathogenicity island was determined for clinical isolate DM0110 of Y enterocolitica 1B/08 with origin in Poland. We found a premature stop-codon in the regulatory gene ysrR (mutation at position 269). Altered ysrR was detected in all tested 78 isolates of Y enterocolitica 1B/O8 collected from clinical samples in Poland from 2004 to 2013. Since aberrations in YsrR are considered to inactivate Ysa, our findings may suggest Ysa is not indispensable for Y enterocolitica 1B/O8 to infect humans.
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Moreno Vázquez, Jonatan
2013-01-01
Aquest projecte proposa el sistema SPiDer el qual te l'objectiu d'assistir a la gent gran en el procés de medicar-se evitant els problemes associats amb la baixa adherència existent actualment amb els calendaris farmacològics receptats pels doctors.
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The γ-ray burst-detection system of SPI
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lichti, G.G.; Georgii, R.; Kienlin, A. von; Schoenfelder, V.; Wunderer, C.; Jung, H.-J.; Hurley, K.
2000-01-01
The determination of precise locations of γ-ray bursts is a crucial task of γ-ray astronomy. Although γ-ray burst locations can be obtained nowadays from single experiments (BATSE, COMPTEL, BeppoSax) the location of bursts via triangulation using the interplanetary network is still important because not all bursts will be located precisely enough by these single instruments. In order to get location accuracies down to arcseconds via triangulation one needs long baselines. At the beginning of the next decade several spacecrafts which explore the outer planetary system (the Mars-Surveyor-2001 Orbiter and probably Ulysses) will carry γ-ray burst instruments. INTEGRAL as a near-earth spacecraft is the ideal counterpart for these satellites. The massive anticoincidence shield of the INTEGRAL-spectrometer SPI allows the measurement of γ-ray bursts with a high sensitivity. Estimations have shown that with SPI some hundred γ-ray bursts per year on the 5σ level can be measured. This is equivalent to the BATSE sensitivity. We describe the γ-ray burst-detection system of SPI, present its technical features and assess the scientific capabilities
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Observation of the decay $B_c^+ \\to \\psi(2S)\\pi^+$
INSPIRE-00258707; Abellan Beteta, C; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adrover, C; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves Jr, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; Anderlini, L; Anderson, J; Andreassen, R; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Baesso, C; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Bauer, Th; Bay, A; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Benayoun, M; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bettler, M -O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; van den Brand, J; Bressieux, J; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Burducea, I; Bursche, A; Busetto, G; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Callot, O; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carranza-Mejia, H; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chen, P; Chiapolini, N; Chrzaszcz, M; Ciba, K; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coca, C; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; David, P; David, P N Y; De Bonis, I; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Oyanguren Campos, M; De Paula, L; De Silva, W; De Simone, P; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Dogaru, M; Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dupertuis, F; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; van Eijk, D; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; El Rifai, I; Elsasser, Ch; Elsby, D; Falabella, A; Färber, C; Fardell, G; Farinelli, C; Farry, S; Fave, V; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fitzpatrick, C; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Francisco, O; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Furcas, S; Furfaro, E; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garofoli, J; Garosi, P; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gaspar, C; Gauld, R; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gibson, V; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gordon, H; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Grünberg, O; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hampson, T; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hartmann, T; He, J; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Hicks, E; Hill, D; Hoballah, M; Hombach, C; Hopchev, P; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Huse, T; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Iakovenko, V; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jans, E; Jaton, P; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Jost, B; Kaballo, M; Kandybei, S; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Kenyon, I R; Kerzel, U; Ketel, T; Keune, A; Khanji, B; Kochebina, O; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Korolev, M; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanciotti, E; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J -P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leo, S; Leroy, O; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Li Gioi, L; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Liu, B; Liu, G; von Loeben, J; Lohn, S; Lopes, J H; Lopez Asamar, E; Lopez-March, N; Lu, H; Lucchesi, D; Luisier, J; Luo, H; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Malde, S; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Marconi, U; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martens, A; Martin, L; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martins Tostes, D; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Maurice, E; Mazurov, A; McCarthy, J; McNulty, R; Mcnab, A; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Milanes, D A; Minard, M -N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Moran, D; Morawski, P; Morello, M J; Mountain, R; Mous, I; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Muresan, R; Muryn, B; Muster, B; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neufeld, N; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Nomerotski, A; Novoselov, A; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Owen, P; Pal, B K; Palano, A; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrick, G N; Patrignani, C; Pavel-Nicorescu, C; Pazos Alvarez, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perego, D L; Perez Trigo, E; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pessina, G; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Phan, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polci, F; Polok, G; Poluektov, A; Polycarpo, E; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Powell, A; Prisciandaro, J; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Rauschmayr, N; Raven, G; Redford, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Richards, A; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Roa Romero, D A; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Perez, P; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Romero Vidal, A; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruffini, F; Ruiz, H; Ruiz Valls, P; Sabatino, G; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salzmann, C; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Sannino, M; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santovetti, E; Sapunov, M; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Savrie, M; Savrina, D; Schaack, P; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schune, M -H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Seco, M; Semennikov, A; Senderowska, K; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shatalov, P; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, O; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Smith, M; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Soomro, F; Souza, D; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Sparkes, A; Spradlin, P; Stagni, F; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Subbiah, V K; Swientek, S; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teklishyn, M; Teodorescu, E; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Urner, D; Uwer, U; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; Voss, H; Waldi, R; Wallace, R; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Webber, A D; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wiechczynski, J; Wiedner, D; Wiggers, L; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilson, F F; Wishahi, J; Witek, M; Wotton, S A; Wright, S; Wu, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, F; Xing, Z; Yang, Z; Young, R; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zangoli, M; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, F; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhokhov, A; Zhong, L; Zvyagin, A
2013-01-01
The decay $B_c^+ \\to \\psi(2S)\\pi^+$ with $\\psi(2S) \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-$ is observed with a significance of $5.2\\,\\sigma$ using $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 $fb^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. The branching fraction of $B_c^+ \\to \\psi(2S)\\pi^+$ decays relative to that of the $B_c^+ \\to J/\\psi\\pi^+$ mode is measured to be \\begin{equation*} \\frac{\\mathcal{B}(B_c^+ \\to \\psi(2S)\\pi^+)}{\\mathcal{B}(B_c^+ \\to J/\\psi\\pi^+)} = 0.250 \\pm 0.068 \\,\\text{stat} \\pm 0.014 \\,\\text{\\syst} \\pm 0.006 \\,(\\mathcal{B}). \\end{equation*} The last term is the uncertainty on the ratio $\\mathcal{B}(\\psi(2S) \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-)/\\mathcal{B}(J/\\psi \\to \\mu^+\\mu^-)$.
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Abd El Ghany, Moataz
2016-05-25
Human infections with Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Senftenberg are often associated with exposure to poultry flocks, farm environments, or contaminated food. The recent emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates has raised public health concerns. In this study, comparative genomics and phenotypic analysis were used to characterize 14 Salmonella Senftenberg clinical isolates recovered from multiple outbreaks in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, between 2002 and 2011. Single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses identified two phylogenetically distinct clades of S. Senftenberg, designated SC1 and SC2, harboring variations in Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and SPI-2 and exhibiting distinct biochemical and phenotypic signatures. Although the two variants shared the same serotype, the SC2 isolates of sequence type 14 (ST14) harbored intact SPI-1 and -2 and hence were characterized by possessing efficient invasion capabilities. In contrast, the SC1 isolates had structural deletion patterns in both SPI-1 and -2 that correlated with an impaired capacity to invade cultured human cells and also the year of their isolation. These atypical SC1 isolates also lacked the capacity to produce hydrogen sulfide. These findings highlight the emergence of atypical Salmonella Senftenberg variants in China and provide genetic validation that variants lacking SPI-1 and regions of SPI-2, which leads to impaired invasion capacity, can still cause clinical disease. These data have identified an emerging public health concern and highlight the need to strengthen surveillance to detect the prevalence and transmission of nontyphoidal Salmonella species.
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Phytoseiid mites of the Canary Islands (Acari, Phytoseiidae. II. Tenerife and La Gomera Islands
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ferragut, F.
2007-12-01
Full Text Available Phytoseiid mites (Acari, Phytoseiidae inhabiting plants in natural ecosystems from Tenerife and La Gomera islands (Canary Islands have been studied. Surveys were conducted from 1997 to 2002. Eleven species were collected, one of them being reported for the first time from the Canary Islands and six of them reported for the first time from Tenerife and La Gomera islands. Euseius machadoi n. sp.> collected from woody plants in the Canarian laurisilva is proposed as a new species.
En muestreos realizados desde 1997 hasta 2002 se ha estudiado la fauna de ácaros fitoseidos (Acari, Phytoseiidae asociada a plantas de ecosistemas naturales de las islas de Tenerife y La Gomera (Islas Canarias. Se han recolectado un total de 11 especies, siendo una de ellas citada por vez primera en las islas Canarias y seis de ellas citadas por primera vez en las islas de Tenerife y La Gomera. Euseius machadoi n. sp., recolectado en plantas leñosas de la laurisilva canaria, se propone como una nueva especie. -
Harnessing ISO/IEC 12207 to Examine the Extent of SPI Activity in an Organisation
Clarke, Paul; O'Connor, Rory
The quality of the software development process directly affects the quality of the software product. To be successful, software development organisations must respond to changes in technology and business circumstances, and therefore software process improvement (SPI) is required. SPI activity relates to any modification that is performed to the software process in order to improve an aspect of the process. Although multiple process assessments could be employed to examine SPI activity, they present an inefficient tool for such an examination. This paper presents an overview of a new survey-based resource that utilises the process reference model in ISO/IEC 12207 in order to expressly and directly determine the level of SPI activity in a software development organisation. This survey instrument can be used by practitioners, auditors and researchers who are interested in determining the extent of SPI activity in an organisation.
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State Transition and Flaring Activity of IGR J17464-3213/H1743-322 with INTEGRAL SPI
Joinet, A.; Jourdain, E.; Malzac, J.; Roques, J. P.; Schönfelder, V.; Ubertini, P.; Capitanio, F.
2005-08-01
IGR J17464-3213, already known as the HEAO 1 transient source H1743-322, has been detected during a state transition by INTEGRAL SPI. We describe the spectral evolution and flaring activity of IGR J17464-3213/H1743-322 from 2003 March 21 to 2003 April 22. During the first part, the source followed a continuous spectral softening, with the peak of the spectral energy distribution shifting from 100 keV down to ~a few keV. However, the thermal disk and the hard X-ray components had a similar intensity, indicating that the source was in an intermediate state throughout our observations and evolving toward the soft state. In the second part of our observations, the RXTE ASM and INTEGRAL SPI light curves showed a strong flaring activity. Two flare events lasting about 1 day each have been detected with SPI and are probably due to instabilities in the accretion disk associated with the state transition. During these flares, the low (1.5-12 keV) and high (20-200 keV) energy fluxes monitored with the RXTE ASM and INTEGRAL SPI are correlated, and the spectral shape (above 20 keV) remains unchanged while the luminosity increases by a factor greater than 2.
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NATURAL ATYPICAL LISTERIA INNOCUA STRAINS WITH LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES PATHOGENICITY ISLAND 1 GENES
The detection of the human foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, in food, environmental samples and clinical specimens associated with cases of listeriosis, a rare but high mortality-rate disease, requires distinguishing the pathogen from other Listeria species. Speciation...
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INTEGRAL: In flight behavior of ISGRI and SPI
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lebrun, F.; Roques, J.-P.; Sauvageon, A.; Terrier, R.; Laurent, P.; Limousin, O.; Lugiez, F.; Claret, A.
2005-01-01
The payload of INTEGRAL, the space gamma-ray observatory launched in October 2002, features two gamma-ray telescopes that take advantage of the semiconductor technologies. The spectrometer SPI, is equipped with 19 high-purity germanium detectors cooled at 85 K. We will report on the SPI in-flight background, performance, the detector evolution and the annealings performed every 6 months. The INTEGRAL Soft Gamma-Ray Imager (ISGRI) is the low-energy camera of the IBIS telescope. It is the first large camera equipped with CdTe detectors. We will present some system aspects, in particular the noisy pixel handling and will report on its in-flight background, performance and their evolution
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Characterization of the in-flight degradation of the INTEGRAL/SPI detectors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lonjou, V.; Roques, J.P.; Ballmoos, P. von; Jean, P.; Knodlseder, J.; Skinner, G.; Thevenin, A.; Weidenspointner, G.
2005-01-01
SPI is a high spectral resolution gamma ray telescope which was launched on 2002 October 17 on-board INTEGRAL (INTErnational Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory). The SPI camera consists of 19 high-purity germanium detectors that cover an energy range of 20 keV-8 MeV with an energy resolution of 2-8 keV FWHM. We describe the methods used for the determination of the effects of radiation damage on the SPI detectors. Degradation rate and recovery by annealing are quantified. Using instrumental background lines due to radioisotopes from natural decay chains and from cosmic ray interactions, we found that the variations of detectors efficiency are low. Finally, the impact of the detector degradation on the energy calibration has been investigated
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kang Byoung-Kab
2012-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The present study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the ‘Korean Standard Pattern Identification for Stroke (K-SPI-Stroke’, which was developed and evaluated within the context of traditional Korean medicine (TKM. Methods Between September 2006 and December 2010, 2,905 patients from 11 Korean medical hospitals were asked to complete the K-SPI-Stroke questionnaire as a part of project ' Fundamental study for the standardization and objectification of pattern identification in traditional Korean medicine for stroke (SOPI-Stroke. Each patient was independently diagnosed by two TKM physicians from the same site according to one of four patterns, as suggested by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine: 1 a Qi deficiency pattern, 2 a Dampness-phlegm pattern, 3 a Yin deficiency pattern, or 4 a Fire-heat pattern. We estimated the internal consistency using Cronbach’s α coefficient, the discriminant validity using the means score of patterns, and the predictive validity using the classification accuracy of the K-SPI-Stroke questionnaire. Results The K-SPI-Stroke questionnaire had satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.700 and validity, with significant differences in the mean of scores among the four patterns. The overall classification accuracy of this questionnaire was 65.2 %. Conclusion These results suggest that the K-SPI-Stroke questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for estimating the severity of the four patterns.
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Fortune, Doreen R.; Suyemoto, Mitsu; Altier, Craig
2006-01-01
The csr regulatory system of Salmonella regulates the expression of the genes of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1) required for the invasion of epithelial cells. This system consists of the posttranscriptional regulator CsrA and an untranslated regulatory RNA, CsrB, that opposes the action of CsrA. Here we identify and characterize the role of a second regulatory RNA, CsrC, whose ortholog was discovered previously in Escherichia coli. We show that a mutant of csrC has only mild defects...
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Application of the SPI (Saliva Precipitation Index) to the evaluation of red wine astringency.
Rinaldi, Alessandra; Gambuti, Angelita; Moio, Luigi
2012-12-15
The aim of this work was to evaluate the astringency of red wines by means of a SDS-PAGE based-method. The optimization of the in vitro assay, named SPI (Saliva Precipitation Index) that measured the reactivity of salivary proteins towards wine polyphenols, has been performed. Improvements included the choice of saliva:wine ratio, saliva typology (resting or stimulated saliva), and temperature of binding. The LOD (0.05 g/L of condensed tannin) and LOQ (0.1g/L of condensed tannin) for the binding reaction between salivary proteins and tannins added in white wine were also determined. Fifty-seven red wines were analysed by the optimised SPI, the Folin-Ciocalteu Index, the gelatine index, the content of total tannins and the sensory quantitative evaluation of astringency. A significant correlation between the SPI and the astringency of red wines was found (R(2)=0.969), thus indicating that this assay may be useful as estimator of astringency. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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TargetSpy: a supervised machine learning approach for microRNA target prediction.
Sturm, Martin; Hackenberg, Michael; Langenberger, David; Frishman, Dmitrij
2010-05-28
Virtually all currently available microRNA target site prediction algorithms require the presence of a (conserved) seed match to the 5' end of the microRNA. Recently however, it has been shown that this requirement might be too stringent, leading to a substantial number of missed target sites. We developed TargetSpy, a novel computational approach for predicting target sites regardless of the presence of a seed match. It is based on machine learning and automatic feature selection using a wide spectrum of compositional, structural, and base pairing features covering current biological knowledge. Our model does not rely on evolutionary conservation, which allows the detection of species-specific interactions and makes TargetSpy suitable for analyzing unconserved genomic sequences.In order to allow for an unbiased comparison of TargetSpy to other methods, we classified all algorithms into three groups: I) no seed match requirement, II) seed match requirement, and III) conserved seed match requirement. TargetSpy predictions for classes II and III are generated by appropriate postfiltering. On a human dataset revealing fold-change in protein production for five selected microRNAs our method shows superior performance in all classes. In Drosophila melanogaster not only our class II and III predictions are on par with other algorithms, but notably the class I (no-seed) predictions are just marginally less accurate. We estimate that TargetSpy predicts between 26 and 112 functional target sites without a seed match per microRNA that are missed by all other currently available algorithms. Only a few algorithms can predict target sites without demanding a seed match and TargetSpy demonstrates a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy in that class. Furthermore, when conservation and the presence of a seed match are required, the performance is comparable with state-of-the-art algorithms. TargetSpy was trained on mouse and performs well in human and drosophila
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TargetSpy: a supervised machine learning approach for microRNA target prediction
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Langenberger David
2010-05-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Virtually all currently available microRNA target site prediction algorithms require the presence of a (conserved seed match to the 5' end of the microRNA. Recently however, it has been shown that this requirement might be too stringent, leading to a substantial number of missed target sites. Results We developed TargetSpy, a novel computational approach for predicting target sites regardless of the presence of a seed match. It is based on machine learning and automatic feature selection using a wide spectrum of compositional, structural, and base pairing features covering current biological knowledge. Our model does not rely on evolutionary conservation, which allows the detection of species-specific interactions and makes TargetSpy suitable for analyzing unconserved genomic sequences. In order to allow for an unbiased comparison of TargetSpy to other methods, we classified all algorithms into three groups: I no seed match requirement, II seed match requirement, and III conserved seed match requirement. TargetSpy predictions for classes II and III are generated by appropriate postfiltering. On a human dataset revealing fold-change in protein production for five selected microRNAs our method shows superior performance in all classes. In Drosophila melanogaster not only our class II and III predictions are on par with other algorithms, but notably the class I (no-seed predictions are just marginally less accurate. We estimate that TargetSpy predicts between 26 and 112 functional target sites without a seed match per microRNA that are missed by all other currently available algorithms. Conclusion Only a few algorithms can predict target sites without demanding a seed match and TargetSpy demonstrates a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy in that class. Furthermore, when conservation and the presence of a seed match are required, the performance is comparable with state-of-the-art algorithms. TargetSpy was trained on
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PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE(SPI)/MONTMORILLONITE(MMT) BIONANOCOMPOSITES
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
傅强
2009-01-01
The bionanocomposites of soy protein isolate(SPI)/montmorillonite(MMT) have been prepared successfully via simple melt mixing,in which MMT was used as nanofiller and glycerol was used as plasticizer.Their structures and properties were characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),thermogravimetric analysis and tensile testing.XRD、TEM and SEM results indicated that the MMT layers could be easily intercalated by the SPI matrix even by si...
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Borges, Karen Apellanis; Furian, Thales Quedi; de Souza, Sara Neves; Menezes, Rafaela; de Lima, Diane Alves; Fortes, Flávia Bornancini Borges; Salle, Carlos Tadeu Pippi; Moraes, Hamilton Luiz Souza; Nascimento, Vladimir Pinheiro
2018-03-22
Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are among the most prevalent serotypes isolated from salmonellosis outbreaks and poultry. Salmonella spp. have the capacity to form biofilms on several surfaces, which can favour survival in hostile environments, such as slaughterhouses. Salmonella strains present differences in pathogenicity. However, there is little information regarding the pathogenicity of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium isolated from avian sources and their relationship to biofilm production. The aim of this study was to use a novel pathogenicity index and a biofilm production assay to evaluate their relationships within these serotypes. In addition, we detected the presence of the spiA and agfA genes in these strains. Biofilm formation was investigated at two temperatures (37 °C and 28 °C) using microtiter plate assay, and the results were compared with the individual pathogenicity index of each strain. PCR was used to detect spiA and agfA, virulence genes associated with biofilm production. S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium strains were capable of producing biofilm at 37 °C and 28 °C. Sixty-two percent and 59.5% of S. Enteritidis and 73.8% and 46.2% of S. Typhimurium produced biofilm at 37 °C and 28 °C, respectively. Biofilm production at 37 °C was significantly higher in both serotypes. Only S. Enteritidis was capable of adhering strongly at both temperatures. Biofilm production was related to pathogenicity index only at 28 °C for S. Enteritidis. spiA and agfA were found in almost all strains and were not statistically associated with biofilm production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Santiviago Carlos A
2009-08-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The recently described Type VI Secretion System (T6SS represents a new paradigm of protein secretion in bacteria. A number of bioinformatic studies have been conducted to identify T6SS gene clusters in the available bacterial genome sequences. According to these studies, Salmonella harbors a unique T6SS encoded in the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 6 (SPI-6. Since these studies only considered few Salmonella genomes, the present work aimed to identify novel T6SS loci by in silico analysis of every genome sequence of Salmonella available. Results The analysis of sequencing data from 44 completed or in progress Salmonella genome projects allowed the identification of 3 novel T6SS loci. These clusters are located in differentially-distributed genomic islands we designated SPI-19, SPI-20 and SPI-21, respectively. SPI-19 was identified in a subset of S. enterica serotypes including Dublin, Weltevreden, Agona, Gallinarum and Enteritidis. In the later, an internal deletion eliminated most of the island. On the other hand, SPI-20 and SPI-21 were restricted to S. enterica subspecies arizonae (IIIa serotype 62:z4,z23:-. Remarkably, SPI-21 encodes a VgrG protein containing a C-terminal extension similar to S-type pyocins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This is not only the first evolved VgrG described in Salmonella, but also the first evolved VgrG including a pyocin domain described so far in the literature. In addition, the data indicate that SPI-6 T6SS is widely distributed in S. enterica and absent in serotypes Enteritidis, Gallinarum, Agona, Javiana, Paratyphi B, Virchow, IIIa 62:z4,z23:- and IIIb 61:1,v:1,5,(7. Interestingly, while some serotypes harbor multiple T6SS (Dublin, Weltvreden and IIIa 62:z4,z23:- others do not encode for any (Enteritidis, Paratyphi B, Javiana, Virchow and IIIb 61:1,v:1,5,(7. Comparative and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the 4 T6SS loci in Salmonella have a distinct evolutionary history. Finally, we
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Safriel, Uriel; Akhtar-Schuster, Mariam; Abraham, Elena Maria; Cowie, Annette; Daradur, Mihail; de Vente, Joris; Dema Dorji, Karma; Kust, German; Metternicht, Graciela; Orr, Barron; Pietragalla, Vanina
2015-04-01
At its 11th meeting in Windhoek/Namibia, in September 2013, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP) decided to establish a Science-Policy Interface (SPI)* (decision 23/COP.11). The goal of the SPI is to facilitate a two-way dialogue between scientists and policy makers in order to ensure the delivery of policy-relevant information, knowledge and advice on desertification/land degradation and drought (DLDD). The SPI established several initial objectives, including working with the scientific community to bring to the UNCCD and the other Rio conventions (climate change and biodiversity) the scientific evidence for the contribution of sustainable land use and management to climate change adaptation/mitigation and to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. *For more on the SPI see: http://www.unccd.int/en/programmes/Science/International-Scientific-Advice/Pages/SPI.aspx?HighlightID=282
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Spy and Counterspy as a “Cultural Hero” in the Soviet Cinema of the Cold War
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Viktoria Sukovataya
2017-07-01
Full Text Available This article aim to analyze the evolution of the Soviet spy cinema of the Cold War in the context of the cultural history and the social changes in the USA and the Soviet Union, and the relations with the political opponents. The public reception of the Soviet spy and spying was evolved in the Soviet Union and it was reflected in the cinema plots and characters transformations.
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Seeing is believing -- SpyJack system investigates field problems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
O'Meara, D.
1998-01-01
The SpyJack Remote Monitoring System, a stand-alone, single-site remote well monitoring system that works off its own embedded controller is described. The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) unit, developed by CORE Technologies Inc., has an integrated voice/alarm system, monitoring sensors installed at remote well sites continuously 24 hours a day with a digital camera, with 300 degrees of visual confirmation capability. It can also be used as a surveillance tool against terrorism as has been shown in the case of some recent debilitating attacks on remote wells in Alberta. SpyJack monitors flow rates and pressures, pumpjack stroke rates, sucker rod temperature, load cell and engine shut-off relay, as well as ambient temperature, tank levels, and motion detection. At the office, SpyJack Well Management Interface uses nine drop-down screens to take users through the remote monitoring and control of each site. The screens include production sensors, line sensors, dyno chart, environmental/safety sensors and sensor information and set up. Currently under development is the unsolicited dial-out capability. When implemented the system will send out information at pre-determined times, such as every four hours, or at specific times during the day. Compressing images to enable speedier downloading is also being planned
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Huguet, Kevin T; Gonnet, Mathieu; Doublet, Benoît; Cloeckaert, Axel
2016-08-31
The multidrug resistance Salmonella Genomic Island 1 (SGI1) is an integrative mobilizable element identified in several enterobacterial pathogens. This chromosomal island requires a conjugative IncA/C plasmid to be excised as a circular extrachromosomal form and conjugally mobilized in trans. Preliminary observations suggest stable maintenance of SGI1 in the host chromosome but paradoxically also incompatibility between SGI1 and IncA/C plasmids. Here, using a Salmonella enterica serovar Agona clonal bacterial population as model, we demonstrate that a Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) system encoded by SGI1 plays a critical role in its stable host maintenance when an IncA/C plasmid is concomitantly present. This system, designated sgiAT for Salmonella genomic island 1 Antitoxin and Toxin respectively, thus seems to play a stabilizing role in a situation where SGI1 is susceptible to be lost through plasmid IncA/C-mediated excision. Moreover and for the first time, the incompatibility between SGI1 and IncA/C plasmids was experimentally confirmed.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Phanchaisri, Boonrak [Science and Technology Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Samsang, Nuananong [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Yu, Liang Deng; Singkarat, Somsorn [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Anuntalabhochai, Somboon, E-mail: soanu.1@gmail.com [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)
2012-06-01
The culm length of two semidwarf rice mutants (PKOS1, HyKOS1) obtained from low-energy N-ion beam bombardments of dehusked Thai jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. KDML 105) seeds showed 25.7% and 21.5% height reductions and one spindly rice mutant (TKOS4) showed 21.4% increase in comparison with that of the KDML 105 control. A cDNA-RAPD analysis identified differential gene expression in internode tissues of the rice mutants. Two genes identified from the cDNA-RAPD were OsSPY and 14-3-3, possibly associated with stem height variations of the semidwarf and spindly mutants, respectively. The OsSPY gene encoded the SPY protein which is considered to be a negative regulator of gibberellin (GA). On the other hand, the 14-3-3 encoded a signaling protein which can bind and prevent the RSG (repression of shoot growth) protein function as a transcriptional repressor of the kaurene oxidase (KO) gene in the GA biosynthetic pathway. Expression analysis of OsSPY, 14-3-3, RSG, KO, and SLR1 was confirmed in rice internode tissues during the reproductive stage of the plants by semi-quantitative RT-PCR technique. The expression analysis showed a clear increase of the levels of OsSPY transcripts in PKOS1 and HyKOS1 tissue samples compared to that of the KDML 105 and TKOS4 samples at the age of 50-60 days which were at the ages of internode elongation. The 14-3-3 expression had the highest increase in the TKOS4 samples compared to those in KDML 105, PKOS1 and HyKOS1 samples. The expression analysis of RSG and KO showed an increase in TKOS4 samples compared to that of the KDML 105 and that of the two semidwarf mutants. These results indicate that changes of OsSPY and 14-3-3 expression could affect internode elongation and cause the phenotypic changes of semidwarf and spindly rice mutants, respectively.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Phanchaisri, Boonrak; Samsang, Nuananong; Yu, Liang Deng; Singkarat, Somsorn; Anuntalabhochai, Somboon
2012-01-01
The culm length of two semidwarf rice mutants (PKOS1, HyKOS1) obtained from low-energy N-ion beam bombardments of dehusked Thai jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. KDML 105) seeds showed 25.7% and 21.5% height reductions and one spindly rice mutant (TKOS4) showed 21.4% increase in comparison with that of the KDML 105 control. A cDNA-RAPD analysis identified differential gene expression in internode tissues of the rice mutants. Two genes identified from the cDNA-RAPD were OsSPY and 14-3-3, possibly associated with stem height variations of the semidwarf and spindly mutants, respectively. The OsSPY gene encoded the SPY protein which is considered to be a negative regulator of gibberellin (GA). On the other hand, the 14-3-3 encoded a signaling protein which can bind and prevent the RSG (repression of shoot growth) protein function as a transcriptional repressor of the kaurene oxidase (KO) gene in the GA biosynthetic pathway. Expression analysis of OsSPY, 14-3-3, RSG, KO, and SLR1 was confirmed in rice internode tissues during the reproductive stage of the plants by semi-quantitative RT-PCR technique. The expression analysis showed a clear increase of the levels of OsSPY transcripts in PKOS1 and HyKOS1 tissue samples compared to that of the KDML 105 and TKOS4 samples at the age of 50–60 days which were at the ages of internode elongation. The 14-3-3 expression had the highest increase in the TKOS4 samples compared to those in KDML 105, PKOS1 and HyKOS1 samples. The expression analysis of RSG and KO showed an increase in TKOS4 samples compared to that of the KDML 105 and that of the two semidwarf mutants. These results indicate that changes of OsSPY and 14-3-3 expression could affect internode elongation and cause the phenotypic changes of semidwarf and spindly rice mutants, respectively.
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Schoene, Christopher; Bennett, S. Paul; Howarth, Mark
2016-01-01
Enzymes catalyze reactions with exceptional selectivity and rate acceleration but are often limited by instability. Towards a generic route to thermo-resilience, we established the SpyRing approach, cyclizing enzymes by sandwiching between SpyTag and SpyCatcher (peptide and protein partners which lock together via a spontaneous isopeptide bond). Here we first investigated the basis for this resilience, comparing alternative reactive peptide/protein pairs we engineered from Gram-positive bacteria. Both SnoopRing and PilinRing cyclization gave dramatic enzyme resilience, but SpyRing cyclization was the best. Differential scanning calorimetry for each ring showed that cyclization did not inhibit unfolding of the inserted β-lactamase. Cyclization conferred resilience even at 100 °C, where the cyclizing domains themselves were unfolded. Phytases hydrolyze phytic acid and improve dietary absorption of phosphate and essential metal ions, important for agriculture and with potential against human malnutrition. SpyRing phytase (PhyC) resisted aggregation and retained catalytic activity even following heating at 100 °C. In addition, SpyRing cyclization made it possible to purify phytase simply by heating the cell lysate, to drive aggregation of non-cyclized proteins. Cyclization via domains forming spontaneous isopeptide bonds is a general strategy to generate resilient enzymes and may extend the range of conditions for isolation and application of enzymes. PMID:26861173
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Analysis of Gridded SPI in Hawai`i from 1920 to 2012 and Management Responses to Drought
Frazier, A. G.; Lucas, M.; Giardina, C. P.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Trauernicht, C.; Miura, T.
2017-12-01
Drought is a prominent feature of Hawai`i's climate with severe impacts in multiple sectors. Over the last century, Hawai`i has experienced downward trends in rainfall and stream baseflow, upward trends in the number of consecutive dry days and wildfire incidents, and regional projections show that unusually severe dry seasons will become increasingly common on the leeward side of all Hawaiian Islands. Many recent studies have examined different aspects of drought in Hawai`i, however, there has not been a complete synthesis of historical drought since 1991. To assess historical drought regimes in Hawai`i, a gridded Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) product was developed and analyzed for the period 1920 to 2012 at 250 m resolution. Results show that the last decade has been the driest on record, with statewide drought conditions present 90% of the time between December 2006 and December 2012. Strong spatial variations were found between islands, with higher peak intensities found on Maui and Hawai`i Island, and shorter duration droughts on Kaua`i. The most severe droughts are typically associated with El Niño events, and in recent decades, the leeward coast of Hawai`i Island has been the most drought-prone area in the state. This study also assessed historical drought specifically for federal and state conservation lands, and examined management actions during recent events. Severe droughts have shaped management plans, affecting responses including ungulate control, fuel reductions, native plant restoration, and protection of endangered species. This spatially explicit retrospective analysis provides the historical context needed to understand future projections, and contributes to more effective policy and management of natural, cultural, hydrological and agricultural resources.
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Girlich, Delphine; Dortet, Laurent; Poirel, Laurent; Nordmann, Patrice
2015-01-01
To decipher the mechanisms and their associated genetic determinants responsible for β-lactam resistance in a Proteus mirabilis clinical isolate. The entire genetic structure surrounding the β-lactam resistance genes was characterized by PCR, gene walking and DNA sequencing. Genes encoding the carbapenemase NDM-1 and the ESBL VEB-6 were located in a 38.5 kb MDR structure, which itself was inserted into a new variant of the Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1). This new PGI1-PmPEL variant of 64.4 kb was chromosomally located, as an external circular form in the P. mirabilis isolate, suggesting potential mobility. This is the first known description of the bla(NDM-1) gene in a genomic island structure, which might further enhance the spread of the bla(NDM-1) carbapenemase gene among enteric pathogens. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Selioukova, Yana; Frühwirth, Christian
Software companies who want to improve software process capabilities (SPCs)a systematic method to make informed investment decisions on software process improvement (SPI) initiatives. Such decisions should aim at creating maximum stakeholder values. To address this problem, we present a method with tool support that may help companies align stakeholder values with SPCs and SPI initiatives. The proposed method has been developed based on the well-established “Quality Function Deployment” (QFD) approach. The experience with the proposed method suggests that it particularly helps to reduce the risk of misalignment by identifying those SPI initiatives that are most beneficial to stakeholders. The tool support provided with the proposed method also generated positive experiences in increasing the usability of the method and helped companies in the elicitation and prioritization of stakeholder values. Therefore, we propose a workshop for the method work out named “Smarter Investment by Aligning SPI Initiatives, Capabilities and Stakeholder Values” in hypothetical case company.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jake D Thickman
Full Text Available Food safety is a major concern in the shellfish industry, as severe illness can result from consuming shellfish that have accumulated waterborne pathogens. Shellfish harvesting areas are typically monitored for indicator bacteria such as fecal coliforms that serve as proxies for enteric pathogens although these indicators have shown little relation to some naturally occurring pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. To examine the dynamics and ecology of pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus and address the relevance of indicator bacteria in predicting V. parahaemolyticus concentrations, field surveys and experiments were carried out in western Long Island Sound, NY, USA, a region that has experienced recent outbreaks of shellfish contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus. Pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains were quantified via PCR detection of marker genes and most probable number techniques. Field survey data showed little correspondence between fecal coliforms and V. parahaemolyticus, but significant correlations between V. parahaemolyticus and an alternative indicator, enterococci, and between V. parahaemolyticus and short-term (48 h rainfall were observed. Experiments demonstrated that enrichment of seawater with phytoplankton-derived dissolved organic matter significantly increased the concentration of total V. parahaemolyticus and the presence pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus, but higher temperatures did not. Collectively, these study results suggest that fecal coliforms may fail to account for the full suite of important shellfish pathogens but that enterococci could provide a potential alternative or supplement to shellfish sanitation monitoring. Given the ability of algal-derived dissolved organic matter to promote the growth of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus, restricting nutrient inputs into coastal water bodies that promote algal blooms may indirectly decrease the proliferation of V. parahaemolyticus
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Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels And The Making Of Modern Societies
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ossandón, José
2016-01-01
Book review of: Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels and the Making of Modern Societies. By Luc Boltanski (trans. C Porter). Cambridge: Polity Press, 2014. xviii+340 pp. £18.99/€23.80. ISBN: 9780745664057.......Book review of: Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels and the Making of Modern Societies. By Luc Boltanski (trans. C Porter). Cambridge: Polity Press, 2014. xviii+340 pp. £18.99/€23.80. ISBN: 9780745664057....
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Diaz, Nicole M; Mendez, Gabriella S; Grijalva, C Jaime; Walden, Heather S; Cruz, Marilyn; Aragon, Eduardo; Hernandez, Jorge A
2016-01-01
Dog overpopulation and diseases are hazards to native island species and humans on the Galapagos. Vaccination and importation of dogs are prohibited on the Galapagos. Risk management of these hazards requires the use of science-based risk assessment and risk communication. The objectives of the study reported here were (i) to estimate the human:dog ratio and (ii) the prevalence of and identify exposure factors associated with positive antibody titers to canine distemper virus (CDV) and other pathogens, as well as infection with intestinal parasites in owned dogs on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos in September 2014. The observed human:dog ratio was 6.148:1 which extrapolates to 2503 dogs (two times more than a recent dog count conducted by Galapagos Biosecurity Agency in March 2014). The proportion of spayed female dogs (50%) was higher, compared to neutered male dogs (30%) (p=0.04). Prevalence of dogs with positive antibody titers to CDV was 36% (95% CI=26, 46%), to canine parvovirus was 89% (95% CI=82, 95%), and to canine adenovirus was 40% (95% CI=30, 51%). The frequency of seropositive dogs to CDV was lower in urban dogs (26%), compared to rural dogs (53%) (pdog population on Santa Cruz is susceptible to an outbreak of CDV (particularly among urban dogs) with potential spill over to marine mammals. Dog's age (1-2 or 3-14 years old, compared to younger dogs), and residence (rural, urban) were associated with positive antibody titers to parvovirus, adenovirus, Ehrlichia spp., or Anaplasma spp., as well as infection with Ancylostoma spp., an intestinal parasite in dogs that can be transmitted to humans, particularly children. These results provide the most comprehensive assessment of dog overpopulation and exposure to CDV and other pathogens on the Galapagos to date. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Vercoe, Reuben B; Chang, James T; Dy, Ron L; Taylor, Corinda; Gristwood, Tamzin; Clulow, James S; Richter, Corinna; Przybilski, Rita; Pitman, Andrew R; Fineran, Peter C
2013-04-01
In prokaryotes, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and their associated (Cas) proteins constitute a defence system against bacteriophages and plasmids. CRISPR/Cas systems acquire short spacer sequences from foreign genetic elements and incorporate these into their CRISPR arrays, generating a memory of past invaders. Defence is provided by short non-coding RNAs that guide Cas proteins to cleave complementary nucleic acids. While most spacers are acquired from phages and plasmids, there are examples of spacers that match genes elsewhere in the host bacterial chromosome. In Pectobacterium atrosepticum the type I-F CRISPR/Cas system has acquired a self-complementary spacer that perfectly matches a protospacer target in a horizontally acquired island (HAI2) involved in plant pathogenicity. Given the paucity of experimental data about CRISPR/Cas-mediated chromosomal targeting, we examined this process by developing a tightly controlled system. Chromosomal targeting was highly toxic via targeting of DNA and resulted in growth inhibition and cellular filamentation. The toxic phenotype was avoided by mutations in the cas operon, the CRISPR repeats, the protospacer target, and protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) beside the target. Indeed, the natural self-targeting spacer was non-toxic due to a single nucleotide mutation adjacent to the target in the PAM sequence. Furthermore, we show that chromosomal targeting can result in large-scale genomic alterations, including the remodelling or deletion of entire pre-existing pathogenicity islands. These features can be engineered for the targeted deletion of large regions of bacterial chromosomes. In conclusion, in DNA-targeting CRISPR/Cas systems, chromosomal interference is deleterious by causing DNA damage and providing a strong selective pressure for genome alterations, which may have consequences for bacterial evolution and pathogenicity.
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Power potential and the energy in the Spi region
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Major Michal
2001-12-01
Full Text Available The contribution is a short review of the energy power information about three districts: Spiská Nová Ves, Gelnica and Levoèa. These districts are parts of the county of Koice and Preov. The contribution contains a summary of basic illustration information about the sources of energy and about a consumption of electric and heat energy in the area. In the area of the region, there is no standard thermal power station and no nuclear power station. From own sources of the region, there is especially a water energy. The majority of heat and electric energy, which is necessary in the region, comes from outside sources. The sources of power are situated in Spiská Nová Ves and Gelnica districts. The Levoèa district has no own source of energy.In the Spiská Nová Ves district, there is one industrial establishment, which produces the heat and electric energy for the own use and also for the export. With the exception of this one establishment, in Spiská district, there are 3 little hydro - electric power plants with the total installed power capacity 138 kW. And there is also one energy unit for the output of electricity and heat with the installed power capacity 400 kW. In the area of Gelnica, there is one hydro electric power plant, in the water reservoir named Ruín. It has installed the power capacity 2x30 MW. There are also 7 little hydro - electric power plants with the total installed power capacity 528 kW and one energy unit for the output of electricity and heat with installed power capacity 1100 kW.The future development of own energy sources in the region is oriented to the exploitation of natural energy sources, especially to the water energy and energy from biological gas. There is project of using the biological gas for the power purpose from one dump in the Spiská Nová Ves district. It will be realised in the time period of 10 years. In all listed above districts measurements are realized, which will show if
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A framework for plasticity implementation on the SpiNNaker neural architecture.
Galluppi, Francesco; Lagorce, Xavier; Stromatias, Evangelos; Pfeiffer, Michael; Plana, Luis A; Furber, Steve B; Benosman, Ryad B
2014-01-01
Many of the precise biological mechanisms of synaptic plasticity remain elusive, but simulations of neural networks have greatly enhanced our understanding of how specific global functions arise from the massively parallel computation of neurons and local Hebbian or spike-timing dependent plasticity rules. For simulating large portions of neural tissue, this has created an increasingly strong need for large scale simulations of plastic neural networks on special purpose hardware platforms, because synaptic transmissions and updates are badly matched to computing style supported by current architectures. Because of the great diversity of biological plasticity phenomena and the corresponding diversity of models, there is a great need for testing various hypotheses about plasticity before committing to one hardware implementation. Here we present a novel framework for investigating different plasticity approaches on the SpiNNaker distributed digital neural simulation platform. The key innovation of the proposed architecture is to exploit the reconfigurability of the ARM processors inside SpiNNaker, dedicating a subset of them exclusively to process synaptic plasticity updates, while the rest perform the usual neural and synaptic simulations. We demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed approach by showing the implementation of a variety of spike- and rate-based learning rules, including standard Spike-Timing dependent plasticity (STDP), voltage-dependent STDP, and the rate-based BCM rule. We analyze their performance and validate them by running classical learning experiments in real time on a 4-chip SpiNNaker board. The result is an efficient, modular, flexible and scalable framework, which provides a valuable tool for the fast and easy exploration of learning models of very different kinds on the parallel and reconfigurable SpiNNaker system.
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Harima, Hirofumi; Hamabe, Kouichi; Hisano, Fusako; Matsuzaki, Yuko; Itoh, Tadahiko; Sanuki, Kazutoshi; Sakaida, Isao
2018-05-23
An 89-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment of hepatolithiasis causing recurrent cholangitis. He had undergone a prior Whipple procedure. Computed tomography demonstrated left-sided hepatolithiasis. First, we conducted peroral direct cholangioscopy (PDCS) using an ultraslim endoscope. Although PDCS was successfully conducted, it was unsuccessful in removing all the stones. The stones located in the B2 segment were difficult to remove because the endoscope could not be inserted deeply into this segment due to the small size of the intrahepatic bile duct. Next, we substituted the endoscope with an upper gastrointestinal endoscope. After positioning the endoscope, the SpyGlass digital system (SPY-DS) was successfully inserted deep into the B2 segment. Upon visualizing the residual stones, we conducted SPY-DS-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy. The stones were disintegrated and completely removed. In cases of PDCS failure, a treatment strategy using the SPY-DS can be considered for patients with hepatolithiasis after a Whipple procedure.
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INTEGRAL/SPI γ-ray line spectroscopy. Response and background characteristics
Diehl, Roland; Siegert, Thomas; Greiner, Jochen; Krause, Martin; Kretschmer, Karsten; Lang, Michael; Pleintinger, Moritz; Strong, Andrew W.; Weinberger, Christoph; Zhang, Xiaoling
2018-03-01
Context. The space based γ-ray observatory INTEGRAL of the European Space Agency (ESA) includes the spectrometer instrument "SPI". This is a coded mask telescope featuring a 19-element Germanium detector array for high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy, encapsulated in a scintillation detector assembly that provides a veto for background from charged particles. In space, cosmic rays irradiate spacecraft and instruments, which, in spite of the vetoing detectors, results in a large instrumental background from activation of those materials, and leads to deterioration of the charge collection properties of the Ge detectors. Aim. We aim to determine the measurement characteristics of our detectors and their evolution with time, that is, their spectral response and instrumental background. These incur systematic variations in the SPI signal from celestial photons, hence their determination from a broad empirical database enables a reduction of underlying systematics in data analysis. For this, we explore compromises balancing temporal and spectral resolution within statistical limitations. Our goal is to enable modelling of background applicable to spectroscopic studies of the sky, accounting separately for changes of the spectral response and of instrumental background. Methods: We use 13.5 years of INTEGRAL/SPI data, which consist of spectra for each detector and for each pointing of the satellite. Spectral fits to each such spectrum, with independent but coherent treatment of continuum and line backgrounds, provides us with details about separated background components. From the strongest background lines, we first determine how the spectral response changes with time. Applying symmetry and long-term stability tests, we eliminate degeneracies and reduce statistical fluctuations of background parameters, with the aim of providing a self-consistent description of the spectral response for each individual detector. Accounting for this, we then determine how the
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Exploring Managerial Commitment towards SPI in Small and Very Small Enterprises
O'Connor, Rory V.; Basri, Shuib; Coleman, Gerry
This paper compares and contrasts the results of two similar studies into the software process practices in Irish Small and Very Small Enterprises. The first study contains rich findings in relation to the role and influence of managerial experience and style, with particular respect to the company founder and software development managers in small to medium seized enterprises (SMEs), whilst the second study contains extensive findings in relation to people and management involvement / commitment and SPI goal planning in very small enterprises (VSEs). By combining these results of these two studies of Irish SMEs/VSEs we can develop a rich picture of managerial commitment towards SPI and in particular explore the similarities between Small and Very Small Enterprises.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Reuben B Vercoe
2013-04-01
Full Text Available In prokaryotes, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs and their associated (Cas proteins constitute a defence system against bacteriophages and plasmids. CRISPR/Cas systems acquire short spacer sequences from foreign genetic elements and incorporate these into their CRISPR arrays, generating a memory of past invaders. Defence is provided by short non-coding RNAs that guide Cas proteins to cleave complementary nucleic acids. While most spacers are acquired from phages and plasmids, there are examples of spacers that match genes elsewhere in the host bacterial chromosome. In Pectobacterium atrosepticum the type I-F CRISPR/Cas system has acquired a self-complementary spacer that perfectly matches a protospacer target in a horizontally acquired island (HAI2 involved in plant pathogenicity. Given the paucity of experimental data about CRISPR/Cas-mediated chromosomal targeting, we examined this process by developing a tightly controlled system. Chromosomal targeting was highly toxic via targeting of DNA and resulted in growth inhibition and cellular filamentation. The toxic phenotype was avoided by mutations in the cas operon, the CRISPR repeats, the protospacer target, and protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM beside the target. Indeed, the natural self-targeting spacer was non-toxic due to a single nucleotide mutation adjacent to the target in the PAM sequence. Furthermore, we show that chromosomal targeting can result in large-scale genomic alterations, including the remodelling or deletion of entire pre-existing pathogenicity islands. These features can be engineered for the targeted deletion of large regions of bacterial chromosomes. In conclusion, in DNA-targeting CRISPR/Cas systems, chromosomal interference is deleterious by causing DNA damage and providing a strong selective pressure for genome alterations, which may have consequences for bacterial evolution and pathogenicity.
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Vercoe, Reuben B.; Chang, James T.; Dy, Ron L.; Taylor, Corinda; Gristwood, Tamzin; Clulow, James S.; Richter, Corinna; Przybilski, Rita; Pitman, Andrew R.; Fineran, Peter C.
2013-01-01
In prokaryotes, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and their associated (Cas) proteins constitute a defence system against bacteriophages and plasmids. CRISPR/Cas systems acquire short spacer sequences from foreign genetic elements and incorporate these into their CRISPR arrays, generating a memory of past invaders. Defence is provided by short non-coding RNAs that guide Cas proteins to cleave complementary nucleic acids. While most spacers are acquired from phages and plasmids, there are examples of spacers that match genes elsewhere in the host bacterial chromosome. In Pectobacterium atrosepticum the type I-F CRISPR/Cas system has acquired a self-complementary spacer that perfectly matches a protospacer target in a horizontally acquired island (HAI2) involved in plant pathogenicity. Given the paucity of experimental data about CRISPR/Cas–mediated chromosomal targeting, we examined this process by developing a tightly controlled system. Chromosomal targeting was highly toxic via targeting of DNA and resulted in growth inhibition and cellular filamentation. The toxic phenotype was avoided by mutations in the cas operon, the CRISPR repeats, the protospacer target, and protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) beside the target. Indeed, the natural self-targeting spacer was non-toxic due to a single nucleotide mutation adjacent to the target in the PAM sequence. Furthermore, we show that chromosomal targeting can result in large-scale genomic alterations, including the remodelling or deletion of entire pre-existing pathogenicity islands. These features can be engineered for the targeted deletion of large regions of bacterial chromosomes. In conclusion, in DNA–targeting CRISPR/Cas systems, chromosomal interference is deleterious by causing DNA damage and providing a strong selective pressure for genome alterations, which may have consequences for bacterial evolution and pathogenicity. PMID:23637624
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Harnessing ISO/IEC 12207 to examine the extent of SPI activity in an organisation
Clarke, Paul; O'Connor, Rory
2010-01-01
peer-reviewed The quality of the software development process directly affects the quality of the software product. To be successful, software development organisations must respond to changes in technology and business circumstances, and therefore software process improvement (SPI) is required. SPI activity relates to any modification that is performed to the software process in order to improve an aspect of the process. Although multiple process assessments could be employed to examine S...
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Yoshii, Atsushi; Moriyama, Hiromitsu; Fukuhara, Toshiyuki
2012-08-01
Kasugamycin (KSM), a unique aminoglycoside antibiotic, has been used in agriculture for many years to control not only rice blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea but also rice bacterial grain and seedling rot or rice bacterial brown stripe caused by Burkholderia glumae or Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae, respectively. Since both bacterial pathogens are seed-borne and cause serious injury to rice seedlings, the emergence of KSM-resistant B. glumae and A. avenae isolates highlights the urgent need to understand the mechanism of resistance to KSM. Here, we identified a novel gene, aac(2')-IIa, encoding a KSM 2'-N-acetyltransferase from both KSM-resistant pathogens but not from KSM-sensitive bacteria. AAC(2')-IIa inactivates KSM, although it reveals no cross-resistance to other aminoglycosides. The aac(2')-IIa gene from B. glumae strain 5091 was identified within the IncP genomic island inserted into the bacterial chromosome, indicating the acquisition of this gene by horizontal gene transfer. Although excision activity of the IncP island and conjugational gene transfer was not detected under the conditions tested, circular intermediates containing the aac(2')-IIa gene were detected. These results indicate that the aac(2')-IIa gene had been integrated into the IncP island of a donor bacterial species. Molecular detection of the aac(2')-IIa gene could distinguish whether isolates are resistant or susceptible to KSM. This may contribute to the production of uninfected rice seeds and lead to the effective control of these pathogens by KSM.
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WebSpy: An Architecture for Monitoring Web Server Availability in a Multi-Platform Environment
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Madhan Mohan Thirukonda
2002-01-01
Full Text Available For an electronic business (e-business, customer satisfaction can be the difference between long-term success and short-term failure. Customer satisfaction is highly impacted by Web server availability, as customers expect a Web site to be available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Unfortunately, unscheduled Web server downtime is often beyond the control of the organization. What is needed is an effective means of identifying and recovering from Web server downtime in order to minimize the negative impact on the customer. An automated architecture, called WebSpy, has been developed to notify administration and to take immediate action when Web server downtime is detected. This paper describes the WebSpy architecture and differentiates it from other popular Web monitoring tools. The results of a case study are presented as a means of demonstrating WebSpy's effectiveness in monitoring Web server availability.
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Putonti, Catherine; Nowicki, Bogdan; Shaffer, Michael; Fofanov, Yuriy; Nowicki, Stella
2013-09-04
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) or genomic islands (GEIs) are considered to be the result of a recent horizontal transfer. Detecting PAIs/GEIs as well as their putative source can provide insight into the organism's pathogenicity within its host. Previously we introduced a tool called S-plot which provides a visual representation of the variation in compositional properties across and between genomic sequences. Utilizing S-plot and new functionality developed here, we examined 18 publicly available Neisseria genomes, including strains of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, in order to identify regions of unusual compositional properties (RUCPs) using both a sliding window as well as a gene-by-gene approach. Numerous GEIs and PAIs were identified including virulence genes previously found within the pathogenic Neisseria species. While some genes were conserved amongst all species, only pathogenic species, or an individual species, a number of genes were detected that are unique to an individual strain. While the majority of such genes have an origin unknown, a number of putative sources including pathogenic and capsule-containing bacteria were determined, indicative of gene exchange between Neisseria spp. and other bacteria within their microhabitat. Furthermore, we uncovered evidence that both N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae have separately acquired DNA from their human host. Data suggests that all three Neisseria species have received horizontally transferred elements post-speciation. Using this approach, we were able to not only find previously identified regions of virulence but also new regions which may be contributing to the virulence of the species. This comparative analysis provides a means for tracing the evolutionary history of the acquisition of foreign DNA within this genus. Looking specifically at the RUCPs present within the 18 genomes considered, a stronger similarity between N. meningitidis and N. lactamica is observed, suggesting that N
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Towards the identification of the influence of SPI on the successful evolution of software SMEs
Clarke, Paul; O'Connor, Rory
2010-01-01
peer-reviewed Software development requires multi-stage processes in order to organise the software development effort. Each software development project should implement a development process that is appropriate to the project setting. Since business needs and technologies are subject to change, software process improvement (SPI) actions are required so as to harmonise the process with the emerging business and technology needs. SPI frameworks such as the Capability Maturity Model Integra...
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Yousuf, Farzana Abubakar; Yousuf, Zuhair; Iqbal, Junaid; Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah; Khan, Hafsa; Khan, Naveed Ahmed
2014-01-01
Here we determined the role of various genomic islands in E. coli K1 interactions with phagocytic A. castellanii and nonphagocytic brain microvascular endothelial cells. The findings revealed that the genomic islands deletion mutants of RS218 related to toxins (peptide toxin, α-hemolysin), adhesins (P fimbriae, F17-like fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, Hek, and hemagglutinin), protein secretion system (T1SS for hemolysin), invasins (IbeA, CNF1), metabolism (D-serine catabolism, dihydroxyacetone, glycerol, and glyoxylate metabolism) showed reduced interactions with both A. castellanii and brain microvascular endothelial cells. Interestingly, the deletion of RS218-derived genomic island 21 containing adhesins (P fimbriae, F17-like fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, Hek, and hemagglutinin), protein secretion system (T1SS for hemolysin), invasins (CNF1), metabolism (D-serine catabolism) abolished E. coli K1-mediated HBMEC cytotoxicity in a CNF1-independent manner. Therefore, the characterization of these genomic islands should reveal mechanisms of evolutionary gain for E. coli K1 pathogenicity. PMID:24818136
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Farzana Abubakar Yousuf
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Here we determined the role of various genomic islands in E. coli K1 interactions with phagocytic A. castellanii and nonphagocytic brain microvascular endothelial cells. The findings revealed that the genomic islands deletion mutants of RS218 related to toxins (peptide toxin, α-hemolysin, adhesins (P fimbriae, F17-like fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, Hek, and hemagglutinin, protein secretion system (T1SS for hemolysin, invasins (IbeA, CNF1, metabolism (D-serine catabolism, dihydroxyacetone, glycerol, and glyoxylate metabolism showed reduced interactions with both A. castellanii and brain microvascular endothelial cells. Interestingly, the deletion of RS218-derived genomic island 21 containing adhesins (P fimbriae, F17-like fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, Hek, and hemagglutinin, protein secretion system (T1SS for hemolysin, invasins (CNF1, metabolism (D-serine catabolism abolished E. coli K1-mediated HBMEC cytotoxicity in a CNF1-independent manner. Therefore, the characterization of these genomic islands should reveal mechanisms of evolutionary gain for E. coli K1 pathogenicity.
