Characterization of the LAWB99-series and ORLEC-series Glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Riley, W. T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-12-01

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analysis results for a series of simulated low activity waste (LAW) glass compositions. These data will be used in the development of improved sulfur solubility models for LAW glass. A procedure developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for producing sulfur saturated melts (SSMs) was used to fabricate the glasses characterized in this report. This method includes triplicate melting steps with excess sodium sulfate, followed by grinding and washing to remove unincorporated sulfur salts. The wash solutions were also analyzed as part of this study.

Series Resistance Monitoring for Photovoltaic Modules in the Vicinity of MPP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sera, Dezso

2010-01-01

Faults and performance deterioration issues related to increases of the series resistance in PV modules or arrays are one of the most common causes to decrease the energy yield of photovoltaic installations. Therefore, the early detection of such failure types is very important in order to minimize...

Development and characterization of mutant winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions resistant to the herbicide quizalofop.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostlie, Michael; Haley, Scott D; Anderson, Victoria; Shaner, Dale; Manmathan, Harish; Beil, Craig; Westra, Phillip

2015-02-01

New herbicide resistance traits in wheat were produced through the use of induced mutagenesis. While herbicide-resistant crops have become common in many agricultural systems, wheat has seen few introductions of herbicide resistance traits. A population of Hatcher winter wheat treated with ethyl methanesulfonate was screened with quizalofop to identify herbicide-resistant plants. Initial testing identified plants that survived multiple quizalofop applications. A series of experiments were designed to characterize this trait. In greenhouse studies the mutants exhibited high levels of quizalofop resistance compared to non-mutant wheat. Sequencing ACC1 revealed a novel missense mutation causing an alanine to valine change at position 2004 (Alopecurus myosuroides reference sequence). Plants carrying single mutations in wheat's three genomes (A, B, D) were identified. Acetyl co-enzyme A carboxylase in resistant plants was 4- to 10-fold more tolerant to quizalofop. Populations of segregating backcross progenies were developed by crossing each of the three individual mutants with wild-type wheat. Experiments conducted with these populations confirmed largely normal segregation, with each mutant allele conferring an additive level of resistance. Further tests showed that the A genome mutation conferred the greatest resistance and the B genome mutation conferred the least resistance to quizalofop. The non-transgenic herbicide resistance trait identified will enhance weed control strategies in wheat.

Resistance to abrasion of extrinsic porcelain esthetic characterization techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Woo J; Browning, William; Looney, Stephen; Mackert, J Rodway; Windhorn, Richard J; Rueggeberg, Frederick

2017-01-01

A novel esthetic porcelain characterization technique involves mixing an appropriate amount of ceramic colorants with clear, low-fusing porcelain (LFP), applying the mixture on the external surfaces, and firing the combined components onto the surface of restorations in a porcelain oven. This method may provide better esthetic qualities and toothbrush abrasion resistance compared to the conventional techniques of applying color-corrective porcelain colorants alone, or applying a clear glaze layer over the colorants. However, there is no scientific literature to support this claim. This research evaluated toothbrush abrasion resistance of a novel porcelain esthetic characterization technique by subjecting specimens to various durations of simulated toothbrush abrasion. The results were compared to those obtained using the conventional characterization techniques of colorant application only or colorant followed by placement of a clear over-glaze. Four experimental groups, all of which were a leucite reinforced ceramic of E TC1 (Vita A1) shade, were prepared and fired in a porcelain oven according to the manufacturer's instructions. Group S (stain only) was characterized by application of surface colorants to provide a definitive shade of Vita A3.5. Group GS (glaze over stain) was characterized by application of a layer of glaze over the existing colorant layer as used for Group S. Group SL (stain+LFP) was characterized by application of a mixture of colorants and clear low-fusing add-on porcelain to provide a definitive shade of Vita A3.5. Group C (Control) was used as a control without any surface characterization. The 4 groups were subjected to mechanical toothbrushing using a 1:1 water-to-toothpaste solution for a simulated duration of 32 years of clinical use. The amount of wear was measured at time intervals simulating every 4 years of toothbrushing. These parameters were evaluated longitudinally for all groups as well as compared at similar time points among

Modeling of the Channel Thickness Influence on Electrical Characteristics and Series Resistance in Gate-Recessed Nanoscale SOI MOSFETs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Karsenty

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrathin body (UTB and nanoscale body (NSB SOI-MOSFET devices, sharing a similar W/L but with a channel thickness of 46 nm and lower than 5 nm, respectively, were fabricated using a selective “gate-recessed” process on the same silicon wafer. Their current-voltage characteristics measured at room temperature were found to be surprisingly different by several orders of magnitude. We analyzed this result by considering the severe mobility degradation and the influence of a huge series resistance and found that the last one seems more coherent. Then the electrical characteristics of the NSB can be analytically derived by integrating a gate voltage-dependent drain source series resistance. In this paper, the influence of the channel thickness on the series resistance is reported for the first time. This influence is integrated to the analytical model in order to describe the trends of the saturation current with the channel thickness. This modeling approach may be useful to interpret anomalous electrical behavior of other nanodevices in which series resistance and/or mobility degradation is of a great concern.

Characterization of drug resistant Enterobacter species isolated from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Enterobacter species are emerging clinical pathogens and they play important roles in the dissemination of drug resistant traits within the food chain due to their intrinsic abilities for resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as cephalosporins. Two Enterobacter cloacae and one Enterobacter hormaechei characterized in ...

A grid-voltage-sensorless resistive active power filter with series LC-filter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bai, Haofeng; Wang, Xiongfei; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

Voltage-sensorless control has been investigated for Voltage Source Inverters (VSIs) for many years due to the reduced system cost and potentially improved system reliability. The VSI based Resistive Active Power Filters (R-APFs) are now widely used to prevent the harmonic resonance in power...... distribution network, for which the voltage sensors are needed in order to obtain the current reference. In this paper a grid-voltage-sensorless control strategy is proposed for the R-APF with series LC-filter. Unlike the traditional resistance emulation method, this proposed control method re...

A Grid-Voltage-Sensorless Resistive Active Power Filter with Series LC-Filter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bai, Haofeng; Wang, Xiongfei; Blaabjerg, Frede

2018-01-01

Voltage-sensorless control has been investigated for Voltage Source Inverters (VSIs) for many years due to the reduced system cost and potentially improved system reliability. The VSI based Resistive Active Power Filters (R-APFs) are now widely used to prevent the harmonic resonance in power...... distribution network, for which the voltage sensors are needed in order to obtain the current reference. In this paper a grid-voltage-sensorless control strategy is proposed for the R-APF with series LC-filter. Unlike the traditional resistance emulation method, this proposed control method re...

Characterizations of Soil Profiles Through Electric Resistivity Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chik Z

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents how near surface soil characteristics are obtained through soil electric resistivity ratio from soil apparent resistivity profile. In recent advances of electrical sensors, soil apparent resistivity is implemented as nondestructive method for obtaining near surface soil profile. Although geo-electric techniques offer an improvement to traditional soil sampling methods, the resulting data are still often misinterpreted for obtaining soil characteristics through apparent electrical resistivity in the field. Because, soil resistivity as before rain and after rain are changeable due to the presence of more moisture contents in field investigations. In this study, the parameter of soil electric resistivity ratio is incorporated to obtain reliable near surface soil profiles from apparent resistivity of adjacent two layers in soil. The variations of potential differences are taken into account for using four probes method to get the soil apparent resistivity profile. The research is significant for simpler and faster soil characterizations using resistivity ratio of apparent resistivity in soil investigations.

Accurate calibration of resistance ratios between 1 MΩ and 1 GΩ using series resistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Kwang Min; Ihm, G

2011-01-01

As shown in high-resistance key comparisons carried out by the Consultative Committee for Electricity and Magnetism (CCEM), Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) and European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET), the accuracy of 10 MΩ and 1 GΩ resistances depends on ratio values between the reference resistance and unknown resistance and the accuracy of the reference resistance, which is determined with a quantized Hall resistance standard. This paper presents a method for calibrating 10:1 ratios in a high-resistance bridge using series resistors simply and accurately. By applying the 10:1 ratio errors determined using the presented method, the combined relative standard uncertainty for 1 GΩ resistance measurements using a modified Wheatstone bridge was estimated to be on the 1 × 10 −6 level. The method was also applied to 1 GΩ resistance measurements using a direct-current comparator resistance bridge. It was found that the 1 GΩ resistances determined by the two bridges agreed within 2.4 × 10 −6 Ω/Ω. We expect that the presented method can also be used to calibrate arbitrary resistance ratios

Characterization of Series Resistance and Mobility Degradation Parameter and Optimizing Choice of Oxide Thickness in Thin Oxide N-Channel MOSFET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noureddine Maouhoub

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We present two methods to extract the series resistance and the mobility degradation parameter in short-channel MOSFETs. The principle of the first method is based on the comparison between the exponential model and the classical model of effective mobility and for the second method is based on directly calculating the two parameters by solving a system of two equations obtained by using two different points in strong inversion at small drain bias from the characteristic (. The results obtained by these techniques have shown a better agreement with data measurements and allowed in the same time to determine the surface roughness amplitude and its influence on the maximum drain current and give the optimal oxide thickness.

The effect of the series resistance in dye-sensitized solar cells explored by electron transport and back reaction using electrical and optical modulation techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Weiqing; Hu Linhua; Dai Songyuan; Guo Lei; Jiang Nianquan; Kou Dongxing

2010-01-01

The influence of the series resistance on the electron transport and recombination processes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) has been investigated. The series resistances induced by some parts of DSC, such as the transparent conductive oxide (TCO), the electrolyte layer and the counter electrode, influence the performance of DSC. By combining three frequency-domain techniques, specifically electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS), we studied the relationship between the series resistance and the dynamic response of DSC. The results show that the series resistance induced by the TCO or counter electrode predominantly affects the electron transport under short circuit conditions and has no significant influence on the recombination under open circuit conditions. However, the resistance related to the electrolyte layer not only limits the carrier transport but also influences the recombination. Possible reasons for the influence of the series resistance on the electron transport and recombination processes in DSC are also discussed.

Gas-water two-phase flow characterization with Electrical Resistance Tomography and Multivariate Multiscale Entropy analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Chao; Zhao, Jia; Dong, Feng

2015-03-01

Flow behavior characterization is important to understand gas-liquid two-phase flow mechanics and further establish its description model. An Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) provides information regarding flow conditions at different directions where the sensing electrodes implemented. We extracted the multivariate sample entropy (MSampEn) by treating ERT data as a multivariate time series. The dynamic experimental results indicate that the MSampEn is sensitive to complexity change of flow patterns including bubbly flow, stratified flow, plug flow and slug flow. MSampEn can characterize the flow behavior at different direction of two-phase flow, and reveal the transition between flow patterns when flow velocity changes. The proposed method is effective to analyze two-phase flow pattern transition by incorporating information of different scales and different spatial directions. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing system dynamics with a weighted and directed network constructed from time series data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Xiaoran; Small, Michael; Zhao, Yi; Xue, Xiaoping

2014-01-01

In this work, we propose a novel method to transform a time series into a weighted and directed network. For a given time series, we first generate a set of segments via a sliding window, and then use a doubly symbolic scheme to characterize every windowed segment by combining absolute amplitude information with an ordinal pattern characterization. Based on this construction, a network can be directly constructed from the given time series: segments corresponding to different symbol-pairs are mapped to network nodes and the temporal succession between nodes is represented by directed links. With this conversion, dynamics underlying the time series has been encoded into the network structure. We illustrate the potential of our networks with a well-studied dynamical model as a benchmark example. Results show that network measures for characterizing global properties can detect the dynamical transitions in the underlying system. Moreover, we employ a random walk algorithm to sample loops in our networks, and find that time series with different dynamics exhibits distinct cycle structure. That is, the relative prevalence of loops with different lengths can be used to identify the underlying dynamics

Characterizing system dynamics with a weighted and directed network constructed from time series data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Xiaoran, E-mail: sxr0806@gmail.com [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009 (Australia); Small, Michael, E-mail: michael.small@uwa.edu.au [School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009 (Australia); Zhao, Yi [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Xue, Xiaoping [Department of Mathematics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150025 (China)

2014-06-15

In this work, we propose a novel method to transform a time series into a weighted and directed network. For a given time series, we first generate a set of segments via a sliding window, and then use a doubly symbolic scheme to characterize every windowed segment by combining absolute amplitude information with an ordinal pattern characterization. Based on this construction, a network can be directly constructed from the given time series: segments corresponding to different symbol-pairs are mapped to network nodes and the temporal succession between nodes is represented by directed links. With this conversion, dynamics underlying the time series has been encoded into the network structure. We illustrate the potential of our networks with a well-studied dynamical model as a benchmark example. Results show that network measures for characterizing global properties can detect the dynamical transitions in the underlying system. Moreover, we employ a random walk algorithm to sample loops in our networks, and find that time series with different dynamics exhibits distinct cycle structure. That is, the relative prevalence of loops with different lengths can be used to identify the underlying dynamics.

Thin stillage fractionation using ultrafiltration: resistance in series model.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Amit; Dien, Bruce S; Belyea, Ronald L; Wang, Ping; Singh, Vijay; Tumbleson, M E; Rausch, Kent D

2009-02-01

The corn based dry grind process is the most widely used method in the US for fuel ethanol production. Fermentation of corn to ethanol produces whole stillage after ethanol is removed by distillation. It is centrifuged to separate thin stillage from wet grains. Thin stillage contains 5-10% solids. To concentrate solids of thin stillage, it requires evaporation of large amounts of water and maintenance of evaporators. Evaporator maintenance requires excess evaporator capacity at the facility, increasing capital expenses, requiring plant slowdowns or shut downs and results in revenue losses. Membrane filtration is one method that could lead to improved value of thin stillage and may offer an alternative to evaporation. Fractionation of thin stillage using ultrafiltration was conducted to evaluate membranes as an alternative to evaporators in the ethanol industry. Two regenerated cellulose membranes with molecular weight cut offs of 10 and 100 kDa were evaluated. Total solids (suspended and soluble) contents recovered through membrane separation process were similar to those from commercial evaporators. Permeate flux decline of thin stillage using a resistance in series model was determined. Each of the four components of total resistance was evaluated experimentally. Effects of operating variables such as transmembrane pressure and temperature on permeate flux rate and resistances were determined and optimum conditions for maximum flux rates were evaluated. Model equations were developed to evaluate the resistance components that are responsible for fouling and to predict total flux decline with respect to time. Modeling results were in agreement with experimental results (R(2) > 0.98).

Studies of axon-glial cell interactions and periaxonal K+ homeostasis--II. The effect of axonal stimulation, cholinergic agents and transport inhibitors on the resistance in series with the axon membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, S; Lieberman, E M

1988-06-01

The small electrical resistance in series with the axon membrane is generally modeled as the intercellular pathway for current flow through the periaxonal glial (Schwann cell) sheath. The series resistance of the medial giant axon of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was found to vary with conditions known to affect the electrical properties of the periaxonal glia. Series resistance was estimated from computer analysed voltage waveforms generated by axial wire-constant current and space clamp techniques. The average series resistance for all axons was 6.2 +/- 0.5 omega cm2 (n = 128). Values ranged between 1 and 30 omega cm2. The series resistance of axons with low resting membrane resistance (less than 1500 omega cm2) increased an average of 30% when stimulated for 45 s to 7 min (50 Hz) whereas the series resistance of high membrane resistance (greater than 1500 omega cm2) axons decreased an average of 10%. Carbachol (10(-7) M) caused the series resistance of low membrane resistance axons to decrease during stimulation but had no effect on high membrane resistance axons. d-Tubocurare (10(-8) M) caused the series resistance of high membrane resistance axons to increase during stimulation but had no effect on low membrane resistance axons. Bumetanide, a Na-K-Cl cotransport inhibitor and low [K+]o, prevented the stimulation-induced increase in series resistance of low membrane resistance axons but had no effect on the high membrane resistance axons. The results suggest that the series resistance of axons varies in response to the activity of the glial K+ uptake mechanisms stimulated by the appearance of K+ in the periaxonal space during action potential generation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Poudel, Ajay; Maharjan, Bhagwan; Nakajima, Chie; Fukushima, Yukari; Pandey, Basu D; Beneke, Antje; Suzuki, Yasuhiko

2013-01-01

The emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has raised public health concern for global control of TB. Although molecular characterization of drug resistance-associated mutations in multidrug-resistant isolates in Nepal has been made, mutations in XDR isolates and their genotypes have not been reported previously. In this study, we identified and characterized 13 XDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from clinical isolates in Nepal. The most prevalent mutations involved in rifampicin, isoniazid, ofloxacin, and kanamycin/capreomycin resistance were Ser531Leu in rpoB gene (92.3%), Ser315Thr in katG gene (92.3%), Asp94Gly in gyrA gene (53.9%) and A1400G in rrs gene (61.5%), respectively. Spoligotyping and multilocus sequence typing revealed that 69% belonged to Beijing family, especially modern types. Further typing with 26-loci variable number of tandem repeats suggested the current spread of XDR M. tuberculosis. Our result highlights the need to reinforce the TB policy in Nepal with regard to control and detection strategies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-parametric characterization of long-term rainfall time series

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Harinarayan; Pandey, Brij Kishor

2018-03-01

The statistical study of rainfall time series is one of the approaches for efficient hydrological system design. Identifying, and characterizing long-term rainfall time series could aid in improving hydrological systems forecasting. In the present study, eventual statistics was applied for the long-term (1851-2006) rainfall time series under seven meteorological regions of India. Linear trend analysis was carried out using Mann-Kendall test for the observed rainfall series. The observed trend using the above-mentioned approach has been ascertained using the innovative trend analysis method. Innovative trend analysis has been found to be a strong tool to detect the general trend of rainfall time series. Sequential Mann-Kendall test has also been carried out to examine nonlinear trends of the series. The partial sum of cumulative deviation test is also found to be suitable to detect the nonlinear trend. Innovative trend analysis, sequential Mann-Kendall test and partial cumulative deviation test have potential to detect the general as well as nonlinear trend for the rainfall time series. Annual rainfall analysis suggests that the maximum changes in mean rainfall is 11.53% for West Peninsular India, whereas the maximum fall in mean rainfall is 7.8% for the North Mountainous Indian region. The innovative trend analysis method is also capable of finding the number of change point available in the time series. Additionally, we have performed von Neumann ratio test and cumulative deviation test to estimate the departure from homogeneity. Singular spectrum analysis has been applied in this study to evaluate the order of departure from homogeneity in the rainfall time series. Monsoon season (JS) of North Mountainous India and West Peninsular India zones has higher departure from homogeneity and singular spectrum analysis shows the results to be in coherence with the same.

Characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from pig carcasses in Hong Kong

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ho, J.; O'Donoghue, M.; Guardabassi, Luca

2012-01-01

This study describes the isolation and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from slaughtered pigs sampled from local markets in Hong Kong. The nares of 400 slaughtered pigs were cultured and MRSA isolates characterized for the presence of antibiotic-resistance de......This study describes the isolation and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from slaughtered pigs sampled from local markets in Hong Kong. The nares of 400 slaughtered pigs were cultured and MRSA isolates characterized for the presence of antibiotic...... tet(M). Resistance to erythromycin (89%) and chloramphenicol (71%) was associated with the presence of erm(C), and fex(A), respectively. No strains carried cfr and there was no resistance to linezolid, although minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) were close to the resistance break point...

Characterization of cowpea genotype resistance to Callosobruchus maculatus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria de Jesus Passos de Castro

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to characterize the resistance of 50 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata genotypes to Callosobruchus maculatus. A completely randomized design with five replicates per treatment (genotype was used. No-choice tests were performed using the 50 cowpea genotypes to evaluate the preference for oviposition and the development of the weevil. The genotypes IT85 F-2687, MN05-841 B-49, MNC99-508-1, MNC99-510-8, TVu 1593, Canapuzinho-1-2, and Sanzi Sambili show non-preference-type resistance (oviposition and feeding. IT81 D-1045 Ereto and IT81 D-1045 Enramador exhibit antibiosis against C. maculatus and descend from resistant genitors, which grants them potential to be used in future crossings to obtain cowpea varieties with higher levels of resistance.

Analysis of interface states and series resistance for Al/PVA:n-CdS nanocomposite metal-semiconductor and metal-insulator-semiconductor diode structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Mamta; Tripathi, S.K. [Panjab University, Centre of Advanced Study in Physics, Department of Physics, Chandigarh (India)

2013-11-15

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of Al/PVA:n-CdS (MS) and Al/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PVA:n-CdS (MIS) diode. The effects of interfacial insulator layer, interface states (N{sub ss}) and series resistance (R{sub s}) on the electrical characteristics of Al/PVA:n-CdS structures have been investigated using forward and reverse bias I-V, C-V, and G/w-V characteristics at room temperature. Al/PVA:n-CdS diode is fabricated with and without insulator Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer to explain the effect of insulator layer on main electrical parameters. The values of the ideality factor (n), series resistance (R{sub s}) and barrier height ({phi} {sub b}) are calculated from ln(I) vs. V plots, by the Cheung and Norde methods. The energy density distribution profile of the interface states is obtained from the forward bias I-V data by taking into account the bias dependence ideality factor (n(V)) and effective barrier height ({phi} {sub e}) for MS and MIS diode. The N{sub ss} values increase from mid-gap energy of CdS to the bottom of the conductance band edge for both MS and MIS diode. (orig.)

Molecular Characterization of the Resistance of Mycobacterium ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Purpose: To characterize the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to second line drugs using a line probe assay. Methods: ... Marne-la-Coquette,. France). Bacterial isolates contained in 500 µl of liquid culture were heat- inactivated at 95 °C for 30 min and then sonicated for 12 min. Finally, the suspension was ...

Molecular characterization of a proteolysis-resistant lipase from Bacillus pumilus SG2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sangeetha

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Proteolysis-resistant lipases can be well exploited by industrial processes which employ both lipase and protease as biocatalysts. A proteolysis resistant lipase from Bacillus pumilus SG2 was isolated, purified and characterized earlier. The lipase was resistant to native and commercial proteases. In the present work, we have characterized the lip gene which encodes the proteolysis-resistant lipase from Bacillus pumilus SG2. The parameters and structural details of lipase were analysed. The lip gene consisted of 650 bp. The experimental molecular weight of SG2 lipase was nearly double that of its theoretical molecular weight, thus suggesting the existence of the functional lipase as a covalent dimer. The proteolytic cleavage sites of the lipase would have been made inaccessible by dimerisation, thus rendering the lipase resistant to protease.

Reservoir resistivity characterization incorporating flow dynamics

KAUST Repository

Arango, Santiago

2016-04-07

Systems and methods for reservoir resistivity characterization are provided, in various aspects, an integrated framework for the estimation of Archie\\'s parameters for a strongly heterogeneous reservoir utilizing the dynamics of the reservoir are provided. The framework can encompass a Bayesian estimation/inversion method for estimating the reservoir parameters, integrating production and time lapse formation conductivity data to achieve a better understanding of the subsurface rock conductivity properties and hence improve water saturation imaging.

Reservoir resistivity characterization incorporating flow dynamics

KAUST Repository

Arango, Santiago; Sun, Shuyu; Hoteit, Ibrahim; Katterbauer, Klemens

2016-01-01

Systems and methods for reservoir resistivity characterization are provided, in various aspects, an integrated framework for the estimation of Archie's parameters for a strongly heterogeneous reservoir utilizing the dynamics of the reservoir are provided. The framework can encompass a Bayesian estimation/inversion method for estimating the reservoir parameters, integrating production and time lapse formation conductivity data to achieve a better understanding of the subsurface rock conductivity properties and hence improve water saturation imaging.

Characterization of a stable, metronidazole-resistant Clostridium difficile clinical isolate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarah Lynch

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile are gram-positive, spore forming anaerobic bacteria that are the leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea, usually associated with antibiotic usage. Metronidazole is currently the first-line treatment for mild to moderate C. difficile diarrhea however recurrence occurs at rates of 15-35%. There are few reports of C. difficile metronidazole resistance in the literature, and when observed, the phenotype has been transient and lost after storage or exposure of the bacteria to freeze/thaw cycles. Owing to the unstable nature of the resistance phenotype in the laboratory, clinical significance and understanding of the resistance mechanisms is lacking. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Genotypic and phenotypic characterization was performed on a metronidazole resistant clinical isolate of C. difficile. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify potential genetic contributions to the phenotypic variation observed with molecular and bacteriological techniques. Phenotypic observations of the metronidazole resistant strain revealed aberrant growth in broth and elongated cell morphology relative to a metronidazole-susceptible, wild type NAP1 strain. Comparative genomic analysis revealed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP level variation within genes affecting core metabolic pathways such as electron transport, iron utilization and energy production. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first characterization of stable, metronidazole resistance in a C. difficile isolate. The study provides an in-depth genomic and phenotypic analysis of this strain and provides a foundation for future studies to elucidate mechanisms conferring metronidazole resistance in C. difficile that have not been previously described.

Temperature dependence and effects of series resistance on current and admittance measurements of Al/SnO2/p-Si MIS diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altindal, S.; Tekeli, Z.; Karadeniz, S.; Sahingoez, R.

2002-01-01

Temperature dependency and the series resistance effect on I-V, C-V and G-V characteristics of Al/SnO 2 /p-Si MIS diode were investigated in the temperature range 150-350 K. The current-voltage (I-V) analysis in this temperature range gives the saturation current (10''-''9 - 10''-''5 A), the ideality factor (6-1.8), the barrier height Φ B (I-V) (0.3-0.65 eV) the density of interface states D it (8x10''1''3 - 1x10''1''3 eV''-''1cm''-''2) and the series resistance R s (500-100 Ω). The decreases with increasing temperature of density of interface states is the result of molecular restructuring and reordering at the metal-semiconductor interface. The value of series resistance 520 Ω was calculated from the admittance measurement at room temperature and enough high frequency (500 khz) when the diode is biased in strong accumulation region. The admittance frequency (C-V and G-V) measurement confirmed that the measured capacitance (C m ) and conductance (G m ) varies with applied voltage and frequency due to the presence of density of interface states in the MIS diode, interfacial insulator layer and enough high series resistance. Similar results have been observed on MIS type Schottky diodes

Automated classification of Permanent Scatterers time-series based on statistical characterization tests

Science.gov (United States)

Berti, Matteo; Corsini, Alessandro; Franceschini, Silvia; Iannacone, Jean Pascal

2013-04-01

The application of space borne synthetic aperture radar interferometry has progressed, over the last two decades, from the pioneer use of single interferograms for analyzing changes on the earth's surface to the development of advanced multi-interferogram techniques to analyze any sort of natural phenomena which involves movements of the ground. The success of multi-interferograms techniques in the analysis of natural hazards such as landslides and subsidence is widely documented in the scientific literature and demonstrated by the consensus among the end-users. Despite the great potential of this technique, radar interpretation of slope movements is generally based on the sole analysis of average displacement velocities, while the information embraced in multi interferogram time series is often overlooked if not completely neglected. The underuse of PS time series is probably due to the detrimental effect of residual atmospheric errors, which make the PS time series characterized by erratic, irregular fluctuations often difficult to interpret, and also to the difficulty of performing a visual, supervised analysis of the time series for a large dataset. In this work is we present a procedure for automatic classification of PS time series based on a series of statistical characterization tests. The procedure allows to classify the time series into six distinctive target trends (0=uncorrelated; 1=linear; 2=quadratic; 3=bilinear; 4=discontinuous without constant velocity; 5=discontinuous with change in velocity) and retrieve for each trend a series of descriptive parameters which can be efficiently used to characterize the temporal changes of ground motion. The classification algorithms were developed and tested using an ENVISAT datasets available in the frame of EPRS-E project (Extraordinary Plan of Environmental Remote Sensing) of the Italian Ministry of Environment (track "Modena", Northern Apennines). This dataset was generated using standard processing, then the

Stress corrosion cracking resistance of aluminum alloy 7000 series after two-step aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jegdić Bore V.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of one step-and a new (short two-step aging on the resistance to stress corrosion cracking of an aluminum alloy 7000 series was investigated, using slow strain rate test and fracture mechanics method. Aging level in the tested alloy was evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy and measurements of electrical resistivity. It was shown that the alloy after the new two-step aging is significantly more resistant to stress corrosion cracking. Values of tensile properties and fracture toughness are similar for both thermal states. Processes that take place at the crack tip have been considered. The effect of the testing solution temperature on the crack growth rate on the plateau was determined. Two values of the apparent activation energy were obtained. These values correspond to different processes that control crack growth rate on the plateau at higher and lower temperatures. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 34028 i br. TR 34016

Analysis of frequency-dependent series resistance and interface states of In/SiO{sub 2}/p-Si (MIS) structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birkan Selcuk, A. [Department of Nuclear Electronics and Instrumentation, Saraykoey Nuclear Research and Training Center, 06983 Saray, Ankara (Turkey); Tugluoglu, N. [Department of Nuclear Electronics and Instrumentation, Saraykoey Nuclear Research and Training Center, 06983 Saray, Ankara (Turkey)], E-mail: ntuglu@taek.gov.tr; Karadeniz, S.; Bilge Ocak, S. [Department of Nuclear Electronics and Instrumentation, Saraykoey Nuclear Research and Training Center, 06983 Saray, Ankara (Turkey)

2007-11-15

In this work, the investigation of the interface state density and series resistance from capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G/{omega}-V) characteristics in In/SiO{sub 2}/p-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures with thin interfacial insulator layer have been reported. The thickness of SiO{sub 2} film obtained from the measurement of the oxide capacitance corrected for series resistance in the strong accumulation region is 220 A. The forward and reverse bias C-V and G/{omega}-V characteristics of MIS structures have been studied at the frequency range 30 kHz-1 MHz at room temperature. The frequency dispersion in capacitance and conductance can be interpreted in terms of the series resistance (R{sub s}) and interface state density (D{sub it}) values. Both the series resistance R{sub s} and density of interface states D{sub it} are strongly frequency-dependent and decrease with increasing frequency. The distribution profile of R{sub s}-V gives a peak at low frequencies in the depletion region and disappears with increasing frequency. Experimental results show that the interfacial polarization contributes to the improvement of the dielectric properties of In/SiO{sub 2}/p-Si MIS structures. The interface state density value of In/SiO{sub 2}/p-Si MIS diode calculated at strong accumulation region is 1.11x10{sup 12} eV{sup -1} cm{sup -2} at 1 MHz. It is found that the calculated value of D{sub it} ({approx}10{sup 12} eV{sup -1} cm{sup -2}) is not high enough to pin the Fermi level of the Si substrate disrupting the device operation.

Molecular Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Causing Fatal Purulent Pericarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Vasudevan Anil; Nair, Nisha; Thachathodiyl, Rajesh; Nandakumar, Aswathy; Dinesh, Kavitha R; Thatcher, Eileen; Karim, Shamsul; Biswas, Raja

2013-07-01

Though pericardial disease is common in patients with renal disease, purulent pericarditis is very rare. We report a fatal case of purulent pericarditis and sepsis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a 78-year-old male with systemic hypertension and renal disease along with the molecular characterization of its resistant mechanism.

Characterization of pig-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun; Jiang, Nansong; Ke, Yuebin; Feßler, Andrea T; Wang, Yang; Schwarz, Stefan; Wu, Congming

2017-03-01

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) have been reported in various countries worldwide. However, although China is one of the biggest pig and pork producers, large-scale studies on pig-associated LA-MRSA from China are scarce. The aims of this study were to analyze 2420 non-duplicate samples collected from pigs at swine farms and slaughterhouses in different regions in China during 2014 for the prevalence of pig-associated MRSA and to determine the antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes of the respective isolates. MRSA isolates were identified in 270 (11.2%) samples. The isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and screening for resistance genes. All MRSA isolates belonged to the clonal complex 9 and spa type t899, but showed variable PFGE patterns. All isolates were non-susceptible to oxacillin, cefoxitin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, ciprofloxacin, and valnemulin. High rates of resistance were also observed for tetracycline (99.6%), erythromycin (97.0%), quinupristin-dalfopristin (97.0%), and gentamicin (80.4%). Three linezolid-non-susceptible isolates containing the multi-resistance gene cfr and nine rifampicin-non-susceptible isolates with mutations in rpoB were detected. Resistance to β-lactams was exclusively associated with mecA, while phenicol resistance was mainly attributable to fexA, except in the three cfr-positive isolates. The pleuromutilin-lincosamide-streptogramin A resistance gene lsa(E) was identified in all MRSA isolates, and no other pleuromutilin resistance genes, except cfr in three isolates, were detected. Pigs are the most important hosts of LA-MRSA in China. Screening for pig-associated MRSA is necessary to monitor changes in epidemiology and characteristics of these important pathogens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Resistance to Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) in Barley Germplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Varella, Andrea C; Talbert, Luther E; Achhami, Buddhi B; Blake, Nancy K; Hofland, Megan L; Sherman, Jamie D; Lamb, Peggy F; Reddy, Gadi V P; Weaver, David K

2018-04-02

Most barley cultivars have some degree of resistance to the wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae). Damage caused by WSS is currently observed in fields of barley grown in the Northern Great Plains, but the impact of WSS damage among cultivars due to genetic differences within the barley germplasm is not known. Specifically, little is known about the mechanisms underlying WSS resistance in barley. We characterized WSS resistance in a subset of the spring barley CAP (Coordinated Agricultural Project) germplasm panel containing 193 current and historically important breeding lines from six North American breeding programs. Panel lines were grown in WSS infested fields for two consecutive years. Lines were characterized for stem solidness, stem cutting, WSS infestation (antixenosis), larval mortality (antibiosis), and parasitism (indirect plant defense). Variation in resistance to WSS in barley was compared to observations made for solid-stemmed resistant and hollow-stemmed susceptible wheat lines. Results indicate that both antibiosis and antixenosis are involved in the resistance of barley to the WSS, but antibiosis seems to be more prevalent. Almost all of the barley lines had greater larval mortality than the hollow-stemmed wheat lines, and only a few barley lines had mortality as low as that observed in the solid-stemmed wheat line. Since barley lines lack solid stems, it is apparent that barley has a different form of antibiosis. Our results provide information for use of barley in rotation to control the WSS and may provide a basis for identification of new approaches for improving WSS resistance in wheat.

Characterizing submarine ground‐water discharge using fiber‐optic distributed temperature sensing and marine electrical resistivity

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Rory; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Lane, John W.; Harvey, Charles F.; Liu, Lanbo

2008-01-01

Submarine ground‐water discharge (SGD) contributes important solute fluxes to coastal waters. Pollutants are transported to coastal ecosystems by SGD at spatially and temporally variable rates. New approaches are needed to characterize the effects of storm‐event, tidal, and seasonal forcing on SGD. Here, we evaluate the utility of two geophysical methods‐fiber‐optic distributed temperature sensing (FO‐DTS) and marine electrical resistivity (MER)—for observing the spatial and temporal variations in SGD and the configuration of the freshwater/saltwater interface within submarine sediments. FO‐DTS and MER cables were permanently installed into the estuary floor on a transect extending 50 meters offshore under Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and nearly continuous data were collected for 4 weeks in summer 2007. Initial results indicate that the methods are extremely useful for monitoring changes in the complex estuarine environment. The FO‐DTS produced time‐series data at approximately 1‐meter increments along the length of the fiber at approximately 29‐second intervals. The temperature time‐series data show that the temperature at near‐shore locations appears to be dominated by a semi‐diurnal (tidal) signal, whereas the temperature at off‐shore locations is dominated by a diurnal signal (day/night heating and cooling). Dipole‐dipole MER surveys were completed about every 50 minutes, allowing for production of high‐resolution time‐lapse tomograms, which provide insight into the variations of the subsurface freshwater/saltwater interface. Preliminary results from the MER data show a high‐resistivity zone near the shore at low tide, indicative of SGD, and consistent with the FO‐DTS results.

Shunt and series resistance of photovoltaic module evaluated from the I-V curve; I-V tokusei kara hyokashita taiyo denchi no shunt teiko to chokuretsu teiko

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asano, K; Kawamura, H; Yamanaka, S; Kawamura, H; Ono, H [Meijo University, Nagoya (Japan)

1997-11-25

With an objective of discussing I-V characteristics when a shadow has appeared on part of a photovoltaic module, evaluations were given as a first stage of the study on saturation current, shunt resistance and series resistance for the solar cell module. As a result of measuring change in amount of power generated in a sunny day with a shadow appearing over the solar cell module, reduction in power generation capability of about 23% was verified. In other words, the I-V characteristics of the solar cell module change largely because of existence of the shadow caused on the module. The I-V characteristics curve may be expressed and calculated as a function of the shunt resistance and series resistance. By curve-fitting measurement data for a case of changing insolation without existence of partial shadow, values of the shunt resistance and series resistance were derived. As a result, it was found that the calculations agree well with measurements. It was made also clear that each parameter shows temperature dependence. 6 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

Effects of series and parallel resistances on the C-V characteristics of silicon-based metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Rejaiba; Mohamed, Ben Amar; Adel, Matoussi

2015-04-01

This paper investigates the electrical behavior of the Al/SiO2/Si MOS structure. We have used the complex admittance method to develop an analytical model of total capacitance applied to our proposed equivalent circuit. The charge density, surface potential, semiconductor capacitance, flatband and threshold voltages have been determined by resolving the Poisson transport equations. This modeling is used to predict in particular the effects of frequency, parallel and series resistance on the capacitance-voltage characteristic. Results show that the variation of both frequency and parallel resistance causes strong dispersion of the C-V curves in the inversion regime. It also reveals that the series resistance influences the shape of C-V curves essentially in accumulation and inversion modes. A significant decrease of the accumulation capacitance is observed when R s increases in the range 200-50000 Ω. The degradation of the C-V magnitude is found to be more pronounced when the series resistance depends on the substrate doping density. When R s varies in the range 100 Ω-50 kΩ, it shows a decrease in the flatband voltage from -1.40 to -1.26 V and an increase in the threshold voltage negatively from -0.28 to -0.74 V, respectively. Good agreement has been observed between simulated and measured C-V curves obtained at high frequency. This study is necessary to control the adverse effects that disrupt the operation of the MOS structure in different regimes and optimizes the efficiency of such electronic device before manufacturing.

Optimum design of matrix fault current limiters using the series resistance connected with shunt coil

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, D. C.; Choi, H. S.; Lee, N. Y.; Nam, G. Y.; Cho, Y. S.; Sung, T. H.; Han, Y. H.; Kim, B. S.; Lim, S. H.

2007-10-01

In this paper we described the improved design for the matrix fault current limiters (MFCL). To do this, we used thin film-type superconducting elements. therefore it means that we can make the MFCL with minimized size and high switching speed because of the high current density and the high indexing value of superconducting thin film. Also we could minimize the bulky shunt coil using the connection of a series resistance with a shunt coil. Also we could effectively block up a leakage current in shunt coils under no-fault condition and simply control total impedances of a current-limiting part using this method. After we designed an appropriated 1 × 2 basic MFCL module with an applied voltage of 160 V, we enlarged it to a 2 × 2 MFCL module and a 3 × 2 MFCL module where applied voltages were 320 V and 480 V, respectively. Experimental results for our MFCL were reported in terms of various fault currents, variation of series resistance and so on. We think that these methods will be useful in the optimum design of an m × n MFCL.

Optimum design of matrix fault current limiters using the series resistance connected with shunt coil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, D.C.; Choi, H.S.; Lee, N.Y.; Nam, G.Y.; Cho, Y.S.; Sung, T.H.; Han, Y.H.; Kim, B.S.; Lim, S.H.

2007-01-01

In this paper we described the improved design for the matrix fault current limiters (MFCL). To do this, we used thin film-type superconducting elements. therefore it means that we can make the MFCL with minimized size and high switching speed because of the high current density and the high indexing value of superconducting thin film. Also we could minimize the bulky shunt coil using the connection of a series resistance with a shunt coil. Also we could effectively block up a leakage current in shunt coils under no-fault condition and simply control total impedances of a current-limiting part using this method. After we designed an appropriated 1 x 2 basic MFCL module with an applied voltage of 160 V, we enlarged it to a 2 x 2 MFCL module and a 3 x 2 MFCL module where applied voltages were 320 V and 480 V, respectively. Experimental results for our MFCL were reported in terms of various fault currents, variation of series resistance and so on. We think that these methods will be useful in the optimum design of an m x n MFCL

Magnetic Field Emission Comparison for Series-Parallel and Series-Series Wireless Power Transfer to Vehicles – PART 2/2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Batra, Tushar; Schaltz, Erik

2014-01-01

Series-series and series-parallel topologies are the most favored topologies for design of wireless power transfer system for vehicle applications. The series-series topology has the advantage of reflecting only the resistive part on the primary side. On the other hand, the current source output...... characteristics of the series-parallel topology are more suited for the battery of the vehicle. This paper compares the two topologies in terms of magnetic emissions to the surroundings for the same input power, primary current, quality factor and inductors. Theoretical and simulation results show that the series...