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Development of SPIES (Space Intelligent Eyeing System) for smart vehicle tracing and tracking
Abdullah, Suzanah; Ariffin Osoman, Muhammad; Guan Liyong, Chua; Zulfadhli Mohd Noor, Mohd; Mohamed, Ikhwan
2016-06-01
SPIES or Space-based Intelligent Eyeing System is an intelligent technology which can be utilized for various applications such as gathering spatial information of features on Earth, tracking system for the movement of an object, tracing system to trace the history information, monitoring driving behavior, security and alarm system as an observer in real time and many more. SPIES as will be developed and supplied modularly will encourage the usage based on needs and affordability of users. SPIES are a complete system with camera, GSM, GPS/GNSS and G-Sensor modules with intelligent function and capabilities. Mainly the camera is used to capture pictures and video and sometimes with audio of an event. Its usage is not limited to normal use for nostalgic purpose but can be used as a reference for security and material of evidence when an undesirable event such as crime occurs. When integrated with space based technology of the Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS), photos and videos can be recorded together with positioning information. A product of the integration of these technologies when integrated with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and Geographic Information System (GIS) will produce innovation in the form of information gathering methods in still picture or video with positioning information that can be conveyed in real time via the web to display location on the map hence creating an intelligent eyeing system based on space technology. The importance of providing global positioning information is a challenge but overcome by SPIES even in areas without GNSS signal reception for the purpose of continuous tracking and tracing capability
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Assessment Tools as Drivers for SPI: Short-term Benefits and Long-term Challenges
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mûller, Sune Dueholm; Nørbjerg, Jacob; Cho, Hiu Ngan
2007-01-01
Full scale software process maturity assessments are costly, can have large organizational impact, and are carried out at long (12-24 months) intervals. Consequently, there is a need for techniques and tools to monitor and help manage an SPI project through inexpensive, ongoing progress assessments....... In this paper we present findings from two cases of using such a tool. We have found that the tool does provide useful snapshots of the status of SPI projects, but that long-term use of the tool introduces costs and challenges related to modifying and tailoring the tool to both the organizational context...
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The Spies and the Gran Turco (XVI Century
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gennaro Varriale
2016-04-01
Full Text Available This present essay focuses on the information that Hispanic spies collected in the Levant during the sixteenth-century. Based on archival and literary sources, the study is built around the typical structure of a lyric opera to show the worth of the secret correspondence such as archetype of European perception about the Ottoman Empire and, more generally, about all the Islam.
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Presence of pathogenicity island genes in Enterococcus faecalis isolates from pigs in Denmark
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Shankar, Nathan; Baghdayan, Arto S.; Willems, Rob
2006-01-01
Enterococcus faecalis isolates of porcine origin were screened for the presence of a previously identified pathogenicity island (PAI). By using the esp gene as a genetic marker for the presence of this PAI, 9 esp-positive and 10 esp-negative isolates of porcine origin were investigated by use...... of a designed oligonucleotide array. The results indicated the clustering of esp-positive strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), but surprisingly, all strains investigated contained parts of the PAL None of the strains of animal origin investigated belonged to previously identified MLST complex 2, where...... most isolates from patients cluster. Five of the nine esp-positive E. faecalis isolates of animal origin belonged to the same PAI complex as human isolate MMH594 but differed in their sequence types, which strongly indicates the horizontal transfer of the PAI between enterococci of porcine and human...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Attie, D
2005-01-15
The INTEGRAL/SPI spectrometer was designed to observe the sky in the energy band of 20 keV to 8 MeV. The specificity of instrument SPI rests on the excellent spectral resolution (2.3 keV with 1 MeV) of its detecting plan, composed of 19 cooled germanium crystals; covering an effective area of 508 cm{sup 2}. The use of a coded mask, located at 1.7 m above the detection plan ensures to it a resolving power of 2.5 degrees. The aim of this thesis, begun before the INTEGRAL launch, is made up of two parts. The first part relates to the analysis of the spectrometer calibration data. The objective was to measure and check the performances of the telescope, in particular to validate simulations of the INTEGRAL/SPI instrument response. This objective was successfully achieved. This analysis also highlights the presence of a significant instrumental background noise. Whereas, the second part concentrates on the data analysis of the Vela region observations. I have approached two astrophysical topics dealing with: - the search for radioactive decays lines of titanium-44, which is produced by explosive nucleosynthesis, in the supernova remnant of Vela Junior and, - the search of cyclotron resonance scattering features expected towards 25 keV and 52 keV in the accreting pulsar spectrum of the x-ray binary star Vela X-1. Putting forward the hypothesis that the result obtained previously by COMPTEL is correct and considering the no-detection of the titanium-44 lines by SPI, we give a lower limit at 4500 km s{sup -1} for the ejecta velocity from Vela Junior. The analysis on the research of the cyclotron lines have shown that the results are very sensitive to the instrumental background. Thorough studies will be necessary to guarantee an unambiguous detection of these lines. (author)
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A novel approach for modeling the cluster detector and the SPI spectrometer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kshetri, Ritesh
2013-01-01
Using available experimental data on cluster detector, predictions for the peak-to-total ratio have been given for energy region having no direct experimental information about them. The predictions for the fold distribution are found to be in agreement with the experimental data. The formulation here does not include ad-hoc fits, but expressions that are justifiable by probability flow arguments. Instead of using an empirical method or simulation, a novel approach for calculating the peak-to-total ratio of the cluster detector and the SPI spectrometer for high gamma energies has been presented here. This could provide guidance in designing new composite detectors and in performing experimental studies with the SPI spectrometer for high energy gamma-rays
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Assessment of meteorological drought using SPI in West Azarbaijan ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Michael Horsfall
2017-05-13
May 13, 2017 ... The basis of drought indices is often based on measuring the deviation of precipitation values from long-term mean, during a specific period of time. The standard precipitation index (SPI) can be used for indicating the associated temporal and spatial variations. The aim of this research is the assessment of ...
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Asadi Zarch, Mohammad Amin; Sivakumar, Bellie; Sharma, Ashish
2015-07-01
Both drought and aridity indicate imbalance in water availability. While drought is a natural temporal hazard, aridity is a constant climatic feature. This paper investigates the changes in drought characteristics across different aridity zones with and without consideration of potential evapotranspiration (PET), as a means to better assess drought in a warming climate. Two drought indexes are employed: (1) Standardized precipitation index (SPI), which is solely based on precipitation; and (2) Reconnaissance drought index (RDI), which, in addition to precipitation, takes PET into account. The two indexes are first employed to observed precipitation and PET data for the period 1960-2009 from the CRU (Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia) TS 3.1 database. The results indicate that although all the aridity zones experience both downward and upward drought trends, no significant trend is found over large parts of the zones. However, the agreement between SPI and RDI reduces from the hyper-arid zone on one extreme toward the humid zone on the other. In the three more humid zones (i.e. semi-arid, sub-humid, and humid), the indexes exhibit different trends, with RDI showing more decreasing trends (i.e. becoming drier). While SPI generally shows more drought prone areas than RDI for the pre-1998 period, the opposite is observed for the post-1998 period. Given the known changes to PET in observed records, and also expected increases as global warming intensifies, these results suggest that RDI will be consistently different to the SPI as global warming intensifies. This hypothesis is further tested for historic and future climate projections from the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia) Mk3.6 global climate model (GCM), with use of the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathways). In this case, PET is calculated using FAO56-PM model for assessment of
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Latest development of high-power fiber lasers in SPI
Norman, Stephen; Zervas, Mikhail N.; Appleyard, Andrew; Durkin, Michael K.; Horley, Ray; Varnham, Malcolm P.; Nilsson, Johan; Jeong, Yoonchan
2004-06-01
High Power Fiber Lasers (HPFLs) and High Power Fiber Amplifiers (HPFAs) promise a number of benefits in terms of their high optical efficiency, degree of integration, beam quality, reliability, spatial compactness and thermal management. These benefits are driving the rapid adoption of HPFLs in an increasingly wide range of applications and power levels ranging from a few Watts, in for example analytical applications, to high-power >1kW materials processing (machining and welding) applications. This paper describes SPI"s innovative technologies, HPFL products and their performance capabilities. The paper highlights key aspects of the design basis and provides an overview of the applications space in both the industrial and aerospace domains. Single-fiber CW lasers delivering 1kW output power at 1080nm have been demonstrated and are being commercialized for aerospace and industrial applications with wall-plug efficiencies in the range 20 to 25%, and with beam parameter products in the range 0.5 to 100 mm.mrad (corresponding to M2 = 1.5 to 300) tailored to application requirements. At power levels in the 1 - 200 W range, SPI"s proprietary cladding-pumping technology, GTWaveTM, has been employed to produce completely fiber-integrated systems using single-emitter broad-stripe multimode pump diodes. This modular construction enables an agile and flexible approach to the configuration of a range of fiber laser / amplifier systems for operation in the 1080nm and 1550nm wavelength ranges. Reliability modeling is applied to determine Systems martins such that performance specifications are robustly met throughout the designed product lifetime. An extensive Qualification and Reliability-proving programme is underway to qualify the technology building blocks that are utilized for the fiber laser cavity, pump modules, pump-driver systems and thermo-mechanical management. In addition to the CW products, pulsed fiber lasers with pulse energies exceeding 1mJ with peak pulse
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The Sneaky Sneaker Spies and the Mysterious Black Ink
Savran, Michelle
2012-01-01
In this article, the author describes the process of making "The Sneaky Sneaker Spies and the Mysterious Black Ink," a six-minute animation starring five art students who form a detective club. This animation is available online for art teachers to use in their own classrooms. After showing this video in class, art teachers could have students try…
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Moriyama, Hiromitsu; Fukuhara, Toshiyuki
2012-01-01
Kasugamycin (KSM), a unique aminoglycoside antibiotic, has been used in agriculture for many years to control not only rice blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea but also rice bacterial grain and seedling rot or rice bacterial brown stripe caused by Burkholderia glumae or Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae, respectively. Since both bacterial pathogens are seed-borne and cause serious injury to rice seedlings, the emergence of KSM-resistant B. glumae and A. avenae isolates highlights the urgent need to understand the mechanism of resistance to KSM. Here, we identified a novel gene, aac(2′)-IIa, encoding a KSM 2′-N-acetyltransferase from both KSM-resistant pathogens but not from KSM-sensitive bacteria. AAC(2′)-IIa inactivates KSM, although it reveals no cross-resistance to other aminoglycosides. The aac(2′)-IIa gene from B. glumae strain 5091 was identified within the IncP genomic island inserted into the bacterial chromosome, indicating the acquisition of this gene by horizontal gene transfer. Although excision activity of the IncP island and conjugational gene transfer was not detected under the conditions tested, circular intermediates containing the aac(2′)-IIa gene were detected. These results indicate that the aac(2′)-IIa gene had been integrated into the IncP island of a donor bacterial species. Molecular detection of the aac(2′)-IIa gene could distinguish whether isolates are resistant or susceptible to KSM. This may contribute to the production of uninfected rice seeds and lead to the effective control of these pathogens by KSM. PMID:22660700
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The Impact of Female Attractiveness in Spy
Pangjaya, Veronika Juliani; Handojo, Priska Febrinia
2017-01-01
This thesis discusses the impact of female attractiveness on the female character which is related to the way Spy sees attractive women and what the impacts to them are. There are criteria for female attractiveness that are displayed by the film such as physical attributes and traits. In order to show the criteria of attractive women and the responses that they get, I use stereotyping theory. Women who are physically attractive get better treatment, but in order to get that, they have to dres...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bonten Marc JM
2010-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecium is an important cause of nosocomial infections in immunocompromized patients. Results We present a pyrosequencing-based comparative genome analysis of seven E. faecium strains that were isolated from various sources. In the genomes of clinical isolates several antibiotic resistance genes were identified, including the vanA transposon that confers resistance to vancomycin in two strains. A functional comparison between E. faecium and the related opportunistic pathogen E. faecalis based on differences in the presence of protein families, revealed divergence in plant carbohydrate metabolic pathways and oxidative stress defense mechanisms. The E. faecium pan-genome was estimated to be essentially unlimited in size, indicating that E. faecium can efficiently acquire and incorporate exogenous DNA in its gene pool. One of the most prominent sources of genomic diversity consists of bacteriophages that have integrated in the genome. The CRISPR-Cas system, which contributes to immunity against bacteriophage infection in prokaryotes, is not present in the sequenced strains. Three sequenced isolates carry the esp gene, which is involved in urinary tract infections and biofilm formation. The esp gene is located on a large pathogenicity island (PAI, which is between 64 and 104 kb in size. Conjugation experiments showed that the entire esp PAI can be transferred horizontally and inserts in a site-specific manner. Conclusions Genes involved in environmental persistence, colonization and virulence can easily be aquired by E. faecium. This will make the development of successful treatment strategies targeted against this organism a challenge for years to come.
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[Assisted reproductive medicine in Poland, 2011--SPiN PTG report].
Janicka, Anna; Spaczyński, Robert Z; Kurzawa, Rafał
2014-07-01
The aim of this report is to present data concerning results and complications related to infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technology (ART) and insemination (IUI) in Poland in 2011. The report was prepared by the Fertility and Sterility Special Interest Group of the Polish Gynaecological Society (SPiN PTG), based on individual data provided by fertility clinics in Poland. Reporting was voluntary and the provided data was not subject to external control. The report presents the availability and the structure of infertility treatment services, the number of procedures performed, their effectiveness and the most common complications. In 2013, 33 Polish fertility clinics provided information to the SPiN PTG report, presenting data from the year 2011. The total number of reported treatment cycles using ART was 15,340 (incl. 10,011 IVF/ICSI procedures) and 15,627 IUI procedures. The rate of clinical pregnancies in terms of a cycle was 34.2% in case of IVF/ ICSI procedures and 13.4% in case of IUI. The prevalence of multiple births was 20.2% and 8.3% respectively in case of IVF/ICSI and IUI methods. The most frequent complication in the course of treatment using ART was ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The SPiN PTG report allows to find out the average effectiveness and safety of assisted reproduction technologies and is currently the only proof of responsibility and due diligence of fertility centres in Poland. However due to the lack of a central register of fertility clinics, facultative participation in the report as well as incomplete information on pregnancy and delivery the collected data does not reflect the full spectrum of the Polish reproductive medicine.
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Polarity driven morphology of CeO2(1 0 0) islands on Cu(1 1 1)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stetsovych, O.; Beran, J.; Dvořák, F.; Mašek, K.; Mysliveček, J.; Matolín, V.
2013-01-01
Thin ceria films supported by metal substrates represent important model systems for reactivity studies in heterogeneous catalysis. Here we report the growth study of the polar CeO 2 (1 0 0) phase as part of a mixed CeO 2 (1 1 1)–CeO 2 (1 0 0) thin film supported by Cu(1 1 1). The two ceria phases grow on different areas of the substrate, what allows a reliable growth characterization of the CeO 2 (1 0 0) islands on Cu(1 1 1). Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal CeO 2 (1 0 0) to grow in the form of highly dispersed three dimensional (3D) islands on a CeO 2 (1 0 0) interfacial layer. The CeO 2 (1 0 0) islands exhibit a 2 × 2 surface reconstruction. The presence of the surface reconstruction together with the highly dispersed growth of CeO 2 (1 0 0) islands corresponds to the requirement for compensation of the surface dipole moment on the CeO 2 (1 0 0). CeO 2 (1 0 0) islands are further characterized by reflection high energy electron diffraction yielding their epitaxial relations with respect to the Cu(1 1 1) substrate. The growth of well characterized CeO 2 (1 0 0) islands supported by Cu(1 1 1) represents a starting point for developing a novel template for structure-related reactivity studies of ceria based model catalysts.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Attie, D.
2005-01-01
The INTEGRAL/SPI spectrometer was designed to observe the sky in the energy band of 20 keV to 8 MeV. The specificity of instrument SPI rests on the excellent spectral resolution (2.3 keV with 1 MeV) of its detecting plan, composed of 19 cooled germanium crystals; covering an effective area of 508 cm 2 . The use of a coded mask, located at 1.7 m above the detection plan ensures to it a resolving power of 2.5 degrees. The aim of this thesis, begun before the INTEGRAL launch, is made up of two parts. The first part relates to the analysis of the spectrometer calibration data. The objective was to measure and check the performances of the telescope, in particular to validate simulations of the INTEGRAL/SPI instrument response. This objective was successfully achieved. This analysis also highlights the presence of a significant instrumental background noise. Whereas, the second part concentrates on the data analysis of the Vela region observations. I have approached two astrophysical topics dealing with: - the search for radioactive decays lines of titanium-44, which is produced by explosive nucleosynthesis, in the supernova remnant of Vela Junior and, - the search of cyclotron resonance scattering features expected towards 25 keV and 52 keV in the accreting pulsar spectrum of the x-ray binary star Vela X-1. Putting forward the hypothesis that the result obtained previously by COMPTEL is correct and considering the no-detection of the titanium-44 lines by SPI, we give a lower limit at 4500 km s -1 for the ejecta velocity from Vela Junior. The analysis on the research of the cyclotron lines have shown that the results are very sensitive to the instrumental background. Thorough studies will be necessary to guarantee an unambiguous detection of these lines. (author)
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Siebor, Eliane; Neuwirth, Catherine
2014-12-01
To analyse the genetic environment of the antibiotic resistance genes in two clinical Proteus mirabilis isolates resistant to multiple antibiotics. PCR, gene walking and whole-genome sequencing were used to determine the sequence of the resistance regions, the surrounding genetic structure and the flanking chromosomal regions. A genomic island of 81.1 kb named Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1) located at the 3'-end of trmE (formerly known as thdF) was characterized. The large MDR region of PGI1 (55.4 kb) included a class 1 integron (aadB and aadA2) and regions deriving from several transposons: Tn2 (blaTEM-135), Tn21, Tn6020-like transposon (aphA1b), a hybrid Tn502/Tn5053 transposon, Tn501, a hybrid Tn1696/Tn1721 transposon [tetA(A)] carrying a class 1 integron (aadA1) and Tn5393 (strA and strB). Several ISs were also present (IS4321, IS1R and IS26). The PGI1 backbone (25.7 kb) was identical to that identified in Salmonella Heidelberg SL476 and shared some identity with the Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) backbone. An IS26-mediated recombination event caused the division of the MDR region into two parts separated by a large chromosomal DNA fragment of 197 kb, the right end of PGI1 and this chromosomal sequence being in inverse orientation. PGI1 is a new resistance genomic island from P. mirabilis belonging to the same island family as SGI1. The role of PGI1 in the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among Enterobacteriaceae of medical importance needs to be evaluated. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Geostatistical Study of Precipitation on the Island of Crete
Agou, Vasiliki D.; Varouchakis, Emmanouil A.; Hristopulos, Dionissios T.
2015-04-01
Understanding and predicting the spatiotemporal patterns of precipitation in the Mediterranean islands is an important topic of research, which is emphasized by alarming long-term predictions for increased drought conditions [4]. The analysis of records from drought-prone areas around the world has demonstrated that precipitation data are non-Gaussian. Typically, such data are fitted to the gamma distribution function and then transformed into a normalized index, the so-called Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) [5]. The SPI can be defined for different time scales and has been applied to data from various regions [2]. Precipitation maps can be constructed using the stochastic method of Ordinary Kriging [1]. Such mathematical tools help to better understand the space-time variability and to plan water resources management. We present preliminary results of an ongoing investigation of the space-time precipitation distribution on the island of Crete (Greece). The study spans the time period from 1948 to 2012 and extends over an area of 8 336 km2. The data comprise monthly precipitation measured at 56 stations. Analysis of the data showed that the most severe drought occurred in 1950 followed by 1989, whereas the wettest year was 2002 followed by 1977. A spatial trend was observed with the spatially averaged annual precipitation in the West measured at about 450mm higher than in the East. Analysis of the data also revealed strong correlations between the precipitation in the western and eastern parts of the island. In addition to longitude, elevation (masl) was determined to be an important factor that exhibits strong linear correlation with precipitation. The precipitation data exhibit wet and dry periods with strong variability even during the wet period. Thus, fitting the data to specific probability distribution models has proved challenging. Different time scales, e.g. monthly, biannual, and annual have been investigated. Herein we focus on annual
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Formation and healing of n = 1 magnetic islands in LHD equilibrium
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kanno, Ryutaro; Hayashi, Takaya; Okamoto, Masao
2005-01-01
Magnetic islands with the toroidal mode number n = 1, e.g. m/n = 1/1 and 2/1 islands, in a Large Helical Device (LHD) equilibrium are studied using the three-dimensional MHD equilibrium code, HINT. In order to accomplish this purpose, the HINT code has been improved. The equilibrium analysis, in particular an analysis of the LHD equilibrium with an m/n = 1/1 island, is required for the local island divertor experiment, in order to understand the magnetic structures of field lines, i.e. flux surfaces, islands and ergodic field lines. We find that the m/n = 2/1 island can be healed for a finite equilibrium beta, while the m/n = 1/1 island is not healed and is surrounded with ergodic field lines for finite-β. From the latter result, we can conjecture that the island divertor concept is effective even for finite equilibrium beta-values, but the performance of the island divertor is deteriorated for finite-β because of the existence of the ergodic zone between the closed surfaces (i.e. the core region) and the m/n = 1/1 island. We also find that the width of the m/n = 1/1 island depends on the equilibrium beta value and that the island located at the inside of the torus has the advantage of retaining its width
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Leptospira Species in Feral Cats and Black Rats from Western Australia and Christmas Island.
Dybing, Narelle A; Jacobson, Caroline; Irwin, Peter; Algar, David; Adams, Peter J
2017-05-01
Leptospirosis is a neglected, re-emerging bacterial disease with both zoonotic and conservation implications. Rats and livestock are considered the usual sources of human infection, but all mammalian species are capable of carrying Leptospira spp. and transmitting pathogenic leptospires in their urine, and uncertainty remains about the ecology and transmission dynamics of Leptospira in different regions. In light of a recent case of human leptospirosis on tropical Christmas Island, this study aimed to investigate the role of introduced animals (feral cats and black rats) as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira spp. on Christmas Island and to compare this with two different climatic regions of Western Australia (one island and one mainland). Kidney samples were collected from black rats (n = 68) and feral cats (n = 59) from Christmas Island, as well as feral cats from Dirk Hartog Island (n = 23) and southwest Western Australia (n = 59). Molecular (PCR) screening detected pathogenic leptospires in 42.4% (95% confidence interval 29.6-55.9) of cats and 2.9% (0.4-10.2) of rats from Christmas Island. Sequencing of cat- and rat-positive samples from Christmas Island showed 100% similarity for Leptospira interrogans. Pathogenic leptospires were not detected in cats from Dirk Hartog Island or southwest Western Australia. These findings were consistent with previous reports of higher Leptospira spp. prevalence in tropical regions compared with arid and temperate regions. Despite the abundance of black rats on Christmas Island, feral cats appear to be the more important reservoir species for the persistence of pathogenic L. interrogans on the island. This research highlights the importance of disease surveillance and feral animal management to effectively control potential disease transmission.
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Product focused software process improvement (P-SPI) : concepts and their application
Solingen, van D.M.; Kusters, R.J.; Trienekens, J.J.M.; Uijtrecht, van A.
1999-01-01
Management problems in the development of software have been addressed over recent years by a focus on improvement of the development process. This paper states that software process improvement (SPI) should have an explicit product focus. The practical implementation of a method for product-focused
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CWI cryptanalyst discovers new cryptographic attack variant in Flame spy malware
M.M.J. Stevens (Marc); R.J.F. Cramer (Ronald)
2012-01-01
htmlabstractCryptanalyst Marc Stevens from the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam, known for breaking the https security in 2008 using a cryptanalytic attack on MD5, analyzed the recent Flame virus this week. He discovered that for this spy malware an as yet unknown cryptographic
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[Nurses and spies during the First World War].
Halioua, Bruno
2014-06-01
During the First World War, some nurses distinguished themselves by playing a significant role in spy networks, using their activity as a cover. They took an active part in the setting up of escape routes for allied prisoners of war and the gathering of intelligence on the positions of German troops, in particular in Belgium and northern France. Among them Edith Cavell, Gabrielle Petit, Louise de Bettignies, Marie-Léonie Vanhoutte, Marthe Cocknaert and Emilienne-Rose Ducimetière are considered as heroines.
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SPY: a new scission-point model based on microscopic inputs to predict fission fragment properties
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Panebianco, Stefano; Lemaître, Jean-Francois; Sida, Jean-Luc [CEA Centre de Saclay, Gif-sur-Ivette (France); Dubray, Noëel [CEA, DAM, DIF, Arpajon (France); Goriely, Stephane [Institut d' Astronomie et d' Astrophisique, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels (Belgium)
2014-07-01
Despite the difficulty in describing the whole fission dynamics, the main fragment characteristics can be determined in a static approach based on a so-called scission-point model. Within this framework, a new Scission-Point model for the calculations of fission fragment Yields (SPY) has been developed. This model, initially based on the approach developed by Wilkins in the late seventies, consists in performing a static energy balance at scission, where the two fragments are supposed to be completely separated so that their macroscopic properties (mass and charge) can be considered as fixed. Given the knowledge of the system state density, averaged quantities such as mass and charge yields, mean kinetic and excitation energy can then be extracted in the framework of a microcanonical statistical description. The main advantage of the SPY model is the introduction of one of the most up-to-date microscopic descriptions of the nucleus for the individual energy of each fragment and, in the future, for their state density. These quantities are obtained in the framework of HFB calculations using the Gogny nucleon-nucleon interaction, ensuring an overall coherence of the model. Starting from a description of the SPY model and its main features, a comparison between the SPY predictions and experimental data will be discussed for some specific cases, from light nuclei around mercury to major actinides. Moreover, extensive predictions over the whole chart of nuclides will be discussed, with particular attention to their implication in stellar nucleosynthesis. Finally, future developments, mainly concerning the introduction of microscopic state densities, will be briefly discussed. (author)
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Kamphuis, Guido M.; de Bruin, D. Martijn; Brandt, Martin J.; Knoll, Thomas; Conort, Pierre; Lapini, Alberto; Dominguez-Escrig, Jose L.; de La Rosette, Jean J. M. C. H.
2016-01-01
To evaluate the variation of interpretation of the same bladder urothelium image in different Storz Professional Image Enhancement System (SPIES) modalities. SPIES contains a White light (WL), Spectra A (SA), Spectra B (SB), and Clara and Chroma combined (CC) modality. An App for the iPAD retina was
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rui Figueiredo
Full Text Available Salmonella enterica is a zoonotic foodborne pathogen that causes acute gastroenteritis in humans. We assessed the virulence potential of one-hundred and six Salmonella strains isolated from food animals and products. A high through-put virulence genes microarray demonstrated Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPI and adherence genes were highly conserved, while prophages and virulence plasmid genes were variably present. Isolates were grouped by serotype, and virulence plasmids separated S. Typhimurium in two clusters. Atypical microarray results lead to whole genome sequencing (WGS of S. Infantis Sal147, which identified deletion of thirty-eight SPI-1 genes. Sal147 was unable to invade HeLa cells and showed reduced mortality in Galleria mellonella infection model, in comparison to a SPI-1 harbouring S. Infantis. Microarray and WGS of S. Typhimurium Sal199, established for the first time in S. Typhimurium presence of cdtB and other Typhi-related genes. Characterization of Sal199 showed cdtB genes were upstream of transposase IS911, and co-expressed with other Typhi-related genes. Cell cycle arrest, cytoplasmic distension, and nuclear enlargement were detected in HeLa cells infected by Sal199, but not with S. Typhimurium LT2. Increased mortality of Galleria was detected on infection with Sal199 compared to LT2. Thus, Salmonella isolates were rapidly characterized using a high through-put microarray; helping to identify unusual virulence features which were corroborated by further characterisation. This work demonstrates that the use of suitable screening methods for Salmonella virulence can help assess the potential risk associated with certain Salmonella to humans. Incorporation of such methodology into surveillance could help reduce the risk of emergence of epidemic Salmonella strains.
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Spin echo SPI methods for quantitative analysis of fluids in porous media.
Li, Linqing; Han, Hui; Balcom, Bruce J
2009-06-01
Fluid density imaging is highly desirable in a wide variety of porous media measurements. The SPRITE class of MRI methods has proven to be robust and general in their ability to generate density images in porous media, however the short encoding times required, with correspondingly high magnetic field gradient strengths and filter widths, and low flip angle RF pulses, yield sub-optimal S/N images, especially at low static field strength. This paper explores two implementations of pure phase encode spin echo 1D imaging, with application to a proposed new petroleum reservoir core analysis measurement. In the first implementation of the pulse sequence, we modify the spin echo single point imaging (SE-SPI) technique to acquire the k-space origin data point, with a near zero evolution time, from the free induction decay (FID) following a 90 degrees excitation pulse. Subsequent k-space data points are acquired by separately phase encoding individual echoes in a multi-echo acquisition. T(2) attenuation of the echo train yields an image convolution which causes blurring. The T(2) blur effect is moderate for porous media with T(2) lifetime distributions longer than 5 ms. As a robust, high S/N, and fast 1D imaging method, this method will be highly complementary to SPRITE techniques for the quantitative analysis of fluid content in porous media. In the second implementation of the SE-SPI pulse sequence, modification of the basic measurement permits fast determination of spatially resolved T(2) distributions in porous media through separately phase encoding each echo in a multi-echo CPMG pulse train. An individual T(2) weighted image may be acquired from each echo. The echo time (TE) of each T(2) weighted image may be reduced to 500 micros or less. These profiles can be fit to extract a T(2) distribution from each pixel employing a variety of standard inverse Laplace transform methods. Fluid content 1D images are produced as an essential by product of determining the
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Polarity driven morphology of CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands on Cu(1 1 1)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stetsovych, O., E-mail: stetsovycholeksandr@gmail.com; Beran, J.; Dvořák, F.; Mašek, K.; Mysliveček, J., E-mail: Josef.Myslivecek@mff.cuni.cz; Matolín, V.
2013-11-15
Thin ceria films supported by metal substrates represent important model systems for reactivity studies in heterogeneous catalysis. Here we report the growth study of the polar CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) phase as part of a mixed CeO{sub 2}(1 1 1)–CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) thin film supported by Cu(1 1 1). The two ceria phases grow on different areas of the substrate, what allows a reliable growth characterization of the CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands on Cu(1 1 1). Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) to grow in the form of highly dispersed three dimensional (3D) islands on a CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) interfacial layer. The CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands exhibit a 2 × 2 surface reconstruction. The presence of the surface reconstruction together with the highly dispersed growth of CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands corresponds to the requirement for compensation of the surface dipole moment on the CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0). CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands are further characterized by reflection high energy electron diffraction yielding their epitaxial relations with respect to the Cu(1 1 1) substrate. The growth of well characterized CeO{sub 2}(1 0 0) islands supported by Cu(1 1 1) represents a starting point for developing a novel template for structure-related reactivity studies of ceria based model catalysts.
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Vuichoud, Basile; Milani, Jonas; Chappuis, Quentin; Bornet, Aurélien; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey; Jannin, Sami
2015-11-01
Dynamic nuclear polarization at 1.2 K and 6.7 T allows one to achieve spin temperatures on the order of a few millikelvin, so that the high-temperature approximation (ΔEPolarimetrY Magnetic Resonance (SPY-MR), is illustrated for various pairs of (13)C spins (I, S) in acetate and pyruvate. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Understanding surveillance technologies spy devices, their origins & applications
Petersen, JK
2001-01-01
From electronic wire taps to baby monitors and long-distance video and listening devices, startling changes occur everyday in how we gather, interpret, and transmit information. An extraordinary range of powerful new technologies has come into existence to meet the requirements of this expanding field.Your search for a comprehensive resource for surveillance devices is over. Understanding Surveillance Technologies: Spy Devices, Their Origins and Applications serves as a provocative, broad-based, and visually appealing reference that introduces and describes the technologies rapidly moving into
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SPYING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS: CONTESTED NORMS IN CYBERSPACE
2017-04-06
Understanding international law is difficult because it is based upon a different philosophy than domestic law. Domestic laws in Western democracies are very...relations and protects nations from a hostile intent.24 In summary, this essay is based on the assumption that espionage is legitimate in legal and moral ...espionage from EMCE.32 It appears that the moral aspects of spying among allies are hardly researched at all. Leif-Eric Easley examined the factor of
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van de Pol, Daan; Zacharian, Tigran; Maas, Mario; Kuijer, P Paul F M
2017-06-01
The Shoulder posterior circumflex humeral artery Pathology and digital Ischemia - questionnaire (SPI-Q) has been developed to enable periodic surveillance of elite volleyball players, who are at risk for digital ischemia. Prior to implementation, assessing reliability is mandatory. Therefore, the test-retest reliability and agreement of the SPI-Q were evaluated among the population at risk. A questionnaire survey was performed with a 2-week interval among 65 elite male volleyball players assessing symptoms of cold, pale and blue digits in the dominant hand during or after practice or competition using a 4-point Likert scale (never, sometimes, often and always). Kappa (κ) and percentage of agreement (POA) were calculated for individual symptoms, and to distinguish symptomatic and asymptomatic players. For the individual symptoms, κ ranged from "poor" (0.25) to "good" (0.63), and POA ranged from "moderate" (78%) to "good" (97%). To classify symptomatic players, the SPI-Q showed "good" reliability (κ = 0.83; 95%CI 0.69-0.97) and "good" agreement (POA = 92%). The current study has proven the SPI-Q to be reliable for detecting elite male indoor volleyball players with symptoms of digital ischemia.
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Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
无
2009-01-01
Digital Spy Camera是一种间谍框机，看起来更像是一个小MP3，重量只有60g，非常便携．非常迷你，内置320万像素cmos传感器．42mm定焦镜头最大光圈130．还有一个外接的闪光灯．其外形尺寸86mm×29mm×20mm．呈现细长形结构．
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Pre Cold War British Spy Fiction, the “albatross of self” and lines of flight in Gravity’s Rainbow.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kyle Wishart Smith
2015-08-01
Full Text Available In his introduction to 'Slow Learner' Thomas Pynchon suggests that an influence in his short story ‘Under the Rose’ was the spy fiction he had read as a child. What he takes from the form, he says, is an enjoyment of “lurking, spying, false identities, psychological games.” I hope to show that this youthful reading has interesting things to tell us about Pynchon’s writing beyond ‘Under the Rose’ and in more complex ways than his quote suggests. To do this I want to focus on that perennial issue of spy fiction - the maintenance and manipulation of identity. Negotiating ideas of subjectivity is a core concern in Pynchon’s work and to consider it I want to use the four spy novelists he mentions in the 'Slow Learner' introduction - John Buchan, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Helen MacInnes and Geoffrey Household. This is a more disparate quartet of authors than Pynchon’s grouping suggests and I want to employ them to consider a variety of strategies used to ‘build character’ and the way Pynchon’s work approaches these strategies. This allows a reflection on questions of disguise, doubles, animals and the nomad within the context of a variety of postcolonial theories and aspects of Deleuze and Guattari’s “nomadology”. 'V 'would appear an obvious place to see connections to spy fiction, but, though I touch on some aspects of this novel, my focus will be very much on 'Gravity’s Rainbow' because it has a much more concerted focus on the subject of Empire. Some intriguing echoes are to be found in the work of Pynchon in these authors and I hope to show how Pynchon’s attempts to formulate US “superimperialism” (Aijaz Ahmad are reflected in the imperial concerns of what I would term the pre-Cold War British Spy fiction that engaged Pynchon in his youth.
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UHV-TEM/TED observation of Ag islands grown on Si( 1 1 1 ) 3× 3-Ag surface
Oshima, Yoshifumi; Nakade, Hiroyuki; Shigeki, Sinya; Hirayama, Hiroyuki; Takayanagi, Kunio
2001-11-01
Growths of Ag islands on Si(1 1 1)3×3-Ag surface at room temperature were observed by UHV transmission electron microscopy and diffraction. The Ag islands grown after six monolayer deposition had neither (1 0 0) nor (1 1 0) orientation, but had two complex epitaxial orientations dominantly. One was striped islands which gave rise to a diffraction pattern commensurate with the 3×3 lattice of the Si(1 1 1) surface. The other was the coagulated islands whose diffraction pattern indicated the Ag(1 -3 4) sheet grown parallel to the Si(1 1 1) surface.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Basabdatta Sen Bhattacharya
2014-05-01
Full Text Available We present a preliminary study of a thalamo-cortico-thalamic (TCT implementation on SpiNNaker (Spiking Neural Network architecture, a brain inspired hardware platform designed to incorporate the inherent biological properties of parallelism, fault tolerance and energy efficiency. These attributes make SpiNNaker an ideal platform for simulating biologically plausible computational models. Our focus in this work is to design a TCT framework that can be simulated on SpiNNaker to mimic dynamical behaviour similar to Electroencephalogram (EEG time and power-spectra signatures in sleep-wake transition. The scale of the model is minimised for simplicity in this proof-of-concept study; thus the total number of spiking neurons is approximately 1000 and represents a `mini-column' of the thalamocortical tissue. All data on model structure, synaptic layout and parameters is inspired from previous studies and abstracted at a level that is appropriate to the aims of the current study as well as computationally suitable for model simulation on a small 4-chip SpiNNaker system. The initial results from selective deletion of synaptic connectivity parameters in the model show similarity with EEG time series characteristics of sleep and wakefulness. These observations provide a positive perspective and a basis for future implementation of a very large scale biologically plausible model of thalamo-cortico-thalamic interactivity---the essential brain circuit that regulates the biological sleep-wake cycle and associated EEG rhythms.
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A novel approach for modelling the cluster detector and the SPI ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
detectors and for performing experimental studies with the SPI spectrometer for high-energy γ -rays. Keywords. ... corresponds to the complete absorption of incident γ energy and gets contributions from. Pramana – J. Phys. ..... For a γ-ray of energy Eγ , let us first define the ratio of the single-detector hit events to the total full ...
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Insight of Genus Corynebacterium: Ascertaining the Role of Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Species.
Oliveira, Alberto; Oliveira, Leticia C; Aburjaile, Flavia; Benevides, Leandro; Tiwari, Sandeep; Jamal, Syed B; Silva, Arthur; Figueiredo, Henrique C P; Ghosh, Preetam; Portela, Ricardo W; De Carvalho Azevedo, Vasco A; Wattam, Alice R
2017-01-01
This review gathers recent information about genomic and transcriptomic studies in the Corynebacterium genus, exploring, for example, prediction of pathogenicity islands and stress response in different pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. In addition, is described several phylogeny studies to Corynebacterium , exploring since the identification of species until biological speciation in one species belonging to the genus Corynebacterium . Important concepts associated with virulence highlighting the role of Pld protein and Tox gene. The adhesion, characteristic of virulence factor, was described using the sortase mechanism that is associated to anchorage to the cell wall. In addition, survival inside the host cell and some diseases, were too addressed for pathogenic corynebacteria, while important biochemical pathways and biotechnological applications retain the focus of this review for non-pathogenic corynebacteria. Concluding, this review broadly explores characteristics in genus Corynebacterium showing to have strong relevance inside the medical, veterinary, and biotechnology field.
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Drought Forecasting by SPI Index and ANFIS Model Using Fuzzy C-mean Clustering
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
mehdi Komasi
2013-08-01
Full Text Available Drought is the interaction between environment and water cycle in the world and affects natural environment of an area when it persists for a longer period. So, developing a suitable index to forecast the spatial and temporal distribution of drought plays an important role in the planning and management of natural resources and water resource systems. In this article, firstly, the drought concept and drought indexes were introduced and then the fuzzy neural networks and fuzzy C-mean clustering were applied to forecast drought via standardized precipitation index (SPI. The results of this research indicate that the SPI index is more capable than the other indexes such as PDSI (Palmer Drought Severity Index, PAI (Palfai Aridity Index and etc. in drought forecasting process. Moreover, application of adaptive nero-fuzzy network accomplished by C-mean clustering has high efficiency in the drought forecasting.
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Diverse Secreted Effectors Are Required for Salmonella Persistence in a Mouse Infection Model
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kidwai, Afshan S.; Mushamiri, Ivy T.; Niemann, George; Brown, Roslyn N.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Heffron, Fred
2013-08-12
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium causes typhoid-like disease in mice and is a model of typhoid fever in humans. One of the hallmarks of typhoid is persistence, the ability of the bacteria to survive in the host weeks after infection. Virulence factors called effectors facilitate this process by direct transfer to the cytoplasm of infected cells thereby subverting cellular processes. Secretion of effectors to the cell cytoplasm takes place through multiple routes, including two separate type III secretion (T3SS) apparati as well as outer membrane vesicles. The two T3SS are encoded on separate pathogenicity islands, SPI-1 and -2, with SPI-1 more strongly associated with the intestinal phase of infection, and SPI-2 with the systemic phase. Both T3SS are required for persistence, but the effectors required have not been systematically evaluated. In this study, mutations in 48 described effectors were tested for persistence. We replaced each effector with a specific DNA barcode sequence by allelic exchange and co-infected with a wild-type reference to calculate the ratio of wild-type parent to mutant at different times after infection. The competitive index (CI) was determined by quantitative PCR in which primers that correspond to the barcode were used for amplification. Mutations in all but seven effectors reduced persistence demonstrating that most effectors were required. One exception was CigR, a recently discovered effector that is widely conserved throughout enteric bacteria. Deletion of cigR increased lethality, suggesting that it may be an anti-virulence factor. The fact that almost all Salmonella effectors are required for persistence argues against redundant functions. This is different from effector repertoires in other intracellular pathogens such as Legionella.
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Martín-Navarro, Carmen M; Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; Cabrera-Serra, M Gabriela; Rancel, Fernando; Coronado-Alvarez, Nieves M; Piñero, José E; Valladares, Basilio
2008-11-01
Pathogenic strains of the genus Acanthamoeba are causative agents of a serious sight-threatening infection of the eye known as Acanthamoeba keratitis. The prevalence of this infection has risen in the past 20 years, mainly due to the increase in number of contact lens wearers. In this study, the prevalence of Acanthamoeba in a risk group constituted by asymptomatic contact lens wearers from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, was evaluated. Contact lenses and contact lens cases were analysed for the presence of Acanthamoeba isolates. The isolates' genotypes were also determined after rDNA sequencing. The pathogenic potential of the isolated strains was subsequently established using previously described molecular and biochemical assays, which allowed the selection of three strains with high pathogenic potential. Furthermore, the sensitivity of these isolates against two standard drugs, ciprofloxacin and chlorhexidine, was analysed. As the three selected strains were sensitive to chlorhexidine, its activity and IC(50) were evaluated. Chlorhexidine was found to be active against these strains and the obtained IC(50) values were compared to the concentrations of this drug present in contact lens maintenance solutions. It was observed that the measured IC(50) was higher than the concentration found in these maintenance solutions. Therefore, the ineffectiveness of chlorhexidine-containing contact lens maintenance solutions against potentially pathogenic strains of Acanthamoeba is demonstrated in this study.
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Potassium transport of Salmonella is important for type III secretion and pathogenesis
Liu, Yehao; Ho, Katharina Kim; Su, Jing; Gong, Hao; Chang, Alexander C.
2013-01-01
Intracellular cations are essential for the physiology of all living organisms including bacteria. Cations such as potassium ion (K+), sodium ion (Na+) and proton (H+) are involved in nearly all aspects of bacterial growth and survival. K+ is the most abundant cation and its homeostasis in Escherichia coli and Salmonella is regulated by three major K+ transporters: high affinity transporter Kdp and low affinity transporters Kup and Trk. Previous studies have demonstrated the roles of cations and cation transport in the physiology of Escherichia coli; their roles in the virulence and physiology of pathogenic bacteria are not well characterized. We have previously reported that the Salmonella K+ transporter Trk is important for the secretion of effector proteins of the type III secretion system (TTSS) of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). Here we further explore the role of Salmonella cation transport in virulence in vitro and pathogenesis in animal models. Impairment of K+ transport through deletion of K+ transporters or exposure to the chemical modulators of cation transport, gramicidin and valinomycin, results in a severe defect in the TTSS of SPI-1, and this defect in the TTSS was not due to a failure to regulate intrabacterial pH or ATP. Our results also show that K+ transporters are critical to the pathogenesis of Salmonella in mice and chicks and are involved in multiple growth and virulence characteristics in vitro, including protein secretion, motility and invasion of epithelial cells. These results suggest that cation transport of the pathogenic bacterium Salmonella, especially K+ transport, contributes to its virulence in addition to previously characterized roles in maintaining homeostasis of bacteria. PMID:23728623
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Inflammasome/IL-1β Responses to Streptococcal Pathogens
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christopher N. LaRock
2015-10-01
Full Text Available Inflammation mediated by the inflammasome and the cytokine IL-1β are some of the earliest and most important alarms to infection. These pathways are responsive to the virulence factors that pathogens use to subvert immune processes, and thus are typically activated only by microbes with potential to cause severe disease. Among the most serious human infections are those caused by the pathogenic streptococci, in part because these species numerous strategies for immune evasion. Since the virulence factor armament of each pathogen is unique, the role of IL-1β and the pathways leading to its activation varies for each infection. This review summarizes the role of IL-1β during infections caused by streptococcal pathogens, with emphasis on emergent mechanisms and concepts countering paradigms determined for other organisms.
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26 CFR 1.934-1 - Limitation on reduction in income tax liability incurred to the Virgin Islands.
2010-04-01
... § 1.934-1 Limitation on reduction in income tax liability incurred to the Virgin Islands. (a) General... Islands will be computed as follows: (A) Add to the income tax liability incurred to the Virgin Islands... income from such sources. (ii) Limitation. Tax liability incurred to the Virgin Islands attributable to...
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Iribarren, María Josefina; Pascuan, Cecilia; Soto, Gabriela; Ayub, Nicolás Daniel
2015-11-01
Phytophthora capsici is a virulent oomycete pathogen of many vegetable crops. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the recognition of the RXLR effector AVR3a1 of P. capsici (PcAVR3a1) triggers a hypersensitive response and plays a critical role in mediating non-host resistance. Here, we analyzed the occurrence of PcAVR3a1 in 57 isolates of P. capsici derived from globe squash, eggplant, tomato and bell pepper cocultivated in a small geographical area. The occurrence of PcAVR3a1 in environmental strains of P. capsici was confirmed by PCR in only 21 of these pathogen isolates. To understand the presence-absence pattern of PcAVR3a1 in environmental strains, the flanking region of this gene was sequenced. PcAVR3a1 was found within a genetic element that we named PcAVR3a1-GI (PcAVR3a1 genomic island). PcAVR3a1-GI was flanked by a 22-bp direct repeat, which is related to its site-specific recombination site. In addition to the PcAVR3a1 gene, PcAVR3a1-GI also encoded a phage integrase probably associated with the excision and integration of this mobile element. Exposure to plant induced the presence of an episomal circular intermediate of PcAVR3a1-GI, indicating that this mobile element is functional. Collectively, these findings provide evidence of PcAVR3a1 evolution via mobile elements in environmental strains of Phytophthora. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Spatial and temporal analysis of drought in greece using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI)
Livada, I.; Assimakopoulos, V. D.
2007-07-01
In the present study the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) is used to detect drought events in spatial and temporal basis. Using monthly precipitation data from 23 stations well spread over Greece and for a period of 51 years, a classification of drought is performed, based on its intensity and duration. Results indicate that, mild and moderate droughts reduce from north to south and from west to east on the 3- and 6-months time scale, while for the class of severe drought, the frequencies in the southern part of Greece are higher than in the other parts of the country. Furthermore the frequency of occurrence of severe and extreme drought conditions is very low over the whole Greek territory on the 12-month running time scale. Finally SPI was compared to the “de Martonne aridity index (I)” and a satisfactory correlation between them was found.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Brisabois Anne
2011-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Typhimurium is the main serotype of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica implicated in food-borne diseases worldwide. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of ten markers combined in a macro-array based on multiplex real-time PCR. We targeted characteristic determinants located on pathogenicity islands (SPI-2 to -5, virulence plasmid pSLT and Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1 as well as a specific 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer sequence of definitive type 104 (DT104. To investigate antimicrobial resistance, the study also targeted the presence of genes involved in sulfonamide (sul1 and beta-lactam (blaTEM resistance. Finally, the intI1 determinant encoding integrase from class 1 integron was also investigated. Results A total of 538 unrelated S. Typhimurium strains isolated between 1999 and 2009 from various sources, including food animals, food products, human and environmental samples were studied. Based on the combined presence or absence of these markers, we distinguished 34 different genotypes, including three major genotypes encountered in 75% of the studied strains, Although SPI determinants were almost always detected, SGI1, intI1, sul1 and blaTEM determinants were found 47%, 52%, 54% and 12% of the time respectively, varying according to isolation source. Low-marker patterns were most often detected in poultry sources whereas full-marker patterns were observed in pig, cattle and human sources. Conclusion The GeneDisc® assay developed in this study madeit easier to explore variability within serotype Typhimurium by analyzing ten relevant gene determinants in a large collection of strains. This real-time multiplex method constitutes a valuable tool for strains characterization on epidemiological purposes.
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Palaeomagnetic Results from the Lopra-1/1A re-entry well, Faroe Islands
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Abrahamsen, N.
2006-01-01
The palaeomagnetic dating and evolution of the Faroe Islands are discussed in the context of new density and rock magnetic results from the deepened Lopra-1/1A well. The reversal chronology of the c. 6½ km thick basalt succession is also described. The polarity record of the Faroe Islands may now...
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MEJORA DE PROCESOS DE SOFTWARE ÁGIL CON AGILE - SPI PROCESS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
CÉSAR PARDO
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Motivar la aplicación de proyectos de mejora de procesos en las empresas de desarrollo de software iberoamericanas, en su gran mayoría Micro, Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas Desarrolladoras de Software (MiPyMEs_DS es una necesidad imperante para la búsqueda de una industria de software que sea competitiva no solo en contextos regionales sino también internacionales. Los modelos internacionalmente reconocidos, representan alto riesgo en su aplicación para una MiPyMES_DS, esto debido quizá a su gran inversión en dinero, tiempo, recursos, difícil gestión, además de la complejidad de las recomendaciones y un retorno de la inversión a largo plazo. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar a Agile SPI - Process como un proceso de mejora de procesos basado principalmente en metodologías y principios ágiles, requerimientos livianos y adaptaciones de modelos internacionales. De la misma manera en el artículo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en la implementación de Agile SPI - Process en varias MiPyMEs_DS de Iberoamérica y el sur occidente de Colombia.
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Bathymetry 1M Grid of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands 2005, UTM 20 NAD83
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the north shore of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands. NOAA's...
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Bathymetry 1M GRID of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands, 2004, UTM 20 WGS84
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the north shore of Buck Island St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. NOAA's...
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The sample of INTEGRAL SPI-ACS gamma-ray bursts
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rau, A.; Kienlin, A. von; Licht, G.G.; Hurley, K.
2005-01-01
The anti-coincidence system of the spectrometer on board INTEGRAL is operated as a nearly omni directional gamma-ray burst detector above ∼ 75 KeV. During the elapsed mission time 324 burst candidates were detected. As part of the 3rd Interplanetary Network of gamma-ray detectors the cosmic origin of 115 burst was confirmed. Here we present a preliminary analysis of the SPI-ACS gamma-ray burst sample. In particular we discuss the origin of a significant population of short events (duration < 0.2 s) and a possible method for a flux calibration of the data
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Morillas-Márquez, Francisco; Díaz-Sáez, Victoriano; Morillas-Mancilla, María Jesús; Corpas-López, Victoriano; Merino-Espinosa, Gemma; Gijón-Robles, Patricia; Martín-Sánchez, Joaquina
2017-04-01
Phlebotomine sandflies are natural vectors of Leishmania spp. and their expansion throughout has been evidenced in the last few years due to the global warming and changes in human behavior, worsening leishmaniasis problem. However, phlebotomine sandflies have been captured in small numbers on the Canary Islands, particularly on the island of Lanzarote, where only one limited survey was carried out almost thirty years ago. The proximity of this island to Morocco, in addition to the high number of tourists, sometimes accompanied by their dogs, from leishmaniasis endemic regions, highlights the importance of studying the sandfly fauna on this island in order to determine the transmission risk of leishmaniasis Thirty-eight sampling sites spread across the island were studied, and ecological features were gathered to identify the ecological traits associated to the presence of sandflies. Only 85 sandfly specimens were captured (1.18/m 2 ) with the following species distribution: Sergentomyia minuta (0.15 specimens/m 2 ), which was reported for the first time on this island, and S. fallax (1.03/m 2 ). Sandfly captured were achieved in only 7 out of 38 stations. No specimen of the Phlebotomus genus was captured and given that none of the species captured has been demonstrated vectors of human pathogenic Leishmania and considering that they were captured in low frequency and density, it can be concluded that the current leishmaniasis transmission risk is null. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Monitoring and quantifying future climate projections of dryness and wetness extremes: SPI bias
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
F. Sienz
2012-07-01
Full Text Available The adequacy of the gamma distribution (GD for monthly precipitation totals is reconsidered. The motivation for this study is the observation that the GD fails to represent precipitation in considerable areas of global observed and simulated data. This misrepresentation may lead to erroneous estimates of the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI, evaluations of models, and assessments of climate change. In this study, the GD is compared to the Weibull (WD, Burr Type III (BD, exponentiated Weibull (EWD and generalised gamma (GGD distribution. These distributions extend the GD in terms of possible shapes (skewness and kurtosis and the behaviour for large arguments. The comparison is based on the Akaike information criterion, which maximises information entropy and reveals a trade-off between deviation and the numbers of parameters used. We use monthly sums of observed and simulated precipitation for 12 calendar months of the year. Assessing observed and simulated data, (i the Weibull type distributions give distinctly improved fits compared to the GD and (ii the SPI resulting from the GD overestimates (underestimates extreme dryness (wetness.
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From cholera to corals: Viruses as drivers of virulence in a major coral bacterial pathogen
Weynberg, Karen D.
2015-12-08
Disease is an increasing threat to reef-building corals. One of the few identified pathogens of coral disease is the bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus. In Vibrio cholerae, infection by a bacterial virus (bacteriophage) results in the conversion of non-pathogenic strains to pathogenic strains and this can lead to cholera pandemics. Pathogenicity islands encoded in the V. cholerae genome play an important role in pathogenesis. Here we analyse five whole genome sequences of V. coralliilyticus to examine whether virulence is similarly driven by horizontally acquired elements. We demonstrate that bacteriophage genomes encoding toxin genes with homology to those found in pathogenic V. cholerae are integrated in V. coralliilyticus genomes. Virulence factors located on chromosomal pathogenicity islands also exist in some strains of V. coralliilyticus. The presence of these genetic signatures indicates virulence in V. coralliilyticus is driven by prophages and other horizontally acquired elements. Screening for pathogens of coral disease should target conserved regions in these elements.
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From cholera to corals: Viruses as drivers of virulence in a major coral bacterial pathogen
Weynberg, Karen D.; Voolstra, Christian R.; Neave, Matthew J.; Buerger, Patrick; van Oppen, Madeleine J. H.
2015-01-01
Disease is an increasing threat to reef-building corals. One of the few identified pathogens of coral disease is the bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus. In Vibrio cholerae, infection by a bacterial virus (bacteriophage) results in the conversion of non-pathogenic strains to pathogenic strains and this can lead to cholera pandemics. Pathogenicity islands encoded in the V. cholerae genome play an important role in pathogenesis. Here we analyse five whole genome sequences of V. coralliilyticus to examine whether virulence is similarly driven by horizontally acquired elements. We demonstrate that bacteriophage genomes encoding toxin genes with homology to those found in pathogenic V. cholerae are integrated in V. coralliilyticus genomes. Virulence factors located on chromosomal pathogenicity islands also exist in some strains of V. coralliilyticus. The presence of these genetic signatures indicates virulence in V. coralliilyticus is driven by prophages and other horizontally acquired elements. Screening for pathogens of coral disease should target conserved regions in these elements.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xiaojian Yang
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Probiotics have been used to control Salmonella colonization/infection in chickens. Yet the mechanisms of probiotic effects are not fully understood. This study has characterized our previously-selected lactic acid-producing bacterial (LAB isolates for controlling Salmonella infection in chickens, particularly the mechanism underlying the control. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In vitro studies were conducted to characterize 14 LAB isolates for their tolerance to low pH (2.0 and high bile salt (0.3-1.5% and susceptibility to antibiotics. Three chicken infection trials were subsequently carried out to evaluate four of the isolates for reducing the burden of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in the broiler cecum. Chicks were gavaged with LAB cultures (10(6-7 CFU/chick or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS at 1 day of age followed by Salmonella challenge (10(4 CFU/chick next day. Samples of cecal digesta, spleen, and liver were examined for Salmonella counts on days 1, 3, or 4 post-challenge. Salmonella in the cecum from Trial 3 was also assessed for the expression of ten virulence genes located in its pathogenicity island-1 (SPI-1. These genes play a role in Salmonella intestinal invasion. Tested LAB isolates (individuals or mixed cultures were unable to lower Salmonella burden in the chicken cecum, but able to attenuate Salmonella infection in the spleen and liver. The LAB treatments also reduced almost all SPI-1 virulence gene expression (9 out of 10 in the chicken cecum, particularly at the low dose. In vitro treatment with the extracellular culture fluid from a LAB culture also down-regulated most SPI-1 virulence gene expression. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The possible correlation between attenuation of Salmonella infection in the chicken spleen and liver and reduction of Salmonella SPI-1 virulence gene expression in the chicken cecum by LAB isolates is a new observation. Suppression of Salmonella virulence gene expression in
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jong Soo Park
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Vermamoeba vermiformis is a very important free-living amoeba for human health in association with Legionnaires’ disease and keratitis. This interesting amoeba was firstly isolated from a freshwater of Dokdo (island, which was historically used for drinking water. Trophozoites and cyst forms of V. vermiformis strain MG1 are very similar to previous reported species. Trophozoites of V. vermiformis strain MG1 showed cylindrical shape with prominent anterior hyaline region. The average ratio of length and width was about 6.5. Typically, cysts of the strain MG1 showed a spherical or slightly ovoidal shape with smooth wall, and lacked cyst pores. Some cysts had crenulatewalled ectocyst, which was separated from endocyst wall. Further, 18S rRNA gene sequence of V. vermiformis strain MG1 showed very high similarity to other V. vermiformis species (99.4%-99.9% identity. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences clearly confirmed that the isolate was one strain of V. vermiformis with maximum bootstrap value (maximum likelihood: 100% and Bayesian posterior probability of 1. Thus, the freshwater of Dokdo in Korea could harbor potentially pathogenic amoeba that may cause diseases in humans.