Density of interface states, excess capacitance and series resistance in the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altindal, Semsettin; Tataroglu, Adem; Dokme, Ilbilge [Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Physics Department, Gazi University, 06500, Ankara (Turkey)

2005-01-31

Dark and illuminated current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of Al/SiO{sub x}/p-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) solar cells were measured at room temperature. In addition to capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V), characteristics are studied at a wide frequency range of 1kHz-10MHz. The dark I-V characteristics showed non-ideal behavior with an ideal factor of 3.2. The density of interface states distribution profiles as a function of (E{sub ss}-E{sub v}) deduced from the I-V measurements at room temperature for the MIS solar cells on the order of 10{sup 13}cm{sup -2}eV{sup -1}. These interface states were responsible for the non-ideal behavior of I-V, C-V and G-V characteristics. Frequency dispersion in capacitance for MIS solar cells can be interpreted only in terms of interface states. The interface states can follow the a.c. signal and yield an excess capacitance, which depends on the relaxation time of interface states and the frequency of the a.c. signal. It was observed that the excess capacitance C{sub o} caused by an interface state decreases with an increase of frequency. The capacitances characteristics of MIS solar cells are affected not only in interface states but also series resistance. Analysis of this data indicated that the high interface states and series resistance leads to lower values of open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, and fill factor. Experimental results show that the location of interface states and series resistance have a significant effect on I-V, C-V and G-V characteristics.

Characterization of ST258 Colistin-Resistant, blaKPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Greek Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavroidi, Angeliki; Katsiari, Maria; Likousi, Sofia; Palla, Eleftheria; Roussou, Zoi; Nikolaou, Charikleia; Maguina, Asimina; Platsouka, Evangelia D

2016-07-01

The emergence of colistin resistance may further contribute to treatment failure of infection caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae. The colistin resistance rates were determined and colistin-resistant carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (COL-R CP-Kp) were characterized over an 18-month period in a Greek hospital. Out of 135 carbapenemase producers, 19 isolates (14%) were categorized as resistant to colistin. Phenotypic and molecular characterization of the COL-R CP-Kp isolates revealed that all were MDR blaKPC producers and, excluding one isolate of MLST ST383, belonged to the international clonal lineage ST258. Furthermore, PCR amplification and sequencing of the mgrB locus revealed nucleotide sequences of different sizes and insertions of IS1- and IS5-like mobile elements. The majority (63%) of the COL-R blaKPC producers was recovered from patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and clinical data indicated that all patients should have acquired these isolates in the ICU. The findings of the present study underscore a concerning evolution of colistin resistance in a setting of high K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-Kp endemicity, such as Greece. Thus, continuous surveillance, molecular characterization, prudent use of antibiotics, and implementation of infection control measures for K. pneumoniae are urgent.

Midgut proteinases of Sitotroga cerealella (Oliver) (Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae): Characterization and relationship to resistance in cereals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Lan.

1989-01-01

Midgut proteinases are vital to the insects which digest ingested food in the midgut. Insect midgut proteinases, therefore, have been considered as possible targets for the control of insect pests. Proteinaceous proteinase inhibitors are very attractive for their potential use in developing insect resistant plant varieties via genetic engineering. Sitotroga cerealella is one of the major storage pests of cereals, and no antibiotic resistance in wheat against this insect has been identified to date. A series of diagnostic inhibitors, thiol-reducing agents and a metal-ion chelator were used in the identification of proteinases in crude extracts from S. cerealella larval midguts with both protein and ester substrates. The partial inhibition of proteolytic activity in crude midgut extract toward [ 3 H]-methemoglobin by pepstatin A suggested the presence of another proteinase which was sensitive to pepstatin A. The optimum pH range for the proteolytic activity, however, indicated that the major midgut proteinases were not carboxyl proteinases. Two proteinases were successfully purified by a combination of fractionation with ammonium sulfate, gel permeation and anion exchange chromatography. Characterization of the enzymes with the purified enzyme preparations confirmed that the two major proteinases were serine endoproteinases with trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like specificities respectively. Bioassays were conducted using the artificial seeds to test naturally occurring proteinaceous proteinase inhibitors of potential value. Soybean trypsin inhibitor and the Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor had adverse effects on the development of the insect. A predictive model was constructed to evaluate effects of seed resistance in conjunction with other control methods on S. cerealella population dynamics

Characterization and drug resistance patterns of Ewing's sarcoma family tumor cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William A May

Full Text Available Despite intensive treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, over 70% of patients with metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma Family of Tumors (EFT will die of their disease. We hypothesize that properly characterized laboratory models reflecting the drug resistance of clinical tumors will facilitate the application of new therapeutic agents to EFT. To determine resistance patterns, we studied newly established EFT cell lines derived from different points in therapy: two established at diagnosis (CHLA-9, CHLA-32, two after chemotherapy and progressive disease (CHLA-10, CHLA-25, and two at relapse after myeloablative therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (post-ABMT (CHLA-258, COG-E-352. The new lines were compared to widely studied EFT lines TC-71, TC-32, SK-N-MC, and A-673. These lines were extensively characterized with regard to identity (short tandem repeat (STR analysis, p53, p16/14 status, and EWS/ETS breakpoint and target gene expression profile. The DIMSCAN cytotoxicity assay was used to assess in vitro drug sensitivity to standard chemotherapy agents. No association was found between drug resistance and the expression of EWS/ETS regulated genes in the EFT cell lines. No consistent association was observed between drug sensitivity and p53 functionality or between drug sensitivity and p16/14 functionality across the cell lines. Exposure to chemotherapy prior to cell line initiation correlated with drug resistance of EFT cell lines in 5/8 tested agents at clinically achievable concentrations (CAC or the lower tested concentration (LTC: (cyclophosphamide (as 4-HC and doxorubicin at CAC, etoposide, irinotecan (as SN-38 and melphalan at LTC; P<0.1 for one agent, and P<0.05 for four agents. This panel of well-characterized drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cell lines will facilitate in vitro preclinical testing of new agents for EFT.

Characterizing the insecticide resistance of Anopheles gambiae in Mali.

Science.gov (United States)

Cisse, Moussa B M; Keita, Chitan; Dicko, Abdourhamane; Dengela, Dereje; Coleman, Jane; Lucas, Bradford; Mihigo, Jules; Sadou, Aboubacar; Belemvire, Allison; George, Kristen; Fornadel, Christen; Beach, Raymond

2015-08-22

The impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs), key components of the national malaria control strategy of Mali, is threatened by vector insecticide resistance. The objective of this study was to assess the level of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae sensu lato populations from Mali against four classes of insecticide recommended for IRS: organochlorines (OCs), pyrethroids (PYs), carbamates (CAs) and organophosphates (OPs). Characterization of resistance was done in 13 sites across southern Mali and assessed presence and distribution of physiological mechanisms that included target-site modifications: knockdown resistance (kdr) and altered acetycholinesterase (AChE), and/or metabolic mechanisms: elevated esterases, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), and monooxygenases. The World Health Organization (WHO) tube test was used to determine phenotypic resistance of An. gambiae s.l. to: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (OC), deltamethrin (PY), lambda-cyhalothrin (PY), bendiocarb (CA), and fenitrothion (OP). Identification of sibling species and presence of the ace-1 (R) and Leu-Phe kdr, resistance-associated mutations, were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Biochemical assays were conducted to detect increased activity of GSTs, oxidases and esterases. Populations tested showed high levels of resistance to DDT in all 13 sites, as well as increased resistance to deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin in 12 out of 13 sites. Resistance to fenitrothion and bendiocarb was detected in 1 and 4 out of 13 sites, respectively. Anopheles coluzzii, An. gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis were identified with high allelic frequencies of kdr in all sites where each of the species were found (13, 12 and 10 sites, respectively). Relatively low allelic frequencies of ace-1 (R) were detected in four sites where this assessment was conducted. Evidence of elevated insecticide metabolism, based on oxidase

Characterization and uranium-series dating of travertine from Suettoe in Hungary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierralta, M; Geldern, R van; Frechen, M [Leibniz Institute for Applied Geosciences, Hannover (Germany); Kele, S [Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary); Melcher, F Author [Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Germany)

2007-07-01

Full text: Terrestrial carbonate formations, such as travertines, speleothems and lake sediments, are archives of terrestrial climate forcing. At the Suettoe section in Hungary, a succession of travertine is covered by a loess-palaeosol sequence; both are high resolution terrestrial archives of climate and environment change. Uranium-series ({sup 230}Th/U) dating using thermal ionisation mass spectroscopy was carried out to set up a reliable chronological frame for the travertine. As the growth of travertine is complex, pore cements may cause serious problems for precise dating. Therefore, we applied microscopic, mineralogical and geochemical methods to determine the abundance of secondary calcite. The state of alteration of primary spar and micrite was characterized by cathodoluminescence and microprobe analyzes. The travertine from Suettoe showed homogeneous phases of primary calcite, minor micropores and rare pore cements. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyzes were carried out to characterize the depositional environment of the Suettoe travertines. The carbon isotopic composition indicated that the source of carbon was a mixture of atmospheric and soil derived CO{sub 2}. Calculated water temperatures based on oxygen isotope data ranged from 22{sup o}C to 31{sup o}C. For uranium-series dating bulk samples were prepared from areas with mainly micrite and spar. {sup 230}Th/U ages were determined applying an isochron approach. As the dense travertine deposits had a dense structure, the bulk sampling method was successfully applied in determining uranium-series ages with much higher precision than former studies with alpha spectrometry could achieve. Travertines from Suettoe yielded Mid-Pleistocene ages ranging from the antepenultimate glacial to the penultimate interglacial (310-240 ka). These results are in agreement with those from OSL and AAR dating of the overlying sediment indicating at least an MIS 7 age for the travertine. (author)

Experimental investigation and characterization of micro resistance welding with an electro-thermal actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Chun-Wei; Yeh, Cheng-Chi; Hsu Wensyang

2009-01-01

Resistance welding is a common scheme of assembly on the macro scale by pressing together two workpieces with current passing through them to generate joule heating at the contact region due to high contact resistance. However, micro assembly by resistance welding is seldom reported. Here, resistance welding with an electro-thermal microactuator to assemble micro Ni structures is experimentally investigated and characterized. The bent-beam electro-thermal microactuator is designed to provide the necessary displacements and pressing forces. The two-mask metal-based surface micromachining process is adopted to fabricate the micro Ni structures. The calibrated initial contact resistance is shown to decrease with increasing contact pressure. Furthermore, stronger welding strength is achieved at a smaller initial contact resistance, which indicates that a larger clamping force would enhance the welding strength as large as 3.09 MPa (74.4 µN) at a contact resistance of 2.7 Ω here. The input welding energy is also found to be a critical factor. In our tests, when welding energy is below the threshold limit of 0.05 J, the welding trials all fail. For the energy between 0.05 J and 1 J, there is a transition from a lower yield of 33.3% to a higher yield of 58.3%. At high welding energy, between 1 and 10 J, 100% yield is achieved. With the demonstration and characterization of micro resistance welding by the electro-thermal microactuator, the scheme proposed here would be helpful in the automation of micro assembly

Corrosion resistance characterization of porous alumina membrane supports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong Yingchao, E-mail: dongyc9@mail.ustc.edu.cn [Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI), University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); USTC Lab for Solid State Chemistry and Inorganic Membranes, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) (China); Key Lab of Jiangxi Universities for Inorganic Membranes, National Engineering Research Center for Domestic and Building Ceramics, Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU) (China); Lin Bin [USTC Lab for Solid State Chemistry and Inorganic Membranes, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) (China); Zhou Jianer [Key Lab of Jiangxi Universities for Inorganic Membranes, National Engineering Research Center for Domestic and Building Ceramics, Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU) (China); Zhang Xiaozhen [USTC Lab for Solid State Chemistry and Inorganic Membranes, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) (China); Key Lab of Jiangxi Universities for Inorganic Membranes, National Engineering Research Center for Domestic and Building Ceramics, Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU) (China); Ling Yihan; Liu Xingqin; Meng Guangyao [USTC Lab for Solid State Chemistry and Inorganic Membranes, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) (China); Hampshire, Stuart [Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI), University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland)

2011-04-15

Tubular porous alumina ceramic membrane supports were fabricated by an extrusion-drying-sintering process and then characterized in detail in terms of corrosion resistance in both H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and NaOH aqueous solutions. Variations in the properties of the alumina supports such as mass loss percent, mechanical strength, open porosity and pore size distribution were studied before and after corrosion under different conditions. In addition, the microstructures were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction before and after corrosion. The fabricated porous alumina supports offer possibilities for some potential applications as micro-filtration or ultra-filtration membrane supports, as well as in the pre-treatment of strongly acidic industrial waste-liquids. - Research highlights: {yields} Porous alumina membrane supports fabricated by extrusion-drying-sintering process. {yields} Corrosion resistance in 20 wt.% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and 1, 5, 10 wt.% NaOH aqueous solutions. {yields} Rapid mass loss and loss of flexural strength occurred in hot NaOH solution. {yields} Resistant to strong acid corrosion with low mass loss, low flexural strength loss. {yields} Porous alumina supports have potential for treatment of strong acid waste liquids.

Impact of Nickel silicide Rear Metallization on Series Resistance of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Bahabry, Rabab R

2018-01-11

The Silicon-based solar cell is one of the most important enablers toward high efficiency and low-cost clean energy resource. Metallization of silicon-based solar cells typically utilizes screen printed silver-Aluminium (Ag-Al) which affects the optimal electrical performance. To date, metal silicide-based ohmic contacts are occasionally used as an alternative candidate only to the front contact grid lines in crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells. In this paper, we investigate the electrical characteristics of nickel mono-silicide (NiSi)/Cu-Al ohmic contact on the rear side of c-Si solar cells. We observe a significant enhancement in the fill factor of around 6.5% for NiSi/Cu-Al rear contacts leading to increasing the efficiency by 1.2% compared to Ag-Al. This is attributed to the improvement of the parasitic resistance in which the series resistance decreased by 0.737 Ω.cm². Further, we complement experimental observation with a simulation of different contact resistance values, which manifests NiSi/Cu-Al rear contact as a promising low-cost metallization for c-Si solar cells with enhanced efficiency.

Functional markers based molecular characterization and cloning of resistance gene analogs encoding NBS-LRR disease resistance proteins in finger millet (Eleusine coracana).

Science.gov (United States)

Panwar, Preety; Jha, Anand Kumar; Pandey, P K; Gupta, Arun K; Kumar, Anil

2011-06-01

Magnaporthe grisea, the blast fungus is one of the main pathological threats to finger millet crop worldwide. A systematic search for the blast resistance gene analogs was carried out, using functional molecular markers. Three-fourths of the recognition-dependent disease resistance genes (R-genes) identified in plants encodes nucleotide binding site (NBS) leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins. NBS-LRR homologs have only been isolated on a limited scale from Eleusine coracana. Genomic DNA sequences sharing homology with NBS region of resistance gene analogs were isolated and characterized from resistant genotypes of finger millet using PCR based approach with primers designed from conserved regions of NBS domain. Attempts were made to identify molecular markers linked to the resistance gene and to differentiate the resistant bulk from the susceptible bulk. A total of 9 NBS-LRR and 11 EST-SSR markers generated 75.6 and 73.5% polymorphism respectively amongst 73 finger millet genotypes. NBS-5, NBS-9, NBS-3 and EST-SSR-04 markers showed a clear polymorphism which differentiated resistant genotypes from susceptible genotypes. By comparing the banding pattern of different resistant and susceptible genotypes, five DNA amplifications of NBS and EST-SSR primers (NBS-05(504,) NBS-09(711), NBS-07(688), NBS-03(509) and EST-SSR-04(241)) were identified as markers for the blast resistance in resistant genotypes. Principal coordinate plot and UPGMA analysis formed similar groups of the genotypes and placed most of the resistant genotypes together showing a high level of genetic relatedness and the susceptible genotypes were placed in different groups on the basis of differential disease score. Our results provided a clue for the cloning of finger millet blast resistance gene analogs which not only facilitate the process of plant breeding but also molecular characterization of blast resistance gene analogs from Eleusine coracana.

Characterization of resistance mechanisms and genetic relatedness of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from blood, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Migliavacca, Roberta; Espinal, Paula; Principe, Luigi; Drago, Monica; Fugazza, Giulia; Roca, Ignasi; Nucleo, Elisabetta; Bracco, Silvia; Vila, Jordi; Pagani, Laura; Luzzaro, Francesco

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to characterize the resistance mechanisms and genetic relatedness of 21 carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii blood isolates collected in Italy during a 1-year multicenter prospective surveillance study. Genes coding for carbapenemase production were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multiplex PCRs for group identification, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to determine genetic relationships. Carbapenem resistance was consistently related to the production of oxacillinases, mostly the plasmid-mediated OXA-58 enzyme. Strains producing the OXA-23 enzyme (chromosomally mediated) were also detected. Seven PFGE clones were identified, some of which being related to international (ICL- I and ICL-II) or national clonal lineages. Multiplex PCRs identified 4 different groups (group 2 being dominant), further distinguishable in 6 sequence types by MLST. The heterogeneity of profiles highlights the diffusion of international and national clonal lineages in Italy. Continuous surveillance is needed for monitoring the spread of these worrisome strains equipped with multiple drug resistance mechanisms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Land Transitions Patterns from Multivariate Time Series Using Seasonal Trend Analysis and Principal Component Analysis

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Benoit Parmentier

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Characterizing biophysical changes in land change areas over large regions with short and noisy multivariate time series and multiple temporal parameters remains a challenging task. Most studies focus on detection rather than the characterization, i.e., the manner by which surface state variables are altered by the process of changes. In this study, a procedure is presented to extract and characterize simultaneous temporal changes in MODIS multivariate times series from three surface state variables the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, land surface temperature (LST and albedo (ALB. The analysis involves conducting a seasonal trend analysis (STA to extract three seasonal shape parameters (Amplitude 0, Amplitude 1 and Amplitude 2 and using principal component analysis (PCA to contrast trends in change and no-change areas. We illustrate the method by characterizing trends in burned and unburned pixels in Alaska over the 2001–2009 time period. Findings show consistent and meaningful extraction of temporal patterns related to fire disturbances. The first principal component (PC1 is characterized by a decrease in mean NDVI (Amplitude 0 with a concurrent increase in albedo (the mean and the annual amplitude and an increase in LST annual variability (Amplitude 1. These results provide systematic empirical evidence of surface changes associated with one type of land change, fire disturbances, and suggest that STA with PCA may be used to characterize many other types of land transitions over large landscape areas using multivariate Earth observation time series.

Characterization of resistance to tetracyclines and aminoglycosides of sheep mastitis pathogens: study of the effect of gene content on resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lollai, S A; Ziccheddu, M; Duprè, I; Piras, D

2016-10-01

Mastitis causes economic losses and antimicrobials are frequently used for mastitis treatment. Antimicrobial resistance surveys are still rare in the ovine field and characterization of strains is important in order to acquire information about resistance and for optimization of therapy. Bacterial pathogens recovered in milk samples from mastitis-affected ewes were characterized for resistance to tetracyclines and aminoglycosides, members of which are frequently used antimicrobials in small ruminants. A total of 185 strains of staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci, common mastitis pathogens, were tested for minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) to tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and for resistance genes by PCR. Effects of different tet genes arrangements on MICs were also investigated. Staphylococci expressed the lowest MIC for tetracycline and tet(K) was the most common gene recovered; tet(M) and tet(O) were also found. Gene content was shown to influence the tetracycline MIC values. Enterococci and streptococci showed higher MICs to tetracyclines and nonsusceptible strains always harboured at least one ribosomal protection gene (MIC above 8 μg ml(-1) ). Streptococci often harboured two or more tet determinants. As regards the resistance to aminoglycosides, staphylococci showed the lowest gentamicin and kanamycin median MIC along with streptomycin high level resistant (HLR) strains (MIC >1024 μg ml(-1) ) all harbouring str gene. The resistance determinant aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia was present in few strains. Streptococci were basically nonsusceptible to aminoglycosides but neither HLR isolates nor resistance genes were detected. Enterococci revealed the highest MICs for gentamicin; two str harbouring isolates were shown to be HLR to streptomycin. Evidence was obtained for the circulation of antimicrobial-resistant strains and genes in sheep dairy farming. Tetracycline MIC of 64 μg ml(-1) and high

Markov transition probability-based network from time series for characterizing experimental two-phase flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Zhong-Ke; Hu Li-Dan; Jin Ning-De

2013-01-01

We generate a directed weighted complex network by a method based on Markov transition probability to represent an experimental two-phase flow. We first systematically carry out gas—liquid two-phase flow experiments for measuring the time series of flow signals. Then we construct directed weighted complex networks from various time series in terms of a network generation method based on Markov transition probability. We find that the generated network inherits the main features of the time series in the network structure. In particular, the networks from time series with different dynamics exhibit distinct topological properties. Finally, we construct two-phase flow directed weighted networks from experimental signals and associate the dynamic behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow with the topological statistics of the generated networks. The results suggest that the topological statistics of two-phase flow networks allow quantitative characterization of the dynamic flow behavior in the transitions among different gas—liquid flow patterns. (general)

Characterization of integron mediated antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolated from diseased swine

Science.gov (United States)

White, David G.; Zhao, Shaohua; McDermott, Patrick F.; Ayers, Sherry; Friedman, Sharon; Sherwood, Julie; Breider-Foley, Missy; Nolan, Lisa K.

2003-01-01

Forty-two Salmonella isolates obtained from diseased swine were genetically characterized for the presence of specific antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Twenty of these isolates were characterized as S. Typhimurium DT104 strains. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to determine genetic relatedness and revealed 20 distinct genetic patterns among the 42 isolates. However, all DT104 isolates fell within 2 closely related genetic clusters. Other Salmonella isolates were genetically grouped together according to serotype. All DT104 isolates displayed the penta-resistance phenotype to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline. Resistance to sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, streptomycin, kanamycin, and ampicillin was most common among the non-DT104 Salmonella isolates. All DT104 strains contained 2 chromosomal integrons of 1000 and 1200 base pairs. The DNA sequencing revealed that the 2 integrons contained genes encoding a resistance to streptomycin and ampicillin, respectively. None of the non-DT104 strains showed the same pattern, although several strains possessed integrons of 1000 base pairs or larger. However, the majority of non-DT104 Salmonella strains did not possess any integrons. Two Salmonella isolates displayed tolerance to the organic solvent cyclohexane, indicating the possibility that they are overexpressing chromosomal regulatory genes marA or soxS or the associated multidrug efflux pump, acrAB. This research suggests that integrons contribute to antimicrobial resistance among specific swine Salmonella serotypes; however, they are not as widely disseminated among non-Typhimurium swine Salmonella serotypes as previously thought. PMID:12528827

Study of self-compliance behaviors and internal filament characteristics in intrinsic SiOx-based resistive switching memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Yao-Feng; Zhou, Fei; Chen, Ying-Chen; Lee, Jack C.; Fowler, Burt

2016-01-01

Self-compliance characteristics and reliability optimization are investigated in intrinsic unipolar silicon oxide (SiO x )-based resistive switching (RS) memory using TiW/SiO x /TiW device structures. The program window (difference between SET voltage and RESET voltage) is dependent on external series resistance, demonstrating that the SET process is due to a voltage-triggered mechanism. The program window has been optimized for program/erase disturbance immunity and reliability for circuit-level applications. The SET and RESET transitions have also been characterized using a dynamic conductivity method, which distinguishes the self-compliance behavior due to an internal series resistance effect (filament) in SiO x -based RS memory. By using a conceptual “filament/resistive gap (GAP)” model of the conductive filament and a proton exchange model with appropriate assumptions, the internal filament resistance and GAP resistance can be estimated for high- and low-resistance states (HRS and LRS), and are found to be independent of external series resistance. Our experimental results not only provide insights into potential reliability issues but also help to clarify the switching mechanisms and device operating characteristics of SiO x -based RS memory

Molecular and biochemical characterization of an induced mutation conferring imidazolinone resistance in sunflower.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Carlos A; Bulos, Mariano; Echarte, Mariel; Whitt, Sherry R; Ascenzi, Robert

2008-12-01

A partially dominant nuclear gene conferring resistance to the imidazolinone herbicides was previously identified in the cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) line CLHA-Plus developed by seed mutagenesis. The objective of this study was to characterize this resistant gene at the phenotypic, biochemical and molecular levels. CLHA-Plus showed a complete susceptibility to sulfonylureas (metsulfuron, tribenuron and chlorsulfuron) but, on the other hand, it showed a complete resistance to imidazolinones (imazamox, imazapyr and imazapic) at two rates of herbicide application. This pattern was in close association with the AHAS-inhibition kinetics of protein extracts of CLHA-Plus challenged with different doses of imazamox and chlorsulfuron. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence comparisons between resistant and susceptible lines indicated that the imidazolinone-resistant AHAS of CLHA-Plus has a threonine codon (ACG) at position 122 (relative to the Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS sequence), whereas the herbicide-susceptible enzyme from BTK47 has an alanine residue (GCG) at this position. Since the resistance genes to AHAS-inhibiting herbicides so far characterized in sunflower code for the catalytic (large) subunit of AHAS, we propose to redesignate the wild type allele as ahasl1 and the incomplete dominant resistant alleles as Ahasl1-1 (previously Imr1 or Ar ( pur )), Ahasl1-2 (previously Ar ( kan )) and Ahasl1-3 (for the allele present in CLHA-Plus). The higher tolerance level to imidazolinones and the lack of cross-resistance to other AHAS-inhibiting herbicides of Ahasl1-3 indicate that this induced mutation can be used to develop commercial hybrids with superior levels of tolerance and, at the same time, to assist weed management where control of weedy common sunflower is necessary.

Identification and molecular characterization of Van A-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Northeast of Brazil

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Marinalda Anselmo Vilela

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The isolation of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE in Brazil has rapidly increased, following the world wide tendency. We report in the present study the first isolation of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE in the Northeast of Brazil. The four VRE isolates were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, genotypic typing by macro restriction of chromosomal DNA followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and for characterization of the Tn1546-like element and plasmid contents. The isolates showed resistance to multiple antibiotics and a single genotype profile, suggesting the dissemination of a single clone among the patients. Tn1546 associated to genetic elements as plasmids shows the importance of infection control measures to avoid the spreading of glycopetide resistance by conjugative transfer of VanA elements.

Isolation and Characterization of Pb Resistant Bacteria from Cilalay Lake, Indonesia

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Kesi Kurnia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Pollution of water environment with heavy metals is becoming one of the most severe environmental and human health hazards. Lead (Pb is a major pollutant and highly toxic to human, animals, plants, and microbes. Toxic metals are difficult to remove from the environment, since they cannot be chemically or biologically degraded and are ultimately indestructible. Biological approaches based on metal-resistant microorganisms have received a great deal of attention as alternative remediation processes. This study aim to isolate and characterize Pb resistant of heterotrophic bacteria in Cilalay Lake, West Java, Indonesia. The water samples were collected along three points around Cilalay Lake. Water physical and chemical determination was performed using the Water Quality Checker. The bacterial isolates were screened on Triptone Glucose Yeast (TGY agar plates. Afterwards selected isolates were grown on Nutrient Agar media 50% with supplemented Pb 100 ppm by the standard disk. Population of resistant bacteria was counted. The result from metal resistant bacteria indicated that all isolates were resistant. The most abundant type of resistant bacteria to lead was Gram negative more than Gram positive. Identified have metal resistant bacteria could be useful for the bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated sewage and waste water

Insulin resistance alters islet morphology in nondiabetic humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mezza, Teresa; Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Sorice, Gian Pio

2014-01-01

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by poor glucose uptake in metabolic tissues and manifests when insulin secretion fails to cope with worsening insulin resistance. In addition to its effects on skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue metabolism, it is evident that insulin resistance also affects...... pancreatic β-cells. To directly examine the alterations that occur in islet morphology as part of an adaptive mechanism to insulin resistance, we evaluated pancreas samples obtained during pancreatoduodenectomy from nondiabetic subjects who were insulin-resistant or insulin-sensitive. We also compared...... insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and incretin levels between the two groups. We report an increased islet size and an elevated number of β- and α-cells that resulted in an altered β-cell-to-α-cell area in the insulin- resistant group. Our data in this series of studies suggest that neogenesis from...

A 10kW series resonant converter design, transistor characterization, and base-drive optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Robson, R.; Hancock, D.

1981-01-01

Transistors are characterized for use as switches in resonant circuit applications. A base drive circuit to provide the optimal base drive to these transistors under resonant circuit conditions is developed and then used in the design, fabrication and testing of a breadboard, spaceborne type 10 kW series resonant converter.

Characterization and evaluation of rice blast resistance of Chinese indica hybrid rice parental lines

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Yunyu Wu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The development of resistant varieties and hybrid combinations has been the most effective and economical strategy to control blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. However, the distribution of major R genes and blast resistance characterization in hybrid rice parents has not been well investigated, resulting in their limited use in hybrid rice blast-resistance breeding. In the present study, 88 elite indica hybrid rice parental lines were evaluated with 30 isolates of M. oryzae collected from the main planting area of indica hybrid rice in China and were characterized for the presence of 11 major resistance genes using molecular markers. The pathogenicity assays showed that four types of hybrid rice parent line showed some resistance to M. oryzae. However, the proportions of highly resistant lines and the mean resistance frequency (RF varied among the four types, with resistance in decreasing order shown by three-line restorer lines, three-line maintainer lines, two-line sterile lines, and two-line restorer lines. All 88 hybrid rice parental lines carried more than one R gene, but none carried the R genes Pi1 and Pi2. Although Pid3 and Pi9 were present only in three-line restorer lines and Pigm only in three-line maintainer lines, the remaining six R genes (Pib, Pid2, Pi5, Pia, Pi54, and Pita were present in the four types of hybrid rice parent with significantly different distribution frequencies. The correlation between R genes and resistance reactions was investigated. The results are expected to provide useful information for rational utilization of major R genes in hybrid rice breeding programs. Keywords: Hybrid rice parental lines, Magnaporthe oryzae, Pi genes, Resistance evaluation, Molecular markers

Complex network approach to characterize the statistical features of the sunspot series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Yong; Liu, Zonghua; Small, Michael; Kurths, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Complex network approaches have been recently developed as an alternative framework to study the statistical features of time-series data. We perform a visibility-graph analysis on both the daily and monthly sunspot series. Based on the data, we propose two ways to construct the network: one is from the original observable measurements and the other is from a negative-inverse-transformed series. The degree distribution of the derived networks for the strong maxima has clear non-Gaussian properties, while the degree distribution for minima is bimodal. The long-term variation of the cycles is reflected by hubs in the network that span relatively large time intervals. Based on standard network structural measures, we propose to characterize the long-term correlations by waiting times between two subsequent events. The persistence range of the solar cycles has been identified over 15–1000 days by a power-law regime with scaling exponent γ = 2.04 of the occurrence time of two subsequent strong minima. In contrast, a persistent trend is not present in the maximal numbers, although maxima do have significant deviations from an exponential form. Our results suggest some new insights for evaluating existing models. (paper)

Duality between Time Series and Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Campanharo, Andriana S. L. O.; Sirer, M. Irmak; Malmgren, R. Dean; Ramos, Fernando M.; Amaral, Luís A. Nunes.

2011-01-01

Studying the interaction between a system's components and the temporal evolution of the system are two common ways to uncover and characterize its internal workings. Recently, several maps from a time series to a network have been proposed with the intent of using network metrics to characterize time series. Although these maps demonstrate that different time series result in networks with distinct topological properties, it remains unclear how these topological properties relate to the original time series. Here, we propose a map from a time series to a network with an approximate inverse operation, making it possible to use network statistics to characterize time series and time series statistics to characterize networks. As a proof of concept, we generate an ensemble of time series ranging from periodic to random and confirm that application of the proposed map retains much of the information encoded in the original time series (or networks) after application of the map (or its inverse). Our results suggest that network analysis can be used to distinguish different dynamic regimes in time series and, perhaps more importantly, time series analysis can provide a powerful set of tools that augment the traditional network analysis toolkit to quantify networks in new and useful ways. PMID:21858093

Detailed Functional and Proteomic Characterization of Fludarabine Resistance in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Cells.

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Lucie Lorkova

Full Text Available Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL is a chronically relapsing aggressive type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma considered incurable by currently used treatment approaches. Fludarabine is a purine analog clinically still widely used in the therapy of relapsed MCL. Molecular mechanisms of fludarabine resistance have not, however, been studied in the setting of MCL so far. We therefore derived fludarabine-resistant MCL cells (Mino/FR and performed their detailed functional and proteomic characterization compared to the original fludarabine sensitive cells (Mino. We demonstrated that Mino/FR were highly cross-resistant to other antinucleosides (cytarabine, cladribine, gemcitabine and to an inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK ibrutinib. Sensitivity to other types of anti-lymphoma agents was altered only mildly (methotrexate, doxorubicin, bortezomib or remained unaffacted (cisplatin, bendamustine. The detailed proteomic analysis of Mino/FR compared to Mino cells unveiled over 300 differentially expressed proteins. Mino/FR were characterized by the marked downregulation of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK and BTK (thus explaining the observed crossresistance to antinucleosides and ibrutinib, but also by the upregulation of several enzymes of de novo nucleotide synthesis, as well as the up-regulation of the numerous proteins of DNA repair and replication. The significant upregulation of the key antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in Mino/FR cells was associated with the markedly increased sensitivity of the fludarabine-resistant MCL cells to Bcl-2-specific inhibitor ABT199 compared to fludarabine-sensitive cells. Our data thus demonstrate that a detailed molecular analysis of drug-resistant tumor cells can indeed open a way to personalized therapy of resistant malignancies.

2-D Resistivity Assessment of Subsurface Characterization and its Engineering and Environmental Implications at SiLC

Science.gov (United States)

Nordiana, M. M.; Azwin, I. N.; Saad, Rosli; Jia, Teoh Ying; Anderson, A. B.; Tonnizam, Edy; Taqiuddin Zakaria, Muhamad

2017-04-01

The role of geophysics in Environmental Earth Sciences and Engineering is considered. In the developing era, geophysics has mainly contributed in investigation of new constructions such as tunnels, road, dams and high-rise buildings. This study was carried out to assess the foundation depths around a construction site in the Southern Industrial & Logistics Clusters (SiLC), Nusajaya, Johor using 2-D resistivity method. The 2-D resistivity method was carried out with a view to characterize different subsurface geological and to provide the engineering and environmental geophysical characterization of the study area. Measurements of eight 2-D resistivity profile using Pole-dipole array with 2 m minimum electrode spacing was taken with the use of ABEM Terrameter SAS4000 and ES10-64C selector. The results are presented as inversion model resistivity with the outline of the survey line. The inversion model resistivity from L1-L8 obtained is characterized by resistivity range of 1-8000 ohm-m. This range indicates the occurrence of silt, clay, sandy clay and sand whose ranges are; 10-100 ohm-m, 1-100 ohm-m, 100-800 ohm-m and 100-3000 ohm-m respectively. However, there was a boulder with range of >5000 ohm-m and saturated zone (1-20 ohm-m) which may indicate the weak zones of the study area. The 2-D resistivity method is not intended to replace borings, except in specific cases where information gathered would be sufficient to address the intended engineering and environmental purpose.

Cloning and functional characterization of the Rvi15 (Vr2) gene for apple scab resistance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schouten, H.J.; Brinkhuis, J.; Burgh, van der S.; Schaart, J.; Groenwold, R.; Broggini, G.A.L.; Gessler, C.

2014-01-01

Apple scab, caused by Venturia inaequalis, is a serious disease of apple. Previously, the scab resistance Rvi15 (Vr2) from the accession GMAL 2473 was genetically mapped, and three candidate resistance genes were identified. Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of these three

PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A LYTIC METHICILLIN RESISTANT-STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS BACTERIOPHAGE

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Sulaiman Al-Yousef

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A marked increase in the infection incidence caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strains has been noted in medical practice in recent years. This study was conducted to study the biological and characterize of MRSA-phage. Methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus was detected and confirmed by determining of the MIC of oxacillin by the standard agar dilution method. Phage was biologically purified using single plaque technique, then phage characterization were studied using host range, adsorption time, particle morphology and its structural protein. MRSA phage showing lytic nature was purified by repeated plating after picking of single isolated plaques. This phage is active against all 11 isolates either of S. aureus or MRSA tested as hosts. Phage produced clear plaques indicating their lytic nature. This phage was concentrated employing polyethylene glycol (PEG-NaCl precipitation method. Morphologically, MRSA Phage has a hexagonal head having a long non-contractile tail, indicating his icosahedral nature. Adsorption studies showed 100% adsorption of MRSA-Phage after 35 minutes of exposure. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE experimentation indicated that the phage particles contain one major structural protein (about 30 Kda.

Molecular characterization of the CRa gene conferring clubroot resistance in Brassica rapa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Hiroki; Matsumoto, Etsuo; Aruga, Daisuke; Kitagawa, Satoshi; Matsumura, Hideo; Hayashida, Nobuaki

2012-12-01

Clubroot disease is one of the major diseases affecting Brassicaceae crops, and a number of these crops grown commercially, such as Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis), are known to be highly susceptible to clubroot disease. To provide protection from this disease, plant breeders have introduced genes for resistance to clubroot from the European turnip into susceptible lines. The CRa gene confers specific resistance to the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae isolate M85. Fine mapping of the CRa locus using synteny to the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and partial genome sequences of B. rapa revealed a candidate gene encoding a TIR-NBS-LRR protein. Several structural differences in this candidate gene were found between susceptible and resistant lines, and CRa expression was observed only in the resistant line. Four mutant lines lacking clubroot resistance were obtained by the UV irradiation of pollen from a resistant line, and all of these mutant lines carried independent mutations in the candidate TIR-NBS-LRR gene. This genetic and molecular evidence strongly suggests that the identified gene is CRa. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of a clubroot Resistance gene in Brassicaceae and of the disease resistance gene in B. rapa.

Characterization and lytic activity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA phages isolated from NICU

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Golnar Rahimzadeh

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA is a well-known pathogen that causes serious diseases in humans. As part of the efforts to control this pathogen, an isolated bacteriophage, Siphoviridae, which specifically targets Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, was characterized. Aims The objective of this study was to characterize of a virulent bacteriophage (Siphoviridae isolated from a NICU bathroom sink. Methods The MRSA strain was isolated from patient blood. The isolated strain was confirmed as MRSA using conventional methods. Phages were isolated from a NICU bathroom sink and activity was lytic as determined by spot test. Titer phage lysate was measured by the Double Layer Agar (DLA technique. The morphology was found with electron microscopy. The single-step growth curve was plotted. Results Electron microscopy showed the phage as a member of the family Siphoviridae, serogroup A and F. The isolated phage was capable of lytic activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strain as shown by spot test. By DLA, the titre of the phages was determined to be 10×108PFU/ml. The single-step growth curve showed that the latent period of the isolated bacteriophage was 30 min and the total number of viable progeny per infected host, burst size, was 2600 PFU/infected host. Conclusion In this study, two phages were isolated and characterized from a NICU bathroom sink, from the Siphoviridae family, which specifically targetsmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA.

Analysis of interface states and series resistance at MIS structure irradiated under {sup 60}Co {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tataroglu, A. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey)], E-mail: ademt@gazi.edu.tr; Altindal, S. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey)

2007-10-11

In this research, we investigated the effect of {sup 60}Co {gamma}-ray exposure on the electrical properties of Au/SnO{sub 2}/n-Si (MIS) structures using current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The fabricated devices were exposed to {gamma}-ray doses ranging from 0 to 300 kGy at a dose rate of 2.12 kGy h{sup -1} in water at room temperature. The density of interface states N{sub ss} as a function of E{sub c}-E{sub ss} is deduced from the forward bias I-V data for each dose by taking into account the bias dependence effective barrier height and series resistance of device at room temperature. Experimental results show that the {gamma}-irradiation gives rise to an increase in the zero bias barrier height {phi}{sub BO}, as the ideality factor n and N{sub ss} decrease with increasing radiation dose. In addition, the values of series resistance were determined using Cheung's method. The R{sub s} increases with increasing radiation dose. The results show that the main effect of the radiation is the generation of interface states with energy level within the forbidden band gap at the insulator/semiconductor interface.

Biological, Biochemical, and Molecular Characterization of a New Clinical Trichophyton rubrum Isolate Resistant to Terbinafine

Science.gov (United States)

Osborne, Colin S.; Leitner, Ingrid; Hofbauer, Bettina; Fielding, Ceri A.; Favre, Bertrand; Ryder, Neil S.