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SpiCAD: Integrated environment for circuitry simulation with SPICE code
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
D' Amore, D; Padovini, G; Santomauro, M [Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Dip. di Elettronica
1991-11-01
SPICE is one of the most commonly used programs for the simulation of the behaviour of electronic circuits. This article describes in detail the key design characteristics and capabilities of a computer environment called SpiCAD which integrates all the different phases of SPICE based circuitry simulation on a personal computer, i.e., the tracing of the electronics scheme, simulation and visualization of the results so as to help define semiconductor device models, determine input signals, construct macro-models and convert design sketches into formats acceptable to graphic systems.
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Mentaberre, Gregorio; Gutiérrez, Carlos; Rodríguez, Noé F; Joseph, Sunitha; González-Barrio, David; Cabezón, Oscar; de la Fuente, José; Gortazar, Christian; Boadella, Mariana
2013-12-27
The Canary Islands contain the most important dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) population in the European Union and are the main export point of dromedaries to continental Europe and Latin America. We investigated the presence of antibodies against relevant disease agents in 100 Canarian camel sera. Selected blood samples of the same animals were also tested by PCR. Sera were tested for antibodies against Bluetongue virus (BTV; 0%), Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus (BVDV; 0%), Camelpox virus (CPV; 8% by serum neutralization, 16% by ELISA), Peste des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV, 0%), Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV; 0%) and West Nile Fever virus (WNV; 3%), the bacterial pathogens Anaplasma sp. (3%), Brucella sp. (1%), Coxiella burnetii (19%), Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP; 22%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC; 10%) and Rickettsia sp. (83%), and the parasites Toxoplasma gondii (36%) and Neospora caninum (86%). The most remarkable findings were the detection of antibodies against CPV and the high antibody prevalence against C. burnetii, Rickettsia sp., T. gondii and N. caninum. By PCR, we found no C. burnetii, N. caninum and Anaplasma sp. DNA in the tested samples. However, Rickettsia sp. DNA was detected in six antibody positive tested samples. These results should be taken into consideration in order to implement adequate control measures and avoid a potential dissemination of infections to other territories. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Whole-genome sequencing of veterinary pathogens
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ronco, Troels
-electrophoresis and single-locus sequencing has been widely used to characterize such types of veterinary pathogens. However, DNA sequencing techniques have become fast and cost effective in recent years and whole-genome sequencing data provide a much higher discriminative power and reproducibility than any...... genetic background. This indicates that dairy cows can be natural carriers of S. aureus subtypes that in certain cases lead to CM. A group of isolates that mostly belonged to ST151 carried three pathogenicity islands that were primarily found in this group. The prevalence of resistance genes was generally...
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Toroidal effects on the non-linearly saturated m = 1 island in tokamaks
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Avinash, K.; Haas, F.A.; Thyagaraja, A.
1990-01-01
This paper investigates the influence of toroidal effects (due to the coupling of various poloidal harmonics) on the non-linear saturation of the m=1 island. Bounds are obtained relating the aspect ratio, the shear at the q=1 surface and the saturated island width. Provided these bounds are satisfied, then we find that the cylindrical m=1 island theory is valid for toroidal geometry. (author)
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Characteristics and drivers of drought in Europe-a summary of the DROUGHT-R&SPI project
Tallaksen, Lena M.; Stagge, James H.; Stahl, Kerstin; Gudmundsson, Lukas; Orth, Rene; Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Loon, van Anne F.; Lanen, van Henny A.J.
2015-01-01
A prerequisite to mitigate the wide range of drought impacts is to establish a good understanding of the drought generating mechanisms from their initiation as a meteorological drought through to their development as soil moisture and hydrological drought. The DROUGHT-R&SPI project has
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Yusof, Fadhilah; Hui-Mean, Foo; Suhaila, Jamaludin; Yusop, Zulkifli; Ching-Yee, Kong
2014-02-01
The interpretations of trend behaviour for dry and wet events are analysed in order to verify the dryness and wetness episodes. The fitting distribution of rainfall is computed to classify the dry and wet events by applying the standardised precipitation index (SPI). The rainfall amount for each station is categorised into seven categories, namely extremely wet, severely wet, moderately wet, near normal, moderately dry, severely dry and extremely dry. The computation of the SPI is based on the monsoon periods, which include the northeast monsoon, southwest monsoon and inter-monsoon. The trends of the dry and wet periods were then detected using the Mann-Kendall trend test and the results indicate that the major parts of Peninsular Malaysia are characterised by increasing droughts rather than wet events. The annual trends of drought and wet events of the randomly selected stations from each region also yield similar results. Hence, the northwest and southwest regions are predicted to have a higher probability of drought occurrence during a dry event and not much rain during the wet event. The east and west regions, on the other hand, are going through a significant upward trend that implies lower rainfall during the drought episodes and heavy rainfall during the wet events.
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Appendix 1: Regional summaries - Hawaii and U.S Affiliated Pacific Islands
Christian Giardina
2012-01-01
Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands, including Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Marshall Islands (fig. A1-3), contain a high diversity of flora, fauna, ecosystems, geographies, and cultures, with climates ranging from lowland tropical to alpine desert. Forest ecosystems...
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Genomic island excisions in Bordetella petrii
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Levillain Erwan
2009-07-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Among the members of the genus Bordetella B. petrii is unique, since it is the only species isolated from the environment, while the pathogenic Bordetellae are obligately associated with host organisms. Another feature distinguishing B. petrii from the other sequenced Bordetellae is the presence of a large number of mobile genetic elements including several large genomic regions with typical characteristics of genomic islands collectively known as integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs. These elements mainly encode accessory metabolic factors enabling this bacterium to grow on a large repertoire of aromatic compounds. Results During in vitro culture of Bordetella petrii colony variants appear frequently. We show that this variability can be attributed to the presence of a large number of metastable mobile genetic elements on its chromosome. In fact, the genome sequence of B. petrii revealed the presence of at least seven large genomic islands mostly encoding accessory metabolic functions involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds and detoxification of heavy metals. Four of these islands (termed GI1 to GI3 and GI6 are highly related to ICEclc of Pseudomonas knackmussii sp. strain B13. Here we present first data about the molecular characterization of these islands. We defined the exact borders of each island and we show that during standard culture of the bacteria these islands get excised from the chromosome. For all but one of these islands (GI5 we could detect circular intermediates. For the clc-like elements GI1 to GI3 of B. petrii we provide evidence that tandem insertion of these islands which all encode highly related integrases and attachment sites may also lead to incorporation of genomic DNA which originally was not part of the island and to the formation of huge composite islands. By integration of a tetracycline resistance cassette into GI3 we found this island to be rather unstable and to be lost from
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Forecasting the Human Pathogen Vibrio Parahaemolyticus in Shellfish Tissue within Long Island Sound
Whitney, M. M.; DeRosia-Banick, K.
2016-02-01
Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) is a marine bacterium that occurs naturally in brackish and saltwater environments and may be found in higher concentrations in the warmest months. Vp is a growing threat to producing safe seafood. Consumption of shellfish with high Vp levels can result in gastrointestinal human illnesses. Management response to Vp-related illness outbreaks includes closure of shellfish growing areas. Water quality observations, Vp measurements, and model forecasts are key components to effective management of shellfish growing areas. There is a clear need for observations within the growing area themselves. These areas are offshore of coastal stations and typically inshore of the observing system moorings. New field observations in Long Island Sound (LIS) shellfish growing areas are described and their agreement with high-resolution satellite sea surface temperature data is discussed. A new dataset of Vp concentrations in shellfish tissue is used to determine the LIS-specific Vp vs. temperature relationship following methods in the FDA pre-harvest Vp risk model. This information is combined with output from a high-resolution hydrodynamic model of LIS to make daily forecasts of Vp levels. The influence of river inflows, the role of heat waves, and predictions for future warmer climates are discussed. The key elements of this observational-modeling approach to pathogen forecasting are extendable to other coastal systems.
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Diverse pathogenicity of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) isolates in CBA mouse model.
Yu, Mi Htay Htay; Kasem, Samy Gomaa Ahmed; Tsujimura, Koji; Matsumura, Tomio; Yanai, Tokuma; Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Ohya, Kenji; Fukushi, Hideto
2010-03-01
The pathogenicity of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) isolates of Japan were evaluated by using the CBA mouse model. CBA mice were inoculated with eight Japanese EHV-1 strains (89c1, 90c16, 90c18, 97c11, 98c12, 00c19, 01c1 and HH-1) and one British strain (Ab4p). 89c1 caused slight body weight loss and nervous signs in mice at 8 days post infection (dpi). Severe weight loss and nervous signs were observed in mice inoculated with Ab4p at 6 dpi. The other strains did not cause apparent clinical signs. Infectious viruses were recovered from the lungs of all groups at 2 dpi. Histopathological analysis revealed interstitial pneumonia in the lungs of all mice inoculated with EHV-1. Encephalitis or meningoencephalitis was observed in the brains of mice inoculated with 89c1, 90c18, 97c11, 98c12, 01c1 and Ab4p. Japanese EHV-1 strains showed low pathogenicity in CBA mice, whereas the sequential affects of infection are similar to those of the highly pathogenic strain Ab4p. These results suggest that field isolates of EHV-1 have varying degrees of pathogenicity in CBA mice.
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Douard, Gregory; Praud, Karine; Cloeckaert, Axel; Doublet, Benoît
2010-12-20
The Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) is a Salmonella enterica-derived integrative mobilizable element (IME) containing various complex multiple resistance integrons identified in several S. enterica serovars and in Proteus mirabilis. Previous studies have shown that SGI1 transfers horizontally by in trans mobilization in the presence of the IncA/C conjugative helper plasmid pR55. Here, we report the ability of different prevalent multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids including extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) gene-carrying plasmids to mobilize the multidrug resistance genomic island SGI1. Through conjugation experiments, none of the 24 conjugative plasmids tested of the IncFI, FII, HI2, I1, L/M, N, P incompatibility groups were able to mobilize SGI1 at a detectable level (transfer frequency IncA/C incompatibility group. Several conjugative IncA/C MDR plasmids as well as the sequenced IncA/C reference plasmid pRA1 of 143,963 bp were shown to mobilize in trans SGI1 from a S. enterica donor to the Escherichia coli recipient strain. Depending on the IncA/C plasmid used, the conjugative transfer of SGI1 occurred at frequencies ranging from 10(-3) to 10(-6) transconjugants per donor. Of particular concern, some large IncA/C MDR plasmids carrying the extended-spectrum cephalosporinase bla(CMY-2) gene were shown to mobilize in trans SGI1. The ability of the IncA/C MDR plasmid family to mobilize SGI1 could contribute to its spread by horizontal transfer among enteric pathogens. Moreover, the increasing prevalence of IncA/C plasmids in MDR S. enterica isolates worldwide has potential implications for the epidemic success of the antibiotic resistance genomic island SGI1 and its close derivatives.
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Genome-wide screen for salmonella genes required for long-term systemic infection of the mouse.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
2006-02-01
Full Text Available A microarray-based negative selection screen was performed to identify Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (serovar Typhimurium genes that contribute to long-term systemic infection in 129X1/SvJ (Nramp1(r mice. A high-complexity transposon-mutagenized library was used to infect mice intraperitoneally, and the selective disappearance of mutants was monitored after 7, 14, 21, and 28 d postinfection. One hundred and eighteen genes were identified to contribute to serovar Typhimurium infection of the spleens of mice by 28 d postinfection. The negatively selected mutants represent many known aspects of Salmonella physiology and pathogenesis, although the majority of the identified genes are of putative or unknown function. Approximately 30% of the negatively selected genes correspond to horizontally acquired regions such as those within Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI 1-5, prophages (Gifsy-1 and -2 and remnant, and the pSLT virulence plasmid. In addition, mutations in genes responsible for outer membrane structure and remodeling, such as LPS- and PhoP-regulated and fimbrial genes, were also selected against. Competitive index experiments demonstrated that the secreted SPI2 effectors SseK2 and SseJ as well as the SPI4 locus are attenuated relative to wild-type bacteria during systemic infection. Interestingly, several SPI1-encoded type III secretion system effectors/translocases are required by serovar Typhimurium to establish and, unexpectedly, to persist systemically, challenging the present description of Salmonella pathogenesis. Moreover, we observed a progressive selection against serovar Typhimurium mutants based upon the duration of the infection, suggesting that different classes of genes may be required at distinct stages of infection. Overall, these data indicate that Salmonella long-term systemic infection in the mouse requires a diverse repertoire of virulence factors. This diversity of genes presumably reflects the fact that
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Google and the "Twisted Cyber Spy" Affair: US-Chinese Communication in an Age of Globalization
Hartnett, Stephen John
2011-01-01
The "twisted cyber spy" affair began in 2010, when Google was attacked by Chinese cyber-warriors charged with stealing Google's intellectual property, planting viruses in its computers, and hacking the accounts of Chinese human rights activists. In the ensuing international embroglio, the US mainstream press, corporate leaders, and White…
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cooper, C.; Zhang, K; Andres, S; Fnag, Y; Kaniuk, N; Hannemann, M; Brumell, J; Foster, L; Junop, M; Coombes, B
2010-01-01
Many Gram-negative bacteria colonize and exploit host niches using a protein apparatus called a type III secretion system (T3SS) that translocates bacterial effector proteins into host cells where their functions are essential for pathogenesis. A suite of T3SS-associated chaperone proteins bind cargo in the bacterial cytosol, establishing protein interaction networks needed for effector translocation into host cells. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, a T3SS encoded in a large genomic island (SPI-2) is required for intracellular infection, but the chaperone complement required for effector translocation by this system is not known. Using a reverse genetics approach, we identified a multi-cargo secretion chaperone that is functionally integrated with the SPI-2-encoded T3SS and required for systemic infection in mice. Crystallographic analysis of SrcA at a resolution of 2.5 {angstrom} revealed a dimer similar to the CesT chaperone from enteropathogenic E. coli but lacking a 17-amino acid extension at the carboxyl terminus. Further biochemical and quantitative proteomics data revealed three protein interactions with SrcA, including two effector cargos (SseL and PipB2) and the type III-associated ATPase, SsaN, that increases the efficiency of effector translocation. Using competitive infections in mice we show that SrcA increases bacterial fitness during host infection, highlighting the in vivo importance of effector chaperones for the SPI-2 T3SS.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Colin A Cooper
2010-02-01
Full Text Available Many Gram-negative bacteria colonize and exploit host niches using a protein apparatus called a type III secretion system (T3SS that translocates bacterial effector proteins into host cells where their functions are essential for pathogenesis. A suite of T3SS-associated chaperone proteins bind cargo in the bacterial cytosol, establishing protein interaction networks needed for effector translocation into host cells. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, a T3SS encoded in a large genomic island (SPI-2 is required for intracellular infection, but the chaperone complement required for effector translocation by this system is not known. Using a reverse genetics approach, we identified a multi-cargo secretion chaperone that is functionally integrated with the SPI-2-encoded T3SS and required for systemic infection in mice. Crystallographic analysis of SrcA at a resolution of 2.5 A revealed a dimer similar to the CesT chaperone from enteropathogenic E. coli but lacking a 17-amino acid extension at the carboxyl terminus. Further biochemical and quantitative proteomics data revealed three protein interactions with SrcA, including two effector cargos (SseL and PipB2 and the type III-associated ATPase, SsaN, that increases the efficiency of effector translocation. Using competitive infections in mice we show that SrcA increases bacterial fitness during host infection, highlighting the in vivo importance of effector chaperones for the SPI-2 T3SS.
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Goldstein, Tracey; Gill, Verena A.; Tuomi, Pamela A.; Monson, Daniel H.; Burdin, Alexander; Conrad, Patricia A.; Dunn, J. Lawrence; Field, Cara L.; Johnson, Christine K.; Jessup, David A.; Bodkin, James L.; Doroff, Angela M.
2011-01-01
Northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) abundance has decreased dramatically over portions of southwest Alaska, USA, since the mid-1980s, and this stock is currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In contrast, adjacent populations in south central Alaska, USA, and Russia have been stable to increasing during the same period. Sea otters bordering the area classified in the recent decline were live-captured during 2004–2006 at Bering Island, Russia, and the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska, USA, to evaluate differences in general health and current exposure status to marine and terrestrial pathogens. Although body condition was lower in animals captured at Bering Island, Russia, than it was at Kodiak, USA, clinical pathology values did not reveal differences in general health between the two regions. Low prevalences of antibodies (>5%) were found in Kodiak, USA, and on Bering Island, Russia, to Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis neurona, and Leptospira interrogans. Exposure to phocine herpesvirus-1 was found in both Kodiak, USA (15.2%), and Bering Island, Russia (2.3%). Antibodies to Brucella spp. were found in 28% of the otters tested on Bering Island, Russia, compared with only 2.7% of the samples from Kodiak, USA. Prevalence of exposure to Phocine distemper virus (PDV) was 41% in Kodiak, USA, but 0% on Bering Island, Russia. Archived sera from southwest and south-central Alaska dating back to 1989 were negative for PDV, indicating exposure occurred in sea otters in Kodiak, USA, in recent years. Because PDV can be highly pathogenic in naïve and susceptible marine mammal populations, tissues should be examined to explore the contribution of this virus to otter deaths. Our results reveal an increase in exposure to pathogens in sea otters in Kodiak, Alaska, USA, since the 1990s.
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NOAA ESRI Geotiff- 1m Bathymetry of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands, 2004, UTM 20 WGS84
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Geotiff with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the north shore of Buck Island St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.NOAA's...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Burns, Lyle D.
2009-04-14
The problem in CO{sub 2} flooding lies with its higher mobility causing low conformance or sweep efficiency. This is an issue in oilfield applications where an injected fluid or gas used to mobilize and produce the oil in a marginal field has substantially higher mobility (function of viscosity and density and relative permeability) relative to the crude oil promoting fingering and early breakthrough. Conformance is particularly critical in CO{sub 2} oilfield floods where the end result is less oil recovered and substantially higher costs related to the CO{sub 2}. The SPI-CO{sub 2} (here after called “SPI”) gel system is a unique silicate based gel system that offers a technically effective solution to the conformance problem with CO{sub 2} floods. This SPI gel system remains a low viscosity fluid until an external initiator (CO{sub 2}) triggers gelation. This is a clear improvement over current technologies where the gels set up as a function of time, regardless of where it is placed in the reservoir. In those current systems, the internal initiator is included in the injected fluid for water shut off applications. In this new research effort, the CO{sub 2} is an external initiator contacted after SPI gel solution placement. This concept ensures in the proper water wet reservoir environment that the SPI gel sets up in the precise high permeability path followed by the CO{sub 2}, therefore improving sweep efficiency to a greater degree than conventional systems. In addition, the final SPI product in commercial quantities is expected to be low cost over the competing systems. This Phase I research effort provided “proof of concept” that SPI gels possess strength and may be formed in a sand pack reducing the permeability to brine and CO{sub 2} flow. This SPI technology is a natural extension of prior R & D and the Phase I effort that together show a high potential for success in a Phase II follow-on project. Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is a major by-product of
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Hellgren, Olof; Atkinson, Carter T.; Bensch, Staffan; Albayrak, Tamer; Dimitrov, Dimitar; Ewen, John G.; Kim, Kyeong Soon; Lima, Marcos R.; Martin, Lynn; Palinauskas, Vaidas; Ricklefs, Robert; Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.; Gediminas, Valkiunas; Tsuda, Yoshio; Marzal, Alfonso
2015-01-01
Knowing the genetic variation that occurs in pathogen populations and how it is distributed across geographical areas is essential to understand parasite epidemiology, local patterns of virulence, and evolution of host-resistance. In addition, it is important to identify populations of pathogens that are evolutionarily independent and thus ‘free’ to adapt to hosts and environments. Here, we investigated genetic variation in the globally distributed, highly invasive avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum, which has several distinctive mitochondrial haplotyps (cyt b lineages, SGS1, GRW11 and GRW4). The phylogeography of P. relictum was accessed using the highly variable nuclear gene merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), a gene linked to the invasion biology of the parasite. We show that the lineage GRW4 is evolutionarily independent of GRW11 and SGS1 whereas GRW11 and SGS1 share MSP1 alleles and thus suggesting the presence of two distinct species (GRW4 versus SGS1 and GRW11). Further, there were significant differences in the global distribution of MSP1 alleles with differences between GRW4 alleles in the New and the Old World. For SGS1, a lineage formerly believed to have both tropical and temperate transmission, there were clear differences in MSP1 alleles transmitted in tropical Africa compared to the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Further, we highlight the occurrence of multiple MSP1 alleles in GRW4 isolates from the Hawaiian Islands, where the parasite has contributed to declines and extinctions of endemic forest birds since it was introduced. This study stresses the importance of multiple independent loci for understanding patterns of transmission and evolutionary independence across avian malaria parasites.
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78 FR 77726 - Exelon Generation Company, LLC Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1
2013-12-24
... Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Exemption... License No. DPR-50, which authorizes operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1... Facility Operating License No. DPR-50, which authorizes operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ke-Chuan Wang
2016-10-01
Full Text Available The yqiC gene of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium regulates bacterial growth at different temperatures and mice survival after infection. However, the role of yqiC in bacterial colonization and host immunity remains unknown. We infected human LS174T, Caco-2, HeLa, and THP-1 cells with S. Typhimurium wild-type SL1344, its yqiC mutant, and its complemented strain. Bacterial colonization and internalization in the four cell lines significantly reduced on yqiC depletion. Postinfection production of interleukin-8 and human β-defensin-3 in LS174T cells significantly reduced because of yqiC deleted in S. Typhimurium. The phenotype of yqiC mutant exhibited few and short flagella, fimbriae on the cell surface, enhanced biofilm formation, upregulated type-1 fimbriae expression, and reduced bacterial motility. Type-1 fimbriae, flagella, SPI-1, and SPI-2 gene expression was quantified using real-time PCR. The data show that deletion of yqiC upregulated fimA and fimZ expression and downregulated flhD, fliZ, invA, and sseB expression. Furthermore, thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography revealed the absence of menaquinone in the yqiC mutant, thus validating the importance of yqiC in the bacterial electron transport chain. Therefore, YqiC can negatively regulate FimZ for type-1 fimbriae expression and manipulate the functions of its downstream virulence factors including flagella, SPI-1, and SPI-2 effectors.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Barancik, J.I.; Kramer, C.F.; Thode, H.C. Jr.
1995-12-01
BNL is developing and implementing the project ``Geographic Information System (GIS) for Long Island`` to address the potential relationship of environmental and occupational exposures to breast cancer etiology on Long Island. The project is divided into two major phases: The four month-feasibility project (Phase 1), and the major development and implementation project (Phase 2). This report summarizes the work completed in the four month Phase 1 Project, ``Feasibility of a Geographic Information System for Long Island.`` It provides the baseline information needed to further define and prioritize the scope of work for subsequent tasks. Phase 2 will build upon this foundation to develop an operational GIS for the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP).
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Barancik, J.I.; Kramer, C.F.; Thode, H.C. Jr.
1995-01-01
BNL is developing and implementing the project ''Geographic Information System (GIS) for Long Island'' to address the potential relationship of environmental and occupational exposures to breast cancer etiology on Long Island. The project is divided into two major phases: The four month-feasibility project (Phase 1), and the major development and implementation project (Phase 2). This report summarizes the work completed in the four month Phase 1 Project, ''Feasibility of a Geographic Information System for Long Island.'' It provides the baseline information needed to further define and prioritize the scope of work for subsequent tasks. Phase 2 will build upon this foundation to develop an operational GIS for the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yoon, Hyunjin; Ansong, Charles; Adkins, Joshua N.; Heffron, Fred
2011-06-01
We have previously shown that the regulators SpvR, FruR, IHF, PhoP/PhoQ, SsrA/SsrB, SlyA, Hnr, RpoE, SmpB, CsrA, RpoS, Crp, OmpR/EnvZ, and Hfq are essential for Salmonella Typhimurium virulence in mice. Here we use quantitative LC-MS-based proteomics profiling of in-frame deletion mutants of these 14 regulators to identify proteins that are coordinately regulated by these virulence regulators and are thus presumably novel factors contributing to Salmonella pathogenesis. Putative candidate proteins from proteomics analysis were determined, which exhibited similar abundance profiles to those of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 type III secretion system (TTSS) proteins. A subset of 5 proteins including STM0082, STM1548, PdgL, STM1633, and STM3595 was selected for further analysis. All 5 proteins were expressed inside macrophage cells and STM0082 (SrfN) was secreted into host cytoplasm. Furthermore, deletion of STM0082 attenuated virulence in mice when administered intraperitoneally as determined by competitive index. srfN transcription was positively regulated by SsrAB, however, secretion was independent of SPI-2 TTSS as well as SPI-1 TTSS and flagella. Proteins including PagK and STM2585A, which are positively regulated by PhoP/PhoQ, have sec signal peptides as predicted for SrfN and were secreted into macrophage cytoplasm regardless of SPI-2 TTSS. Isolation of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) revealed the presence of SrfN, PagK, and STM2585A inside vesicle compartments. This result is the first case showing delivery of virulence effectors via OMVs in S. Typhimurium. Moreover, Hfq regulation of SrfN translation suggests that small non-coding RNAs may be responsible for regulating effector protein expression.
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A four channel time-to-digital converter ASIC with in-built calibration and SPI interface
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hari Prasad, K.; Sukhwani, Menka; Saxena, Pooja; Chandratre, V.B.; Pithawa, C.K.
2014-01-01
A design of high resolution, wide dynamic range Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) ASIC, implemented in 0.35 µm commercial CMOS technology is presented. The ASIC features four channel TDC with an in-built calibration and Serial Peripheral Interconnect (SPI) slave interface. The TDC is based on the vernier ring oscillator method in order to achieve both high resolution and wide dynamic range. This TDC ASIC is tested and found to have resolution of 127 ps (LSB), dynamic range of 1.8 µs and precision (σ) of 74 ps. The measured values of differential non-linearity (DNL) and integral non-linearity (INL) are 350 ps and 300 ps respectively
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Carraro, Nicolas; Rivard, Nicolas; Ceccarelli, Daniela; Colwell, Rita R; Burrus, Vincent
2016-07-19
Mobile genetic elements play a pivotal role in the adaptation of bacterial populations, allowing them to rapidly cope with hostile conditions, including the presence of antimicrobial compounds. IncA/C conjugative plasmids (ACPs) are efficient vehicles for dissemination of multidrug resistance genes in a broad range of pathogenic species of Enterobacteriaceae ACPs have sporadically been reported in Vibrio cholerae, the infectious agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. The regulatory network that controls ACP mobility ultimately depends on the transcriptional activation of multiple ACP-borne operons by the master activator AcaCD. Beyond ACP conjugation, AcaCD has also recently been shown to activate the expression of genes located in the Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1). Here, we describe MGIVchHai6, a novel and unrelated mobilizable genomic island (MGI) integrated into the 3' end of trmE in chromosome I of V. cholerae HC-36A1, a non-O1/non-O139 multidrug-resistant clinical isolate recovered from Haiti in 2010. MGIVchHai6 contains a mercury resistance transposon and an integron In104-like multidrug resistance element similar to the one of SGI1. We show that MGIVchHai6 excises from the chromosome in an AcaCD-dependent manner and is mobilized by ACPs. Acquisition of MGIVchHai6 confers resistance to β-lactams, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, and streptomycin/spectinomycin. In silico analyses revealed that MGIVchHai6-like elements are carried by several environmental and clinical V. cholerae strains recovered from the Indian subcontinent, as well as from North and South America, including all non-O1/non-O139 clinical isolates from Haiti. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, remains a global public health threat. Seventh-pandemic V. cholerae acquired multidrug resistance genes primarily through circulation of SXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements. IncA/C conjugative plasmids have sporadically been reported to
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Bajaj, V; Lucas, R L; Hwang, C; Lee, C A
1996-11-01
During infection of their hosts, salmonellae enter intestinal epithelial cells. It has been proposed that when Salmonella typhimurium is present in the intestinal lumen, several environmental and regulatory conditions modulate the expression of invasion factors required for bacterial entry into host cells. We report here that the expression of six different S. typhimurium invasion genes encoded on SPI1 (Salmonella pathogenicity island 1) is co-ordinately regulated by oxygen, osmolarity, pH, PhoPQ, and HilA. HilA is a transcriptional activator of the OmpR/ToxR family that is also encoded on SPI1. We have found that HilA plays a central role in the co-ordinated regulation of invasion genes by environmental and regulatory conditions. HilA can activate the expression of two invasion gene-lacZY fusions on reporter plasmids in Escherichia coll, suggesting that HilA acts directly at invasion-gene promoters in S. typhimurium. We have found that the regulation of invasion genes by oxygen, osmolarity, pH, and PhoPQ is indirect and is mediated by regulation of hilA expression by these environmental and regulatory factors. We hypothesize that the complex and co-ordinate regulation of Invasion genes by HilA is an important feature of salmonella pathogenesis and allows salmonellae to enter intestinal epithelial cells.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bühler, Oliver; Jensen, Marina Bergen; Petersen, Karen Sejr
2010-01-01
Urban Heat Island beskriver det forhold, at temperaturen i byområder er højere end temperaturen i tilgrænsede landområder. Årsagen hertil ligger i den urbane arealanvendelse, hvor en mindre andel af arealerne er dækket af vegetation, og en større andel består af forseglede arealer.......Urban Heat Island beskriver det forhold, at temperaturen i byområder er højere end temperaturen i tilgrænsede landområder. Årsagen hertil ligger i den urbane arealanvendelse, hvor en mindre andel af arealerne er dækket af vegetation, og en større andel består af forseglede arealer....
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Dune Morphodynamics on a Semi-Arid, Wave-Dominated Barrier Island: South Padre Island, Texas
Del Angel, D. C.; Gibeaut, J. C.
2012-12-01
Spatial and temporal dune accretion along the barrier island of South Padre Island (SPI),Texas was examined using a combination of field measurements and lidar elevation data. Volume change rates derived from the data were compared to potential sediment transport rates derived from Hsu's (1974 & 1977) model using local wind-gauge data. A statistical model was then used to investigate controls on foredune accretion. Dune volume change was estimated from cross-shore profile measurements acquired during the summer of 2009, spring of 2010, and fall of 2010. For summer 2009 to spring 2010, dune volume change ranged from -18 to 12.5 m^3/m. The onshore potential drift for the same time period was estimated to be 6.6 m^3/m. In comparison, volume change ranged from -5.5 to 5.3 m^3/m for spring to fall 2010 with most dunes experiencing erosion. The estimated onshore drift was much higher at 22.5 m^3/m. The high drift potential associated with the spring and summer months is attributed to the predominant wind direction and the occurrence of tropical storms. Dune volume change was also observed on a longer time scale using lidar DEMs for the years 2000, 2005, and 2009. From 2000 to 2005, most natural dunes experienced accretion with a mean of 17.67 m^3/m, whereas between 2005 and 2009, the majority of dunes experienced volume loss with a mean change of -4.16 m^3/m. Overall, the mean volume change from 2000 to 2009 was 13.51 m^3/m. Onshore drift for 2000 to 2005 was estimated to be 16.44 m^3/m, which is a good approximation to the observed volume change. In contrast, onshore drift for 2000 to 2009 was estimated to be 80.4 m^3/m, which is substantially higher than the mean volume change observed during the period. The discrepancy between the modeled and observe value is partly due to dune volume loss from storm surge erosion. In addition, there was a significant increase in onshore drift potential from 2006 to 2008. Stepwise backward regression was used to find significant
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S. Zindel (Stephan); W.E. Kaman (Wendy); S. Fröls (Sabrina); F. Pfeifer (Felicitas); A. Peters (Annette); J.P. Hays (John); H.-L. Fuchsbauer (Hans-Lothar)
2013-01-01
textabstractA novel papain inhibitory protein (SPI) from Streptomyces mobaraensis was studied to measure its inhibitory effect on bacterial cysteine protease activity (Staphylococcus aureus SspB) and culture supernatants (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacillus anthracis). Further, growth of Bacillus
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2010-06-28
...; Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact... Company, LLC (the licensee), for operation of Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1), located... Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, NUREG-0552, dated December 1972, and Generic...
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Discourse of simulacra in Kovacević's drama Balkan Spy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Milojević Snežana J.
2016-01-01
Full Text Available This paper is based on a reading of the famous Dušan Kovačević's drama Balkan Spy, contextualized by postulates of simulacra. The starting point for finding symbols that corresponded to the system of the non-referent world (and each such system creates its own reality, and proceeds from its own frame in which it must be interpreted is a book of Jean Baudrillard 'Simulacrum and Simulation'. Through chapters that accentuate simulacrum-like phenomena for proving the actual through imaginary and cloned, as well as defining the world of literary text as a kind of Disneyland, it becomes evident soundness of this idea that confirms the quality of this drama.
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INTEGRAL SPI Limits on Electron-Positron Annihilation Radiation from the Galactic Plane
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Teegarden, B. J.; Watanabe, K.; Jean, P.
2005-01-01
‐Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) mission, launched in 2002 October, is the detailed study of this radiation. The Spectrometer on INTEGRAL (SPI) is a high‐resolution, coded‐aperture gamma‐ray telescope with an unprecedented combination of sensitivity, angular resolution, and energy resolution. We report results from...... the first 10 months of observation. During this period a significant fraction of the observing time was spent in or near the Galactic plane. No positive annihilation flux was detected outside of the central region () of our Galaxy. In this paper we describe the observations and data analysis methods...
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“Habits of employees”: smoking, spies, and shopfloor culture at Hammermill Paper Company.
Wood, Gregory
2011-01-01
As cigarette smoking expanded dramatically during the early twentieth century, it brought more and more workers into conflict with the policies and demands of the manufacturers who employed them. As this paper shows, addiction to nicotine ignited daily struggles over workers’ shopfloor rights and the ability of employers to set rules, establish discipline, and monitor behavior. A specific set of records from the archives of the Hammermill Paper Company, a paper manufacturer once based in Erie, Pennsylvania, provide a unique opportunity to explore the impact of cigarette consumption on labor relations during the era of mass production, as two nosy factory spies probed and documented worker actions and attitudes in the summer of 1915. As a result of their intelligence gathering, the spies discovered a factory-wide work culture rooted in the addictive pleasure of cigarette smoke. This discovery worried them. Worker-smokers needed to dampen their hunger for nicotine with frequent, and often clandestine, breaks from work, typically in defiance of “no-smoking” rules, employer designations for the uses of factory space, and bosses’ demands for continuous production. Highlighting the intersections of the histories of labor, smoking, and addiction, this paper argues that cigarettes were a key battleground in workers’ and managers’ intensifying struggles over who really controlled the industrial shopfloor during the early 1900s.
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Lam, Lilian H.; Monack, Denise M.
2014-01-01
In order to be transmitted, a pathogen must first successfully colonize and multiply within a host. Ecological principles can be applied to study host-pathogen interactions to predict transmission dynamics. Little is known about the population biology of Salmonella during persistent infection. To define Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium population structure in this context, 129SvJ mice were oral gavaged with a mixture of eight wild-type isogenic tagged Salmonella (WITS) strains. Distinct subpopulations arose within intestinal and systemic tissues after 35 days, and clonal expansion of the cecal and colonic subpopulation was responsible for increases in Salmonella fecal shedding. A co-infection system utilizing differentially marked isogenic strains was developed in which each mouse received one strain orally and the other systemically by intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Co-infections demonstrated that the intestinal subpopulation exerted intraspecies priority effects by excluding systemic S. Typhimurium from colonizing an extracellular niche within the cecum and colon. Importantly, the systemic strain was excluded from these distal gut sites and was not transmitted to naïve hosts. In addition, S. Typhimurium required hydrogenase, an enzyme that mediates acquisition of hydrogen from the gut microbiota, during the first week of infection to exert priority effects in the gut. Thus, early inhibitory priority effects are facilitated by the acquisition of nutrients, which allow S. Typhimurium to successfully compete for a nutritional niche in the distal gut. We also show that intraspecies colonization resistance is maintained by Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands SPI1 and SPI2 during persistent distal gut infection. Thus, important virulence effectors not only modulate interactions with host cells, but are crucial for Salmonella colonization of an extracellular intestinal niche and thereby also shape intraspecies dynamics. We conclude that priority effects and
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The man, who wasn't a spy. The life of the communist and scientist Klaus Fuchs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Friedmann, R.
2005-01-01
In 1949 the Sovjet Union ignited her first atomic bomb, many years earlyer than expected by western secret services. A decisive role played the German physicist Klaus Fuchs. From 1943 to 1946 he cooperated in the US atomic bomb program, called Manhatten Project. All knowledge he yield, all information he got, he passed on secret ways to the Sovjet Union. In 1950 he was exposed and condemned because of spying. This book is worldwide the first comprehensive biography of a man, who had been regarded as the ''most dangerous spy of the 20th century'' in the western world, and his work had been kept a secret in the East lasting for decades. The author evaluated an extensive source material from the USA, Great Britain and the Sovjet Union, released to pubication not till after 1990. Furtheron he could rely on the memory of many actors in the surrounding of Klaus Fuchs, who also found the way to the publicity after the end of the East-West-Conflict. (GL)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Aline Correa da Silva
2011-01-01
Full Text Available The aim was to detect the presence of polymorphisms at exons 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Spi2 gene, and evaluate a possible association between them and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO or inflammatory airway disease (IAD in thoroughbred horses, through single-strand conformational-polymorphism (SSCP screening. Although polymorphism was not detected in exons 1, 2 and 3, three alleles and six genotypes were identified in exon 4. The frequencies of allele A (0.6388 and genotype AA (0.3888 were higher in horses affected by RAO, although no association was found between polymorphism and horses with either RAO or IAD.
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Active Control of 2/1 Magnetic Islands in the HBT-EP Tokamak
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Navratil, G.A.; Cates, C.; Mauel, M.E.; Maurer, D.; Nadle, D.; Taylor, E.; Xiao, Q.; Wurden, G.A.; Reass, W.A.
1997-01-01
Closed and open loop control techniques were applied to growing m/n=2/1 rotating islands in wall stabilized plasmas in the HBT-EP tokamak. The approach taken by HBT-EP combines an adjustable segmented conducting wall (which slows the growth or stabilizes ideal external kinks) with a number of small (6degree wide) saddle coils located between the gaps of the conducting wall. In this paper we report demonstration of 2-phase island rotation control from 5 kHz to 15 kHz and observation of the phase instability which are well modeled by the single-helicity, predictions of nonlinear Rutherford island dynamics for 2/1 tearing modes including important effects of ion inertia and FLR which appears as a damping term in the model equations. The closed loop response of active feedback control of the 2/1 mode at moderate gain was observed to be in good agreement with the theory. We have also demonstrated suppression of the 2/1 island growth using an asynchronous frequency modulation drive which maintains the flow damping of the island by application of rotating control fields with frequencies alternating above and below the natural mode frequency. This frequency modulation control technique was also able to prevent disruptions normally observed to follow giant sawtooth crashes in the plasma core
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da Silva, Laís Cristina; de Mello Santos, Ana Carolina; Silva, Rosa Maria
2017-03-16
Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) may be the causative agent of part of those million cases of diarrhea illness reported worldwide every year and attributable to Shigella. That is because both enteropathogens have many common characteristics that difficult their identification either by traditional microbiological methods or by molecular tools used in the clinical laboratory settings. While Shigella has been extensively studied, EIEC remains barely characterized at the molecular level. Recent EIEC important outbreaks, apparently generating more life-threatening cases, have prompted us to screen EIEC for virulence traits usually related to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). That could explain the appearance of EIEC strains presenting higher virulence potential. EIEC strains were distributed mainly in three phylogroups in a serogroup-dependent manner. Serogroups O124, O136, O144, and O152 were exclusively classified in phylogroup A; O143 in group E; and O28ac and O29 in group B1. Only two serogroups showed diverse phylogenetic origin as follows: O164 was assigned to groups A, B1, C, and B2 (one strain each), and O167 in groups E (five strains), and A (one strain) (Table 1). Eleven of 20 virulence genes (VGs) searched were detected, and the majority of the 19 different VGs combinations found were serogroup-specific. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) PAI genetic markers were detected in all EIEC strains. PAIs I J96 and II CFT073 were the most frequent (92.1 and 80.4%, respectively). PAI IV 536 was restricted to some serogroups from phylogroups A, B1 and E. PAI I CFT073 was uniquely detected in phylogroups B2 and E. A total of 45 (88%) strains presented multiple PAI markers (two to four). PAIs I J96 and II CFT073 were found together in 80% of strains. EIEC is a DEC pathovar that presents VGs and pathogenicity island genetic markers typically associated with ExPEC, especially UPEC. These features are distributed in a phylogenetic and serogroup-dependent manner
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Scott A C Godfrey
2011-03-01
Full Text Available Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola is the causative agent of halo blight in the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. P. syringae pv. phaseolicola race 4 strain 1302A contains the avirulence gene avrPphB (syn. hopAR1, which resides on PPHGI-1, a 106 kb genomic island. Loss of PPHGI-1 from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1302A following exposure to the hypersensitive resistance response (HR leads to the evolution of strains with altered virulence. Here we have used fluorescent protein reporter systems to gain insight into the mobility of PPHGI-1. Confocal imaging of dual-labelled P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1302A strain, F532 (dsRFP in chromosome and eGFP in PPHGI-1, revealed loss of PPHGI-1::eGFP encoded fluorescence during plant infection and when grown in vitro on extracted leaf apoplastic fluids. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS of fluorescent and non-fluorescent PPHGI-1::eGFP F532 populations showed that cells lost fluorescence not only when the GI was deleted, but also when it had excised and was present as a circular episome. In addition to reduced expression of eGFP, quantitative PCR on sub-populations separated by FACS showed that transcription of other genes on PPHGI-1 (avrPphB and xerC was also greatly reduced in F532 cells harbouring the excised PPHGI-1::eGFP episome. Our results show how virulence determinants located on mobile pathogenicity islands may be hidden from detection by host surveillance systems through the suppression of gene expression in the episomal state.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tommaso Caloiero
2018-03-01
Full Text Available The present article investigates dry and wet periods in a large area of the Mediterranean basin. First, a stochastic model was applied to a homogeneous database of monthly precipitation values of 46 rain gauges in five regions of southern Italy. In particular, after estimating the model parameters, a set of 104 years of monthly precipitation for each rain gauge was generated by means of a Monte Carlo technique. Then, dry and wet periods were analyzed through the application of the standardized precipitation index (SPI over 3-month and 6-month timespan (short-term and 12-month and 24-month period (long-term. As a result of the SPI application on the generated monthly precipitation series, higher occurrence probabilities of dry conditions than wet conditions have been detected, especially when long-term precipitation scales are considered.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bernard Papierok
2016-07-01
Full Text Available Since the 20th century, the sub-Antarctic islands have suffered an increasing number of biological invasions. Despite the large number of publications on this topic, there is a lack of knowledge on parasitism rates of invasive species and on the role of parasites and pathogens to regulate their populations. Six aphid species have been introduced in the archipelagos of Crozet (Île de la Possession, 46° 25’ S–51° 51’ E and Kerguelen (49° 21’ S–70° 13’ E. Five of these species were found infected by entomopathogenic fungi of the order Entomophthorales. All these fungal species are cosmopolitan. Conidiobolus obscurus and Entomophthora planchoniana were the most frequently observed on Île de la Possession and in Archipel des Kerguelen, respectively. This is the first report of pathogenic fungi of aphids on the sub-Antarctic islands. We discuss these results in the light of our current knowledge of these insect pathogens. Their introduction by aphids surviving on plants during transportation is the most likely hypothesis to explain their presence on these remote islands.
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Ganaha, Akira; Kaname, Tadashi; Yanagi, Kumiko; Naritomi, Kenji; Tono, Tetsuya; Usami, Shin-ichi; Suzuki, Mikio
2013-05-24
Pendred syndrome (PS) and nonsyndromic hearing loss associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) are caused by SLC26A4 mutations. The Okinawa Islands are the southwestern-most islands of the Japanese archipelago. And ancestral differences have been reported between people from Okinawa Island and those from the main islands of Japan. To confirm the ethnic variation of the spectrum of SLC26A4 mutations, we investigated the frequencies of SLC26A4 mutations and clinical manifestations of patients with EVA or PS living in the Okinawa Islands. We examined 22 patients with EVA or PS from 21 unrelated families in Okinawa Islands. The patient's clinical history, findings of physical and otoscopic examinations, hearing test, and computed tomography (CT) scan of the temporal bones were recorded. To detect mutations, all 21 exons and the exon-intron junctions of SLC26A4 were sequenced for all subjects. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for SLC26A4 and calculations using the comparative CT (2(-ΔΔCT)) method were used to determine the pathogenicity associated with gene substitutions. SLC26A4 mutations were identified in 21 of the 22 patients. We found a compound heterozygous mutation for IVS15 + 5G > A/H723R in nine patients (41%), a homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in six patients (27%), and homozygous mutation for H723R in five patients (23%). The most prevalent types of SLC26A4 alleles were IVS15 + 5G > A and H723R, which both accounted for 15/22 (68%) of the patients. There were no significant correlations between the types of SLC26A4 mutation and clinical manifestations. Based on qRT-PCR results, expression of SLC26A4 was not identified in patients with the homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A. The substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in SLC26A4 was the most common mutation in uniquely found in patients with PS and EVA in Okinawa Islands. This suggested that the spectrum of SLC26A4 mutation differed
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Beiter, Thomas; Zimmermann, Martina; Fragasso, Annunziata; Armeanu, Sorin; Lauer, Ulrich M; Bitzer, Michael; Su, Hua; Young, William L; Niess, Andreas M; Simon, Perikles
2008-01-01
So far, the abuse of gene transfer technology in sport, so-called gene doping, is undetectable. However, recent studies in somatic gene therapy indicate that long-term presence of transgenic DNA (tDNA) following various gene transfer protocols can be found in DNA isolated from whole blood using conventional PCR protocols. Application of these protocols for the direct detection of gene doping would require almost complete knowledge about the sequence of the genetic information that has been transferred. Here, we develop and describe the novel single-copy primer-internal intron-spanning PCR (spiPCR) procedure that overcomes this difficulty. Apart from the interesting perspectives that this spiPCR procedure offers in the fight against gene doping, this technology could also be of interest in biodistribution and biosafety studies for gene therapeutic applications.
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Mission hazard assessment for STARS Mission 1 (M1) in the Marshall Islands area
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Outka, D.E.; LaFarge, R.A.
1993-07-01
A mission hazard assessment has been performed for the Strategic Target System Mission 1 (known as STARS M1) for hazards due to potential debris impact in the Marshall Islands area. The work was performed at Sandia National Laboratories as a result of discussion with Kwajalein Missile Range (KMR) safety officers. The STARS M1 rocket will be launched from the Kauai Test Facility (KTF), Hawaii, and deliver two payloads to within the viewing range of sensors located on the Kwajalein Atoll. The purpose of this work has been to estimate upper bounds for expected casualty rates and impact probability or the Marshall Islands areas which adjoin the STARS M1 instantaneous impact point (IIP) trace. This report documents the methodology and results of the analysis.
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Gravity Spy - Integrating LIGO detector characterization, citizen science, and machine learning
Zevin, Michael; Gravity Spy
2016-06-01
On September 14th 2015, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (aLIGO) made the first direct observation of gravitational waves and opened a new field of observational astronomy. However, being the most complicated and sensitve experiment ever undertaken in gravitational physics, aLIGO is susceptible to various sources of environmental and instrumental noise that hinder the search for more gravitational waves.Of particular concern are transient, non-Gaussian noise features known as glitches. Glitches can mimic true astrophysical gravitational waves, occur at a high enough frequency to be coherent between the two detectors, and generally worsen aLIGO's detection capabilities. The proper classification and charaterization of glitches is paramount in optimizing aLIGO's ability to detect gravitational waves. However, teaching computers to identify and morphologically classify these artifacts is exceedingly difficult.Human intuition has proven to be a useful tool in classifcation probelms such as this. Gravity Spy is an innovative, interdisciplinary project hosted by Zooniverse that combines aLIGO detector characterization, citizen science, machine learning, and social science. In this project, citizen scientists and computers will work together in a sybiotic relationship that leverages human pattern recognition and the ability of machine learning to process large amounts of data systematically: volunteers classify triggers from the aLIGO data steam that are constantly updated as aLIGO takes in new data, and these classifications are used to train machine learning algorithms which proceed to classify the bulk of aLIGO data and feed questionable glithces back to the users.In this talk, I will discuss the workflow and initial results of the Gravity Spy project with regard to aLIGO's future observing runs and highlight the potential of such citizen science projects in promoting nascent fields such as gravitational wave astrophysics.
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Addendum to 'Half coalescence of the m=1, n=1 magnetic island in tokamaks'
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bussac, M.N.; Pellat, R.
1985-01-01
As an addendum to our previous work concerning the half-coalescence instability of an m=1, n=1 magnetic island in tokamaks, the potential energy is given for an arbitrary shape of the separatrix. (orig.)
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2.1 Natural History of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1
Sonnberg, Stephanie; Webby, Richard J.; Webster, Robert G.
2013-01-01
The ecology of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has significantly changed from sporadic outbreaks in terrestrial poultry to persistent circulation in terrestrial and aquatic poultry and potentially in wild waterfowl. A novel genotype of HPAI H5N1 arose in 1996 in southern China and through ongoing mutation, reassortment, and natural selection, has diverged into distinct lineages and expanded into multiple reservoir hosts. The evolution of Goose/Guangdong-lineage highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses is ongoing: while stable interactions exist with some reservoir hosts, these viruses are continuing to evolve and adapt to others, and pose an un-calculable risk to sporadic hosts, including humans. PMID:23735535
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Loaiza Cerón, Wilmar
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI characterizes meteorological droughts of a place, by quantifying the deficit of rainfall in different time periods. Negative SPI values represents drought, while positive values indicate wet periods. The results suggest that negative SPI periods coincide with El Niño years: 82-83, 91-92 and 97-98. The 91-92 event had the largest impact on the region. These results indicate that the most severe droughts in the basin of Dagua, were presented at the quarters of Dec- Jan-Feb, Jan-Feb-Mar, Jun-Jul-Aug and Jul-Aug-Sep. The results have been obtained with geostatistical techniques, and are a basic input to formulate adaptation strategies and ensure food sovereignty of small farmers against drought.El Índice Estandarizado de Precipitación (SPI caracteriza las sequías meteorológicas de un lugar, mediante la cuantificación del déficit de precipitación en diferentes períodos de tiempo. Valores negativos del SPI representan sequías, mientras valores positivos indican periodos húmedos. Los resultados muestran que los períodos SPI negativos, coinciden con años clasificados como El Niño: 82-83, 91-92 y 97-98, de los cuales, el evento 91-92 presentó los mayores impactos en la región. En general, los resultados indican que las sequías más intensas en la cuenca del Dagua, se presentaron en los trimestres de Dic-Ene-Feb, Ene-Feb-Mar, Jun-Jul-Ago y Jul-Ago-Sep; estos resultados se espacializaron con técnicas geoestadísticas, y son insumo básico para formular estrategias de adaptación y garantizar la soberanía alimentaria de los pequeños agricultores frente a las sequías. [fr] L’Indice de précipitations normalisé (SPI caractérise les sécheresses météorologiques d’un lieu, en quantifiant le déficit de précipitations à différentes périodes de temps. Les valeurs négatives de SPI indiquent périodes sécheresse, tandis que les positives indiquent des périodes humides. Les r
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A plant EPF-type zinc-finger protein, CaPIF1, involved in defence against pathogens.
Oh, Sang-Keun; Park, Jeong Mee; Joung, Young Hee; Lee, Sanghyeob; Chung, Eunsook; Kim, Soo-Yong; Yu, Seung Hun; Choi, Doil
2005-05-01
SUMMARY To understand better the defence responses of plants to pathogen attack, we challenged hot pepper plants with bacterial pathogens and identified transcription factor-encoding genes whose expression patterns were altered during the subsequent hypersensitive response. One of these genes, CaPIF1 (Capsicum annuum Pathogen-Induced Factor 1), was characterized further. This gene encodes a plant-specific EPF-type protein that contains two Cys(2)/His(2) zinc fingers. CaPIF1 expression was rapidly and specifically induced when pepper plants were challenged with bacterial pathogens to which they are resistant. In contrast, challenge with a pathogen to which the plants are susceptible only generated weak CaPIF1 expression. CaPIF1 expression was also strongly induced in pepper leaves by the exogenous application of ethephon, an ethylene-releasing compound, and salicylic acid, whereas methyl jasmonate had only moderate effects. CaPIF1 localized to the nuclei of onion epidermis when expressed as a CaPIF1-smGFP fusion protein. Transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing CaPIF1 driven by the CaMV 35S promoter showed increased resistance to challenge with a tobacco-specific pathogen or non-host bacterial pathogens. These plants also showed constitutive up-regulation of multiple defence-related genes. Moreover, virus-induced silencing of the CaPIF1 orthologue in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced susceptibility to the same host or non-host bacterial pathogens. These observations provide evidence that an EPF-type Cys(2)/His(2) zinc-finger protein plays a crucial role in the activation of the pathogen defence response in plants.
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Human infection with highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus
Gambotto, Andrea; Barratt-Boyes, Simon M.; de Jong, Menno D.; Neumann, Gabriele; Kawaoka, Yoshihiro
2008-01-01
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A viruses have spread relentlessly across the globe since 2003, and they are associated with widespread death in poultry, substantial economic loss to farmers, and reported infections of more than 300 people with a mortality rate of 60%. The high pathogenicity of
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Geotiff with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the north shore of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands.NOAA's...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sugiarto Indar
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Deep learning (DL has been considered as a breakthrough technique in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Conceptually, it relies on a many-layer network that exhibits a hierarchically non-linear processing capability. Some DL architectures such as deep neural networks, deep belief networks and recurrent neural networks have been developed and applied to many fields with incredible results, even comparable to human intelligence. However, many researchers are still sceptical about its true capability: can the intelligence demonstrated by deep learning technique be applied for general tasks? This question motivates the emergence of another research discipline: neuromorphic computing (NC. In NC, researchers try to identify the most fundamental ingredients that construct intelligence behaviour produced by the brain itself. To achieve this, neuromorphic systems are developed to mimic the brain functionality down to cellular level. In this paper, a neuromorphic platform called SpiNNaker is described and evaluated in order to understand its potential use as a platform for a deep learning approach. This paper is a literature review that contains comparative study on algorithms that have been implemented in SpiNNaker.
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Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia, previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia, present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli, including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. PMID:28893912
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Bondì, Roslen; Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano
2017-12-01
Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia , previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia , present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli , including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wilfried Jonkers
Full Text Available WOR1 is a gene for a conserved fungal regulatory protein controlling the dimorphic switch and pathogenicity determents in Candida albicans and its ortholog in the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, called SGE1, is required for pathogenicity and expression of key plant effector proteins. F. graminearum, an important pathogen of cereals, is not known to employ switching and no effector proteins from F. graminearum have been found to date that are required for infection. In this study, the potential role of the WOR1-like gene in pathogenesis was tested in this toxigenic fungus. Deletion of the WOR1 ortholog (called FGP1 in F. graminearum results in greatly reduced pathogenicity and loss of trichothecene toxin accumulation in infected wheat plants and in vitro. The loss of toxin accumulation alone may be sufficient to explain the loss of pathogenicity to wheat. Under toxin-inducing conditions, expression of genes for trichothecene biosynthesis and many other genes are not detected or detected at lower levels in Δfgp1 strains. FGP1 is also involved in the developmental processes of conidium formation and sexual reproduction and modulates a morphological change that accompanies mycotoxin production in vitro. The Wor1-like proteins in Fusarium species have highly conserved N-terminal regions and remarkably divergent C-termini. Interchanging the N- and C- terminal portions of proteins from F. oxysporum and F. graminearum resulted in partial to complete loss of function. Wor1-like proteins are conserved but have evolved to regulate pathogenicity in a range of fungi, likely by adaptations to the C-terminal portion of the protein.
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Dezfulian, Hojabr; Batisson, Isabelle; Fairbrother, John M.; Lau, Peter C. K.; Nassar, Atef; Szatmari, George; Harel, Josée
2003-01-01
The virulence genotype profile and presence of a pathogenicity island(s) (PAI) were studied in 18 strains of F165-positive Escherichia coli originally isolated from diseased calves or piglets. On the basis of their adhesion phenotypes and genotypes, these extraintestinal pathogenic strains were classified into three groups. The F165 fimbrial complex consists of at least two serologically and genetically distinct fimbriae: F1651 and F1652. F1651 is encoded by the foo operon (pap-like), and F16...
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M.-S. Kim; J. W. Hanna; N. B. Klopfenstein
2010-01-01
The loss and decline of native tree species caused by invasive plant pathogens is a major threat to the endangered endemic forests of the Hawaiian Islands (3). Thus, it is critical to characterize existing pathogens to evaluate potential invasiveness. In August 2005, rhizomorphs and mycelial bark fans of genet HI-4 were collected from dead/declining, mature trees of...
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Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013
Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto
2014-01-01
We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ.
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INTEGRAL IBIS, SPI, and JEM-X observations of LVT151012
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Savchenko, V.; Bazzano, A.; Bozzo, E.
2017-01-01
favorable location of the counterpart for a detection by the omni-directionalinstruments. These results can be interpreted as a tight constrain on the ratio of the isotropic equivalent energy releasedin the electromagnetic emission to the total energy of the gravitational waves: E75−2000 keV /EGW ...During the first observing run of LIGO, two gravitational wave events and one lower-significance trigger (LVT151012) were reported by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration. At the time of LVT151012, the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) was pointing at a region of the sky coincident...... with the high localization probability area of the event and thus permitted us to search for its electromagnetic counterpart (both prompt and afterglow emission). The imaging instruments on-board INTEGRAL (IBIS/ISGRI, IBIS/PICsIT, SPI, and the two JEM-X modules)have been exploited to attempt the detection...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ahmed Al-Dwairi
Full Text Available Obesity and associated hormonal disturbances are risk factors for colon cancer. Cytosolic Malic Enzyme (ME1 generates NADPH used for lipogenesis in gastrointestinal (GI, liver and adipose tissues. We have reported that inclusion of soy protein isolate (SPI in the diet lowered body fat content and colon tumor incidence of rats fed AIN-93G diet, while others have demonstrated SPI inhibition of rat hepatic ME1 expression. The present study examined the individual and combined effects of dietary SPI and absence of ME1 on: 1 serum concentrations of hormones implicated in colon cancer development, 2 expression of lipogenic and proliferation-associated genes in the mouse colon and small intestine, and 3 liver and adipose expression of lipogenic and adipocytokine genes that may contribute to colon cancer predisposition.Weanling wild type (WT and ME1 null (MOD-1 male mice were fed high-fat (HF, iso-caloric diets containing either casein (CAS or SPI as sole protein source for 5 wks. Somatic growth, serum hormone and glucose levels, liver and adipose tissue weights, GI tissue parameters, and gene expression were evaluated.The MOD-1 genotype and SPI-HF diet resulted in decreases in: body and retroperitoneal fat weights, serum insulin, serum leptin, leptin/adiponectin ratio, adipocyte size, colon mTOR and cyclin D1 mRNA abundance, and jejunum FASN mRNA abundance, when compared to WT mice fed CAS-HF. Regardless of diet, MOD-1 mice had reductions in liver weight, liver steatosis, and colon crypt depth, and increases in adipose tissue expression of IRS1 and IRS2, compared to WT mice. SPI-HF diet reduced ME1 gene expression only in retroperitoneal fat.Data suggest that the pharmacological targeting of ME1 or the inclusion of soy protein in the diet may provide avenues to reduce obesity and its associated pro-tumorigenic endocrine environment and improve insulin sensitivity, potentially disrupting the obesity-colon cancer connection.
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Giacopuzzi, Edoardo; Laffranchi, Mattia; Berardelli, Romina; Ravasio, Viola; Ferrarotti, Ilaria; Gooptu, Bibek; Borsani, Giuseppe; Fra, Annamaria
2018-06-07
The growth of publicly available data informing upon genetic variations, mechanisms of disease and disease sub-phenotypes offers great potential for personalised medicine. Computational approaches are likely required to assess large numbers of novel genetic variants. However, the integration of genetic, structural and pathophysiological data still represents a challenge for computational predictions and their clinical use. We addressed these issues for alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, a disease mediated by mutations in the SERPINA1 gene encoding alpha-1-antitrypsin. We compiled a comprehensive database of SERPINA1 coding mutations and assigned them apparent pathological relevance based upon available data. 'Benign' and 'Pathogenic' mutations were used to assess performance of 31 pathogenicity predictors. Well-performing algorithms clustered the subset of variants known to be severely pathogenic with high scores. Eight new mutations identified in the ExAC database and achieving high scores were selected for characterisation in cell models and showed secretory deficiency and polymer formation, supporting the predictive power of our computational approach. The behaviour of the pathogenic new variants and consistent outliers were rationalised by considering the protein structural context and residue conservation. These findings highlight the potential of computational methods to provide meaningful predictions of the pathogenic significance of novel mutations and identify areas for further investigation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Emergence of influenza A (H1N1) PDM09 in the remote Islands of India--a molecular approach.
Muruganandam, N; Bhattacharya, D; Chaaithanya, I K; Bhattacharya, H; Reesu, R; Maile, A; Bharathi, G S J; Sugunan, A P; Vijayachari, P
2015-01-01
A disease outbreak of A (H1N1) PDM09 was reported in Andaman and Nicobar islands in 2009 with an attack rate of 33.5% among settler population and 26.3% among the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe. During the ongoing outbreak of A (H1N1) PDM09 disease in different parts of the world, a subject working in Dubai city of Saudi Arabia, came to Port Blair, following which the pandemic triggered for the first time in these Islands. During the period August 2009 to January 2011, 30 confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) PDM09 virus infection was detected. To understand the genetic relationship, the NA gene sequences of the viruses were phylogenetically analysed together along with the virus sequence isolated from other parts of the world. Formation of multiple clusters were observed, with the sequences of Andaman Islands, mainland India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and few other counties clustering together. The sequence analysis data revealed that there was no specific mutation conferring resistance to oseltamivir among the Andaman A (H1N1) PDM09 virus isolates. The result of phylogenetic analysis have also revealed that the A (H1N1) PDM09 virus might have spread in these remote Islands of India via the subject from Saudi Arabia/Dubai. A (H1N1) PDM09 Influenza outbreak have highlighted the need to strengthen the region-specific pandemic preparedness plans and surveillance strategies.
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Tuppiap Qeqertaa (Tobias Island): a newly discovered island off northeast Greenland
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bennike, O.; Mikkelsen, N.; Forsberg, René
2006-01-01
The small island of Tuppiap Qeqertaa, formerly known as Tobias circle divide or Tobias Island, is situated 80 km off the northeast Greenland coast. The island was discovered in 1993 and is approximately 2 km long and 1.5 km wide. Most of the island is covered by an ice cap that rises to 35 in abo...
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Sociodemographic Factors Influencing Island Food Consumption in the Pacific Islander Health Study
Baumhofer, Nicole Kau'i
2016-01-01
This dissertation explores the relationships between island food consumption, sociodemographic variables, and cardiovascular risk using data from the Pacific Islander Health Study (PIHS). Chapter 1 explores the associations between self-reported level of island food consumption and key covariates. Island food consumption was modeled using Poisson regression and adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics. Increased Pacific Island cultural affinity was the strongest p...
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Hospitalizations for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 among Maori and Pacific Islanders, New Zealand
Verrall, Ayesha; Norton, Katherine; Rooker, Serena; Dee, Stephen; Olsen, Leeanne; Tan, Chor Ee; Paull, Sharon; Allen, Richard
2010-01-01
Community transmission of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 was followed by high rates of hospital admissions in the Wellington region of New Zealand, particularly among Maori and Pacific Islanders. These findings may help health authorities anticipate the effects of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in other communities. PMID:20031050
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46 CFR 7.85 - St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL.
2010-10-01
... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. 7.85... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.85 St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. (a) A line drawn from latitude 31°04.1′ N. longitude 81°16.7′ W. (St. Simons Lighted Whistle Buoy “ST S”) to latitude 30...
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Naito, Yuichi I; Chikaraishi, Yoshito; Drucker, Dorothée G; Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Semal, Patrick; Wißing, Christoph; Bocherens, Hervé
2016-04-01
This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditional view is that Neanderthals obtained most of their dietary protein from terrestrial animals, especially from large herbivores that roamed the open landscapes. Evidence based on the conventional carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk collagen has supported this view, although recent findings based on plant remains in the tooth calculus, microwear analyses, and small game and marine animal remains from archaeological sites have raised some questions regarding this assumption. However, the lack of a protein source other than meat in the Neanderthal diet may be due to methodological difficulties in defining the isotopic composition of plants. Based on the nitrogen isotopic composition of glutamic acid and phenylalanine in collagen for Neanderthals from Spy Cave (Belgium), we show that i) there was an inter-individual dietary heterogeneity even within one archaeological site that has not been evident in bulk collagen isotopic compositions, ii) they occupied an ecological niche different from those of hyenas, and iii) they could rely on plants for up to ∼20% of their protein source. These results are consistent with the evidence found of plant consumption by the Spy Neanderthals, suggesting a broader subsistence strategy than previously considered. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xavier eLagorce
2015-06-01
Full Text Available Spike-based neuromorphic sensors such as retinas and cochleas, change the way in which the world is sampled. Instead of producing data sampled at a constant rate, these sensors output spikes that are asynchronous and event driven. The event-based nature of neuromorphic sensors implies a complete paradigm shift in current perception algorithms towards those that emphasize the importance of precise timing. The spikes produced by these sensors usually have a time resolution in the order of microseconds. This high temporal resolution is a crucial factor in learning tasks. It is also widely used in the field of biological neural networks. Sound localization for instance relies on detecting time lags between the two ears which, in the barn owl, reaches a temporal resolution of 5 microseconds. Current available neuromorphic computation platforms such as SpiNNaker often limit their users to a time resolution in the order of milliseconds that is not compatible with the asynchronous outputs of neuromorphic sensors. To overcome these limitations and allow for the exploration of new types of neuromorphic computing architectures, we introduce a novel software framework on the SpiNNaker platform. This framework allows for simulations of spiking networks and plasticity mechanisms using a completely asynchronous and event-based scheme running with a microsecond time resolution. Results on two example networks using this new implementation are presented.
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Emergence of influenza A (H1N1 PDM09 in the remote Islands of India - A molecular approach
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
N Muruganandam
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Background: A disease outbreak of A (H1N1 PDM09 was reported in Andaman and Nicobar islands in 2009 with an attack rate of 33.5% among settler population and 26.3% among the aboriginal Nicobarese tribe. During the ongoing outbreak of A (H1N1 PDM09 disease in different parts of the world, a subject working in Dubai city of Saudi Arabia, came to Port Blair, following which the pandemic triggered for the first time in these Islands. Materials and Methods: During the period August 2009 to January 2011, 30 confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1 PDM09 virus infection was detected. To understand the genetic relationship, the NA gene sequences of the viruses were phylogenetically analysed together along with the virus sequence isolated from other parts of the world. Result: Formation of multiple clusters were observed, with the sequences of Andaman Islands, mainland India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and few other counties clustering together. The sequence analysis data revealed that there was no specific mutation conferring resistance to oseltamivir among the Andaman A (H1N1 PDM09 virus isolates. The result of phylogenetic analysis have also revealed that the A (H1N1 PDM09 virus might have spread in these remote Islands of India via the subject from Saudi Arabia/Dubai. Conclusion: A (H1N1 PDM09 Influenza outbreak have highlighted the need to strengthen the region-specific pandemic preparedness plans and surveillance strategies.
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Protein structure and phenotypic analysis of pathogenic and population missense variants in STXBP1
Suri, Mohnish; Evers, Jochem M. G.; Laskowski, Roman A.; O'Brien, Sinead; Baker, Kate; Clayton‐Smith, Jill; Dabir, Tabib; Josifova, Dragana; Joss, Shelagh; Kerr, Bronwyn; Kraus, Alison; McEntagart, Meriel; Morton, Jenny; Smith, Audrey; Splitt, Miranda
2017-01-01
Abstract Background Syntaxin‐binding protein 1, encoded by STXBP1, is highly expressed in the brain and involved in fusing synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Studies have shown that pathogenic loss‐of‐function variants in this gene result in various types of epilepsies, mostly beginning early in life. We were interested to model pathogenic missense variants on the protein structure to investigate the mechanism of pathogenicity and genotype–phenotype correlations. Methods We report 11...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Smarajit Chakraborty
2015-04-01
Full Text Available In bacteria, one paradigm for signal transduction is the two-component regulatory system, consisting of a sensor kinase (usually a membrane protein and a response regulator (usually a DNA binding protein. The EnvZ/OmpR two-component system responds to osmotic stress and regulates expression of outer membrane proteins. In Salmonella, EnvZ/OmpR also controls expression of another two-component system SsrA/B, which is located on Salmonella Pathogenicity Island (SPI 2. SPI-2 encodes a type III secretion system, which functions as a nanomachine to inject bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. During the intracellular phase of infection, Salmonella switches from assembling type III secretion system structural components to secreting effectors into the macrophage cytoplasm, enabling Salmonella to replicate in the phagocytic vacuole. Major questions remain regarding how bacteria survive the acidified vacuole and how acidification affects bacterial secretion. We previously reported that EnvZ sensed cytoplasmic signals rather than extracellular ones, as intracellular osmolytes altered the dynamics of a 17-amino-acid region flanking the phosphorylated histidine. We reasoned that the Salmonella cytoplasm might acidify in the macrophage vacuole to activate OmpR-dependent transcription of SPI-2 genes. To address these questions, we employed a DNA-based FRET biosensor ("I-switch" to measure bacterial cytoplasmic pH and immunofluorescence to monitor effector secretion during infection. Surprisingly, we observed a rapid drop in bacterial cytoplasmic pH upon phagocytosis that was not predicted by current models. Cytoplasmic acidification was completely dependent on the OmpR response regulator, but did not require known OmpR-regulated genes such as ompC, ompF, or ssaC (SPI-2. Microarray analysis highlighted the cadC/BA operon, and additional experiments confirmed that it was repressed by OmpR. Acidification was blocked in the ompR null background in a
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Abrahamsen, Niels
2006-07-01
Full Text Available The palaeomagnetic dating and evolution of the Faroe Islands are discussed in the context of new density and rock magnetic results from the deepened Lopra-1/1A well. The reversal chronology of thec. 6½ km thick basalt succession is also described. The polarity record of the Faroe Islands may now be correlated in detail with the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale. The lowermost (hidden part of thelower basalt formation correlates with Chron C26r (Selandian age, the top (exposed part of the lower basalt formation correlates with Chrons C26n, C25r and C25n (Selandian and Thanetian ageand the middle and upper basalt formations correlate with Chron C24n.3r (Ypresian. Inclinations indicate a far-sided position of the palaeomagnetic poles, which is characteristic of results from mostPalaeogene volcanics from the northern North Atlantic region. The density, magnetic susceptibility and magnetic remanence of 20 specimens from one solid core (1½ m in length and 26 sidewall cores from the well between –2219 and –3531 m below sea level (b.s.l. suggest that the volcanic materials can be divided into two characteristic groups: solid unaltered basalts and altered basalts and tuffs. The magnetic properties are typically log-normally distributed and the carriers of remanence are Ti-poor Ti-magnetites with Curie temperatures close to 580°C. The inclination of the 1½ m core at 2380 m b.s.l. is dominantly negative (two plugs at the very top of the core do show normal polarity, but they are likely to be misoriented as all specimens appear to be from one flow. Magnetic logging (magnetic susceptibility and field intensity down to 3515 m b.s.l. was made in Lopra-1/1A together with other geophysical logs but did not yield conclusive inclination data.
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Anderson, M. K.; Sun, X.; Miracle, A. L.; Litman, G. W.; Rothenberg, E. V.
2001-01-01
T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes are present in jawed vertebrates, including cartilaginous fishes, but not in jawless vertebrates or invertebrates. The origins of these lineages may be understood in terms of evolutionary changes in the structure and regulation of transcription factors that control lymphocyte development, such as PU.1. The identification and characterization of three members of the PU.1 family of transcription factors in a cartilaginous fish, Raja eglanteria, are described here. Two of these genes are orthologs of mammalian PU.1 and Spi-C, respectively, whereas the third gene, Spi-D, is a different family member. In addition, a PU.1-like gene has been identified in a jawless vertebrate, Petromyzon marinus (sea lamprey). Both DNA-binding and transactivation domains are highly conserved between mammalian and skate PU.1, in marked contrast to lamprey Spi, in which similarity is evident only in the DNA-binding domain. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data suggests that the appearance of Spi-C may predate the divergence of the jawed and jawless vertebrates and that Spi-D arose before the divergence of the cartilaginous fish from the lineage leading to the mammals. The tissue-specific expression patterns of skate PU.1 and Spi-C suggest that these genes share regulatory as well as structural properties with their mammalian orthologs.
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Comparative genomics identifies distinct lineages of S. Enteritidis from Queensland, Australia.
Graham, Rikki M A; Hiley, Lester; Rathnayake, Irani U; Jennison, Amy V
2018-01-01
Salmonella enterica is a major cause of gastroenteritis and foodborne illness in Australia where notification rates in the state of Queensland are the highest in the country. S. Enteritidis is among the five most common serotypes reported in Queensland and it is a priority for epidemiological surveillance due to concerns regarding its emergence in Australia. Using whole genome sequencing, we have analysed the genomic epidemiology of 217 S. Enteritidis isolates from Queensland, and observed that they fall into three distinct clades, which we have differentiated as Clades A, B and C. Phage types and MLST sequence types differed between the clades and comparative genomic analysis has shown that each has a unique profile of prophage and genomic islands. Several of the phage regions present in the S. Enteritidis reference strain P125109 were absent in Clades A and C, and these clades also had difference in the presence of pathogenicity islands, containing complete SPI-6 and SPI-19 regions, while P125109 does not. Antimicrobial resistance markers were found in 39 isolates, all but one of which belonged to Clade B. Phylogenetic analysis of the Queensland isolates in the context of 170 international strains showed that Queensland Clade B isolates group together with the previously identified global clade, while the other two clades are distinct and appear largely restricted to Australia. Locally sourced environmental isolates included in this analysis all belonged to Clades A and C, which is consistent with the theory that these clades are a source of locally acquired infection, while Clade B isolates are mostly travel related.
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Modelling magnetic islands in the H-1NF heliac with the hint code
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lloyd, S.S.; Gardner, H.J.
1999-01-01
Full text: Recent progress in the theoretical modelling of the effects of plasma pressure on the growth and change in geometry of magnetic islands in the H-1NF Heliac will be reviewed. The HINT magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium code, which has become a standard workhorse in the stellarator community for problems of this type, has been modified to incorporate an interpolation algorithm which significantly accelerates its convergence. This has enabled the critical evaluation of earlier results, and of some conventional wisdom. In many ways the treatment of magnetic islands in low shear fusion reactors, such as H-1NF, is an ideal case study in computational science - the devil is in the details and the devil is important: the existence or otherwise of island self-healing at reactor pressures could significantly affect the design of future experiments. (author)
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Irradiation of fresh fruits and vegetables is a post-harvest intervention measure often used to inactivate pathogenic food-borne microbes. We evaluated the sensitivity of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains (2-79, Q8R1, Q287) to gamma irradiation following surface inoculations on romaine lettuce and spi...
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Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013.
Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto
2014-10-30
We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ. Copyright © 2014 Díaz-Quiñonez et al.
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Foronda, Pilar; Plata-Luis, Josué; del Castillo-Figueruelo, Borja; Fernández-Álvarez, Ángela; Martín-Alonso, Aarón; Feliu, Carlos; Cabral, Marilena D; Valladares, Basilio
2015-05-29
Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii are intracellular parasites that cause important reproductive disorders in animals and humans worldwide, resulting in high economic losses. The aim of the present study was to analyse the possible role of peridomestic small mammals in the maintenance and transmission of C. burnetii and T. gondii in the north-western African archipelagos of the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, where these species are commonly found affecting humans and farm animals. Between 2009 and 2013, 108 black rats (Rattus rattus) and 77 mice (Mus musculus) were analysed for the presence of Coxiella and Toxoplasma antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), respectively. Our results showed a wide distribution of C. burnetii and T. gondii, except for T. gondii in Cape Verde, in both rodent species. The overall seroprevalence of C. burnetii antibodies was 12.4%; 21.1% for Cape Verde and 10.2% for the Canary Islands. With respect to T. gondii, seropositive rodents were only observed in the Canary Islands, with an overall seroprevalence of 15%. Considering the fact that both pathogens can infect a large range of hosts, including livestock and humans, the results are of public health and veterinary importance and could be used by governmental entities to manage risk factors and to prevent future cases of Q fever and toxoplasmosis.
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46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.
2010-10-01
... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. 7.70 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...′ W. (Port Royal Sound Lighted Whistle Buoy “2PR”); thence to the easternmost extremity of Hilton Head...
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Galehdari, Hamid; Saki, Najmaldin; Mohammadi-Asl, Javad; Rahim, Fakher
2013-01-01
Crigler-Najjar syndrome (CNS) type I and type II are usually inherited as autosomal recessive conditions that result from mutations in the UGT1A1 gene. The main objective of the present review is to summarize results of all available evidence on the accuracy of SNP-based pathogenicity detection tools compared to published clinical result for the prediction of in nsSNPs that leads to disease using prediction performance method. A comprehensive search was performed to find all mutations related to CNS. Database searches included dbSNP, SNPdbe, HGMD, Swissvar, ensemble, and OMIM. All the mutation related to CNS was extracted. The pathogenicity prediction was done using SNP-based pathogenicity detection tools include SIFT, PHD-SNP, PolyPhen2, fathmm, Provean, and Mutpred. Overall, 59 different SNPs related to missense mutations in the UGT1A1 gene, were reviewed. Comparing the diagnostic OR, PolyPhen2 and Mutpred have the highest detection 4.983 (95% CI: 1.24 - 20.02) in both, following by SIFT (diagnostic OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.07 - 9.83). The highest MCC of SNP-based pathogenicity detection tools, was belong to SIFT (34.19%) followed by Provean, PolyPhen2, and Mutpred (29.99%, 29.89%, and 29.89%, respectively). Hence the highest SNP-based pathogenicity detection tools ACC, was fit to SIFT (62.71%) followed by PolyPhen2, and Mutpred (61.02%, in both). Our results suggest that some of the well-established SNP-based pathogenicity detection tools can appropriately reflect the role of a disease-associated SNP in both local and global structures.
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33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.
2010-07-01
... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... easternmost extremity of Hilton Head at latitude 32°13.0′ N. longitude 80°40.1′ W. [CGD 77-118a, 42 FR 35784...
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Geotiff with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the north shore of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands.NOAA's...
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Splicing analysis of 14 BRCA1 missense variants classifies nine variants as pathogenic
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ahlborn, Lise B; Dandanell, Mette; Steffensen, Ane Y
2015-01-01
by functional analysis at the protein level. Results from a validated mini-gene splicing assay indicated that nine BRCA1 variants resulted in splicing aberrations leading to truncated transcripts and thus can be considered pathogenic (c.4987A>T/p.Met1663Leu, c.4988T>A/p.Met1663Lys, c.5072C>T/p.Thr1691Ile, c......Pathogenic germline mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose carriers to early onset breast and ovarian cancer. Clinical genetic screening of BRCA1 often reveals variants with uncertain clinical significance, complicating patient and family management. Therefore, functional examinations are urgently...... needed to classify whether these uncertain variants are pathogenic or benign. In this study, we investigated 14 BRCA1 variants by in silico splicing analysis and mini-gene splicing assay. All 14 alterations were missense variants located within the BRCT domain of BRCA1 and had previously been examined...
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Study of the high energy emission of accreting compact objects with SPI/INTEGRAL
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Droulans, R.
2011-01-01
The study of the high energy emission is essential for understanding the radiative processes inherent to accretion flows onto compact objects (black holes and neutron stars). The X/γ-ray continuum of these systems is successfully interpreted in terms of two components. The first component corresponds to blackbody emission from a geometrically thin optically thick accretion disk while the second component is generally associated to Compton scattering of the thermal disk flux off hot electrons. Despite considerable advances throughout the years, the heating mechanisms as well as the structure of the hot Comptonizing plasma remain poorly understood. In order to shed light on the physical processes that govern the innermost regions of the accretion flow, we take advantage of the data archive accumulated by the SPI instrument, a high energy spectrometer (20 keV - 8 MeV) developed at the CESR (now IRAP, Toulouse, France) for the INTEGRAL mission. Above 150 keV, SPI combines a unique spectral resolution with unequalled sensitivity, being thus an ideal tool to study the high energy emission of accreting compact objects. The thesis manuscript reports on the results of timing and spectral studies of three particular systems. First, I address the high energy emission of the enigmatic micro-quasar GRS 1915+105, a source characterized by colossal luminosity and strong chaotic variability in X-rays. On a timescale of about one day, the photon index of the 20 - 200 keV spectrum varies between 2.7 and 3.5; at higher energies (≥150 keV), SPI unveils the systematic presence of an additional emission component, extending without folding energy up to ∼ 500 keV. Second, I study the high energy emission of GX 339-4, a source whose spectral properties are representative of black hole transients. The spectrum of the luminous hard state of this system shows a variable high energy tail (≥150 keV), with significant flux changes on a short timescale (several hours). I explain the
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Tokarz, Rafal; Sameroff, Stephen; Leon, Maria Sanchez; Jain, Komal; Lipkin, W Ian
2014-02-11
Ticks are implicated as hosts to a wide range of animal and human pathogens. The full range of microbes harbored by ticks has not yet been fully explored. As part of a viral surveillance and discovery project in arthropods, we used unbiased high-throughput sequencing to examine viromes of ticks collected on Long Island, New York in 2013. We detected and sequenced the complete genome of a novel rhabdovirus originating from a pool of Amblyomma americanum ticks. This virus, which we provisionally name Long Island tick rhabdovirus, is distantly related to Moussa virus from Africa. The Long Island tick rhabdovirus may represent a novel species within family Rhabdoviridae.
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Bett, B; McLaws, M; Jost, C; Schoonman, L; Unger, F; Poole, J; Lapar, M L; Siregar, E S; Azhar, M; Hidayat, M M; Dunkle, S E; Mariner, J
2015-04-01
We conducted an operational research study involving backyard and semicommercial farms on Java Island, Indonesia, between April 2008 and September 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness of two preventive mass vaccination strategies against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). One regimen used Legok 2003 H5N1 vaccine, while the other used both Legok 2003 H5N1 and HB1 Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine. A total of 16 districts were involved in the study. The sample size was estimated using a formal power calculation technique that assumed a detectable effect of treatment as a 50% reduction in the baseline number of HPAI-compatible outbreaks. Within each district, candidate treatment blocks with village poultry populations ranging from 80 000 to 120 000 were created along subdistrict boundary lines. Subsequently, four of these blocks were randomly selected and assigned one treatment from a list that comprised control, vaccination against HPAI, vaccination against HPAI + ND. Four rounds of vaccination were administered at quarterly intervals beginning in July 2008. A vaccination campaign involved vaccinating 100 000 birds in a treatment block, followed by another 100 000 vaccinations 3 weeks later as a booster dose. Data on disease incidence and vaccination coverage were also collected at quarterly intervals using participatory epidemiological techniques. Compared with the unvaccinated (control) group, the incidence of HPAI-compatible events declined by 32% (P = 0.24) in the HPAI-vaccinated group and by 73% (P = 0.00) in the HPAI- and ND-vaccinated group. The effect of treatment did not vary with time or district. Similarly, an analysis of secondary data from the participatory disease and response (PDSR) database revealed that the incidence of HPAI declined by 12% in the HPAI-vaccinated group and by 24% in the HPAI + ND-vaccinated group. The results suggest that the HPAI + ND vaccination significantly reduced the incidence of HPAI-compatible events in mixed populations of
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shklyaev, A.A.; Budazhapova, A.E.
2016-01-01
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Solid source MBE is used for island growth by Ge deposition on Si(1 0 0) at 700–900 °C. • Islands acquire a monomodal size distribution at temperatures above 800 °C. • Islands form ordered arrays during Ge deposition at 900 °C. • Conditions close to dynamic equilibrium are realized for growth and decay of islands at 900 °C. • Shape of ordered islands is cone with shallow sidewalls. - Abstract: The formation of islands arrays during Ge deposition on Si(1 0 0) at high temperatures is studied using scanning tunneling and electron microscopies. It is found that the island size and shape distributions, which are known to be bimodal at growth temperatures below 700 °C, become monomodal at temperatures above 800 °C. The obtained data suggest that the processes such as island nucleation and Ostwald ripening become less significant in the surface morphology formation, giving the advantage to selective attachment of deposited Ge atoms to island sidewalls and spatially inhomogeneous Si-Ge intermixing, as the temperature increases. At 900 °C, the islands exhibit a tendency to form laterally ordered arrays when the growth conditions approach the dynamic equilibrium between the growth of islands and their decay by means of Si-Ge intermixing. The islands ordering is accompanied by their shape transformation into the cone with shallow sidewalls inclined from (1 0 0) by angles of around 10°.
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Brand, Christopher J.
2009-01-01
Executive Summary: This Surveillance Plan (Plan) describes plans for conducting surveillance of wild birds in the United States and its Territories and Freely-Associated States to provide for early detection of the introduction of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype of the influenza A virus by migratory birds during the 2009 surveillance year, spanning the period of April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010. The Plan represents a continuation of surveillance efforts begun in 2006 under the Interagency Strategic Plan for the Early Detection of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Migratory Birds (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior, 2006). The Plan sets forth sampling plans by: region, target species or species groups to be sampled, locations of sampling, sample sizes, and sampling approaches and methods. This Plan will be reviewed annually and modified as appropriate for subsequent surveillance years based on evaluation of information from previous years of surveillance, changing patterns and threats of H5N1 HPAI, and changes in funding availability for avian influenza surveillance. Specific sampling strategies will be developed accordingly within each of six regions, defined here as Alaska, Hawaiian/Pacific Islands, Lower Pacific Flyway (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona), Central Flyway, Mississippi Flyway, and Atlantic Flyway.
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2010-01-01
... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Proclamation 8369 of May 1, 2009. Asian American and... Proclamation 8369 of May 1, 2009 Proc. 8369 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2009By the... cultural traditions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continues to strengthen the fabric of American...
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Half- coalescence of the m/n = 1 magnetic island in Tokamaks
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bussac, M.N.; Pellat, R.
1986-01-01
We show that a configuration containing an m/n = 1 magnetic island is unstable to an ideal MHD mode. The expected nonlinear implications of this instability could explain the disruptive phase of the classical sawtooth behaviour of Tokamak plasmas
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Use of a New High Resolution Melting Method for Genotyping Pathogenic Leptospira spp.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Florence Naze
Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis that is endemic in tropical areas, such as Reunion Island. The species Leptospira interrogans is the primary agent in human infections, but other pathogenic species, such as L. kirschner and L. borgpetersenii, are also associated with human leptospirosis.In this study, a melting curve analysis of the products that were amplified with the primer pairs lfb1 F/R and G1/G2 facilitated an accurate species classification of Leptospira reference strains. Next, we combined an unsupervised high resolution melting (HRM method with a new statistical approach using primers to amplify a two variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR for typing at the subspecies level. The HRM analysis, which was performed with ScreenClust Software, enabled the identification of genotypes at the serovar level with high resolution power (Hunter-Gaston index 0.984. This method was also applied to Leptospira DNA from blood samples that were obtained from Reunion Island after 1998. We were able to identify a unique genotype that is identical to that of the L. interrogans serovars Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae, suggesting that this genotype is the major cause of leptospirosis on Reunion Island.Our simple, rapid, and robust genotyping method enables the identification of Leptospira strains at the species and subspecies levels and supports the direct genotyping of Leptospira in biological samples without requiring cultures.
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Evolution of Si-2N2Nb island configuration on NbN (0 0 1) surface: A first-principles calculation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ren, Yuan; Xia, Qing; Zhang, Chao; Liu, Xuejie; Li, Zhi; Zhang, Fucheng
2015-01-01
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We investigate the separation and gathering of Nb, Si and N atom around come to NbN grain. • The adsorption and diffusion of single atom around 2N2Nb island were calculated by DFT. • The adsorption behavior of Si-2N2Nb island on NbN (0 0 1) surface were investigated. • The evolution of Si-2N2Nb island on NbN (0 0 1) were calculated by nudged elastic band. - Abstract: The separation and aggregation of Nb, Si, and N atoms around the NbN grain during the deposition of the Nb–Si–N nanocomposite film were discussed. The evolution behavior of the 2N2Nb island and the adsorption and diffusion energy of Nb, Si, and N atoms around the island on the NbN (0 0 1) surface were investigated using the first-principles method based on density functional theory. Results indicated that the most stable configuration of the Nb–Si–N island was the combination of Nb and N atoms to form the island and the possible aggregation of the Si atom to diagonal Nb atom outside the island. Substitution solid solution was eventually formed, in which the Nb atom of the 2N2Nb island was replaced by the Si atom during deposition. However, the Si atom was easily replaced by the Nb atom at the site with abundant Nb atoms. The diffusion energy of the evolution from Nb-2N1Nb1Si to Si-2N2Nb was 1.58 eV, and the total energy of the configuration decreased. Moreover, the interface of Si and NbN grains tended to separate. The highest energy adsorption sites for Nb, Si, N atoms adsorbed on the NbN (0 0 1) surface around the 2N2Nb island were P3, P1, and P2, respectively. The adsorption energies of Nb, Si, and N atoms on the NbN (0 0 1) surface around the 2N2Nb island were 7.3067, 5.3521, and 6.7113 eV, respectively, and their diffusion energies around the 2N2Nb island were 2.62, 1.35, and 5.094 eV, respectively. The low adsorption and diffusion energies of active Si atoms promoted the distribution of Nb and N atoms during deposition. Furthermore, the Nb
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael A. Fisher
2007-01-01
Full Text Available On April 1, 2007, a destructive earthquake (Mw 8.1 and tsunami struck the central Solomon Islands arc in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The earthquake had a thrust-fault focal mechanism and occurred at shallow depth (between 15 km and 25 km beneath the island arc. The combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami caused dozens of fatalities and thousands remain without shelter. We present a preliminary analysis of the Mw-8.1 earthquake and resulting tsunami. Multichannel seismic- reflection data collected during 1984 show the geologic structure of the arc’s frontal prism within the earthquake’s rupture zone. Modeling tsunami-wave propagation indicates that some of the islands are so close to the earthquake epicenter that they were hard hit by tsunami waves as soon as 5 min. after shaking began, allowing people scant time to react.
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Melo, R P B; Almeida, J C; Lima, D C V; Pedrosa, C M; Magalhães, F J R; Alcântara, A M; Barros, L D; Vieira, R F C; Garcia, J L; Mota, R A
2016-07-15
Toxoplasma gondii isolates from Brazil have a different phenotypic and genotypic pattern, with predominance of virulent isolates and recombinant genotypes, compared to the North Hemisphere. Considering that a new T. gondii genotype, non-pathogenic to mice, was previously identified from free-range chickens from the Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil, this study aimed to identify genotypes of this parasite in tissue samples of feral cats (Felis catus) from this Brazilian Island. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 18/31 (58%) feral cats. Two non-virulent T. gondii isolates were obtained by mouse bioassay. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP using 10 genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, L358 and Apico) and an atypical strain of T. gondii (ToxoDB #146) was identified. This is the first report of this genotype in feral cats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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2014-01-01
Background Ticks are implicated as hosts to a wide range of animal and human pathogens. The full range of microbes harbored by ticks has not yet been fully explored. Methods As part of a viral surveillance and discovery project in arthropods, we used unbiased high-throughput sequencing to examine viromes of ticks collected on Long Island, New York in 2013. Results We detected and sequenced the complete genome of a novel rhabdovirus originating from a pool of Amblyomma americanum ticks. This virus, which we provisionally name Long Island tick rhabdovirus, is distantly related to Moussa virus from Africa. Conclusions The Long Island tick rhabdovirus may represent a novel species within family Rhabdoviridae. PMID:24517260
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alison E Mather
Full Text Available Throughout the 1990 s, there was an epidemic of multidrug resistant Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in both animals and humans in Scotland. The use of antimicrobials in agriculture is often cited as a major source of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria of humans, suggesting that DT104 in animals and humans should demonstrate similar prevalences of resistance determinants. Until very recently, only the application of molecular methods would allow such a comparison and our understanding has been hindered by the fact that surveillance data are primarily phenotypic in nature. Here, using large scale surveillance datasets and a novel Bayesian approach, we infer and compare the prevalence of Salmonella Genomic Island 1 (SGI1, SGI1 variants, and resistance determinants independent of SGI1 in animal and human DT104 isolates from such phenotypic data. We demonstrate differences in the prevalences of SGI1, SGI1-B, SGI1-C, absence of SGI1, and tetracycline resistance determinants independent of SGI1 between these human and animal populations, a finding that challenges established tenets that DT104 in domestic animals and humans are from the same well-mixed microbial population.
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Diomede Islands, Bering Straight
2008-01-01
The Diomede Islands consisting of the western island Big Diomede (also known as Imaqliq, Nunarbuk or Ratmanov Island), and the eastern island Little Diomede (also known as Krusenstern Island or Inaliq), are two rocky islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska. The islands are separated by an international border and the International Date Line which is approximately 1.5 km from each island; you can look from Alaska into tomorrow in Russia. At the closest land approach between the United States, which controls Little Diomede, and Russia, which controls Big Diomede, they are 3 km apart. Little Diomede Island constitutes the Alaskan City of Diomede, while Big Diomede Island is Russia's easternmost point. The first European to reach the islands was the Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. The text of the 1867 treaty finalizing the sale of Alaska uses the islands to designate the border between the two nations. The image was acquired July 8, 2000, covers an area of 13.5 x 10.8 km, and is located at 65.8 degrees north latitude, 169 degrees west longitude. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
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MacArthur, Iain; Anastasi, Elisa; Alvarez, Sonsiray; Scortti, Mariela; Vázquez-Boland, José A
2017-05-01
The conjugative virulence plasmid is a key component of the Rhodococcus equi accessory genome essential for pathogenesis. Three host-associated virulence plasmid types have been identified the equine pVAPA and porcine pVAPB circular variants, and the linear pVAPN found in bovine (ruminant) isolates. We recently characterized the R. equi pangenome (Anastasi E, et al. 2016. Pangenome and phylogenomic analysis of the pathogenic actinobacterium Rhodococcus equi. Genome Biol Evol. 8:3140-3148.) and we report here the comparative analysis of the virulence plasmid genomes. Plasmids within each host-associated type were highly similar despite their diverse origins. Variation was accounted for by scattered single nucleotide polymorphisms and short nucleotide indels, while larger indels-mostly in the plasticity region near the vap pathogencity island (PAI)-defined plasmid genomic subtypes. Only one of the plasmids analyzed, of pVAPN type, was exceptionally divergent due to accumulation of indels in the housekeeping backbone. Each host-associated plasmid type carried a unique PAI differing in vap gene complement, suggesting animal host-specific evolution of the vap multigene family. Complete conservation of the vap PAI was observed within each host-associated plasmid type. Both diversity of host-associated plasmid types and clonality of specific chromosomal-plasmid genomic type combinations were observed within the same R. equi phylogenomic subclade. Our data indicate that the overall strong conservation of the R. equi host-associated virulence plasmids is the combined result of host-driven selection, lateral transfer between strains, and geographical spread due to international livestock exchanges. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Frey Jürg E
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Erwinia pyrifoliae is a newly described necrotrophic pathogen, which causes fire blight on Asian (Nashi pear and is geographically restricted to Eastern Asia. Relatively little is known about its genetics compared to the closely related main fire blight pathogen E. amylovora. Results The genome of the type strain of E. pyrifoliae strain DSM 12163T, was sequenced using both 454 and Solexa pyrosequencing and annotated. The genome contains a circular chromosome of 4.026 Mb and four small plasmids. Based on their respective role in virulence in E. amylovora or related organisms, we identified several putative virulence factors, including type III and type VI secretion systems and their effectors, flagellar genes, sorbitol metabolism, iron uptake determinants, and quorum-sensing components. A deletion in the rpoS gene covering the most conserved region of the protein was identified which may contribute to the difference in virulence/host-range compared to E. amylovora. Comparative genomics with the pome fruit epiphyte Erwinia tasmaniensis Et1/99 showed that both species are overall highly similar, although specific differences were identified, for example the presence of some phage gene-containing regions and a high number of putative genomic islands containing transposases in the E. pyrifoliae DSM 12163T genome. Conclusions The E. pyrifoliae genome is an important addition to the published genome of E. tasmaniensis and the unfinished genome of E. amylovora providing a foundation for re-sequencing additional strains that may shed light on the evolution of the host-range and virulence/pathogenicity of this important group of plant-associated bacteria.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alberto Elías-Villalobos
2011-09-01
Full Text Available A critical step in the life cycle of many fungal pathogens is the transition between yeast-like growth and the formation of filamentous structures, a process known as dimorphism. This morphological shift, typically triggered by multiple environmental signals, is tightly controlled by complex genetic pathways to ensure successful pathogenic development. In animal pathogenic fungi, one of the best known regulators of dimorphism is the general transcriptional repressor, Tup1. However, the role of Tup1 in fungal dimorphism is completely unknown in plant pathogens. Here we show that Tup1 plays a key role in orchestrating the yeast to hypha transition in the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. Deletion of the tup1 gene causes a drastic reduction in the mating and filamentation capacity of the fungus, in turn leading to a reduced virulence phenotype. In U. maydis, these processes are controlled by the a and b mating-type loci, whose expression depends on the Prf1 transcription factor. Interestingly, Δtup1 strains show a critical reduction in the expression of prf1 and that of Prf1 target genes at both loci. Moreover, we observed that Tup1 appears to regulate Prf1 activity by controlling the expression of the prf1 transcriptional activators, rop1 and hap2. Additionally, we describe a putative novel prf1 repressor, named Pac2, which seems to be an important target of Tup1 in the control of dimorphism and virulence. Furthermore, we show that Tup1 is required for full pathogenic development since tup1 deletion mutants are unable to complete the sexual cycle. Our findings establish Tup1 as a key factor coordinating dimorphism in the phytopathogen U. maydis and support a conserved role for Tup1 in the control of hypha-specific genes among animal and plant fungal pathogens.
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Comparative analysis of European bat lyssavirus 1 pathogenicity in the mouse model.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Elisa Eggerbauer
2017-06-01
Full Text Available European bat lyssavirus 1 is responsible for most bat rabies cases in Europe. Although EBLV-1 isolates display a high degree of sequence identity, different sublineages exist. In individual isolates various insertions and deletions have been identified, with unknown impact on viral replication and pathogenicity. In order to assess whether different genetic features of EBLV-1 isolates correlate with phenotypic changes, different EBLV-1 variants were compared for pathogenicity in the mouse model. Groups of three mice were infected intracranially (i.c. with 102 TCID50/ml and groups of six mice were infected intramuscularly (i.m. with 105 TCID50/ml and 102 TCID50/ml as well as intranasally (i.n. with 102 TCID50/ml. Significant differences in survival following i.m. inoculation with low doses as well as i.n. inoculation were observed. Also, striking variations in incubation periods following i.c. inoculation and i.m. inoculation with high doses were seen. Hereby, the clinical picture differed between general symptoms, spasms and aggressiveness depending on the inoculation route. Immunohistochemistry of mouse brains showed that the virus distribution in the brain depended on the inoculation route. In conclusion, different EBLV-1 isolates differ in pathogenicity indicating variation which is not reflected in studies of single isolates.
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Comparative analysis of European bat lyssavirus 1 pathogenicity in the mouse model.
Eggerbauer, Elisa; Pfaff, Florian; Finke, Stefan; Höper, Dirk; Beer, Martin; Mettenleiter, Thomas C; Nolden, Tobias; Teifke, Jens-Peter; Müller, Thomas; Freuling, Conrad M
2017-06-01
European bat lyssavirus 1 is responsible for most bat rabies cases in Europe. Although EBLV-1 isolates display a high degree of sequence identity, different sublineages exist. In individual isolates various insertions and deletions have been identified, with unknown impact on viral replication and pathogenicity. In order to assess whether different genetic features of EBLV-1 isolates correlate with phenotypic changes, different EBLV-1 variants were compared for pathogenicity in the mouse model. Groups of three mice were infected intracranially (i.c.) with 102 TCID50/ml and groups of six mice were infected intramuscularly (i.m.) with 105 TCID50/ml and 102 TCID50/ml as well as intranasally (i.n.) with 102 TCID50/ml. Significant differences in survival following i.m. inoculation with low doses as well as i.n. inoculation were observed. Also, striking variations in incubation periods following i.c. inoculation and i.m. inoculation with high doses were seen. Hereby, the clinical picture differed between general symptoms, spasms and aggressiveness depending on the inoculation route. Immunohistochemistry of mouse brains showed that the virus distribution in the brain depended on the inoculation route. In conclusion, different EBLV-1 isolates differ in pathogenicity indicating variation which is not reflected in studies of single isolates.
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Acid Stability of the Hemagglutinin Protein Regulates H5N1 Influenza Virus Pathogenicity
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
DuBois, Rebecca M.; Zaraket, Hassan; Reddivari, Muralidhar; Heath, Richard J.; White, Stephen W.; Russell, Charles J. (Tennessee-HSC); (SJCH)
2012-12-10
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 subtype continue to threaten agriculture and human health. Here, we use biochemistry and x-ray crystallography to reveal how amino-acid variations in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein contribute to the pathogenicity of H5N1 influenza virus in chickens. HA proteins from highly pathogenic (HP) A/chicken/Hong Kong/YU562/2001 and moderately pathogenic (MP) A/goose/Hong Kong/437-10/1999 isolates of H5N1 were found to be expressed and cleaved in similar amounts, and both proteins had similar receptor-binding properties. However, amino-acid variations at positions 104 and 115 in the vestigial esterase sub-domain of the HA1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) were found to modulate the pH of HA activation such that the HP and MP HA proteins are activated for membrane fusion at pH 5.7 and 5.3, respectively. In general, an increase in H5N1 pathogenicity in chickens was found to correlate with an increase in the pH of HA activation for mutant and chimeric HA proteins in the observed range of pH 5.2 to 6.0. We determined a crystal structure of the MP HA protein at 2.50 {angstrom} resolution and two structures of HP HA at 2.95 and 3.10 {angstrom} resolution. Residues 104 and 115 that modulate the acid stability of the HA protein are situated at the N- and C-termini of the 110-helix in the vestigial esterase sub-domain, which interacts with the B loop of the HA2 stalk domain. Interactions between the 110-helix and the stalk domain appear to be important in regulating HA protein acid stability, which in turn modulates influenza virus replication and pathogenesis. Overall, an optimal activation pH of the HA protein is found to be necessary for high pathogenicity by H5N1 influenza virus in avian species.
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Forecasting SPEI and SPI Drought Indices Using the Integrated Artificial Neural Networks
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Petr Maca
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The presented paper compares forecast of drought indices based on two different models of artificial neural networks. The first model is based on feedforward multilayer perceptron, sANN, and the second one is the integrated neural network model, hANN. The analyzed drought indices are the standardized precipitation index (SPI and the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI and were derived for the period of 1948–2002 on two US catchments. The meteorological and hydrological data were obtained from MOPEX experiment. The training of both neural network models was made by the adaptive version of differential evolution, JADE. The comparison of models was based on six model performance measures. The results of drought indices forecast, explained by the values of four model performance indices, show that the integrated neural network model was superior to the feedforward multilayer perceptron with one hidden layer of neurons.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lisa M Esteves
Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic and recognized neglected infectious disease. It has been observed that only a proportion of individuals exposed to pathogenic species of Leptospira become infected and develop clinically evident disease. Moreover, little information is available in subsequent reinfections. In the present study, we determine if a first infection with leptospirosis protects against subsequent reinfection, and investigate which of the host genetic factors are involved in the susceptibility and resistance to leptospirosis.We conducted, in 2011, a retrospective hospital-based case-control study in the São Miguel Island population (Azores archipelago. In order to determine the seropositivity against pathogenic Leptospira after the first episode of leptospirosis, we performed a serological evaluation in 97 unrelated participants diagnosed with leptospirosis between 1992 and 2011. The results revealed that 46.4% of the 97 participants have circulating anti-Leptospira antibodies, and from these participants 35.6% maintained the seroprevalence for the same serogroup. Moreover, three of them were reinfected with unrelated Leptospira serovars. The genetic study was carried out by adding a control group composed of 470 unrelated healthy blood donors, also from São Miguel Island. Twenty five SNPs among twelve innate immune genes - IL1α, IL1β, IL6, IL10, IL12RB1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR9, CD14, CISH, LTA and TNF - were genotyped, as well as HLA class I (-A and -B genes. Association analysis indicates that genotypes -511GG (OR=1.6, 95%CI 1.01-2.56, p=0.04 in IL1β, +1196CG (OR=2.0, 95%CI 1.26-3.27, p=0.003 in IL12RB1, -292TA (OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.06-2.1, p=0.03 and +3415CG (OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.08-3.08, p=0.02, both in CISH confer susceptibility to pathogenic Leptospira.The present study suggests some degree of long-term protection against leptospires with an attenuation of symptoms in case of reinfection. Moreover, our data supports the genetic
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ibrahim Thabet Hagag
Full Text Available Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV H5N1 has been endemic in Egypt since 2006, and there is increasing concern for its potential to become highly transmissible among humans. Infection by HPAIV H5N1 has been described in experimentally challenged birds. However, the pathogenicity of the H5N1 isolated in Egypt has never been reported in naturally infected chickens and ducks. Here we report a 2013 outbreak of HPAIV H5N1 in commercial poultry farms and backyards in Sharkia Province, Egypt. The main symptoms were ecchymosis on the shanks and feet, cyanosis of the comb and wattles, subcutaneous edema of the head and neck for chickens, and nervous signs (torticollis for ducks. Within 48-72 hrs of the onset of illness, the average mortality rates were 22.8-30% and 28.5-40% in vaccinated chickens and non-vaccinated ducks, respectively. Tissue samples of chickens and ducks were collected for analyses with cross-section immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR for specific viral RNA transcripts. While viral RNA was detected in nearly all tissues and sera collected, viral nucleoprotein was detected almost ubiquitously in all tissues, including testis. Interestingly, viral antigen was also observed in endothelial cells of most organs in chickens, and clearly detected in the trachea and brain in particular. Viral nucleoprotein was also detected in mononuclear cells of various organs, especially pulmonary tissue. We performed phylogenetic analyses and compared the genomic sequences of the hemagglutinin (HA and nonstructural proteins (NS among the isolated viruses, the HPAIV circulated in Egypt in the past and currently, and some available vaccine strains. Further analysis of deduced amino acids of both HA and NS1 revealed that our isolates carried molecular determinants of HPAIV, including the multibasic amino acids (PQGERRRK/KR*GLF in the cleavage site in HA and glutamate at position 92 (D92E in NS1. This is the first report of the pathogenicity
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Pacheco, A R; Proença-Módena, J L; Sales, A I L; Fukuhara, Y; da Silveira, W D; Pimenta-Módena, J L; de Oliveira, R B; Brocchi, M
2008-11-01
Infection by Helicobacter pylori is associated with the development of several gastroduodenal diseases, including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers), and gastric adenocarcinoma. Although a number of putative virulence factors have been reported for H. pylori, there are conflicting results regarding their association with specific H. pylori-related diseases. In this work, we investigated the presence of virB11 and cagT, located in the left half of the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), and the jhp917-jhp918 sequences, components of the dupA gene located in the plasticity zone of H. pylori, in Brazilian isolates of H. pylori. We also examined the association between these genes and H. pylori-related gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric and duodenal ulcers in an attempt to identify a gene marker for clinical outcomes related to infection by H. pylori. The cagT gene was associated with peptic ulcer disease and gastric ulcers, whereas the virB11 gene was detected in nearly all of the samples. The dupA gene was not associated with duodenal ulcers or any gastroduodenal disease here analyzed. These results suggest that cagT could be a useful prognostic marker for the development of peptic ulcer disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. They also indicate that cagT is associated with greater virulence and peptic ulceration, and that this gene is an essential component of the type IV secretion system of H. pylori.
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Lauzi, Stefania; Maia, João P; Epis, Sara; Marcos, Ricardo; Pereira, Cristina; Luzzago, Camilla; Santos, Marta; Puente-Payo, Pablo; Giordano, Alessia; Pajoro, Massimo; Sironi, Giuseppe; Faustino, Augusto
2016-07-01
Tick-borne diseases are emerging worldwide and have an important zoonotic relevance. Dogs play an important role in the epidemiology of several zoonotic tick-borne pathogens acting as sentinels and/or reservoirs. This study focused on the molecular identification of tick-borne pathogens in blood samples of 153 autochthonous asymptomatic dogs in Maio Island, Cape Verde archipelago. Eighty-four (54.9%) dogs were positive for one or more pathogens. Fifty-five (35.9%) dogs were infected with Hepatozoon canis, 53 (34.6%) with Anaplasma platys, five (3.3%) with Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia monacensis, an emerging human pathogen, was also identified in a single dog (0.7%). The former three pathogens cause important canine tick-borne diseases that are transmitted or potentially transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l., the only hard tick identified in Cape Verde. Furthermore, Wolbachia spp. was amplified from the blood of one dog. None of the dogs were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Midichloria mitochondrii, Bartonella spp., Babesia spp. or Theileria spp. Fifty-four (35.3%) animals showed single infections and 30 (19.6%) co-infections, with A. platys and H. canis co-infection being the most frequent (28 dogs, 18.3%). The frequency of E. canis infection was statistically different among age groups (P=0.017), being higher among dogs older than 4 years compared to younger dogs. Infection by A. platys was also statistically different among age groups (P=0.031), being higher in dogs younger than 2 years compared to older dogs. The statistical analyses showed no significant association of PCR positivity with gender or location. The frequency of tick-borne pathogens detected in dogs in Maio Island, including R. monacensis, highlights the need to improve diagnosis and control in order to prevent the risk of transmission of these pathogens among dogs and humans living in or travelling to this touristic island. Copyright © 2016
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Abreu-Yanes, Estefania; Martin-Alonso, Aaron; Martin-Carrillo, Natalia; Livia, Katherine Garcia; Marrero-Gagliardi, Alessandro; Valladares, Basilio; Feliu, Carlos; Foronda, Pilar
2018-01-01
Bartonella genus is comprised of several species of zoonotic relevance and rodents are reservoirs for some of these Bartonella species. As there were no data about the range of Bartonella species circulating among rodents in the Canary Islands, our main aim was to overcome this lack of knowledge by targeting both the citrate synthase (gltA) and the RNA polymerase beta subunit (rpoB) genes. A total of 181 small mammals and 154 ectoparasites were obtained in three of the Canary Islands, namely Tenerife, La Palma, and Lanzarote. The overall prevalence of Bartonella DNA in rodents was 18.8%, whereas the prevalence in ectoparasites was 13.6%. Bartonella sequences closely related to the zoonotic species Bartonella elizabethae, Bartonella tribocorum, and Bartonella rochalimae were identified in rodents, whereas two different gltA haplotypes similar to B. elizabethae were also detected in fleas. Furthermore, Bartonella queenslandensis DNA was also identified in rodents. A strong host specificity was observed, since B. elizabethae DNA was only found in Mus musculus domesticus, whereas gltA and rpoB sequences closely related to the rest of Bartonella species were only identified in Rattus rattus, which is probably due to the host specificity of the arthropod species that act as vectors in these islands. Our results indicate that humans may contract Bartonella infection by contact with rodents in the Canary Islands.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ofri Johan
2014-12-01
Full Text Available It is crucial to understand the microbial community associated with the host when attempting to discern the pathogen responsible for disease outbreaks in scleractinian corals. This study determines changes in the bacterial community associated with Montipora sp. in response to black band disease in Indonesian waters. Healthy, diseased, and dead Montipora sp. (n = 3 for each sample type per location were collected from three different locations (Pari Island, Pramuka Island, and Peteloran Island. DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis was carried out to identify the bacterial community associated with each sample type and histological analysis was conducted to identify pathogens associated with specific tissues. Various Desulfovibrio species were found as novelty to be associated with infection samples, including Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Desulfovibrio magneticus, and Desulfovibrio gigas, Bacillus benzoevorans, Bacillus farraginis in genus which previously associated with pathogenicity in corals. Various bacterial species associated with uninfected corals were lost in diseased and dead samples. Unlike healthy samples, coral tissues such as the epidermis, endodermis, zooxanthellae were not present on dead samples under histological observation. Liberated zooxanthellae and cyanobacteria were found in black band diseased Montipora sp. samples.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martin Meyer
2016-08-01
Full Text Available We here compared pathogenic (p and non-pathogenic (np isolates of Entamoeba histolytica to identify molecules involved in the ability of this parasite to induce amoebic liver abscess (ALA-like lesions in two rodent models for the disease. We performed a comprehensive analysis of 12 clones (A1-A12 derived from a non-pathogenic isolate HM-1:IMSS-A and 12 clones (B1-B12 derived from a pathogenic isolate HM-1:IMSS-B. "Non-pathogenicity" included the induction of small and quickly resolved lesions while "pathogenicity" comprised larger abscess development that overstayed day 7 post infection. All A-clones were designated as non-pathogenic, whereas 4 out of 12 B-clones lost their ability to induce ALAs in gerbils. No correlation between ALA formation and cysteine peptidase (CP activity, haemolytic activity, erythrophagocytosis, motility or cytopathic activity was found. To identify the molecular framework underlying different pathogenic phenotypes, three clones were selected for in-depth transcriptome analyses. Comparison of a non-pathogenic clone A1np with pathogenic clone B2p revealed 76 differentially expressed genes, whereas comparison of a non-pathogenic clone B8np with B2p revealed only 19 differentially expressed genes. Only six genes were found to be similarly regulated in the two non-pathogenic clones A1np and B8np in comparison with the pathogenic clone B2p. Based on these analyses, we chose 20 candidate genes and evaluated their roles in ALA formation using the respective gene-overexpressing transfectants. We conclude that different mechanisms lead to loss of pathogenicity. In total, we identified eight proteins, comprising a metallopeptidase, C2 domain proteins, alcohol dehydrogenases and hypothetical proteins, that affect the pathogenicity of E. histolytica.