2006-01-01

We have characterized a new clinical strain of Trichophyton rubrum highly resistant to terbinafine but exhibiting normal susceptibility to drugs with other mechanisms of action. Resistance to terbinafine in this strain is caused by a missense mutation in the squalene epoxidase gene leading to the amino acid substitution F397L. PMID:16723593

Resistant plasmid profile analysis of multidrug resistant Escherichia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multiple drug resistance isolates causing UTI has seri- ous implications for the empiric therapy against patho- genic isolates and for the possible co-selection of antimicrobial resistant mediated by multi drug resistant plasmids21,22. E. coli from clinical isolates are known to harbour plasmids of different molecular sizes23.

A complete dc characterization of a constant-frequency, clamped-mode, series-resonant converter

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Fu-Sheng; Lee, Fred C.

1988-01-01

The dc behavior of a clamped-mode series-resonant converter is characterized systematically. Given a circuit operating condition, the converter's mode of operation is determined and various circuit parameters are calculated, such as average inductor current (load current), rms inductor current, peak capacitor voltage, rms switch currents, average diode currents, switch turn-on currents, and switch turn-off currents. Regions of operation are defined, and various circuit characteristics are derived to facilitate the converter design.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of pyrazinamide resistance among multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yu; Zhu, Damian; Zheng, Huiwen; Shen, Jing; Hu, Yan; Liu, Jie; Zhao, Yanlin

2017-11-06

Pyrazinamide (PZA) plays a unique role in the treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in both first- and second-line regimens. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of PZA resistance among MDR-TB isolates collected in Chongqing municipality. A total of 133 MDR-TB isolates were collected from the smear-positive tuberculosis patients who were registered at local TB dispensaries of Chongqing. PZA susceptibility testing was determined with a Bactec MGIT 960 system. In addition, the genes conferring for PZA resistance were screened by DNA sequencing. Of these 133 MDR-TB isolates, 83 (62.4%) were determined as PZA-resistant by MGIT 960. In addition, streptomycin- (83.1% vs. 56.0%, P < 0.01), ofloxacin- (51.8% vs. 18.0%, P < 0.01), kanamycin- (22.9% vs. 2.0%, P < 0.01), amikacin- (18.1% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.01), capromycin-resistance (12.0% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.05), were more frequently observed among PZA-resistant isolates compared with PZA-susceptible isolates. Sequence analysis revealed that 73 out of 83 (88.0%) MDR strains harbored a mutation located in the pncA gene, including 55 (75.3%, 55/73) of single nucleotide substitutions and 18 (24.7%, 18/73) of frameshift mutation, while no genetic mutation associated with PZA resistance was found in the rpsA gene. The pncA expression of strains harboring substitution from A to G at position -11 in the promoter region of pncA was significantly lower than that of H37Rv (P < 0.01). In conclusion, our data have demonstrated that the analysis of the pncA gene rather than rpsA gene provides rapid and accurate information regarding PZA susceptibility for MDR-TB isolates in Chongqing. In addition, loss of pncA expression caused by promoter mutation confers PZA resistance in MDR-TB isolates.

Characterizing aging effects of lithium ion batteries by impedance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troeltzsch, Uwe; Kanoun, Olfa; Traenkler, Hans-Rolf

2006-01-01

Impedance spectroscopy is one of the most promising methods for characterizing aging effects of portable secondary batteries online because it provides information about different aging mechanisms. However, application of impedance spectroscopy 'in the field' has some higher requirements than for laboratory experiments. It requires a fast impedance measurement process, an accurate model applicable with several batteries and a robust method for model parameter estimation. In this paper, we present a method measuring impedance at different frequencies simultaneously. We propose to use a composite electrode model, capable to describe porous composite electrode materials. A hybrid method for parameter estimation based on a combination of evolution strategy and Levenberg-Marquardt method allowed a robust and fast parameter calculation. Based on this approach, an experimental investigation of aging effects of a lithium ion battery was carried out. After 230 discharge/charge cycles, the battery showed a 14% decreased capacity. Modeling results show that series resistance, charge transfer resistance and Warburg coefficient changed thereby their values by approximately 60%. A single frequency impedance measurement, usually carried out at 1 kHz, delivers only information about series resistance. Impedance spectroscopy allows additionally the estimation of charge transfer resistance and Warburg coefficient. This fact and the high sensitivity of model parameters to capacity change prove that impedance spectroscopy together with an accurate modeling deliver information that significantly improve characterization of aging effects

Characterizing aging effects of lithium ion batteries by impedance spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Troeltzsch, Uwe [University of the Bundeswehr Munich Institute for Measurement and Automation, 85579 Neubiberg (Germany)]. E-mail: uwe.troeltzsch@unibw-muenchen.de; Kanoun, Olfa [University of the Bundeswehr Munich Institute for Measurement and Automation, 85579 Neubiberg (Germany); Traenkler, Hans-Rolf [University of the Bundeswehr Munich Institute for Measurement and Automation, 85579 Neubiberg (Germany)

2006-01-20

Impedance spectroscopy is one of the most promising methods for characterizing aging effects of portable secondary batteries online because it provides information about different aging mechanisms. However, application of impedance spectroscopy 'in the field' has some higher requirements than for laboratory experiments. It requires a fast impedance measurement process, an accurate model applicable with several batteries and a robust method for model parameter estimation. In this paper, we present a method measuring impedance at different frequencies simultaneously. We propose to use a composite electrode model, capable to describe porous composite electrode materials. A hybrid method for parameter estimation based on a combination of evolution strategy and Levenberg-Marquardt method allowed a robust and fast parameter calculation. Based on this approach, an experimental investigation of aging effects of a lithium ion battery was carried out. After 230 discharge/charge cycles, the battery showed a 14% decreased capacity. Modeling results show that series resistance, charge transfer resistance and Warburg coefficient changed thereby their values by approximately 60%. A single frequency impedance measurement, usually carried out at 1 kHz, delivers only information about series resistance. Impedance spectroscopy allows additionally the estimation of charge transfer resistance and Warburg coefficient. This fact and the high sensitivity of model parameters to capacity change prove that impedance spectroscopy together with an accurate modeling deliver information that significantly improve characterization of aging effects.

Crystal structure and electrical resistivity studies of Gd(Fe1-x Cox)2 intermetallics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onak, M.; Guzdek, P.; Stoch, P.; Chmist, J.; Bednarski, M.; Panta, A.; Pszczola, J.

2007-01-01

From X-ray analysis (295 K) it was found that the cubic, MgCu 2 -type, Fd3m crystal structure appears across the Gd(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 series. Electrical resistivity measurements for the Gd(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 intermetallics were performed in a wide temperature region and the parameters characterizing the resistivity dependence on temperature and composition were determined. The differential of the electrical resistivity against temperature was used to estimate Curie temperatures. The Curie temperature versus x, high and moderately increasing in the iron-rich area, rapidly drops in the cobalt-rich region. The obtained results are compared with the data known for the Dy(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 series. The Curie temperature is related to both the number of 3d electrons and the de Gennes factor

Race-Specific Adult-Plant Resistance in Winter Wheat to Stripe Rust and Characterization of Pathogen Virulence Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Milus, Eugene A; Moon, David E; Lee, Kevin D; Mason, R Esten

2015-08-01

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is an important disease of wheat in the Great Plains and southeastern United States. Growing resistant cultivars is the preferred means for managing stripe rust, but new virulence in the pathogen population overcomes some of the resistance. The objectives of this study were to characterize the stripe rust resistance in contemporary soft and hard red winter wheat cultivars, to characterize the virulence of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates based on the resistances found in the cultivars, and to determine wheat breeders' perceptions on the importance and methods for achieving stripe rust resistance. Seedlings of cultivars were susceptible to recent isolates, indicating they lacked effective all-stage resistance. However, adult-plants were resistant or susceptible depending on the isolate, indicating they had race-specific adult-plant resistance. Using isolates collected from 1990 to 2013, six major virulence patterns were identified on adult plants of twelve cultivars that were selected as adult-plant differentials. Race-specific adult-plant resistance appears to be the only effective type of resistance protecting wheat from stripe rust in eastern United States. Among wheat breeders, the importance of incorporating stripe rust resistance into cultivars ranged from high to low depending on the frequency of epidemics in their region, and most sources of stripe rust resistance were either unknown or already overcome by virulence in the pathogen population. Breeders with a high priority for stripe rust resistance made most of their selections based on adult-plant reactions in the field, whereas breeders with a low priority for resistance based selections on molecular markers for major all-stage resistance genes.

Selection and characterization of resistance to the Vip3Aa20 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis in Spodoptera frugiperda.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardi, Oderlei; Bernardi, Daniel; Horikoshi, Renato J; Okuma, Daniela M; Miraldo, Leonardo L; Fatoretto, Julio; Medeiros, Fernanda Cl; Burd, Tony; Omoto, Celso

2016-09-01

Spodoptera frugiperda is one the main target pests of maize events expressing Vip3Aa20 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in Brazil. In this study, we selected a resistant strain of S. frugiperda on Bt maize expressing Vip3Aa20 protein and characterized the inheritance and fitness costs of the resistance. The resistance ratio of the Vip3Aa20-resistant strain of S. frugiperda was >3200-fold. Neonates of the Vip3Aa20-resistant strain were able to survive and emerge as fertile adults on Vip3Aa20 maize, while larvae from susceptible and heterozygous strains did not survive. The inheritance of Vip3Aa20 resistance was autosomal recessive and monogenic. Life history studies to investigate fitness cost revealed an 11% reduction in the survival rate until adult stage and a ∼50% lower reproductive rate of the Vip3Aa20-resistant strain compared with susceptible and heterozygous strains. This is the first characterization of S. frugiperda resistance to Vip3Aa protein. Our results provide useful information for resistance management programs designed to prevent or delay resistance evolution to Vip3Aa proteins in S. frugiperda. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Monitoring groundwater-surface water interaction using time-series and time-frequency analysis of transient three-dimensional electrical resistivity changes

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Timothy C.; Slater, Lee D.; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitris; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Elwaseif, Mehrez

2012-01-01

Time-lapse resistivity imaging is increasingly used to monitor hydrologic processes. Compared to conventional hydrologic measurements, surface time-lapse resistivity provides superior spatial coverage in two or three dimensions, potentially high-resolution information in time, and information in the absence of wells. However, interpretation of time-lapse electrical tomograms is complicated by the ever-increasing size and complexity of long-term, three-dimensional (3-D) time series conductivity data sets. Here we use 3-D surface time-lapse electrical imaging to monitor subsurface electrical conductivity variations associated with stage-driven groundwater-surface water interactions along a stretch of the Columbia River adjacent to the Hanford 300 near Richland, Washington, USA. We reduce the resulting 3-D conductivity time series using both time-series and time-frequency analyses to isolate a paleochannel causing enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions. Correlation analysis on the time-lapse imaging results concisely represents enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions within the paleochannel, and provides information concerning groundwater flow velocities. Time-frequency analysis using the Stockwell (S) transform provides additional information by identifying the stage periodicities driving groundwater-surface water interactions due to upstream dam operations, and identifying segments in time-frequency space when these interactions are most active. These results provide new insight into the distribution and timing of river water intrusion into the Hanford 300 Area, which has a governing influence on the behavior of a uranium plume left over from historical nuclear fuel processing operations.

Characterization of Cefotaxime- and Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Commensal Escherichia coli Originating from Belgian Farm Animals Indicates High Antibiotic Resistance Transfer Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambrecht, Ellen; Van Meervenne, Eva; Boon, Nico; Van de Wiele, Tom; Wattiau, Pierre; Herman, Lieve; Heyndrickx, Marc; Van Coillie, Els

2017-11-17

Food-producing animals represent one of the sources of antibiotic resistant commensal bacteria. There is an increasing awareness that these bacteria might have the potential to transfer their resistance genes to other (pathogenic) bacteria. In this study, 50 commensal Escherichia coli strains originating from food-producing animals and resistant to the "highest priority, critically important antibiotics" cefotaxime and/or ciprofloxacin, were selected for further characterization. For each strain (i) an antibiogram, (ii) the phylogenetic group, (iii) plasmid replicon type, (iv) presence and identification of integrons, and (v) antibiotic resistance transfer ratios were determined. Forty-five of these strains were resistant to 5 or more antibiotics, and 6 strains were resistant to 10 or more antibiotics. Resistance was most common to ampicillin (100%), sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin (82%), trimethoprim, tetracycline (74%), cefotaxime, (70%) and ceftazidime (62%). Phylogenetic groups A (62%) and B1 (26%) were most common, followed by C (8%) and E (4%). In 43 strains, more than 1 replicon type was detected, with FII (88%), FIB (70%), and I1 (48%) being the most encountered types. Forty strains, positive for integrons, all harbored a class I integron and seven of them contained an additional class II integron. No class III integrons were detected. The antibiotic resistance transfer was assessed by liquid mating experiments. The transfer ratio, expressed as the number of transconjugants per recipient, was between 10 -5 and 10 0 for cefotaxime resistance and between 10 -7 and 10 -1 for ciprofloxacin resistance. The results of the current study prove that commensal E. coli in food-production animals can be a source of multiple resistance genes and that these bacteria can easily spread their ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime resistance.

Characterization and quantification of preferential flow in fractured rock systems, using resistivity tomography

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

May, F

2010-11-01

Full Text Available , N Jovanovic2 and A Rozanov1 University of Stellenbosch1 and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)2 Characterization and quantification of preferential flow in fractured rock systems, using resistivity tomography Introduction... of slow and fast flowing pathways. Materials and Methods TABLE 1 DATE, TIME AND WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY SURVEY Survey No. Date Start time End time Precipitation (mm) Description KB001 8/27/2010 12H00 13H40 0.0 Sunny KB002 8...

Cell shunt resistance and photovoltaic module performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McMahon, T.J.; Basso, T.S.; Rummel, S.R. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1996-05-01

Shunt resistance of cells in photovoltaic modules can affect module power output and could indicate flawed manufacturing processes and reliability problems. The authors describe a two-terminal diagnostic method to directly measure the shunt resistance of individual cells in a series-connected module non-intrusively, without deencapsulation. Peak power efficiency vs. light intensity was measured on a 12-cell, series-connected, single crystalline module having relatively high cell shunt resistances. The module was remeasured with 0.5-, 1-, and 2-ohm resistors attached across each cell to simulate shunt resistances of several emerging technologies. Peak power efficiencies decreased dramatically at lower light levels. Using the PSpice circuit simulator, the authors verified that cell shunt and series resistances can indeed be responsible for the observed peak power efficiency vs. intensity behavior. The authors discuss the effect of basic cell diode parameters, i.e., shunt resistance, series resistance, and recombination losses, on PV module performance as a function of light intensity.

Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of Cadmium Resistant Pseudomonas sp. M3 from Industrial Wastewater

OpenAIRE

Syed Zaghum Abbas; Mohd Rafatullah; Norli Ismail; Japareng Lalung

2014-01-01

The present study deals with the isolation, identification, and characterization of the cadmium resistant bacteria from wastewater collected from industrial area of Penang, Malaysia. The isolate was selected based on high level of the cadmium and antibiotic resistances. On the basis of morphological, biochemical characteristics, 16S rDNA gene sequencing and phylogeny analysis revealed that the strain RZCd1 was authentically identified as Pseudomonas sp. M3. The industrial isolate showed more ...

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance and characterization of resistant genes and integrons in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from integrated fish farms south China

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Hao-Chang; Ying, Guang-Guo; Tao, Ran; Zhang, Rui-Quan; Fogarty, Lisa R.; Kolpin, Dana W.

2011-01-01

Antibiotics are still widely applied in animal husbandry to prevent diseases and used as feed additives to promote animal growth. This could result in antibiotic resistance to bacteria and antibiotic residues in animals. In this paper, Enterobacteriaceae isolated from four integrated fish farms in Zhongshan, South China were tested for antibiotic resistance, tetracycline resistance genes, sulfonamide resistance genes, and class 1 integrons. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were carried out to test antibiotic susceptibility and resistance genes, respectively. Relatively high antibiotic resistance frequencies were found, especially for ampicillin (80%), tetracycline (52%), and trimethoprim (50%). Out of 203 Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 98.5% were resistant to one or more antibiotics tested. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) was found highest in animal manures with a MAR index of 0.56. Tetracycline resistance genes (tet(A), tet(C)) and sulfonamide resistance genes (sul2) were detected in more than 50% of the isolates. The intI1 gene was found in 170 isolates (83.7%). Both classic and non-classic class 1 integrons were found. Four genes, aadA5, aadA22, dfr2, and dfrA17, were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report for molecular characterization of antibiotic resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from integrated fish farms in China and the first time that gene cassette array dfrA17-aadA5 has been detected in such fish farms. Results of this study indicated that fish farms may be a reservoir of highly diverse and abundant antibiotic resistant genes and gene cassettes. Integrons may play a key role in multiple antibiotic resistances posing potential health risks to the general public and aquaculture.

Analysis of temperature-dependant current–voltage characteristics and extraction of series resistance in Pd/ZnO Schottky barrier diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayimele, M A, E-mail: meehleketo@gmail.com; Rensburg, J P van. Janse; Auret, F D; Diale, M

2016-01-01

We report on the analysis of current voltage (I–V) measurements performed on Pd/ZnO Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) in the 80–320 K temperature range. Assuming thermionic emission (TE) theory, the forward bias I–V characteristics were analysed to extract Pd/ZnO Schottky diode parameters. Comparing Cheung’s method in the extraction of the series resistance with Ohm’s law, it was observed that at lower temperatures (T<180 K) the series resistance decreased with increasing temperature, the absolute minimum was reached near 180 K and increases linearly with temperature at high temperatures (T>200 K). The barrier height and the ideality factor decreased and increased, respectively, with decrease in temperature, attributed to the existence of barrier height inhomogeneity. Such inhomogeneity was explained based on TE with the assumption of Gaussian distribution of barrier heights with a mean barrier height of 0.99 eV and a standard deviation of 0.02 eV. A mean barrier height of 0.11 eV and Richardson constant value of 37 A cm{sup −2} K{sup −2} were determined from the modified Richardson plot that considers the Gaussian distribution of barrier heights.

Global characterization of signalling networks associated with tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Browne, Brigid C.; Hochgräfe, Falko; Wu, Jianmin

2013-01-01

R cells. Phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase Yes and expression of the actin‐binding protein myristoylated alanine‐rich C‐kinase substrate (MARCKS) were increased two‐ and eightfold in TamR cells respectively, and these proteins were selected for further analysis. Knockdown of either protein in Tam......Acquired resistance to the anti‐estrogen tamoxifen remains a significant challenge in breast cancer management. In this study, we used an integrative approach to characterize global protein expression and tyrosine phosphorylation events in tamoxifen‐resistant MCF7 breast cancer cells (Tam...... was perturbed in TamR cells, together with pathways enriched for proteins associated with growth factor, cell–cell and cell matrix‐initiated signalling. Consistent with known roles for Ras/MAPK and PI3‐kinase signalling in tamoxifen resistance, tyrosine‐phosphorylated MAPK1, SHC1 and PIK3R2 were elevated in Tam...

Multivariate analysis and extraction of parameters in resistive RAMs using the Quantum Point Contact model

Science.gov (United States)

Roldán, J. B.; Miranda, E.; González-Cordero, G.; García-Fernández, P.; Romero-Zaliz, R.; González-Rodelas, P.; Aguilera, A. M.; González, M. B.; Jiménez-Molinos, F.

2018-01-01

A multivariate analysis of the parameters that characterize the reset process in Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) has been performed. The different correlations obtained can help to shed light on the current components that contribute in the Low Resistance State (LRS) of the technology considered. In addition, a screening method for the Quantum Point Contact (QPC) current component is presented. For this purpose, the second derivative of the current has been obtained using a novel numerical method which allows determining the QPC model parameters. Once the procedure is completed, a whole Resistive Switching (RS) series of thousands of curves is studied by means of a genetic algorithm. The extracted QPC parameter distributions are characterized in depth to get information about the filamentary pathways associated with LRS in the low voltage conduction regime.

Molecular characterization of Als1, an acetohydroxyacid synthase mutation conferring resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides in soybean.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghio, Cecilia; Ramos, María Laura; Altieri, Emiliano; Bulos, Mariano; Sala, Carlos A

2013-12-01

The AHAS gene family in soybean was characterized. The locus Als1 for sulfonylurea resistance was mapped and the resistant allele was characterized at the molecular level. Sulfonylurea (SU) resistance in soybean is controlled by Als1, a semi-dominant allele obtained by EMS mutagenesis over the cultivar Williams 82. The overall objective of this research was to map Als1 in the soybean genome and to determine the nucleotidic changes conferring resistance to SU. Four nucleotide sequences (GmAhas1-4) showing high homology with the Arabidopsis thaliana acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS, EC 4.1.3.18) gene sequence were identified by in silico analysis, PCR-amplified from the SU-resistant line BTK323STS and sequenced. Expression analysis showed that GmAhas1, located on chromosome 4 by in silico analysis, is the most expressed sequence in true leaves. F2:3 families derived from the cross between susceptible and resistant lines were evaluated for SU resistance. Mapping results indicate that the locus als1 is located on chromosome 4. Sequence comparison of GmAhas1 between BTK323STS and Williams 82 showed a single nucleotide change from cytosine to thymine at position 532. This transversion generates an amino acid change from proline to serine at position 197 (A. thaliana nomenclature) of the AHAS catalytic subunit. An allele-specific marker developed for the GmAhas1 mutant sequence cosegregated with SU resistance in the F2 population. Taking together, the mapping, expression and sequencing results indicate that the GmAhas1 sequence corresponds to the Als1 gene sequence controlling SU resistance in soybean. The molecular breeding tools described herein create the basis to speed up the identification of new mutations in soybean AHAS leading to enhanced levels of resistance to SU or to other families of AHAS inhibitor herbicides.

Genetic Characterization of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and the Spread of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumonia ST340 at a University Hospital in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Netikul, Thidarat; Kiratisin, Pattarachai

2015-01-01

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has increasingly spread worldwide in the past decade. The prevalence and characteristics of CRE in Thailand are unknown. In this study, we conducted a 2-year surveillance of CRE among 12,741 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae at the largest university hospital in Thailand with molecular characterization of beta-lactamase (bla) genes, including carbapenemase genes. The CRE prevalence was 1.4%. blaKPC-13 and blaIMP-14a were the only carbapenemase genes detected among these CRE isolates. blaKPC-13 gene was found in a single isolate of Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii, and blaIMP-14a was found in four isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates were resistant to multiple carbapenems at a higher ratio than other CRE species, and thus were further characterized for resistance phenotypes, bla genotypes and molecular epidemiology. Most CRKP isolates harboured multiple bla genes, especially those related to extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. Seven CRKP isolates were resistant to all tested carbapenems, and showed decreased ompK35 and/or ompK36 porin gene expression. Molecular typing of CRKP based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) demonstrated several unrelated clones. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was partially concordant with PFGE results and revealed that ST340, a member of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae clonal complex 258, was the most predominant clone, followed by ST48, ST11 and ST273. The novel ST1645 was identified from this study. ST340 has neither been shown to be predominated among CRKP from other studies, nor been reported in Thailand. Therefore, it emphases a critical concern to monitor and control the spread of CRKP. PMID:26407326

Characterization of ultraviolet light-induced diphtheria toxin-resistant mutations in normal and Xeroderma pigmentosum human fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glover, T.W.

1979-01-01

Quantitative mutagenesis studies in human cells have been severely limited by the lack of reliable genetic markers. Experiments were therefore performed to develop and characterize a better quantitative mutation assay for human cells. The uv-induction of diphtheria toxin resistant (DT/sup r/) mutations in normal and excision repair defective xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) fibroblasts has been quantitatively characterized. A concentration of diphtheria toxin to use in the selection of resistant mutants was determined whereby DT/sup r/ cells are cross-resistant to Pseudomonas aeurginosa exotoxin A, indicating mutants have altered elongation factor-2 (EF-2) which is not susceptible to ADP-ribosylation by either toxin. Results of this study indicate that XP fibroblasts have higher uv-induced mutation frequencies per unit uv-dose but similar frequencies per unit survival compared to normal cells as measured using a new genetic marker for quantitative mutagenesis. Furthermore, these results support a prediction of the mutation theory of cancer, namely, that cells from individuals with certain human syndromes that predispose the individual to cancer will have higher induced mutation frequencies than cells from non-susceptible individuals. This newly characterized genetic marker should be useful in quantitative mutagenesis studies in human cells

MOLECULAR-PHYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF Escherichia coli ISOLATED FROM GOATS WITH DIARRHEA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Almeida Guimarães

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Neonatal diarrhea determines significant changes in feed conversion, causing productivity loss in caprine herds. The antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is characterized as an important public health issue; therefore, Escherichia coli may be characterized as an important pathogen due to expressing virulence mechanisms responsible for significant clinical conditions in humans and animals. The present study evaluated the presence of E. coli among 117 caprine fecal samples and analyzed the isolates for antimicrobial resistance. Suggestive colonies were submitted to biochemical screening followed by genotypic group determination and phylogenetic analysis; further, the samples were submitted to antimicrobials susceptibility test. E. coli, Salmonella spp, Shigella sonnei and Enterobacter aerogenes were identified. E. coli isolates were phylogenetically classified as B2 (9/39, D (19/39, B1 (7/39 e A (4/29 groups. The analysis of the isolates also revealed the presence of K99 (04/39 and Stx (02/39 virulence factors. Antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed sensitive isolates to Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin, Amoxicillin and Ciprofloxacin, being all resistant to Lincomycin, Vancomycin and Penicillin. The results support the need of establishing restricted protocols for antimicrobial use, a fundamental procedure for health improvement in Brazilian caprine herds.

Characterization of the corrosion resistance of biologically active solutions: The effects of anodizing and welding

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Daniel W.

1991-01-01

An understanding of fabrication processes, metallurgy, electrochemistry, and microbiology is crucial to the resolution of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) problems. The object of this effort was to use AC impedance spectroscopy to characterize the corrosion resistance of Type II anodized aluminum alloy 2219-T87 in sterile and biologically active media and to examine the corrosion resistance of 316L, alloy 2219-T87, and titanium alloy 6-4 in the welded and unwelded conditions. The latter materials were immersed in sterile and biologically active media and corrosion currents were measured using the polarization resistance (DC) technique.

Characterization of the multiple drug resistance phenotype expressed by tumour cells following in vitro exposure to fractionated X-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, B.T.; McClean, S.; Hosking, L.; Shellard, S.; Dempke, W.; Whelan, R.

1992-01-01

The major clinical problem of the emergence of drug resistant tumor cell populations is recognized in patients previously treated with antitumor drugs and with radiotherapy. It is proposed that, although radiation-induced vascular fibrosis may limit drug delivery to the tumor, exposure to radiation may 'induce' or 'select for' drug resistance. This hypothesis was examined by establishing in vitro model systems to investigate the resistance phenotype of tumor cells following exposure to X-rays. Characteristically tumor cells surviving exposure to a series of fractions of X-irradiation are shown to have consistently expressed resistance to multiple drugs, including the Vinca alkaloids and the epipodophyllotoxins. Currently this research is aimed at determining whether distinctive resistance mechanisms operate depending on whether resistance results following drug or X-ray exposure. Initial results indicate that whilst some common mechanisms operate, drug resistant tumor cells identified following exposure to X-irradiation appear to exhibit a novel multidrug resistance phenotype. (author). 13 refs., 1 tab

The CACAO Method for Smoothing, Gap Filling, and Characterizing Seasonal Anomalies in Satellite Time Series

Science.gov (United States)

Verger, Aleixandre; Baret, F.; Weiss, M.; Kandasamy, S.; Vermote, E.

2013-01-01

Consistent, continuous, and long time series of global biophysical variables derived from satellite data are required for global change research. A novel climatology fitting approach called CACAO (Consistent Adjustment of the Climatology to Actual Observations) is proposed to reduce noise and fill gaps in time series by scaling and shifting the seasonal climatological patterns to the actual observations. The shift and scale CACAO parameters adjusted for each season allow quantifying shifts in the timing of seasonal phenology and inter-annual variations in magnitude as compared to the average climatology. CACAO was assessed first over simulated daily Leaf Area Index (LAI) time series with varying fractions of missing data and noise. Then, performances were analyzed over actual satellite LAI products derived from AVHRR Long-Term Data Record for the 1981-2000 period over the BELMANIP2 globally representative sample of sites. Comparison with two widely used temporal filtering methods-the asymmetric Gaussian (AG) model and the Savitzky-Golay (SG) filter as implemented in TIMESAT-revealed that CACAO achieved better performances for smoothing AVHRR time series characterized by high level of noise and frequent missing observations. The resulting smoothed time series captures well the vegetation dynamics and shows no gaps as compared to the 50-60% of still missing data after AG or SG reconstructions. Results of simulation experiments as well as confrontation with actual AVHRR time series indicate that the proposed CACAO method is more robust to noise and missing data than AG and SG methods for phenology extraction.

Characterization of antibiotic resistant enterococci isolated from untreated waters for human consumption in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Macedo, Ana S; Freitas, Ana R; Abreu, Cristina; Machado, Elisabete; Peixe, Luísa; Sousa, João C; Novais, Carla

2011-01-31

Untreated drinking water is frequently overlooked as a source of antibiotic resistance in developed countries. To gain further insight on this topic, we isolated the indicator bacteria Enterococcus spp. from water samples collected in wells, fountains and natural springs supplying different communities across Portugal, and characterized their antibiotic resistance profile with both phenotypic and genetic approaches. We found various rates of resistance to seven antibiotic families. Over 50% of the isolates were resistant to at least ciprofloxacin, tetracyclines or quinupristin-dalfopristin and 57% were multidrug resistant to ≥3 antibiotics from different families. Multiple enterococcal species (E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. hirae, E. casseliflavus and other Enterococcus spp) from different water samples harbored genes encoding resistance to tetracyclines, erythromycin or gentamicin [tet(M)-46%, tet(L)-14%, tet(S)-5%, erm(B)-22%, aac(6´)-Ie-aph(2″)-12%] and putative virulence factors [gel-28%, asa1-16%]. The present study positions untreated drinking water within the spectrum of ecological niches that may be reservoirs of or vehicles for antibiotic resistant enterococci/genes. These findings are worthy of attention as spread of antibiotic resistant enterococci to humans and animals through water ingestion cannot be dismissed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meta-analysis and time series modeling allow a systematic review of primary HIV-1 drug-resistant prevalence in Latin America and Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Coelho, Antonio Victor Campos; De Moura, Ronald Rodrigues; Da Silva, Ronaldo Celerino; Kamada, Anselmo Jiro; Guimarães, Rafael Lima; Brandão, Lucas André Cavalcanti; Coelho, Hemílio Fernandes Campos; Crovella, Sergio

2015-01-01

Here we review the prevalence of HIV-1 primary drug resistance in Latin America and Caribbean using meta-analysis as well as time-series modeling. We also discuss whether there could be a drawback to HIV/AIDS programs due to drug resistance in Latin America and Caribbean in the next years. We observed that, although some studies report low or moderate primary drug resistance prevalence in Caribbean countries, this evidence needs to be updated. In other countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, the prevalence of drug resistance appears to be rising. Mutations conferring resistance against reverse transcriptase inhibitors were the most frequent in the analyzed populations (70% of all mutational events). HIV-1 subtype B was the most prevalent in Latin America and the Caribbean, although subtype C and B/F recombinants have significant contributions in Argentina and Brazil. Thus, we suggest that primary drug resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean could have been underestimated. Clinical monitoring should be improved to offer better therapy, reducing the risk for HIV-1 resistance emergence and spread, principally in vulnerable populations, such as men who have sex with men transmission group, sex workers and intravenous drug users.

Third-generation site characterization: Cryogenic core collection, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electrical resistivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kiaalhosseini, Saeed

In modern contaminant hydrology, management of contaminated sites requires a holistic characterization of subsurface conditions. Delineation of contaminant distribution in all phases (i.e., aqueous, non-aqueous liquid, sorbed, and gas), as well as associated biogeochemical processes in a complex heterogeneous subsurface, is central to selecting effective remedies. Arguably, a factor contributing to the lack of success of managing contaminated sites effectively has been the limitations of site characterization methods that rely on monitoring wells and grab sediment samples. The overarching objective of this research is to advance a set of third-generation (3G) site characterization methods to overcome shortcomings of current site characterization techniques. 3G methods include 1) cryogenic core collection (C3) from unconsolidated geological subsurface to improve recovery of sediments and preserving key attributes, 2) high-throughput analysis (HTA) of frozen core in the laboratory to provide high-resolution, depth discrete data of subsurface conditions and processes, 3) resolution of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) distribution within the porous media using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method, and 4) application of a complex resistivity method to track NAPL depletion in shallow geological formation over time. A series of controlled experiments were conducted to develop the C 3 tools and methods. The critical aspects of C3 are downhole circulation of liquid nitrogen via a cooling system, the strategic use of thermal insulation to focus cooling into the core, and the use of back pressure to optimize cooling. The C3 methods were applied at two contaminated sites: 1) F.E. Warren (FEW) Air Force Base near Cheyenne, WY and 2) a former refinery in the western U.S. The results indicated that the rate of core collection using the C3 methods is on the order of 30 foot/day. The C3 methods also improve core recovery and limits potential biases associated with flowing sands

Comparison of Molecular and Phenotypic Methods for the Detection and Characterization of Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Somily, Ali M; Garaween, Ghada A; Abukhalid, Norah; Absar, Muhammad M; Senok, Abiola C

2016-03-01

In recent years, there has been a rapid dissemination of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). This study aimed to compare phenotypic and molecular methods for detection and characterization of CRE isolates at a large tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. This study was carried out between January 2011 and November 2013 at the King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in Saudi Arabia. Determination of presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenem resistance was in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Phenotypic classification was done by the MASTDISCS(TM) ID inhibitor combination disk method. Genotypic characterization of ESBL and carbapenemase genes was performed by the Check-MDR CT102. Diversilab rep-PCR was used for the determination of clonal relationship. Of the 883 ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae detected during the study period, 14 (1.6%) isolates were carbapenem resistant. Both the molecular genotypic characterization and phenotypic testing were in agreement in the detection of all 8 metalo-beta-lactamases (MBL) producing isolates. Of these 8 MBL-producers, 5 were positive for blaNDM gene and 3 were positive for blaVIM gene. Molecular method identified additional blaOXA gene isolates while MASTDISCS(TM) ID detected one AmpC producer isolate. Both methods agreed in identifying 2 carbapenem resistant isolates which were negative for carbapenemase genes. Diversilab rep-PCR analysis of the 9 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates revealed polyclonal distribution into eight clusters. MASTDISCS(TM) ID is a reliable simple cheap phenotypic method for detection of majority of carbapenemase genes with the exception of the blaOXA gene. We recommend to use such method in the clinical laboratory.

Characterization system for research on energy storage capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Noriega, J. R.; Iyore, O. D.; Budime, C.; Gnade, B.; Vasselli, J.

2013-05-01

In this work a characterization system for high energy-density capacitors is described and demonstrated. Capacitors are being designed using thin-film technology in an attempt to achieve higher energy-density levels by operating the devices at a high voltage. These devices are fabricated from layers of 100 nm aluminum and a layer of polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene on a polyethylene naphthalate plastic substrate. The devices have been designed to store electrical charge at up to 200 V. Characterizations of these devices focus on the measurement of capacitance vs bias voltage and temperature, equivalent series resistance, and charge/discharge cycles. For the purpose of the characterization of these capacitors, an electronic charge/discharge interface was designed and tested.

Characterization of Hospital-Associated Lineages of Ampicillin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium from Clinical Cases in Dogs and Humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cindy-Love eTremblay

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (ARE has rapidly emerged worldwide and is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens. However, very few reports are available on ARE isolates from canine clinical cases. The objective of this study was to characterize ARE strains of canine clinical origin from a veterinary teaching hospital in Canada and to compare them with human strains. Ten ARE strains from dogs and humans were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm activities, presence of rep-families, CRISPR-cas and putative virulence genes. All ARE strains (n = 10 were resistant to ciprofloxacin and lincomycin. Resistances to tetracycline (n = 6, macrolides (n = 6, and to high concentrations of gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin (n = 5 were also observed. Canine ARE isolates were found to be susceptible to vancomycin whereas resistance to this antibiotic was observed in human strains. Ampicillin resistance was linked to PBP5 showing mutations at 25 amino acid positions. Fluoroquinolone resistance was attributable to ParC, GyrA, and GyrB mutations. Data demonstrated that all canine ARE were acm (collagen binding protein-positive and that most harbored the efaAfm gene, encoding for a cell wall adhesin. Biofilm formation was observed in two human strains but not in canine strains. Two to five rep-families were observed per strain but no CRISPR sequences were found. A total of six STs (1, 18, 65, 202, 205, and 803 were found with one belonging to a new ST (ST803. These STs were identical or closely related to human hospital-associated lineages. This report describes for the first time the characterization of canine ARE hospital-associated strains in Canada and also supports the importance of prudent antibiotic use in veterinary medicine to avoid zoonotic spread of canine ARE.

Has the emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus increased trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use and resistance?: a 10-year time series analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Jameson B; Smith, Donald B; Baker, Errol H; Brecher, Stephen M; Gupta, Kalpana

2012-11-01

There are an increasing number of indications for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use, including skin and soft tissue infections due to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Assessing the relationship between rates of use and antibiotic resistance is important for maintaining the expected efficacy of this drug for guideline-recommended conditions. Using interrupted time series analysis, we aimed to determine whether the 2005 emergence of CA-MRSA and recommendations of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole as the preferred therapy were associated with changes in trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use and susceptibility rates. The data from all VA Boston Health Care System facilities, including 118,863 inpatient admissions, 6,272,661 outpatient clinic visits, and 10,138 isolates were collected over a 10-year period. There was a significant (P = 0.02) increase in trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prescriptions in the post-CA-MRSA period (1,605/year) compared to the pre-CA-MRSA period (1,538/year). Although the overall susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Proteus spp. to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole decreased over the study period, the rate of change in the pre- versus the post-CA-MRSA period was not significantly different. The changes in susceptibility rates of S. aureus to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and to methicillin were also not significantly different. The CA-MRSA period is associated with a significant increase in use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole but not with significant changes in the rates of susceptibilities among clinical isolates. There is also no evidence for selection of organisms with increased resistance to other antimicrobials in relation to increased trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use.

Current-limiting and ultrafast system for the characterization of resistive random access memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Fortuny, J; Maestro, M; Martin-Martinez, J; Crespo-Yepes, A; Rodriguez, R; Nafria, M; Aymerich, X

2016-06-01

A new system for the ultrafast characterization of resistive switching phenomenon is developed to acquire the current during the Set and Reset process in a microsecond time scale. A new electronic circuit has been developed as a part of the main setup system, which is capable of (i) applying a hardware current limit ranging from nanoampers up to miliampers and (ii) converting the Set and Reset exponential gate current range into an equivalent linear voltage. The complete system setup allows measuring with a microsecond resolution. Some examples demonstrate that, with the developed setup, an in-depth analysis of resistive switching phenomenon and random telegraph noise can be made.

Laboratory-scale thyristor controlled series capacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuki, J.; Ikeda, K.; Abe, M. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

1996-10-20

This paper describes the results of an experimental study on the characteristics of a thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC). At present, there are two major thyristor controlled series compensation projects in the U.S.: the Kayenta ASC and the Slatt TCSC. However, there has been little operating experience and thus further understanding of the characteristics of TCSC is still to be sought. Therefore, a laboratory-scale TCSC was produced and installed in a laboratory power system. The impedance characteristics, waveshapes of voltages and currents in the TCSC circuit, and harmonics, for various thyristor firing angles, and insertion responses were measured and analyzed. In particular, effects of the size of the circuit components, i.e., parasitic resistance, additional damping resistance and series reactor, on the overall TCSC performances were investigated. The results were compared with EMTP simulations. 10 refs., 7 figs.

Materials growth and characterization of thermoelectric and resistive switching devices

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, Kate J.