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Meyer, Martin; Fehling, Helena; Matthiesen, Jenny; Lorenzen, Stephan; Schuldt, Kathrin; Bernin, Hannah; Zaruba, Mareen; Lender, Corinna; Ernst, Thomas; Ittrich, Harald; Roeder, Thomas; Tannich, Egbert; Lotter, Hannelore; Bruchhaus, Iris
2016-08-01
We here compared pathogenic (p) and non-pathogenic (np) isolates of Entamoeba histolytica to identify molecules involved in the ability of this parasite to induce amoebic liver abscess (ALA)-like lesions in two rodent models for the disease. We performed a comprehensive analysis of 12 clones (A1-A12) derived from a non-pathogenic isolate HM-1:IMSS-A and 12 clones (B1-B12) derived from a pathogenic isolate HM-1:IMSS-B. "Non-pathogenicity" included the induction of small and quickly resolved lesions while "pathogenicity" comprised larger abscess development that overstayed day 7 post infection. All A-clones were designated as non-pathogenic, whereas 4 out of 12 B-clones lost their ability to induce ALAs in gerbils. No correlation between ALA formation and cysteine peptidase (CP) activity, haemolytic activity, erythrophagocytosis, motility or cytopathic activity was found. To identify the molecular framework underlying different pathogenic phenotypes, three clones were selected for in-depth transcriptome analyses. Comparison of a non-pathogenic clone A1np with pathogenic clone B2p revealed 76 differentially expressed genes, whereas comparison of a non-pathogenic clone B8np with B2p revealed only 19 differentially expressed genes. Only six genes were found to be similarly regulated in the two non-pathogenic clones A1np and B8np in comparison with the pathogenic clone B2p. Based on these analyses, we chose 20 candidate genes and evaluated their roles in ALA formation using the respective gene-overexpressing transfectants. We conclude that different mechanisms lead to loss of pathogenicity. In total, we identified eight proteins, comprising a metallopeptidase, C2 domain proteins, alcohol dehydrogenases and hypothetical proteins, that affect the pathogenicity of E. histolytica.
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Taylor, Diane E.; Rooker, Michelle; Keelan, Monika; Ng, Lai-King; Martin, Irene; Perna, Nicole T.; Burland, N. T. Valerie; Blattner, Fredrick R.
2002-01-01
Strains of Escherichia coli causing enterohemorrhagic colitis belonging to the O157:H7 lineage are reported to be highly related. Fifteen strains of E. coli O157:H7 and 1 strain of E. coli O46:H− (nonflagellated) were examined for the presence of potassium tellurite resistance (Ter). Ter genes comprising terABCDEF were shown previously to be part of a pathogenicity island also containing integrase, phage, and urease genes. PCR analysis, both conventional and light cycler based, demonstrated t...
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Harris, Steven A.; Harris, Elizabeth A.
2015-01-01
Abstract This review focuses on research in epidemiology, neuropathology, molecular biology, and genetics regarding the hypothesis that pathogens interact with susceptibility genes and are causative in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sporadic AD is a complex multifactorial neurodegenerative disease with evidence indicating coexisting multi-pathogen and inflammatory etiologies. There are significant associations between AD and various pathogens, including Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Cytomegalovirus, and other Herpesviridae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, spirochetes, Helicobacter pylori, and various periodontal pathogens. These pathogens are able to evade destruction by the host immune system, leading to persistent infection. Bacterial and viral DNA and RNA and bacterial ligands increase the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules and activate the innate and adaptive immune systems. Evidence demonstrates that pathogens directly and indirectly induce AD pathology, including amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation, phosphorylation of tau protein, neuronal injury, and apoptosis. Chronic brain infection with HSV-1, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and spirochetes results in complex processes that interact to cause a vicious cycle of uncontrolled neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Infections such as Cytomegalovirus, Helicobacter pylori, and periodontal pathogens induce production of systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines that may cross the blood-brain barrier to promote neurodegeneration. Pathogen-induced inflammation and central nervous system accumulation of Aβ damages the blood-brain barrier, which contributes to the pathophysiology of AD. Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) enhances brain infiltration by pathogens including HSV-1 and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. ApoE4 is also associated with an increased pro-inflammatory response by the immune system. Potential antimicrobial treatments for AD are discussed, including the rationale for antiviral and antibiotic clinical trials. PMID
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DNA adenine methylation modulates pathogenicity of Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype K1
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Chi-Tai Fang
2017-08-01
Conclusion: Our results support the view that DNA adenine methylation plays an important role in modulating the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae genotype K1. The incomplete attenuation indicates the existence of other regulatory factors.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Geert Castryck
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Review of the edited volume: Thomas Bierschenk and Eva Spies (eds, 50 Jahre Unabhängigkeit in Afrika: Kontinuitäten, Brüche, Perspektiven, Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2012, ISBN 9783896458292, 572 pages
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This study investigated the pathogenicity and transmissibility of a reverse-genetics derived highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV), A/Iraq/775/06, and a reassortant virus comprised of the HA and NA from A/Iraq/775/06 and the internal genes of a 2009 pandemic H1N1, A/N...
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Pathogenic adaptation of intracellular bacteria by rewiring a cis-regulatory input function.
Osborne, Suzanne E; Walthers, Don; Tomljenovic, Ana M; Mulder, David T; Silphaduang, Uma; Duong, Nancy; Lowden, Michael J; Wickham, Mark E; Waller, Ross F; Kenney, Linda J; Coombes, Brian K
2009-03-10
The acquisition of DNA by horizontal gene transfer enables bacteria to adapt to previously unexploited ecological niches. Although horizontal gene transfer and mutation of protein-coding sequences are well-recognized forms of pathogen evolution, the evolutionary significance of cis-regulatory mutations in creating phenotypic diversity through altered transcriptional outputs is not known. We show the significance of regulatory mutation for pathogen evolution by mapping and then rewiring a cis-regulatory module controlling a gene required for murine typhoid. Acquisition of a binding site for the Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 regulator, SsrB, enabled the srfN gene, ancestral to the Salmonella genus, to play a role in pathoadaptation of S. typhimurium to a host animal. We identified the evolved cis-regulatory module and quantified the fitness gain that this regulatory output accrues for the bacterium using competitive infections of host animals. Our findings highlight a mechanism of pathogen evolution involving regulatory mutation that is selected because of the fitness advantage the new regulatory output provides the incipient clones.
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Moodley, Yoshan; Uhr, Markus; Stamer, Christiana; Vauterin, Marc; Suerbaum, Sebastian; Achtman, Mark
2010-01-01
The Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) encodes a type IV secretion system. Humans infected with cagPAI–carrying H. pylori are at increased risk for sequelae such as gastric cancer. Housekeeping genes in H. pylori show considerable genetic diversity; but the diversity of virulence factors such as the cagPAI, which transports the bacterial oncogene CagA into host cells, has not been systematically investigated. Here we compared the complete cagPAI sequences for 38 representative isolates from all known H. pylori biogeographic populations. Their gene content and gene order were highly conserved. The phylogeny of most cagPAI genes was similar to that of housekeeping genes, indicating that the cagPAI was probably acquired only once by H. pylori, and its genetic diversity reflects the isolation by distance that has shaped this bacterial species since modern humans migrated out of Africa. Most isolates induced IL-8 release in gastric epithelial cells, indicating that the function of the Cag secretion system has been conserved despite some genetic rearrangements. More than one third of cagPAI genes, in particular those encoding cell-surface exposed proteins, showed signatures of diversifying (Darwinian) selection at more than 5% of codons. Several unknown gene products predicted to be under Darwinian selection are also likely to be secreted proteins (e.g. HP0522, HP0535). One of these, HP0535, is predicted to code for either a new secreted candidate effector protein or a protein which interacts with CagA because it contains two genetic lineages, similar to cagA. Our study provides a resource that can guide future research on the biological roles and host interactions of cagPAI proteins, including several whose function is still unknown. PMID:20808891
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Tomback, Diana F; Blakeslee, Sarah C; Wagner, Aaron C; Wunder, Michael B; Resler, Lynn M; Pyatt, Jill C; Diaz, Soledad
2016-08-01
In stressful environments, facilitation often aids plant establishment, but invasive plant pathogens may potentially disrupt these interactions. In many treeline communities in the northern Rocky Mountains of the U.S. and Canada, Pinus albicaulis, a stress-tolerant pine, initiates tree islands at higher frequencies than other conifers - that is, leads to leeward tree establishment more frequently. The facilitation provided by a solitary (isolated) P. albicaulis leading to tree island initiation may be important for different life-history stages for leeward conifers, but it is not known which life-history stages are influenced and protection provided. However, P. albicaulis mortality from the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola potentially disrupts these facilitative interactions, reducing tree island initiation. In two Rocky Mountain eastern slope study areas, we experimentally examined fundamental plant-plant interactions which might facilitate tree island formation: the protection offered by P. albicaulis to leeward seed and seedling life-history stages, and to leeward krummholz conifers. In the latter case, we simulated mortality from C. ribicola for windward P. albicaulis to determine whether loss of P. albicaulis from C. ribicola impacts leeward conifers. Relative to other common solitary conifers at treeline, solitary P. albicaulis had higher abundance. More seeds germinated in leeward rock microsites than in conifer or exposed microsites, but the odds of cotyledon seedling survival during the growing season were highest in P. albicaulis microsites. Planted seedling survival was low among all microsites examined. Simulating death of windward P. albicaulis by C. ribicola reduced shoot growth of leeward trees. Loss of P. albicaulis to exotic disease may limit facilitation interactions and conifer community development at treeline and potentially impede upward movement as climate warms.
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History of the formerly top secret KH-9 Hexagon spy satellite
Pressel, Phil
2014-12-01
This paper is about the development, design, fabrication and use of the KH-9 Hexagon spy in the sky satellite camera system that was finally declassified by the National Reconnaissance Office on September 17, 2011 twenty five years after the program ended. It was the last film based reconnaissance camera and was known by experts in the field as "the most complicated system ever put up in orbit." It provided important intelligence for the United States government and was the reason that President Nixon was able to sign the SALT treaty, and when President Reagan said "Trust but Verify" it provided the means of verification. Each satellite weighed 30,000 pounds and carried two cameras thereby permitting photographs of the entire landmass of the earth to be taken in stereo. Each camera carried up to 30 miles of film for a total of 60 miles of film. Ultra-complex mechanisms controlled the structurally "wimpy" film that traveled at speeds up to 204 inches per second at the focal plane and was perfectly synchronized to the optical image.
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Roche, Sharon E; Cogger, Naomi; Garner, M Graeme; Putra, Anak Agung Gde; Toribio, Jenny-Ann L M L
2014-03-01
Indonesia continues to report the highest number of human and poultry cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. The disease is considered to be endemic on the island of Bali. Live bird markets are integral in the poultry supply chain on Bali and are important, nutritionally and culturally, for the rural and urban human populations. Due to the lack of biosecurity practiced along the supply chain from producer to live bird markets, there is a need to understand the risks associated with the spread of H5N1 through live bird movements for effective control. Resources to control H5N1 in Indonesia are very limited and cost effective strategies are needed. We assessed the probability a live bird market is infected through live poultry movements and assessed the effects of implementing two simple and low cost control measures on this risk. Results suggest there is a high risk a live bird market is infected (0.78), and risk mitigation strategies such as detecting and removing infected poultry from markets reduce this risk somewhat (range 0.67-0.76). The study demonstrates the key role live poultry movements play in transmitting H5N1 and the need to implement a variety of control measures to reduce disease spread. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang Suwan; Li Sumei; Zhai Fei; Zhang Li; Zhang Rong; Ru Yan
2011-01-01
Objective: To observe the influence of spironolactone on the serum and urine intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) level, and the change of renal structure and function of type 2 diabetic rats. Methods: 30 healthy male SD rats were chosen 10 of them were randomly selected as normal controls (group NC) n=10; Then these rats were randomly divided into type 2 diabetes group (group DM) n=10 and type 2 diabetes + spironolactone treated group (group SPI) n=10. After 8 weeks, the levels of blood glucose, serum lipids, urine biochemical, renal pathological changes were examined; while the serum and urine ICAM-1 levels changes were also detected. Results: 1. Compared with group NC, the levels of fBG and HbA1c were significantly increased in group DM and group SPI (P 0.05). 2. After 8 weeks,the levels of ACR, URBP, UICAM-1, SICAM-1 and kidney/body weight ratio in group DM and group SPI were higher than group NC (P<0.05); the five indexes were significantly lower in group SPI compared with group DM (P<0.05). In addition, UICAM-1 excretion rate and SICAM-1 level showed positive correlations with ACR, URBP excretion rate and kidney/body weight ratio (P<0.01). 3. Pathology showed that the extent of glomerular lesions in rats in group SPI apparently reduced, ICAM-1 expression was decreased compared with that in group DM (P<0.01). Conclusion: Spironolactone can definitely protect type 2 diabetic kidney,and this protective effect was independent on the hypoglycemic effect. The mechanisms might be associated with its inhibition effect on ICAM-1 expression and its excretion. (authors)
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Jalaly, Niloofar Y; Moran, Robert A; Fargahi, Farshid; Khashab, Mouen A; Kamal, Ayesha; Lennon, Anne Marie; Walsh, Christi; Makary, Martin A; Whitcomb, David C; Yadav, Dhiraj; Cebotaru, Liudmila; Singh, Vikesh K
2017-08-01
We evaluated factors associated with pathogenic genetic variants in patients with idiopathic pancreatitis. Genetic testing (PRSS1, CFTR, SPINK1, and CTRC) was performed in all eligible patients with idiopathic pancreatitis between 2010 to 2015. Patients were classified into the following groups based on a review of medical records: (1) acute recurrent idiopathic pancreatitis (ARIP) with or without underlying chronic pancreatitis; (2) idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP) without a history of ARP; (3) an unexplained first episode of acute pancreatitis (AP)pancreatitis. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with pathogenic genetic variants. Among 197 ARIP and/or ICP patients evaluated from 2010 to 2015, 134 underwent genetic testing. A total of 88 pathogenic genetic variants were found in 64 (47.8%) patients. Pathogenic genetic variants were identified in 58, 63, and 27% of patients with ARIP, an unexplained first episode of AP <35 years of age, and ICP without ARP, respectively. ARIP (OR: 18.12; 95% CI: 2.16-151.87; P=0.008) and an unexplained first episode of AP<35 years of age (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.18-5.15; P=0.017), but not ICP, were independently associated with pathogenic genetic variants in the adjusted analysis. Pathogenic genetic variants are most likely to be identified in patients with ARIP and an unexplained first episode of AP<35 years of age. Genetic testing in these patient populations may delineate an etiology and prevent unnecessary diagnostic testing and procedures.
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Beyea, S D; Balcom, B J; Bremner, T W; Prado, P J; Cross, A R; Armstrong, R L; Grattan-Bellew, P E
1998-11-01
The removal of water from pores in hardened cement paste smaller than 50 nm results in cracking of the cement matrix due to the tensile stresses induced by drying shrinkage. Cracks in the matrix fundamentally alter the permeability of the material, and therefore directly affect the drying behaviour. Using Single-Point Imaging (SPI), we obtain one-dimensional moisture profiles of hydrated White Portland cement cylinders as a function of drying time. The drying behaviour of White Portland cement, is distinctly different from the drying behaviour of related concrete materials containing aggregates.
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Wetmore, Catherine M; Manhart, Lisa E; Golden, Matthew R
2009-11-01
Urethritis is the most common male reproductive tract disease syndrome; yet 20-50% of diagnosed cases have no defined etiology, and few population-level data exist on the prevalence or etiology of the syndrome. We estimated the prevalence of urethritis among young men in the United States and compared correlates of idiopathic cases to correlates of detected infections with sexually transmitted pathogens. Questionnaire data and urine specimens from 5,447 men aged 18-27 years participating in Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed. Symptomatic urethritis was defined as self-reported dysuria or urethral discharge in the past 24hours. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma genitalium were identified using nucleic acid amplification tests. Idiopathic urethritis (IU) was defined as urethral symptoms in the absence of these four pathogens. Stratified weighted analyses generated population-based estimates. Urethritis was reported by 1.2% (95% CI=.8-1.6%) of men, of whom 82.4% (61.1-93.3%) had IU. Men with previous STD diagnoses (aOR=9.3 [95% CI=3.0-28.7]), or fewer (1-4) or no lifetime vaginal sex partners (aOR=7.5 [2.9-19.3] and aOR=7.2 [1.9-27.4]), were more likely to have IU compared with men without urethral symptoms or identified pathogens, whereas men of Native American or Asian/Pacific Islander descent (aOR=.04 [.01-.2]) and heavy drinkers (aOR=.08 [.03-.2]) were less likely to have IU. Unlike infection with known pathogens, IU was not associated with black race, Hispanic ethnicity, or age at sexual debut. Urethral symptoms were rarely associated with known pathogens. IU and known pathogens were associated with distinct characteristics.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a unified ESRI Geotiff with 1x1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of El Seco, a selected portion of seafloor east of Vieques Island,...
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The concentration of "1"3"7Cs and organic carbon on sediment at Rat island in Indian ocean
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Muslim; Reza Agung Arjana; Wahyu Retno Prihatiningsih
2016-01-01
Rat Island is one of the islands in Indonesia, located in the Indian Ocean, about 10 kilometers west of Bengkulu, which has a beautiful scenery both on its land and on the seabed, making it a favorite tourist in Bengkulu. The purpose of this study was to determine the condition of "1"3"7Cs in sediments and its relation to the total carbon and sediment texture. Sediment sampling carried out on 17 September 2014 at six stations where three stations are still relatively close to The Rat island with water depth of ≤ 1 m and 3 others are far from Rat Island waters with a depth of 14-18 meters. Sediment texture and TOC content at waters depth of ≤ 1 m is sand and its TOC contents were <5.5%. On other hand at water depth of 14-18 meters sediment texture are silt sand mixture and the TOC content were ≥6%. The concentration of "1"3"7Cs in sediment were influenced by texture characteristic and TOC content. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael A. Tabak
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Non-native rats (Rattus spp. threaten native island species worldwide. Efforts to eradicate them from islands have increased in frequency and become more ambitious in recent years. However, the long-term success of some eradication efforts has been compromised by the ability of rats, particularly Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus which are good swimmers, to recolonize islands following eradications. In the Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, the distance of 250 m between islands (once suggested as the minimum separation distance for an effective barrier to recolonization has shown to be insufficient. Norway rats are present on about half of the 503 islands in the Falklands. Bird diversity is lower on islands with rats and two vulnerable passerine species, Troglodytes cobbi (the only endemic Falkland Islands passerine and Cinclodes antarcticus, have greatly reduced abundances and/or are absent on islands with rats. We used logistic regression models to investigate the potential factors that may determine the presence of Norway rats on 158 islands in the Falkland Islands. Our models included island area, distance to the nearest rat-infested island, island location, and the history of island use by humans as driving variables. Models best supported by data included only distance to the nearest potential source of rats and island area, but the relative magnitude of the effect of distance and area on the presence of rats varied depending on whether islands were in the eastern or western sector of the archipelago. The human use of an island was not a significant parameter in any models. A very large fraction (72% of islands within 500 m of the nearest potential rat source had rats, but 97% of islands farther than 1,000 m away from potential rat sources were free of rats.
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Harder, Robin; Heimersson, Sara; Svanström, Magdalena; Peters, Gregory M
2014-08-19
The environmental performance of wastewater and sewage sludge management is commonly assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA), whereas pathogen risk is evaluated with quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). This study explored the application of QMRA methodology with intent to include pathogen risk in LCA and facilitate a comparison with other potential impacts on human health considered in LCA. Pathogen risk was estimated for a model wastewater treatment system (WWTS) located in an industrialized country and consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary wastewater treatment, anaerobic sludge digestion, and land application of sewage sludge. The estimation was based on eight previous QMRA studies as well as parameter values taken from the literature. A total pathogen risk (expressed as burden of disease) on the order of 0.2-9 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) per year of operation was estimated for the model WWTS serving 28,600 persons and for the pathogens and exposure pathways included in this study. The comparison of pathogen risk with other potential impacts on human health considered in LCA is detailed in part 2 of this article series.
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On detection and assessment of statistical significance of Genomic Islands
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chaudhuri Probal
2008-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Many of the available methods for detecting Genomic Islands (GIs in prokaryotic genomes use markers such as transposons, proximal tRNAs, flanking repeats etc., or they use other supervised techniques requiring training datasets. Most of these methods are primarily based on the biases in GC content or codon and amino acid usage of the islands. However, these methods either do not use any formal statistical test of significance or use statistical tests for which the critical values and the P-values are not adequately justified. We propose a method, which is unsupervised in nature and uses Monte-Carlo statistical tests based on randomly selected segments of a chromosome. Such tests are supported by precise statistical distribution theory, and consequently, the resulting P-values are quite reliable for making the decision. Results Our algorithm (named Design-Island, an acronym for Detection of Statistically Significant Genomic Island runs in two phases. Some 'putative GIs' are identified in the first phase, and those are refined into smaller segments containing horizontally acquired genes in the refinement phase. This method is applied to Salmonella typhi CT18 genome leading to the discovery of several new pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance and metabolic islands that were missed by earlier methods. Many of these islands contain mobile genetic elements like phage-mediated genes, transposons, integrase and IS elements confirming their horizontal acquirement. Conclusion The proposed method is based on statistical tests supported by precise distribution theory and reliable P-values along with a technique for visualizing statistically significant islands. The performance of our method is better than many other well known methods in terms of their sensitivity and accuracy, and in terms of specificity, it is comparable to other methods.
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Alexander, D; Goodman, R M; Gut-Rella, M; Glascock, C; Weymann, K; Friedrich, L; Maddox, D; Ahl-Goy, P; Luntz, T; Ward, E
1993-01-01
Expression of pathogenesis-related protein 1a (PR-1a), a protein of unknown biochemical function, is induced to high levels in tobacco in response to pathogen infection. The induction of PR-1a expression is tightly correlated with the onset of systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a defense response effective against a variety of fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens. While PR-1a has been postulated to be involved in SAR, and is the most highly expressed of the PR proteins, evidence for its ro...
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HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 allele diversity and its extended haplotypes in Madeira Island (Portugal).
Spínola, H; Lemos, A; Couto, A R; Parreira, B; Soares, M; Dutra, I; Bruges-Armas, J; Brehm, A
2017-02-01
This study shows, for the first time, high-resolution allele frequencies of HLA-DQA1 loci in Madeira Island (Portugal) and allows us to better understand and refine present knowledge on DQB1 variation, with the identification of several alleles not previously reported in this population. Estimates on haplotype profile, involving HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1, are also reported. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
An T T Vo
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic resistance and the horizontal transfer of resistance determinants from Salmonella isolates from humans and animals in Vietnam. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The susceptibility of 297 epidemiologically unrelated non-typhoid Salmonella isolates was investigated by disk diffusion assay. The isolates were screened for the presence of class 1 integrons and Salmonella genomic island 1 by PCR. The potential for the transfer of resistance determinants was investigated by conjugation experiments. Resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, trimethoprim, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, sulphonamides, and tetracycline was found in 13 to 50% of the isolates. Nine distinct integron types were detected in 28% of the isolates belonging to 11 Salmonella serovars including S. Tallahassee. Gene cassettes identified were aadA1, aadA2, aadA5, bla(PSE-1, bla(OXA-30, dfrA1, dfrA12, dfrA17, and sat, as well as open reading frames with unknown functions. Most integrons were located on conjugative plasmids, which can transfer their antimicrobial resistance determinants to Escherichia coli or Salmonella Enteritidis, or with Salmonella Genomic Island 1 or its variants. The resistance gene cluster in serovar Emek identified by PCR mapping and nucleotide sequencing contained SGI1-J3 which is integrated in SGI1 at another position than the majority of SGI1. This is the second report on the insertion of SGI1 at this position. High-level resistance to fluoroquinolones was found in 3 multiresistant S. Typhimurium isolates and was associated with mutations in the gyrA gene leading to the amino acid changes Ser83Phe and Asp87Asn. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance was common among Vietnamese Salmonella isolates from different sources. Legislation to enforce a more prudent use of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine should be implemented by the authorities in Vietnam.
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Proteome of Salmonella enterica serotype Tyhimurium Grown in Low Mg2+/pH Medium
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Shi, Liang; Ansong, Charles; Smallwood, Heather S.; Rommereim, Leah M.; McDermott, Jason E.; Brewer, Heather M.; Norbeck, Angela D.; Taylor, Ronald C.; Gustin, Jean K.; Heffron, Fred; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.
2009-09-04
To determine the impact of a low Mg2+/pH defined growth medium (MgM) on the proteome of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, we cultured S. Typhimurium cells in the medium under two different conditions termed MgM Shock and MgM Dilution and then comparatively analyzed the bacterial cells harvested from these conditions by a global proteomic approach. Proteomic results showed that MgM Shock and MgM Dilution differentially affected the S. Typhimurium proteome. MgM Shock induced a group of proteins whose induction usually occurred at low O2 level, while MgM Dilution induced those related to the type III secretion system (T3SS) of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2) and those involved in thiamine or biotin biosynthesis. The metabolic state of the S. Typhimurium cells grown under MgM Shock condition also differed significantly from that under MgM Dilution condition. Western blot analysis not only confirmed the proteomic results, but also showed that the abundances of SPI2-T3SS proteins SsaQ and SseE and biotin biosynthesis proteins BioB and BioD increased after S. Typhimurium infection of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Deletion of the gene encoding BioB reduced the bacterial ability to replicate inside the macrophages, suggesting a biotin-limited environment encountered by S. Typhimurium within RAW 264.7 macrophages.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of an inshore portion of the NPS's Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument,...
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Corsa, Rita
2017-08-01
In this paper the author sheds light on Vanda Shrenger Weiss, a forgotten pioneer of the international psychoanalytic movement. Vanda Shrenger was born into a large Jewish family in Croatia (1892), and her life was thoroughly intertwined with the great tragedies of European history: the First World War, the anti-Semitic persecution within Eastern Europe, which entailed the decimation of her extended family in Croatia. Finally, the introduction of fascist laws in Italy led to her and her husband - Edoardo Weiss, the founder of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society - seeking refuge in the United States of America. During her time spent in Italy (1919-39), Vanda Shrenger, doctor and paediatrician, dedicated herself to psychoanalysis. She played a crucial part in the reconstruction of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI), whilst also being a founding member of the Rivista Italiana di Psicoanalisi (Rome, 1932). Vanda was the first woman to be a member of the SPI as well as to present a paper for it. This insightful and extensive analysis relating to this pioneer of the psychoanalytic world, has been meticulously accomplished by use of a combination of original archival materials, along with access to previously unpublished documents and personal details, kindly made available to the author by Marianna, the daughter of Vanda and Edoardo Weiss, who still lives in the United States today. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Psychoanalysis.
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Verbeke, Joren; Piepers, Sofie; Peelman, Luc; Van Poucke, Mario; De Vliegher, Sarne
2012-08-01
The chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 1 (CXCR1) gene encodes the homonymous receptor for interleukin 8 (IL8) on polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leucocytes (PMNL). Binding causes migration from blood to milk, activation and prolonged survival of PMNL, a crucial process in the innate immune defence of the bovine mammary gland against invading mastitis-causing pathogens. The main objective of this study was to screen the entire coding region of the CXCR1 gene for polymorphisms and to analyse their association with udder health of dairy heifers. One-hundred-and-forty Belgian Holstein heifers originating from 20 commercial dairy farms were genotyped by DNA sequencing. Detailed phenotypic data on udder health was available including quarter bacteriological culture results and somatic cell count (SCC) in early lactation and composite milk SCC during first lactation. In total, 16 polymorphisms (including 8 missense mutations) were detected. Polymorphism c.980A>G was associated with pathogen-group specific IMI: heifers with genotype AG were less likely to have an IMI due to major mastitis pathogens compared with heifers with genotype GG but did not have less IMI by coagulase-negative staphylococci, so-called minor pathogens. CXCR1 genotype was neither associated with quarter SCC in early lactation nor with composite SCC during lactation. Although mastitis susceptibility is influenced by many factors, some genetic polymorphisms potentially have major effects on udder health of heifers, as was shown here. These results trigger us to further study the relationship between CXCR1 polymorphisms and mastitis susceptibility in both observational and experimental trials.
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Lee, Sangmi; Ward, Todd J; Jima, Dereje D; Parsons, Cameron; Kathariou, Sophia
2017-11-01
In the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes , arsenic resistance is encountered primarily in serotype 4b clones considered to have enhanced virulence and is associated with an arsenic resistance gene cluster within a 35-kb chromosomal region, Listeria genomic island 2 (LGI2). LGI2 was first identified in strain Scott A and includes genes putatively involved in arsenic and cadmium resistance, DNA integration, conjugation, and pathogenicity. However, the genomic localization and sequence content of LGI2 remain poorly characterized. Here we investigated 85 arsenic-resistant L. monocytogenes strains, mostly of serotype 4b. All but one of the 70 serotype 4b strains belonged to clonal complex 1 (CC1), CC2, and CC4, three major clones associated with enhanced virulence. PCR analysis suggested that 53 strains (62.4%) harbored an island highly similar to LGI2 of Scott A, frequently (42/53) in the same location as Scott A ( LMOf2365_2257 homolog). Random-primed PCR and whole-genome sequencing revealed seven novel insertion sites, mostly internal to chromosomal coding sequences, among strains harboring LGI2 outside the LMOf2365_2257 homolog. Interestingly, many CC1 strains harbored a noticeably diversified LGI2 (LGI2-1) in a unique location ( LMOf2365_0902 homolog) and with a novel additional gene. With few exceptions, the tested LGI2 genes were not detected in arsenic-resistant strains of serogroup 1/2, which instead often harbored a Tn 554 -associated arsenic resistance determinant not encountered in serotype 4b. These findings indicate that in L. monocytogenes , LGI2 has a propensity for certain serotype 4b clones, exhibits content diversity, and is highly promiscuous, suggesting an ability to mobilize various accessory genes into diverse chromosomal loci. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is widely distributed in the environment and causes listeriosis, a foodborne disease with high mortality and morbidity. Arsenic and other heavy metals can powerfully shape the
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Neoclassical islands on COMPASS-D
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gates, D.A.; Lloyd, B.; Morris, A.W.; McArdle, G.; O'Brien, M.R.; Valovic, M.; Warrick, C.D.; Wilson, H.R.
1997-01-01
Neoclassical magnetic islands are observed to limit the achievable β in COMPASS-D low collisionality single null divertor tokamak plasmas with ITER-like geometry (R 0 = 0.56 m, B 0 1.2 T, I p = 120-180 kA, κ = 1.6, ε = 0.3). The limiting β is typically well below that expected from ideal instabilities with maximum βN in the range of 1.6 to 2.1. The plasma is heated with up to 1.8 MW of 60 GHz electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) at the second harmonic with X mode polarization. The time history of the measured island width is compared with the predictions of neoclassical tearing mode theory, with good agreement between theory and experiment. The measured islands have a threshold width below which the mode will not grow. The density scaling of the point of onset of the measured instabilities is compared with two theories that predict a threshold island width for the onset of neoclassical tearing modes. Applied resonant helical error fields are used to induce islands in collisionality regimes wherein the neoclassical islands do not occur naturally, allowing the study of the behaviour of neoclassical tearing modes in this regime. The critical β for the onset of neoclassical tearing modes is seen to be ∼3 times higher in the naturally stable region. This observation is compared with the predictions of both threshold theories. A simple expression for the q scaling of the maximum achievable β N in the presence of neoclassical tearing modes is derived on the basis of the assumption of a maximum allowable island width. The predicted q scaling of this β limit is compared with data from a q scan, and the results are in good agreement. (author)
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Data on genome sequencing, analysis and annotation of a pathogenic Bacillus cereus 062011msu
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rashmi Rathy
2018-04-01
Full Text Available Bacillus species 062011 msu is a harmful pathogenic strain responsible for causing abscessation in sheep and goat population studied by Mariappan et al. (2012 [1]. The organism specifically targets the female sheep and goat population and results in the reduction of milk and meat production. In the present study, we have performed the whole genome sequencing of the pathogenic isolate using the Ion Torrent sequencing platform and generated 458,944 raw reads with an average length of 198.2 bp. The genome sequence was assembled, annotated and analysed for the genetic islands, metabolic pathways, orthologous groups, virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes associated with the pathogen. Simultaneously the 16S rRNA sequencing study and genome sequence comparison data confirmed that the strain belongs to the species Bacillus cereus and exhibits 99% sequence homo;logy with the genomes of B. cereus ATCC 10987 and B. cereus FRI-35. Hence, we have renamed the organism as Bacillus cereus 062011msu. The Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession NTMF00000000 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA404036(SAMN07629099. Keywords: Bacillus cereus, Genome sequencing, Abscessation, Virulence factors
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LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
Hamilton, Shea
2009-12-11
Abstract Background Biofilm formation enhances the capacity of pathogenic Salmonella bacteria to survive stresses that are commonly encountered within food processing and during host infection. The persistence of Salmonella within the food chain has become a major health concern, as biofilms can serve as a reservoir for the contamination of food products. While the molecular mechanisms required for the survival of bacteria on surfaces are not fully understood, transcriptional studies of other bacteria have demonstrated that biofilm growth triggers the expression of specific sets of genes, compared with planktonic cells. Until now, most gene expression studies of Salmonella have focused on the effect of infection-relevant stressors on virulence or the comparison of mutant and wild-type bacteria. However little is known about the physiological responses taking place inside a Salmonella biofilm. Results We have determined the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of biofilms of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We discovered that 124 detectable proteins were differentially expressed in the biofilm compared with planktonic cells, and that 10% of the S. Typhimurium genome (433 genes) showed a 2-fold or more change in the biofilm compared with planktonic cells. The genes that were significantly up-regulated implicated certain cellular processes in biofilm development including amino acid metabolism, cell motility, global regulation and tolerance to stress. We found that the most highly down-regulated genes in the biofilm were located on Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2), and that a functional SPI2 secretion system regulator (ssrA) was required for S. Typhimurium biofilm formation. We identified STM0341 as a gene of unknown function that was needed for biofilm growth. Genes involved in tryptophan (trp) biosynthesis and transport were up-regulated in the biofilm. Deletion of trpE led to decreased bacterial attachment and this biofilm defect was restored by
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LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
Hamilton, Shea
2009-12-11
Abstract Background Biofilm formation enhances the capacity of pathogenic Salmonella bacteria to survive stresses that are commonly encountered within food processing and during host infection. The persistence of Salmonella within the food chain has become a major health concern, as biofilms can serve as a reservoir for the contamination of food products. While the molecular mechanisms required for the survival of bacteria on surfaces are not fully understood, transcriptional studies of other bacteria have demonstrated that biofilm growth triggers the expression of specific sets of genes, compared with planktonic cells. Until now, most gene expression studies of Salmonella have focused on the effect of infection-relevant stressors on virulence or the comparison of mutant and wild-type bacteria. However little is known about the physiological responses taking place inside a Salmonella biofilm. Results We have determined the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of biofilms of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We discovered that 124 detectable proteins were differentially expressed in the biofilm compared with planktonic cells, and that 10% of the S. Typhimurium genome (433 genes) showed a 2-fold or more change in the biofilm compared with planktonic cells. The genes that were significantly up-regulated implicated certain cellular processes in biofilm development including amino acid metabolism, cell motility, global regulation and tolerance to stress. We found that the most highly down-regulated genes in the biofilm were located on Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2), and that a functional SPI2 secretion system regulator (ssrA) was required for S. Typhimurium biofilm formation. We identified STM0341 as a gene of unknown function that was needed for biofilm growth. Genes involved in tryptophan (trp) biosynthesis and transport were up-regulated in the biofilm. Deletion of trpE led to decreased bacterial attachment and this biofilm defect was restored by
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EPA's Heat Island Effect Site provides information on heat islands, their impacts, mitigation strategies, related research, a directory of heat island reduction initiatives in U.S. communities, and EPA's Heat Island Reduction Program.
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Silencing by H-NS potentiated the evolution of Salmonella.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sabrina S Ali
2014-11-01
Full Text Available The bacterial H-NS protein silences expression from sequences with higher AT-content than the host genome and is believed to buffer the fitness consequences associated with foreign gene acquisition. Loss of H-NS results in severe growth defects in Salmonella, but the underlying reasons were unclear. An experimental evolution approach was employed to determine which secondary mutations could compensate for the loss of H-NS in Salmonella. Six independently derived S. Typhimurium hns mutant strains were serially passaged for 300 generations prior to whole genome sequencing. Growth rates of all lineages dramatically improved during the course of the experiment. Each of the hns mutant lineages acquired missense mutations in the gene encoding the H-NS paralog StpA encoding a poorly understood H-NS paralog, while 5 of the mutant lineages acquired deletions in the genes encoding the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island-1 (SPI-1 Type 3 secretion system critical to invoke inflammation. We further demonstrate that SPI-1 misregulation is a primary contributor to the decreased fitness in Salmonella hns mutants. Three of the lineages acquired additional loss of function mutations in the PhoPQ virulence regulatory system. Similarly passaged wild type Salmonella lineages did not acquire these mutations. The stpA missense mutations arose in the oligomerization domain and generated proteins that could compensate for the loss of H-NS to varying degrees. StpA variants most able to functionally substitute for H-NS displayed altered DNA binding and oligomerization properties that resembled those of H-NS. These findings indicate that H-NS was central to the evolution of the Salmonellae by buffering the negative fitness consequences caused by the secretion system that is the defining characteristic of the species.
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Ren, Yuwei; Khan, Faheem Ahmed; Pandupuspitasari, Nuruliarizki Shinta; Zhang, Shujun
2017-01-01
Preventing pathogen transmission to a new host is of major interest to the immunologist and could benefit from a detailed investigation of pathogen immune evasion strategies. The first line of defense against pathogen invasion is provided by macrophages. When they sense pathogens, macrophages initiate signals to inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) subsequently mediating phagocytosis and inflammation. The macrophage immune machinery classically includes two subsets: the activated M1 and the activated M2 that respond accordingly in diverse immune challenges. The lipid and glycogen metabolic pathways work together with the lysosome to help the mature phagosome to degrade and eliminate intracellular pathogens in macrophages. The viral evasion strategies are even more complex due to the interplay between autophagy and apoptosis. However, pathogens evolve several strategies to camouflage themselves against immune responses in order to ensure their survival, replication and transmission. These strategies include the muting of PRRs initiated inflammatory responses, attenuation of M1 and/or induction of M2 macrophages, suppression of autophago-lysosomal formation, interference with lipid and glycogen metabolism, and viral mediation of autophagy and apoptosis cross-talk to enhance viral replication. This review focuses on pathogen immune evasion methods and on the strategies used by the host against camouflaged pathogens.
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Lewis, David A
2014-06-01
Chancroid, caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, has declined in importance as a sexually transmitted pathogen in most countries where it was previously endemic. The global prevalence of chancroid is unknown as most countries lack the required laboratory diagnostic capacity and surveillance systems to determine this. H. ducreyi has recently emerged as a cause of chronic skin ulceration in some South Pacific islands. Although no antimicrobial susceptibility data for H. ducreyi have been published for two decades, it is still assumed that the infection will respond successfully to treatment with recommended cephalosporin, macrolide or fluoroquinolone-based regimens. HIV-1-infected patients require careful follow-up due to reports of treatment failure with single dose regimens. Buboes may need additional treatment with either aspiration or excision and drainage.
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Late Quaternary climate change shapes island biodiversity
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Weigelt, Patrick; Steinbauer, Manuel; Cabral, Juliano
2016-01-01
Island biogeographical models consider islands either as geologically static with biodiversity resulting from ecologically neutral immigration–extinction dynamics1, or as geologically dynamic with biodiversity resulting from immigration–speciation–extinction dynamics influenced by changes in island...... sea levels3, 4 and caused massive changes in island area, isolation and connectivity5, orders of magnitude faster than the geological processes of island formation, subsidence and erosion considered in island theory2, 6. Consequences of these oscillations for present biodiversity remain unassessed5, 7...
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jSPyDB, an open source database-independent tool for data management
Pierro, Giuseppe Antonio
2010-01-01
Nowadays, the number of commercial tools available for accessing Databases, built on Java or .Net, is increasing. However, many of these applications have several drawbacks: usually they are not open-source, they provide interfaces only with a specific kind of database, they are platform-dependent and very CPU and memory consuming. jSPyDB is a free web based tool written using Python and Javascript. It relies on jQuery and python libraries, and is intended to provide a simple handler to different Database technologies inside a local web browser. Such a tool, exploiting fast access libraries such as SQLAlchemy, is easy to install, and to configure. The design of this tool envisages three layers. The front-end client side in the local web browser communicates with a backend server. Only the server is able to connect to the different databases for the purposes of performing data definition and manipulation. The server makes the data available to the client, so that the user can display and handle them safely. ...
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in Mainland China
X.-L. Li (Xin-Lou); K. Liu (Kun); H.-W. Yao (Hong-Wu); Y. Sun (Ye); W.-J. Chen (Wan-Jun); R.-X. Sun (Ruo-Xi); S.J. de Vlas (Sake); L.Q. Fang (Lily); W.-C. Cao (Wu-Chun)
2015-01-01
textabstractHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has posed a significant threat to both humans and birds, and it has spanned large geographic areas and various ecological systems throughout Asia, Europe and Africa, but especially in mainland China. Great efforts in control and prevention of
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Ecology and Evolution: Islands of Change.
Benz, Richard
This book was designed for middle and junior high school science classes and focuses on island biogeography, ecology, and evolution. Sections include: (1) "Galapagos: Frame of Reference"; (2) "Ecology and Islands"; and (3) "Evolution." Nineteen standards-based activities use the Galapagos Islands as a running theme…
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Whittaker, Robert James; Fernández-Palacios, José María; Matthews, Thomas J.
2017-01-01
Islands provide classic model biological systems. We review how growing appreciation of geoenvironmental dynamics of marine islands has led to advances in island biogeographic theory accommodating both evolutionary and ecological phenomena. Recognition of distinct island geodynamics permits gener...
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Work, Thierry M.; Meteyer, Carol U.; Cole, Rebecca A.
2004-01-01
In November 1993, unusual mortality occurred among endangered Laysan ducks on Laysan Island, one of the remote refugia of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge (USA). Ten live ducks were emaciated, and blood samples documented anemia, heterophilia, and eosinophilia. Pathology in 13 duck carcasses revealed emaciation, marked thickening of the proventricular wall, abundant mucus, and nodules in the gastrointestinal tract. Histology revealed granulomata associated with nematodes in the proventriculus, small intestines, and body walls of nine of 10 ducks examined on histology. We suspect that low rainfall and low food abundance that year contributed to enhanced pathogenicity of parasite infection, either through increased exposure or decreased host resistance. Because the Laysan duck is found only on Laysan island and is critically endangered, translocation of this species to other islands is being considered. Given that we have not seen pathology associated with Echinuria spp. in native waterfowl on other Hawaiian Islands and given the parasite's potential to cause significant lesions in Laysan ducks, it will be important to prevent the translocation of Echinuria spp.
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Island development: Local governance under globalization
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Huei-Min Tsai
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Issues surrounding island development have generated a growing volume of research. What does it mean to develop? How can island communities maintain control over development processes to the benefit of the local economy, rather than seeing economic flows enter and exit the island with little or a primarily negative impact? And how important is local knowledge for edifying local governance and enhancing potentials for innovation in island development? Island histories have repeatedly been forwarded as exemplars and ‘lessons’ for global learning on (unsustainability. To consider these issues, we have selected a number of papers from among the presentations given at the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Islands Conference, Island Development: Local Economy, Culture, Innovation and Sustainability, which took place in the Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan, 1–5 October 2013. These papers serve as examples of how the processes of globalization have penetrated the borders and changed the political and economic structures of islands. They also explore how island-based innovations in science, technology, culture, and formal or informal governance might contribute to sustainable island development.
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Tenarife Island, Canary Island Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean
1991-01-01
Tenarife Island is one of the most volcanically active of the Canary Island archipelago, Atlantic Ocean, just off the NW coast of Africa, (28.5N, 16.5W). The old central caldera, nearly filled in by successive volcanic activity culminating in two stratocones. From those two peaks, a line of smaller cinder cones extend to the point of the island. Extensive gullies dissect the west side of the island and some forests still remain on the east side.
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Storm Damage Reduction Project Design for Wallops Island, Virginia, Version 1.01
2011-10-01
photograph. Figure 2-4 shows the erosion and storm damage to the Wallops Island Association Clubhouse at the north end of the island in May 1949. Figure 2...uncertainty in what future rates will be. By the Bruun rule (Bruun 1962), small changes in sea level can be expected to have dramatic effects on shoreline...known. What is clear is that the north end of Wallops Island is accreting. Therefore, more sand is being delivered to this area than is leaving. 9.2
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Landsat 7 ETM/1G satellite imagery - Hawaiian Islands cloud-free mosaics
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Cloud-free Landsat satellite imagery mosaics of the islands of the main 8 Hawaiian Islands (Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau). Landsat...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sven Geissler
Full Text Available Gfi1 is a key molecule in hematopoietic lineage development and mutations in GFI1 cause severe congenital neutropenia (SCN. Neutropenia is associated with low bone mass, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly characterized. Using Gfi1 knock-out mice (Gfi1-ko/ko as SCN model, we studied the relationship between neutropenia and bone mass upon different pathogen load conditions. Our analysis reveals that Gfi1-ko/ko mice kept under strict specific pathogen free (SPF conditions demonstrate normal bone mass and survival. However, Gfi1-ko/ko mice with early (nonSPF or late (SPF+nonSPF pathogen exposure develop low bone mass. Gfi1-ko/ko mice demonstrate a striking rise of systemic inflammatory markers according to elevated pathogen exposure and reduced bone mass. Elevated inflammatory cytokines include for instance Il-1b, Il-6, and Tnf-alpha that regulate osteoclast development. We conclude that low bone mass, due to low neutrophil counts, is caused by the degree of systemic inflammation promoting osteoclastogenesis.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jon S Beadell
2007-09-01
Full Text Available Dramatic declines of native Hawaiian avifauna due to the human-mediated emergence of avian malaria and pox prompted an examination of whether island taxa share a common altered immunological signature, potentially driven by reduced genetic diversity and reduced exposure to parasites. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing parasite prevalence, genetic diversity and three measures of immune response in two recently-introduced species (Neochmia temporalis and Zosterops lateralis and two island endemics (Acrocephalus aequinoctialis and A. rimitarae and then comparing the results to those observed in closely-related mainland counterparts. The prevalence of blood parasites was significantly lower in 3 of 4 island taxa, due in part to the absence of certain parasite lineages represented in mainland populations. Indices of genetic diversity were unchanged in the island population of N. temporalis; however, allelic richness was significantly lower in the island population of Z. lateralis while both allelic richness and heterozygosity were significantly reduced in the two island-endemic species examined. Although parasite prevalence and genetic diversity generally conformed to expectations for an island system, we did not find evidence for a pattern of uniformly altered immune responses in island taxa, even amongst endemic taxa with the longest residence times. The island population of Z. lateralis exhibited a significantly reduced inflammatory cell-mediated response while levels of natural antibodies remained unchanged for this and the other recently introduced island taxon. In contrast, the island endemic A. rimitarae exhibited a significantly increased inflammatory response as well as higher levels of natural antibodies and complement. These measures were unchanged or lower in A. aequinoctialis. We suggest that small differences in the pathogenic landscape and the stochastic history of mutation and genetic drift are likely to be important in
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Sivley, R Michael; Sheehan, Jonathan H; Kropski, Jonathan A; Cogan, Joy; Blackwell, Timothy S; Phillips, John A; Bush, William S; Meiler, Jens; Capra, John A
2018-01-23
Next-generation sequencing of individuals with genetic diseases often detects candidate rare variants in numerous genes, but determining which are causal remains challenging. We hypothesized that the spatial distribution of missense variants in protein structures contains information about function and pathogenicity that can help prioritize variants of unknown significance (VUS) and elucidate the structural mechanisms leading to disease. To illustrate this approach in a clinical application, we analyzed 13 candidate missense variants in regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) identified in patients with Familial Interstitial Pneumonia (FIP). We curated pathogenic and neutral RTEL1 variants from the literature and public databases. We then used homology modeling to construct a 3D structural model of RTEL1 and mapped known variants into this structure. We next developed a pathogenicity prediction algorithm based on proximity to known disease causing and neutral variants and evaluated its performance with leave-one-out cross-validation. We further validated our predictions with segregation analyses, telomere lengths, and mutagenesis data from the homologous XPD protein. Our algorithm for classifying RTEL1 VUS based on spatial proximity to pathogenic and neutral variation accurately distinguished 7 known pathogenic from 29 neutral variants (ROC AUC = 0.85) in the N-terminal domains of RTEL1. Pathogenic proximity scores were also significantly correlated with effects on ATPase activity (Pearson r = -0.65, p = 0.0004) in XPD, a related helicase. Applying the algorithm to 13 VUS identified from sequencing of RTEL1 from patients predicted five out of six disease-segregating VUS to be pathogenic. We provide structural hypotheses regarding how these mutations may disrupt RTEL1 ATPase and helicase function. Spatial analysis of missense variation accurately classified candidate VUS in RTEL1 and suggests how such variants cause disease. Incorporating
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rahman Syed
2006-07-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori is presumed to be co-evolved with its human host and is a highly diverse gastric pathogen at genetic levels. Ancient origins of H. pylori in the New World are still debatable. It is not clear how different waves of human migrations in South America contributed to the evolution of strain diversity of H. pylori. The objective of our 'phylogeographic' study was to gain fresh insights into these issues through mapping genetic origins of H. pylori of native Peruvians (of Amerindian ancestry and their genomic comparison with isolates from Spain, and Japan. Results For this purpose, we attempted to dissect genetic identity of strains by fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST of the 7 housekeeping genes (atpA, efp, ureI, ppa, mutY, trpC, yphC and the sequence analyses of the babB adhesin and oipA genes. The whole cag pathogenicity-island (cagPAI from these strains was analyzed using PCR and the geographic type of cagA phosphorylation motif EPIYA was determined by gene sequencing. We observed that while European genotype (hp-Europe predominates in native Peruvian strains, approximately 20% of these strains represent a sub-population with an Amerindian ancestry (hsp-Amerind. All of these strains however, irrespective of their ancestral affiliation harbored a complete, 'western' type cagPAI and the motifs surrounding it. This indicates a possible acquisition of cagPAI by the hsp-Amerind strains from the European strains, during decades of co-colonization. Conclusion Our observations suggest presence of ancestral H. pylori (hsp-Amerind in Peruvian Amerindians which possibly managed to survive and compete against the Spanish strains that arrived to the New World about 500 years ago. We suggest that this might have happened after native Peruvian H. pylori strains acquired cagPAI sequences, either by new acquisition in cag-negative strains or by recombination
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Yabsley, Michael J; Ellis, Angela E; Cleveland, Christopher A; Ruckdeschel, Carol
2015-10-01
Porocephalus crotali is a pentastomid parasite that uses crotaline snakes as definitive hosts and a variety of rodents as intermediate hosts. A study of definitive and intermediate pentastome hosts on Cumberland Island, Georgia, revealed high prevalence of P. crotali infection in crotalid snakes as well as several mammalian species. Despite the presence of numerous nymphs in some animals, clinical signs of disease were not observed. In intermediate hosts, the liver, mesentery, and reproductive organs were most commonly infected. No gross evidence of tissue damage was noted in association with the numerous encysted nymphal pentastomes, and histopathology demonstrated minimal reaction to the encysted nymphs. Partial 18S rRNA gene sequences confirmed the parasites were P. crotali. In contrast to many previous reports in rodents, the prevalence on this barrier island was high, and this is the first report of Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and any insectivore species as intermediate hosts. Although generally not considered pathogenic, the long-term consequences of high nymph intensities on individuals deserve attention.
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1992-01-01
This easterly looking view shows the seven major volcanic islands of the Canary Island chain (28.0N, 16.5W) and offers a unique view of the islands that have become a frequent vacation spot for Europeans. The northwest coastline of Africa, (Morocco and Western Sahara), is visible in the background. Frequently, these islands create an impact on local weather (cloud formations) and ocean currents (island wakes) as seen in this photo.
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Miller, Michelle E; Allen, Victoria M; Brock, Jo-Ann K
2018-03-01
Fetal echogenic bowel (echogenic bowel) is associated with cystic fibrosis (CF), with a reported incidence ranging from 1% to 13%. Prenatal testing for CF in the setting of echogenic bowel can be done by screening parental or fetal samples for pathogenic CFTR variants. If only one pathogenic variant is identified, sequencing of the CFTR gene can be undertaken, to identify a second pathogenic variant not covered in the standard screening panel. Full gene sequencing, however, also introduces the potential to identify variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) that can create counselling challenges and cause parental anxiety. To provide accurate counselling for families in the study population, the incidence of CF associated with echogenic bowel and the carrier frequency of CFTR variants were investigated. All pregnancies for which CF testing was undertaken for the indication of echogenic bowel (from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) were identified (January 2007-July 2017). The CFTR screening and sequencing results were reviewed, and fetal outcomes related to CF were assessed. A total of 463 pregnancies with echogenic bowel were tested. Four were confirmed to be affected with CF, giving an incidence of 0.9% in this cohort. The carrier frequency of CF among all parents in the cohort was 5.0% (1 in 20); however, when excluding parents of affected fetuses, the carrier frequency for the population was estimated at 4.1% (1 in 25). CFTR gene sequencing identified an additional VUS in two samples. The incidence of CF in pregnancies with echogenic bowel in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is 0.9%, with an estimated population carrier frequency of 4.1%. These results provide the basis for improved counselling to assess the risk of CF in the pregnancy, after parental carrier screening, using Bayesian probability. Counselling regarding VUSs should be undertaken before gene sequencing. Copyright © 2017 Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Published by
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthew T G Holden
2009-03-01
Full Text Available The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi is a host-restricted pathogen of horses that has evolved from the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus. These pathogens share approximately 80% genome sequence identity with the important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. We sequenced and compared the genomes of S. equi 4047 and S. zooepidemicus H70 and screened S. equi and S. zooepidemicus strains from around the world to uncover evidence of the genetic events that have shaped the evolution of the S. equi genome and led to its emergence as a host-restricted pathogen. Our analysis provides evidence of functional loss due to mutation and deletion, coupled with pathogenic specialization through the acquisition of bacteriophage encoding a phospholipase A(2 toxin, and four superantigens, and an integrative conjugative element carrying a novel iron acquisition system with similarity to the high pathogenicity island of Yersinia pestis. We also highlight that S. equi, S. zooepidemicus, and S. pyogenes share a common phage pool that enhances cross-species pathogen evolution. We conclude that the complex interplay of functional loss, pathogenic specialization, and genetic exchange between S. equi, S. zooepidemicus, and S. pyogenes continues to influence the evolution of these important streptococci.
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Phage-inducible chromosomal islands are ubiquitous within the bacterial universe.
Fillol-Salom, Alfred; Martínez-Rubio, Roser; Abdulrahman, Rezheen F; Chen, John; Davies, Robert; Penadés, José R
2018-06-06
Phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs) are a recently discovered family of pathogenicity islands that contribute substantively to horizontal gene transfer, host adaptation and virulence in Gram-positive cocci. Here we report that similar elements also occur widely in Gram-negative bacteria. As with the PICIs from Gram-positive cocci, their uniqueness is defined by a constellation of features: unique and specific attachment sites, exclusive PICI genes, a phage-dependent mechanism of induction, conserved replication origin organization, convergent mechanisms of phage interference, and specific packaging of PICI DNA into phage-like infectious particles, resulting in very high transfer frequencies. We suggest that the PICIs represent two or more distinct lineages, have spread widely throughout the bacterial world, and have diverged much more slowly than their host organisms or their prophage cousins. Overall, these findings represent the discovery of a universal class of mobile genetic elements.
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Barrier island habitat map and vegetation survey—Dauphin Island, Alabama, 2015
Enwright, Nicholas M.; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard H.; Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J.; Wang, Lei; Wang, Hongqing
2017-08-04
Barrier islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, waves, tides, currents, and relative sea-level rise are powerful forces that shape barrier island geomorphology and habitats (for example, beach, dune, marsh, and forest). Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 are two major events that have affected habitats and natural resources on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The latter event prompted a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the State of Alabama funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama.In order to understand the feasibility and sustainability of various restoration scenarios, it is important to understand current conditions on Dauphin Island. To further this understanding, a detailed 19-class habitat map for Dauphin Island was produced from 1-foot aerial infrared photography collected on December 4, 2015, and lidar data collected in January 2015. We also conducted a ground survey of habitat types, vegetation community structure, and elevations in November and December 2015. These products provide baseline data regarding the ecological and general geomorphological attributes of the area, which can be compared with observations from other dates for tracking changes over time.
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The geology of the Falkland Islands
Aldiss, D.T.; Edwards, E.J.
1999-01-01
This report is complementary to the 1:250 000 scale geological map of the Falkland Islands compiled in 1998. The report and map are products of the Falkland Islands Geological Mapping Project (1996-1998). Geological observation and research in the Islands date from 1764. The Islands were visited during two pioneering scientific cruises in the 19th century. Subsequently, many scientists visited en route to the Antarctic or Patagonia. Geological affinities to other parts of the sout...
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Effective cancer vaccine platform based on attenuated salmonella and a type III secretion system.
Xu, Xin; Hegazy, Wael A H; Guo, Linjie; Gao, Xiuhua; Courtney, Amy N; Kurbanov, Suhrab; Liu, Daofeng; Tian, Gengwen; Manuel, Edwin R; Diamond, Don J; Hensel, Michael; Metelitsa, Leonid S
2014-11-01
Vaccines explored for cancer therapy have been based generally on injectable vector systems used to control foreign infectious pathogens, to which the immune system evolved to respond naturally. However, these vectors may not be effective at presenting tumor-associated antigens (TAA) to the immune system in a manner that is sufficient to engender antitumor responses. We addressed this issue with a novel orally administered Salmonella-based vector that exploits a type III secretion system to deliver selected TAA in the cytosol of professional antigen-presenting cells in situ. A systematic comparison of candidate genes from the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2) locus was conducted in the vaccine design, using model antigens and a codon-optimized form of the human TAA survivin (coSVN), an oncoprotein that is overexpressed in most human cancers. In a screen of 20 SPI2 promoter:effector combinations, a PsifB::sseJ combination exhibited maximal potency for antigen translocation into the APC cytosol, presentation to CD8 T cells, and murine immunogenicity. In the CT26 mouse model of colon carcinoma, therapeutic vaccination with a lead PsifB::sseJ-coSVN construct (p8032) produced CXCR3-dependent infiltration of tumors by CD8 T cells, reversed the CD8:Treg ratio at the tumor site, and triggered potent antitumor activity. Vaccine immunogenicity and antitumor potency were enhanced by coadministration of the natural killer T-cell ligand 7DW8-5, which heightened the production of IL12 and IFNγ. Furthermore, combined treatment with p8032 and 7DW8-5 resulted in complete tumor regression in A20 lymphoma-bearing mice, where protective memory was demonstrated. Taken together, our results demonstrate how antigen delivery using an oral Salmonella vector can provide an effective platform for the development of cancer vaccines. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Human milk blocks DC-SIGN - pathogen interaction via MUC1
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nathalie eKoning
2015-03-01
Full Text Available Beneficial effects of breastfeeding are well-recognized and include both immediate neonatal protection against pathogens, as well as long term protection against allergies and autoimmune diseases. Although several proteins have been identified to have anti-viral or anti-bacterial effects like secretory IgA or lactoferrin, the mechanisms of immune modulation are not fully understood. Recent studies identified important beneficial effects of glycans in human milk, such as those expressed in oligosaccharides or on glycoproteins. Glycans are recognized by the carbohydrate receptors C-type lectins on DC and specific tissue macrophages, which exert important functions in immune modulation and immune homeostasis. A well-characterized C-type lectin is DC-SIGN, which binds terminal fucose. The present study shows that in human milk, MUC1 is the major milk glycoprotein that binds to the lectin domain of DC-SIGN and prevents pathogen interaction through the presence of Lewis x-type oligosaccharides. Surprisingly, this was specific for human milk, as formula, bovine or camel milk did not show any presence of proteins that interacted with DC-SIGN. The expression of DC-SIGN is found in young infants along the entire gastro-intestinal tract. Our data thus suggest the importance of human milk glycoproteins for blocking pathogen interaction to DC in young children. Moreover, a potential benefit of human milk later in life in shaping the infants immune system through DC-SIGN cannot be ruled out.
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Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Viruses Exhibit Few Barriers to Gene Flow in Vietnam
Carrel, Margaret; Wan, Xiu-Feng; Nguyen, Tung; Emch, Michael
2013-01-01
Locating areas where genetic change is inhibited can illuminate underlying processes that drive evolution of pathogens. The persistence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Vietnam since 2003, and the continuous molecular evolution of Vietnamese avian influenza viruses, indicates that local environmental factors are supportive not only of incidence but also of viral adaptation. This article explores whether gene flow is constant across Vietnam, or whether there exist boundary areas where gene flow exhibits discontinuity. Using a dataset of 125 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses, principal components analysis and wombling analysis are used to indicate the location, magnitude, and statistical significance of genetic boundaries. Results show that a small number of geographically minor boundaries to gene flow in highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses exist in Vietnam, but that overall there is little division in genetic exchange. This suggests that differences in genetic characteristics of viruses from one region to another are not the result of barriers to H5N1 viral exchange in Vietnam, and that H5N1 avian influenza is able to spread relatively unimpeded across the country. PMID:22350419
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Valladares, María; Reyes-Batlle, María; Martín-Navarro, Carmen M; López-Arencibia, Atteneri; Dorta-Gorrín, Alexis; Wagner, Carolina; Martínez-Carretero, Enrique; Piñero, José E; Valladares, Basilio; Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob
2015-06-01
The present study describes two cases of Acanthamoeba infections (keratitis and ascites/peritonitis) in small breed domestic dogs in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. In both cases, amoebic trophozoites were observed under the inverted microscope and isolated from the infected tissues and/or fluids, without detecting the presence of other viral, fungal or bacterial pathogens. Amoebae were isolated using 2 % non-nutrient agar plates and axenified for further biochemical and molecular analyses. Osmotolerance and thermotolerance assays revealed that both isolates were able to grow up to 37 °C and 1 M of mannitol and were thus considered as potentially pathogenic. Moreover, the strains were classified as highly cytotoxic as they cause more than 75 % of toxicity when incubated with two eukaryotic cell lines. In order to classify the strains at the molecular level, the diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3) region of the 18S rDNA of Acanthamoeba was amplified and sequenced, revealing that both isolates belonged to genotype T4. In both cases, owners of the animals did not allow any further studies or follow-up and therefore the current status of these animals is unknown. Furthermore, the isolation of these pathogenic amoebae should raise awareness with the veterinary community locally and worldwide.
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Bathymetry 1M GRID of St. John (South Shore - Area 1), US Virgin Islands, 2004, UTM 20 WGS84
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the south shore of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Due to the large file size...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hoke, Anderson [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nelson, Austin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Miller, Brian [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chakraborty, Sudipta [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bell, Frances [SolarCity, San Mateo, CA (United States); McCarty, Michael [SolarCity, San Mateo, CA (United States)
2016-07-01
As PV and other DER systems are connected to the grid at increased penetration levels, island detection may become more challenging for two reasons: 1.) In islands containing many DERs, active inverter-based anti-islanding methods may have more difficulty detecting islands because each individual inverter's efforts to detect the island may be interfered with by the other inverters in the island. 2.) The increasing numbers of DERs are leading to new requirements that DERs ride through grid disturbances and even actively try to regulate grid voltage and frequency back towards nominal operating conditions. These new grid support requirements may directly or indirectly interfere with anti-islanding controls. This report describes a series of tests designed to examine the impacts of both grid support functions and multi-inverter islands on anti-islanding effectiveness. Crucially, the multi-inverter anti-islanding tests described in this report examine scenarios with multiple inverters connected to multiple different points on the grid. While this so-called 'solar subdivision' scenario has been examined to some extent through simulation, this is the first known work to test it using hardware inverters. This was accomplished through the use of power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation, which allows the hardware inverters to be connected to a real-time transient simulation of an electric power system that can be easily reconfigured to test various distribution circuit scenarios. The anti-islanding test design was a modified version of the unintentional islanding test in IEEE Standard 1547.1, which creates a balanced, resonant island with the intent of creating a highly challenging condition for island detection. Three common, commercially available single-phase PV inverters from three different manufacturers were tested. The first part of this work examined each inverter individually using a series of pure hardware resistive-inductive-capacitive (RLC
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Uchiyama, Ryosuke; Yonehara, Shin; Taniguchi, Shun'ichiro; Ishido, Satoshi; Ishii, Ken J; Tsutsui, Hiroko
2017-08-01
CD4 + Th cells play crucial roles in orchestrating immune responses against pathogenic microbes, after differentiating into effector subsets. Recent research has revealed the importance of IFN-γ and IL-17 double-producing CD4 + Th cells, termed Th17/Th1 cells, in the induction of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In addition, Th17/Th1 cells are involved in the regulation of infection caused by the intracellular bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in humans. However, the precise mechanism of Th17/Th1 induction during pathogen infection is unclear. In this study, we showed that the inflammasome and Fas-dependent IL-1β induces Th17/Th1 cells in mice, in response to infection with the pathogenic intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes In the spleens of infected wild-type mice, Th17/Th1 cells were induced, and expressed T-bet and Rorγt. In Pycard -/- mice, which lack the adaptor molecule of the inflammasome (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain), Th17/Th1 induction was abolished. In addition, the Fas-mediated IL-1β production was required for Th17/Th1 induction during bacterial infection: Th17/Th1 induction was abolished in Fas -/- mice, whereas supplementation with recombinant IL-1β restored Th17/Th1 induction via IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1), and rescued the mortality of Fas -/- mice infected with Listeria IL-1R1, but not apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain or Fas on T cells, was required for Th17/Th1 induction, indicating that IL-1β stimulates IL-1R1 on T cells for Th17/Th1 induction. These results indicate that IL-1β, produced by the inflammasome and Fas-dependent mechanisms, contributes cooperatively to the Th17/Th1 induction during bacterial infection. This study provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Th17/Th1 induction during pathogenic microbial infections in vivo. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jessica N Ricaldi
Full Text Available The whole genome analysis of two strains of the first intermediately pathogenic leptospiral species to be sequenced (Leptospira licerasiae strains VAR010 and MMD0835 provides insight into their pathogenic potential and deepens our understanding of leptospiral evolution. Comparative analysis of eight leptospiral genomes shows the existence of a core leptospiral genome comprising 1547 genes and 452 conserved genes restricted to infectious species (including L. licerasiae that are likely to be pathogenicity-related. Comparisons of the functional content of the genomes suggests that L. licerasiae retains several proteins related to nitrogen, amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism which might help to explain why these Leptospira grow well in artificial media compared with pathogenic species. L. licerasiae strains VAR010(T and MMD0835 possess two prophage elements. While one element is circular and shares homology with LE1 of L. biflexa, the second is cryptic and homologous to a previously identified but unnamed region in L. interrogans serovars Copenhageni and Lai. We also report a unique O-antigen locus in L. licerasiae comprised of a 6-gene cluster that is unexpectedly short compared with L. interrogans in which analogous regions may include >90 such genes. Sequence homology searches suggest that these genes were acquired by lateral gene transfer (LGT. Furthermore, seven putative genomic islands ranging in size from 5 to 36 kb are present also suggestive of antecedent LGT. How Leptospira become naturally competent remains to be determined, but considering the phylogenetic origins of the genes comprising the O-antigen cluster and other putative laterally transferred genes, L. licerasiae must be able to exchange genetic material with non-invasive environmental bacteria. The data presented here demonstrate that L. licerasiae is genetically more closely related to pathogenic than to saprophytic Leptospira and provide insight into the genomic bases for
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
de Vries, Lisbeth Elvira; Hasman, Henrik; Jurado Rabadán, Sonia
2016-01-01
Antibiotic resistance in pathogens is often associated with mobile genetic elements, such as genomic islands (GI) including integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs). These can transfer resistance genes within and between bacteria from humans and/or animals. The aim of this study was to investi......Antibiotic resistance in pathogens is often associated with mobile genetic elements, such as genomic islands (GI) including integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs). These can transfer resistance genes within and between bacteria from humans and/or animals. The aim of this study......-like GIs appear to be relatively common in tetracycline-resistant S. pseudintermedius in Denmark. Almost identical Tn5801-like GIs were identified in different Gram-positive species of pet and human origin, suggesting that horizontal transfer of these elements has occurred between S. pseudintermedius...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kamaruzzaman Sopian
2000-01-01
Wind data collected at three east coast islands of Peninsular Malaysia namely Tioman, Redang and Perhentian Island were analyzed for the wind energy potential. The results were presented as Weibull distribution and preliminary analysis indicate that the site at Redang Island have the greatest potential with a mean power density of 85.1 w/m 2 at 10 meters above sea level. (Author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nedealcov M.
2015-10-01
Full Text Available The drought events frequent manifestation over the Republic of Moldova territory, in the context of climate change requires a scientific monitoring adjusted to international researchers. In recent years, internationally, the estimation of this phenomenon occurs through standardized indexes. The most used of these, being the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI. Since there is no a unified definition of drought, the World Meteorological Organization proposes to calculate the indexes, through developed calculation software. Thus, based on multi-annual data (1980-2014 a regional spatio-temporal estimation concerning drought in the Republic of Moldova was performed, thereby realizing the regional investigations framing in the international ones.
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Franco, Alessia; Hendriksen, Rene S.; Lorenzetti, Serena; Onorati, Roberta; Gentile, Gabriele; Dell'Omo, Giacomo; Aarestrup, Frank M.; Battisti, Antonio
2011-01-01
The aim of the study was to elucidate the association between the zoonotic pathogen Salmonella and a population of land iguana, Colonophus subcristatus, endemic to Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. We assessed the presence of Salmonella subspecies and serovars and estimated the prevalence of the pathogen in that population. Additionally, we investigated the genetic relatedness among isolates and serovars utilising pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) on XbaI-digested DNA and determined the ant...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sackinger, W.M.; Stringer, W.J.
1984-01-01
Research activities for the first quarter are presented for the following tasks: (1) ice island; (2) intrusion of the pack ice edge in the Chukchi Sea; and (3) spray ice adhesion to offshore structure coatings. With respect to the ice island portion of this project the following activities are planned for the year: (1) use aerial photography, satellite imagery, and all available historical records to establish a time history of all of the ice shelves of Ellesmere Island; (2) establish positioning buoys on the existing ice islands to track their trajectories daily and to telemeter daily barometric pressure and temperature, via System Argos; (3) relate geostrophic winds to the observed trajectories; (4) begin to build a pseudo-random model for ice island motion over the long term which would enable a determination of the probability of interaction between ice islands and offshore structures. The overall objective of task 2 is to investigate and analyze the causes and extent of summer time pace ice intrusions into the Chukchi Sea, which would interfere with exploration drilling and emplacement of permanent production structures. For task three a method for evaluating shear and tensile strengths of the interface bond between the sea spray ice layer and the structure or ship surface will be developed. A second more detailed task is to then measure the mechanical properties of this bonded layer for a variety of candidate coatings, as functions of temperature, loading rate, strain rate, salinity, and ice type. 25 references, 92 figures.
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Molecular characteristic and pathogenicity of Indonesian H5N1 clade 2.3.2 viruses
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dharmayanti NLPI
2013-06-01
Full Text Available The outbreak of disease in late 2012 in Indonesia caused high duck mortality. The agent of the disease was identified as H5N1 clade 2.3.2. The disease caused economic loss to the Indonesian duck farmer. The clade 2.3.2 of H5N1 virus has not previously been identified, so this study was conducted to characterize 4 of H5N1 clade 2.3.2 viruses by DNA sequencing in eight genes segment virus namely HA, NA, NS, M, PB1, PB2, PA and NP. The pathogenicity test of clade 2.3.2 viruses in ducks was compared to clade 2.1.3 viruses which predominat circulating in Indonesia. Results of phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the four of clade 2.3.2 viruses isolated in 2012 was the new introduced virus from abroad. Further analysis showed eight genes were in one group with the clade 2.3.2 viruses, especially those from VietNam and did not belong to Indonesia viruses group. The pathogenicity test in ducks showed that virus H5N1 clade 2.3.2 and clade 2.1.3 have similar clinical symptoms and pathogenicity and cause death in 75% of ducks on days 3-6 after infection.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Breiner, Niels
2006-07-01
Full Text Available nformation on temperature, temperature gradients, thermal conductivity and heat flow from the c. 3.5 km deep Lopra-1/1A borehole in the Faroe Islands is presented and analysed. The upper 2450 m of the drilled sequence consists of thick tholeiitic basalt flows and the deeper parts of hyaloclastites and thin beds of basalt. Temperature data originate from high precision temperature logging a long time after drilling to a depth of 2175 m (the original Lopra-1 borehole and from commercial temperature logs measured a short time after drilling to a depth of 3430 m (Lopra-1/1A. The high-precision temperature log determines accurately levels of inflow of groundwater to the borehole and significantthermal disturbances to a depth of c. 1250 m. Below 1300 m, no significant disturbances are seen and interval temperature gradients for large depth intervals show only small variations between 28 and 33°C/km. The mean least-squares gradient for the depth interval of 1400–3430 m is 31.4°C/ km. In clear contrast to these overall very homogeneous, large-interval, mean temperature gradients, great local variability, between gradients of 20–25°C/km and 45°C/km, was observed between about 1300 and 2175 m (maximum depth of the high-resolution temperature log. These gradient variations are interpreted to be due to thermal conductivity variations and to reflect varying secondary mineralisation and mineral alterations.A preliminary analysis of the Lopra-1/1A temperature–depth function in terms of long-term palaeoclimatic signals indicates subsurface temperatures below about 1300 m to be in equilibrium with mean surface temperatures significantly below zero during the last glacial period. A subsequent temperature increase of 12–16°C occurred at around the termination of the last glaciation. The measured temperatures (some after correction and the thermal regime below 1300 m seem to represent conductive equilibrium conditions without significant disturbances
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Insular Area energy vulnerability, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands. Technical Appendix 1
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stern, M.; Willard, E.E.; Efferding, S.
1994-05-01
This report was prepared in response to Section 1406 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 192-486). The Act directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to ''conduct a study of the implications of the unique vulnerabilities of the insular areas to an oil supply disruption,'' and to ''outline how the insular areas shall gain access to vital oil supplies during times of national emergency.'' The Act defines the insular areas to be the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, and Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Palau in the Pacific. This report is the analysis of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In the study, ''unique vulnerabilities'' were defined as susceptibility to: (1) more frequent or more likely interruptions of oil supplies compared to the mainland, and/or (2) disproportionately larger or more likely economic losses in the event of an oil supply disruption. In order to asses unique vulnerabilities, the study examined in the insular areas' experience during past global disruptions of oil supplies and during local emergencies caused by natural disasters. The effects of several possible future global disruptions and local emergencies were also analyzed. Analyses were based on historical data, simulations using energy and economic models, and interviews with officials in the insular governments and the energy industry
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Insular Area energy vulnerability, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands. Technical Appendix 1
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stern, M.; Willard, E.E.; Efferding, S. [Ensys Energy & Systems, Inc., Flemington, NJ (United States)
1994-05-01
This report was prepared in response to Section 1406 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 192-486). The Act directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to ``conduct a study of the implications of the unique vulnerabilities of the insular areas to an oil supply disruption,`` and to ``outline how the insular areas shall gain access to vital oil supplies during times of national emergency.`` The Act defines the insular areas to be the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, and Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Palau in the Pacific. This report is the analysis of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In the study, ``unique vulnerabilities`` were defined as susceptibility to: (1) more frequent or more likely interruptions of oil supplies compared to the mainland, and/or (2) disproportionately larger or more likely economic losses in the event of an oil supply disruption. In order to asses unique vulnerabilities, the study examined in the insular areas` experience during past global disruptions of oil supplies and during local emergencies caused by natural disasters. The effects of several possible future global disruptions and local emergencies were also analyzed. Analyses were based on historical data, simulations using energy and economic models, and interviews with officials in the insular governments and the energy industry.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
2011-03-01
This quarterly newsletter provides timely news and information about the plans and progress of the Energy Development in Island Nations U.S. Virgin Islands pilot project, including significant events and milestones, work undertaken by each of the five working groups, and project-related renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
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Vztah spišských Romů k přírodě ve světle antropologických teorií
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Vojtěch Pelikán
2010-12-01
Full Text Available This article deals with relation between Romanies from Spiš and nature. It discusses its connections with their ethnic identity. It fits the topic in context of anthropological theories, which are completed with knowledge of psychologists and gypsy-focused historians. It argues with a shortcut of harmonious coexistence of Romanies and nature (“Myth of the ecologically noble savage” and also with authors who deny them direct relationship with nature. Study finds theoretical background among five authors dealing with foreign gypsy groups from anthropological perspective. At the end text formulates two hypotheses: Romanies from Spiš have distinctive relationship with nature and their ethnicity can be view as both “non-Gorgio” and “non-natural”. The non-agrarian relationship to landscape (nature as environment is more specific and is rather evolving contrary to majority; however, landscape in surroundings of settlements has strong spiritual tone and acts as a space of immediate interaction with supernatural. Dichotomy nature-culture (relationship to nature as a principle is quite similar to other ethnic groups and to our non-modern history. Second hypothesis comes from studies upon relevant majority stereotypes of Gypsies. It says major look on Romanies is in many ways similar to our view of nature and also has very analogical evolution.
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Streptococcus suis, an emerging drug-resistant animal and human pathogen
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Claudio ePalmieri
2011-11-01
Full Text Available Streptococcus suis, a major porcine pathogen, has been receiving growing attention not only for its role in severe and increasingly reported infections in humans, but also for its involvement in drug resistance. Recent studies and the analysis of sequenced genomes have been providing important insights into the S. suis resistome, and have resulted in the identification of resistance determinants for tetracyclines, macrolides, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, antifolate drugs, streptothricin, and cadmium salts. Resistance gene-carrying genetic elements described so far include integrative and conjugative elements, transposons, genomic islands, phages, and chimeric elements. Some of these elements are similar to those reported in major streptococcal pathogens such as Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus agalactiae and share the same chromosomal insertion sites. The available information strongly suggests that S. suis is an important antibiotic resistance reservoir that can contribute to the spread of resistance genes to the above-mentioned streptococci. S. suis is thus a paradigmatic example of possible intersections between animal and human resistomes.
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Multidecadal shoreline changes of atoll islands in the Marshall Islands
Ford, M.
2012-12-01
Atoll islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of continued sea level rise. One of the most commonly predicted outcomes of continued sea level rise is widespread and chronic shoreline erosion. Despite the widespread implications of predicted erosion, the decadal scale changes of atoll island shorelines are poorly resolved. The Marshall Islands is one of only four countries where the majority of inhabited land is comprised of reef and atoll islands. Consisting of 29 atolls and 5 mid-ocean reef islands, the Marshall Islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise. A detailed analysis of shoreline change on over 300 islands on 10 atolls was undertaken using historic aerial photos (1945-1978) and modern high resolution satellite imagery (2004-2012). Results highlight the complex and dynamic nature of atoll islands, with significant shifts in shoreline position observed over the period of analysis. Results suggest shoreline accretion is the dominant mode of change on the islands studied, often associated with a net increase in vegetated island area. However, considerable inter- and intra-atoll variability exists with regards to shoreline stability. Findings are discussed with respect to island morphodynamics and potential hazard mitigation and planning responses within atoll settings.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a unified ESRI Grid with 1x1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of El Seco, a selected portion of seafloor east of Vieques Island,...
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Coral pathogens identified for White Syndrome (WS epizootics in the Indo-Pacific.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Meir Sussman
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: White Syndrome (WS, a general term for scleractinian coral diseases with acute signs of advancing tissue lesions often resulting in total colony mortality, has been reported from numerous locations throughout the Indo-Pacific, constituting a growing threat to coral reef ecosystems. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Bacterial isolates were obtained from corals displaying disease signs at three ws outbreak sites: Nikko Bay in the Republic of Palau, Nelly Bay in the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR and Majuro Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and used in laboratory-based infection trials to satisfy Henle-Koch's postulates, Evan's rules and Hill's criteria for establishing causality. Infected colonies produced similar signs to those observed in the field following exposure to bacterial concentrations of 1x10(6 cells ml(-1. Phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene analysis demonstrated that all six pathogens identified in this study were members of the gamma-Proteobacteria family Vibrionacae, each with greater than 98% sequence identity with the previously characterized coral bleaching pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. Screening for proteolytic activity of more than 150 coral derived bacterial isolates by a biochemical assay and specific primers for a Vibrio family zinc-metalloprotease demonstrated a significant association between the presence of isolates capable of proteolytic activity and observed disease signs. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to provide evidence for the involvement of a unique taxonomic group of bacterial pathogens in the aetiology of Indo-Pacific coral diseases affecting multiple coral species at multiple locations. Results from this study strongly suggest the need for further investigation of bacterial proteolytic enzymes as possible virulence factors involved in Vibrio associated acute coral infections.
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CAMEX-4 ANDROS ISLAND RAWINSONDE AND RADIOSONDES V1
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The CAMEX-4 Andros Lisland Rawinsonde and Radiosondes dataset was collected by using numerous rawinsondes (radiosondes), which were launched from Andros Island in...
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Arginase activity in pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Leishmania parasites.
Badirzadeh, Alireza; Taheri, Tahereh; Taslimi, Yasaman; Abdossamadi, Zahra; Heidari-Kharaji, Maryam; Gholami, Elham; Sedaghat, Baharehsadat; Niyyati, Maryam; Rafati, Sima
2017-07-01
Proliferation of Leishmania (L.) parasites depends on polyamine availability, which can be generated by the L-arginine catabolism and the enzymatic activity of arginase (ARG) of the parasites and of the mammalian hosts. In the present study, we characterized and compared the arginase (arg) genes from pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and from non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. We quantified the level of the ARG activity in promastigotes and macrophages infected with pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and non-pathogenic L. tarentolae amastigotes. The ARG's amino acid sequences of the pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania demonstrated virtually 98.6% and 88% identities with the reference L. major Friedlin ARG. Higher ARG activity was observed in all pathogenic promastigotes as compared to non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. In vitro infection of human macrophage cell line (THP1) with pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania spp. resulted in increased ARG activities in the infected macrophages. The ARG activities present in vivo were assessed in susceptible BALB/c and resistant C57BL/6 mice infected with L. major, L. tropica and L. tarentolae. We demonstrated that during the development of the infection, ARG is induced in both strains of mice infected with pathogenic Leishmania. However, in L. major infected BALB/c mice, the induction of ARG and parasite load increased simultaneously according to the time course of infection, whereas in C57BL/6 mice, the enzyme is upregulated solely during the period of footpad swelling. In L. tropica infected mice, the footpads' swellings were slow to develop and demonstrated minimal cutaneous pathology and ARG activity. In contrast, ARG activity was undetectable in mice inoculated with the non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. Our data suggest that infection by Leishmania parasites can increase ARG activity of the host and provides essential polyamines for parasite salvage and its replication. Moreover, the ARG of Leishmania is vital for parasite
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stastny, P.
2009-04-15
Spying amongst oil companies is now declining as a result of cultural shifts in how privacy is viewed as well as by new court decisions on how confidential information is used to gain competitive advantages. In the 1970s, oil company scouts used visual monitoring as a means of gaining information related to oil field technologies. New digital communications processes mean that scouts can no longer eavesdrop on analogue communications equipment using radio equipment. Energy companies are now enjoying an unprecedented level of security. Satellite digital communications minimize the risk of in-field interception by sending signals directly upward from a localized point. Although cellphone scanning equipment is available, it is illegal in Canada. New privacy rules state that listening to a cell phone conversation without the consent of the people talking is now illegal. Devices have also been designed to intercept communications of new digital mobile units. However, the equipment is costly and civilian use of it is illegal. Cellphone technologies are advancing at such a rapid rate that many new spying devices become obsolete very quickly. It was concluded that a recent case in which a small oil and gas operator bid on leases days before a larger company won when the larger company proved that the bid was based on the misuse of confidential data. 3 figs.
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Alenizi, Dhahi; Ringwood, Tamara; Redhwan, Alya; Bouraha, Bouchra; Wren, Brendan W; Prentice, Michael; McNally, Alan
2016-08-01
Yersinia enterocolitica is a zoonotic pathogen and a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans. The species is composed of six diverse phylogroups, of which strains of phylogroup 1 are considered non-pathogenic to mammals due to the lack of the major virulence plasmid pYV, and their lack of virulence in a mouse infection model. In the present report we present data examining the pathogenicity of strains of Y. enterocolitica across all six phylogroups in a Galleria mellonellla model. We have demonstrated that in this model strains of phylogroup 1 exhibit severe pathogenesis with a lethal dose of as low as 10 c.f.u., that this virulence is an active process and that flagella play a major role in the virulence phenotype. We have also demonstrated that the complete lack of virulence in Galleria of the mammalian pathogenic phylogroups is not due to carriage of the pYV virulence plasmid. Our data suggest that all Y. enterocolitica can be pathogenic, which may be a reflection of the true natural habitat of the species, and that we may need to reconsider the eco-evo perspective of this important bacterial species.
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Patron, Kévin; Gilot, Philippe; Camiade, Emilie; Mereghetti, Laurent
2015-06-01
We identified a Streptococcus agalactiae metabolic region (fru2) coding for a Phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphoTransferase System (PTS) homologous to the Frz system of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. The Frz system is involved in environmental sensing and regulation of the expression of adaptation and virulence genes in E. coli. The S. agalactiae fru2 region codes three subunits of a PTS transporter of the fructose-mannitol family, a transcriptional activator of PTSs of the MtlR family, an allulose-6 phosphate-3-epimerase, a transaldolase and a transketolase. We demonstrated that all these genes form an operon. The fru2 operon is present in a 17494-bp genomic island. We analyzed by multilocus sequence typing a population of 492 strains representative of the S. agalactiae population and we showed that the presence of the fru2 operon is linked to the phylogeny of S. agalactiae. The fru2 operon is always present within strains of clonal complexes CC 1, CC 7, CC 10, CC 283 and singletons ST 130 and ST 288, but never found in other CCs and STs. Our results indicate that the fru2 operon was acquired during the evolution of the S. agalactiae species from a common ancestor before the divergence of CC 1, CC 7, CC 10, CC 283, ST 130 and ST 288. As S. agalactiae strains of CC 1 and CC 10 are frequently isolated from adults with invasive disease, we hypothesize that the S. agalactiae Fru2 system senses the environment to allow the bacterium to adapt to new conditions encountered during the infection of adults. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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The Plant Immunity Regulating F-Box Protein CPR1 Supports Plastid Function in Absence of Pathogens
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christiane Hedtmann
2017-09-01
Full Text Available The redox imbalanced 6 mutant (rimb6 of Arabidopsis thaliana was isolated in a genetic screening approach for mutants with defects in chloroplast-to-nucleus redox signaling. It has an atypically low activation status of the 2-Cys peroxiredoxin-A promoter in the seedling stage. rimb6 shows wildtype-like germination, seedling development and greening, but slower growth and reduced biomass in the rosette stage. Mapping of the casual mutation revealed that rimb6 carries a single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSER OF PATHOGENESIS RELATED (PR GENES 1, CPR1 (At4g12560, leading to a premature stop codon. CPR1 is known as a repressor of pathogen signaling and regulator of microtubule organization. Allelism of rimb6 and cpr1 revealed a function of CPR1 in chloroplast stress protection. Expression studies in pathogen signaling mutants demonstrated that CPR1-mediated activation of genes for photosynthesis and chloroplast antioxidant protection is, in contrast to activation of pathogen responses, regulated independently from PAD4-controlled salicylic acid (SA accumulation. We conclude that the support of plastid function is a basic, SA-independent function of CPR1.
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Foundation Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project-Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands
1990-04-01
iL_ COPY MISCELLANEOUS PAPER GL-90-5 i iFOUNDATION INVESTIGATION FOR GROUND BASED RADAR PROJECT--KWAJALEIN ISLAND, MARSHALL ISLANDS by Donald E...C!assification) Foundatioa Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Yule, Donald E...investigation for the Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands , are presented.- eophysical tests comprised of surface refrac- tion
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Xue, Deng; Tamai, Riyoko [Division of Oral Bacteriology, Department of Oral Medical Science, Ohu University School of Dentistry, 31-1 Misumido, Tomitamachi, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8611 (Japan); Endo, Yasuo [Department of Molecular Regulation, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Kiyoura, Yusuke [Division of Oral Bacteriology, Department of Oral Medical Science, Ohu University School of Dentistry, 31-1 Misumido, Tomitamachi, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8611 (Japan)
2009-02-15
Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs) are anti-bone-resorptive drugs with inflammatory side effects that include osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Oral bacteria have been considered to be a trigger for these NBP-associated jaw bone diseases. The present study examined the effects of alendronate (a typical NBP) and clodronate (a non-NBP) on the production of proinflammatory cytokines by macrophages infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia, which are important pathogens of periodontal diseases. Pretreatment with alendronate augmented IL-1{beta}, but not TNF{alpha}, production by macrophages infected with P. gingivalis or T. forsythia. This augmentation of IL-1{beta} production was inhibited by clodronate. Furthermore, caspase-1, a promoter of IL-1{beta} production, was activated by treatment with alendronate, and caspase-1 inhibitor reduced the production of IL-1{beta} induced by alendronate and P. gingivalis. These results suggest that NBPs augment periodontal pathogenic bacteria-induced IL-1{beta} release via caspase-1 activation, and this phenomenon may contribute to the development of NBP-associated inflammatory side effects including jaw osteomyelitis. Co-treatment with clodronate may prevent and/or reduce these inflammatory effects induced by NBPs.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Deng Xue; Tamai, Riyoko; Endo, Yasuo; Kiyoura, Yusuke
2009-01-01
Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs) are anti-bone-resorptive drugs with inflammatory side effects that include osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Oral bacteria have been considered to be a trigger for these NBP-associated jaw bone diseases. The present study examined the effects of alendronate (a typical NBP) and clodronate (a non-NBP) on the production of proinflammatory cytokines by macrophages infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia, which are important pathogens of periodontal diseases. Pretreatment with alendronate augmented IL-1β, but not TNFα, production by macrophages infected with P. gingivalis or T. forsythia. This augmentation of IL-1β production was inhibited by clodronate. Furthermore, caspase-1, a promoter of IL-1β production, was activated by treatment with alendronate, and caspase-1 inhibitor reduced the production of IL-1β induced by alendronate and P. gingivalis. These results suggest that NBPs augment periodontal pathogenic bacteria-induced IL-1β release via caspase-1 activation, and this phenomenon may contribute to the development of NBP-associated inflammatory side effects including jaw osteomyelitis. Co-treatment with clodronate may prevent and/or reduce these inflammatory effects induced by NBPs
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The Solomon Islands tsunami of 6 February 2013 field survey in the Santa Cruz Islands
Fritz, H. M.; Papantoniou, A.; Biukoto, L.; Albert, G.
2013-12-01
On February 6, 2013 at 01:12:27 UTC (local time: UTC+11), a magnitude Mw 8.0 earthquake occurred 70 km to the west of Ndendo Island (Santa Cruz Island) in the Solomon Islands. The under-thrusting earthquake near a 90° bend, where the Australian plate subducts beneath the Pacific plate generated a locally focused tsunami in the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. The tsunami claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 15, destroyed 588 houses and partially damaged 478 houses, affecting 4,509 people in 1,066 households corresponding to an estimated 37% of the population of Santa Cruz Island. A multi-disciplinary international tsunami survey team (ITST) was deployed within days of the event to document flow depths, runup heights, inundation distances, sediment and coral boulder depositions, land level changes, damage patterns at various scales, performance of the man-made infrastructure and impact on the natural environment. The 19 to 23 February 2013 ITST covered 30 locations on 4 Islands: Ndendo (Santa Cruz), Tomotu Noi (Lord Howe), Nea Tomotu (Trevanion, Malo) and Tinakula. The reconnaissance completely circling Ndendo and Tinakula logged 240 km by small boat and additionally covered 20 km of Ndendo's hard hit western coastline by vehicle. The collected survey data includes more than 80 tsunami runup and flow depth measurements. The tsunami impact peaked at Manoputi on Ndendo's densely populated west coast with maximum tsunami height exceeding 11 m and local flow depths above ground exceeding 7 m. A fast tide-like positive amplitude of 1 m was recorded at Lata wharf inside Graciosa Bay on Ndendo Island and misleadingly reported in the media as representative tsunami height. The stark contrast between the field observations on exposed coastlines and the Lata tide gauge recording highlights the importance of rapid tsunami reconnaissance surveys. Inundation distance and damage more than 500 m inland were recorded at Lata airport on Ndendo Island. Landslides were
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Task 1.5 Genomic Shift and Drift Trends of Emerging Pathogens
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Borucki, M
2010-01-05
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Bioinformatics group has recently taken on a role in DTRA's Transformation Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI). The high-level goal of TMTI is to accelerate the development of broad-spectrum countermeasures. To achieve those goals, TMTI has a near term need to conduct analyses of genomic shift and drift trends of emerging pathogens, with a focused eye on select agent pathogens, as well as antibiotic and virulence markers. Most emerging human pathogens are zoonotic viruses with a genome composed of RNA. The high mutation rate of the replication enzymes of RNA viruses contributes to sequence drift and provides one mechanism for these viruses to adapt to diverse hosts (interspecies transmission events) and cause new human and zoonotic diseases. Additionally, new viral pathogens frequently emerge due to genetic shift (recombination and segment reassortment) which allows for dramatic genotypic and phenotypic changes to occur rapidly. Bacterial pathogens also evolve via genetic drift and shift, although sequence drift generally occurs at a much slower rate for bacteria as compared to RNA viruses. However, genetic shift such as lateral gene transfer and inter- and intragenomic recombination enables bacteria to rapidly acquire new mechanisms of survival and antibiotic resistance. New technologies such as rapid whole genome sequencing of bacterial genomes, ultra-deep sequencing of RNA virus populations, metagenomic studies of environments rich in antibiotic resistance genes, and the use of microarrays for the detection and characterization of emerging pathogens provide mechanisms to address the challenges posed by the rapid emergence of pathogens. Bioinformatic algorithms that enable efficient analysis of the massive amounts of data generated by these technologies as well computational modeling of protein structures and evolutionary processes need to be developed to allow the technology to fulfill its potential.
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Amat, S; Subramanian, S; Timsit, E; Alexander, T W
2017-05-01
This study evaluated the potential of probiotic bacteria to inhibit growth and cell adhesion of the bovine respiratory pathogen Mannheimia haemoltyica serotype 1. The inhibitory effects of nine probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus and two Paenibacillus polymyxa strains) against M. haemolytica were evaluated using a spot-on-lawn method. Probiotic strains were then tested for their adherence to bovine bronchial epithelial (BBE) cells and the ability to displace and compete against M. haemolytica on BBE. Except for S. thermophilus, all probiotic strains inhibited the growth of M. haemolytica, with zones of inhibition ranging between 12 and 19 mm. Lactobacillus strains and Lactococcus lactis displayed greater (P probiotics (probiotics. The results of this study suggest that probiotics may have the potential to colonize the bovine respiratory tract, and exert antagonistic effects against M. haemolytica serotype 1. A common method to control bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlots is through mass medication with antibiotics upon cattle entry (i.e. metaphylaxis). Increasingly, antimicrobial resistance in BRD bacterial pathogens has been observed in feedlots, which may have important implications for cattle health. In this study, probiotic strains were shown to adhere to bovine respiratory cells and inhibit the BRD pathogen M. haemolytica serotype 1 through competition and displacement. Probiotics may therefore offer a mitigation strategy to reduce BRD bacterial pathogens, in place of metaphylactic antimicrobials. © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
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Petutschnig, Elena K; Stolze, Marnie; Lipka, Ulrike; Kopischke, Michaela; Horlacher, Juliane; Valerius, Oliver; Rozhon, Wilfried; Gust, Andrea A; Kemmerling, Birgit; Poppenberger, Brigitte; Braus, Gerhard H; Nürnberger, Thorsten; Lipka, Volker
2014-12-01
Plants detect pathogens by sensing microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) through pattern recognition receptors. Pattern recognition receptor complexes also have roles in cell death control, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we report isolation of cerk1-4, a novel mutant allele of the Arabidopsis chitin receptor CERK1 with enhanced defense responses. We identified cerk1-4 in a forward genetic screen with barley powdery mildew and consequently characterized it by pathogen assays, mutant crosses and analysis of defense pathways. CERK1 and CERK1-4 proteins were analyzed biochemically. The cerk1-4 mutation causes an amino acid exchange in the CERK1 ectodomain. Mutant plants maintain chitin signaling capacity but exhibit hyper-inducible salicylic acid concentrations and deregulated cell death upon pathogen challenge. In contrast to chitin signaling, the cerk1-4 phenotype does not require kinase activity and is conferred by the N-terminal part of the receptor. CERK1 undergoes ectodomain shedding, a well-known process in animal cell surface proteins. Wild-type plants contain the full-length CERK1 receptor protein as well as a soluble form of the CERK1 ectodomain, whereas cerk1-4 plants lack the N-terminal shedding product. Our work suggests that CERK1 may have a chitin-independent role in cell death control and is the first report of ectodomain shedding in plants. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.
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Apartheid Spies: The Character, the Reader, and the Censor in André Brink’s A Dry White Season
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Giuliana Iannaccaro
2014-05-01
Full Text Available André Brink’s novel A Dry White Season (1979 is strictly connected with the time and place in which it was written. Its dialogue with the real Johannesburg of the late Seventies is manifest: characters and plot are grafted on real events, like the youth riots in Soweto (1976 and the death of Steve Biko in the hands of the Security Police (1977. Brink’s early novels have been commended for their political commitment, but also criticized for being ‘easily’ documentary. Yet, A Dry White Season’s structure is rather complex, and its fabricated nature is shown to the reader through the device of the double internal narrator and the considerable number of ‘documents’ discovered and employed – each telling its own truth. The metaphor of the ‘spying gaze’ proposed here is useful in order to point out the interconnections between story and history, as it shows the way in which a complex and multi-layered narrative structure succeeds in both reflecting and exposing the intricate apartheid system devised to control and ‘discipline’ its own citizens. In the novel, most of the characters intrude into the life of the others and are intruded upon, included peaceful citizens who are obliged to defend themselves from an oppressive and violent police State. At the same time, also the reader is drawn into the dangerous spying game, above all when he/she is introduced into that notorious site of interrogation, torture and detention which was the Johannesburg Police Station in John Vorster Square. The last part of the essay takes into consideration the South African censorship system in force at the time, to show that the activity of surveillance is both intrinsic to the narration and external, related to the conditions of the novel’s composition and appearance on the literary market.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Angela M Jansen
2011-07-01
Full Text Available The Vi capsular polysaccharide is a virulence-associated factor expressed by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi but absent from virtually all other Salmonella serotypes. In order to study this determinant in vivo, we characterised a Vi-positive S. Typhimurium (C5.507 Vi(+, harbouring the Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI-7, which encodes the Vi locus. S. Typhimurium C5.507 Vi(+ colonised and persisted in mice at similar levels compared to the parent strain, S. Typhimurium C5. However, the innate immune response to infection with C5.507 Vi(+ and SGB1, an isogenic derivative not expressing Vi, differed markedly. Infection with C5.507 Vi(+ resulted in a significant reduction in cellular trafficking of innate immune cells, including PMN and NK cells, compared to SGB1 Vi(- infected animals. C5.507 Vi(+ infection stimulated reduced numbers of TNF-α, MIP-2 and perforin producing cells compared to SGB1 Vi(-. The modulating effect associated with Vi was not observed in MyD88(-/- and was reduced in TLR4(-/- mice. The presence of the Vi capsule also correlated with induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in vivo, a factor that impacted on chemotaxis and the activation of immune cells in vitro.
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THE HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION OF THE CRAB NEBULA FROM 20 keV TO 6 MeV WITH INTEGRAL SPI
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jourdain, E.; Roques, J. P.
2009-01-01
The SPI spectrometer aboard the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory mission regularly observes the Crab Nebula since 2003. We report on observations distributed over 5.5 years and investigate the variability of the intensity and spectral shape of this remarkable source in the hard X-rays domain up to a few MeV. While single power-law models give a good description in the X-ray domain (mean photon index ∼ 2.05) and MeV domain (photon index ∼ 2.23), crucial information is contained in the evolution of the slope with energy between these two values. This study has been carried out through individual observations and long duration (∼ 400 ks) averaged spectra. The stability of the emission is remarkable and excludes a single power-law model. The slopes measured below and above 100 keV agree perfectly with the last values reported in the X-ray and MeV regions, respectively, but without indication of a localized break point. This suggests a gradual softening in the emission around 100 keV and thus a continuous evolution rather than an actual change in the mechanism parameters. In the MeV region, no significant deviation from the proposed power-law model is visible up to 5-6 MeV. Finally, we take advantage of the spectroscopic capability of the instrument to seek for previously reported spectral features in the covered energy range with negative results for any significant cyclotron or annihilation emission on 400 ks timescales. Beyond the scientific results, the performance and reliability of the SPI instrument is explicitly demonstrated, with some details about the most appropriate analysis method.
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Serosurvey of antibody to highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Avian influenza is a disease of economic and public health importance that has been described in most domestic animals and humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 epidemic in Nigeria was observed in agro-ecological zones where pigs and chickens are raised in shared environment with chances of ...
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Cytokine responses to two common respiratory pathogens in children are dependent on interleukin-1β
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alice C-H. Chen
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB in young children is a common cause of prolonged wet cough and may be a precursor to bronchiectasis in some children. Although PBB and bronchiectasis are both characterised by neutrophilic airway inflammation and a prominent interleukin (IL-1β signature, the contribution of the IL-1β pathway to host defence is not clear. This study aimed to compare systemic immune responses against common pathogens in children with PBB, bronchiectasis and control children and to determine the importance of the IL-1β pathway. Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs from control subjects (n=20, those with recurrent PBB (n=20 and bronchiectasis (n=20 induced high concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, interferon (IFN-γ and IL-10. Blocking with an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra modified the cellular response to pathogens, inhibiting cytokine synthesis by NTHi-stimulated PBMCs and rhinovirus-stimulated PBMCs (in a separate PBB cohort. Inhibition of IFN-γ production by IL-1Ra was observed across multiple cell types, including CD3+ T cells and CD56+ NK cells. Our findings highlight the extent to which IL-1β regulates the cellular immune response against two common respiratory pathogens. While blocking the IL-1β pathway has the potential to reduce inflammation, this may come at the cost of protective immunity against NTHi and rhinovirus.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kostal, M.; Bacik, I.; Rajcani, J.; Kaerner, H.C.
1994-01-01
Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) strain ANGpath and its recombinants, in which the 8.1 kbp BamHI G restriction fragment (0.345-0.399) containing the glycoprotein B (gB path ) gene (UL27) or its sub-fragments-coding either for cytoplasmic or surface domain of gB-had been replaced with the corresponding fragments from non-pathogenic KOS virus DNA (gB KOS ), were tested for their pathogenicity for DBA/2 mice and rabbits. The recombinant ANGpath/B6 KOS prepared by transferring the 2.7 kbp SstI-SstI sub-fragment (0.351-0.368) of the BamHI G KOS fragment still had the original sequence of ANGpath DNA coding for the syn 3 marker in the cytoplasmic domain of gB and was pathogenic for mice as well as for rabbits. Virological and immuno-histological studies in DBA/2 mice infected with the latter pathogenic recombinant and with ANGpath showed the presence of infectious virus and viral antigen at inoculation site (epidermis, subcutaneous connective tissue and striated muscle in the area of right lip), in homo-lateral trigeminal nerve and ganglion, brain stem, midbrain, thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. In contrast, non-pathogenic recombinants ANGpath/syn + B6 KOS (prepared by transferring the whole BamHI G KOS fragment) and ANGpath/syn +KOS (prepared by transferring the 0.8 kbp BamHI-SstI sub-fragment of the BamHI G KOS fragment) showed limited hematogenous and neural spread, but no evidence of replication in CNS; thus, their behaviour resembled that of the wild type strain KOS. The recombinant ANGpath/syn +KOS , which was not pathogenic for mice, still remained pathogenic for rabbits, a phenomenon indicating the presence of an additional locus in the gB molecule participating on virulence. Sequencing the 1478 bp SstI-SstI sub-fragment of the BamHI G path fragment (nt 53,348 - 54,826 of UL segment) showed the presence of at least 3 mutations as compared to the KOS sequence, from which the change of cytosine at nt 54,2251 altered the codon for arginine to that histidine
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Pantin-Jackwood, Mary; Swayne, David E; Smith, Diane; Shepherd, Eric
2013-07-22
H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses continue to be a threat to poultry in many regions of the world. Domestic ducks have been recognized as one of the primary factors in the spread of H5N1 HPAI. In this study we examined the pathogenicity of H5N1 HPAI viruses in different species and breeds of domestic ducks and the effect of route of virus inoculation on the outcome of infection. We determined that the pathogenicity of H5N1 HPAI viruses varies between the two common farmed duck species, with Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) presenting more severe disease than various breeds of Anas platyrhynchos var. domestica ducks including Pekin, Mallard-type, Black Runners, Rouen, and Khaki Campbell ducks. We also found that Pekin and Muscovy ducks inoculated with two H5N1 HPAI viruses of different virulence, given by any one of three routes (intranasal, intracloacal, or intraocular), became infected with the viruses. Regardless of the route of inoculation, the outcome of infection was similar for each species but depended on the virulence of the virus used. Muscovy ducks showed more severe clinical signs and higher mortality than the Pekin ducks. In conclusion, domestic ducks are susceptible to H5N1 HPAI virus infection by different routes of exposure, but the presentation of the disease varied by virus strain and duck species. This information helps support the planning and implementation of H5N1 HPAI surveillance and control measures in countries with large domestic duck populations.
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Overexpression of NPR1 in Brassica juncea Confers Broad Spectrum Resistance to Fungal Pathogens
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sajad Ali
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Brassica juncea (Indian mustard is a commercially important oil seed crop, which is highly affected by many biotic stresses. Among them, Alternaria leaf blight and powdery mildew are the most devastating diseases leading to huge yield losses in B. juncea around the world. In this regard, genetic engineering is a promising tool that may possibly allow us to enhance the B. juncea disease resistance against these pathogens. NPR1 (non-expressor of pathogen-related gene 1 is a bonafide receptor of salicylic acid (SA which modulates multiple immune responses in plants especially activation of induced and systemic acquired resistance (SAR. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of new NPR1 homolog (BjNPR1 from B. juncea. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on the deduced sequence of BjNPR1 with homologs from other species revealed that BjNPR1 grouped together with other known NPR1 proteins of Cruciferae family, and was nearest to B. napus. Furthermore, expression analysis showed that BjNPR1 was upregulated after SA treatment and fungal infection but not by jasmonic acid or abscisic acid. To understand the defensive role of this gene, we generated B. juncea transgenic lines overexpressing BjNPR1, and further confirmed by PCR and Southern blotting. The transgenic lines showed no phenotypic abnormalities, and constitutive expression of BjNPR1 activates defense signaling pathways by priming the expression of antifungal PR genes. Moreover, BjNPR1 transgenic lines showed enhanced resistance to Alternaria brassicae and Erysiphe cruciferarum as there was delay in symptoms and reduced disease severity than non-transgenic plants. In addition, the rate of disease spreading to uninfected or distal parts was also delayed in transgenic plants thus suggesting the activation of SAR. Altogether, the present study suggests that BjNPR1 is involved in broad spectrum of disease resistance against fungal pathogens.
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Li, Jun; Tai, Cui; Deng, Zixin; Zhong, Weihong; He, Yongqun; Ou, Hong-Yu
2017-01-10
VRprofile is a Web server that facilitates rapid investigation of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes, as well as extends these trait transfer-related genetic contexts, in newly sequenced pathogenic bacterial genomes. The used backend database MobilomeDB was firstly built on sets of known gene cluster loci of bacterial type III/IV/VI/VII secretion systems and mobile genetic elements, including integrative and conjugative elements, prophages, class I integrons, IS elements and pathogenicity/antibiotic resistance islands. VRprofile is thus able to co-localize the homologs of these conserved gene clusters using HMMer or BLASTp searches. With the integration of the homologous gene cluster search module with a sequence composition module, VRprofile has exhibited better performance for island-like region predictions than the other widely used methods. In addition, VRprofile also provides an integrated Web interface for aligning and visualizing identified gene clusters with MobilomeDB-archived gene clusters, or a variety set of bacterial genomes. VRprofile might contribute to meet the increasing demands of re-annotations of bacterial variable regions, and aid in the real-time definitions of disease-relevant gene clusters in pathogenic bacteria of interest. VRprofile is freely available at http://bioinfo-mml.sjtu.edu.cn/VRprofile. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Oberle, Ferdinand K. J.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Storlazzi, Curt
2017-04-01
Atoll islands, most of which only average 1-2 meters above today's sea level, provide a tremendous natural laboratory in which to study and better understand the intensifying impacts of high rates of sea-level rise on tropical reef-lined islands globally due to their unique geologic structure and limited water supply. Groundwater resources of atolls are typically minimal due to the low elevation and small surface area of the islands and are also subject to recurring droughts, and more frequent, storm-driven seawater overwash events. Although groundwater is the principal means of freshwater storage on atoll islands and is a major factor in determining the overall sustainability of island communities, hydrological data on how an aquifer will response to changes in sea-level rise or storm-driven overwash remain limited. We here present high-resolution time series hydrogeological and geochemical data to determine the role of the atoll's carbonate geology, land use, and atmospheric and oceanographic forcing in driving coastal groundwater exchange on the island of Roi Namur on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This information can provide new estimates on the recovery and resilience of coastal groundwater resources on such islands to expected climate change-driven perturbations.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David Omondi
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Although diverse tick-borne pathogens (TBPs are endemic to East Africa, with recognized impact on human and livestock health, their diversity and specific interactions with tick and vertebrate host species remain poorly understood in the region. In particular, the role of reptiles in TBP epidemiology remains unknown, despite having been implicated with TBPs of livestock among exported tortoises and lizards. Understanding TBP ecologies, and the potential role of common reptiles, is critical for the development of targeted transmission control strategies for these neglected tropical disease agents. During the wet months (April–May; October–December of 2012–2013, we surveyed TBP diversity among 4,126 ticks parasitizing livestock and reptiles at homesteads along the shores and islands of Lake Baringo and Lake Victoria in Kenya, regions endemic to diverse neglected tick-borne diseases. After morphological identification of 13 distinct Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma, and Hyalomma tick species, ticks were pooled (≤8 individuals by species, host, sampling site, and collection date into 585 tick pools. By supplementing previously established molecular assays for TBP detection with high-resolution melting analysis of PCR products before sequencing, we identified high frequencies of potential disease agents of ehrlichiosis (12.48% Ehrlichia ruminantium, 9.06% Ehrlichia canis, anaplasmosis (6.32% Anaplasma ovis, 14.36% Anaplasma platys, and 3.08% Anaplasma bovis,, and rickettsiosis (6.15% Rickettsia africae, 2.22% Rickettsia aeschlimannii, 4.27% Rickettsia rhipicephali, and 4.95% Rickettsia spp., as well as Paracoccus sp. and apicomplexan hemoparasites (0.51% Theileria sp., 2.56% Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi, and 1.37% Babesia caballi among tick pools. Notably, we identified E. ruminantium in both Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus pools of ticks sampled from livestock in both study areas as well as in Amblyomma falsomarmoreum (66.7% and Amblyomma nuttalli (100
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Omondi, David; Masiga, Daniel K; Fielding, Burtram C; Kariuki, Edward; Ajamma, Yvonne Ukamaka; Mwamuye, Micky M; Ouso, Daniel O; Villinger, Jandouwe
2017-01-01
Although diverse tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are endemic to East Africa, with recognized impact on human and livestock health, their diversity and specific interactions with tick and vertebrate host species remain poorly understood in the region. In particular, the role of reptiles in TBP epidemiology remains unknown, despite having been implicated with TBPs of livestock among exported tortoises and lizards. Understanding TBP ecologies, and the potential role of common reptiles, is critical for the development of targeted transmission control strategies for these neglected tropical disease agents. During the wet months (April-May; October-December) of 2012-2013, we surveyed TBP diversity among 4,126 ticks parasitizing livestock and reptiles at homesteads along the shores and islands of Lake Baringo and Lake Victoria in Kenya, regions endemic to diverse neglected tick-borne diseases. After morphological identification of 13 distinct Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma , and Hyalomma tick species, ticks were pooled (≤8 individuals) by species, host, sampling site, and collection date into 585 tick pools. By supplementing previously established molecular assays for TBP detection with high-resolution melting analysis of PCR products before sequencing, we identified high frequencies of potential disease agents of ehrlichiosis (12.48% Ehrlichia ruminantium , 9.06% Ehrlichia canis ), anaplasmosis (6.32% Anaplasma ovis , 14.36% Anaplasma platys , and 3.08% Anaplasma bovis ,), and rickettsiosis (6.15% Rickettsia africae , 2.22% Rickettsia aeschlimannii , 4.27% Rickettsia rhipicephali , and 4.95% Rickettsia spp.), as well as Paracoccus sp. and apicomplexan hemoparasites (0.51% Theileria sp., 2.56% Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi , and 1.37% Babesia caballi ) among tick pools. Notably, we identified E. ruminantium in both Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus pools of ticks sampled from livestock in both study areas as well as in Amblyomma falsomarmoreum (66.7%) and Amblyomma nuttalli (100%) sampled
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sia Rosalind Juo Ling
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Haidian Island, which situated at the Northern part of Haikou City of Hainan Province, is an island within a city. Haidian Island is unique in term of it's development which centered around an university, the Hainan University, besides some others important landmarks, such as Haikou city hospital, Baishamen municipal park, Golf Driving Range etc. All commercials, residential, recreational activities etc are planned to serve Hainan University in particular. The study, taking ‘Haidian Island Area Development Control Plan’ as case study, would like to look into the importance of transportation and traffic planning. The study used observation, site investigation and traffic study methods to gather data needed. Firstly the study analyzed the current state of transportation system for Haidian Island in accordance to the Island Development Control plan and Haikou master plan and identified the problems. Then, the study made some recommendations for these problems. The study highlighted the important of non-motorized, cycling and walking as the main transportation system for an education-based island and as supportive to domestic tourism activities found. The transportation planning suggested by the study took ‘green and low-carbon’ approaches considered the role of University as the core activity in the island.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Baldwin Ian T
2008-10-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The adage from Shakespeare, "troubles, not as single spies, but in battalions come," holds true for Nicotiana attenuata, which is commonly attacked by both pathogens (Pseudomonas spp. and herbivores (Manduca sexta in its native habitats. Defense responses targeted against the pathogens can directly or indirectly influence the responses against the herbivores. Nadefensin is an effective induced defense gene against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (PST DC3000, which is also elicited by attack from M. sexta larvae, but whether this defense protein influences M. sexta's growth and whether M. sexta-induced Nadefensin directly or indirectly influences PST DC3000 resistance are unknown. Results M. sexta larvae consumed less on WT and on Nadefensin-silenced N. attenuata plants that had previously been infected with PST DC3000 than on uninfected plants. WT plants infected with PST DC3000 showed enhanced resistance to PST DC3000 and decreased leaf consumption by M. sexta larvae, but larval mass gain was unaffected. PST DC3000-infected Nadefensin-silenced plants were less resistant to subsequent PST DC3000 challenge, and on these plants, M. sexta larvae consumed less and gained less mass. WT and Nadefensin-silenced plants previously damaged by M. sexta larvae were better able to resist subsequent PST DC3000 challenges than were undamaged plants. Conclusion These results demonstrate that Na-defensin directly mediates defense against PST DC3000 and indirectly against M. sexta in N. attenuata. In plants that were previously infected with PST DC3000, the altered leaf chemistry in PST DC3000-resistant WT plants and PST DC3000-susceptible Nadefensin-silenced plants differentially reduced M. sexta's leaf consumption and mass gain. In plants that were previously damaged by M. sexta, the combined effect of the altered host plant chemistry and a broad spectrum of anti-herbivore induced metabolomic responses was more
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NOAA TIFF Graphic- 0.5m Backscatter Mosaic of St. Croix (Buck Island), US Virgin Islands, 2004
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a 1 meter resolution backscatter mosaic of the north shore of Buck Island, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team...