In the 74 years since diode rectifier based radar technology helped the allied forces win WWII, semiconductors have transformed the world we live in. From our smart phones to semiconductor-based energy conversion, semiconductors touch every aspect of our lives. With this thesis I hope to expand human knowledge of semiconductor thermoelectric devices and resistive switching devices through experimentation with materials growth and subsequent materials characterization. Metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was the primary method of materials growth utilized in these studies. Additionally, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD),ion beam sputter deposition, reactive sputter deposition and electron-beam (e-beam) evaporation were also used in this research for device fabrication. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were the primary characterization methods utilized for this research. Additional device and materials characterization techniques employed include: current-voltage measurements, thermoelectric measurements, x-ray diffraction (XRD), reflection absorption infra-red spectroscopy (RAIRS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL), and raman spectroscopy. As society has become more aware of its impact on the planet and its limited resources, there has been a push toward developing technologies to sustainably produce the energy we need. Thermoelectric devices convert heat directly into electricity. Thermoelectric devices have the potential to save huge amounts of energy that we currently waste as heat, if we can make them cost-effective. Semiconducting thin films and nanowires appear to be promising avenues of research to attain this goal. Specifically, in this work we will explore the use of ErSb thin films as well as Si and InP nanowire networks for thermoelectric applications. First we will discuss the growth of

Phenotypic characterization and colistin susceptibilities of carbapenem-resistant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanty, Srujana; Maurya, Vijeta; Gaind, Rajni; Deb, Monorama

2013-11-15

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobcter spp. are important nosocomial pathogens and carbapenem resistance is an emerging threat. Therapeutic options for infections with these isolates include colistin. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. bloodstream isolates, phenotypically characterize the resistance mechanisms and evaluate the in vitro activity of colistin. Consecutive 145 (95 P.aeruginosa and 50 Acinetobacter spp.) non-repeat isolates were included. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed per CLSI guidelines. MIC for carbapenems and colistin was performed using Etest. Isolates showing reduced susceptibility or resistance to the carbapenems were tested for metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) production using imipenem-EDTA combined disk and MBL Etest. Carbapenem resistance was observed in 40% P. aeruginosa and 66.0% Acinetobacter spp. Carbapenem-resistant (CA-R) isolates were significantly (p carbapenem-susceptible isolates. Approximately half of the CA-R strains were multidrug-resistant, and 3.1-5.5% were resistant to all antibiotics tested. MBL was found in 76.3% and 69.7% of the P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp., respectively. Colistin resistance was observed in three (6.0%) Acinetobacter isolates and eight (8.4%) P. aeruginosa. MIC50 for carbapenems were two to four times higher for MBL-positive compared to MBL-negative isolates, but no difference was seen in MIC for colistin. Carbapenem resistance was observed to be mediated by MBL in a considerable number of isolates. Colistin is an alternative for infections caused by CA-R isolates; however, MIC testing should be performed whenever clinical use of colistin is considered.

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes in Haemophilus parasuis isolated from pigs in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yongda; Guo, Lili; Li, Jie; Huang, Xianhui; Fang, Binghu

2018-01-01

Haemophilus parasuis is a common porcine respiratory pathogen that causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in farmed swine. We performed a molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes harbored by H. parasuis from pig farms in China. We screened 143 H. parasuis isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility against six fluoroquinolone antibiotics testing by the broth microdilution method, and the presence of 64 antimicrobial resistance genes by PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis. We determined quinolone resistance determining region mutations of DNA gyrase ( gyrA and gyrB ) and topoisomerase IV ( parC and parE ). The genetic relatedness among the strains was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Susceptibility test showed that all isolates were low resistance to lomefloxacin (28.67%), levofloxacin (20.28%), norfloxacin (22.38%), ciprofloxacin (23.78%), however, high resistance levels were found to nalidixic acid (82.52%) and enrofloxacin (55.94%). In addition, we found 14 antimicrobial resistance genes were present in these isolates, including bla TEM-1 , bla ROB-1 , ermB, ermA, flor, catl, tetB, tetC, rmtB, rmtD, aadA1, aac(3')-llc, sul1, and sul2 genes. Interestingly, one isolate carried five antibiotic resistance genes ( tetB, tetC, flor, rmtB, sul1 ). The genes tetB , rmtB, and flor were the most prevalent resistance genes in H. parasuis in China. Alterations in the gyrA gene (S83F/Y, D87Y/N/H/G) were detected in 81% of the strains and parC mutations were often accompanied by a gyrA mutation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing revealed 51 unique patterns in the isolates carrying high-level antibiotic resistance genes, indicating considerable genetic diversity and suggesting that the genes were spread horizontally. The current study demonstrated that the high antibiotic resistance of H. parasuis in piglets is a combination of transferable antibiotic resistance genes and multiple target gene mutations. These data provide novel

High-resolution mapping of the brown planthopper resistance gene Bph6 in rice and characterizing its resistance in the 9311 and Nipponbare near isogenic backgrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yongfu; Guo, Jianping; Jing, Shengli; Zhu, Lili; He, Guangcun

2010-11-01

Brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) is one of the most destructive insect pests of rice. Exploring resistance genes from diverse germplasms and incorporating them into cultivated varieties are critical for controlling this insect. The rice variety Swarnalata was reported to carry a resistance gene (designated Bph6), which has not yet been assigned to a chromosome location and the resistance mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we identified and mapped this gene using the F(2) and backcrossing populations and characterized its resistance in indica 9311 and japonica Nipponbare using near isogenic lines (NILs). In analysis of 9311/Swarnalata F(2) population, the Bph6 gene was located on the long arm of chromosome 4 between the SSR markers RM6997 and RM5742. The gene was further mapped precisely to a 25-kb region delimited between the STS markers Y19 and Y9; and the distance between these markers is 25-kb in Nipponbare genome. The Bph6 explained 77.5% of the phenotypic variance of BPH resistance in F(2) population and 84.9% in BC(2)F(2) population. Allele from Swarnalata significantly increased resistance to the BPH, resulted in a reduced damage score. In characterization of Bph6-mediated resistance, the BPH insects showed significant preference between NIL-9311 and 9311 in 3 h and between NIL-NIP and Nipponbare in 120 h after release. BPH growth and development were inhibited, and the insect's survival rates were lower on Bph6-NIL plants, compared with the parents 9311 and Nipponbare. The results indicate that the Bph6 exerted prolonged antixenotic and antibiotic effects in Bph6-NIL plants, and NIL-9311 plants showed a quicker and stronger effect toward BPH than NIL-NIP plants.

Identification and characterization of antibiotic resistance genes in Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus plantarum.

Science.gov (United States)

Egervärn, M; Roos, S; Lindmark, H

2009-11-01

The study aimed to identify the resistance genes mediating atypical minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin and chloramphenicol within two sets of representative strains of the species Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus plantarum and to characterize identified genes by means of gene location and sequencing of flanking regions. A tet(W) gene was found in 24 of the 28 Lact. reuteri strains with atypical MIC for tetracycline, whereas four of the six strains with atypical MIC for erythromycin were positive for erm(B) and one strain each was positive for erm(C) and erm(T). The two Lact. plantarum strains with atypical MIC for tetracycline harboured a plasmid-encoded tet(M) gene. The majority of the tet(W)-positive Lact. reuteri strains and all erm-positive Lact. reuteri strains carried the genes on plasmids, as determined by Southern blot and a real-time PCR method developed in this study. Most of the antibiotic-resistant strains of Lact. reuteri and Lact. plantarum harboured known plasmid-encoded resistance genes. Examples of putative transfer machineries adjacent to both plasmid- and chromosome-located resistance genes were also demonstrated. These data provide some of the knowledge required for assessing the possible risk of using Lact. reuteri and Lact. plantarum strains carrying antibiotic resistance genes as starter cultures and probiotics.

Detection of increased series losses in PV arrays using Fuzzy Inference Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spataru, Sergiu; Sera, Dezso; Kerekes, Tamas

2012-01-01

There are well-defined methods to measure the (increased) series resistance of PV panels in controlled laboratory conditions. However, the presence of various irradiance levels and partial shadows, in case of an outdoor installation, may affect the series resistance estimation. This paper focuses...

Characterization of room temperature recrystallization kinetics in electroplated copper thin films with concurrent x-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Treger, Mikhail; Noyan, I. C. [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York 10027 (United States); Witt, Christian [GlobalFoundries, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Cabral, Cyril; Murray, Conal; Jordan-Sweet, Jean [IBM, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Rosenberg, Robert [State University of New York, the University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203 (United States); Eisenbraun, Eric [College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203 (United States)

2013-06-07

Concurrent in-situ four-point probe resistivity and high resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements were used to characterize room temperature recrystallization in electroplated Cu thin films. The x-ray data were used to obtain the variation with time of the integrated intensities and the peak-breadth from the Cu 111 and 200 reflections of the transforming grains. The variation of the integrated intensity and resistivity data with time was analyzed using the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) model. For both 111-textured and non-textured electroplated Cu films, four-point probe resistivity measurements yielded shorter transformation times than the values obtained from the integrated intensities of the corresponding Cu 111 reflections. In addition, the JMAK exponents fitted to the resistivity data were significantly smaller. These discrepancies could be explained by considering the different material volumes from which resistivity and diffraction signals originated, and the physical processes which linked these signals to the changes in the evolving microstructure. Based on these issues, calibration of the resistivity analysis with direct structural characterization techniques is recommended.

Resistance Selection and Characterization of Chlorantraniliprole Resistance in Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xia; Wang, Hong-Yan; Ning, Yu-Bo; Qiao, Kang; Wang, Kai-Yun

2015-08-01

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), is considered one of the most damaging lepidopteran pests, and it has developed resistance to all conventional insecticide classes in the field. Chlorantraniliprole is the first commercial insecticide that belongs to the new chemical class of diamide insecticides. But, P. xylostella have already shown resistance to chlorantraniliprole in China. After 52 generations of selection with chlorantraniliprole, ∼48.17-fold resistance was observed. The resistant strain showed cross-resistance to flubendiamide (7.29-fold), abamectin (6.11-fold), and cyantraniliprole (3.31-fold). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression of the ryanodine receptor gene was higher in the resistant strain than that in the susceptible strain. Enzyme assays indicated that cytochrome P450 activity in the resistant strain was 4.26 times higher compared with the susceptible strain, whereas no difference was seen for glutathione-S-transferase and esterase. Moreover, the toxicity of chlorantraniliprole in the resistant strain could be synergized by piperonyl butoxide, but not by diethyl maleate, and S,S,S-tributyl phosphorothioate. These results can serve as an important base for guiding the use of insecticide in field and delaying the development of pests that are resistant to the insecticides. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of electroless nickel on the series resistance of high-efficiency inkjet printed passivated emitter rear contacted solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lenio, Martha A.T. [REC Technology US, Inc., 1159 Triton Dr., Foster City, CA 94301 (United States); Lennon, A.J.; Ho-Baillie, A.; Wenham, S.R. [ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)

2010-12-15

Many existing and emerging solar cell technologies rely on plated metal to form the front surface contacts, and aluminium to form the rear contact. Interactions between the metal plating solutions and the aluminium rear can have a significant impact on cell performance. This paper describes non-uniform nickel deposition on the sintered aluminium rear surface of passivated emitter and rear contacted (PERC) cells patterned using an inkjet printing technique. Rather than being plated homogeneously over the entire rear surface as is observed on an alloyed aluminium rear, the nickel is plated only in the vicinity of the point openings in the rear surface silicon dioxide dielectric layer. Furthermore, this non-uniform nickel deposition was shown to increase the contact resistance of the rear point contacts by an order of magnitude, resulting in higher series resistance values for these fabricated PERC cells. (author)

Identification and characterization of RAPD-SCAR markers linked to glyphosate-susceptible and -resistant biotypes of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Thye San; Anne-Marie, Kaben; Chuah, Tse Seng

2014-02-01

Eleusine indica is one of the most common weed species found in agricultural land worldwide. Although herbicide-glyphosate provides good control of the weed, its frequent uses has led to abundant reported cases of resistance. Hence, the development of genetic markers for quick detection of glyphosate-resistance in E. indica population is imperative for the control and management of the weed. In this study, a total of 14 specific random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were identified and two of the markers, namely S4R727 and S26R6976 were further sequence characterized. Sequence alignment revealed that marker S4R727 showing a 12-bp nucleotides deletion in resistant biotypes, while marker S26R6976 contained a 167-bp nucleotides insertion in the resistant biotypes. Based on these sequence differences, three pairs of new sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers were developed. The specificity of these primer pairs were further validated with genomic DNA extracted from ten individual plants of one glyphosate-susceptible and five glyphosate-resistant (R2, R4, R6, R8 and R11) populations. The resulting RAPD-SCAR markers provided the basis for assessing genetic diversity between glyphosate-susceptible and -resistant E. indica biotypes, as well for the identification of genetic locus link to glyphosate-resistance event in the species.

Characterization of time series via Rényi complexity-entropy curves

Science.gov (United States)

Jauregui, M.; Zunino, L.; Lenzi, E. K.; Mendes, R. S.; Ribeiro, H. V.

2018-05-01

One of the most useful tools for distinguishing between chaotic and stochastic time series is the so-called complexity-entropy causality plane. This diagram involves two complexity measures: the Shannon entropy and the statistical complexity. Recently, this idea has been generalized by considering the Tsallis monoparametric generalization of the Shannon entropy, yielding complexity-entropy curves. These curves have proven to enhance the discrimination among different time series related to stochastic and chaotic processes of numerical and experimental nature. Here we further explore these complexity-entropy curves in the context of the Rényi entropy, which is another monoparametric generalization of the Shannon entropy. By combining the Rényi entropy with the proper generalization of the statistical complexity, we associate a parametric curve (the Rényi complexity-entropy curve) with a given time series. We explore this approach in a series of numerical and experimental applications, demonstrating the usefulness of this new technique for time series analysis. We show that the Rényi complexity-entropy curves enable the differentiation among time series of chaotic, stochastic, and periodic nature. In particular, time series of stochastic nature are associated with curves displaying positive curvature in a neighborhood of their initial points, whereas curves related to chaotic phenomena have a negative curvature; finally, periodic time series are represented by vertical straight lines.

Epidemiology meets econometrics: using time-series analysis to observe the impact of bed occupancy rates on the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaier, K; Meyer, E; Dettenkofer, M; Frank, U

2010-10-01

Two multivariate time-series analyses were carried out to identify the impact of bed occupancy rates, turnover intervals and the average length of hospital stay on the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria in a teaching hospital. Epidemiological data on the incidences of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria were collected. Time-series of bed occupancy rates, turnover intervals and the average length of stay were tested for inclusion in the models as independent variables. Incidence was defined as nosocomial cases per 1000 patient-days. This included all patients infected or colonised with MRSA/ESBL more than 48h after admission. Between January 2003 and July 2008, a mean incidence of 0.15 nosocomial MRSA cases was identified. ESBL was not included in the surveillance until January 2005. Between January 2005 and July 2008 the mean incidence of nosocomial ESBL was also 0.15 cases per 1000 patient-days. The two multivariate models demonstrate a temporal relationship between bed occupancy rates in general wards and the incidence of nosocomial MRSA and ESBL. Similarly, the temporal relationship between the monthly average length of stay in intensive care units (ICUs) and the incidence of nosocomial MRSA and ESBL was demonstrated. Overcrowding in general wards and long periods of ICU stay were identified as factors influencing the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria in hospital settings. Copyright 2010 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low back pain characterized by muscle resistance and occupational factors associated with nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael de Souza Petersen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to identify the occupational factors associated with low back pain using a surveillance tool and to characterize the low back pain by the resistance of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column among nursing professionals at an Intensive Care Unit.METHODS: Cross-sectional study. The workers answered a questionnaire about occupational factors and participated in a resistance test of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column. Associations were established through Student's T-test or Mann-Whitney's U-test and correlations using Pearson's test.RESULTS: Out of 48 participants, 32 (67% suffered from low pain. For the resistance test, the subjects suffering from low back pain endured less time in comparison with asymptomatic subjects, but without significant differences (p=0.147. The duration of the pain episode showed a significant negative correlation (p=0.016 with the results of the resistance test though. The main factors identified as causes of low back pain were biomechanical and postural elements, conditions of the muscle structure and physical and organizational conditions.CONCLUSIONS: the main occupational factors associated with the low back pain were the posture and the characteristics of the physical and organizational conditions. In addition, the extensor muscles of the column showed a trend towards lesser resistance for workers in pain. This evidence is important when considering prevention and treatment strategies.

Silicide-to-silicon specific contact resistance characterization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stavitski, N.

2009-01-01

The performance of Si integrated circuits depends on the transistor drive current. The drive current of a MOS transistor is determined by the total device resistance, which consists of the channel resistance and the parasitic resistances associated with dopant diffusion areas and contacts. It is

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes in Haemophilus parasuis isolated from pigs in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongda Zhao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background Haemophilus parasuis is a common porcine respiratory pathogen that causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in farmed swine. We performed a molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes harbored by H. parasuis from pig farms in China. Methods We screened 143 H. parasuis isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility against six fluoroquinolone antibiotics testing by the broth microdilution method, and the presence of 64 antimicrobial resistance genes by PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis. We determined quinolone resistance determining region mutations of DNA gyrase (gyrA and gyrB and topoisomerase IV (parC and parE. The genetic relatedness among the strains was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results Susceptibility test showed that all isolates were low resistance to lomefloxacin (28.67%, levofloxacin (20.28%, norfloxacin (22.38%, ciprofloxacin (23.78%, however, high resistance levels were found to nalidixic acid (82.52% and enrofloxacin (55.94%. In addition, we found 14 antimicrobial resistance genes were present in these isolates, including blaTEM-1, blaROB-1, ermB, ermA, flor, catl, tetB, tetC, rmtB, rmtD, aadA1, aac(3′-llc, sul1, and sul2 genes. Interestingly, one isolate carried five antibiotic resistance genes (tetB, tetC, flor, rmtB, sul1. The genes tetB, rmtB, and flor were the most prevalent resistance genes in H. parasuis in China. Alterations in the gyrA gene (S83F/Y, D87Y/N/H/G were detected in 81% of the strains and parC mutations were often accompanied by a gyrA mutation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing revealed 51 unique patterns in the isolates carrying high-level antibiotic resistance genes, indicating considerable genetic diversity and suggesting that the genes were spread horizontally. Discussion The current study demonstrated that the high antibiotic resistance of H. parasuis in piglets is a combination of transferable antibiotic resistance genes and multiple target

Molecular characterization and determination of antimicrobial resistance of Mycoplasma gallisepticum isolated from chickens.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakpinyo, Somsak; Sasipreeyajan, Jiroj

2007-11-15

In this study, three consecutive approaches of molecular characterization, determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and antimicrobial tested on Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) isolated from chicken farms were investigated. These approaches were conducted between 2004 and 2005 to 134 MG samples collected from five different regions of the intensive farming area of Thailand. Twenty MG isolates and four reference strains including S6, F, ts-11, and 6/85 were classified according to Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns prior to the antimicrobial tests. These isolates exhibited 5 different genotypes (A-E). Consequently, MG isolates representing each genotype were tested on 11 registered antibiotics. The levels of MIC were determined. Three antibiotics, doxycycline (0.20 microg/ml), tiamulin (0.10 microg/ml), and tylosin (0.33 microg/ml), gave the least MICs among all effective drugs. Break point comparisons of each antimicrobial suggested that the MG isolates were most sensitive to lincomycin, oxytetracycline, tiamulin, and tylosin. Some MG isolates had an intermediate effect on josamycin and were resistant to enrofloxacin and erythromycin. Our results also indicated that MG isolated and collected from the region and nearby districts had similar RAPD patterns showing properties of antimicrobial resistance. The RAPD patterns may imply the frequent use of antibiotics and a resistant strain of MG. This is the first report of genetic characterization using RAPD reflected by the levels of MIC against MG. The information is useful to plan for prophylactic and therapeutic impacts on the poultry industry especially in the area of intensive use of antibiotics.

Characterization of mutations causing rifampicin and isoniazid resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Syria.

Science.gov (United States)

Madania, Ammar; Habous, Maya; Zarzour, Hana; Ghoury, Ifad; Hebbo, Barea

2012-01-01

In order to characterize mutations causing rifampicin and isoniazid resistance of M. tuberculosis in Syria, 69 rifampicin resistant (Rif(r)) and 72 isoniazid resistant (Inh(r)) isolates were screened for point mutations in hot spots of the rpoB, katG and inhA genes by DNA sequencing and real time PCR. Of 69 Rif(r) isolates, 62 (90%) had mutations in the rifampin resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene, with codons 531 (61%), 526 (13%), and 516 (8.7%) being the most commonly mutated. We found two new mutations (Asp516Thr and Ser531Gly) described for the first time in the rpoB-RRDR in association with rifampicin resistance. Only one mutation (Ile572Phe) was found outside the rpoB-RRDR. Of 72 Inh(r) strains, 30 (41.6%) had a mutation in katGcodon315 (with Ser315Thr being the predominant alteration), and 23 (32%) harbored the inhA(-15C-->T) mutation. While the general pattern of rpoB-RRDR and katG mutations reflected those found worldwide, the prevalence of the inhA(-15C-->T mutation was above the value found in most other countries, emphasizing the great importance of testing the inhA(-15C-->T) mutation for prediction of isoniazid resistance in Syria. Sensitivity of a rapid test using real time PCR and 3'-Minor groove binder (MGB) probes in detecting Rif(r) and Inh(r) isolates was 90% and 69.4%, respectively. This demonstrates that a small set of MGB-probes can be used in real time PCR in order to detect most mutations causing resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid.

Whole Genome Sequencing Based Characterization of Extensively Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from Pakistan

KAUST Repository

Ali, Asho; Hasan, Zahra; McNerney, Ruth; Mallard, Kim; Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A.; Coll, Francesc; Nair, Mridul; Pain, Arnab; Clark, Taane G.; Hasan, Rumina

2015-01-01

Improved molecular diagnostic methods for detection drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains are required. Resistance to first- and second- line anti-tuberculous drugs has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in particular genes. However, these SNPs can vary between MTB lineages therefore local data is required to describe different strain populations. We used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 37 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) MTB isolates from Pakistan and investigated 40 genes associated with drug resistance. Rifampicin resistance was attributable to SNPs in the rpoB hot-spot region. Isoniazid resistance was most commonly associated with the katG codon 315 (92%) mutation followed by inhA S94A (8%) however, one strain did not have SNPs in katG, inhA or oxyR-ahpC. All strains were pyrazimamide resistant but only 43% had pncA SNPs. Ethambutol resistant strains predominantly had embB codon 306 (62%) mutations, but additional SNPs at embB codons 406, 378 and 328 were also present. Fluoroquinolone resistance was associated with gyrA 91-94 codons in 81% of strains; four strains had only gyr B mutations, while others did not have SNPs in either gyrA or gyrB. Streptomycin resistant strains had mutations in ribosomal RNA genes; rpsL codon 43 (42%); rrs 500 region (16%), and gidB (34%) while six strains did not have mutations in any of these genes. Amikacin/kanamycin/capreomycin resistance was associated with SNPs in rrs at nt1401 (78%) and nt1484 (3%), except in seven (19%) strains. We estimate that if only the common hot-spot region targets of current commercial assays were used, the concordance between phenotypic and genotypic testing for these XDR strains would vary between rifampicin (100%), isoniazid (92%), flouroquinolones (81%), aminoglycoside (78%) and ethambutol (62%); while pncA sequencing would provide genotypic resistance in less than half the isolates. This work highlights the importance of expanded

Whole Genome Sequencing Based Characterization of Extensively Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from Pakistan

KAUST Repository

Ali, Asho

2015-02-26

Improved molecular diagnostic methods for detection drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains are required. Resistance to first- and second- line anti-tuberculous drugs has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in particular genes. However, these SNPs can vary between MTB lineages therefore local data is required to describe different strain populations. We used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 37 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) MTB isolates from Pakistan and investigated 40 genes associated with drug resistance. Rifampicin resistance was attributable to SNPs in the rpoB hot-spot region. Isoniazid resistance was most commonly associated with the katG codon 315 (92%) mutation followed by inhA S94A (8%) however, one strain did not have SNPs in katG, inhA or oxyR-ahpC. All strains were pyrazimamide resistant but only 43% had pncA SNPs. Ethambutol resistant strains predominantly had embB codon 306 (62%) mutations, but additional SNPs at embB codons 406, 378 and 328 were also present. Fluoroquinolone resistance was associated with gyrA 91-94 codons in 81% of strains; four strains had only gyr B mutations, while others did not have SNPs in either gyrA or gyrB. Streptomycin resistant strains had mutations in ribosomal RNA genes; rpsL codon 43 (42%); rrs 500 region (16%), and gidB (34%) while six strains did not have mutations in any of these genes. Amikacin/kanamycin/capreomycin resistance was associated with SNPs in rrs at nt1401 (78%) and nt1484 (3%), except in seven (19%) strains. We estimate that if only the common hot-spot region targets of current commercial assays were used, the concordance between phenotypic and genotypic testing for these XDR strains would vary between rifampicin (100%), isoniazid (92%), flouroquinolones (81%), aminoglycoside (78%) and ethambutol (62%); while pncA sequencing would provide genotypic resistance in less than half the isolates. This work highlights the importance of expanded

Detecting chaos in irregularly sampled time series.

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Kulp, C W

2013-09-01

Recently, Wiebe and Virgin [Chaos 22, 013136 (2012)] developed an algorithm which detects chaos by analyzing a time series' power spectrum which is computed using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). Their algorithm, like other time series characterization algorithms, requires that the time series be regularly sampled. Real-world data, however, are often irregularly sampled, thus, making the detection of chaotic behavior difficult or impossible with those methods. In this paper, a characterization algorithm is presented, which effectively detects chaos in irregularly sampled time series. The work presented here is a modification of Wiebe and Virgin's algorithm and uses the Lomb-Scargle Periodogram (LSP) to compute a series' power spectrum instead of the DFT. The DFT is not appropriate for irregularly sampled time series. However, the LSP is capable of computing the frequency content of irregularly sampled data. Furthermore, a new method of analyzing the power spectrum is developed, which can be useful for differentiating between chaotic and non-chaotic behavior. The new characterization algorithm is successfully applied to irregularly sampled data generated by a model as well as data consisting of observations of variable stars.

The role of {sup 60}Co gamma-ray irradiation on the interface states and series resistance in MIS structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tascioglu, Ilke [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey); Tataroglu, Adem, E-mail: ademt@gazi.edu.t [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey); Ozbay, Akif; Altindal, Semsettin [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey)

2010-04-15

The effect of gamma-ray exposure on the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures has been investigated using the electrical characteristics at room temperature. The MIS structures are irradiated with {sup 60}Co gamma-ray source. The energy distribution of interface states was determined from the forward bias I-V characteristics by taking into account the bias dependence of the effective barrier height and ideality factor. The value of series resistance decreases with increasing dose. Experimental results confirmed that gamma-ray irradiation have a significant effect on electrical characteristics of MIS structures.

Long-term characterization of the diet-induced obese and diet-resistant rat model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Andreas Nygaard; Hansen, Gitte; Paulsen, Sarah Juel

2010-01-01

, namely the selectively bred diet-induced obese (DIO) and diet-resistant (DR) rat strains. We show that they constitute useful models of the human obesity syndrome. DIO and DR rats were fed either a high-energy (HE) or a standard chow (Chow) diet from weaning to 9 months of age. Metabolic characterization......, the results underscore the effectiveness of GLP-1 mimetics both as anti-diabetes and anti-obesity agents....

Comparing spatial series of soil bulk electrical conductivity as obtained by Time Domain Reflectometry and Electrical Resistivity Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Saeed, Ali; Dragonetti, Giovanna; Comegna, Allessandro; Garre, Sarah; Lamaddalena, Nicola; Coppola, Antonio

2016-04-01

Conventional ground survey of soil root zone salinity by direct soil sampling are time consuming, costly and destructive. Alternatively, soil salinity can be evaluated by measuring the bulk electrical conductivity, σb, in the field. This approach is faster and cheaper, and allows a more intensive surveying. Measurements of σb can be made either in situ or with remote devices. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensors allow simultaneous measurements of water content, θ, and σb. They may be calibrated for estimating the electrical conductivity of the soil solution (σw). However, they have a relatively small observation window and thus they are thought to only provide local-scale measurements. The spatial range of the sensors is limited to tens of centimeters and extension of the information to a large area can be problematic. Also, information on the vertical distribution of the σb soil profile may only be obtained by installing sensors at different depths. In this sense, the TDR may be considered as an invasive technique. Compared to the TDR, other geophysical methods based for example on the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) techniques represent an alternative in respect to those traditional for soil salinity characterization. In order to deduce the actual distribution of the bulk electrical conductivity, σb, in the soil profile, one needs to invert the signal coming from ERT sensors. The latter, in turn, depends on the specific depth distribution of the σb, as well as on the electrical configuration of the sensor used. With these premises, the main aim of this study is to estimate the vertical σb distribution starting from resistivity data series measured using the ERT method under different salinity conditions and using TDR data as ground-truth data for calibration and validation of the ERT sensor. This way, limited measured TDR data may be used for translating extensive ERT apparent electrical conductivity, σa, measurements to estimate depth

Epidemiology and molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in Southeast Asia

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Nuntra Suwantarat

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGN, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs and multidrug-resistant glucose-nonfermenting Gram-negative bacilli (nonfermenters, have emerged and spread throughout Southeast Asia. Methods We reviewed and summarized current critical knowledge on the epidemiology and molecular characterization of MDRGN in Southeast Asia by PubMed searches for publications prior to 10 March 2016 with the term related to “MDRGN definition” combined with specific Southeast Asian country names (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei. Results There were a total of 175 publications from the following countries: Thailand (77, Singapore (35, Malaysia (32, Vietnam (23, Indonesia (6, Philippines (1, Laos (1, and Brunei (1. We did not find any publications on MDRGN from Myanmar and Cambodia. We did not include publications related to Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., and Vibrio spp. and non-human related studies in our review. English language articles and abstracts were included for analysis. After the abstracts were reviewed, data on MDRGN in Southeast Asia from 54 publications were further reviewed and included in this study. Conclusions MDRGNs are a major contributor of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in Southeast Asia. The high prevalence of ESBLs has been a major problem since 2005 and is possibly related to the development of carbapenem resistant organisms in this region due to the overuse of carbapenem therapy. Carbapenem–resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is the most common pathogen associated with nosocomial infections in this region followed by carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although Southeast Asia is not an endemic area for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE, recently, the rate of CRE detection has been increasing. Limited infection control measures, lack of antimicrobial control, such as the presence of

Detailed characterization of Mirafiori lettuce virus-resistant transgenic lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawazu, Yoichi; Fujiyama, Ryoi; Noguchi, Yuji; Kubota, Masaharu; Ito, Hidekazu; Fukuoka, Hiroyuki

2010-04-01

Lettuce big-vein disease is caused by Mirafiori lettuce virus (MiLV), which is vectored by the soil-borne fungus Olpidium brassicae. A MiLV-resistant transgenic lettuce line was developed through introducing inverted repeats of the MiLV coat protein (CP) gene. Here, a detailed characterization study of this lettuce line was conducted by comparing it with the parental, non-transformed 'Kaiser' cultivar. There were no significant differences between transgenic and non-transgenic lettuce in terms of pollen fertility, pollen dispersal, seed production, seed dispersal, dormancy, germination, growth of seedlings under low or high temperature, chromatographic patterns of leaf extracts, or effects of lettuce on the growth of broccoli or soil microflora. A significant difference in pollen size was noted, but the difference was small. The length of the cotyledons of the transgenic lettuce was shorter than that of 'Kaiser,' but there were no differences in other morphological characteristics. Agrobacterium tumefaciens used for the production of transgenic lettuce was not detected in transgenic seeds. The transgenic T(3), T(4), and T(5) generations showed higher resistance to MiLV and big-vein symptoms expression than the resistant 'Pacific' cultivar, indicating that high resistance to lettuce big-vein disease is stably inherited. PCR analysis showed that segregation of the CP gene was nearly 3:1 in the T(1) and T(2) generations, and that the transgenic T(3) generation was homozygous for the CP gene. Segregation of the neomycin phosphotransferase II (npt II) gene was about 3:1 in the T(1) generation, but the full length npt II gene was not detected in the T(2) or T(3) generation. The segregation pattern of the CP and npt II genes in the T(1) generation showed the expected 9:3:3:1 ratio. These results suggest that the fragment including the CP gene and that including the npt II gene have been integrated into two unlinked loci, and that the T(1) plant selected in our study did

Characterization and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella Typhimurium Isolates from Clinically Diseased Pigs in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Sang-Ik; Kim, Jong Wan; Chae, Myeongju; Jung, Ji-A; So, Byungjae; Kim, Bumseok; Kim, Ha-Young

2016-11-01

This study investigated the prevalence of Salmonella enterica serovar and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella Typhimurium isolates from clinically diseased pigs collected from 2008 to 2014 in Korea. Isolates were also characterized according to the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Among 94 Salmonella isolates, 81 (86.2%) were identified as being of the Salmonella Typhimurium serotype, followed by Salmonella Derby (6 of 94, 6.4%), Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- (4 of 94, 4.3%), Salmonella Enteritidis (2 of 94, 2.1%), and Salmonella Brandenburg (1 of 94, 1.1%). The majority of Salmonella Typhimurium isolates were resistant to tetracycline (92.6%), followed by streptomycin (88.9%) and ampicillin (80.2%). Overall, 96.3% of Salmonella Typhimurium isolates showed multidrug-resistant phenotypes and commonly harbored the resistance genes bla TEM (64.9%), flo (32.8%), aadA (55.3%), strA (58.5%), strB (58.5%), sulII (53.2%), and tetA (61.7%). The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of 45 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates from individual farms revealed 27 distinct patterns that formed one major and two minor clusters in the dendrogram analysis, suggesting that most of the isolates (91.1%) from diseased pigs were genetically related. These findings can assist veterinarians in the selection of appropriate antimicrobial agents to combat Salmonella Typhimurium infections in pigs. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of continuous surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and genetic status in Salmonella Typhimurium for the detection of emerging resistance trends.

New Homologues Series of Heterocyclic Schiff Base Ester: Synthesis and Characterization

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Yee-Ting Chong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A homologous series of liquid crystal bearing with heterocyclic thiophene Schiff base ester with alkanoyloxy chain (CH3(CH2nCOO–, where n=4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 was successfully synthesized through the modification of some reported methods. The structural information of these compounds was isolated and characterized through some spectroscopic techniques, such as FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR and elemental analysis. Textural observation was carried out using a polarizing optical microscope (POM over heating and cooling cycles. It was found that all synthesized compounds (3a–g exhibited an enantiotropic nematic phase upon the heating and cooling cycle with high thermal stability. Moreover, a characteristic bar transition texture was observed for compounds 3f and 3g which have shown transition of nematic-to-smectic C phase. This has been further confirmed by obtaining relative phase transition temperature using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC.

On the profile of frequency and voltage dependent interface states and series resistance in MIS structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doekme, Ilbilge [Science Education Department, Faculty of Kirsehir Education, Gazi University, Kirsehir (Turkey)]. E-mail: ilbilgedokme@gazi.edu.tr; Altindal, Semsettin [Physics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gazi University, 06500, Teknikokullar, Ankara (Turkey)

2007-04-30

The variation in the capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G/{omega}-V) characteristics of Au/SiO{sub 2}/n-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure have been systematically investigated as a function of frequencies in the frequency range 0.5 kHz-10 MHz at room temperature. In addition, the forward and reverse bias current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of this structure were measured at room temperature. The high value of ideality factor was attributed to the high density of interface states localized at Si/SiO{sub 2} interface and interfacial oxide layer. The density of interface states (N{sub ss}) and the series resistance (R{sub ss}) were calculated from I-V and C-V measurements using different methods and the effect of them on C-V and G/{omega}-V characteristics were deeply researched. At the same energy position near the top of valance band, the calculated N{sub ss} values, obtained without taking into account the series resistance of the devices almost one order of magnitude larger than N{sub ss} values obtained by taking into account R{sub ss} values. It is found that the C-V and G/{omega}-V curves exhibit a peak at low frequencies and the peak values of C and G/{omega} decrease with increasing frequency. Also, the plots of R {sub s} as a function of bias give two peaks in the certain voltage range at low frequencies. These observations indicate that at low frequencies, the charges at interface states can easily follow an AC signal and the number of them increases with decreasing frequency. The I-V, C-V and G/{omega}-V characteristics of the MIS structure are affected not only with R {sub s} but also N {sub ss}. Experimental results show that both the R{sub s} and C{sub o} values should be taken into account in determining frequency-dependent electrical characteristics.

Micro-structural characterization of low resistive metallic Ni germanide growth on annealing of Ni-Ge multilayer

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Mitali Swain

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Nickel-Germanides are an important class of metal semiconductor alloys because of their suitability in microelectronics applications. Here we report successful formation and detailed characterization of NiGe metallic alloy phase at the interfaces of a Ni-Ge multilayer on controlled annealing at relatively low temperature ∼ 250 °C. Using x-ray and polarized neutron reflectometry, we could estimate the width of the interfacial alloys formed with nanometer resolution and found the alloy stoichiometry to be equiatomic NiGe, a desirable low-resistance interconnect. We found significant drop in resistance (∼ 50% on annealing the Ni-Ge multilayer suggesting metallic nature of alloy phase at the interfaces. Further we estimated the resistivity of the alloy phase to be ∼ 59μΩ cm.

Characterization of putative multidrug resistance transporters of the major facilitator-superfamily expressed in Salmonella Typhi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaheen, Aqsa; Ismat, Fouzia; Iqbal, Mazhar

2015-01-01

Multidrug resistance mediated by efflux pumps is a well-known phenomenon in infectious bacteria. Although much work has been carried out to characterize multidrug efflux pumps in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, such information is still lacking for many deadly pathogens. The aim...... of this study was to gain insight into the substrate specificity of previously uncharacterized transporters of Salmonella Typhi to identify their role in the development of multidrug resistance. S. Typhi genes encoding putative members of the major facilitator superfamily were cloned and expressed in the drug......-hypersensitive Escherichia coli strain KAM42, and tested for transport of 25 antibacterial compounds, including representative antibiotics of various classes, antiseptics, dyes and detergents. Of the 15 tested putative transporters, STY0901, STY2458 and STY4874 exhibited a drug-resistance phenotype. Among these, STY4874...

Module Five: Relationships of Current, Voltage, and Resistance; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

This module covers the relationships between current and voltage; resistance in a series circuit; how to determine the values of current, voltage, resistance, and power in resistive series circuits; the effects of source internal resistance; and an introduction to the troubleshooting of series circuits. This module is divided into five lessons:…

Distortion and regulation characterization of a Mapham inverter

Science.gov (United States)

Sundberg, Richard C.; Brush, Andrew S.; Button, Robert M.; Patterson, Alexander G.

1989-01-01

Output voltage Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of a 20kHz, 6kVA Mapham resonant inverter is characterized as a function of its switching-to-resonant frequency ratio, f sub s/f sub r, using the EASY5 engineering analysis system. EASY5 circuit simulation results are compared with hardware test results to verify the accuracy of the simulations. The effects of load on the THD versus f sub s/f sub r ratio is investigated for resistive, leading, and lagging power factor load impedances. The effect of the series output capacitor on the Mapham inverter output voltage distortion and inherent load regulation is characterized under loads of various power factors and magnitudes. An optimum series capacitor value which improves the inherent load regulation to better than 3 percent is identified. The optimum series capacitor value is different than the value predicted from a modeled frequency domain analysis. An explanation is proposed which takes into account the conduction overlap in the inductor pairs during steady-state inverter operation, which decreases the effective inductance of a Mapham inverter. A fault protection and current limit method is discussed which allows the Mapham inverter to operate into a short circuit, even when the inverter resonant circuit becomes overdamped.

Identification and characterization of SSE15206, a microtubule depolymerizing agent that overcomes multidrug resistance

KAUST Repository

Manzoor, Safia

2018-02-13

Microtubules are highly dynamic structures that form spindle fibres during mitosis and are one of the most validated cancer targets. The success of drugs targeting microtubules, however, is often limited by the development of multidrug resistance. Here we describe the discovery and characterization of SSE15206, a pyrazolinethioamide derivative [3-phenyl-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide] that has potent antiproliferative activities in cancer cell lines of different origins and overcomes resistance to microtubule-targeting agents. Treatment of cells with SSE15206 causes aberrant mitosis resulting in G2/M arrest due to incomplete spindle formation, a phenotype often associated with drugs that interfere with microtubule dynamics. SSE15206 inhibits microtubule polymerization both in biochemical and cellular assays by binding to colchicine site in tubulin as shown by docking and competition studies. Prolonged treatment of cells with the compound results in apoptotic cell death [increased Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and Annexin V/PI staining] accompanied by p53 induction. More importantly, we demonstrate that SSE15206 is able to overcome resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in different cancer cell lines including multidrug-resistant KB-V1 and A2780-Pac-Res cell lines overexpressing MDR-1, making it a promising hit for the lead optimization studies to target multidrug resistance.

Genetic characterization of blaNDM-harboring plasmids in carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli from Myanmar.