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Ling, Jun; Wang, Hui; Wu, Ping; Li, Tao; Tang, Yu; Naseer, Nawar; Zheng, Huiming; Masson-Boivin, Catherine; Zhong, Zengtao; Zhu, Jun
2016-11-29
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of genomic islands is a driving force of bacterial evolution. Many pathogens and symbionts use this mechanism to spread mobile genetic elements that carry genes important for interaction with their eukaryotic hosts. However, the role of the host in this process remains unclear. Here, we show that plant compounds inducing the nodulation process in the rhizobium-legume mutualistic symbiosis also enhance the transfer of symbiosis islands. We demonstrate that the symbiosis island of the Sesbania rostrata symbiont, Azorhizobium caulinodans, is an 87.6-kb integrative and conjugative element (ICE Ac ) that is able to excise, form a circular DNA, and conjugatively transfer to a specific site of gly-tRNA gene of other rhizobial genera, expanding their host range. The HGT frequency was significantly increased in the rhizosphere. An ICE Ac -located LysR-family transcriptional regulatory protein AhaR triggered the HGT process in response to plant flavonoids that induce the expression of nodulation genes through another LysR-type protein, NodD. Our study suggests that rhizobia may sense rhizosphere environments and transfer their symbiosis gene contents to other genera of rhizobia, thereby broadening rhizobial host-range specificity.
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Bathymetry 1m GRID of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, 2004, UTM 20 WGS84
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the south shore of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vastola, G.; Marzegalli, A.; Montalenti, F.; Miglio, Leo
2009-01-01
We report original finite element method simulations of the strain components at nanometric GeSi island on Si(0 0 1), for realistic shape, sizes and average composition, discussing the main mechanisms acting in the misfit strain relaxation. The tensile strain induced in a 30 nm Si capping layer and the one upon removing the island, after fixing the top part of the Si layer, is discussed in view of application as a field effect transistor channel, with high career mobility induced by the lattice deformation. The large shear components obtained for steeper island morphologies are predicted to be particularly performing, especially in comparison to one another strained-silicon configuration (totally top-down originated), recently developed by IBM corporation.
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Vo, An T T; Duijkeren, Engeline van; Fluit, Ad C; Wannet, Wim J B; Verbruggen, Anjo J; Maas, Henny M E; Gaastra, Wim
2006-01-01
The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns, integron characteristics and gene cassettes as well as the presence of Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) in non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) isolates from human and animal origin. Epidemiologically unrelated Dutch
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Streamlined islands and the English Channel megaflood hypothesis
Collier, J. S.; Oggioni, F.; Gupta, S.; García-Moreno, D.; Trentesaux, A.; De Batist, M.
2015-12-01
Recognising ice-age catastrophic megafloods is important because they had significant impact on large-scale drainage evolution and patterns of water and sediment movement to the oceans, and likely induced very rapid, short-term effects on climate. It has been previously proposed that a drainage system on the floor of the English Channel was initiated by catastrophic flooding in the Pleistocene but this suggestion has remained controversial. Here we examine this hypothesis through an analysis of key landform features. We use a new compilation of multi- and single-beam bathymetry together with sub-bottom profiler data to establish the internal structure, planform geometry and hence origin of a set of 36 mid-channel islands. Whilst there is evidence of modern-day surficial sediment processes, the majority of the islands can be clearly demonstrated to be formed of bedrock, and are hence erosional remnants rather than depositional features. The islands display classic lemniscate or tear-drop outlines, with elongated tips pointing downstream, typical of streamlined islands formed during high-magnitude water flow. The length-to-width ratio for the entire island population is 3.4 ± 1.3 and the degree-of-elongation or k-value is 3.7 ± 1.4. These values are comparable to streamlined islands in other proven Pleistocene catastrophic flood terrains and are distinctly different to values found in modern-day rivers. The island geometries show a correlation with bedrock type: with those carved from Upper Cretaceous chalk having larger length-to-width ratios (3.2 ± 1.3) than those carved into more mixed Paleogene terrigenous sandstones, siltstones and mudstones (3.0 ± 1.5). We attribute these differences to the former rock unit having a lower skin friction which allowed longer island growth to achieve minimum drag. The Paleogene islands, although less numerous than the Chalk islands, also assume more perfect lemniscate shapes. These lithologies therefore reached island
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Smadar Peleg-Grossman
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Legumes are unique in their ability to establish symbiotic interaction with rhizobacteria from Rhizobium genus, which provide them with available nitrogen. Nodulation factors (NFs produced by Rhizobium initiate legume root hair deformation and curling that entrap the bacteria, and allow it to grow inside the plant. In contrast, legumes and non-legumes activate defense responses when inoculated with pathogenic bacteria. One major defense pathway is mediated by salicylic acid (SA. SA is sensed and transduced to downstream defense components by a redox-regulated protein called NPR1. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used Arabidopsis mutants in SA defense pathway to test the role of NPR1 in symbiotic interactions. Inoculation of Sinorhizobium meliloti or purified NF on Medicago truncatula or nim1/npr1 A. thaliana mutants induced root hair deformation and transcription of early and late nodulins. Application of S. meliloti or NF on M. truncatula or A. thaliana roots also induced a strong oxidative burst that lasted much longer than in plants inoculated with pathogenic or mutualistic bacteria. Transient overexpression of NPR1 in M. truncatula suppressed root hair curling, while inhibition of NPR1 expression by RNAi accelerated curling. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We show that, while NPR1 has a positive effect on pathogen resistance, it has a negative effect on symbiotic interactions, by inhibiting root hair deformation and nodulin expression. Our results also show that basic plant responses to Rhizobium inoculation are conserved in legumes and non-legumes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ramos, Edneia AS; Klassen, Giseli; Camargo, Anamaria A; Braun, Karin; Slowik, Renata; Cavalli, Iglenir J; Ribeiro, Enilze MSF; Pedrosa, Fábio de O; Souza, Emanuel M de; Costa, Fabrício F
2010-01-01
CXCL12 is a chemokine that is constitutively expressed in many organs and tissues. CXCL12 promoter hypermethylation has been detected in primary breast tumours and contributes to their metastatic potential. It has been shown that the oestrogen receptor α (ESR1) gene can also be silenced by DNA methylation. In this study, we used methylation-specific PCR (MSP) to analyse the methylation status in two regions of the CXCL12 promoter and ESR1 in tumour cell lines and in primary breast tumour samples, and correlated our results with clinicopathological data. First, we analysed CXCL12 expression in breast tumour cell lines by RT-PCR. We also used 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) treatment and DNA bisulphite sequencing to study the promoter methylation for a specific region of CXCL12 in breast tumour cell lines. We evaluated CXCL12 and ESR1 methylation in primary tumour samples by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Finally, promoter hypermethylation of these genes was analysed using Fisher's exact test and correlated with clinicopathological data using the Chi square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis. CXCL12 promoter hypermethylation in the first region (island 2) and second region (island 4) was correlated with lack of expression of the gene in tumour cell lines. In the primary tumours, island 2 was hypermethylated in 14.5% of the samples and island 4 was hypermethylated in 54% of the samples. The ESR1 promoter was hypermethylated in 41% of breast tumour samples. In addition, the levels of ERα protein expression diminished with increased frequency of ESR1 methylation (p < 0.0001). This study also demonstrated that CXCL12 island 4 and ESR1 methylation occur simultaneously at a high frequency (p = 0.0220). This is the first study showing a simultaneous involvement of epigenetic regulation for both CXCL12 and ESR1 genes in Brazilian women. The methylation status of both genes was significantly correlated with histologically advanced
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Islands and non-islands in native and heritage Korean
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Boyoung eKim
2016-02-01
Full Text Available To a large extent, island phenomena are cross-linguistically invariable, but English and Korean present some striking differences in this domain. English has wh-movement and Korean does not, and while both languages show sensitivity to wh-islands, only English has island effects for adjunct clauses. Given this complex set of differences, one might expect Korean/English bilinguals, and especially heritage Korean speakers (i.e. early bilinguals whose L2 became their dominant language during childhood to be different from native speakers, since heritage speakers have had more limited exposure to Korean, may have had incomplete acquisition and/or attrition, and may show significant transfer effects from the L2. Here we examine islands in heritage speakers of Korean in the U.S. Through a series of four formal acceptability experiments comparing these heritage speakers with native speakers residing in Korea, we show that the two groups are remarkably similar. Both show clear evidence for wh-islands and an equally clear lack of adjunct island effects. Given the very different linguistic environment that the heritage speakers have had since early childhood, this result lends support to the idea that island phenomena are largely immune to environmental influences and stem from deeper properties of the processor and/or grammar. Similarly, it casts some doubt on recent proposals that islands are learned from the input.
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Class renormalization: islands around islands
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meiss, J.D.
1986-01-01
An orbit of 'class' is one that rotates about a periodic orbit of one lower class with definite frequency. This contrasts to the 'level' of a periodic orbit which is the number of elements in its continued fraction expansion. Level renormalization is conventionally used to study the structure of quasi-periodic orbits. The scaling structure of periodic orbits encircling other periodic orbits in area preserving maps is discussed here. Fixed points corresponding to the accumulation of p/q bifurcations are found and scaling exponents determined. Fixed points for q > 2 correspond to self-similar islands around islands. Frequencies of the island boundary circles at the fixed points are obtained. Importance of this scaling for the motion of particles in stochastic regions is emphasized. (author)
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Zhang, Xin; Zhai, Chunhua; Hua, Chenlei; Qiu, Min; Hao, Yujuan; Nie, Pingping; Ye, Wenwu; Wang, Yuanchao
2016-02-01
Zoospore chemotaxis to soybean isoflavones is essential in the early stages of infection by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae. Previously, we have identified a G-protein α subunit encoded by PsGPA1 which regulates the chemotaxis and pathogenicity of P. sojae. In the present study, we used affinity purification to identify PsGPA1-interacting proteins, including PsHint1, a histidine triad (HIT) domain-containing protein orthologous to human HIT nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1). PsHint1 interacted with both the guanosine triphosphate (GTP)- and guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound forms of PsGPA1. An analysis of the gene-silenced transformants revealed that PsHint1 was involved in the chemotropic response of zoospores to the isoflavone daidzein. During interaction with a susceptible soybean cultivar, PsHint1-silenced transformants displayed significantly reduced infectious hyphal extension and caused a strong cell death in plants. In addition, the transformants displayed defective cyst germination, forming abnormal germ tubes that were highly branched and exhibited apical swelling. These results suggest that PsHint1 not only regulates chemotaxis by interacting with PsGPA1, but also participates in a Gα-independent pathway involved in the pathogenicity of P. sojae. © 2015 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.
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Pathogenic characteristics of a novel triple-reasserted H1N2 swine influenza virus.
Liu, Huili; Tao, Jie; Zhang, Pengchao; Yin, Xiuchen; Ha, Zhuo; Zhang, Chunling
2016-07-01
A novel triple reasserted H1N2 virus A/swine/Shanghai/1/2007 (SH07) was isolated from nasal swabs of weaned pig showing clinical symptoms of coughing and sneezing. To explore the virus characteristics, mice, chickens and pigs were selected for pathogenicity study. Pigs inoculated intranasally with 10(6) TCID50 SH07 showed clinical symptoms with coughing and sneezing, but no death. The virus nuclear acid was detected in many tissues using real-time PCR, which was mainly distributed in respiratory system particularly in the lungs. The virus was low-pathogenic to chickens with 10(6) TCID50 dose inoculation either via intramuscular or intranasal routes. However virus nuclear acid detection and virus isolation confirmed that the virus can also be found in nasal and rectum. When virus was inoculated into mice by intramuscular or intranasal routes we observed 100% and 80% lethality respectively. The third generation of samples passaged on MDCK cell were SIV positive in indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using antiserum against H1N2 SIV. Furthermore, the lungs of mice showed obvious lesion with interstitial pneumonia. Data in our study suggest that SH07 is preferentially pathogenic to mammals rather than birds although it is a reasserting virus with the fragments from swine, human and avian origin. Copyright © 2016 International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Structure of period-2 step-1 accelerator island in area preserving maps
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hirose, K.; Ichikawa, Y.H.; Saito, S.
1996-03-01
Since the multi-periodic accelerator modes manifest their contribution even in the region of small stochastic parameters, analysis of such regular motion appears to be critical to explore the stochastic properties of the Hamiltonian system. Here, structure of period-2 step-1 accelerator mode is analyzed for the systems described by the Harper map and by the standard map. The stability criterions have been analyzed in detail in comparison with numerical analyses. The period-3 squeezing around the period-2 step-1 islands is identified in the standard map. (author)
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Bamboo Diversity in Sumba Island
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
KARSONO
2005-04-01
Full Text Available Bamboo is one of the economic plant which grow widely in the villages and have been used by the local people in the villages. Indonesia has about 10% of the world bamboo, 50% among them was endemic to Indonesia. According Widjaja (2001 Lesser Sunda Island which consists of Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor, Sumba and other small island eastern of Flores has 14 bamboo species, however, the information from the Sumba Island was lacking because of lacking data from this area except one species which was proposed by S. Soenarko in 1977 where the type specimens was collected by Iboet 443 in 1925. To fullfill data from the Sumba Island, an exploration to this area has been conducted on July 2003. The observation was done in West Sumba and East Sumba District, especially in two natioal parks at both districts. According to this inventory study in the Sumba Island, there were 10 bamboo species in Sumba Island, 1 species among them (Dinochloa sp. was a new species which has not been collected before, whereas the other species (Dinochloa kostermansiana has a new addition record from this area. The bamboo species in Sumba Island were Bambusa blumeana, Bambusa vulgaris, Dendocalamus asper, Dinochloa kostermansiana, Dinochloa sp., Gigantochloa atter, Nastus reholtumianus, Phyllostachys aurea, Schisotachyum brachycladum and Schizostachyum lima. From 10 recorded species, the genera Dinochloa and Nastus grow wild in the forest, whereas another species grow widly or cultivated in the garden. Furthermore, the genus Dinochloa was the only genus grow climbing. The endemic species found in Sumba Island was Nastus reholttumianus, whereas Dinochloa kostermansiana was also found in Flores Island.
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The heavy metals content in wild growing mushrooms from burdened Spiš area
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marek Slávik
2016-05-01
Full Text Available In this work, we evaluated the rate of entry of heavy metals into the edible parts of wild mushrooms, from central Spiš area. The area is characterized by extremely high content of heavy metals particularly mercury in abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems. The toxicity of heavy metals is well known and described. Known is also the ability of fungi to accumulate contaminants from substrates in which mushrooms grow. We have collected commonly consumed species of mushrooms (Russula vesca., Macrolepiota procera, Lycoperdon pyriforme, Lecinum piceinum, Boletus reticulatus. Sampling was conducted for two years 2012 and 2013. The samples taken mushrooms and substrates on which to grow, we determined heavy metal content (Cd, Pb, Cu, including total mercury content modified by atomic absorption spectrometry (AMA - 254. In the substrate, we determined the humus content and pH value. The heavy metal content in soils were evaluated according to Law no. 220/2004 Z.z The exceedance limit values of Cd, Pb, Cu and Hg was recorded. Most significantly the respective limit was recorded in soil samples in the case of mercury. The determined concentration Hg was 39.01 mg.kg-1. From the results, we evaluated the degree of ability to bioaccumulate heavy metals different kinds of fungi. We also evaluated the health safety of the consumption of these fungi on the comparison with the limit values provided in the food code of SR. We recorded a high rate of accumulation of mercury in the species Boletus reticulatus and Macrolepiota procera. For these types we recorded the most significant than allowed concentrations of mercury in mushrooms. The highest recorded concentration reached 17.64 mg.kg-1 Hg in fresh matter. The limit value was exceeded also in the case of copper. We do not recommend to increased consumption of wild mushrooms in the reference area.
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Feng, C; Wang, S G; Yang, M Y; Zhang, E; Zhan, Q; Jiang, Y; Li, B H; Yu, G H
2012-02-01
Based on interfacial manipulation of the MgO single crystal substrate and non-magnetic AIN compound, a L1(0)-FePt perpendicular ultrathin film with the structure of MgO/FePt-AIN/Ta was designed, prepared, and investigated. The film is comprised of L1(0)-FePt "magnetic islands," which exhibits a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), tunable coercivity (Hc), and interparticle exchange coupling (IEC). The MgO substrate promotes PMA of the film because of interfacial control of the FePt lattice orientation. The AIN compound is doped to increase the difference of surface energy between FePt layer and MgO substrate and to suppress the growth of FePt grains, which takes control of island growth mode of FePt atoms. The AIN compound also acts as isolator of L1(0)-FePt islands to pin the sites of FePt domains, resulting in the tunability of Hc and IEC of the films.
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UGGT1 enhances enterovirus 71 pathogenicity by promoting viral RNA synthesis and viral replication.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peng-Nien Huang
2017-05-01
Full Text Available Positive-strand RNA virus infections can induce the stress-related unfolded protein response (UPR in host cells. This study found that enterovirus A71 (EVA71 utilizes host UDP-glucose glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (UGGT1, a key endoplasmic reticulum protein (ER involved in UPR, to enhance viral replication and virulence. EVA71 forms replication complexes (RCs on cellular membranes that contain a mix of host and viral proteins to facilitate viral replication, but the components and processes involved in the assembly and function of RCs are not fully understood. Using EVA71 as a model, this study found that host UGGT1 and viral 3D polymerase co-precipitate along with other factors on membranous replication complexes to enhance viral replication. Increased UGGT1 levels elevated viral growth rates, while viral pathogenicity was observed to be lower in heterozygous knockout mice (Uggt1 +/- mice. These findings provide important insight on the role of UPR and host UGGT1 in regulating RNA virus replication and pathogenicity.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Geotiff with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the south shore of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Due to the large file...
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Sota, Teiji; Nagata, Nobuaki
2008-10-27
The Japanese Islands have been largely isolated from the East Asian mainland since the Early Pleistocene, allowing the diversification of endemic lineages. Here, we explore speciation rates and historical biogeography of the ground beetles of the subgenus Ohomopterus (genus Carabus) based on nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences. Ohomopterus diverged into 15 species during the Pleistocene. The speciation rate was 1.92 Ma(-1) and was particularly fast (2.37 Ma(-1)) in a group with highly divergent genitalia. Speciation occurred almost solely within Honshu, the largest island with complex geography. Species diversity is highest in central Honshu, where closely related species occur parapatrically and different-sized species co-occur. Range expansion of some species in the past has resulted in such species assemblages. Introgressive hybridization, at least for mitochondrial DNA, has occurred repeatedly between species in contact, but has not greatly disturbed species distinctness. Small-island populations of some species were separated from main-island populations only after the last glacial (or the last interglacial) period, indicating that island isolation had little role in speciation. Thus, the speciation and formation of the Ohomopterus assemblage occurred despite frequent opportunities for secondary contact and hybridization and the lack of persistent isolation. This radiation was achieved without substantial ecological differentiation, but with marked differentiation in mechanical agents of reproductive isolation (body size and genital morphology).
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Lu, Xin; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Wang, Zhu; Huang, Kailong; Wang, Yuan; Liang, Weigang; Tan, Yunfei; Liu, Bo; Tang, Junying
2015-01-01
This study used 454 pyrosequencing, Illumina high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis to investigate bacterial pathogens and their potential virulence in a sewage treatment plant (STP) applying both conventional and advanced treatment processes. Pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing consistently demonstrated that Arcobacter genus occupied over 43.42% of total abundance of potential pathogens in the STP. At species level, potential pathogens Arcobacter butzleri, Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumonia dominated in raw sewage, which was also confirmed by quantitative real time PCR. Illumina sequencing also revealed prevalence of various types of pathogenicity islands and virulence proteins in the STP. Most of the potential pathogens and virulence factors were eliminated in the STP, and the removal efficiency mainly depended on oxidation ditch. Compared with sand filtration, magnetic resin seemed to have higher removals in most of the potential pathogens and virulence factors. However, presence of the residual A. butzleri in the final effluent still deserves more concerns. The findings indicate that sewage acts as an important source of environmental pathogens, but STPs can effectively control their spread in the environment. Joint use of the high-throughput sequencing technologies is considered a reliable method for deep and comprehensive overview of environmental bacterial virulence. PMID:25938416
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tomoko Fujiyuki
Full Text Available Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV continues to threaten human health. Non-human primate infection models of human influenza are desired. To establish an animal infection model with more natural transmission and to determine the pathogenicity of HPAIV isolated from a wild water bird in primates, we administered a Japanese isolate of HPAIV (A/whooper swan/Hokkaido/1/2008, H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1 to rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, in droplet form, via the intratracheal route. Infection of the lower and upper respiratory tracts and viral shedding were observed in both macaques. Inoculation of rhesus monkeys with higher doses of the isolate resulted in stronger clinical symptoms of influenza. Our results demonstrate that HPAIV isolated from a water bird in Japan is pathogenic in monkeys by experimental inoculation, and provide a new method for HPAIV infection of non-human primate hosts, a good animal model for investigation of HPAIV pathogenicity.
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Isolation of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica 1B/O:8 from Apodemus mice in Japan.
Oda, Shinya; Kabeya, Hidenori; Sato, Shingo; Shimonagane, Ai; Inoue, Kai; Hayashidani, Hideki; Takada, Nobuhiro; Fujita, Hiromi; Kawabata, Hiroki; Maruyama, Soichi
2015-01-01
Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated from 15.7% (88/560) of wild rodents captured in 15 prefectures in Japan. Prevalences by rodent species were 18.0% (70/388) in Japanese field mice (Apodemus speciosus), 20% (14/71) in small Japanese field mice (Apodemus argenteus), and 11% (4/38) in gray red-backed vole (Myodes rufocanus bedfordiae), suggesting that these rodent species are important reservoirs of Y. enterocolitica. Although most of the isolates were identified as biotype 1A, the pathogenic bioserotype 1B/O:8 was detected in one of the A. speciosus and in three of the A. argenteus captured in Aomori Prefecture. It is suggested that Apodemus mice may be an important reservoir of Y. enterocolitica, and that there are foci of the pathogenic bioserotype 1B/O:8 in Aomori Prefecture, because human sporadic cases by the serotype have been reported in this prefecture.
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[Pandemic influenza A (H1N1 virus) on Futuna Island in the Pacific, from August to September 2009].
Chenaitia, Hichem; Massa, Horace; Garry, Philippe; Puget, André; Yvon, Jean-Francois; Dutaut, Elisabeth; Bessereau, Jacques; Michelet, Pierre; Auffray, Jean-Pierre; Delmont, Jean
2011-03-01
The aim of this study is to report the observation of the pandemic of influenza A (H1N1 virus) from August to September 2009 on the island of Futuna, in a context of isolated island that may mimic an environment closed. We conducted a prospective observational study of influenza-like illness, from the first confirmed case of influenza A on the island until the end of the epidemic wave. From August 15 to September 20, 2009, 1536 cases of influenza syndrome were identified. The estimate of the overall clinical attack rate was 36 %. The evolution of the epidemic shows an explosion of new cases of influenza A and subsequently a rapid decline of the epidemic. The spread of the infection was made by contiguity, jumping from one city to another. The cumulative number of cases by age group shows that the majority of cases were children and young adults under the age of 20 years. The most frequent symptoms were cough, rhinorrhea, headache, myalgia or asthenia, and fever. This study, despite these limitations, shows an explosive epidemic of influenza A, which can be explained by the circulation of virus that has been fostered by gatherings of public and closed environment. Age group classification shows that majority of cases were young, in contrast to seasonal influenza, but the symptoms were alike. This study highlights the difficulties to manage an epidemic surveillance system at high level and given the quick spread of the disease. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.
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Franklin, Samuel P; Kays, Roland W; Moreno, Ricardo; TerWee, Julie A; Troyer, Jennifer L; VandeWoude, Sue
2008-07-01
Transmission of pathogens from domestic animals to wildlife populations (spill-over) has precipitated local wildlife extinctions in multiple geographic locations. Identifying such events before they cause population declines requires differentiating spillover from endemic disease, a challenge complicated by a lack of baseline data from wildlife populations that are isolated from domestic animals. We tested sera collected from 12 ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) native to Barro Colorado Island, Panama, which is free of domestic animals, for antibodies to feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus, feline corona virus, feline panleukopenia virus, canine distemper virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), typically a species-specific infection. Samples also were tested for feline leukemia virus antigens. Positive tests results were only observed for FIV; 50% of the ocelots were positive. We hypothesize that isolation of this population has prevented introduction of pathogens typically attributed to contact with domestic animals. The high density of ocelots on Barro Colorado Island may contribute to a high prevalence of FIV infection, as would be expected with increased contact rates among conspecifics in a geographically restricted population.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shi Qun Zhang
2016-05-01
Full Text Available The cell wall is a dynamic structure that is important for the pathogenicity of Candida albicans. Mannan, which is located in the outermost layer of the cell wall, has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of C. albicans, however, the molecular mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear. Here we identified a novel α-1,6-mannosyltransferase encoded by MNN10 in C. albicans. We found that Mnn10 is required for cell wall α-1,6-mannose backbone biosynthesis and polysaccharides organization. Deletion of MNN10 resulted in significant attenuation of the pathogenesis of C. albicans in a murine systemic candidiasis model. Inhibition of α-1,6-mannose backbone extension did not, however, impact the invasive ability of C. albicans in vitro. Notably, mnn10 mutant restored the invasive capacity in athymic nude mice, which further supports the notion of an enhanced host antifungal defense related to this backbone change. Mnn10 mutant induced enhanced Th1 and Th17 cell mediated antifungal immunity, and resulted in enhanced recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes for pathogen clearance in vivo. We also demonstrated that MNN10 could unmask the surface β-(1,3-glucan, a crucial pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP of C. albicans recognized by host Dectin-1. Our results demonstrate that mnn10 mutant could stimulate an enhanced Dectin-1 dependent immune response of macrophages in vitro, including the activation of nuclear factor-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, and secretion of specific cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-12p40. In summary, our study indicated that α-1,6-mannose backbone is critical for the pathogenesis of C. albicans via shielding β-glucan from recognition by host Dectin-1 mediated immune recognition. Moreover, our work suggests that inhibition of α-1,6-mannose extension by Mnn10 may represent a novel modality to reduce the pathogenicity of C. albicans.
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Janicka, Anna; Spaczyńiski, Robert Z; Kurzawa, Rafał
2015-12-01
The aim of this report is to present data concerning results and complications related to infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technology (ART) and insemination (IUI) in Poland in 2012. The report was prepared by the Fertility and Sterility Special Interest Group of the Polish Gynaecological Society (SPiN PTG), based on individual data provided by fertility clinics. Reporting was voluntary data were not subject to external verification. The report presents the availability and the structure of infertility treatment services, the number of procedures performed, their effectiveness and the most common complications. In 2014, 34 Polish fertility clinics provided information to the report, presenting data from 2012. The total number of reported treatment cycles using ART was 17,116 (incl. 10,714 fresh IVF/ICSI) and 14,727 IUI. The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was on average 33.7% for fresh IVF/ICSI and 13.3% for IUI. The prevalence of multiple births was 15.7% and 6.2%, in case of IVF/ICSI and IUI methods respectively The most frequent complication in the course of treatment using ART was ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)--severe OHSS constituted 0.68% of all stimulated cycles. The SPiN PTG report shows the average effectiveness and safety of ART and was the only proof of responsibility and due diligence of fertility centres in Poland. However, due to the lack of a central register of fertility clinics, facultative participation in the report as well as incomplete information on pregnancy and delivery rate, the collected data do not reflect the full spectrum of Polish reproductive medicine.
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2010-11-10
... Avian Influenza Subtype H5N1 Status of Czech Republic and Sweden AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health... the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 status of the Czech Republic and Sweden... status of the Czech Republic and Sweden relative to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1...
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Geier, S.; Heber, U.; Kupfer, T.; Napiwotzki, R.
2010-01-01
Aims. The ESO SN Ia Progenitor Survey (SPY) aims at finding merging double degenerate binaries as candidates for supernova type Ia (SN Ia) explosions. A white dwarf merger has also been suggested to explain the formation of rare types of stars like R CrB, extreme helium or He sdO stars. Here we present the hot subdwarf B binary GD 687, which will merge in less than a Hubble time. Methods. The orbital parameters of the close binary have been determined from time resolved spectroscopy. Since GD...
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Seed islands driven by turbulence and NTM dynamics
Muraglia, M.; Agullo, O.; Poye, A.; Benkadda, S.; Horton, W.; Dubuit, N.; Garbet, X.; Sen, A.
2014-10-01
Magnetic reconnection is an issue for tokamak plasmas. Growing magnetic islands expel energetic particles from the plasma core leading to high energy fluxes in the SOL and may cause damage to the plasma facing components. The islands grow from seeds from the bootstrap current effects that oppose the negative delta-prime producing nonlinear island growth. Experimentally, the onset of NTM is quantified in terms of the beta parameter and the sawtooth period. Indeed, in experiments, (3;2) NTM magnetic islands are often triggered by sawtooth precursors. However (2;1) magnetic islands can appear without noticeable MHD event and the seed islands origin for the NTM growth is still an open question. Macroscale MHD instabilities (magnetic islands) coexist with micro-scale turbulent fluctuations and zonal flows which impact island dynamics. Nonlinear simulations show that the nonlinear beating of the fastest growing small-scale ballooning interchange modes on a low order rational surface drive a magnetic islands located on the same surface. The island size is found to be controlled by the turbulence level and modifies the NTM threshold and dynamics.
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Reversible island nucleation and growth with anomalous diffusion
Sabbar, Ehsan H.; Amar, Jacques G.
2017-10-01
Motivated by recent experiments on submonolayer organic film growth with anomalous diffusion, a general rate-equation (RE) theory of submonolayer island nucleation and growth was developed (Amar and Semaan, 2016) [23], which takes into account the critical island-size i, island fractal dimension df, substrate dimension d, and diffusion exponent μ, and good agreement with simulations was found for the case of irreversible growth corresponding to a critical island-size i = 1 with d = 2 . However, since many experiments correspond to a critical island-size larger than 1, it is of interest to determine if the RE predictions also hold in the case of reversible island nucleation with anomalous diffusion. Here we present the results of simulations of submonolayer growth with i = 2 (d = 2) which were carried out for both the case of superdiffusion (μ > 1) and subdiffusion (μ deposited monomers, excellent agreement is obtained with the predictions of the generalized RE theory for the exponents χ(μ) and χ1(μ) which describe the dependence of the island and monomer densities at fixed coverage on deposition rate F. In addition, the exponents do not depend on whether or not monomers remain superdiffusive or are thermalized (e.g. undergo regular diffusion) after detaching from a dimer. However, we also find that, as was previously found in the case of irreversible growth, the exponent χ only approaches its asymptotic value logarithmically with increasing 1/F. This result has important implications for the interpretation of experiments. Good agreement with the RE theory is also found in the case of subdiffusion for point-islands. However, in the case of ramified islands with subdiffusion and i = 2 , the exponents are significantly higher than predicted due to the fact that monomer capture dominates in the nucleation regime. A modified RE theory which takes this into account is presented, and excellent agreement is found with our simulations.
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Thomas C. Harrington; Hye Young Yun; Sheng-Shan Lu; Hideaki Goto; Dilzara N. Aghayeva; Stephen W. Fraedrich
2011-01-01
The laurel wilt pathogen Raffaelea lauricola was hypothesized to have been introduced to the southeastern USA in the mycangium of the redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, which is native to Asia. To test this hypothesis adult X. glabratus were trapped in Taiwan and on Kyushu Island, Japan, in 2009, and dead beetles were sent to USA for isolation of fungal...
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Assessing qualitative long-term volcanic hazards at Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands)
Becerril, Laura; Martí, Joan; Bartolini, Stefania; Geyer, Adelina
2017-07-01
Conducting long-term hazard assessment in active volcanic areas is of primary importance for land-use planning and defining emergency plans able to be applied in case of a crisis. A definition of scenario hazard maps helps to mitigate the consequences of future eruptions by anticipating the events that may occur. Lanzarote is an active volcanic island that has hosted the largest (> 1.5 km3 DRE) and longest (6 years) eruption, the Timanfaya eruption (1730-1736), on the Canary Islands in historical times (last 600 years). This eruption brought severe economic losses and forced local people to migrate. In spite of all these facts, no comprehensive hazard assessment or hazard maps have been developed for the island. In this work, we present an integrated long-term volcanic hazard evaluation using a systematic methodology that includes spatial analysis and simulations of the most probable eruptive scenarios.
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36 CFR 7.75 - Padre Island National Seashore.
2010-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Padre Island National... INTERIOR SPECIAL REGULATIONS, AREAS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 7.75 Padre Island National Seashore. (a... surface of the land or waters within the Padre Island National Seashore—for all purposes reasonably...
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Seitz Patrick; Blokesch Melanie
2013-01-01
Bacterial genomics is flourishing, as whole-genome sequencing has become affordable, readily available, and rapid. As a result, it has become clear how frequently horizontal gene transfer (HGT) occurs in bacteria. The potential implications are highly significant because HGT contributes to several processes, including the spread of antibiotic-resistance cassettes, the distribution of toxin-encoding phages, and the transfer of pathogenicity islands. Three modes of HGT are recognized in bacteri...
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Paparrizos, Spyridon; Maris, Fotios; Weiler, Markus; Matzarakis, Andreas
2018-01-01
Estimation of drought in a certain temporal and spatial scale is crucial in climate change studies. The current study targets on three agricultural areas widespread in Greece, Ardas River Basin in Northeastern Greece, Sperchios River Basin in Central Greece, and Geropotamos River Basin in Crete Island in South Greece that are characterized by diverse climates as they are located in various regions. The objective is to assess the spatiotemporal variation of drought conditions prevailing in these areas. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was used to identify and assess the present and future drought conditions. Future simulated data were derived from a number of Regional Climatic Models (RCMs) from the ENSEMBLES European Project. The analysis was performed for the future periods of 2021-2050 and 2071-2100, implementing A1B and B1 scenarios. The spatial analysis of the drought conditions was performed using a combined downscaling technique and the Ordinary Kriging. The Mann-Kendall test was implemented for trend investigation. During both periods and scenarios, drought conditions will tend to be more severe in the upcoming years. The decrease of the SPI values in the Sperchios River Basin is expected to be the strongest, as it is the only study area that will show a negative balance (in SPI values), regarding the drought conditions. For the Ardas and the Geropotamos River Basins, a great increase of the drought conditions will occur during the 2021-2050 period, while for 2071-2100 period, the decrease will continue but it will be tempered. Nevertheless, the situation in all study areas according to the SPI classification is characterized as "Near-normal", in terms of drought conditions.
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Infant Mortality and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders
... Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander > Infant Health & Mortality Infant Mortality and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders While the overall ... data for this ethnic group is limited. Infant Mortality Rate Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Isis C. Sroka
2007-05-01
Full Text Available We and other investigators have previously shown that membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP is overexpressed in invasive prostate cancer cells. However, the mechanism for this expression is not known. Here, we show that MT1-MMP is minimally expressed in nonmalignant primary prostate cells, moderately expressed in DU-145 cells, and highly expressed in invasive PC-3 and PC-3N cells. Using human MT1-MMP promoter reporter plasmids and mobility shift assays, we show that Spi regulates MT1-MMP expression in DU-145, PC-3, and PC-3N cells and in PC3-N cells using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and silencing RNA. Investigation of signaling pathway showed that DU-145 cells express constitutively phosphorylated extracellular stress-regulated kinase (ERK, whereas PC-3 and PC-3N cells express constitutively phosphorylated AKT/PKB and c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK. We show that MT1-MMP and Spi levels are decreased in PC-3 and PC-3N cells when phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and JNK are inhibited, and that MT1-MMP levels are decreased in DU-145 cells when MEK is inhibited. Transient transfection of PC-3 and PC-3N cells with a dominant-negative JNK or p85, and of DU-145 cells with a dominant negative ERK, reduces MT1-MMP promoter activity. These results indicate differential signaling control of Spi-mediated transcriptional regulation of MT1-MMP in prostate cancer cell lines.
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Zachow, C.; Jahanshah, G.; Bruijn, de I.; Song, C.; Ianni, F.; Pataj, Z.; Gerhardt, H.; Pianet, I.; Lämmerhofer, M.; Berg, G.; Gross, H.; Raaijmakers, J.M.
2015-01-01
Endophytic Pseudomonas poae strain RE*1-1-14 was originally isolated from internal root tissue of sugar beet plants and shown to suppress growth of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani both in vitro and in the field. To identify genes involved in its biocontrol activity, RE*1-1-14 random
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Zachow, Christin; Jahanshah, Ghazaleh; de Bruijn, Irene; Song, Chunxu; Ianni, Federica; Pataj, Zoltán; Gerhardt, Heike; Pianet, Isabelle; Lämmerhofer, Michael; Berg, Gabriele; Gross, Harald; Raaijmakers, Jos M.
2015-01-01
Endophytic Pseudomonas poae strain RE*1-1-14 was originally isolated from internal root tissue of sugar beet plants and shown to suppress growth of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani both in vitro and in the field. To identify genes involved in its biocontrol activity, RE*1-1-14 random
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Dunn, Michael J; Jackson, Jennifer A; Adlard, Stacey; Lynnes, Amanda S; Briggs, Dirk R; Fox, Derren; Waluda, Claire M
2016-01-01
We report long-term changes in population size of three species of sympatrically breeding pygoscelid penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii) over a 38 year period at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, based on annual counts from selected colonies and decadal all-island systematic counts of occupied nests. Comparing total numbers of breeding pairs over the whole island from 1978/79 to 2015/16 revealed varying fortunes: gentoo penguin pairs increased by 255%, (3.5% per annum), chinstrap penguins declined by 68% (-3.6% per annum) and Adélie penguins declined by 42% (-1.5% per annum). The chinstrap population has declined steadily over the last four decades. In contrast, Adélie and gentoo penguins have experienced phases of population increase and decline. Annual surveys of selected chinstrap and Adélie colonies produced similar trends from those revealed by island-wide surveys, allowing total island population trends to be inferred relatively well. However, while the annual colony counts of chinstrap and Adélie penguins showed a trend consistent in direction with the results from all-island surveys, the magnitude of estimated population change was markedly different between colony wide and all island counts. Annual population patterns suggest that pair numbers in the study areas partly reflect immigration and emigration of nesting birds between different parts of the island. Breeding success for all three species remained broadly stable over time in the annually monitored colonies. Breeding success rates in gentoo and chinstrap penguins were strongly correlated, despite the differing trends in population size. This study shows the importance of effective, standardised monitoring to accurately determine long-term population trajectories. Our results indicate significant declines in the Adélie and chinstrap penguin populations at Signy Island over the last five decades, and a gradual
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Paradise Islands? Island States and Environmental Performance
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sverker C. Jagers
2016-03-01
Full Text Available Island states have been shown to outperform continental states on a number of large-scale coordination-related outcomes, such as levels of democracy and institutional quality. The argument developed and tested in this article contends that the same kind of logic may apply to islands’ environmental performance, too. However, the empirical analysis shows mixed results. Among the 105 environmental outcomes that we analyzed, being an island only has a positive impact on 20 of them. For example, island states tend to outcompete continental states with respect to several indicators related to water quality but not in aspects related to biodiversity, protected areas, or environmental regulations. In addition, the causal factors previously suggested to make islands outperform continental states in terms of coordination have weak explanatory power in predicting islands’ environmental performance. We conclude the paper by discussing how these interesting findings can be further explored.
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The digital ASIC for the digital front end electronics of the SPI astrophysics gamma-ray experiment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lafond, E.; Mur, M.; Schanne, S.
1998-01-01
The SPI spectrometer is one of the gamma-ray astronomy instruments that will be installed on the ESA INTEGRAL satellite, intended to be launched in 2001 by the European Space Agency. The Digital Front-End Electronics sub-system (DFEE) is in charge of the real time data processing of the various measurements produced by the Germanium (Ge) detectors and the Bismuth Germanate (BGO) anti-coincidence shield. The central processing unit of the DFEE is implemented in a digital ASIC circuit, which provides the real time association of the various time signals, acquires the associated energy measurements, and classifies the various types of physics events. The paper gives the system constraints of the DFEE, the architecture of the ASIC circuit, the technology requirements, and the strategy for test and integration. Emphasis is given to the high level language development and simulation, the automatic circuit synthesis approach, and the performance estimation
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Lagadec, Erwan; Gomard, Yann; Le Minter, Gildas; Cordonin, Colette; Cardinale, Eric; Ramasindrazana, Beza; Dietrich, Muriel; Goodman, Steven M; Tortosa, Pablo; Dellagi, Koussay
2016-08-01
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis of major concern on tropical islands. Human populations on western Indian Ocean islands are strongly affected by the disease although each archipelago shows contrasting epidemiology. For instance, Mayotte, part of the Comoros Archipelago, differs from the other neighbouring islands by a high diversity of Leptospira species infecting humans that includes Leptospira mayottensis, a species thought to be unique to this island. Using bacterial culture, molecular detection and typing, the present study explored the wild and domestic local mammalian fauna for renal carriage of leptospires and addressed the genetic relationships of the infecting strains with local isolates obtained from acute human cases and with Leptospira strains hosted by mammal species endemic to nearby Madagascar. Tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus, Family Tenrecidae), a terrestrial mammal introduced from Madagascar, is identified as a reservoir of L. mayottensis. All isolated L. mayottensis sequence types form a monophyletic clade that includes Leptospira strains infecting humans and tenrecs on Mayotte, as well as two other Malagasy endemic tenrecid species of the genus Microgale. The lower diversity of L. mayottensis in tenrecs from Mayotte, compared to that occurring in Madagascar, suggests that L. mayottensis has indeed a Malagasy origin. This study also showed that introduced rats (Rattus rattus) and dogs are probably the main reservoirs of Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira kirschneri, both bacteria being prevalent in local clinical cases. Data emphasize the epidemiological link between the two neighbouring islands and the role of introduced small mammals in shaping the local epidemiology of leptospirosis.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Erwan Lagadec
2016-08-01
Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis of major concern on tropical islands. Human populations on western Indian Ocean islands are strongly affected by the disease although each archipelago shows contrasting epidemiology. For instance, Mayotte, part of the Comoros Archipelago, differs from the other neighbouring islands by a high diversity of Leptospira species infecting humans that includes Leptospira mayottensis, a species thought to be unique to this island. Using bacterial culture, molecular detection and typing, the present study explored the wild and domestic local mammalian fauna for renal carriage of leptospires and addressed the genetic relationships of the infecting strains with local isolates obtained from acute human cases and with Leptospira strains hosted by mammal species endemic to nearby Madagascar. Tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus, Family Tenrecidae, a terrestrial mammal introduced from Madagascar, is identified as a reservoir of L. mayottensis. All isolated L. mayottensis sequence types form a monophyletic clade that includes Leptospira strains infecting humans and tenrecs on Mayotte, as well as two other Malagasy endemic tenrecid species of the genus Microgale. The lower diversity of L. mayottensis in tenrecs from Mayotte, compared to that occurring in Madagascar, suggests that L. mayottensis has indeed a Malagasy origin. This study also showed that introduced rats (Rattus rattus and dogs are probably the main reservoirs of Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira kirschneri, both bacteria being prevalent in local clinical cases. Data emphasize the epidemiological link between the two neighbouring islands and the role of introduced small mammals in shaping the local epidemiology of leptospirosis.
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Bathymetry of Mid Shelf Reef, US Virgin Islands 2005, 1M Grid, UTM 20 NAD83
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains an ESRI Grid with 1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of the Mid Shelf Reef south of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. NOAA's...
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Załuga, Joanna; Stragier, Pieter; Baeyen, Steve; Haegeman, Annelies; Van Vaerenbergh, Johan; Maes, Martine; De Vos, Paul
2014-05-22
The genus Clavibacter harbors economically important plant pathogens infecting agricultural crops such as potato and tomato. Although the vast majority of Clavibacter strains are pathogenic, there is an increasing number of non-pathogenic isolates reported. Non-pathogenic Clavibacter strains isolated from tomato seeds are particularly problematic because they affect the current detection and identification tests for Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), which is regulated with a zero tolerance in tomato seed. Their misidentification as pathogenic Cmm hampers a clear judgment on the seed quality and health. To get more insight in the genetic features linked to the lifestyle of these bacteria, a whole-genome sequence of the tomato seed-borne non-pathogenic Clavibacter LMG 26808 was determined. To gain a better understanding of the molecular determinants of pathogenicity, the genome sequence of LMG 26808 was compared with that of the pathogenic Cmm strain (NCPPB 382). The comparative analysis revealed that LMG 26808 does not contain plasmids pCM1 and pCM2 and also lacks the majority of important virulence factors described so far for pathogenic Cmm. This explains its apparent non-pathogenic nature in tomato plants. Moreover, the genome analysis of LMG 26808 detected sequences from a plasmid originating from a member of Enterobacteriaceae/Klebsiella relative. Genes received that way and coding for antibiotic resistance may provide a competitive advantage for survival of LMG 26808 in its ecological niche. Genetically, LMG 26808 was the most similar to the pathogenic Cmm NCPPB 382 but contained more mobile genetic elements. The genome of this non-pathogenic Clavibacter strain contained also a high number of transporters and regulatory genes. The genome sequence of the non-pathogenic Clavibacter strain LMG 26808 and the comparative analyses with other pathogenic Clavibacter strains provided a better understanding of the genetic bases of virulence and
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mario Fernández-Mazuecos
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Population genetic theory holds that oceanic island populations are expected to have lower levels of genetic variation than their mainland counterparts, due to founder effect after island colonization from the continent. Cistus monspeliensis (Cistaceae is distributed in both the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean region. Numerous phylogenetic results obtained in the last years allow performing further phylogeographic analyses in Cistus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed sequences from multiple plastid DNA regions in 47 populations of Cistus monspeliensis from the Canary Islands (21 populations and the Mediterranean basin (26 populations. The time-calibrated phylogeny and phylogeographic analyses yielded the following results: (1 a single, ancestral haplotype is distributed across the Mediterranean, whereas 10 haplotypes in the Canary Islands; (2 four haplotype lineages are present in the Canarian Islands; (3 multiple colonization events across the archipelago are inferred; (4 the earliest split of intraspecific lineages occurred in the Early to Middle Pleistocene (<930,000 years BP. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The contrasting pattern of cpDNA variation is best explained by genetic bottlenecks in the Mediterranean during Quaternary glaciations, while the Canarian archipelago acted as a refugium of high levels of genetic diversity. Active colonization across the Canarian islands is supported not only by the distribution of C. monspeliensis in five of the seven islands, but also by our phylogeographic reconstruction in which unrelated haplotypes are present on the same island. Widespread distribution of thermophilous habitats on every island, as those found throughout the Mediterranean, has likely been responsible for the successful colonization of C. monspeliensis, despite the absence of a long-distance dispersal mechanism. This is the first example of a plant species with higher genetic variation among oceanic island
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Imam Muchlissin, Sakti; Sabdono, Agus; Permata W, Diah
2018-02-01
Coral disease is main factor of degrading coral reefs, such as White Plaque (WP) disease that cause loss of epidermal tissue of corals. The purposes of this research were to identify the bacteria associated with White Plaque Disease of coral Dipsastraea and to investigate coral bacteria that have antipathogenic potency against White Plaque Disease by Coral Dipsastraea. Sampling was carried out by purposive method in Tengah Island, Karimunjawa on March 2015. Streak method was used to isolate and purify coral bacteria, while overlay and agar diffusion method were used to test antibacterial activity. Identification of selected bacteria was conducted by biochemical and molecular methods. Polyphasic identification of bacteria associated with diseased coral White Plague of Dipsastraea. It is found that TFWP1, TFWP2, TFWP3 and TFWP4 were closely related to Bacillus antracis, Virgibacillus olivae, Virgibacillus salarius and Bacillus mojavensis, respectively. While antipathogen activity bacterial isolates, NM1.3, NM1.8 and NM2.3 were closely related to Pseudoalteromonas flavipulchra, Pseudoalteromonas piscicida, and Vibrio azureus, respectively. Phylogenetic data on microbial community composition in coral will help with the knowledge in the biological control of coral diseases.
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Rock glaciers on South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Version 1
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In the South Shetland Islands the investigators found eight active rock glaciers, no relict or fossil examples, and seven protalus ramparts. The rock glaciers are...
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Economic and physical determinants of the global distributions of crop pests and pathogens.
Bebber, Daniel P; Holmes, Timothy; Smith, David; Gurr, Sarah J
2014-05-01
Crop pests and pathogens pose a significant and growing threat to food security, but their geographical distributions are poorly understood. We present a global analysis of pest and pathogen distributions, to determine the roles of socioeconomic and biophysical factors in determining pest diversity, controlling for variation in observational capacity among countries. Known distributions of 1901 pests and pathogens were obtained from CABI. Linear models were used to partition the variation in pest species per country amongst predictors. Reported pest numbers increased with per capita gross domestic product (GDP), research expenditure and research capacity, and the influence of economics was greater in micro-organisms than in arthropods. Total crop production and crop diversity were the strongest physical predictors of pest numbers per country, but trade and tourism were insignificant once other factors were controlled. Islands reported more pests than mainland countries, but no latitudinal gradient in species richness was evident. Country wealth is likely to be a strong indicator of observational capacity, not just trade flow, as has been interpreted in invasive species studies. If every country had US levels of per capita GDP, then 205 ± 9 additional pests per country would be reported, suggesting that enhanced investment in pest observations will reveal the hidden threat of crop pests and pathogens. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.
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Sun, Zhongyang; Shen, Binbing; Wu, Haizhen; Zhou, Xiangyu; Wang, Qiyao; Xiao, Jingfan; Zhang, Yuanxing
2015-10-01
The development of aquaculture has been hampered by different aquatic pathogens that can cause edwardsiellosis, vibriosis, or other diseases. Therefore, developing a broad spectrum vaccine against different fish diseases is necessary. In this study, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA), a conserved enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, was demonstrated to be located in the non-cytoplasmic components of five aquatic pathogenic bacteria and exhibited remarkable protection and cross-protection against these pathogens in turbot and zebrafish. Further analysis revealed that sera sampled from vaccinated turbot had a high level of specific antibody and bactericidal activity against these pathogens. Meanwhile, the increased expressions of immune response-related genes associated with antigen recognition and presentation indicated that the adaptive immune response was effectively aroused. Taken together, our results suggest that FBA can be utilized as a broad-spectrum vaccine against various pathogenic bacteria of aquaculture in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Knudsen, Gitte Maegaard; Olsen, John E.; Aabo, Søren
2013-01-01
, suggesting the repression of invasion was directed through RpoS. The expression of the csrA virulence regulator was increased in the ΔclpP mutant and decreased in the rpoS : : amp and ΔclpP/rpoS : : amp mutants, indicating that ClpP affects the csrA expression level as well. Thus, this study suggests...... the proteolytic component ClpP, the stationary phase regulator RpoS and the carbon-storage regulator CsrA. However, the mechanism behind the ClpP regulation is not fully understood. To elucidate this we examined differentially expressed genes in a ΔclpP mutant compared with WT using global transcriptomic analysis...... that ClpP affects SPI1 expression and thereby virulence indirectly through its regulation of both RpoS and CsrA....
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JIKUYA, Mao; TATENO, Morihiro; TAKAHASHI, Masashi; ENDO, Yasuyuki
2017-01-01
The Iriomote cat and Tsushima leopard cat are endangered wildcats in Japan and inhabit only Iriomote-jima and Tsushima islands, respectively. Domestic dogs and cats living on Iriomote-jima and Tsushima islands were surveyed to clarify the interrelationship between wildcats and domestic animals regarding tick-borne disease transmission. Pathogen-derived DNA in blood samples was detected by polymerase chain reaction. Babesia gibsoni was detected in dogs of Iriomote-jima, and Hepatozoon felis and hemoplasmas were detected in domestic cats of Tsushima. Because the H. felis detected in this study was closely related to that isolated from wildcats, we suspect that common H. felis is harbored and transmitted among wildcats and domestic cats via ticks in Tsushima. PMID:28484147
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alessandra Falchi
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic patterns of Hemagglutinin (HA genes of influenza A strains circulating on Corsica Island during the 2006-2009 epidemic seasons and the 2009-2010 pandemic season. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal samples from 371 patients with influenza-like illness (ILI were collected by General Practitioners (GPs of the Sentinelles Network through a randomised selection routine. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis of HA revealed that A/H3N2 strains circulating on Corsica were closely related to the WHO recommended vaccine strains in each analyzed season (2006-2007 to 2008-2009. Seasonal Corsican influenza A/H1N1 isolated during the 2007-2008 season had drifted towards the A/Brisbane/59/2007 lineage, the A/H1N1 vaccine strain for the 2008-2009 season. The A/H1N1 2009 (A/H1N1pdm strains isolated on Corsica Island were characterized by the S220T mutation specific to clade 7 isolates. It should be noted that Corsican isolates formed a separate sub-clade of clade 7 as a consequence of the presence of the fixed substitution D222E. The percentages of the perfect match vaccine efficacy, estimated by using the p(epitope model, against influenza viruses circulating on Corsica Island varied substantially across the four seasons analyzed, and tend to be highest for A/H1N1 compared with A/H3N2 vaccines, suggesting that cross-immunity seems to be stronger for the H1 HA gene. CONCLUSION: The molecular analysis of the HA gene of influenza viruses that circulated on Corsica Island between 2006-2010 showed for each season the presence of a dominant lineage characterized by at least one fixed mutation. The A/H3N2 and A/H1N1pdm isolates were characterized by multiples fixation at antigenic sites. The fixation of specific mutations at each outbreak could be explained by the combination of a neutral phenomenon and a founder effect, favoring the presence of a dominant lineage in a closed environment such as Corsica Island.