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Yo Sugawara

Full Text Available The bacterial enzyme New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase hydrolyzes almost all β-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems, which are drugs of last resort for severe bacterial infections. The spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae that carry the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene, blaNDM, poses a serious threat to public health. In this study, we genetically characterized eight carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from a tertiary care hospital in Yangon, Myanmar. The eight isolates belonged to five multilocus-sequence types and harbored multiple antimicrobial-resistance genes, resulting in resistance against nearly all of the antimicrobial agents tested, except colistin and fosfomycin. Nine plasmids harboring blaNDM genes were identified from these isolates. Multiple blaNDM genes were found in the distinct Inc-replicon types of the following plasmids: an IncA/C2 plasmid harboring blaNDM-1 (n = 1, IncX3 plasmids harboring blaNDM-4 (n = 2 or blaNDM-7 (n = 1, IncFII plasmids harboring blaNDM-4 (n = 1 or blaNDM-5 (n = 3, and a multireplicon F plasmid harboring blaNDM-5 (n = 1. Comparative analysis highlighted the diversity of the blaNDM-harboring plasmids and their distinct characteristics, which depended on plasmid replicon types. The results indicate circulation of phylogenetically distinct strains of carbapenem-resistant E. coli with various plasmids harboring blaNDM genes in the hospital.

Identification and characterization of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Albert isolates in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Folster, Jason P; Campbell, Davina; Grass, Julian; Brown, Allison C; Bicknese, Amelia; Tolar, Beth; Joseph, Lavin A; Plumblee, Jodie R; Walker, Carrie; Fedorka-Cray, Paula J; Whichard, Jean M

2015-05-01

Salmonella enterica is one of the most common causes of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States. Although most Salmonella infections are self-limiting, antimicrobial treatment of invasive salmonellosis is critical. The primary antimicrobial treatment options include fluoroquinolones or extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and resistance to these antimicrobial drugs may complicate treatment. At present, S. enterica is composed of more than 2,600 unique serotypes, which vary greatly in geographic prevalence, ecological niche, and the ability to cause human disease, and it is important to understand and mitigate the source of human infection, particularly when antimicrobial resistance is found. In this study, we identified and characterized 19 S. enterica serotype Albert isolates collected from food animals, retail meat, and humans in the United States during 2005 to 2013. All five isolates from nonhuman sources were obtained from turkeys or ground turkey, and epidemiologic data suggest poultry consumption or live-poultry exposure as the probable source of infection. S. enterica serotype Albert also appears to be geographically localized to the midwestern United States. All 19 isolates displayed multidrug resistance, including decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. Turkeys are a likely source of multidrug-resistant S. enterica serotype Albert, and circulation of resistance plasmids, as opposed to the expansion of a single resistant strain, is playing a role. More work is needed to understand why these resistance plasmids spread and how their presence and the serotype they reside in contribute to human disease. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Genetic relatedness and molecular characterization of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated in central Ohio, USA

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Tadesse Daniel

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Over the last decade, nosocomial infections due to Acinetobacter baumannii have been described with an increasing trend towards multidrug resistance, mostly in intensive care units. The aim of the present study was to determine the clonal relatedness of clinical isolates and to elucidate the genetic basis of imipenem resistance. Methods A. baumannii isolates (n = 83 originated from two hospital settings in central Ohio were used in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for clinically relevant antimicrobials were performed. Resistance determinants were characterized by using different phenotypic (accumulation assay for efflux and genotypic (PCR, DNA sequencing, plasmid analysis and electroporation approaches. Results The isolates were predominantly multidrug resistant (>79.5% and comprised of thirteen unique pulsotypes, with genotype VII circulating in both hospitals. The presence of blaOXA-23 in 13% (11/83 and ISAba1 linked blaOXA-66 in 79.5% (66/83 of clinical isolates was associated with high level imipenem resistance. In this set of OXA producing isolates, multidrug resistance was bestowed by blaADC-25, class 1 integron-borne aminoglycoside modifying enzymes, presence of sense mutations in gyrA/parC and involvement of active efflux (with evidence for the presence of adeB efflux gene. Conclusion This study underscores the major role of carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases, and in particular the acquired OXA-23, in the dissemination of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii. The co-occurrence of additional resistance determinant could also be a significant threat.

Fabrication and characterization of a micromachined swirl-shaped ionic polymer metal composite actuator with electrodes exhibiting asymmetric resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Guo-Hua; Liu, Kim-Min

2014-05-12

This paper presents a swirl-shaped microfeatured ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator. A novel micromachining process was developed to fabricate an array of IPMC actuators on a glass substrate and to ensure that no shortcircuits occur between the electrodes of the actuator. We demonstrated a microfluidic scheme in which surface tension was used to construct swirl-shaped planar IPMC devices of microfeature size and investigated the flow velocity of Nafion solutions, which formed the backbone polymer of the actuator, within the microchannel. The unique fabrication process yielded top and bottom electrodes that exhibited asymmetric surface resistance. A tool for measuring surface resistance was developed and used to characterize the resistances of the electrodes for the fabricated IPMC device. The actuator, which featured asymmetric electrode resistance, caused a nonzero-bias current when the device was driven using a zero-bias square wave, and we propose a circuit model to describe this phenomenon. Moreover, we discovered and characterized a bending and rotating motion when the IPMC actuator was driven using a square wave. We observed a strain rate of 14.6% and a displacement of 700 μm in the direction perpendicular to the electrode surfaces during 4.5-V actuation.

Corrosion resistance and characterization of metallic coatings deposited by thermal spray on carbon steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sá Brito, V.R.S.; Bastos, I.N.; Costa, H.R.M.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Five combinations of metallic coatings and intermediate bonds were deposited on carbon steels. ► High strength was reached in adhesion tests. ► Epoxy sealing of coatings improves corrosion resistance. -- Abstract: Carbon steels are not resistant to corrosion and several methods are used in surface engineering to protect them from aggressive environments such as marine. The main objective of this work is the evaluation of mechanical and metallurgical properties of five metallic coatings produced by thermal spray on carbon steel. Five chemical compositions were tested in order to give a large panel of possibility. Coatings were characterized by several methods to result in a screening of their performance. At first, the assessment of microstructural morphology by optical microscopy (OM) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was made. OM and SEM results showed uniformity of deposited layer, low amount of oxides and porosity. The physical properties of coatings were also evaluated by microhardness measurement, adhesion and porosity quantification. The corrosion resistance was analyzed in salt spray and electrochemical polarization tests. In the polarization test, as well as in the salt spray, all sealed conditions presented low corrosion. A new intermediate 78.3Ni20Cr1.4Si0.3Fe alloy was studied in order to reduce pores and microcracks that are frequently found in ordinary 95Ni5Al alloy. Based on the performed characterizations, the findings suggested that the FeCrCo deposition, with an epoxy sealing, is suitable to be used as an efficient coating of carbon steel in aggressive marine environments.

Characterisation of Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Resistance Welding Machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Pei; Zhang, Wenqi; Bay, Niels

2005-01-01

characterizing the dynamic mechanical characteristics of resistance welding machines is suggested, and a test set-up is designed determining the basic, independent machine parameters required in the model. The model is verified by performing a series of mechanical tests as well as real projection welds.......The dynamic mechanical properties of a resistance welding machine have significant influence on weld quality, which must be considered when simulating the welding process numerically. However, due to the complexity of the machine structure and the mutual coupling of components of the machine system......, it is very difficult to measure or calculate the basic, independent machine parameters required in a mathematical model of the machine dynamics, and no test method has so far been presented in literature, which can be applied directly in an industrial environment. In this paper, a mathematical model...

CVD-graphene for low equivalent series resistance in rGO/CVD-graphene/Ni-based supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Young Hwi; Kumar, Sunil; Bae, Joonho; Seo, Yongho

2018-05-01

Reduced equivalent series resistance (ESR) is necessary, particularly at a high current density, for high performance supercapacitors, and the interface resistance between the current collector and electrode material is one of the main components of ESR. In this report, we have optimized chemical vapor deposition-grown graphene (CVD-G) on a current collector (Ni-foil) using reduced graphene oxide as an active electrode material to fabricate an electric double layer capacitor with reduced ESR. The CVD-G was grown at different cooling rates—20 °C min‑1, 40 °C min‑1 and 100 °C min‑1—to determine the optimum conditions. The lowest ESR, 0.38 Ω, was obtained for a cell with a 100 °C min‑1 cooling rate, while the sample without a CVD-G interlayer exhibited 0.80 Ω. The CVD-G interlayer-based supercapacitors exhibited fast CD characteristics with high scan rates up to 10 Vs‑1 due to low ESR. The specific capacitances deposited with CVD-G were in the range of 145.6 F g‑1–213.8 F g‑1 at a voltage scan rate of 0.05 V s‑1. A quasi-rectangular behavior was observed in the cyclic voltammetry curves, even at very high scan rates of 50 and 100 V s‑1, for the cell with optimized CVD-G at higher cooling rates, i.e. 100 °C min‑1.

Functional characterization of carboxylesterase gene mutations involved in Aphis gossypii resistance to organophosphate insecticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Y-H; Ai, G-M; Li, M; Shi, X-Y; Diao, Q-Y; Gao, X-W

2017-12-01

Carboxylesterases (CarEs) play an important role in detoxifying insecticides in insects. Over-expression and structural modification of CarEs have been implicated in the development of organophosphate (OP) insecticide resistance in insects. A previous study identified four nonsynonymous mutations (resulting in four amino acid residue substitutions) in the open reading frame of the carboxylesterase gene of resistant cotton aphids compared to the omethoate susceptible strain, which has possibly influenced the development of resistance to omethoate (a systemic OP insecticide). The current study further characterized the function of these mutations, both alone and in combination, in the hydrolysis of OP insecticides. The metabolism results suggest that the combination of four mutations, mainly existing in the laboratory-selected OP-resistant cotton aphid population, increased the OP hydrolase activity (approximately twofold) at the cost of detectable carboxylesterase activity. The functional studies of single or multiple mutations suggest the positive effect of H104R, A128V and T333P on the acquisition of OP hydrolase activity, especially the combination of H104R with A128V or T333P. K484R substitution decreased both the OP hydrolase activity and the CarE activity, indicating that this mutation primarily drives the negative effect on the acquisition of OP hydrolase activity amongst these four mutations in the resistant strain. The modelling and docking results are basically consistent with the metabolic results, which strongly suggest that the structural gene modification is the molecular basis for the OP resistance in this laboratory-selected cotton aphid strain. © 2017 The Royal Entomological Society.

Emergence of quinolone resistance among extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the Central African Republic: genetic characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Thierry

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cross-resistance to quinolones and beta-lactams is frequent in Enterobacteriaceae, due to the wide use of these antibiotics clinically and in the food industry. Prescription of one of these categories of antibiotic may consequently select for bacteria resistant to both categories. Genetic mechanisms of resistance may be secondary to a chromosomal mutation located in quinolone resistance determining region of DNA gyrase or topoisomerase IV or to a plasmid acquisition. The insertion sequence ISCR1 is often associated with qnr and may favour its dissemination in Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic mechanism of quinolone resistance among extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains in the Central African Republic. Findings Among seventeen ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from urine, pus or stool between January 2003 and October 2005 in the Central African Republic, nine were resistant to ciprofloxacin (seven from community patients and two from hospitalized patients. The ESBL were previously characterized as CTX-M-15 and SHV-12. Susceptibility to nalidixic acid, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin, and the minimal inhibitory concentrations of these drugs were determined by disc diffusion and agar dilution methods, respectively. The presence of plasmid-borne ISCR1-qnrA region was determined by PCR and amplicons, if any, were sent for sequencing. Quinolone resistance determining region of DNA gyrase gyrA gene was amplified by PCR and then sequenced for mutation characterization. We found that all CTX-M-producing strains were resistant to the tested quinolones. All the isolates had the same nucleotide mutation at codon 83 of gyrA. Two Escherichia coli strains with the highest MICs were shown to harbour an ISCR1-qnrA1 sequence. This genetic association might favour dissemination of resistance to quinolone and perhaps other antibiotics among Enterobacteriaceae

Characterization of interfacial socket pressure in transhumeral prostheses: A case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, Jonathon S; Schoepp, Katherine R; Williams, Heather E; Carey, Jason P; Marasco, Paul D; Hebert, Jacqueline S

2017-01-01

One of the most important factors in successful upper limb prostheses is the socket design. Sockets must be individually fabricated to arrive at a geometry that suits the user's morphology and appropriately distributes the pressures associated with prosthetic use across the residual limb. In higher levels of amputation, such as transhumeral, this challenge is amplified as prosthetic weight and the physical demands placed on the residual limb are heightened. Yet, in the upper limb, socket fabrication is largely driven by heuristic practices. An analytical understanding of the interactions between the socket and residual limb is absent in literature. This work describes techniques, adapted from lower limb prosthetic research, to empirically characterize the pressure distribution occurring between the residual limb and well-fit transhumeral prosthetic sockets. A case series analyzing the result of four participants with transhumeral amputation is presented. A Tekscan VersaTek pressure measurement system and FaroArm Edge coordinate measurement machine were employed to capture socket-residual limb interface pressures and geometrically register these values to the anatomy of participants. Participants performed two static poses with their prosthesis under two separate loading conditions. Surface pressure maps were constructed from the data, highlighting pressure distribution patterns, anatomical locations bearing maximum pressure, and the relative pressure magnitudes. Pressure distribution patterns demonstrated unique characteristics across the four participants that could be traced to individual socket design considerations. This work presents a technique that implements commercially available tools to quantitatively characterize upper limb socket-residual limb interactions. This is a fundamental first step toward improved socket designs developed through informed, analytically-based design tools.

High-performance carbon nanotube-implanted mesoporous carbon spheres for supercapacitors with low series resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yi, Bin [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Chen, Xiaohua, E-mail: hudacxh62@yahoo.com.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Guo, Kaimin [College of Physics and Electronic Science, Changsha University of Science and Technology (China); Xu, Longshan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024 (China); Chen, Chuansheng [College of Physics and Electronic Science, Changsha University of Science and Technology (China); Yan, Haimei; Chen, Jianghua [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

2011-11-15

Research highlights: {yields} CNTs-implanted porous carbon spheres are prepared by using gelatin as soft template. {yields} Homogeneously distributed CNTs form a well-develop network in carbon spheres. {yields} CNTs act as a reinforcing backbone assisting the formation of pore structure. {yields} CNTs improve electrical conductivity and specific capacitance of supercapacitor. -- Abstract: Carbon nanotube-implanted mesoporous carbon spheres were prepared by an easy polymerization-induced colloid aggregation method using gelatin as a soft template. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements reveal that the materials are mesoporous carbon spheres, with a diameter of {approx}0.5-1.0 {mu}m, a specific surface area of 284 m{sup 2}/g and average pore size of 3.9 nm. Using the carbon nanotube-implanted mesoporous carbon spheres as electrode material for supercapacitors in an aqueous electrolyte solution, a low equivalent series resistance of 0.83 {Omega} cm{sup 2} and a maximum specific capacitance of 189 F/g with a measured power density of 8.7 kW/kg at energy density of 6.6 Wh/kg are obtained.

Molecular characterization of a new efficiently transducing bacteriophage identified in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, Marian; Pantůček, Roman; Růžičková, Vladislava; Doškař, Jirˇí

2016-01-01

In Staphylococcus aureus, generalized transduction mediated by temperate bacteriophages represents a highly efficient way of transferring antibiotic resistance genes between strains. In the present study, we identified and characterized in detail a new efficiently transducing bacteriophage of the family Siphoviridae, designated ϕJB, which resides as a prophage in the meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain Jevons B. Whole-genome sequencing followed by detailed in silico analysis uncovered a linear dsDNA genome consisting of 43 ,12 bp and comprising 70 ORFs, of which ∼40 encoded proteins with unknown function. A global genome alignment of ϕJB and other efficiently transducing phages ϕ11, ϕ53, ϕ80, ϕ80α and ϕNM4 showed a high degree of homology with ϕNM4 and substantial differences with regard to other phages. Using a model transduction system with a well-defined donor and recipient, ϕJB transferred the tetracycline resistance plasmid pT181 and a penicillinase plasmid with outstanding frequencies, beating most of the above-mentioned phages by an order of magnitude. Moreover, ϕJB demonstrated high frequencies of transferring antibiotic resistance plasmids even upon induction from a lysogenic donor strain. Considering such transducing potential, ϕJB and related bacteriophages may serve as a suitable tool for elucidating the nature of transduction and its contribution to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in naturally occurring MRSA populations.

Characterizations of contact and sheet resistances of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests with intrinsic bottom contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang Yingqi; Wang Pengbo; Lin Liwei, E-mail: jiangyq99@gmail.com, E-mail: lwlin@me.berkeley.edu [Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California at Berkeley (United States)

2011-09-07

Comprehensive studies on the sheet and contact resistances of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests with as-grown bottom contacts to the metal layer have been conducted. Using microfabrication and four distinct methods: (1) the transfer length method (TLM), (2) the contact chain method, (3) the Kelvin method, and (4) the four point probe method, we have designed multiple testing devices to characterize the resistances of CNT-forest-based devices. Experimental results show that devices based on stripe-shaped CNT forests 100 {mu}m in height and 100 {mu}m in width have a sheet resistance of approximately 100{Omega}/{open_square}. The corresponding specific contact resistance to the molybdenum layer is roughly 5 x 10{sup 4} {Omega} {mu}m{sup 2}. Consistency of the results from the four different methods validates the study. After two months of storage of the CNT forest samples in open air, less than 0.9% deviations in the resistance values were observed. We further demonstrated one application of CNT forests as an NH{sub 3} gas sensor and measured 0.5 ppm of sensing resolution with a detection response time of 1 min.

Entropic Analysis of Electromyography Time Series

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Miron; Sung, Paul

2005-03-01

We are in the process of assessing the effectiveness of fractal and entropic measures for the diagnostic of low back pain from surface electromyography (EMG) time series. Surface electromyography (EMG) is used to assess patients with low back pain. In a typical EMG measurement, the voltage is measured every millisecond. We observed back muscle fatiguing during one minute, which results in a time series with 60,000 entries. We characterize the complexity of time series by computing the Shannon entropy time dependence. The analysis of the time series from different relevant muscles from healthy and low back pain (LBP) individuals provides evidence that the level of variability of back muscle activities is much larger for healthy individuals than for individuals with LBP. In general the time dependence of the entropy shows a crossover from a diffusive regime to a regime characterized by long time correlations (self organization) at about 0.01s.

Synthesis and characterization of large WO{sub 3} sheets synthesized by resistive heating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippo, Emanuela, E-mail: emanuela.filippo@unisalento.it [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy); Tepore, Marco [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy); Baldassarre, Francesca [Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy); Quarta, Gianluca; Calcagnile, Lucio [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy); Guascito, Maria Rachele [DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy); Tepore, Antonio [Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Lecce I-73100 Italy (Italy)

2015-09-01

A simple, low-cost method is presented to grow tungsten oxide large sheets simply by resistively heating a pure tungsten filament under air/water vapor flow. The obtained structures were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, selected area diffraction, X Ray diffraction, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence and zeta potential measurements. SEM observations revealed that sheets formed by broadening of the wires/belts over longer growth period. Photoluminescence measurements showed that tungsten oxide sheets had an intense visible emission band. - Highlights: • WO{sub 3} large sheets were prepared by resistively heating a W filament. • WO{sub 3} sheets were carefully characterized. • Formation mechanism of sheets was studied. • WO{sub 3} sheets had an intense visible emission band at 462 nm.

Whole genome sequencing-based characterization of extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Pakistan

KAUST Repository

Hasan, Zahra; Ali, Asho; McNerney, Ruth; Mallard, Kim; Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A.; Coll, Francesc; Nair, Mridul; Pain, Arnab; Clark, Taane G.; Hasan, Rumina

2015-01-01

Objectives: The global increase in drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains increases the focus on improved molecular diagnostics for MTB. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) - TB is caused by MTB strains resistant to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside antibiotics. Resistance to anti-tuberculous drugs has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in particular MTB genes. However, there is regional variation between MTB lineages and the SNPs associated with resistance. Therefore, there is a need to identify common resistance conferring SNPs so that effective molecular-based diagnostic tests for MTB can be developed. This study investigated used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 37 XDR MTB isolates from Pakistan and investigated SNPs related to drug resistance. Methods: XDR-TB strains were selected. DNA was extracted from MTB strains, and samples underwent WGS with 76-base-paired end fragment sizes using Illumina paired end HiSeq2000 technology. Raw sequence data were mapped uniquely to H37Rv reference genome. The mappings allowed SNPs and small indels to be called using SAMtools/BCFtools. Results: This study found that in all XDR strains, rifampicin resistance was attributable to SNPs in the rpoB RDR region. Isoniazid resistance-associated mutations were primarily related to katG codon 315 followed by inhA S94A. Fluoroquinolone resistance was attributable to gyrA 91-94 codons in most strains, while one did not have SNPs in either gyrA or gyrB. Aminoglycoside resistance was mostly associated with SNPs in rrs, except in 6 strains. Ethambutol resistant strains had embB codon 306 mutations, but many strains did not have this present. The SNPs were compared with those present in commercial assays such as LiPA Hain MDRTBsl, and the sensitivity of the assays for these strains was evaluated. Conclusions: If common drug resistance associated with SNPs evaluated the concordance between phenotypic and

Whole genome sequencing-based characterization of extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Pakistan

KAUST Repository

Hasan, Zahra

2015-03-01

Objectives: The global increase in drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains increases the focus on improved molecular diagnostics for MTB. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) - TB is caused by MTB strains resistant to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside antibiotics. Resistance to anti-tuberculous drugs has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in particular MTB genes. However, there is regional variation between MTB lineages and the SNPs associated with resistance. Therefore, there is a need to identify common resistance conferring SNPs so that effective molecular-based diagnostic tests for MTB can be developed. This study investigated used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 37 XDR MTB isolates from Pakistan and investigated SNPs related to drug resistance. Methods: XDR-TB strains were selected. DNA was extracted from MTB strains, and samples underwent WGS with 76-base-paired end fragment sizes using Illumina paired end HiSeq2000 technology. Raw sequence data were mapped uniquely to H37Rv reference genome. The mappings allowed SNPs and small indels to be called using SAMtools/BCFtools. Results: This study found that in all XDR strains, rifampicin resistance was attributable to SNPs in the rpoB RDR region. Isoniazid resistance-associated mutations were primarily related to katG codon 315 followed by inhA S94A. Fluoroquinolone resistance was attributable to gyrA 91-94 codons in most strains, while one did not have SNPs in either gyrA or gyrB. Aminoglycoside resistance was mostly associated with SNPs in rrs, except in 6 strains. Ethambutol resistant strains had embB codon 306 mutations, but many strains did not have this present. The SNPs were compared with those present in commercial assays such as LiPA Hain MDRTBsl, and the sensitivity of the assays for these strains was evaluated. Conclusions: If common drug resistance associated with SNPs evaluated the concordance between phenotypic and

Resistance Pattern and Molecular Characterization of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC Strains Isolated in Bangladesh.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasmin A Begum

Full Text Available Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC is a common cause of bacterial infection leading to acute watery diarrhea in infants and young children as well as in travellers to ETEC endemic countries. Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent nowadays used for the treatment of diarrhea. This study aimed to characterize ciprofloxacin resistant ETEC strains isolated from diarrheal patients in Bangladesh.A total of 8580 stool specimens from diarrheal patients attending the icddr,b Dhaka hospital was screened for ETEC between 2005 and 2009. PCR and Ganglioside GM1- Enzyme Linked Immuno sorbent Assay (ELISA was used for detection of Heat labile (LT and Heat stable (ST toxins of ETEC. Antimicrobial susceptibilities for commonly used antibiotics and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and azithromycin were examined. DNA sequencing of representative ciprofloxacin resistant strains was performed to analyze mutations of the quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE. PCR was used for the detection of qnr, a plasmid mediated ciprofloxacin resistance gene. Clonal variations among ciprofloxacin resistant (CipR and ciprofloxacin susceptible (CipS strains were determined by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE.Among 1067 (12% ETEC isolates identified, 42% produced LT/ST, 28% ST and 30% LT alone. Forty nine percent (n = 523 of the ETEC strains expressed one or more of the 13 tested colonization factors (CFs as determined by dot blot immunoassay. Antibiotic resistance of the ETEC strains was observed as follows: ampicillin 66%, azithromycin 27%, ciprofloxacin 27%, ceftriazone 13%, cotrimaxazole 46%, doxycycline 44%, erythromycin 96%, nalidixic acid 83%, norfloxacin 27%, streptomycin 48% and tetracycline 42%. Resistance to ciprofloxacin increased from 13% in 2005 to 34% in 2009. None of the strains was resistant to mecillinam. The MIC of the nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin of representative

Characterization of corrosion resistant on NiCoCr coating layer exposed to 5%NaCl

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiarti, E.; Sundawa, R.; Desiati, R. D.; Zaini, K. A.

2018-03-01

Highly corrosion resistant of carbon steel coated NiCoCr was applied in corrosive of marine environtment. Carbon steel coated NiCoCr was prepared by a two step technique of NiCo electro-deposition and Cr pack cementation. The samples were exposed to 5 wt.% NaCl for 48 and 168 hours. The microstructure and corrosion product were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The corrosion resistance of carbon steel coated NiCoCr was found to be better than that of carbon steel substrate without coating. The results showed the microstructure of 48 h corroded sample has duplex layer composed of inner α-(Ni,Co), α-Cr and outer Cr2O3, while a quite thin and continues protective oxide of Cr2O3 was observed in outer layer of 168 h corroded sample. The formation of oxide scale rich in Cr2O3 has contributed for the better corrosion resistance of carbon steel coated NiCoCr, whereas the formation of non protective oxide of iron might caused low corrosion resistance of carbon steel substrate.

Prevalence and characterization of plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes among Escherichia coli from pigs, pig carcasses and human

OpenAIRE

Wu, Shuyu; Dalsgaard, Anders; Hammerum, Anette M; Porsbo, Lone J; Jensen, Lars B

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Sulfonamide resistance is very common in Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to characterize plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2 and sul3) in E. coli isolated from pigs and humans with a specific objective to assess the genetic diversity of plasmids involved in the mobility of sul genes. Methods A total of 501 E. coli isolates from pig feces, pig carcasses and human stools were tested for their susceptibility to selected antimicrobial. Multip...

[Molecular typing characterization of food-borne methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Y; Wang, W; Yan, L; Yang, S R; Yan, S F; Dong, Y P; Zhao, B C; Zhao, Y Y; Xu, J; Hu, Y J; Li, F Q

2018-04-06

Objective: To analyses the antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of 21 MRSA isolates cultured from retail foods from different provinces in China, and evaluate the molecular typing methods. Methods: Twenty-one MRSA isolates were obtained from national foodborne pathogen surveillance network in 2012 (Chinese salad, n= 3; milk, n= 1; cake, n= 2; rice, n= 1; cold noodle, n= 1; spiced beef, n= 1; dumpling, n= 1; packed meal, n= 1; salad, n= 1; raw pork, n= 9). The antimicrobial resistance of 21 strains to 12 antimicrobial agents was tested by broth dilution method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were performed to obtain the genetic types of MLST (ST) and spa typing. The clonal complex (CC) was assigned by eBURST soft and the MLVA type (MT) and MLVA complex (MC) were identified via the database of the MLVA website (http://www.mlva.net). Sma I pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ( Sma Ⅰ-PFGE) was also carried out to obtain the PFGE patterns of 21 strains. The genetic diversity and discriminatory power of typing were calculated by the Simpson's index of diversity (diversity index, DI) to find out the best genotyping method for MRSA. Results: All MRSA isolates showed multi-drug resistance(MDR), and were resistant to oxacillin, benzylpenicillin, clindamycin and erythromycin, and 71.4% (15/21), 47.6% (10/21), 42.9% (9/21) and 28.6% (6/21) of the MRSA isolates were resistant to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and gentamicin, respectively. Moreover, one strain was found to be resistant to all three antimicrobials of levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and rifampicin. Great diversity was found in these food-associated MRSA (6 STs, 7 spa types, and 9 MTs). PFGE patterns were more diverse than those of other three molecular typing methods (19 pulse types). The index of diversity (DI) of PFGE, MLVA, spa typing and MLST was 0.99, 0.80, 0.73, and 0.61, respectively. Among the MRSA isolates, CC9-ST9-t899-MT929-MC2236 (PFGE

Identification and characterization of pleiotropic and co-located resistance loci to leaf rust and stripe rust in bread wheat cultivar Sujata.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Caixia; Zhang, Yelun; Herrera-Foessel, Sybil A; Basnet, Bhoja R; Huerta-Espino, Julio; Lagudah, Evans S; Singh, Ravi P

2015-03-01

Two new co-located resistance loci, QLr.cim - 1AS/QYr.cim - 1AS and QLr.cim - 7BL/YrSuj , in combination with Lr46 / Yr29 and Lr67/Yr46 , and a new leaf rust resistance quantitative trait loci, conferred high resistance to rusts in adult plant stage. The tall Indian bread wheat cultivar Sujata displays high and low infection types to leaf rust and stripe rust, respectively, at the seedling stage in greenhouse tests. It was also highly resistant to both rusts at adult plant stage in field trials in Mexico. The genetic basis of this resistance was investigated in a population of 148 F5 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross Avocet × Sujata. The parents and RIL population were characterized in field trials for resistance to leaf rust during 2011 at El Batán, and 2012 and 2013 at Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, and for stripe rust during 2011 and 2012 at Toluca, Mexico; they were also characterized three times for stripe rust at seedling stage in the greenhouse. The RILs were genotyped with diversity arrays technology and simple sequence repeat markers. The final genetic map was constructed with 673 polymorphic markers. Inclusive composite interval mapping analysis detected two new significant co-located resistance loci, QLr.cim-1AS/QYr.cim-1AS and QLr.cim-7BL/YrSuj, on chromosomes 1AS and 7BL, respectively. The chromosomal position of QLr.cim-7BL overlapped with the seedling stripe rust resistance gene, temporarily designated as YrSuj. Two previously reported pleiotropic adult plant resistance genes, Lr46/Yr29 and Lr67/Yr46, and a new leaf rust resistance quantitative trait loci derived from Avocet were also mapped in the population. The two new co-located resistance loci are expected to contribute to breeding durable rust resistance in wheat. Closely linked molecular markers can be used to transfer all four resistance loci simultaneously to modern wheat varieties.

Novel series of 1,2,4-trioxane derivatives as antimalarial agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudrapal, Mithun; Chetia, Dipak; Singh, Vineeta

2017-12-01

Among three series of 1,2,4-trioxane derivatives, five compounds showed good in vitro antimalarial activity, three compounds of which exhibited better activity against P. falciparum resistant (RKL9) strain than the sensitive (3D7) one. Two best compounds were one from aryl series and the other from heteroaryl series with IC 50 values of 1.24 µM and 1.24 µM and 1.06 µM and 1.17 µM, against sensitive and resistant strains, respectively. Further, trioxane derivatives exhibited good binding affinity for the P. falciparum cysteine protease falcipain 2 receptor (PDB id: 3BPF) with well defined drug-like and pharmacokinetic properties based on Lipinski's rule of five with additional physicochemical and ADMET parameters. In view of having antimalarial potential, 1,2,4-trioxane derivative(s) reported herein may be useful as novel antimalarial lead(s) in the discovery and development of future antimalarial drug candidates as P. falciparum falcipain 2 inhibitors against resistant malaria.

Cloning and characterization of NBS-LRR resistance gene ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nendran) cultivar. C6 was expressed only in resistant cultivar not in susceptible one. But there was no change in the expression of C2 and C3 in both resistant and susceptible cultivars. These results indicate that in depth study on C1, and C5 RGAs will be helpful for further improvement of P. coffeae resistance in banana.

Characterization of interfacial socket pressure in transhumeral prostheses: A case series.

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Jonathon S Schofield

Full Text Available One of the most important factors in successful upper limb prostheses is the socket design. Sockets must be individually fabricated to arrive at a geometry that suits the user's morphology and appropriately distributes the pressures associated with prosthetic use across the residual limb. In higher levels of amputation, such as transhumeral, this challenge is amplified as prosthetic weight and the physical demands placed on the residual limb are heightened. Yet, in the upper limb, socket fabrication is largely driven by heuristic practices. An analytical understanding of the interactions between the socket and residual limb is absent in literature. This work describes techniques, adapted from lower limb prosthetic research, to empirically characterize the pressure distribution occurring between the residual limb and well-fit transhumeral prosthetic sockets. A case series analyzing the result of four participants with transhumeral amputation is presented. A Tekscan VersaTek pressure measurement system and FaroArm Edge coordinate measurement machine were employed to capture socket-residual limb interface pressures and geometrically register these values to the anatomy of participants. Participants performed two static poses with their prosthesis under two separate loading conditions. Surface pressure maps were constructed from the data, highlighting pressure distribution patterns, anatomical locations bearing maximum pressure, and the relative pressure magnitudes. Pressure distribution patterns demonstrated unique characteristics across the four participants that could be traced to individual socket design considerations. This work presents a technique that implements commercially available tools to quantitatively characterize upper limb socket-residual limb interactions. This is a fundamental first step toward improved socket designs developed through informed, analytically-based design tools.

Prevalence and Characterization of Integrons in Multidrug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Eastern China: A Multiple-Hospital Study

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Jing Chen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this multiple-hospital study was to investigate the prevalence of integrons in multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB in Eastern China, and characterize the integron-integrase genes, so as to provide evidence for the management and appropriate antibiotic use of MDRAB infections. Methods: A total of 425 clinical isolates of A. baumannii were collected from 16 tertiary hospitals in 11 cities of four provinces (Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong from January 2009 to June 2012. The susceptibility of A. baumannii isolates to ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, aztreonam, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole/trimenthoprim, minocycline and imipenem was tested, and integrons and their gene cassettes were characterized in these isolates using PCR assay. In addition, integron-positive A. baumannii isolates were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE assay, and intI1 gene cassette was sequenced. Results: intI1 gene was carried in 69.6% of total A. baumannii isolates, while intI2 and intI3 genes were not detected. The prevalence of resistance to ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole/trimenthoprim was significantly higher in integron-positive A. baumannii isolates than in negative isolates (all p values <0.05, while no significant difference was observed in the prevalence of minocycline resistance (p > 0.05. PFGE assay revealed 27 PFGE genotypes and 4 predominant genotypes, P1, P4, P7 and P19. The PFGE genotype P1 contained 13 extensive-drug resistant and 89 non-extensive-drug resistant A. baumannii isolates, while the genotype P4 contained 34 extensive-drug resistant and 67 non-extensive-drug resistant isolates, appearing a significant

Electrical characterization of the ITO/NiPc/PEDOT : PSS junction diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shah, Mutabar; Sayyad, M H; Karimov, Kh S; Wahab, Fazal, E-mail: mutabar_shah@hotmail.co, E-mail: mutabarshah@gmail.co [Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi, District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 23640 (Pakistan)

2010-10-13

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of an ITO/NiPc/PEDOT : PSS junction diode. A thin film of nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) was deposited by the thermal vacuum deposition method on indium tin oxide (ITO) used as a substrate. The current-voltage characteristics of the diode were measured at room temperature under dark condition and showed rectifying behaviour. The values of several electrical parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, conductivity, and series and shunt resistances were calculated.

Microstructure Characterization and Corrosion Resistance Behavior of New Cobalt-Free Maraging Steel Produced Through ESR Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Seikh, Asiful H.; Halfa, Hossam; Baig, Muneer; Khan, Sohail M. A.

2017-04-01

In this study, two different grades (M23 and M29) of cobalt-free low nickel maraging steel have been produced through electroslag remelting (ESR) process. The corrosion resistance of these ESR steels was investigated in 1 M H2SO4 solution using linear potentiodynamic polarization (LPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The experiments were performed for different immersion time and solution temperature. To evaluate the corrosion resistance of the ESR steels, some significant characterization parameters from LPP and EIS curves were analyzed and compared with that of conventional C250 maraging steel. Irrespective of measurement techniques used, the results show that the corrosion resistance of the ESR steels was higher than the C250 steel. The microstructure of ESR steels was composed of uniform and well-distributed martensite accompanied with little amount of retained austenite in comparison with C250 steel.

Molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates

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Xiang-hua Hou

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Selective pressure, the extensive use of antibiotics, and the conjugational transmission of antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial species and genera facilitate the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR K. pneumoniae. Here, we examined the occurrence, phenotypes and genetic features of MDR K. pneumoniae isolated from patients in intensive care units (ICUs at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University in Xiamen, China, from January to December 2011. Thirty-eight MDR K. pneumoniae strains were collected. These MDR K. pneumoniae isolates possessed at least seven antibiotic resistance determinants, which contribute to the high-level resistance of these bacteria to aminoglycosides, macrolides, quinolones and β-lactams. Among these isolates, 24 strains were extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL producers, 2 strains were AmpC producers, and 12 strains were both ESBL and AmpC producers. The 38 MDR isolates also contained class I (28/38 and class II integrons (10/38. All 28 class I-positive isolates contained aacC1, aacC4, orfX, orfX’ and aadA1 genes. β-lactam resistance was conferred through blaSHV (22/38, blaTEM (10/38, and blaCTX-M (7/38. The highly conserved blaKPC-2 (37/38 and blaOXA-23(1/38 alleles were responsible for carbapenem resistance, and a gyrAsite mutation (27/38 and the plasmid-mediated qnrB gene (13/38 were responsible for quinolone resistance. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR (REP-PCR fingerprinting of these MDR strains revealed the presence of five groups and sixteen patterns. The MDR strains from unrelated groups showed different drug resistance patterns; however, some homologous strains also showed different drug resistance profiles. Therefore, REP-PCR-based analyses can provide information to evaluate the epidemic status of nosocomial infection caused by MDR K. pneumoniae; however, this test lacks the power to discriminate some

A series of fluorene-based two-photon absorbing molecules: synthesis, linear and nonlinear characterization, and bioimaging

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Carolina D.; Yanez, Ciceron O.; Rodriguez, Luis; Belfield, Kevin D.

2010-01-01

The synthesis, structural, and photophysical characterization of a series of new fluorescent donor–acceptor and acceptor-acceptor molecules, based on the fluorenyl ring system, with two-photon absorbing properties is described. These new compounds exhibited large Stokes shifts, high fluorescent quantum yields, and, significantly, high two-photon absorption cross sections, making them well suited for two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) imaging. Confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging of COS-7 and HCT 116 cells incubated with probe I showed endosomal selectivity, demonstrating the potential of this class of fluorescent probes in multiphoton fluorescence microscopy. PMID:20481596

Characterizing Fracture Property Using Resistivity Measured at Different Frequencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horne, Roland N. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Li, Kewen [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

2014-09-30

The objective was to develop geophysical approaches to detecting and evaluating the fractures created or existing in EGS and other geothermal reservoirs by measuring the resistivity at different frequencies. This project has been divided into two phases: Phase I (first year): Proof of Concept – develop the resistivity approach and verify the effect of frequency on the resistivity in rocks with artificial or natural fractures over a wide range of frequencies. Phase II: Prototyping Part 1 (second year): measure the resistivity in rocks with fractures of different apertures, different length, and different configurations at different frequencies. Part 2 (third year): develop mathematical models and the resistivity method; infer the fracture properties using the measured resistivity data.

Resistance Fluctuations in GaAs Nanowire Grids

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Ivan Marasović

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present a numerical study on resistance fluctuations in a series of nanowire-based grids. Each grid is made of GaAs nanowires arranged in parallel with metallic contacts crossing all nanowires perpendicularly. Electrical properties of GaAs nanowires known from previous experimental research are used as input parameters in the simulation procedure. Due to the nonhomogeneous doping, the resistivity changes along nanowire. Allowing two possible nanowire orientations (“upwards” or “downwards”, the resulting grid is partially disordered in vertical direction which causes resistance fluctuations. The system is modeled using a two-dimensional random resistor network. Transfer-matrix computation algorithm is used to calculate the total network resistance. It is found that probability density function (PDF of resistance fluctuations for a series of nanowire grids changes from Gaussian behavior towards the Bramwell-Holdsworth-Pinton distribution when both nanowire orientations are equally represented in the grid.