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Assessing qualitative long-term volcanic hazards at Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
L. Becerril
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Conducting long-term hazard assessment in active volcanic areas is of primary importance for land-use planning and defining emergency plans able to be applied in case of a crisis. A definition of scenario hazard maps helps to mitigate the consequences of future eruptions by anticipating the events that may occur. Lanzarote is an active volcanic island that has hosted the largest (> 1.5 km3 DRE and longest (6 years eruption, the Timanfaya eruption (1730–1736, on the Canary Islands in historical times (last 600 years. This eruption brought severe economic losses and forced local people to migrate. In spite of all these facts, no comprehensive hazard assessment or hazard maps have been developed for the island. In this work, we present an integrated long-term volcanic hazard evaluation using a systematic methodology that includes spatial analysis and simulations of the most probable eruptive scenarios.
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Wiles, Travis J.; Lewis, Adam J.; Mobley, Harry L. T.; Casjens, Sherwood R.; Mulvey, Matthew A.
2013-01-01
In bacteria, laterally acquired genes are often concentrated within chromosomal regions known as genomic islands. Using a recently developed zebrafish infection model, we set out to identify unique factors encoded within genomic islands that contribute to the fitness and virulence of a reference urosepsis isolate—extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073. By screening a series of deletion mutants, we discovered a previously uncharacterized gene, neaT, that is conditionally required by the pathogen during systemic infections. In vitro assays indicate that neaT can limit bacterial interactions with host phagocytes and alter the aggregative properties of CFT073. The neaT gene is localized within an integrated P2-like bacteriophage in CFT073, but was rarely found within other proteobacterial genomes. Sequence-based analyses revealed that neaT homologues are present, but discordantly conserved, within a phyletically diverse set of bacterial species. In CFT073, neaT appears to be unameliorated, having an exceptionally A+T-rich composition along with a notably altered codon bias. These data suggest that neaT was recently brought into the proteobacterial pan-genome from an extra-phyletic source. Interestingly, even in G+C-poor genomes, as found within the Firmicutes lineage, neaT-like genes are often unameliorated. Sequence-level features of neaT homologues challenge the common supposition that the A+T-rich nature of many recently acquired genes reflects the nucleotide composition of their genomes of origin. In total, these findings highlight the complexity of the evolutionary forces that can affect the acquisition, utilization, and assimilation of rare genes that promote the niche-dependent fitness and virulence of a bacterial pathogen. PMID:23459509
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TLR4, NOD1 and NOD2 mediate immune recognition of putative newly identified periodontal pathogens.
Marchesan, Julie; Jiao, Yizu; Schaff, Riley A; Hao, Jie; Morelli, Thiago; Kinney, Janet S; Gerow, Elizabeth; Sheridan, Rachel; Rodrigues, Vinicius; Paster, Bruce J; Inohara, Naohiro; Giannobile, William V
2016-06-01
Periodontitis is a polymicrobial inflammatory disease that results from the interaction between the oral microbiota and the host immunity. Although the innate immune response is important for disease initiation and progression, the innate immune receptors that recognize both classical and putative periodontal pathogens that elicit an immune response have not been elucidated. By using the Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM), we identified multiple predominant oral bacterial species in human plaque biofilm that strongly associate with severe periodontitis. Ten of the identified species were evaluated in greater depth, six being classical pathogens and four putative novel pathogens. Using human peripheral blood monocytes (HPBM) and murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) from wild-type (WT) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-specific and MyD88 knockouts (KOs), we demonstrated that heat-killed Campylobacter concisus, Campylobacter rectus, Selenomonas infelix, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia mediate high immunostimulatory activity. Campylobacter concisus, C. rectus, and S. infelix exhibited robust TLR4 stimulatory activity. Studies using mesothelial cells from WT and NOD1-specific KOs and NOD2-expressing human embryonic kidney cells demonstrated that Eubacterium saphenum, Eubacterium nodatum and Filifactor alocis exhibit robust NOD1 stimulatory activity, and that Porphyromonas endodontalis and Parvimonas micra have the highest NOD2 stimulatory activity. These studies allowed us to provide important evidence on newly identified putative pathogens in periodontal disease pathogenesis showing that these bacteria exhibit different immunostimulatory activity via TLR4, NOD1, and NOD2 (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01154855). © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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TLR4, NOD1 and NOD2 Mediate Immune Recognition of Putative Newly-Identified Periodontal Pathogens
Schaff, Riley A.; Hao, Jie; Morelli, Thiago; Kinney, Janet S.; Gerow, Elizabeth; Sheridan, Rachel; Rodrigues, Vinicius; Paster, Bruce J.; Inohara, Naohiro; Giannobile, William V.
2015-01-01
SUMMARY Periodontitis is a polymicrobial inflammatory disease that results from the interaction between the oral microbiota and the host immunity. While the innate immune response is important for disease initiation and progression, the innate immune receptors that recognize both classical and putative periodontal pathogens that elicit an immune response have not been elucidated. By using the Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM), we identified multiple predominant oral bacterial species in human plaque biofilm that strongly associate with severe periodontitis. Ten of the identified species were evaluated in greater depth, 6 being classical pathogens and 4 putative novel pathogens. Using human peripheral blood monocytes (HPBM) and murine bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM) from wild-type (WT) and toll-like receptor (TLR)-specific and MyD88 knockouts (KOs), we demonstrated that heat-killed Campylobacter concisus, Campylobacter rectus, Selenomonas infelix, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia mediate high immunostimulatory activity. C. concisus, C. rectus, and S. infelix exhibited robust TLR4 stimulatory activity. Studies using mesothelial cells from WT and NOD1-specific KOs and NOD2-expressing human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells demonstrated that Eubacterium saphenum, Eubacterium nodatum and Filifactor alocis exhibit robust NOD1 stimulatory activity, and that Porphyromonas endodontalis and Parvimonas micra have the highest NOD2-stimulatory activity. These studies allowed us to provide important evidence on newly-identified putative pathogens in periodontal disease pathogenesis showing that these bacteria exhibit different immunostimulatory activity via TLR4, NOD1, and NOD2 (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01154855). PMID:26177212
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DeWitt, Nancy T.; Stalk, Chelsea A.; Fredericks, Jake J.; Flocks, James G.; Kelso, Kyle W.; Farmer, Andrew S.; Tuten, Thomas M.; Buster, Noreen A.
2018-04-13
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, conducted bathymetric surveys of the nearshore waters surrounding Ship and Horn Islands, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi. The objective of this study was to establish base-level elevation conditions around West Ship, East Ship, and Horn Islands and their associated active littoral system prior to restoration activities. These activities include the closure of Camille Cut and the placement of sediment in the littoral zone of East Ship Island. These surveys can be compared with future surveys to monitor sediment migration patterns post-restoration and can also be measured against historic bathymetric datasets to further our understanding of island evolution.The USGS collected 667 line-kilometers (km) of single-beam bathymetry data and 844 line-km of interferometric swath bathymetry data in July 2016 under Field Activity Number 2016-347-FA. Data are provided in three datums: (1) the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2000 (ellipsoid height); (2) the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) CORS96 realization and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 with respect to the GEOID12B model (orthometric height); and (3) NAD83 (CORS96) and Mean Lower Low Water (tidal datum). Data products, including x,y,zpoint datasets, trackline shapefiles, digital and handwritten Field Activity Collection Systems logs, 50-meter digital elevation model, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata, are available for download.
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Effectiveness of irradiation in killing pathogens
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yeager, J.G.; Ward, R.L.
1980-01-01
United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations include gamma ray irradiation of sludge as an approved Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP) prior to land application. Research at Sandia National Laboratories on pathogen inactivation in sludge by gamma irradiation has demonstrated that the 1 Mrad PFRP dose is capable, by itself, of eliminating bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens from sludge. Gamma irradiation of sludge in conjunction with the required Processes to Significantly Reduce Pathogens (PSRP) should also eliminate the viral hazard from wastewater sludges
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Half Life: The Divided Life of Bruno Pontecorvo, Physicist or Spy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Close, Frank
2016-01-01
It was at the height of the Cold War, in the summer of 1950, when Bruno Pontecorvo mysteriously vanished behind the Iron Curtain. Who was he, and what caused him to disappear? Was he simply a physicist, or also a spy and communist radical? A protege of Enrico Fermi, Pontecorvo was one of the most promising nuclear physicists in the world. He spent years hunting for the Higgs boson of his day - the neutrino - a nearly massless particle thought to be essential to the process of particle decay. His work on the Manhattan Project helped to usher in the nuclear age, and confirmed his reputation as a brilliant physicist. Why, then, would he disappear as he stood on the cusp of true greatness, perhaps even the Nobel Prize? In this book, physicist and historian Frank Close offers a heretofore untold history of Pontecorvo's life, based on unprecedented access to Pontecorvo's friends and family and the Russian scientists with whom he would later work. Close takes a microscope to Pontecorvo's life, combining a thorough biography of one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century with the drama of Cold War espionage. With all the elements of a Cold War thriller - classified atomic research, an infamous double agent, a possible kidnapping by Soviet operatives - this book is a history of nuclear physics at perhaps its most powerful: when it created the bomb
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Isolation and characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 from donkeys
2010-01-01
Background The highly pathogenic H5N1 is a major avian pathogen that crosses species barriers and seriously affects humans as well as some mammals. It mutates in an intensified manner and is considered a potential candidate for the possible next pandemic with all the catastrophic consequences. Methods Nasal swabs were collected from donkeys suffered from respiratory distress. The virus was isolated from the pooled nasal swabs in specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs (SPF-ECE). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing of both haemagglutingin and neuraminidase were performed. H5 seroconversion was screened using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay on 105 donkey serum samples. Results We demonstrated that H5N1 jumped from poultry to another mammalian host; donkeys. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus clustered within the lineage of H5N1 from Egypt, closely related to 2009 isolates. It harboured few genetic changes compared to the closely related viruses from avian and humans. The neuraminidase lacks oseltamivir resistant mutations. Interestingly, HI screening for antibodies to H5 haemagglutinins in donkeys revealed high exposure rate. Conclusions These findings extend the host range of the H5N1 influenza virus, possess implications for influenza virus epidemiology and highlight the need for the systematic surveillance of H5N1 in animals in the vicinity of backyard poultry units especially in endemic areas. PMID:20398268
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Majdak, EJ; Debniak, J; Milczek, T; Cornelisse, CJ; Devilee, P; Emerich, J; Jassem, J; De Bock, GH
2005-01-01
BACKGROUND. The clinical relevance of BRCA1/2 alterations in ovarian carcinoma patients is debatable. Our aim was to determine factors influencing the risk of recurrence and death in ovarian carcinoma patients with BRCA pathogenic and unclassified variant mutations. METHODS. A consecutive series of
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Diakou, Anastasia; Di Cesare, Angela; Accettura, Paolo Matteo; Barros, Luciano; Iorio, Raffaella; Paoletti, Barbara; Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio; Halos, Lénaïg; Beugnet, Frederic; Traversa, Donato
2017-01-01
This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos) and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90%) was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3%) cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7%) for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53) multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24%) and Dipylidium caninum (2%), while a high number of examined animals (58.8%) had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2%) and Leishmania infantum (6.1%). DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people. PMID:28141857
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anastasia Diakou
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90% was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3% cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7% for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53 multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24% and Dipylidium caninum (2%, while a high number of examined animals (58.8% had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2% and Leishmania infantum (6.1%. DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people.
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Diakou, Anastasia; Di Cesare, Angela; Accettura, Paolo Matteo; Barros, Luciano; Iorio, Raffaella; Paoletti, Barbara; Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio; Halos, Lénaïg; Beugnet, Frederic; Traversa, Donato
2017-01-01
This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos) and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90%) was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3%) cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7%) for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53) multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24%) and Dipylidium caninum (2%), while a high number of examined animals (58.8%) had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2%) and Leishmania infantum (6.1%). DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people.
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Savio, Andrea J; Bapat, Bharati
2017-06-03
The MLH1 promoter polymorphism rs1800734 is associated with MLH1 CpG island hypermethylation and expression loss in colorectal cancer (CRC). Conversely, variant rs1800734 is associated with MLH1 shore, but not island, hypomethylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA. To explore these distinct patterns, MLH1 CpG island and shore methylation was assessed in CRC cell lines stratified by rs1800734 genotype. Cell lines containing the variant A allele demonstrated MLH1 shore hypomethylation compared to wild type (GG). There was significant enrichment of transcription factor AP4 at the MLH1 promoter in GG and GA cell lines, but not the AA cell line, by chromatin immunoprecipitation studies. Preferential binding to the G allele was confirmed by sequencing in the GA cell line. The enhancer-associated histone modification H3K4me1 was enriched at the MLH1 shore; however, H3K27ac was not, indicating the shore is an inactive enhancer. These results demonstrate the role of variant rs1800734 in altering transcription factor binding as well as epigenetics at regions beyond the MLH1 CpG island in which it is located.
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Summary Report of Commercial reactor Criticality Data for Three Mile Island Unit 1
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Larry B. Wimmer
2001-01-01
The objective of the ''Summary Report of Commercial Reactor Criticality Data for Three Mile Island Unit I'' is to present the CRC data for the TMI-1 reactor. Results from the CRC evaluations will support the development and validation of the neutronics models used for criticality analyses involving commercial spent nuclear fuel. These models and their validation are discussed in the ''Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report'' (YMP 2000)
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Bartolome Island, Galapagos Stable Oxygen Calibration Data
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Galapagos Coral Stable Oxygen Calibration Data. Sites: Bartolome Island: 0 deg, 17'S, 90 deg 33' W. Champion Island: 1 deg, 15'S, 90 deg, 05' W. Urvina Bay (Isabela...
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PKA/KIN-1 mediates innate immune responses to bacterial pathogens in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Xiao, Yi; Liu, Fang; Zhao, Pei-Ji; Zou, Cheng-Gang; Zhang, Ke-Qin
2017-11-01
The genetically tractable organism Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful model animal for the study of host innate immunity. Although the intestine and the epidermis of C. elegans that is in contact with pathogens are likely to function as sites for the immune function, recent studies indicate that the nervous system could control innate immunity in C. elegans. In this report, we demonstrated that protein kinase A (PKA)/KIN-1 in the neurons contributes to resistance against Salmonella enterica infection in C. elegans. Microarray analysis revealed that PKA/KIN-1 regulates the expression of a set of antimicrobial effectors in the non-neuron tissues, which are required for innate immune responses to S. enterica. Furthermore, PKA/KIN-1 regulated the expression of lysosomal genes during S. enterica infection. Our results suggest that the lysosomal signaling molecules are involved in autophagy by controlling autophagic flux, rather than formation of autophagosomes. As autophagy is crucial for host defense against S. enterica infection in a metazoan, the lysosomal pathway also acts as a downstream effector of the PKA/KIN-1 signaling for innate immunity. Our data indicate that the PKA pathway contributes to innate immunity in C. elegans by signaling from the nervous system to periphery tissues to protect the host against pathogens.
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Streptococcus iniae, the etiological agent of streptococcosis in fish, is an important pathogen of cultured and wild fish worldwide. During the last decade outbreaks of streptococcosis have occurred in a wide range of cultured and wild fish in the Americas and Caribbean islands. To gain a better und...
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Li, Bin; Ge, Mengyu; Zhang, Yang; Wang, Li; Ibrahim, Muhammad; Wang, Yanli; Sun, Guochang; Chen, Gongyou
2016-01-01
Recent research has shown that pathogen virulence can be altered by exposure to antibiotics, even when the growth rate is unaffected. Investigating this phenomenon provides new insights into understanding the virulence mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. This study investigates the phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of the rice pathogenic bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) strain RS-1 to ?-lactam antibiotics especially Ampicillin (Amp). Our results indicate that exposure to A...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kai Heimel
Full Text Available In the phytopathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis, sexual and pathogenic development are tightly connected and controlled by the heterodimeric bE/bW transcription factor complex encoded by the b-mating type locus. The formation of the active bE/bW heterodimer leads to the formation of filaments, induces a G2 cell cycle arrest, and triggers pathogenicity. Here, we identify a set of 345 bE/bW responsive genes which show altered expression during these developmental changes; several of these genes are associated with cell cycle coordination, morphogenesis and pathogenicity. 90% of the genes that show altered expression upon bE/bW-activation require the zinc finger transcription factor Rbf1, one of the few factors directly regulated by the bE/bW heterodimer. Rbf1 is a novel master regulator in a multilayered network of transcription factors that facilitates the complex regulatory traits of sexual and pathogenic development.
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Researching Pacific island livelihoods:
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Egelund Christensen, Andreas; Mertz, Ole
2010-01-01
on contemporary theories of nissology and conceptual analytical frameworks for island research. Through a review of selected case-study-based island literature on changing livelihoods coming out of the South Pacific, we wish to illustrate and discuss advantages of finding common grounds for small island studies....... The focus is on two dimensions of island livelihood, migration and natural resource management, both of which are significant contributors in making island livelihoods and shaping Pacific seascapes. We argue that there is still a substantial lack of studies targeting small island dynamics that are empirical...
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HUBBLE SPIES MOST DISTANT SUPERNOVA EVER SEEN
2002-01-01
Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers pinpointed a blaze of light from the farthest supernova ever seen, a dying star that exploded 10 billion years ago. The detection and analysis of this supernova, called 1997ff, is greatly bolstering the case for the existence of a mysterious form of dark energy pervading the cosmos, making galaxies hurl ever faster away from each other. The supernova also offers the first glimpse of the universe slowing down soon after the Big Bang, before it began speeding up. This panel of images, taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, shows the supernova's cosmic neighborhood; its home galaxy; and the dying star itself. Astronomers found this supernova in 1997 during a second look at the northern Hubble Deep Field [top panel], a tiny region of sky first explored by the Hubble telescope in 1995. The image shows the myriad of galaxies Hubble spied when it peered across more than 10 billion years of time and space. The white box marks the area where the supernova dwells. The photo at bottom left is a close-up view of that region. The white arrow points to the exploding star's home galaxy, a faint elliptical. Its redness is due to the billions of old stars residing there. The picture at bottom right shows the supernova itself, distinguished by the white dot in the center. Although this stellar explosion is among the brightest beacons in the universe, it could not be seen directly in the Hubble images. The stellar blast is so distant from Earth that its light is buried in the glow of its host galaxy. To find the supernova, astronomers compared two pictures of the 'deep field' taken two years apart. One image was of the original Hubble Deep Field; the other, the follow-up deep-field picture taken in 1997. Using special computer software, astronomers then measured the light from the galaxies in both images. Noting any changes in light output between the two pictures, the computer identified a blob of light in the 1997 picture
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A replicative plasmid vector allows efficient complementation of pathogenic Leptospira strains.
Pappas, Christopher J; Benaroudj, Nadia; Picardeau, Mathieu
2015-05-01
Leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease, remains poorly understood because of a lack of genetic manipulation tools available for pathogenic leptospires. Current genetic manipulation techniques include insertion of DNA by random transposon mutagenesis and homologous recombination via suicide vectors. This study describes the construction of a shuttle vector, pMaORI, that replicates within saprophytic, intermediate, and pathogenic leptospires. The shuttle vector was constructed by the insertion of a 2.9-kb DNA segment including the parA, parB, and rep genes into pMAT, a plasmid that cannot replicate in Leptospira spp. and contains a backbone consisting of an aadA cassette, ori R6K, and oriT RK2/RP4. The inserted DNA segment was isolated from a 52-kb region within Leptospira mayottensis strain 200901116 that is not found in the closely related strain L. mayottensis 200901122. Because of the size of this region and the presence of bacteriophage-like proteins, it is possible that this region is a result of a phage-related genomic island. The stability of the pMaORI plasmid within pathogenic strains was tested by passaging cultures 10 times without selection and confirming the presence of pMaORI. Concordantly, we report the use of trans complementation in the pathogen Leptospira interrogans. Transformation of a pMaORI vector carrying a functional copy of the perR gene in a null mutant background restores the expression of PerR and susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide comparable to that of wild-type cells. In conclusion, we demonstrate the replication of a stable plasmid vector in a large panel of Leptospira strains, including pathogens. The shuttle vector described will expand our ability to perform genetic manipulation of Leptospira spp. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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Critical Shape and Size for Dislocation Nucleation in Si1-xGex Islands on Si(001)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marzegalli, A.; Zinovyev, V. A.; Montalenti, F.; Miglio, Leo; Rastelli, A.; Schmidt, O. G.; Stoffel, M.; Merdzhanova, T.
2007-01-01
The critical volume for the onset of plastic strain relaxation in SiGe islands on Si(001) is computed for different Ge contents and realistic shapes by using a three-dimensional model, with position-dependent dislocation energy. It turns out that the critical bases for dome- and barnlike islands are different for any composition. By comparison to extensive atomic force microscopy measurements of the footprints left on the Si substrates by islands grown at different temperatures (and compositions), we conclude that, in contrast with planar films, dislocation nucleation in 3D islands is fully thermodynamic
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Champion Island, Galapagos Stable Oxygen Calibration Data
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Galapagos Coral Stable Oxygen Calibration Data. Sites: Bartolome Island: 0 deg, 17 min S, 90 deg 33 min W. Champion Island: 1 deg, 15 min S, 90 deg, 05 min W. Urvina...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Klein Cátia S
2009-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is a highly infectious swine pathogen and is the causative agent of enzootic pneumonia (EP. Following the previous report of a proteomic survey of the pathogenic 7448 strain of swine pathogen, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, we performed comparative protein profiling of three M. hyopneumoniae strains, namely the non-pathogenic J strain and the two pathogenic strains 7448 and 7422. Results In 2DE comparisons, we were able to identify differences in expression levels for 67 proteins, including the overexpression of some cytoadherence-related proteins only in the pathogenic strains. 2DE immunoblot analyses allowed the identification of differential proteolytic cleavage patterns of the P97 adhesin in the three strains. For more comprehensive protein profiling, an LC-MS/MS strategy was used. Overall, 35% of the M. hyopneumoniae genome coding capacity was covered. Partially overlapping profiles of identified proteins were observed in the strains with 81 proteins identified only in one strain and 54 proteins identified in two strains. Abundance analysis of proteins detected in more than one strain demonstrates the relative overexpression of 64 proteins, including the P97 adhesin in the pathogenic strains. Conclusions Our results indicate the physiological differences between the non-pathogenic strain, with its non-infective proliferate lifestyle, and the pathogenic strains, with its constitutive expression of adhesins, which would render the bacterium competent for adhesion and infection prior to host contact.
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78 FR 63860 - Amendment of Class D Airspace; Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI
2013-10-25
...This action amends the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description by amending the geographic coordinates for Bucholz Army Airfield (AAF), Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI. The Bucholz AAF geographic coordinates information was updated in the Kwajalein Island Class E airspace descriptions in 2011, but was inadvertently overlooked in the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description. This action ensures the safety of aircraft operating in the Kwajalein Island airspace area. This is an administrative action and does not affect the operating requirements of the airspace.
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Igolkina, Y; Bondarenko, E; Rar, V; Epikhina, T; Vysochina, N; Pukhovskaya, N; Tikunov, A; Ivanov, L; Golovljova, I; Ivanov, М; Tikunova, N
2016-10-01
Rickettsia spp. are intracellular Gram-negative bacteria transmitted by arthropods. Two potentially pathogenic rickettsiae, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae and Rickettsia helvetica, have been found in unfed adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and genetic variability of Rickettsia spp. in I. persulcatus ticks collected from different locations in the Russian Far East. In total, 604 adult I. persulcatus ticks collected from four sites in the Khabarovsk Territory (continental area) and one site in Sakhalin Island were examined for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by real-time PCR. Nested PCR with species-specific primers and sequencing were used for genotyping of revealed rickettsiae. The overall prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected in different sites varied from 67.9 to 90.7%. However, the proportion of different Rickettsia species observed in ticks from Sakhalin Island significantly differed from that in ticks from the Khabarovsk Territory. In Sakhalin Island, R. helvetica prevailed in examined ticks, while Candidatus R. tarasevichiae was predominant in the Khabarovsk Territory. For gltA and ompB gene fragments, the sequences obtained for Candidatus R. tarasevichiae from all studied sites were identical to each other and to the known sequences of this species. According to sequence analysis of gltA, оmpB and sca4 genes, R. helvetica isolates from Sakhalin Island and the Khabarovsk Territory were identical to each other, but they differed from R. helvetica from other regions and from those found in other tick species. For the first time, DNA of pathogenic Rickettsia heilongjiangensis was detected in I. persulcatus ticks in two sites from the Khabarovsk Territory. The gltA, ompA and оmpB gene sequences of R. heilongjiangensis were identical to or had solitary mismatches with the corresponding sequences of R. heilongjiangensis found in other tick species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights
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Stepping-stones to the Edge: Artistic Expressions of Islandness in an Ocean of Islands
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Laurie Brinklow
2013-05-01
Full Text Available Since the earliest of times, islands have captured the artistic imagination—and, often, for the artist who finds his or her muse in being ‘islanded’, the smaller the island the better. Archipelagos offer an ideal setting for artists who take their inspiration from place: on small islands off islands they can experience an intensity of island living they might not otherwise have on a main island: boundedness and connection, isolation and community. This paper examines expressions of islandness by artists who live on islands off islands that are poles apart—‘archipelagos’ of the Canadian North Atlantic and the Great Southern Ocean. It draws upon interviews with those artists and writers to consider the nature of humans’ attachment and attraction to islands, exploring through the lens of phenomenology what Stratford et al. call the “entanglement between and among islands”.
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Roka, Margarita; Goñi, Pilar; Rubio, Encarnación; Clavel, Antonio
2012-08-15
The prevalence of intestinal parasitic diseases and their associated factors has been investigated in HIV populations from the Island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. The feces of 310 participants from the island of Bioko (260 HIV-positive and 50 HIV-negative) were analyzed by microscopic observation. Immunochromatography was also used to diagnose Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp. In addition, patients were asked for sociodemographic, economic and academic status, and CD4+ T cell counts were recorded. For HIV-positive patients, the prevalence of infection by intestinal parasites was 81.5% (212/260), 83.8% (218/260) by pathogenic helminths and 55.4% (168/260) by pathogenic protozoa (E. histolytica/dispar and Giardia duodenalis). Gender association was found between the infection by Ascaris and Schistosoma, a higher proportion being found in women; and between Entamoeba and the place of residence, a higher proportion being observed in the urban belt. Strongyloides stercoralis and Chilomastix mesnili appeared only in the people of this group, all the cases of Chilomastix being in females. For HIV-negative participants, the prevalence of infection by intestinal parasites was 74.0% (37/50), 90.0% (45/50) by pathogenic helminths and 66.0% (43/50) by pathogenic protozoa. Gender, educational level and low hygiene were associated with intestinal parasitic infection. When comparing the two groups (HIV-positive and HIV-negative), statistical association between HIV co-infection and infection by Giardia and Entamoeba was found. Diarrhea was also associated with intestinal parasitic infection in the HIV-positive group. Not only do our findings reflect high rates of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV-positive people, but also in the HIV-negative group, suggesting a closer relationship between sanitary status and living conditions than with immune status, and thus they highlight the need to carry out health education policies in the population. In addition
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Socio-Spatial Typology In Karanrang Island
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amin Ishak Rahmi
2018-01-01
Full Text Available The phenomenon of community life on the small island is influenced by the stimulating factor of harmonious social interaction system through cooperation, kinship, economic activity, children playing, transportation system, religion and other social activities. The social dynamics of small island communities appear in the layout and environment in which they live, how they manage and utilize space, both indoors and outdoors. The purpose of this paper is to describe the socio-spatial typology of settlements on Karanrang Island, including a description of the spatial pattern of communalenvironments. Research approaches through spatial similarities and differences in the classification of behavioral setting, including physical, non-physical, socio-spatial arrangements. Karanrang Island as a research focus which has an area of 7.8 Ha is one of small islands inhabited in cluster PangkajeneIslands (Pangkep South Sulawesi, with characteristic of dense settlement, and diversity of tribe, also inhabited by 434 families. The method of this research is observation, data collection through field survey with descriptive analysis based on empirical data on meso / environment which is divided into:1 inter building space; 2 Space in the building; 3 Open space, and; 4 Environmental facilities. The results showed that classification of socio-spatial typology of communal environment is divided into four types of socio-spatial models based on the configuration of social interaction activities, namely:1 Type of Linear Centripetal, at the inter buildings space; 2 Type of Centripetal Cluster, space on the building; 3 Type of Centrifugal Cluster, at green open space/field; 4 Type of cluster Centripetal, at environmental facilities. The socio-spatial type based on actor’s activities, occupancy, and territory, can be distinguished on: 1 Type of children’s activity; 2 Type of mother’sactivity; 3 Type of father’s activity, and 4 Type of combination activity.
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Reconstructed Marine Fisheries Catches at a Remote Island Group: Pitcairn Islands (1950–2014
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amy R. Coghlan
2017-09-01
Full Text Available The remote Pitcairn Island Group in the South Pacific was designated one of the world's largest marine reserves in 2016, encompassing some of the few remaining near-pristine areas within EEZ boundaries. Pitcairn's domestic fisheries are small-scale, and consist mainly of subsistence (non-commercial and limited artisanal (commercial catches. There is no locally-based industrial (large-scale commercial fishery and the level of foreign industrial activity in recent times has been minimal, due in part to the low biomass of commercially valuable species, along with economic constraints of the EEZ's geographic isolation. Using a catch reconstruction method we estimated the total domestic marine catches for the Pitcairn Islands from 1950 to 2014. We show that overall the Pitcairn Islands' small-scale fisheries catches were almost 2.5 times higher than the data reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO of the United Nations on behalf of the Pitcairn Islands, however, this primarily reflects discrepancies prior to the 1980s. Overall, catches for the subsistence and artisanal sectors started with around 12 t·year−1 in 1950, but declined to 4 t·year−1 by 2014. Domestic reconstructed subsistence catch levels were entirely driven by changes in the human population on the island, with reconstructed artisanal catches only occurring in recent years (2000 onwards. Industrial fishing is entirely executed by foreign vessels, this catch is considerably variable throughout the years and ceases entirely in 2006. The implementation of one of the world's largest marine reserves surrounding the offshore waters of Pitcairn Island has been specifically designed not to affect the rates of subsistence and artisanal fishing conducted by the resident population. Although there is no industrial fishing in the Pitcairn EEZ at present, climate change is predicted to influence the routes of migrating commercially-targeted species, potentially altering fishing
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kajihara Masahiro
2013-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Wild ducks are the natural hosts of influenza A viruses. Duck influenza, therefore, has been believed inapparent infection with influenza A viruses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs in chickens. In fact, ducks experimentally infected with an HPAIV strain, A/Hong Kong/483/1997 (H5N1 (HK483, did not show any clinical signs. Another HPAIV strain, A/whooper swan/Mongolia/3/2005 (H5N1 (MON3 isolated from a dead swan, however, caused neurological dysfunction and death in ducks. Method To understand the mechanism whereby MON3 shows high pathogenicity in ducks, HK483, MON3, and twenty-four reassortants generated between these two H5N1 viruses were compared for their pathogenicity in domestic ducks. Results None of the ducks infected with MON3-based single-gene reassortants bearing the PB2, NP, or NS gene segment of HK483 died, and HK483-based single-gene reassortants bearing PB2, NP, or NS genes of MON3 were not pathogenic in ducks, suggesting that multiple gene segments contribute to the pathogenicity of MON3 in ducks. All the ducks infected with the reassortant bearing PB2, PA, HA, NP, and NS gene segments of MON3 died within five days post-inoculation, as did those infected with MON3. Each of the viruses was assessed for replication in ducks three days post-inoculation. MON3 and multi-gene reassortants pathogenic in ducks were recovered from all of the tissues examined and replicated with high titers in the brains and lungs. Conclusion The present results indicate that multigenic factors are responsible for efficient replication of MON3 in ducks. In particular, virus growth in the brain might correlate with neurological dysfunction and the disease severity.
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33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.
2010-07-01
... Island. (j) An east-west line from the southernmost extremity of Sea Island across Goulds Inlet to St... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... shoreline across Cabretta Inlet. (g) A north-south line (longitude 81°16.9′ W.) drawn from the south...
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Energy Transition Initiative: Island Energy Snapshot - U.S. Virgin Islands (Fact Sheet)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
2015-03-01
This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The Virgin Islands archipelago makes up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles and the western island group of the Leeward Islands, forming the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
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Giri, Mrunmay K; Singh, Nidhi; Banday, Zeeshan Z; Singh, Vijayata; Ram, Hathi; Singh, Deepjyoti; Chattopadhyay, Sudip; Nandi, Ashis K
2017-09-01
G-BOX BINDING FACTOR 1 (GBF1) influences light-regulated seedling development in Arabidopsis, and inhibits CATALASE 2 (CAT2) expression during senescence. CAT2 functions as a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide. The role of GBF1 in the defense response is not known. We report here that GBF1 positively influences the defense against virulent and avirulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae. The gbf1 mutants are susceptible, whereas GBF1 over-expresser transgenic plants are resistant to bacterial pathogens. GBF1 negatively regulates pathogen-induced CAT2 expression and thereby positively regulates the hypersensitive response. In addition to CAT2 promoter, GBF1 binds to the G-box-like element present in the intron of PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 (PAD4). This association of GBF1 with PAD4 intron is enhanced upon pathogenesis. GBF1 positively regulates PAD4 transcription in an intron-dependent manner. GBF1-mediated positive regulation of PAD4 expression is also evident in gbf1 mutant and GBF1 over-expression lines. Similar to pad4 mutants, pathogen-induced camalexin and salicylic acid (SA) accumulation, and expression of SA-inducible PATHOGENESIS RELATED1 (PR1) gene are compromised in the gbf1 mutant. Exogenous application of SA rescues the loss-of-defense phenotypes of gbf1 mutant. Thus, altogether, our results demonstrate that GBF1 is an important component of the plant defense response that functions upstream of SA accumulation and, by oppositely regulating CAT2 and PAD4, promotes disease resistance in Arabidopsis. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael J Dunn
Full Text Available We report long-term changes in population size of three species of sympatrically breeding pygoscelid penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae, chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii over a 38 year period at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, based on annual counts from selected colonies and decadal all-island systematic counts of occupied nests. Comparing total numbers of breeding pairs over the whole island from 1978/79 to 2015/16 revealed varying fortunes: gentoo penguin pairs increased by 255%, (3.5% per annum, chinstrap penguins declined by 68% (-3.6% per annum and Adélie penguins declined by 42% (-1.5% per annum. The chinstrap population has declined steadily over the last four decades. In contrast, Adélie and gentoo penguins have experienced phases of population increase and decline. Annual surveys of selected chinstrap and Adélie colonies produced similar trends from those revealed by island-wide surveys, allowing total island population trends to be inferred relatively well. However, while the annual colony counts of chinstrap and Adélie penguins showed a trend consistent in direction with the results from all-island surveys, the magnitude of estimated population change was markedly different between colony wide and all island counts. Annual population patterns suggest that pair numbers in the study areas partly reflect immigration and emigration of nesting birds between different parts of the island. Breeding success for all three species remained broadly stable over time in the annually monitored colonies. Breeding success rates in gentoo and chinstrap penguins were strongly correlated, despite the differing trends in population size. This study shows the importance of effective, standardised monitoring to accurately determine long-term population trajectories. Our results indicate significant declines in the Adélie and chinstrap penguin populations at Signy Island over the last five decades, and a
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Surface Characteristics of Green Island Wakes from Satellite Imagery
Cheng, Kai-Ho; Hsu, Po-Chun; Ho, Chung-Ru
2017-04-01
Characteristics of an island wake induced by the Kuroshio Current flows pass by Green Island, a small island 40 km off southeast of Taiwan is investigated by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. The MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) imagery is produced at 250-meter resolution from 2014 to 2015 using the SeaDAS software package which is developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The wake occurrence is 59% observed from SST images during the data span. The average cooling area is 190 km2, but the area is significantly changed with wind directions. The wake area is increased during southerly winds and is reduced during northerly winds. Besides, the average cooling SST was about 2.1 oC between the front and rear island. Comparing the temperature difference between the wake and its left side, the difference is 1.96 oC. In addition, the wakes have 1 3 times higher than normal in chlorophyll concentration. The results indicate the island mass effect makes the surface water of Green island wake colder and chl-a higher.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a 1 meter resolution backscatter mosaic of the north shore of Buck Island, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team...
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Pathogenic agents in freshwater resources
Geldreich, Edwin E.
1996-02-01
Numerous pathogenic agents have been found in freshwaters used as sources for water supplies, recreational bathing and irrigation. These agents include bacterial pathogens, enteric viruses, several protozoans and parasitic worms more common to tropical waters. Although infected humans are a major source of pathogens, farm animals (cattle, sheep, pigs), animal pets (dogs, cats) and wildlife serve as significant reservoirs and should not be ignored. The range of infected individuals within a given warm-blooded animal group (humans included) may range from 1 to 25%. Survival times for pathogens in the water environment may range from a few days to as much as a year (Ascaris, Taenia eggs), with infective dose levels varying from one viable cell for several primary pathogenic agents to many thousands of cells for a given opportunistic pathogen.As pathogen detection in water is complex and not readily incorporated into routine monitoring, a surrogate is necessary. In general, indicators of faecal contamination provide a positive correlation with intestinal pathogen occurrences only when appropriate sample volumes are examined by sensitive methodology.Pathways by which pathogens reach susceptible water users include ingestion of contaminated water, body contact with polluted recreational waters and consumption of salad crops irrigated by polluted freshwaters. Major contributors to the spread of various water-borne pathogens are sewage, polluted surface waters and stormwater runoff. All of these contributions are intensified during periods of major floods. Several water-borne case histories are cited as examples of breakdowns in public health protection related to water supply, recreational waters and the consumption of contaminated salad crops. In the long term, water resource management must focus on pollution prevention from point sources of waste discharges and the spread of pathogens in watershed stormwater runoff.
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Writing Out of the Unexpected: Narrative Inquiry and the Weight of Small Moments
Gordon, Erick; McKibbin, Kerry; Vasudevan, Lalitha; Vinz, Ruth
2007-01-01
In this tale of a single event told from the perspectives of multiple narrators, Erick Gordon, Kerry McKibbin, Lalitha Vasudevan, and Ruth Vinz write about their work together on a Student Press Initiative (SPI) writing project at Horizon Academy, the Department of Correction/Department of Education high school at Rikers Island Jail in New York…
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Peters, S.K.G.; Kehl, S.R.; Martinelli, R.E.; Tamblin, M.W.; Hamilton, T.F.
2013-01-01
The Marshall Islands Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has completed a series of radiological surveys at Bikini, Rongelap, Utroek, and Enewetak Atolls in the Marshall Islands designed to take a representative sample of food supplies with emphasis on determining 137 Cs activity concentrations in common food plants. Coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) are the most common and abundant food plant, and provided a common sample type to characterize the level and variability of activity concentrations of 137 Cs in plant foods collected from different islands and atolls. Other dominant food types included Pandanus (Pandanus spp.) and breadfruit (Actocarpus spp.). In general, the activity concentration of 137 Cs in food plants was found to decrease significantly between the main residence islands on Bikini, Rongelap, Utrōk, and Enewetak Atolls. The mean activity concentration of 137 Cs measured in drinking coconut meat and juice was 0.72 (95 % CI 0.68-0.77) and 0.34 (95 % CI 0.30-0.38) Bq g -1 , respectively, on Bikini Island; 0.019 (95 % CI 0.017-0.021) and 0.027 (95 % CI 0.023-0.031) Bq g -1 , respectively, on Rongelap Island; 0.010 (95 % CI 0.007-0.013) and 0.007 (95 % CI 0.004-0.009) Bq g -1 , respectively, on Utroek Island; and 0.002 (95 % CI 0.0013-0.0024) and 0.002 (95 % CI 0.001-0.0025) Bq g -1 , respectively, on Enewetak Island. High levels of variability are reported across all islands. These results will be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of predictive dose assessments, help characterize levels of uncertainty and variability in activity concentrations of fallout radionuclides in plant foods, and allow atoll communities to make informed decisions about resettlement and possible options for cleanup and rehabilitation of islands and atolls. (author)
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Isolation and characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 from donkeys
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Abdel-Ghany Ahmad E
2010-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The highly pathogenic H5N1 is a major avian pathogen that crosses species barriers and seriously affects humans as well as some mammals. It mutates in an intensified manner and is considered a potential candidate for the possible next pandemic with all the catastrophic consequences. Methods Nasal swabs were collected from donkeys suffered from respiratory distress. The virus was isolated from the pooled nasal swabs in specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs (SPF-ECE. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and sequencing of both haemagglutingin and neuraminidase were performed. H5 seroconversion was screened using haemagglutination inhibition (HI assay on 105 donkey serum samples. Results We demonstrated that H5N1 jumped from poultry to another mammalian host; donkeys. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus clustered within the lineage of H5N1 from Egypt, closely related to 2009 isolates. It harboured few genetic changes compared to the closely related viruses from avian and humans. The neuraminidase lacks oseltamivir resistant mutations. Interestingly, HI screening for antibodies to H5 haemagglutinins in donkeys revealed high exposure rate. Conclusions These findings extend the host range of the H5N1 influenza virus, possess implications for influenza virus epidemiology and highlight the need for the systematic surveillance of H5N1 in animals in the vicinity of backyard poultry units especially in endemic areas.
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Foronda, P; Valladares, B; Rivera-Medina, J A; Figueruelo, E; Abreu, N; Casanova, J C
2004-09-01
The prevalence and intensity of the parasites from 50 wild doves (Columba livia) from the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the island of Tenerife (Canary Archipelago), were studied. The following ectoparasites were found in apparently healthy pigeons (prevalences are shown in percentage (%) and mean intensities with their standard deviations): the acari Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778) (6, 241.0 +/- 138.9) and Tinaminyssus melloi Fain, 1962 (10%, 218.3 +/- 117.3); the louses, Columbicola columbae Linnaeus, 1758 (100%, 111.4 +/- 76.8) and Campanulotes bidentatus Scopoli, 1763 (94%, 48.4 +/- 26.6); and the pigeon fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis Macquart, 1839 (36%, 6.2 +/- 1.6). The endoparasites we found were: a haemoprotozoan species, Haemoproteus columbae Kruze, 1890 (82%, 14.8 +/- 10.3 per 1000); coccidian oocysts, Eimeria sp. (50%, 0.2 x 10(3) +/- 1.7 x 10(3) per gr); a cestode species Raillietina micracantha (Fuhrmann, 1909) López Neyra, 1947 (44%, 12.3 +/- 9.4); and four nematode species, Tetrameres (Tetrameres) fissispina (Diesing, 1861) Travassos, 1915 (4%, 99.5 +/- 34.1), Synhimantus (Dispharynx) spiralis (Molin, 1858) (8%, 46.8 +/- 11.6), Ascaridia columbae (Gmelin, 1790) Travassos, 1913 (40%, 8.4 +/- 8.8) and Aonchotheca sp. (18%, 6.0 +/- 3.1). Several species detected in our study can be pathogens for C. bollii and C. junoniae, which are endemic pigeons of the Canary Islands, considered endangered species. Parasites (ectoparasites, protozoa and helminths) of C. livia found in Tenerife and others from wild and farm birds in the island were considered as healthy controls.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Friedmann, R.
2005-07-01
In 1949 the Sovjet Union ignited her first atomic bomb, many years earlyer than expected by western secret services. A decisive role played the German physicist Klaus Fuchs. From 1943 to 1946 he cooperated in the US atomic bomb program, called Manhatten Project. All knowledge he yield, all information he got, he passed on secret ways to the Sovjet Union. In 1950 he was exposed and condemned because of spying. This book is worldwide the first comprehensive biography of a man, who had been regarded as the ''most dangerous spy of the 20th century'' in the western world, and his work had been kept a secret in the East lasting for decades. The author evaluated an extensive source material from the USA, Great Britain and the Sovjet Union, released to pubication not till after 1990. Furtheron he could rely on the memory of many actors in the surrounding of Klaus Fuchs, who also found the way to the publicity after the end of the East-West-Conflict. (GL)
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Case study: Bioremediation in the Aleutian Islands
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Steward, K.J.; Laford, H.D.
1995-01-01
This case study describes the design, construction, and operation of a bioremediation pile on Adak Island, which is located in the Aleutian Island chain. Approximately 1,900 m 3 of petroleum-contaminated soil were placed in the bioremediation pile. The natural bioremediation process was enhanced by an oxygen and nutrient addition system to stimulate microbial activity. Despite the harsh weather on the island, after the first 6 months of operation, laboratory analyses of soil samples indicated a significant (80%) reduction in diesel concentrations
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Avalos-Téllez, Rosalía; Carrillo-Casas, Erika M; Atilano-López, Daniel; Godínez-Reyes, Carlos R; Díaz-Aparicio, Efrén; Ramírez-Delgado, David; Ramírez-Echenique, María F; Leyva-Leyva, Margarita; Suzán, Gerardo; Suárez-Güemes, Francisco
2016-04-28
The California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus ), a permanent inhabitant of the Gulf of California in Mexico, is susceptible to pathogenic Leptospira spp. infection, which can result in hepatic and renal damage and may lead to renal failure and death. During summer 2013, we used the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) to investigate the prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in blood of clinically healthy sea lion pups from seven rookery islands on the Pacific Coast of Baja California (Pacific Ocean) and in the Gulf of California. We also used PCR to examine blood for Leptospira DNA. Isolation of Leptospira in liquid media was unsuccessful. We found higher antibody prevalence in sea lions from the rookery islands in the gulf than in those from the Pacific Coast. Antibodies against 11 serovars were identified in the Gulf of California population; the most frequent reactions were against serovars Bataviae (90%), Pyrogenes (86%), Wolffi (86%), Celledoni (71%), and Pomona (65%). In the Pacific Ocean population, MAT was positive against eight serovars, where Wolffi (88%), Pomona (75%), and Bataviae (70%) were the most frequent. Serum samples agglutinated with more than one Leptospira serovar. The maximum titer was 3,200. Each island had a different serology profile, and islands combined showed a distinct profile for each region. We detected pathogenic Leptospira DNA in 63% of blood samples, but we found no saprophytic Leptospira. Positive PCR results were obtained in blood samples with high and low MAT titers. Together, these two methods enhance the diagnosis and interpretation of sea lion leptospirosis. Our results may be related to human activities or the presence of other reservoirs with which sea lions interact, and they may also be related to sea lion stranding.
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Measurement of background gamma radiation in the northern Marshall Islands.
Bordner, Autumn S; Crosswell, Danielle A; Katz, Ainsley O; Shah, Jill T; Zhang, Catherine R; Nikolic-Hughes, Ivana; Hughes, Emlyn W; Ruderman, Malvin A
2016-06-21
We report measurements of background gamma radiation levels on six islands in the northern Marshall Islands (Enewetak, Medren, and Runit onEnewetak Atoll; Bikini and Nam on Bikini Atoll; and Rongelap on Rongelap Atoll). Measurable excess radiation could be expected from the decay of (137)Cs produced by the US nuclear testing program there from 1946 to 1958. These recordings are of relevance to safety of human habitation and resettlement. We find low levels of gamma radiation for the settled island of Enewetak [mean = 7.6 millirem/year (mrem/y) = 0.076 millisievert/year (mSv/y)], larger levels of gamma radiation for the island of Rongelap (mean = 19.8 mrem/y = 0.198 mSv/y), and relatively high gamma radiation on the island of Bikini (mean = 184 mrem/y = 1.84 mSv/y). Distributions of gamma radiation levels are provided, and hot spots are discussed. We provide interpolated maps for four islands (Enewetak, Medren, Bikini, and Rongelap), and make comparisons to control measurements performed on the island of Majuro in the southern Marshall Islands, measurements made in Central Park in New York City, and the standard agreed upon by the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) governments (100 mrem/y = 1 mSv/y). External gamma radiation levels on Bikini Island significantly exceed this standard (P = <0.01), and external gamma radiation levels on the other islands are below the standard. To determine conclusively whether these islands are safe for habitation, radiation exposure through additional pathways such as food ingestion must be considered.
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TrpA1 Regulates Defecation of Food-Borne Pathogens under the Control of the Duox Pathway.
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Eun Jo Du
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Pathogen expulsion from the gut is an important defense strategy against infection, but little is known about how interaction between the intestinal microbiome and host immunity modulates defecation. In Drosophila melanogaster, dual oxidase (Duox kills pathogenic microbes by generating the microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS, hypochlorous acid (HOCl in response to bacterially excreted uracil. The physiological function of enzymatically generated HOCl in the gut is, however, unknown aside from its anti-microbial activity. Drosophila TRPA1 is an evolutionarily conserved receptor for reactive chemicals like HOCl, but a role for this molecule in mediating responses to gut microbial content has not been described. Here we identify a molecular mechanism through which bacteria-produced uracil facilitates pathogen-clearing defecation. Ingestion of uracil increases defecation frequency, requiring the Duox pathway and TrpA1. The TrpA1(A transcript spliced with exon10b (TrpA1(A10b that is present in a subset of midgut enteroendocrine cells (EECs is critical for uracil-dependent defecation. TRPA1(A10b heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes is an excellent HOCl receptor characterized with elevated sensitivity and fast activation kinetics of macroscopic HOCl-evoked currents compared to those of the alternative TRPA1(A10a isoform. Consistent with TrpA1's role in defecation, uracil-excreting Erwinia carotovora showed higher persistence in TrpA1-deficient guts. Taken together, our results propose that the uracil/Duox pathway promotes bacteria expulsion from the gut through the HOCl-sensitive receptor, TRPA1(A10b, thereby minimizing the chances that bacteria adapt to survive host defense systems.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rui Wang
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Streptococcus agalactiae, or Group B Streptococcus (GBS, is a major pathogen causing neonatal sepsis and meningitis, bovine mastitis, and fish meningoencephalitis. CC23, including its namesake ST23, is not only the predominant GBS strain derived from human and cattle, but also can infect a variety of homeothermic and poikilothermic species. However, it has never been characterized in fish. This study aimed to determine the pathogenicity of ST23 GBS to fish and explore the mechanisms causing the difference in the pathogenicity of ST23 GBS based on the genome analysis. Infection of tilapia with 10 human-derived ST23 GBS isolates caused tissue damage and the distribution of pathogens within tissues. The mortality rate of infection was ranged from 76 to 100%, and it was shown that the mortality rate caused by only three human isolates had statistically significant difference compared with fish-derived ST7 strain (P < 0.05, whereas the mortality caused by other seven human isolates did not show significant difference compared with fish-derived ST7 strain. The genome comparison and prophage analysis showed that the major genome difference between virulent and non-virulent ST23 GBS was attributed to the different prophage sequences. The prophage in the P1 region contained about 43% GC and encoded 28–39 proteins, which can mediate the acquisition of YafQ/DinJ structure for GBS by phage recombination. YafQ/DinJ belongs to one of the bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA systems and allows cells to cope with stress. The ST23 GBS strains carrying this prophage were not pathogenic to tilapia, but the strains without the prophage or carrying the pophage that had gene mutation or deletion, especially the deletion of YafQ/DinJ structure, were highly pathogenic to tilapia. In conclusion, human ST23 GBS is highly pathogenic to fish, which may be related to the phage recombination.
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Fructose-asparagine is a primary nutrient during growth of Salmonella in the inflamed intestine.
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Mohamed M Ali
2014-06-01
Full Text Available Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella is one of the most significant food-borne pathogens affecting both humans and agriculture. We have determined that Salmonella encodes an uptake and utilization pathway specific for a novel nutrient, fructose-asparagine (F-Asn, which is essential for Salmonella fitness in the inflamed intestine (modeled using germ-free, streptomycin-treated, ex-germ-free with human microbiota, and IL10-/- mice. The locus encoding F-Asn utilization, fra, provides an advantage only if Salmonella can initiate inflammation and use tetrathionate as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration (the fra phenotype is lost in Salmonella SPI1- SPI2- or ttrA mutants, respectively. The severe fitness defect of a Salmonella fra mutant suggests that F-Asn is the primary nutrient utilized by Salmonella in the inflamed intestine and that this system provides a valuable target for novel therapies.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Banks, D.; Reimann, C.; Skarphagen, H.
1998-01-01
A comparative study is presented of granitic groundwaters from the Hvaler Islands, south-eastern Norway (11 samples) and the Scilly Islands, south-western England (10 samples). The islands display similar bulk lithologies (peraluminous S-type, U/Th-enriched granites) and land use, but differing glaciation and hence weathering histories. The groundwater of both groups bears a strong marine signature, although the Hvaler Islands display less marine influence and a greater degree of water-rock interaction. The most interesting hydrochemical dissimilarities concern the health related trace elements Rn, U and F. These display median (and maximum) values of 2510 Bq/l (8520 Bq/l), 15 μg/l (170 μg/l) and 3.3 mg/l (4.4 mg/l), respectively for Hvaler, compared with 140 Bq/l (200 Bq/l), 1.5 μg/l (4 μg/l) and 0.1 mg/l (0.27 mg/l) for Scilly. Commonly employed drinking water limits for these parameters are 500 Bq/l (Norwegian action level), 20 μg/l (Canadian limit) and 1.5 mg/l. The differences in groundwater contents of these elements between Hvaler and Scilly may be ascribed to: (1) differing trace element compositions of the granites and fracture mineralisations; (2) radically differing recent weathering histories; and (3) hydrodynamic factors
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Decay process of a magnetic island by forced reconnection
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nagasaki, K.; Itoh, K.
1991-03-01
Time evolution of a magnetic island by forced reconnection, especially the decay process is analyzed. A simple slab model is used and the magnetic island is considered to have a single helicity. The plasma is assumed to be incompressible. The evolution time is affected by the presence of an original magnetic island. In the decay process, a current flows along the separatrix of the magnetic island, and the current layer width depends on the magnetic island width, when the island is relatively wide compared to the current layer. In the presence of a magnetic island, even if the magnetic Reynolds number S increases, the current layer does not become narrower. This leads to the slow evolution of the magnetic island. It is found that the time scale S 1 τ A is required to reach the last equilibrium regardless of the nonlinear terms. This is slower than that of the growth process, S 3/5 τ A . (author)
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CpG island mapping by epigenome prediction.
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Christoph Bock
2007-06-01
Full Text Available CpG islands were originally identified by epigenetic and functional properties, namely, absence of DNA methylation and frequent promoter association. However, this concept was quickly replaced by simple DNA sequence criteria, which allowed for genome-wide annotation of CpG islands in the absence of large-scale epigenetic datasets. Although widely used, the current CpG island criteria incur significant disadvantages: (1 reliance on arbitrary threshold parameters that bear little biological justification, (2 failure to account for widespread heterogeneity among CpG islands, and (3 apparent lack of specificity when applied to the human genome. This study is driven by the idea that a quantitative score of "CpG island strength" that incorporates epigenetic and functional aspects can help resolve these issues. We construct an epigenome prediction pipeline that links the DNA sequence of CpG islands to their epigenetic states, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility. By training support vector machines on epigenetic data for CpG islands on human Chromosomes 21 and 22, we identify informative DNA attributes that correlate with open versus compact chromatin structures. These DNA attributes are used to predict the epigenetic states of all CpG islands genome-wide. Combining predictions for multiple epigenetic features, we estimate the inherent CpG island strength for each CpG island in the human genome, i.e., its inherent tendency to exhibit an open and transcriptionally competent chromatin structure. We extensively validate our results on independent datasets, showing that the CpG island strength predictions are applicable and informative across different tissues and cell types, and we derive improved maps of predicted "bona fide" CpG islands. The mapping of CpG islands by epigenome prediction is conceptually superior to identifying CpG islands by widely used sequence criteria since it links CpG island detection to
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CpG island mapping by epigenome prediction.
Bock, Christoph; Walter, Jörn; Paulsen, Martina; Lengauer, Thomas
2007-06-01
CpG islands were originally identified by epigenetic and functional properties, namely, absence of DNA methylation and frequent promoter association. However, this concept was quickly replaced by simple DNA sequence criteria, which allowed for genome-wide annotation of CpG islands in the absence of large-scale epigenetic datasets. Although widely used, the current CpG island criteria incur significant disadvantages: (1) reliance on arbitrary threshold parameters that bear little biological justification, (2) failure to account for widespread heterogeneity among CpG islands, and (3) apparent lack of specificity when applied to the human genome. This study is driven by the idea that a quantitative score of "CpG island strength" that incorporates epigenetic and functional aspects can help resolve these issues. We construct an epigenome prediction pipeline that links the DNA sequence of CpG islands to their epigenetic states, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility. By training support vector machines on epigenetic data for CpG islands on human Chromosomes 21 and 22, we identify informative DNA attributes that correlate with open versus compact chromatin structures. These DNA attributes are used to predict the epigenetic states of all CpG islands genome-wide. Combining predictions for multiple epigenetic features, we estimate the inherent CpG island strength for each CpG island in the human genome, i.e., its inherent tendency to exhibit an open and transcriptionally competent chromatin structure. We extensively validate our results on independent datasets, showing that the CpG island strength predictions are applicable and informative across different tissues and cell types, and we derive improved maps of predicted "bona fide" CpG islands. The mapping of CpG islands by epigenome prediction is conceptually superior to identifying CpG islands by widely used sequence criteria since it links CpG island detection to their characteristic