Deposition, characterization, patterning and mechanistic study of inorganic resists for next-generation nanolithography

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Feixiang

The semiconductor industry has witnessed a continuous decrease in the size of logic, memory and other computer chip components since its birth over half a century ago. The shrinking (scaling) of components has to a large extent been enabled by the development of micro- and now nano-lithographic techniques. This thesis focuses on one central component of lithography, the resist, which is essentially a thin film that when appropriately exposed enables a pattern to be printed onto a surface. Smaller features require an ever more precisely focused photon, electron or ion beam with which to expose the resist. The likely next generation source of radiation that will enable sub-20nm features to be written will employ extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV), 92eV (13.5nm). The work discussed here involves a novel class of inorganic resists (including a solution processed Hf-based resist called HafSOx), as the organic resists that have dominated the microlithography industry for the past few decades have approached fundamental scaling limits. In order to maintain the high throughput required by high volume semiconductor manufacturing, metal oxide resists have been proposed and developed to meet the resolution and sensitivity in EUV lithography. One can think of our resists as the nano-lithographic analog to the silver halide film that dominated the photographic print industry for a century. In this thesis, we mainly describe our work on HafSOx, a "first generation" metal oxide EUV resist system. HafSOx thin films can be deposited by spin-coating a mixed solution of HfOCl2, H2O 2, and H2SO4. Various materials characterization techniques have been employed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of film composition and structure at both surface and bulk level, as well as a mechanistic understanding of the film radiation chemistry. Taking advantage of the high energy x-rays used in the XPS experiment, we developed an experiment to dynamically monitor the photochemistry within the

Metabolomics As a Tool for the Characterization of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Murgia, Federica; Muroni, Antonella; Puligheddu, Monica; Polizzi, Lorenzo; Barberini, Luigi; Orofino, Gianni; Solla, Paolo; Poddighe, Simone; Del Carratore, Francesco; Griffin, Julian L; Atzori, Luigi; Marrosu, Francesco

2017-01-01

Drug resistance is a critical issue in the treatment of epilepsy, contributing to clinical emergencies and increasing both serious social and economic burdens on the health system. The wide variety of potential drug combinations followed by often failed consecutive attempts to match drugs to an individual patient may mean that this treatment stage may last for years with suboptimal benefit to the patient. Given these challenges, it is valuable to explore the availability of new methodologies able to shorten the period of determining a rationale pharmacologic treatment. Metabolomics could provide such a tool to investigate possible markers of drug resistance in subjects with epilepsy. Blood samples were collected from (1) controls (C) ( n  = 35), (2) patients with epilepsy "responder" (R) ( n  = 18), and (3) patients with epilepsy "non-responder" (NR) ( n  = 17) to the drug therapy. The samples were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, followed by multivariate statistical analysis. A different metabolic profile based on metabolomics analysis of the serum was observed between C and patients with epilepsy and also between R and NR patients. It was possible to identify the discriminant metabolites for the three classes under investigation. Serum from patients with epilepsy were characterized by increased levels of 3-OH-butyrate, 2-OH-valerate, 2-OH-butyrate, acetoacetate, acetone, acetate, choline, alanine, glutamate, scyllo-inositol (C lactate, and citrate compared to C (C > R > NR). In conclusion, metabolomics may represent an important tool for discovery of differences between subjects affected by epilepsy responding or resistant to therapies and for the study of its pathophysiology, optimizing the therapeutic resources and the quality of life of patients.

Test and characterization of multigap resistive plate chambers for the EEE project

CERN Document Server

Bossini, E

2016-01-01

The Extreme Energy Events project is based on the deployment of cosmic-ray telescopes in Italian high schools with the active contribution of students and teachers. Each telescope is made by three Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers readout by strips. With around 50 telescopes already built and others under construction, specific systems to test and characterize the chambers are needed. In this article I will present a flexible and software-configurable solution to perform chamber efficiency studies with a set of scintillators and hardware to automatically scan detector strips to identify electrical issues. Both systems can provide accurate information but at the same time they can be easily operated by students.

New high resolution Random Telegraph Noise (RTN) characterization method for resistive RAM

Science.gov (United States)

Maestro, M.; Diaz, J.; Crespo-Yepes, A.; Gonzalez, M. B.; Martin-Martinez, J.; Rodriguez, R.; Nafria, M.; Campabadal, F.; Aymerich, X.

2016-01-01

Random Telegraph Noise (RTN) is one of the main reliability problems of resistive switching-based memories. To understand the physics behind RTN, a complete and accurate RTN characterization is required. The standard equipment used to analyse RTN has a typical time resolution of ∼2 ms which prevents evaluating fast phenomena. In this work, a new RTN measurement procedure, which increases the measurement time resolution to 2 μs, is proposed. The experimental set-up, together with the recently proposed Weighted Time Lag (W-LT) method for the analysis of RTN signals, allows obtaining a more detailed and precise information about the RTN phenomenon.

Characterization of a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Involved in Tubercidin Resistance in Leishmania major.

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Juliana Ide Aoki

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Tubercidin (TUB is a toxic adenosine analog with potential antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, with mechanism of action and resistance that are not completely understood. For understanding the mechanisms of action and identifying the potential metabolic pathways affected by this drug, we employed in this study an overexpression/selection approach using TUB for the identification of potential targets, as well as, drug resistance genes in L. major. Although, TUB is toxic to the mammalian host, these findings can provide evidences for a rational drug design based on purine pathway against leishmaniasis.After transfection of a cosmid genomic library into L. major Friedlin (LmjF parasites and application of the overexpression/selection method, we identified two cosmids (cosTUB1 and cosTU2 containing two different loci capable of conferring significant levels of TUB resistance. In the cosTUB1 contained a gene encoding NUPM1-like protein, which has been previously described as associated with TUB resistance in L. amazonensis. In the cosTUB2 we identified and characterized a gene encoding a 63 kDa protein that we denoted as tubercidin-resistance protein (TRP. Functional analysis revealed that the transfectants were less susceptible to TUB than LmjF parasites or those transfected with the control vector. In addition, the trp mRNA and protein levels in cosTUB2 transfectants were higher than LmjF. TRP immunolocalization revealed that it was co-localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, a cellular compartment with many functions. In silico predictions indicated that TRP contains only a hypothetical transmembrane domain. Thus, it is likely that TRP is a lumen protein involved in multidrug efflux transport that may be involved in the purine metabolic pathway.This study demonstrated for the first time that TRP is associated with TUB resistance in Leishmania. The next challenge is to determine how TRP mediates TUB resistance and whether purine

Characterization of a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Involved in Tubercidin Resistance in Leishmania major.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Juliana Ide; Coelho, Adriano Cappellazzo; Muxel, Sandra Marcia; Zampieri, Ricardo Andrade; Sanchez, Eduardo Milton Ramos; Nerland, Audun Helge; Floeter-Winter, Lucile Maria; Cotrim, Paulo Cesar

2016-09-01

Tubercidin (TUB) is a toxic adenosine analog with potential antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, with mechanism of action and resistance that are not completely understood. For understanding the mechanisms of action and identifying the potential metabolic pathways affected by this drug, we employed in this study an overexpression/selection approach using TUB for the identification of potential targets, as well as, drug resistance genes in L. major. Although, TUB is toxic to the mammalian host, these findings can provide evidences for a rational drug design based on purine pathway against leishmaniasis. After transfection of a cosmid genomic library into L. major Friedlin (LmjF) parasites and application of the overexpression/selection method, we identified two cosmids (cosTUB1 and cosTU2) containing two different loci capable of conferring significant levels of TUB resistance. In the cosTUB1 contained a gene encoding NUPM1-like protein, which has been previously described as associated with TUB resistance in L. amazonensis. In the cosTUB2 we identified and characterized a gene encoding a 63 kDa protein that we denoted as tubercidin-resistance protein (TRP). Functional analysis revealed that the transfectants were less susceptible to TUB than LmjF parasites or those transfected with the control vector. In addition, the trp mRNA and protein levels in cosTUB2 transfectants were higher than LmjF. TRP immunolocalization revealed that it was co-localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a cellular compartment with many functions. In silico predictions indicated that TRP contains only a hypothetical transmembrane domain. Thus, it is likely that TRP is a lumen protein involved in multidrug efflux transport that may be involved in the purine metabolic pathway. This study demonstrated for the first time that TRP is associated with TUB resistance in Leishmania. The next challenge is to determine how TRP mediates TUB resistance and whether purine metabolism is affected

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacter spp. isolates from companion animals in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Kazuki; Shimizu, Takae; Mukai, Yujiro; Kuwajima, Ken; Sato, Tomomi; Kajino, Akari; Usui, Masaru; Tamura, Yutaka; Kimura, Yui; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Tsuyuki, Yuzo; Ohki, Asami; Kataoka, Yasushi

2017-01-01

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance among Enterobacter spp., including resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC), is of great concern in both human and veterinary medicine. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among 60 isolates of Enterobacter spp., including E. cloacae (n = 44), E. aerogenes (n = 10), and E. asburiae (n = 6), from clinical specimens of dogs and cats from 15 prefectures in Japan. Furthermore, we characterized the resistance mechanisms harbored by these isolates, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR); and assessed the genetic relatedness of ESC-resistant Enterobacter spp. strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated the resistance rates to ampicillin (93.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (93.3%), cefmetazole (93.3%), chloramphenicol (46.7%), ciprofloxacin (43.3%), tetracycline (40.0%), ceftazidime (33.3%), cefotaxime (33.3%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (28.3%), gentamicin (23.3%), and meropenem (0%). Phenotypic testing detected ESBLs in 16 of 18 ESC-resistant E. cloacae isolates but not in the other species. The most frequent ESBL was CTX-M-15 (n = 8), followed by SHV-12 (n = 7), and CTX-M-3 (n = 1). As for AmpC β-lactamases, CMY-2 (n = 2) and DHA-1 (n = 2) were identified in ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains with or without ESBLs. All of the ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains also harbored one or two PMQRs, including qnrB (n = 15), aac(6')-Ib-cr (n = 8), and qnrS (n = 2). Based on MLST and PFGE analysis, E. cloacae clones of ST591-SHV-12, ST171-CTX-M-15, and ST121-CTX-M-15 were detected in one or several hospitals. These results suggested intra- and inter-hospital dissemination of E. cloacae clones co-harboring ESBLs and PMQRs among companion animals. This is the first report on the large-scale monitoring of antimicrobial-resistant isolates

[Molecular characterization of resistance mechanisms: methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus, extended spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases].

Science.gov (United States)

Oteo, Jesús; Belén Aracil, María

2015-07-01

Multi-drug resistance in bacterial pathogens increases morbidity and mortality in infected patients and it is a threat to public health concern by their high capacity to spread. For both reasons, the rapid detection of multi-drug resistant bacteria is critical. Standard microbiological procedures require 48-72 h to provide the antimicrobial susceptibility results, thus there is emerging interest in the development of rapid detection techniques. In recent years, the use of selective and differential culture-based methods has widely spread. However, the capacity for detecting antibiotic resistance genes and their low turnaround times has made molecular methods a reference for diagnosis of multidrug resistance. This review focusses on the molecular methods for detecting some mechanisms of antibiotic resistance with a high clinical and epidemiological impact: a) Enzymatic resistance to broad spectrum β-lactam antibiotics in Enterobacteriaceae, mainly extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases; and b) methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Optical and electrical characterization of high resistivity semiconductors for constant-bias microbolometer devices

Science.gov (United States)

Saint John, David B.

The commercial market for uncooled infrared imaging devices has expanded in the last several decades, following the declassification of pulse-biased microbolometer-based focal plane arrays (FPAs) using vanadium oxide as the sensing material. In addition to uncooled imaging platforms based on vanadium oxide, several constant-bias microbolometer FPAs have been developed using doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) as the active sensing material. While a-Si:H and the broader Si1-xGex:H system have been studied within the context of photovoltaic (PV) devices, only recently have these materials been studied with the purpose of qualifying and optimizing them for potential use in microbolometer applications, which demand thinner films deposited onto substrates different than those used in PV. The behavior of Ge:H is of particular interest for microbolometers due to its intrinsically low resistivity without the introduction of dopants, which alter the growth behavior and frustrate any attempt to address the merits of protocrystalline a-Ge:H. This work reports the optical, microstructural, and electrical characterization and qualification of a variety of Si:H, Si1-xGex:H, and Ge:H films deposited using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, including a-Ge:H films which exhibit high TCR (4-6 -%/K) and low 1/f noise at resistivities of interest for microbolometers (4000 -- 6000 O cm). Thin film deposition has been performed simultaneously with real-time optical characterization of the growth evolution dynamics, providing measurement of optical properties and surface roughness evolutions relevant to controlling the growth process for deliberate variations in film microstructure. Infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used to characterize the Si-H and Ge-H absorption modes allowing assessment of the hydrogen content and local bonding behavior in thinner films than measured traditionally. This method allows IR absorption analysis of hydrogen

Organization of a resistance gene cluster linked to rhizomania resistance in sugar beet

Science.gov (United States)

Genetic resistance to rhizomania has been in use for over 40 years. Characterization of the molecular basis for susceptibility and resistance has proved challenging. Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich-repeat-containing (NB-LRR) genes have been implicated in numerous gene-for-gene resistance interaction...

Report on series 3 reflood experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murao, Yoshio; Iguchi, Tadashi; Sudoh, Takashi; Sudo, Yukio; Sugimoto, Jun

1977-03-01

Series 3 reflood experiment was carried out from December 1975 to January 1976. The purpose was to confirm temperature response and durability of the improved thermocouple installation and to examine system effect with parameters, flow housing temperature and primary loop flow resistance. The results are : 1) The improved thermocouples installation still has some problems, but is generally satisfactory up to 1000 0 C. 2) The flow housing temperature has large influence on the reflood phenomena, especially oscillation. 3) The primary loop resistance determines the flooding rate, and so influences the reflood phenomena. (auth.)

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli from farm-raised diarrheic sika deer in Northeastern China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Li

Full Text Available In China, overuse and/or abuse of antimicrobials are common in stockbreeding, which possess high risks of antimicrobial-resistant contaminations. The serogroups, major virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistant patterns of the antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli were investigated in the feces of diarrheic farm-raised sika deer from 50 farms in three Northeastern provinces of China. A total of 220 E. coli isolates were obtained and characterized. Twenty-eight O serogroups were identified from the obtained E. coli isolates with O2, O26, O128, O142 and O154 being dominant. Nearly all the isolates were resistant to at least four of the tested antimicrobials. More than 90% of the E. coli isolates carried at least one of the tested virulence genes. About 85% of the E. coli isolates carried one or more antimicrobial-resistant genes responsible for resistant phenotypes of sulfonamides, streptomycin/spectionomycin or tetracycline. The antimicrobial resistant level and pathogenic group occurrences of the obtained E. coli isolates were higher than that of livestock and wild animals reported in some developed countries. Thus, the fecal-carrying antimicrobial-resistant E. coli from the farm-raised sika deer is potentially a significant contamination source for freshwater systems and food chain, and may pose great health risks for human and animals in Northeastern China.

Prevalence and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates in food industry workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Caggiano, G; Dambrosio, A; Ioanna, F; Balbino, S; Barbuti, G; De Giglio, O; Diella, G; Lovero, G; Rutigliano, S; Scarafile, G; Baldassarre, A; Vimercati, L; Musti, M; Montagna, M T

2016-01-01

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen spread not only in the hospital environment but also in the community and amongst livestock (LA-MRSA). LA-MRSA can be transmitted to humans that live in close contact with MRSA-colonized animals, and human colonization and/or infection has been reported worldwide, particularly among those involved with livestock farming. In this study the authors evaluated the prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA among healthy carriers who worked in the food industry in Apulia, Southern Italy. Nasal swabs were taken from pasta and pork industry workers. All swab samples were subjected to tests for the isolation, identification and typing of S. aureus and MRSA strains. The identification of the strains was confirmed by molecular assessment using multiplex-PCR for the amplification of the nuc and mecA genes. The strains identified as MRSA were then subjected to a PCR protocol for the characterization of sequence type ST398. In total 26.3% of examined nasal swabs were positive for S. aureus, 8.2% of them were methicillin resistant strains and 28.5% of MRSA isolates were characterized as ST398. The MRSA prevalence among pork factory workers was 3% , whereas among the pasta operators the prevalence was 11.5. The presence of S. aureus and MRSA among food workers represents a public health risk. Further, considering the dissemination of S. aureus and MRSA among non-nosocomial environments, including communities and livestock, careful surveillance and continuous monitoring of the emergence of MRSA is fundamental for safeguarding public health.

Microstructure Characterization and Wear-Resistant Properties Evaluation of an Intermetallic Composite in Ni–Mo–Si System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boyuan Huang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Intermetallic compounds have been studied for their potential application as structural wear materials or coatings on engineering steels. In the present work, a newly designed intermetallic composite in a Ni–Mo–Si system was fabricated by arc-melting process with commercially pure metal powders as starting materials. The chemical composition of this intermetallic composite is 45Ni–40Mo–15Si (at %, selected according to the ternary alloy diagram. The microstructure was characterized using optical microscopy (OM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, and the wear-resistant properties at room temperature were evaluated under different wear test conditions. Microstructure characterization showed that the composite has a dense and uniform microstructure. XRD results showed that the intermetallic composite is constituted by a binary intermetallic compound NiMo and a ternary Mo2Ni3Si metal silicide phase. Wear test results indicated that the intermetallic composite has an excellent wear-resistance at room-temperature, which is attributed to the high hardness and strong atomic bonding of constituent phases NiMo and Mo2Ni3Si.

Research of radiation-resistant microbial organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dongho; Lim, Sangyong; Joe, Minho; Park, Haejoon; Song, Hyunpa; Im, Seunghun; Kim, Haram; Kim, Whajung; Choi, Jinsu; Park, Jongchun

2012-01-15

Many extremophiles including radiation-resistant bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans have special characteristics such as novel enzymes and physiological active substances different from known biological materials and are being in the spotlight of biotechnology science. In this research, basic technologies for the production of new genetic resources and microbial strains by a series of studies in radiation-resistant microbial organisms were investigated and developed. Mechanisms required for radiation-resistant in Deinococcus radiodurans were partly defined by analyzing the function of dinB, pprI, recG, DRA{sub 0}279, pprM, and two-component signal transduction systems. To apply genetic resource and functional materials from Deinococcus species, omics analysis in response to cadmium, construction of macroscopic biosensor, and characterization of carotenoids and chaperon protein were performed. Additionally, potential use of D. geothermalis in monosaccharide production from non-biodegradable plant materials was evaluated. Novel radiation resistant yeasts and bacteria were isolated and identified from environmental samples to obtain microbial and genomic resources. An optimal radiation mutant breeding method was set up for efficient and rapid isolation of target microbial mutants. Furthermore, an efficient ethanol producing mutant strain with high production yield and productivity was constructed using the breeding method in collaboration with Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology. Three Deinococcal bioindicators for radiation dosage confirmation after radiation sterilization process were developed. These results provide a comprehensive information for novel functional genetic elements, enzymes, and physiological active substances production or application. Eventually, industrial microbial cell factories based on radiation resistant microbial genomes can be developed and the technologies can be diffused to bioindustry continuously by this project.

Research of radiation-resistant microbial organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dongho; Lim, Sangyong; Joe, Minho; Park, Haejoon; Song, Hyunpa; Im, Seunghun; Kim, Haram; Kim, Whajung; Choi, Jinsu; Park, Jongchun

2012-01-01

Many extremophiles including radiation-resistant bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans have special characteristics such as novel enzymes and physiological active substances different from known biological materials and are being in the spotlight of biotechnology science. In this research, basic technologies for the production of new genetic resources and microbial strains by a series of studies in radiation-resistant microbial organisms were investigated and developed. Mechanisms required for radiation-resistant in Deinococcus radiodurans were partly defined by analyzing the function of dinB, pprI, recG, DRA 0 279, pprM, and two-component signal transduction systems. To apply genetic resource and functional materials from Deinococcus species, omics analysis in response to cadmium, construction of macroscopic biosensor, and characterization of carotenoids and chaperon protein were performed. Additionally, potential use of D. geothermalis in monosaccharide production from non-biodegradable plant materials was evaluated. Novel radiation resistant yeasts and bacteria were isolated and identified from environmental samples to obtain microbial and genomic resources. An optimal radiation mutant breeding method was set up for efficient and rapid isolation of target microbial mutants. Furthermore, an efficient ethanol producing mutant strain with high production yield and productivity was constructed using the breeding method in collaboration with Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology. Three Deinococcal bioindicators for radiation dosage confirmation after radiation sterilization process were developed. These results provide a comprehensive information for novel functional genetic elements, enzymes, and physiological active substances production or application. Eventually, industrial microbial cell factories based on radiation resistant microbial genomes can be developed and the technologies can be diffused to bioindustry continuously by this project

Metabolomics As a Tool for the Characterization of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

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Federica Murgia

2017-09-01

Full Text Available PurposeDrug resistance is a critical issue in the treatment of epilepsy, contributing to clinical emergencies and increasing both serious social and economic burdens on the health system. The wide variety of potential drug combinations followed by often failed consecutive attempts to match drugs to an individual patient may mean that this treatment stage may last for years with suboptimal benefit to the patient. Given these challenges, it is valuable to explore the availability of new methodologies able to shorten the period of determining a rationale pharmacologic treatment. Metabolomics could provide such a tool to investigate possible markers of drug resistance in subjects with epilepsy.MethodsBlood samples were collected from (1 controls (C (n = 35, (2 patients with epilepsy “responder” (R (n = 18, and (3 patients with epilepsy “non-responder” (NR (n = 17 to the drug therapy. The samples were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, followed by multivariate statistical analysis.Key findingsA different metabolic profile based on metabolomics analysis of the serum was observed between C and patients with epilepsy and also between R and NR patients. It was possible to identify the discriminant metabolites for the three classes under investigation. Serum from patients with epilepsy were characterized by increased levels of 3-OH-butyrate, 2-OH-valerate, 2-OH-butyrate, acetoacetate, acetone, acetate, choline, alanine, glutamate, scyllo-inositol (C < R < NR, and decreased concentration of glucose, lactate, and citrate compared to C (C > R > NR.SignificanceIn conclusion, metabolomics may represent an important tool for discovery of differences between subjects affected by epilepsy responding or resistant to therapies and for the study of its pathophysiology, optimizing the therapeutic resources and the quality of life of patients.

A human model of dietary saturated fatty acid induced insulin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Koska, Juraj; Ozias, Marlies K; Deer, James; Kurtz, Julie; Salbe, Arline D; Harman, S Mitchell; Reaven, Peter D

2016-11-01

Increased consumption of high-fat diets is associated with the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Current models to study the mechanisms of high-fat diet-induced IR in humans are limited by their long duration or low efficacy. In the present study we developed and characterized an acute dietary model of saturated fatty acid-enriched diet induced insulin resistance. High caloric diets enriched with saturated fatty acids (SFA) or carbohydrates (CARB) were evaluated in subjects with normal and impaired glucose tolerance (NGT or IGT). Both diets were compared to a standard eucaloric American Heart Association (AHA) control diet in a series of crossover studies. Whole body insulin resistance was estimated as steady state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations during the last 30min of a 3-h insulin suppression test. SSPG was increased after a 24-h SFA diet (by 83±74% vs. control, n=38) in the entire cohort, which was comprised of participants with NGT (92±82%, n=22) or IGT (65±55%, n=16) (all pinsulin resistance in both NGT and IGT subjects. Insulin resistance persisted overnight after the last SFA meal and was attenuated by one day of a healthy diet. This model offers opportunities for identifying early mechanisms and potential treatments of dietary saturated fat induced insulin resistance. Published by Elsevier Inc.

In vitro phenotypic, genomic and proteomic characterization of a cytokine-resistant murine β-TC3 cell line.

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Antonina Coppola

Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM is caused by the selective destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. This process is mediated by cells of the immune system through release of nitric oxide, free radicals and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which induce a complex network of intracellular signalling cascades, eventually affecting the expression of genes involved in β-cell survival.The aim of our study was to investigate possible mechanisms of resistance to cytokine-induced β-cell death. To this purpose, we created a cytokine-resistant β-cell line (β-TC3R by chronically treating the β-TC3 murine insulinoma cell line with IL-1β + IFN-γ. β-TC3R cells exhibited higher proliferation rate and resistance to cytokine-mediated cell death in comparison to the parental line. Interestingly, they maintained expression of β-cell specific markers, such as PDX1, NKX6.1, GLUT2 and insulin. The analysis of the secretory function showed that β-TC3R cells have impaired glucose-induced c-peptide release, which however was only moderately reduced after incubation with KCl and tolbutamide. Gene expression analysis showed that β-TC3R cells were characterized by downregulation of IL-1β and IFN-γ receptors and upregulation of SOCS3, the classical negative regulator of cytokines signaling. Comparative proteomic analysis showed specific upregulation of 35 proteins, mainly involved in cell death, stress response and folding. Among them, SUMO4, a negative feedback regulator in NF-kB and JAK/STAT signaling pathways, resulted hyper-expressed. Silencing of SUMO4 was able to restore sensitivity to cytokine-induced cell death in β-TC3R cells, suggesting it may play a key role in acquired cytokine resistance by blocking JAK/STAT and NF-kB lethal signaling.In conclusion, our study represents the first extensive proteomic characterization of a murine cytokine-resistant β-cell line, which might represent a useful tool for studying the mechanisms involved in resistance to

Characterization of Pm59, a novel powdery mildew resistance gene in Afghanistan wheat landrace PI 181356.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Chengcheng; Li, Genqiao; Cowger, Christina; Carver, Brett F; Xu, Xiangyang

2018-05-01

A new powdery mildew resistance gene, designated Pm59, was identified in Afghanistan wheat landrace PI 181356, and mapped in the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 7A. Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is an important foliar disease of wheat worldwide. In the Great Plains of the USA, Bgt isolates virulent to widely used powdery mildew resistance genes, such as Pm3a, were previously identified. The objectives of this study were to characterize the powdery mildew resistance gene in Afghanistan landrace PI 181356, which exhibited high resistance to Bgt isolates collected in southern Great Plains, and identify molecular markers for marker-assisted selection. An F 2 population and F 2:3 lines derived from a cross between PI 181356 and OK1059060-126135-3 were used in this study. Genetic analysis indicated that PI 181356 carries a single dominant gene, designated Pm59, in the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 7A. Pm59 was mapped to an interval between sequence tag site (STS) markers Xmag1759 and Xmag1714 with genetic distances of 0.4 cM distal to Xmag1759 and 5.7 cM proximal to Xmag1714. Physical mapping suggested that Pm59 is in the distal bin 7AL 0.99-1.00. Pm59 is a novel powdery mildew resistance gene, and confers resistance to Bgt isolates collected from the Great Plains and the state of Montana. Therefore, Pm59 can be used to breed powdery mildew-resistant cultivars in these regions. Xmag1759 is ideal for marker-assisted selection of Pm59 in wheat breeding.

Characterization in vitro and in vivo of progressively adriamycin-resistant B16-BL6 mouse melanoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganapathi, R; Grabowski, D; Schmidt, H; Bell, D; Melia, M

1987-07-01

Adriamycin (ADR)-resistant sublines of B16-BL6 mouse melanoma selected by exposure to increasing concentrations of ADR were characterized in vitro for growth properties and in vivo for tumorigenicity and pulmonary metastases. The progressively resistant sublines adapted to grow in the presence of 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.25 microgram/ml ADR in monolayer culture were found to be 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-fold ADR-resistant, respectively, compared to the parental sensitive cells, using a soft-agar colony assay and continuous ADR treatment for 7 days. The doubling time in monolayer culture of the parent sensitive and progressively ADR-resistant sublines of B16-BL6 melanoma cells was approximately 16-18 h. Although the colony-forming efficiency in soft agar of parental sensitive cells was only 0.5-4%, the 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-fold ADR-resistant sublines had colony-forming efficiencies of 15, 20, 30, and 77%, respectively. Tumorigenicity in C57BL/6 mice of progressively ADR-resistant sublines was similar to parental sensitive cells following s.c. and i.p. implantation of 10(5)-10(6) tumor cells. Experimental pulmonary metastases were significantly lower in ADR-resistant sublines with progressive resistance. Additionally, unlike the parental sensitive and 5-fold ADR-resistant B16-BL6 cells, the 10-, 20-, and 40-fold ADR-resistant sublines were spontaneously nonmetastatic. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunochemical detection of P-glycoprotein revealed the presence of a Mr 170,000 plasma membrane glycoprotein in the 40-fold ADR-resistant subline and its counterpart maintained for 1 year in ADR-free medium. Results from this study suggest that progressively ADR-resistant B16-BL6 mouse melanoma cells selected in vitro demonstrate a marked increase in colony formation in soft agar and a decrease in the ability to produce pulmonary metastases, without alterations in tumorigenicity.

Fabrication and characterization of reaction bonded silicon carbide/carbon nanotube composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thostenson, Erik T; Karandikar, Prashant G; Chou, T.-W.

2005-01-01

Carbon nanotubes have generated considerable excitement in the scientific and engineering communities because of their exceptional mechanical and physical properties observed at the nanoscale. Carbon nanotubes possess exceptionally high stiffness and strength combined with high electrical and thermal conductivities. These novel material properties have stimulated considerable research in the development of nanotube-reinforced composites (Thostenson et al 2001 Compos. Sci. Technol. 61 1899, Thostenson et al 2005 Compos. Sci. Technol. 65 491). In this research, novel reaction bonded silicon carbide nanocomposites were fabricated using melt infiltration of silicon. A series of multi-walled carbon nanotube-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (NT-CMCs) were fabricated and the structure and properties were characterized. Here we show that carbon nanotubes are present in the as-fabricated NT-CMCs after reaction bonding at temperatures above 1400 deg. C. Characterization results reveal that a very small volume content of carbon nanotubes, as low as 0.3 volume %, results in a 75% reduction in electrical resistivity of the ceramic composites. A 96% decrease in electrical resistivity was observed for the ceramics with the highest nanotube volume fraction of 2.1%

Polyamide desalination membrane characterization and surface modification to enhance fouling resistance.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Mukul M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Freeman, Benny D. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Van Wagner, Elizabeth M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Hickner, Michael A. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA); Altman, Susan Jeanne

2010-08-01

The market for polyamide desalination membranes is expected to continue to grow during the coming decades. Purification of alternative water sources will also be necessary to meet growing water demands. Purification of produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas production, is of interest due to its dual potential to provide water for beneficial use as well as to reduce wastewater disposal costs. However, current polyamide membranes are prone to fouling, which decreases water flux and shortens membrane lifetime. This research explored surface modification using poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) to improve the fouling resistance of commercial polyamide membranes. Characterization of commercial polyamide membrane performance was a necessary first step before undertaking surface modification studies. Membrane performance was found to be sensitive to crossflow testing conditions. Concentration polarization and feed pH strongly influenced NaCl rejection, and the use of continuous feed filtration led to higher water flux and lower NaCl rejection than was observed for similar tests performed using unfiltered feed. Two commercial polyamide membranes, including one reverse osmosis and one nanofiltration membrane, were modified by grafting PEGDE to their surfaces. Two different PEG molecular weights (200 and 1000) and treatment concentrations (1% (w/w) and 15% (w/w)) were studied. Water flux decreased and NaCl rejection increased with PEGDE graft density ({micro}g/cm{sup 2}), although the largest changes were observed for low PEGDE graft densities. Surface properties including hydrophilicity, roughness and charge were minimally affected by surface modification. The fouling resistance of modified and unmodified membranes was compared in crossflow filtration studies using model foulant solutions consisting of either a charged surfactant or an oil in water emulsion containing n-decane and a charged surfactant. Several PEGDE-modified membranes demonstrated improved

Prevalence and characterization of plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes among Escherichia coli from pigs, pig carcasses and human.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shuyu; Dalsgaard, Anders; Hammerum, Anette M; Porsbo, Lone J; Jensen, Lars B

2010-07-30

Sulfonamide resistance is very common in Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to characterize plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2 and sul3) in E. coli isolated from pigs and humans with a specific objective to assess the genetic diversity of plasmids involved in the mobility of sul genes. A total of 501 E. coli isolates from pig feces, pig carcasses and human stools were tested for their susceptibility to selected antimicrobial. Multiplex PCR was conducted to detect the presence of three sul genes among the sulfonamide-resistant E. coli isolates. Fifty-seven sulfonamide-resistant E. coli were selected based on presence of sul resistance genes and subjected to conjugation and/or transformation experiments. S1 nuclease digestion followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to visualize and determine the size of plasmids. Plasmids carrying sul genes were characterized by PCR-based replicon typing to allow a comparison of the types of sul genes, the reservoir and plasmid present. A total of 109/501 isolates exhibited sulfonamide resistance. The relative prevalences of sul genes from the three reservoirs (pigs, pig carcasses and humans) were 65%, 45% and 12% for sul2, sul1, and sul3, respectively. Transfer of resistance through conjugation was observed in 42/57 isolates. Resistances to streptomycin, ampicillin and trimethoprim were co-transferred in most strains. Class 1 integrons were present in 80% of sul1-carrying plasmids and 100% of sul3-carrying plasmids, but only in 5% of sul2-carrying plasmids. The sul plasmids ranged from 33 to 160-kb in size and belonged to nine different incompatibility (Inc) groups: FII, FIB, I1, FIA, B/O, FIC, N, HI1 and X1. IncFII was the dominant type in sul2-carrying plasmids (52%), while IncI1 was the most common type in sul1 and sul3-carrying plasmids (33% and 45%, respectively). Multireplicons were found associated with all three sul genes. Sul genes were distributed widely in E. coli isolated

Prevalence and characterization of plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes among Escherichia coli from pigs, pig carcasses and human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hammerum Anette M

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sulfonamide resistance is very common in Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to characterize plasmids carrying sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2 and sul3 in E. coli isolated from pigs and humans with a specific objective to assess the genetic diversity of plasmids involved in the mobility of sul genes. Methods A total of 501 E. coli isolates from pig feces, pig carcasses and human stools were tested for their susceptibility to selected antimicrobial. Multiplex PCR was conducted to detect the presence of three sul genes among the sulfonamide-resistant E. coli isolates. Fifty-seven sulfonamide-resistant E. coli were selected based on presence of sul resistance genes and subjected to conjugation and/or transformation experiments. S1 nuclease digestion followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to visualize and determine the size of plasmids. Plasmids carrying sul genes were characterized by PCR-based replicon typing to allow a comparison of the types of sul genes, the reservoir and plasmid present. Results A total of 109/501 isolates exhibited sulfonamide resistance. The relative prevalences of sul genes from the three reservoirs (pigs, pig carcasses and humans were 65%, 45% and 12% for sul2, sul1, and sul3, respectively. Transfer of resistance through conjugation was observed in 42/57 isolates. Resistances to streptomycin, ampicillin and trimethoprim were co-transferred in most strains. Class 1 integrons were present in 80% of sul1-carrying plasmids and 100% of sul3-carrying plasmids, but only in 5% of sul2-carrying plasmids. The sul plasmids ranged from 33 to 160-kb in size and belonged to nine different incompatibility (Inc groups: FII, FIB, I1, FIA, B/O, FIC, N, HI1 and X1. IncFII was the dominant type in sul2-carrying plasmids (52%, while IncI1 was the most common type in sul1 and sul3-carrying plasmids (33% and 45%, respectively. Multireplicons were found associated with all three sul genes

Mapping and characterization of wheat stem rust resistance genes SrTm5 and Sr60 from Triticum monococcum

Science.gov (United States)

The emergence and spread of new virulent races of the wheat stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici; Pgt), including the TTKSK (Ug99) race group, is a serious threat to global wheat production. In this study, we mapped and characterized two stem rust resistance genes from diploid wheat ...

Molecular characterization of two high-level ceftriaxone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates detected in Catalonia, Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cámara, Jordi; Serra, Judit; Ayats, Josefina; Bastida, Teresa; Carnicer-Pont, Dolors; Andreu, Antònia; Ardanuy, Carmen

2012-08-01

The aim of this study was to characterize the first two extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates collected from two sexually related patients (men who have sex with men) in Spain. Antimicrobial susceptibility was studied by Etest. Genes involved in quinolone, ceftriaxone and multidrug resistance were amplified by PCR and sequenced in both directions. The isolates were typed by N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST). The two isolates had the same MDR profile, showing resistance to penicillin (MIC 0.094 mg/L; β-lactamase negative), ceftriaxone (MIC 1.5 mg/L), cefixime (MIC 1.5 mg/L), cefotaxime (MIC 1 mg/L), ciprofloxacin (MIC >32 mg/L) and tetracycline (MIC 1.5 mg/L). NG-MAST showed that both isolates belonged to sequence type (ST) 1407 (porB-908 and tbpB-110). Ciprofloxacin resistance was due to amino acid substitutions in GyrA (S91F and D95G) and ParC (S87R). An A deletion in the promoter of the MtrCDE efflux pump (mtrR) was detected. No changes were detected in the pilQ gene. The outer membrane protein PorB showed two substitutions at G120K and A121N. An L421P substitution was observed in the PBP1A (ponA) sequence. The sequence of PBP2 (penA) showed a mosaic structure related to genotype XXXIV with a single additional amino acid substitution (A501P). This genotype was identical to a recently described French isolate (F89). This is the first reported case of high-level extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae transmission. The molecular typing and MDR genotype suggest possible European spread of this strain, highlighting the need for surveillance and the importance of testing the susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to extended-spectrum cephalosporins.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Thai isolates of Plasmodium falciparum after an artemisinin resistance containment project.

Science.gov (United States)

Thita, Thunyapit; Jadsri, Pimrat; Thamkhantho, Jarupatr; Ruang-Areerate, Toon; Suwandittakul, Nantana; Sitthichot, Naruemon; Mahotorn, Kittiya; Tan-Ariya, Peerapan; Mungthin, Mathirut

2018-05-15

In Thailand, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has been used to treat uncomplicated falciparum malaria since 1995. Unfortunately, artemisinin resistance has been reported from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries since 2003. Malarone ® , a combination of atovaquone-proguanil (ATQ-PG), has been used to cease artemisinin pressure in some areas along Thai-Cambodia border, as part of an artemisinin resistance containment project since 2009. This study aimed to determine genotypes and phenotypes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from the Thai-Cambodia border after the artemisinin resistance containment project compared with those collected before. One hundred and nine of P. falciparum isolates collected from Thai-Cambodia border from Chanthaburi and Trat provinces during 1988-2016 were used in this study. Of these, 58 isolates were collected after the containment. These parasite isolates were characterized for in vitro antimalarial sensitivities including chloroquine (CQ), quinine (QN), mefloquine (MQ), piperaquine (PPQ), artesunate (AS), dihydroartemisinin (DHA), ATQ and PG and genetic markers for drug resistance including the Kelch13 (k13), Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt), P. falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) and cytochrome b (cytb) genes. Mean CQ, QN, MQ, PPQ and AS IC 50 s of the parasite isolates collected from 2009 to 2016 exhibited significantly higher than those of parasites collected before 2009. Approximately 57% exhibited in vitro MQ resistance. Approximately 94% of the isolates collected from 2009 to 2016 contained the pfmdr1 184F allele. Mutations of the k13 gene were detected in approximately 90% of the parasites collected from 2009 to 2016 which were significantly higher than the parasite isolates collected before. No ATQ-resistant genotype and phenotype of P. falciparum were found among the isolates collected after the containment project. Although the containment project had been

On the interface trap density and series resistance of tin oxide film prepared on n-type Si (1 1 1) substrate: Frequency dependent effects before and after 60Co γ-ray irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karadeniz, S.; Selcuk, A. Birkan; Tugluoglu, N.; Ocak, S. Bilge

2007-01-01

We report the first investigation of the frequency dependent effects of gamma irradiation on interface state density and series resistance determined from capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) characteristics in SnO 2 /n-Si structures prepared by spray deposition method. The samples were irradiated using a 60 Co γ-ray source at 500 kGy at room temperature. The C-V and G-V measurements of the samples were performed in the voltage range -6 V to 2 V and at 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 500 kHz and 1 MHz at room temperature before and after 500 kGy irradiation. The measurement capacitance and conductance are corrected for series resistance. It has been seen that the value of the series resistance R s of sample decreases from 204 Ω to 55.4 Ω with increasing the frequency before irradiation while it decreases from 248 Ω to 60 Ω with increasing frequency at 500 kGy irradiation. It has been found that and D it values of MOS structure increases up to 100 kHz and then decreases up to 1 MHz while the R s increases with increasing irradiation dose for our sample. The interface state density D it ranges from 1.83 x 10 13 cm -2 eV -1 for before irradiation to 1.54 x 10 13 cm -2 eV -1 for 500 kGy irradiation dose at 500 kHz and decreases with increasing frequency

Correlation and multifractality in climatological time series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedron, I T

2010-01-01

Climate can be described by statistical analysis of mean values of atmospheric variables over a period. It is possible to detect correlations in climatological time series and to classify its behavior. In this work the Hurst exponent, which can characterize correlation and persistence in time series, is obtained by using the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) method. Data series of temperature, precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, maximum squall, atmospheric pressure and randomic series are studied. Furthermore, the multifractality of such series is analyzed applying the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) method. The results indicate presence of correlation (persistent character) in all climatological series and multifractality as well. A larger set of data, and longer, could provide better results indicating the universality of the exponents.

Transposon characterization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) and dissemination of resistance associated with transferable plasmids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Migura, Lourdes Garcia; Liebana, Ernesto; Jensen, Lars Bogø

2007-01-01

Objectives: VanA glycopeptide resistance has persisted on broiler farms in the UK despite the absence of the antimicrobial selective pressure, avoparcin. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of horizontal gene transfer of Tn 1546 versus clonal spread in the dissemination of the resist......Objectives: VanA glycopeptide resistance has persisted on broiler farms in the UK despite the absence of the antimicrobial selective pressure, avoparcin. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of horizontal gene transfer of Tn 1546 versus clonal spread in the dissemination...... plasmid replicons, associated with antimicrobial resistance on several unrelated farms. Conclusions: Horizontal transfer of vancomycin resistance may play a more important role in the persistence of antimicrobial resistance than clonal spread. The presence of different plasmid replicons, associated...... with antimicrobial resistance on several unrelated farms, illustrates the ability of these enterococci to acquire and disseminate mobile genetic elements within integrated livestock systems....

Quantitative trait loci associated with anthracnose resistance in sorghum

Science.gov (United States)

With an aim to develop a durable resistance to the fungal disease anthracnose, two unique genetic sources of resistance were selected to create genetic mapping populations to identify regions of the sorghum genome that encode anthracnose resistance. A series of quantitative trait loci were identifi...

Predictions of fire behavior and resistance to control: for use with photo series for the ponderosa pine type, ponderosa pine and associated species type, and lodgepole pine type.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin R. Ward; David V. Sandberg

1981-01-01

This publication presents tables on the behavior of fire and the resistance of fuels to control. The information is to be used with the publication, "Photo Series for Quantifying Forest Residues in the Ponderosa Pine Type, Ponderosa Pine and Associated Species Type, Lodgepole Pine Type" (Maxwell, Wayne G.; Ward, Franklin R. 1976. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-052....

Accelerating resistance breeding in wheat by integrating marker ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Genetic resistance is the simplest and most cost-effective way to guard against disease in plants. The pyramiding of resistance genes is a useful practice in bringing about durable resistance. This study aimed to develop a series of doubled haploid (DH) wheat lines containing combinations of wild species genes for rust ...

Characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from healthy turkeys and broilers using DNA microarrays

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Hosny El-Adawy

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA is a major human health problem and recently, domestic animals, in particular pigs and poultry are discussed as carriers and possible reservoirs of MRSA. Twenty seven S. aureus isolates from five turkey farms (n=18 and two broiler farms (n=9 were obtained by culturing of choana and skin swabs from apparently healthy birds, identified by Taqman-based real-time duplex nuc-mecA-PCR and characterized by spa typing as well as by a DNA microarray based assay which covered, amongst others, a considerable number of antibiotic resistance genes, species controls and virulence markers. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were tested by agar diffusion assays and genotypically confirmed by the microarray. Five different spa types (3 in turkeys and 2 in broilers were detected. The majority of MRSA isolates (24/27 belonged to clonal complex 398-MRSA-V. The most frequently occurring spa types were accordingly t011, t034 and t899. A single CC5-MRSA-III isolated from turkey and CC398-MRSA with an unidentified/truncated SCCmec element in turkey and broiler were additionally detected. The phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles of S. aureus isolated from both turkeys and broilers against 14 different antimicrobials showed that all isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin, oxacillin, doxycycline and tetracycline. Moreover, all S. aureus isolated from broilers were resistant to erythromycin and azithromycin. All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, sulphonamides and fusidic acid. The resistance rate against ciprofloxacin was 55.6% in broiler isolates and 42.1% in turkey isolates. All tetracycline resistant isolates possessed genes tetK/M. All erythromycin-resistant broiler isolates carried ermA. Only one broiler isolate (11.1% carried genes ermA, ermB and ermC, while 55.6% of turkey isolates possessed ermA and ermB genes.Neither PVL genes (lukF/S-PV, animal-associated leukocidin

Characterization of the duodenase-1 gene and its associations with resistance to Streptococuus agalactiae in hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis spp.).

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yubang; Fu, Gui Hong; Liu, Feng; Yue, Gen Hua

2015-08-01

Tilapia is a group of cultured teleost fishes whose production is threatened by some diseases. Identification of DNA markers associated with disease resistance in candidate genes may facilitate to accelerate the selection of disease resistance. The gene encoding a duodenase, which can trigger immune response, has not been studied in fish. We characterized the cDNA of duodenase-1 gene of hybrid tilapia. Its ORF is 759 bp, encoding a serine protease of 252 amino acids. This gene consisted of five exons and four introns. Its expression was detected in all 10 tissues examined, and it was highly expressed in the intestine and kidney. After a challenge with the bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus agalactiae, its expression was up-regulated significantly in the intestine, liver and spleen. We identified seven SNPs in the gene and found that four of them were significantly associated with the resistance to S. agalactiae (P tilapia. The SNP markers in the duodenase-1 gene associated with resistance to the bacterial pathogen, may facilitate the selection of tilapia resistant to the bacterial disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and characterization of ampicillin- and tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli from feedlot cattle fed subtherapeutic antimicrobials

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Yanke L Jay

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Feedlot cattle in North America are routinely fed subtherapeutic levels of antimicrobials to prevent disease and improve the efficiency of growth. This practice has been shown to promote antimicrobial resistance (AMR in subpopulations of intestinal microflora including Escherichia coli. To date, studies of AMR in feedlot production settings have rarely employed selective isolation, therefore yielding too few AMR isolates to enable characterization of the emergence and nature of AMR in E. coli as an indicator bacterium. E. coli isolates (n = 531 were recovered from 140 cattle that were housed (10 animals/pen in 14 pens and received no dietary antimicrobials (control - 5 pens, CON, or were intermittently administered subtherapeutic levels of chlortetracycline (5 pens-T, chlortetracycline + sulfamethazine (4 pens-TS, or virginiamycin (5 pens-V for two separate periods over a 9-month feeding period. Phenotype and genotype of the isolates were determined by susceptibility testing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis and distribution of characterized isolates among housed cattle reported. It was hypothesized that the feeding of subtherapeutic antibiotics would increase the isolation of distinct genotypes of AMR E. coli from cattle. Results Overall, patterns of antimicrobial resistance expressed by E. coli isolates did not change among diet groups (CON vs. antibiotic treatments, however; isolates obtained on selective plates (i.e., MA,MT, exhibited multi-resistance to sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol more frequently when obtained from TS-fed steers than from other treatments. Antibiograms and PFGE patterns suggested that AMR E. coli were readily transferred among steers within pens. Most MT isolates possessed the tet(B efflux gene (58.2, 53.5, 40.8, and 50.6% of isolates from CON, T, TS, and V steers, respectively whereas among the MA (ampicillin-resistant isolates, the tem1-like determinant was predominant (occurring in 50, 66

Genomic Characterization of Nonclonal mcr-1-Positive Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from Clinical Samples in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Srijan, Apichai; Margulieux, Katie R; Ruekit, Sirigade; Snesrud, Erik; Maybank, Rosslyn; Serichantalergs, Oralak; Kormanee, Rosarin; Sukhchat, Prawet; Sriyabhaya, Jossin; Hinkle, Mary; Crawford, John M; McGann, Patrick; Swierczewski, Brett E

2018-05-01

Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains are one of the most prevalent causes of nosocomial infections and pose an increasingly dangerous public health threat. The lack of remaining treatment options has resulted in the utilization of older drug classes, including colistin. As a drug of last resort, the discovery of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance by mcr-1 denotes the potential development of pandrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. To address the emergence of the mcr-1 gene, 118 gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae isolated from clinical samples collected at Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Chonburi, Thailand were screened for colistin resistance using automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing and conventional PCR screening. Two K. pneumoniae strains, QS17-0029 and QS17-0161, were positive for mcr-1, and both isolates were sequenced to closure using short- and long-read whole-genome sequencing. QS17-0029 carried 16 antibiotic resistance genes in addition to mcr-1, including 2 carbapenemases, bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-232 . QS17-0161 carried 13 antibiotic resistance genes in addition to mcr-1, including the extended-spectrum β-lactamase bla CTX-M-55 . Both isolates carried multiple plasmids, but mcr-1 was located alone on highly similar 33.9 Kb IncX4 plasmids in both isolates. The IncX4 plasmid shared considerable homology to other mcr-1-containing IncX4 plasmids. This is the first report of a clinical K. pneumoniae strain from Thailand carrying mcr-1 as well as the first strain to simultaneously carry mcr-1 and multiple carbapenemase genes (QS17-0029). The identification and characterization of these isolates serves to highlight the urgent need for continued surveillance and intervention in Southeast Asia, where extensively drug-resistant pathogens are being increasingly identified in hospital-associated infections.

Characterization of molecular diversity and genome-wide mapping of loci associated with resistance to stripe rust and stem rust in Ethiopian bread wheat accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Muleta, Kebede T; Rouse, Matthew N; Rynearson, Sheri; Chen, Xianming; Buta, Bedada G; Pumphrey, Michael O

2017-08-04

The narrow genetic basis of resistance in modern wheat cultivars and the strong selection response of pathogen populations have been responsible for periodic and devastating epidemics of the wheat rust diseases. Characterizing new sources of resistance and incorporating multiple genes into elite cultivars is the most widely accepted current mechanism to achieve durable varietal performance against changes in pathogen virulence. Here, we report a high-density molecular characterization and genome-wide association study (GWAS) of stripe rust and stem rust resistance in 190 Ethiopian bread wheat lines based on phenotypic data from multi-environment field trials and seedling resistance screening experiments. A total of 24,281 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers filtered from the wheat 90 K iSelect genotyping assay was used to survey Ethiopian germplasm for population structure, genetic diversity and marker-trait associations. Upon screening for field resistance to stripe rust in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Ethiopia over multiple growing seasons, and against multiple races of stripe rust and stem rust at seedling stage, eight accessions displayed resistance to all tested races of stem rust and field resistance to stripe rust in all environments. Our GWAS results show 15 loci were significantly associated with seedling and adult plant resistance to stripe rust at false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted probability (P) rust in the Ethiopian wheat accessions. Many of the identified resistance loci were mapped close to previously identified rust resistance genes; however, three loci on the short arms of chromosomes 5A and 7B for stripe rust resistance and two on chromosomes 3B and 7B for stem rust resistance may be novel. Our results demonstrate that considerable genetic variation resides within the landrace accessions that can be utilized to broaden the genetic base of rust resistance in wheat breeding germplasm. The molecular markers identified in

Collateral Resistance and Sensitivity Modulate Evolution of High-Level Resistance to Drug Combination Treatment in Staphylococcus aureus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Evgrafov, Mari Cristina Rodriguez; Gumpert, Heidi; Munck, Christian

2015-01-01

As drug-resistant pathogens continue to emerge, combination therapy will increasingly be relied upon to treat infections and to help combat further development of multidrug resistance. At present a dichotomy exists between clinical practice, which favors therapeutically synergistic combinations......, to reflect drug concentrations more likely to be encountered during treatment. We performed a series of adaptive evolution experiments using Staphylococcus aureus. Interestingly, no relationship between drug interaction type and resistance evolution was found as resistance increased significantly beyond wild......-type levels. All drug combinations, irrespective of interaction types, effectively limited resistance evolution compared with monotreatment. Cross-resistance and collateral sensitivity were found to be important factors in the extent of resistance evolution toward a combination. Comparative genomic analyses...

Characterization of Ground Displacement Sources from Variational Bayesian Independent Component Analysis of Space Geodetic Time Series

Science.gov (United States)

Gualandi, Adriano; Serpelloni, Enrico; Elina Belardinelli, Maria; Bonafede, Maurizio; Pezzo, Giuseppe; Tolomei, Cristiano

2015-04-01

A critical point in the analysis of ground displacement time series, as those measured by modern space geodetic techniques (primarly continuous GPS/GNSS and InSAR) is the development of data driven methods that allow to discern and characterize the different sources that generate the observed displacements. A widely used multivariate statistical technique is the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which allows to reduce the dimensionality of the data space maintaining most of the variance of the dataset explained. It reproduces the original data using a limited number of Principal Components, but it also shows some deficiencies, since PCA does not perform well in finding the solution to the so-called Blind Source Separation (BSS) problem. The recovering and separation of the different sources that generate the observed ground deformation is a fundamental task in order to provide a physical meaning to the possible different sources. PCA fails in the BSS problem since it looks for a new Euclidean space where the projected data are uncorrelated. Usually, the uncorrelation condition is not strong enough and it has been proven that the BSS problem can be tackled imposing on the components to be independent. The Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is, in fact, another popular technique adopted to approach this problem, and it can be used in all those fields where PCA is also applied. An ICA approach enables us to explain the displacement time series imposing a fewer number of constraints on the model, and to reveal anomalies in the data such as transient deformation signals. However, the independence condition is not easy to impose, and it is often necessary to introduce some approximations. To work around this problem, we use a variational bayesian ICA (vbICA) method, which models the probability density function (pdf) of each source signal using a mix of Gaussian distributions. This technique allows for more flexibility in the description of the pdf of the sources

Microstructure characterization and corrosion resistance properties of Pb-Sb alloys for lead acid battery spine produced by different casting methods

Science.gov (United States)

Baig, Muneer; Alam, Mohammad Asif; Alharthi, Nabeel

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to find out the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of Pb-5%Sb spine alloy. The alloy has been produced by high pressure die casting (HPDC), medium pressure die casting (AS) and low pressure die casting (GS) methods, respectively. The microstructure was characterized by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hardness was also reported. The corrosion resistance of the spines in 0.5M H2SO4 solution has been analyzed by measuring the weight loss, impedance spectroscopy and the potentiodynamic polarization techniques. It has been found that the spine produced by HPDC has defect-free fine grain structure resulting improvement in hardness and excellent corrosion resistance. PMID:29668709

TEM characterization of microstructure evolution of 12%Cr heat resistant steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojas, D.; Prat, O.; Sauthoff, G. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Eisenforschung GmbH, Duesseldorf (Germany); Garcia, J. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Kaysser-Pyzalla, A.R. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Bochum Univ. (Germany)

2010-07-01

A detailed characterization of the microstructure evolution of 12%Cr heat resistant steels at different creep times (100 MPa / 650 C / 8000 h) were carried out by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The results of the microstructure analysis are correlated with the mechanical properties in order to investigate the influence of different precipitates (especially M{sub 23}C{sub 6}) on the creep strength of the alloys. Precipitation of Laves phase and Z-phase was observed after several hours creep time. Very few Z-phase of the type Cr(V,Ta)N nucleating from existing (V,Ta)(C,N) was observed. Both alloys show growth and coarsening of Laves phase, meanwhile the MX carbonitrides present a very slow growth and coarsening rate. Alloys containing Laves phase, MX and M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitates show best creep properties. (orig.)

Establishment and characterization of arsenic trioxide resistant KB/ATO cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yun-Kai; Dai, Chunling; Yuan, Chun-Gang; Wu, Hsiang-Chun; Xiao, Zhijie; Lei, Zi-Ning; Yang, Dong-Hua; Le, X Chris; Fu, Liwu; Chen, Zhe-Sheng

2017-09-01

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, increasing drug resistance is reducing its efficacy. Therefore, a better understanding of ATO resistance mechanism is required. In this study, we established an ATO-resistant human epidermoid carcinoma cell line, KB/ATO, from its parental KB-3-1 cells. In addition to ATO, KB/ATO cells also exhibited cross-resistance to other anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, antimony potassium tartrate, and 6-mercaptopurine. The arsenic accumulation in KB/ATO cells was significantly lower than that in KB-3-1 cells. Further analysis indicated that neither application of P-glycoprotein inhibitor, breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP) inhibitor, or multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) inhibitor could eliminate ATO resistance. We found that the expression level of ABCB6 was increased in KB/ATO cells. In conclusion, ABCB6 could be an important factor for ATO resistance in KB/ATO cells. The ABCB6 level may serve as a predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of ATO therapy.

Epidemiological characterization of resistance and PCR typing of Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei strains isolated from bacillary dysentery cases in Southeast Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.P.A. Penatti

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Shigella spp are Gram-negative, anaerobic facultative, non-motile, and non-sporulated bacilli of the Enterobacteriaceae family responsible for "Shigellosis" or bacillary dysentery, an important cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. However, despite this, there are very few epidemiological studies about this bacterium in Brazil. We studied the antibiotic resistance profiles and the clonal structure of 60 Shigella strains (30 S. flexneri and 30 S. sonnei isolated from shigellosis cases in different cities within the metropolitan area of Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. We used the following well-characterized molecular techniques: enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus, repetitive extragenic palindromic, and double-repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction to characterize the bacteria. Also, the antibiotic resistance of the strains was determined by the diffusion disk method. Many strains of S. flexneri and S. sonnei were found to be multi-resistant. S. flexneri strains were resistant to ampicillin in 83.3% of cases, chloramphenicol in 70.0%, streptomycin in 86.7%, sulfamethoxazole in 80.0%, and tetracycline in 80.0%, while a smaller number of strains were resistant to cephalothin (3.3% and sulfazotrim (10.0%. S. sonnei strains were mainly resistant to sulfamethoxazole (100.0% and tetracycline (96.7% and, to a lesser extent, to ampicillin (6.7% and streptomycin (26.7%. Polymerase chain reaction-based typing supported the existence of specific clones responsible for the shigellosis cases in the different cities and there was evidence of transmission between cities. This clonal structure would probably be the result of selection for virulence and resistance phenotypes. These data indicate that the human sanitary conditions of the cities investigated should be improved.

Diversity and characterization of mercury-resistant bacteria in snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine from the High Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Annette; Barkay, Tamar; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed

2011-01-01

It is well-established that atmospheric deposition transports mercury from lower latitudes to the Arctic. The role of bacteria in the dynamics of the deposited mercury, however, is unknown. We characterized mercury-resistant bacteria from High Arctic snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine. Bacterial...... densities were 9.4 × 10(5), 5 × 10(5) and 0.9-3.1 × 10(3) cells mL(-1) in freshwater, brine and snow, respectively. Highest cultivability was observed in snow (11.9%), followed by freshwater (0.3%) and brine (0.03%). In snow, the mercury-resistant bacteria accounted for up to 31% of the culturable bacteria, but...

Constructing ordinal partition transition networks from multivariate time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiayang; Zhou, Jie; Tang, Ming; Guo, Heng; Small, Michael; Zou, Yong

2017-08-10

A growing number of algorithms have been proposed to map a scalar time series into ordinal partition transition networks. However, most observable phenomena in the empirical sciences are of a multivariate nature. We construct ordinal partition transition networks for multivariate time series. This approach yields weighted directed networks representing the pattern transition properties of time series in velocity space, which hence provides dynamic insights of the underling system. Furthermore, we propose a measure of entropy to characterize ordinal partition transition dynamics, which is sensitive to capturing the possible local geometric changes of phase space trajectories. We demonstrate the applicability of pattern transition networks to capture phase coherence to non-coherence transitions, and to characterize paths to phase synchronizations. Therefore, we conclude that the ordinal partition transition network approach provides complementary insight to the traditional symbolic analysis of nonlinear multivariate time series.

Characterization and functional analysis of a carboxylesterase gene associated with chlorpyrifos resistance in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Kai; Wang, Ying; Chen, Xia; Zhang, Zhichao; Li, Yue; Li, Wenru; Zhou, Qiang

2017-12-01

The widespread and extensive application of insecticides have promoted the development of resistance in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), one of the most important rice pests in Asia. To better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of metabolic resistance to insecticides, a chlorpyrifos-resistant (CR) strain of N. lugens was selected and its possible resistance mechanism was investigated. Synergistic tests using carboxylesterases (CarEs) inhibitor triphenyl phosphate (TPP) decreased the resistance of N. lugens to chlorpyrifos, and CarE activities could be induced by low concentrations of chlorpyrifos. Subsequently, a gene putatively encoding CarE, namely NlCarE, predominant in the midgut and ovary was isolated and characterized. The expression levels of NlCarE were detected and compared between the CR and a susceptible (SS) strain of N. lugens. Consistent with the increased CarE activity, this gene was overexpressed in the CR strain compared to the SS strain. The transcript levels of NlCarE were up-regulated by chlorpyrifos exposure, showing dose- and time-dependent expression patterns. Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of NlCarE followed by insecticide application significantly increased the susceptibility of N. lugens to chlorpyrifos. These results demonstrate that NlCarE plays an important role in chlorpyrifos detoxification and its overexpression may be involved in chlorpyrifos resistance in N. lugens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a disease susceptibility locus for exploring an efficient way to improve rice resistance against bacterial blight

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Qi Cheng; Weihua Mao; Wenya Xie; Qinsong Liu; Jianbo Cao; Meng Yuan; Qinglu Zhang; Xianghua Li; Shiping Wang

2017-01-01

Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae (Xoo) is the most harmful bacterial disease of rice worldwide.Previously,we characterized major disease resistance (MR) gene xa25,which confers race-specific resistance to Xoo strain PXO339.The xa25 is a recessive allele of the SWEET13 locus,but SWEET13's interaction with PXO339 and how efficiently using this locus for rice breeding still need to be defined.Here we show that the SWEET13 allele from rice Zhenshan 97 is a susceptibility gene to PXO339.Using this allele's promoter to regulate xa25 resulted in disease,suggesting that the promoter is a key determinant in SWEET13 caused disease in Zhanshan 97 after PXO339 infection.PXO339 transcriptionally induces SWEET13 to cause disease.Partial suppressing SWEET13 expression leads to a high level of resistance to PXO339.Thus,the transcriptionally suppressed SWEET13 functions as xa25 in resistance to PXO339.Hybrid rice is widely grown in many countries.However,recessive MR genes have not been efficiently used for disease resistance breeding in hybrid rice production for both parents of the hybrid have to carry the same recessive gene.However,the suppressed SWEET13 functions dominantly,which will have advantage to improve the resistance of hybrid rice to xa25-incomptible Xoo.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from hospital food

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Farhad Safarpoor Dehkordi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pathogenic biotypes of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strains are considered to be one of the major cause of food-borne diseases in hospitals. The present investigation was done to study the pattern of antibiotic resistance and prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes of different biotypes of the MRSA strains isolated from various types of hospital food samples. Methods Four-hundred and eighty-five raw and cooked hospital food samples were cultured and MRSA strains were identified using the oxacillin and cefoxitin disk diffusion tests and mecA-based PCR amplification. Isolated strains were subjected to biotyping and their antibiotic resistance patterns were analyzed using the disk diffusion and PCR methods. Results Prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA were 9.69 and 7.62%, respectively. Meat and chicken barbecues had the highest prevalence of MRSA. Prevalence of bovine, ovine, poultry and human-based biotypes in the MRSA strains were 8.10, 8.10, 32.43 and 48.64%, respectively. All of the MRSA strains recovered from soup, salad and rice samples were related to human-based biotypes. MRSA strains harbored the highest prevalence of resistance against penicillin (100%, ceftaroline (100%, tetracycline (100%, erythromycin (89.18% and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (83.78%. TetK (72.97%, ermA (72.97%, msrA (64.86% and aacA-D (62.16% were the most commonly detected antibiotic resistance genes. Conclusions Pattern of antibiotic resistance and also distribution of antibiotic resistance genes were related to the biotype of MRSA strains. Presence of multi-drug resistance and also simultaneous presence of several antibiotic resistance genes in some MRSA isolates showed an important public health issue Further researches are required to found additional epidemiological aspects of the MRSA strains in hospital food samples.

Sampling, prevalence and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on two Belgian pig farms

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Isabelle Dewaele

2011-02-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the spread of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on two Belgian pig farms. Pigs of different ages (from farrowing to slaughter age and sows as well as the barn environment were screened extensively on two occasions three months apart. A subset of MRSA isolates was tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to 16 antibiotics and was further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Ninety-five percent and 77% of the tested pigs on farm A and farm B, respectively, were colonized with MRSA. MRSA positive animals were detected in all age categories sampled on each sampling day. Piglets were already colonized in the farrowing unit with the same or other MRSA strains than their mother. The prevalence of MRSA colonized pigs increased significantly after weaning and decreased during the fattening period. Pigs carried MRSA mainly in the nares, followed by the perineum and skin and to a lesser degree the rectum. A pig could be contaminated or colonized with different MRSA strains at the same time. The barn environment was also found to be contaminated with different MRSA strains, including the air inlet and outlet. All isolates tested on both farms were resistant to both tetracycline and trimethoprim, while they were susceptible to rifampicin, mupirocin and linezolid. There was a significant difference in resistance prevalence between the two farms for the antibiotics gentamicin, kanamycin, tobramycin, tylosin, lincomycin and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Furthermore, several antibiotic resistance profiles were observed within one farm. This study clearly indicates that several MRSA strains circulate on one farm, from the nursery unit to the fattening unit. This is important to consider when attempts are made to remediate these farms.

Molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To survey the molecular characteristics of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii obtained from pediatric burns patients in a teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: Over a 10-month period, 73 non-duplicate A. baumannii strains were collected from pediatric burns patients admitted to Motahari Burn and ...

Measurements of time average series resonance effect in capacitively coupled radio frequency discharge plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bora, B.; Bhuyan, H.; Favre, M.; Wyndham, E.; Chuaqui, H.; Kakati, M.

2011-01-01

Self-excited plasma series resonance is observed in low pressure capacitvely coupled radio frequency discharges as high-frequency oscillations superimposed on the normal radio frequency current. This high-frequency contribution to the radio frequency current is generated by a series resonance between the capacitive sheath and the inductive and resistive bulk plasma. In this report, we present an experimental method to measure the plasma series resonance in a capacitively coupled radio frequency argon plasma by modifying the homogeneous discharge model. The homogeneous discharge model is modified by introducing a correction factor to the plasma resistance. Plasma parameters are also calculated by considering the plasma series resonances effect. Experimental measurements show that the self-excitation of the plasma series resonance, which arises in capacitive discharge due to the nonlinear interaction of plasma bulk and sheath, significantly enhances both the Ohmic and stochastic heating. The experimentally measured total dissipation, which is the sum of the Ohmic and stochastic heating, is found to increase significantly with decreasing pressure.

Characterization of Multidrug Resistant E. faecalis Strains from Pigs of Local Origin by ADSRRS-Fingerprinting and MALDI -TOF MS; Evaluation of the Compatibility of Methods Employed for Multidrug Resistance Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aneta Nowakiewicz

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to characterize multidrug resistant E. faecalis strains from pigs of local origin and to analyse the relationship between resistance and genotypic and proteomic profiles by amplification of DNA fragments surrounding rare restriction sites (ADSRRS-fingerprinting and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI -TOF MS. From the total pool of Enterococcus spp. isolated from 90 pigs, we selected 36 multidrug resistant E. faecalis strains, which represented three different phenotypic resistance profiles. Phenotypic resistance to tetracycline, macrolides, phenicols, and lincomycin and high-level resistance to aminoglycosides were confirmed by the occurrence of at least one corresponding resistance gene in each strain. Based on the analysis of the genotypic and phenotypic resistance of the strains tested, five distinct resistance profiles were generated. As a complement of this analysis, profiles of virulence genes were determined and these profiles corresponded to the phenotypic resistance profiles. The demonstration of resistance to a wide panel of antimicrobials by the strains tested in this study indicates the need of typing to determine the spread of resistance also at the local level. It seems that in the case of E. faecalis, type and scope of resistance strongly determines the genotypic pattern obtained with the ADSRRS-fingerprinting method. The ADSRRS-fingerprinting analysis showed consistency of the genetic profiles with the resistance profiles, while analysis of data with the use of the MALDI- TOF MS method did not demonstrate direct reproduction of the clustering pattern obtained with this method. Our observations were confirmed by statistical analysis (Simpson's index of diversity, Rand and Wallace coefficients. Even though the MALDI -TOF MS method showed slightly higher discrimination power than ADSRRS-fingerprinting, only the latter method allowed reproduction of the

Characterization of susceptibility and resistance responses to potato cyst nematode (Globodera spp.) infection of tomato lines in the absence and presence of the broad-spectrum nematode resistance Hero gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobczak, Miroslaw; Avrova, Anna; Jupowicz, Justyna; Phillips, Mark S; Ernst, Karin; Kumar, Amar

2005-02-01

The tomato Hero A gene is the only member of a multigene family that confers a high level (>80%) of resistance to all the economically important pathotypes of potato cyst nematode (PCN) species Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida. Although the resistance levels of transgenic tomato lines were similar to those of the tomato line LA1792 containing the introgressed Hero multigene family, transgenic potato plants expressing the tomato Hero A gene are not resistant to PCNs. Comparative microscopy studies of in vitro infected roots of PCN-susceptible tomato cv. Money Maker, the resistant breeding line LA1792, and transgenic line L10 with Ro1 pathotype have revealed no statistically significant difference in the number of juveniles invading roots. However, syncytia (specialized feeding cells) induced in LA1792 and L10 roots mostly were found to have degenerated a few days after their induction, and a few surviving syncytia were able to support only the development of males rather than females. Thus, the ratio between males and females was biased towards males on LA1792 and L10 roots. A series of changes occur in resistant plants leading to formation of a layer of necrotic cells separating the syncytium from stellar conductive tissues and this is followed by degradation of the syncytium. Although the Hero A gene is expressed in all tissues, including roots, stems, leaves, and flower buds, its expression is upregulated in roots in response to PCN infection. Moreover, the expression profiles of the Hero A correlates with the timing of death of the syncytium.

Mapping insecticide resistance and characterization of resistance mechanisms in Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Alemayehu, Eba; Asale, Abebe; Eba, Kasahun; Getahun, Kefelegn; Tushune, Kora; Bryon, Astrid; Morou, Evangelia; Vontas, John; Van Leeuwen, Thomas; Duchateau, Luc; Yewhalaw, Delenasaw

2017-09-02

The emergence and spread of insecticide resistance in the major African malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae (s.s.) and An. arabiensis may compromise the current vector control interventions and threatens the global malaria control and elimination efforts. Insecticide resistance was monitored in several study sites in Ethiopia from 2013 to 2015 using papers impregnated with discriminating concentrations of DDT, deltamethrin, bendiocarb, propoxur, malathion, fenitrothion and pirimiphos-methyl, following the WHO insecticide susceptibility test procedure. Mosquitoes sampled from different localities for WHO bioassay were morphologically identified as An. gambiae (s.l.) using standard taxonomic keys. Samples were identified to species using species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and screened for the presence of target site mutations L1014F, L1014S and N1575Y in the voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene and G119S in the acethylcholinesterase (AChE) gene using allele-specific PCR. Biochemical assays were performed to assess elevated levels of acetylcholinesterases, carboxylcholinesterases, glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450s monooxygenases in wild populations of An. arabiensis, compared to the fully susceptible Sekoru An. arabiensis laboratory strain. Populations of An. arabiensis were resistant to DDT and deltamethrin but were susceptible to fenitrothion in all the study sites. Reduced susceptibility to malathion, pirimiphos-methyl, propoxur and bendiocarb was observed in some of the study sites. Knockdown resistance (kdr L1014F) was detected in all mosquito populations with allele frequency ranging from 42 to 91%. Elevated levels of glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) were detected in some of the mosquito populations. However, no elevated levels of monooxygenases and esterases were detected in any of the populations assessed. Anopheles arabiensis populations from all surveyed sites in Ethiopia exhibited resistance against DDT and pyrethroids

Genome-wide identification and characterization of NB-ARC resistant genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and their expression during leaf rust infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Saket; Kazmi, Andaleeb Z; Ahmed, Zainab; Roychowdhury, Gargi; Kumari, Veena; Kumar, Manish; Mukhopadhyay, Kunal

2017-07-01

NB-ARC domain-containing resistance genes from the wheat genome were identified, characterized and localized on chromosome arms that displayed differential yet positive response during incompatible and compatible leaf rust interactions. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important cereal crop; however, its production is affected severely by numerous diseases including rusts. An efficient, cost-effective and ecologically viable approach to control pathogens is through host resistance. In wheat, high numbers of resistance loci are present but only few have been identified and cloned. A comprehensive analysis of the NB-ARC-containing genes in complete wheat genome was accomplished in this study. Complete NB-ARC encoding genes were mined from the Ensembl Plants database to predict 604 NB-ARC containing sequences using the HMM approach. Genome-wide analysis of orthologous clusters in the NB-ARC-containing sequences of wheat and other members of the Poaceae family revealed maximum homology with Oryza sativa indica and Brachypodium distachyon. The identification of overlap between orthologous clusters enabled the elucidation of the function and evolution of resistance proteins. The distributions of the NB-ARC domain-containing sequences were found to be balanced among the three wheat sub-genomes. Wheat chromosome arms 4AL and 7BL had the most NB-ARC domain-containing contigs. The spatio-temporal expression profiling studies exemplified the positive role of these genes in resistant and susceptible wheat plants during incompatible and compatible interaction in response to the leaf rust pathogen Puccinia triticina. Two NB-ARC domain-containing sequences were modelled in silico, cloned and sequenced to analyze their fine structures. The data obtained in this study will augment isolation, characterization and application NB-ARC resistance genes in marker-assisted selection based breeding programs for improving rust resistance in wheat.

Glycosphingolipids and insulin resistance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langeveld, Mirjam; Aerts, Johannes M. F. G.

2009-01-01

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for insulin resistance, a state characterized by impaired responsiveness of liver, muscle and adipose tissue to insulin. One class of lipids involved in the development of insulin resistance are the (glyco)sphingolipids. Ceramide, the most simple

Rheological and micro-Raman time-series characterization of enzyme sol–gel solution toward morphological control of electrospun fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oriero, Dennis A; Weakley, Andrew T; Aston, D Eric

2012-01-01

Rheological and micro-Raman time-series characterizations were used to investigate the chemical evolutionary changes of silica sol–gel mixtures for electrospinning fibers to immobilize an enzyme (tyrosinase). Results of dynamic rheological measurements agreed with the expected structural transitions associated with reacting sol–gel systems. The electrospinning sols exhibited shear-thinning behavior typical of a power law model. Ultrafine (200–300 nm diameter) fibers were produced at early and late times within the reaction window of approximately one hour from initial mixing of sol solutions with and without enzyme; diameter distributions of these fibers showed much smaller deviations than expected. The enzyme markedly increased magnitudes of both elastic and viscous moduli but had no significant impact on final fiber diameters, suggesting that the shear-thinning behavior of both sol–gel mixtures is dominant in the fiber elongation process. The time course and scale for the electrospinning batch fabrication show strong correlations between the magnitudes in rheological property changes over time and the chemical functional group evolution obtained from micro-Raman time-series analysis of the reacting sol–gel systems.

Rheological and micro-Raman time-series characterization of enzyme sol–gel solution toward morphological control of electrospun fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Oriero, Dennis A; Weakley, Andrew T; Aston, D Eric

2012-01-01

Rheological and micro-Raman time-series characterizations were used to investigate the chemical evolutionary changes of silica sol–gel mixtures for electrospinning fibers to immobilize an enzyme (tyrosinase). Results of dynamic rheological measurements agreed with the expected structural transitions associated with reacting sol–gel systems. The electrospinning sols exhibited shear-thinning behavior typical of a power law model. Ultrafine (200–300 nm diameter) fibers were produced at early and late times within the reaction window of approximately one hour from initial mixing of sol solutions with and without enzyme; diameter distributions of these fibers showed much smaller deviations than expected. The enzyme markedly increased magnitudes of both elastic and viscous moduli but had no significant impact on final fiber diameters, suggesting that the shear-thinning behavior of both sol–gel mixtures is dominant in the fiber elongation process. The time course and scale for the electrospinning batch fabrication show strong correlations between the magnitudes in rheological property changes over time and the chemical functional group evolution obtained from micro-Raman time-series analysis of the reacting sol–gel systems. PMID:27877486

Molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Poudel, Ajay; Nakajima, Chie; Fukushima, Yukari; Suzuki, Haruka; Pandey, Basu Dev; Maharjan, Bhagwan; Suzuki, Yasuhiko

2012-06-01

Despite the fact that Nepal is one of the first countries globally to introduce multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) case management, the number of MDR-TB cases is continuing to rise in Nepal. Rapid molecular tests applicable in this setting to identify resistant organisms would be an effective tool in reversing this trend. To develop such tools, information about the frequency and distribution of mutations that are associated with phenotypic drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of mutations in rpoB and katG genes and the inhA promoter region in 158 M. tuberculosis isolates (109 phenotypically MDR and 49 non-MDR isolates collected in Nepal) by DNA sequencing. Mutations affecting the 81-bp rifampin (RIF) resistance-determining region (RRDR) of rpoB were identified in 106 of 109 (97.3%) RIF-resistant isolates. Codons 531, 526, and 516 were the most commonly affected, at percentages of 58.7, 15.6, and 15.6%, respectively. Of 113 isoniazid (INH)-resistant isolates, 99 (87.6%) had mutations in the katG gene, with Ser315Thr being the most prevalent (81.4%) substitution. Mutations in the inhA promoter region were detected in 14 (12.4%) INH-resistant isolates. The results from this study provide an overview of the current situation of RIF and INH resistance in M. tuberculosis in Nepal and can serve as a basis for developing or improving rapid molecular tests to monitor drug-resistant strains in this country.

Low-level quinolone-resistance in multi-drug resistant typhoid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirza, S H; Khan, M A [Armed Forces Inst. of Pathology, Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Dept. of Microbiolgy

2008-01-15

To find out the frequency of low-level quinolone-resistance in Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) typhoid using nalidixic acid screening disc. Blood was obtained from suspected cases of typhoid fever and cultured in to BacT/ALERT. The positive blood cultures bottles were subcultured. The isolates were identified by colony morphology and biochemical tests using API-20E galleries. Susceptibility testing of isolates was done by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Muellar Hinton Agar. For the isolates, which were resistant to nalidixic acid by disc diffusion method, Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were determined by using the E-test strips. Disc diffusion susceptibility tests and MICs were interpreted according to the guidelines provided by National Committee for Control Laboratory Standard (NCCLS). A total of 21(65.5%) out of 32 isolates of Salmonellae were nalidixic acid-resistant by disk diffusion method. All the nalidixic acid-resistant isolates by disc diffusion method were confirmed by MICs for both ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. All the nalidixic acid-resistant isolates had a ciprofloxacin MIC of 0.25-1 microg/ml (reduced susceptibility) and nalidixic acid MICs > 32 microg (resistant). Out of all Salmonella isolates, 24 (75%) were found to be MDR, and all were S. typbi. Low-level quinolone-resistance in typhoid was high in this small series. Screening for nalidixic acid resistance with a 30 microg nalidixic acid disk is a reliable and cost-effective method to detect low-level fluoroquinolone resistance, especially in the developing countries. (author)

Low-level quinolone-resistance in multi-drug resistant typhoid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirza, S.H.; Khan, M.A.

2008-01-01

To find out the frequency of low-level quinolone-resistance in Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) typhoid using nalidixic acid screening disc. Blood was obtained from suspected cases of typhoid fever and cultured in to BacT/ALERT. The positive blood cultures bottles were subcultured. The isolates were identified by colony morphology and biochemical tests using API-20E galleries. Susceptibility testing of isolates was done by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Muellar Hinton Agar. For the isolates, which were resistant to nalidixic acid by disc diffusion method, Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were determined by using the E-test strips. Disc diffusion susceptibility tests and MICs were interpreted according to the guidelines provided by National Committee for Control Laboratory Standard (NCCLS). A total of 21(65.5%) out of 32 isolates of Salmonellae were nalidixic acid-resistant by disk diffusion method. All the nalidixic acid-resistant isolates by disc diffusion method were confirmed by MICs for both ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. All the nalidixic acid-resistant isolates had a ciprofloxacin MIC of 0.25-1 microg/ml (reduced susceptibility) and nalidixic acid MICs > 32 microg (resistant). Out of all Salmonella isolates, 24 (75%) were found to be MDR, and all were S. typbi. Low-level quinolone-resistance in typhoid was high in this small series. Screening for nalidixic acid resistance with a 30 microg nalidixic acid disk is a reliable and cost-effective method to detect low-level fluoroquinolone resistance, especially in the developing countries. (author)

Identification and characterization of two novel bla(KLUC resistance genes through large-scale resistance plasmids sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teng Xu

Full Text Available Plasmids are important antibiotic resistance determinant carriers that can disseminate various drug resistance genes among species or genera. By using a high throughput sequencing approach, two groups of plasmids of Escherichia coli (named E1 and E2, each consisting of 160 clinical E. coli strains isolated from different periods of time were sequenced and analyzed. A total of 20 million reads were obtained and mapped onto the known resistance gene sequences. As a result, a total of 9 classes, including 36 types of antibiotic resistant genes, were identified. Among these genes, 25 and 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs appeared, of which 9 and 12 SNPs are nonsynonymous substitutions in the E1 and E2 samples. It is interesting to find that a novel genotype of bla(KLUC, whose close relatives, bla(KLUC-1 and bla(KLUC-2, have been previously reported as carried on the Kluyvera cryocrescens chromosome and Enterobacter cloacae plasmid, was identified. It shares 99% and 98% amino acid identities with Kluc-1 and Kluc-2, respectively. Further PCR screening of 608 Enterobacteriaceae family isolates yielded a second variant (named bla(KLUC-4. It was interesting to find that Kluc-3 showed resistance to several cephalosporins including cefotaxime, whereas bla(KLUC-4 did not show any resistance to the antibiotics tested. This may be due to a positively charged residue, Arg, replaced by a neutral residue, Leu, at position 167, which is located within an omega-loop. This work represents large-scale studies on resistance gene distribution, diversification and genetic variation in pooled multi-drug resistance plasmids, and provides insight into the use of high throughput sequencing technology for microbial resistance gene detection.

Characterization of Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) Resistance to Emamectin Benzoate: Cross-Resistance Patterns and Fitness Cost Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Afzal, M B S; Shad, S A

2016-06-01

Cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) is a sucking pest of worldwide importance causing huge losses by feeding upon cotton in various parts of the world. Because of the importance of this pest, this research was carried out to select emamectin resistance in P. solenopsis in the laboratory to study cross-resistance, stability, realized heritability, and fitness cost of emamectin resistance. After selection from third generation (G3) to G6, P. solenopsis developed very high emamectin resistance (159.24-fold) when compared to a susceptible unselected population (Unsel pop). Population selected to emamectin benzoate conferred moderate (45.81-fold), low (14.06-fold), and no cross-resistance with abamectin, cypermethrin, and profenofos, respectively compared to the Unsel pop. A significant decline in emamectin resistance was observed in the resistant population when not exposed to emamectin from G7 to G13. The estimated realized heritability (h (2)) for emamectin resistance was 0.84. A high fitness cost was associated with emamectin resistance in P. solenopsis. Results of this study may be helpful in devising insecticide resistance management strategies for P. solenopsis.

Fate of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes during wastewater chlorination: implication for antibiotic resistance control.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing-Bin Yuan

Full Text Available This study investigated fates of nine antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as two series of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treated by various doses of chlorine (0, 15, 30, 60, 150 and 300 mg Cl2 min/L. The results indicated that chlorination was effective in inactivating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Most bacteria were inactivated completely at the lowest dose (15 mg Cl2 min/L. By comparison, sulfadiazine- and erythromycin-resistant bacteria exhibited tolerance to low chlorine dose (up to 60 mg Cl2 min/L. However, quantitative real-time PCRs revealed that chlorination decreased limited erythromycin or tetracycline resistance genes, with the removal levels of overall erythromycin and tetracycline resistance genes at 0.42 ± 0.12 log and 0.10 ± 0.02 log, respectively. About 40% of erythromycin-resistance genes and 80% of tetracycline resistance genes could not be removed by chlorination. Chlorination was considered not effective in controlling antimicrobial resistance. More concern needs to be paid to the potential risk of antibiotic resistance genes in the wastewater after chlorination.

Slingram EMI Devices for Characterizing Resistive Features Using Apparent Conductivity Measurements: check of the DualEM-421S Instrument and Field Tests

OpenAIRE

Dabas , Michel; Anest , Antoine; Thiesson , Julien; Tabbagh , Alain

2016-01-01

International audience; This article addresses the characterization of resistive archaeological targets and near surface structures by electromagnetic induction (EMI). It presents tests achieved with the DualEM-421S instrument (Dualem Inc., Milton, Canada) in order to be able to quantitatively compare these measurements to the standard technique of direct-current (d.c.) resistivity. The test was done over the Gallo-roman site of Vieil-Evreux in Normandy, France and one-dimensional (1D) and th...

Characterization of non-host resistance in broad bean to the wheat stripe rust pathogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Yulin

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-host resistance (NHR confers plant species immunity against the majority of microbial pathogens and represents the most robust and durable form of plant resistance in nature. As one of the main genera of rust fungi with economic and biological importance, Puccinia infects almost all cereals but is unable to cause diseases on legumes. Little is known about the mechanism of this kind of effective defense in legumes to these non-host pathogens. Results In this study, the basis of NHR in broad bean (Vicia faba L. against the wheat stripe rust pathogen, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst, was characterized. No visible symptoms were observed on broad bean leaves inoculated with Pst. Microscopic observations showed that successful location of stomata and haustoria formation were significantly reduced in Pst infection of broad bean. Attempted infection induced the formation of papillae, cell wall thickening, production of reactive oxygen species, callose deposition and accumulation of phenolic compounds in plant cell walls. The few Pst haustoria that did form in broad bean cells were encased in reactive oxygen and callose materials and those cells elicited cell death. Furthermore, a total of seven defense-related genes were identified and found to be up-regulated during the Pst infection. Conclusions The results indicate that NHR in broad bean against Pst results from a continuum of layered defenses, including basic incompatibility, structural and chemical strengthening of cell wall, posthaustorial hypersensitive response and induction of several defense-related genes, demonstrating the multi-layered feature of NHR. This work also provides useful information for further determination of resistance mechanisms in broad bean to rust fungi, especially the adapted important broad bean rust pathogen, Uromyces viciae-fabae, because of strong similarity and association between NHR of plants to unadapted pathogens and basal

Isolation and characterization of a heavy metal-resistant, thermophilic esterase from a Red Sea Brine Pool

KAUST Repository

Mohamed, Yasmine M.

2013-11-28

The Red Sea Atlantis II brine pool is an extreme environment that displays multiple harsh conditions such as high temperature, high salinity and high concentrations of multiple, toxic heavy metals. The survival of microbes in such an environment by utilizing resistant enzymes makes them an excellent source of extremophilic enzymes. We constructed a fosmid metagenomic library using DNA isolated from the deepest and most secluded layer of this pool. We report the isolation and biochemical characterization of an unusual esterase: EstATII. EstATII is thermophilic (optimum temperature, 65 C), halotolerant (maintains its activity in up to 4.5â€...M NaCl) and maintains at least 60% of its activity in the presence of a wide spectrum of heavy metals. The combination of biochemical characteristics of the Red Sea Atlantis II brine pool esterase, i.e., halotolerance, thermophilicity and resistance to heavy metals, makes it a potentially useful biocatalyst.

Isolation and characterization of a heavy metal-resistant, thermophilic esterase from a Red Sea Brine Pool

KAUST Repository

Mohamed, Yasmine M.; Ghazy, Mohamed A.; Sayed, Ahmed; Ouf, Amged; El-Dorry, Hamza; Siam, Rania

2013-01-01

The Red Sea Atlantis II brine pool is an extreme environment that displays multiple harsh conditions such as high temperature, high salinity and high concentrations of multiple, toxic heavy metals. The survival of microbes in such an environment by utilizing resistant enzymes makes them an excellent source of extremophilic enzymes. We constructed a fosmid metagenomic library using DNA isolated from the deepest and most secluded layer of this pool. We report the isolation and biochemical characterization of an unusual esterase: EstATII. EstATII is thermophilic (optimum temperature, 65 C), halotolerant (maintains its activity in up to 4.5â€...M NaCl) and maintains at least 60% of its activity in the presence of a wide spectrum of heavy metals. The combination of biochemical characteristics of the Red Sea Atlantis II brine pool esterase, i.e., halotolerance, thermophilicity and resistance to heavy metals, makes it a potentially useful biocatalyst.

Isolation and characterization of chromium, mercury and cadmium resistant bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatti, K.P.; Noor, A.R.

2009-01-01

Ten heavy metal resistant strains were isolated from samples of soil, water and rhizosphere of plant Cynadon Dectylon of Kasur sector. Among these bacteria, four strains Cr-l, Cr- 2, Cr-3 and Cr-4 were showed the resistant to chromium up to 300 mg/L, two strains Cd-1 and Cd-2 resisted cadmium up to 100 mg/L, two strains Cd-3 and Cd-4 resisted cadmium up to 50 mg/L and two strains (Hg-l, Hg-2) were observed resistant to mercury up to 100 mg/L. Their morphological and colonial characteristics were investigated. The families of isolated bacteria are reported i.e. Azotobacteriaceae(C r-l), Enterobacteriacea(eC r-2, Cr-3, Cr-4, Hg-2) and Neisseriaceae(Cd-I, Cd-2, Cd-3, Cd-4, Hg-2). (author)

Human inflammatory and resolving lipid mediator responses to resistance exercise and ibuprofen treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Markworth, James F.; Vella, Luke; Lingard, Benjamin S.; Tull, Dedreia L.; Rupasinghe, Thusitha W.; Sinclair, Andrew J.; Maddipati, Krishna Rao

2013-01-01

Classical proinflammatory eicosanoids, and more recently discovered lipid mediators with anti-inflammatory and proresolving bioactivity, exert a complex role in the initiation, control, and resolution of inflammation. Using a targeted lipidomics approach, we investigated circulating lipid mediator responses to resistance exercise and treatment with the NSAID ibuprofen. Human subjects undertook a single bout of unaccustomed resistance exercise (80% of one repetition maximum) following oral ingestion of ibuprofen (400 mg) or placebo control. Venous blood was collected during early recovery (0–3 h and 24 h postexercise), and serum lipid mediator composition was analyzed by LC-MS-based targeted lipidomics. Postexercise recovery was characterized by elevated levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and 2-derived prostanoids (TXB2, PGE2, PGD2, PGF2α, and PGI2), lipooxygenase (5-LOX, 12-LOX, and 15-LOX)-derived hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), and leukotrienes (e.g., LTB4), and epoxygenase (CYP)-derived epoxy/dihydroxy eicosatrienoic acids (EpETrEs/DiHETrEs). Additionally, we detected elevated levels of bioactive lipid mediators with anti-inflammatory and proresolving properties, including arachidonic acid-derived lipoxins (LXA4 and LXB4), and the EPA (E-series) and DHA (D-series)-derived resolvins (RvD1 and RvE1), and protectins (PD1 isomer 10S, 17S-diHDoHE). Ibuprofen treatment blocked exercise-induced increases in COX-1 and COX-2-derived prostanoids but also resulted in off-target reductions in leukotriene biosynthesis, and a diminished proresolving lipid mediator response. CYP pathway product metabolism was also altered by ibuprofen treatment, as indicated by elevated postexercise serum 5,6-DiHETrE and 8,9-DiHETrE only in those receiving ibuprofen. These findings characterize the blood inflammatory lipid mediator response to unaccustomed resistance exercise in humans and show that acute proinflammatory signals are mechanistically linked to the induction of a

Diversity and characterization of mercury-resistant bacteria in snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine from the High Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Annette K; Barkay, Tamar; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed; Sørensen, Søren J; Skov, Henrik; Kroer, Niels

2011-03-01

It is well-established that atmospheric deposition transports mercury from lower latitudes to the Arctic. The role of bacteria in the dynamics of the deposited mercury, however, is unknown. We characterized mercury-resistant bacteria from High Arctic snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine. Bacterial densities were 9.4 × 10(5), 5 × 10(5) and 0.9-3.1 × 10(3) cells mL(-1) in freshwater, brine and snow, respectively. Highest cultivability was observed in snow (11.9%), followed by freshwater (0.3%) and brine (0.03%). In snow, the mercury-resistant bacteria accounted for up to 31% of the culturable bacteria, but levels of most isolates were not temperature dependent. Of the resistant isolates, 25% reduced Hg(II) to Hg(0). No relation between resistance level, ability to reduce Hg(II) and phylogenetic group was observed. An estimation of the potential bacterial reduction of Hg(II) in snow suggested that it was important in the deeper snow layers where light attenuation inhibited photoreduction. Thus, by reducing Hg(II) to Hg(0), mercury-resistant bacteria may limit the supply of substrate for methylation processes and, hence, contribute to lowering the risk that methylmercury is being incorporated into the Arctic food chains. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of ibrutinib-sensitive and -resistant mantle lymphoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jiao; Lu, Pin; Guo, Ailin; Cheng, Shuhua; Zong, Hongliang; Martin, Peter; Coleman, Morton; Wang, Y Lynn

2014-09-01

Ibrutinib inhibits Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), a key component of early B-cell receptor (BCR) signalling pathways. A multicentre phase 2 trial of ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) demonstrated a remarkable response rate. However, approximately one-third of patients have primary resistance to the drug while other patients appear to lose response and develop secondary resistance. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ibrutinib sensitivity is of paramount importance. In this study, we investigated cell lines and primary MCL cells that display differential sensitivity to ibrutinib. We found that the primary cells display a higher BTK activity than normal B cells and MCL cells show differential sensitivity to BTK inhibition. Genetic knockdown of BTK inhibits the growth, survival and proliferation of ibrutinib-sensitive but not resistant MCL cell lines, suggesting that ibrutinib acts through BTK to produce its anti-tumour activities. Interestingly, inhibition of ERK1/2 and AKT, but not BTK phosphorylation per se, correlates well with cellular response to BTK inhibition in cell lines as well as in primary tumours. Our study suggests that, to prevent primary resistance or to overcome secondary resistance to BTK inhibition, a combinatory strategy that targets multiple components or multiple pathways may represent the most effective approach. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Molecular Preadaptation to Antimony Resistance in Leishmania donovani on the Indian Subcontinent.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumetz, F; Cuypers, B; Imamura, H; Zander, D; D'Haenens, E; Maes, I; Domagalska, M A; Clos, J; Dujardin, J-C; De Muylder, G

2018-04-25

Antimonials (Sb) were used for decades for chemotherapy of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Now abandoned in the Indian subcontinent (ISC) because of Leishmania donovani resistance, this drug offers a unique model for understanding drug resistance dynamics. In a previous phylogenomic study, we found two distinct populations of L. donovani : the core group (CG) in the Gangetic plains and ISC1 in the Nepalese highlands. Sb resistance was only encountered within the CG, and a series of potential markers were identified. Here, we analyzed the development of resistance to trivalent antimonials (Sb III ) upon experimental selection in ISC1 and CG strains. We observed that (i) baseline Sb III susceptibility of parasites was higher in ISC1 than in the CG, (ii) time to Sb III resistance was higher for ISC1 parasites than for CG strains, and (iii) untargeted genomic and metabolomic analyses revealed molecular changes along the selection process: these were more numerous in ISC1 than in the CG. Altogether these observations led to the hypothesis that CG parasites are preadapted to Sb III resistance. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed by showing that only wild-type CG strains could survive a direct exposure to the maximal concentration of Sb III The main driver of this preadaptation was shown to be MRPA , a gene involved in Sb III sequestration and amplified in an intrachromosomal amplicon in all CG strains characterized so far. This amplicon emerged around 1850 in the CG, well before the implementation of antimonials for VL chemotherapy, and we discuss here several hypotheses of selective pressure that could have accompanied its emergence. IMPORTANCE The "antibiotic resistance crisis" is a major challenge for scientists and medical professionals. This steady rise in drug-resistant pathogens also extends to parasitic diseases, with antimony being the first anti- Leishmania drug that fell in the Indian subcontinent (ISC). Leishmaniasis is a major but neglected infectious

Microprobe metrology for direct sheet resistance and mobility characterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Peter Folmer; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Lin, Rong

2012-01-01

The M4PP measurement technique has gained increased interest from the semiconductor industry for direct sheet resistance measurements on ultra thin layers and small structures/pads. Several fully automatic microRSP probing tools are today in use for in-line sheet resistance measurements on blanket...

A Bayesian method for characterizing distributed micro-releases: II. inference under model uncertainty with short time-series data.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marzouk, Youssef; Fast P. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA); Kraus, M. (Peterson AFB, CO); Ray, J. P.

2006-01-01

Terrorist attacks using an aerosolized pathogen preparation have gained credibility as a national security concern after the anthrax attacks of 2001. The ability to characterize such attacks, i.e., to estimate the number of people infected, the time of infection, and the average dose received, is important when planning a medical response. We address this question of characterization by formulating a Bayesian inverse problem predicated on a short time-series of diagnosed patients exhibiting symptoms. To be of relevance to response planning, we limit ourselves to 3-5 days of data. In tests performed with anthrax as the pathogen, we find that these data are usually sufficient, especially if the model of the outbreak used in the inverse problem is an accurate one. In some cases the scarcity of data may initially support outbreak characterizations at odds with the true one, but with sufficient data the correct inferences are recovered; in other words, the inverse problem posed and its solution methodology are consistent. We also explore the effect of model error-situations for which the model used in the inverse problem is only a partially accurate representation of the outbreak; here, the model predictions and the observations differ by more than a random noise. We find that while there is a consistent discrepancy between the inferred and the true characterizations, they are also close enough to be of relevance when planning a response.

Characterization of Soybean WRKY Gene Family and Identification of Soybean WRKY Genes that Promote Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yan; Zhou, Yuan; Chi, Yingjun; Fan, Baofang; Chen, Zhixiang

2017-12-19

WRKY proteins are a superfamily of plant transcription factors with important roles in plants. WRKY proteins have been extensively analyzed in plant species including Arabidopsis and rice. Here we report characterization of soybean WRKY gene family and their functional analysis in resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the most important soybean pathogen. Through search of the soybean genome, we identified 174 genes encoding WRKY proteins that can be classified into seven groups as established in other plants. WRKY variants including a WRKY-related protein unique to legumes have also been identified. Expression analysis reveals both diverse expression patterns in different soybean tissues and preferential expression of specific WRKY groups in certain tissues. Furthermore, a large number of soybean WRKY genes were responsive to salicylic acid. To identify soybean WRKY genes that promote soybean resistance to SCN, we first screened soybean WRKY genes for enhancing SCN resistance when over-expressed in transgenic soybean hairy roots. To confirm the results, we transformed five WRKY genes into a SCN-susceptible soybean cultivar and generated transgenic soybean lines. Transgenic soybean lines overexpressing three WRKY transgenes displayed increased resistance to SCN. Thus, WRKY genes could be explored to develop new soybean cultivars with enhanced resistance to SCN.

Resistive RAMs as analog trimming elements

Science.gov (United States)

Aziza, H.; Perez, A.; Portal, J. M.

2018-04-01

This work investigates the use of Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) as an analog trimming device. The analog storage feature of the RRAM cell is evaluated and the ability of the RRAM to hold several resistance states is exploited to propose analog trim elements. To modulate the memory cell resistance, a series of short programming pulses are applied across the RRAM cell allowing a fine calibration of the RRAM resistance. The RRAM non volatility feature makes the analog device powers up already calibrated for the system in which the analog trimmed structure is embedded. To validate the concept, a test structure consisting of a voltage reference is evaluated.

Characterization of hydroxyurea resistance in C. elegans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brejning, Jeanette

The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a prominent model organism for studying aging and many age-related diseases. We use C. elegans to study the relationship between cancer and aging. To prevent cancer, cells are equipped with surveillance systems that detect damage and stop cells...... from dividing. These surveillance systems are collectively called cellular checkpoints. We have found that inactivation of certain checkpoint proteins, including p53, also cause resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug hydroxyurea (HU) that stalls replication. We have found that in C. elegans, HU...... inhibits ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). RNR is involved in synthesis of deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) precursors for DNA replication and repair. Previously we have shown that inactivation of some checkpoint proteins can increase stress resistance and lifespan of C. elegans1. Interestingly, several genes...

Characterization of marine bacteria highly resistant to mercury exhibiting multiple resistances to toxic chemicals

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

De, J.; Ramaiah, N.

, GP15 and GP16) and one Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CH07) which showed comparatively higher resistance to toxic heavy metals and xenobiotics and were used in more detailed experiments. Antibiotic sensitivity of all three isolates after plasmid curing... using Nucleospin Plasmid isolation kit (Macherey Nagel, Germany) and agarose gel electrophoresis. To further confirm the presence/absence of plasmid, two different plasmid curing assays were performed to note the loss, if any, of mercury resistance...

A pilot study on water pollution and characterization of multidrug-resistant superbugs from Byramangala tank, Ramanagara district, Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Skariyachan, Sinosh; Lokesh, Priyanka; Rao, Reshma; Kumar, Arushi Umesh; Vasist, Kiran S; Narayanappa, Rajeswari

2013-07-01

Urbanization and industrialization has increased the strength and qualities of municipal sewage in Bangalore, India. The disposal of sewage into natural water bodies became a serious issue. Byramangala reservoir is one such habitat enormously polluted in South India. The water samples were collected from four hotspots of Byramangala tank in 3 months. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and bacterial counts were determined. The fecal coliforms were identified by morphological, physiological, and biochemical studies. The antibiotics sensitivity profiling of isolated bacteria were further carried out. We have noticed that a high content of BOD in the tank in all the 3 months. The total and fecal counts were found to be varied from 1.6 × 10(6) to 8.2 × 10(6) colony forming unit/ml and >5,500/100 ml, respectively. The variations in BOD and total count were found to be statistically significant at p > 0.05. Many pathogenic bacteria were characterized and most of them were found to be multidrug resistant. Salmonella showed resistance to cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefixime, moxifloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, co-trimoxazole, levofloxacin, trimethoprim, and ceftazidime. Escherichia coli showed resistance to chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, co-trimoxazole, rifampicin, and nitrofurantoin while Enterobacter showed resistant to ampicillin, cefepime, ceftazidime, cefoperazone, and cefotaxime. Klebsiella and Shigella exhibited multiple drug resistance to conventional antibiotics. Staphylococcus showed resistance to vancomycin, methicillin, oxacillin, and tetracycline. Furthermore, Salmonella and Klebsiella are on the verge of acquiring resistance to even the strongest carbapenems-imipenem and entrapenem. Present study revealed that Byramanagala tank has become a cesspool of multidrug-resistant "superbugs" and will be major health concern in South Bangalore, India.

Characterization of major lithologic units underlying the lower American River using water-borne continuous resistivity profiling, Sacramento, California, June 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Lyndsay B.; Teeple, Andrew

2013-01-01

The levee system of the lower American River in Sacramento, California, is situated above a mixed lithology of alluvial deposits that range from clay to gravel. In addition, sand deposits related to hydraulic mining activities underlie the floodplain and are preferentially prone to scour during high-flow events. In contrast, sections of the American River channel have been observed to be scour resistant. In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, explores the resistivity structure of the American River channel to characterize the extent and thickness of lithologic units that may impact the scour potential of the area. Likely lithologic structures are interpreted, but these interpretations are non-unique and cannot be directly related to scour potential. Additional geotechnical data would provide insightful data on the scour potential of certain lithologic units. Additional interpretation of the resistivity data with respect to these results may improve interpretations of lithology and scour potential throughout the American River channel and floodplain. Resistivity data were collected in three profiles along the American River using a water-borne continuous resistivity profiling technique. After processing and modeling these data, inverted resistivity profiles were used to make interpretations about the extent and thickness of possible lithologic units. In general, an intermittent high-resistivity layer likely indicative of sand or gravel deposits extends to a depth of around 30 feet (9 meters) and is underlain by a consistent low-resistivity layer that likely indicates a high-clay content unit that extends below the depth of investigation (60 feet or 18 meters). Immediately upstream of the Watt Avenue Bridge, the high-resistivity layer is absent, and the low-resistivity layer extends to the surface where a scour-resistant layer has been previously observed in the river bed.

Allan deviation analysis of financial return series

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Pérez, R.

2012-05-01

We perform a scaling analysis for the return series of different financial assets applying the Allan deviation (ADEV), which is used in the time and frequency metrology to characterize quantitatively the stability of frequency standards since it has demonstrated to be a robust quantity to analyze fluctuations of non-stationary time series for different observation intervals. The data used are opening price daily series for assets from different markets during a time span of around ten years. We found that the ADEV results for the return series at short scales resemble those expected for an uncorrelated series, consistent with the efficient market hypothesis. On the other hand, the ADEV results for absolute return series for short scales (first one or two decades) decrease following approximately a scaling relation up to a point that is different for almost each asset, after which the ADEV deviates from scaling, which suggests that the presence of clustering, long-range dependence and non-stationarity signatures in the series drive the results for large observation intervals.

Treatment of acute otitis media - challenges in the era of antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagan, R

2000-12-08

The last decade is characterized by the increase in antibiotic resistance among respiratory bacterial pathogens in the presence of only modest progress in the development of new antibacterial agents to overcome this resistance. A series of recent studies show clearly that the increased resistance among the main AOM pathogens (namely Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae) is associated with a dramatic decrease in bacteriologic response to antibiotic treatment, which in turn has an impact on clinical response. Thus, the individual patient is affected by the increasing antibiotic resistance. Moreover, the society as a whole is now also affected because the carriage and spread of antibiotic resistant AOM pathogens is remarkably impacted by antibiotic treatment. New studies show the remarkable ability of antibiotics to rapidly promote nasopharyngeal carriage and spread of antibiotic-resistant AOM pathogens. In these studies, the increase in carriage of antibiotic resistant S. pneumoniae is shown already after 3-4 days from initiation of antibiotic treatment and may last for weeks to months after treatment. Children carrying antibiotic-resistant organisms transmit those organisms to their family and to their day care centers and thus a vicious cycle is created in which increased antibiotic resistance with decreased response leads to increased antibiotic use, which in turn leads to further increase in resistance. New antibiotics are not likely to improve this situation. It is clear that the challenge in the next decade is to prevent AOM rather than to treat it. Efforts to prevent AOM include improved environmental factors, immunization with bacterial and viral vaccines and some creative measures such as prevention of colonization and attachment to epithelium of AOM pathogens. Whether these efforts will prove successful or, even if successful, will only modify the clinical and bacteriologic picture presenting new challenges, only time will tell.

Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Detection of Virulence Genes in Campylobacter Isolates in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giannatale, Elisabetta; Di Serafino, Gabriella; Zilli, Katiuscia; Alessiani, Alessandra; Sacchini, Lorena; Garofolo, Giuliano; Aprea, Giuseppe; Marotta, Francesca

2014-01-01

Campylobacter has developed resistance to several antimicrobial agents over the years, including macrolides, quinolones and fluoroquinolones, becoming a significant public health hazard. A total of 145 strains derived from raw milk, chicken faeces, chicken carcasses, cattle faeces and human faeces collected from various Italian regions, were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility, molecular characterization (SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) and detection of virulence genes (sequencing and DNA microarray analysis). The prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli was 62.75% and 37.24% respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed a high level of resistance for ciprofloxacin (62.76%), tetracycline (55.86%) and nalidixic acid (55.17%). Genotyping of Campylobacter isolates using PFGE revealed a total of 86 unique SmaI patterns. Virulence gene profiles were determined using a new microbial diagnostic microarray composed of 70-mer oligonucleotide probes targeting genes implicated in Campylobacter pathogenicity. Correspondence between PFGE and microarray clusters was observed. Comparisons of PFGE and virulence profiles reflected the high genetic diversity of the strains examined, leading us to speculate different degrees of pathogenicity inside Campylobacter populations. PMID:24556669

Characterization of Co–Cr–Mo alloys after a thermal treatment for high wear resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balagna, C.; Spriano, S.; Faga, M.G.

2012-01-01

The cobalt–chromium–molybdenum alloys are characterized by a high resistance to wear and corrosion, as well as good mechanical properties, allowing their use in the substitution of hip and knee joints. Five alloys were used as substrates for a coating deposition by a thermal treatment in molten salts, as reported elsewhere, in order to form a tantalum‐rich coating on the sample surface, able to improve the biocompatibility and wear resistance of the materials. However, the temperature (970 °C), reached during this process, is considered critical for the phase transformation of the Co-based alloys. The aim of this work is the evaluation of the temperature effects on the structure, microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of the considered substrates, after the removal of the coating by polishing. The substrates are characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and profilometry. The mechanical behavior is evaluated by the macro- and micro-hardness and bending tests, whereas the tribological properties are analyzed through a ball on disc test. A comparison between the as-received alloys and thermal treated substrates is reported. The biocompatibility feature is not reported in this work. The substrate crystalline structure changed during the heat treatment, inducing the formation of the hexagonal cobalt phase and the decrement of the cubic one. This crystallographic modification does not seem to influence the tribological behavior of the substrates. On the contrary, it affects the strength and ductility of the substrates. - Highlights: ► Effect of a thermal treatment on different CoCrMo alloys suitable for hip and knee joint substitution. ► The temperature induced an increment in the amount of hexagonal phase and a change in the grain size. ► The increment of the hexagonal phase decreases the hardness of the substrates but not the tribological properties.

On the characterization of vegetation recovery after fire disturbance using Fisher-Shannon analysis and SPOT/VEGETATION Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series

Science.gov (United States)

Lasaponara, Rosa; Lanorte, Antonio; Lovallo, Michele; Telesca, Luciano

2015-04-01

Time series can fruitfully support fire monitoring and management from statistical analysis of fire occurrence (Tuia et al. 2008) to danger estimation (lasaponara 2005), damage evaluation (Lanorte et al 2014) and post fire recovery (Lanorte et al. 2014). In this paper, the time dynamics of SPOT-VEGETATION Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series are analyzed by using the statistical approach of the Fisher-Shannon (FS) information plane to assess and monitor vegetation recovery after fire disturbance. Fisher-Shannon information plane analysis allows us to gain insight into the complex structure of a time series to quantify its degree of organization and order. The analysis was carried out using 10-day Maximum Value Composites of NDVI (MVC-NDVI) with a 1 km × 1 km spatial resolution. The investigation was performed on two test sites located in Galizia (North Spain) and Peloponnese (South Greece), selected for the vast fires which occurred during the summer of 2006 and 2007 and for their different vegetation covers made up mainly of low shrubland in Galizia test site and evergreen forest in Peloponnese. Time series of MVC-NDVI have been analyzed before and after the occurrence of the fire events. Results obtained for both the investigated areas clearly pointed out that the dynamics of the pixel time series before the occurrence of the fire is characterized by a larger degree of disorder and uncertainty; while the pixel time series after the occurrence of the fire are featured by a higher degree of organization and order. In particular, regarding the Peloponneso fire, such discrimination is more evident than in the Galizia fire. This suggests a clear possibility to discriminate the different post-fire behaviors and dynamics exhibited by the different vegetation covers. Reference Lanorte A, R Lasaponara, M Lovallo, L Telesca 2014 Fisher-Shannon information plane analysis of SPOT/VEGETATION Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series to

Selection for chlorpyrifos resistance in Liriomyza sativae Blanchard: Cross-resistance patterns, stability and biochemical mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Askari-Saryazdi, Ghasem; Hejazi, Mir Jalil; Ferguson, J Scott; Rashidi, Mohammad-Reza

2015-10-01

The vegetable leafminer (VLM), Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is a serious pest of vegetable crops and ornamentals worldwide. In cropping systems with inappropriate management strategies, development of resistance to insecticides in leafminers is probable. Chlorpyrifos is a commonly used pesticide for controlling leafminers in Iran, but resistance to this insecticide in leafminers has not been characterized. In order to develop strategies to minimize resistance in the field and greenhouse, a laboratory selected chlorpyrifos resistant strain of L. sativae was used to characterize resistance and determine the rate of development and stability of resistance. Selecting for resistance in the laboratory after 23 generations yielded a chlorpyrifos resistant selected strain (CRSS) with a resistance ratio of 40.34, determined on the larval stage. CRSS exhibited no cross-resistance to other tested insecticides except for diazinon. Synergism and biochemical assays indicated that esterases (EST) had a key role in metabolic resistance to chlorpyrifos, but glutathione S-transferase (GST) and mixed function oxidase (MFO) were not mediators in this resistance. In CRSS acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was more active than the susceptible strain, Sharif (SH). AChE in CRSS was also less sensitive to inhibition by propoxur. The kinetics parameters (Km and Vmax) of AChE indicated that affinities and hydrolyzing efficiencies of this enzyme in CRSS were higher than SH. Susceptibility to chlorpyrifos in L. sativae was re-gained in the absence of insecticide pressure. Synergism, biochemical and cross-resistance assays revealed that overactivity of metabolic enzymes and reduction in target site sensitivity are probably joint factors in chlorpyrifos resistance. An effective insecticide resistance management program is necessary to prevent fast resistance development in crop systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from pork farms and visiting veterinary students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy S Frana

Full Text Available In the last decade livestock-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (LA-MRSA has become a public health concern in many parts of the world. Sequence type 398 (ST398 has been the most commonly reported type of LA-MRSA. While many studies have focused on long-term exposure experienced by swine workers, this study focuses on short-term exposures experienced by veterinary students conducting diagnostic investigations. The objectives were to assess the rate of MRSA acquisition and longevity of carriage in students exposed to pork farms and characterize the recovered MRSA isolates. Student nasal swabs were collected immediately before and after farm visits. Pig nasal swabs and environmental sponge samples were also collected. MRSA isolates were identified biochemically and molecularly including spa typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Thirty (30 veterinary students were enrolled and 40 pork farms were visited. MRSA was detected in 30% of the pork farms and in 22% of the students following an exposure to a MRSA-positive pork farm. All students found to be MRSA-positive initially following farm visit were negative for MRSA within 24 hours post visit. Most common spa types recovered were t002 (79%, t034 (16% and t548 (4%. Spa types found in pork farms closely matched those recovered from students with few exceptions. Resistance levels to antimicrobials varied, but resistance was most commonly seen for spectinomycin, tetracyclines and neomycin. Non-ST398 MRSA isolates were more likely to be resistant to florfenicol and neomycin as well as more likely to be multidrug resistant compared to ST398 MRSA isolates. These findings indicate that MRSA can be recovered from persons visiting contaminated farms. However, the duration of carriage was very brief and most likely represents contamination of nasal passages rather than biological colonization. The most common spa types found in this study were associated with ST5 and expands the range of

Characterization and isolation of some genes of the shikimate pathway in sensitive and resistant Centaurea jacea plants after ozone exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Francini, A. [Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose ' Giovanni Scaramuzzi' , University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa (Italy); Nali, C. [Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose ' Giovanni Scaramuzzi' , University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: cristina.nali@agr.unipi.it; Pellegrini, E.; Lorenzini, G. [Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose ' Giovanni Scaramuzzi' , University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa (Italy)

2008-01-15

Centaurea jacea has been suggested as a potential bioindicator for ozone, but little is known about its intraspecific variation in sensitivity, especially at molecular level. The effects of ozone (200 ppb, 5 h) on sensitive and resistant lines of Centaurea have been investigated at the end of fumigation. Sensitive plants showed characteristic symptoms of injury in the form of diffuse discoloration stipples on leaves. A PCR-based approach was used to identify and isolate a partial-length cDNA coding for PAL and CHS genes. The northern analysis of PAL showed accumulation of transcript in both lines correlated with a typical increase of PAL activity (+41 and +91% in resistant and sensitive material, respectively, compared to controls). On the contrary, the transcripts of CHS, in resistant and sensitive plants, did not change after treatment. Total phenols were not affected by ozone, while anthocyanins were quickly utilised by resistant clone as antioxidant compounds. - Characterization and isolation of PAL and CHS genes in Centaurea jacea exposed to O{sub 3}.

feets: feATURE eXTRACTOR for tIME sERIES

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Juan; Sanchez, Bruno; Ramos, Felipe; Gurovich, Sebastián; Granitto, Pablo; VanderPlas, Jake

2018-06-01

feets characterizes and analyzes light-curves from astronomical photometric databases for modelling, classification, data cleaning, outlier detection and data analysis. It uses machine learning algorithms to determine the numerical descriptors that characterize and distinguish the different variability classes of light-curves; these range from basic statistical measures such as the mean or standard deviation to complex time-series characteristics such as the autocorrelation function. The library is not restricted to the astronomical field and could also be applied to any kind of time series. This project is a derivative work of FATS (ascl:1711.017).

Characterization of supercapacitors matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakka, Monzer Al, E-mail: Monzer.Al.Sakka@vub.ac.b [Vrije Universiteit Brussel, pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium); FEMTO-ST Institute, ENISYS Department, FCLAB, UFC-UTBM, bat.F, 90010 Belfort (France); Gualous, Hamid, E-mail: Hamid.Gualous@unicaen.f [Laboratoire LUSAC, Universite de Caen Basse Normandie, Rue Louis Aragon - BP 78, 50130 Cherbourg-Octeville (France); Van Mierlo, Joeri [Vrije Universiteit Brussel, pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

2010-10-30

This paper treats supercapacitors matrix characterization. In order to cut off transient power peaks and to compensate for the intrinsic limitations in embedded sources, the use of supercapacitors as a storage system is quite suitable, because of their appropriate electrical characteristics (huge capacitance, small series resistance, high specific energy, high specific power), direct storage (energy ready for use), and easy control by power electronic conversion. This use requires supercapacitors modules where several cells connected in serial and/or in parallel, thus a bypass system to balance the charging or the discharging of supercapacitors is required. In the matrix of supercapacitors, six elements of three parallel BCAP0350 supercapacitors in serial connections have been considered. This topology permits to reduce the number of the bypass circuits and it can work in degraded mode. Actually, it allows the system to have more reliability by providing power continually to the load even when there are one or more cells failed. Simulation and experimental results are presented and discussed.

Characterization of supercapacitors matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakka, Monzer Al; Gualous, Hamid; Van Mierlo, Joeri

2010-01-01

This paper treats supercapacitors matrix characterization. In order to cut off transient power peaks and to compensate for the intrinsic limitations in embedded sources, the use of supercapacitors as a storage system is quite suitable, because of their appropriate electrical characteristics (huge capacitance, small series resistance, high specific energy, high specific power), direct storage (energy ready for use), and easy control by power electronic conversion. This use requires supercapacitors modules where several cells connected in serial and/or in parallel, thus a bypass system to balance the charging or the discharging of supercapacitors is required. In the matrix of supercapacitors, six elements of three parallel BCAP0350 supercapacitors in serial connections have been considered. This topology permits to reduce the number of the bypass circuits and it can work in degraded mode. Actually, it allows the system to have more reliability by providing power continually to the load even when there are one or more cells failed. Simulation and experimental results are presented and discussed.

Semiconductor resistance thermometer for the temperature range 300-0.3 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinov'eva, K.N.; Zarubin, L.I.; Nemish, I.Yu.; Vorobkalo, F.M.; Boldarev, S.T.; AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev. Inst. Poluprovodnikov)

1979-01-01

Thermometric characteristics of semiconductor resistor thermometers for the temperature range from 300 to 0.3 K and from 77 to 0.3 K are given. Temperature dependence of thermometer resistances in the 300-1.3 K range was measured in cryostats with pumping-out of N 2 , H 2 and 4 He. For measurements below 1.3 K use was made of a 3 H- 4 He dissolving cryostat. The accuracy of measuring temperatures in the 1.3-0.3 K range is not below +-0.003 K, the error in determining thermometer resistances does not exceed 1%. The analysis of obtained thermometric characteristics of several series of semiconductor resistance thermometers showed that observed insignificant spread of resistances of thermometers in one series and identity of characteristics allows them to be used without preliminary calibration for relatively coarse measurements in the range from 3O0 to 0.3 K. Besides, it has been found that in the 4.2-0.3 K range the thermometric characteristics represent a straight line in the lgR-Tsup(-n) coordinates, where R is the thermometer resistance, T is the temperature and n=0.5. Thus, the thermometers of the same series can be calibrated only in 2 or 3 reference point measurements

Characterization of Camptothecin-induced Genomic Changes in the Camptothecin-resistant T-ALL-derived Cell Line CPT-K5

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjeldsen, Eigil; Nielsen, Christine J F; Roy, Amit

2018-01-01

-K5 and its parental cell line. We identified copy number alterations affecting genes important for maintaining genome integrity and reducing CPT-induced DNA damage. We show for the first time that short tandem repeats are targets for TOP1 cleavage, that can be differentially stimulated by CPT.......Acquisition of resistance to topoisomerase I (TOP1)-targeting camptothecin (CPT) derivatives is a major clinical problem. Little is known about the underlying chromosomal and genomic mechanisms. We characterized the CPT-K5 cell line expressing mutant CPT-resistant TOP1 and its parental T......-cell derived acute lymphoblastic leukemia CPT-sensitive RPMI-8402 cell line by karyotyping and molecular genetic methods, including subtractive oligo-based array comparative genomic hybridization (soaCGH) analysis. Karyotyping revealed that CPT-K5 cells had acquired additional structural aberrations...

Isolation and characterization of acyclovir-resistant mutants of herpes simplex virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, H J; Darby, G; Wildy, P

1980-07-01

Mutants of HSV which are resistant to acyclovir (acycloguanosine) have been isolated following serial passages of several herpes simplex virus (HSV) strains in the presence of the drug. The majority of the mutants isolated are defective in induction of thymidine kinase (TK) and this is consistent with the observation that independently isolated TK- viruses are naturally resistant to ACV. One mutant is described (SC16 R9C2) which is resistant in biochemically transformed cells which express HSV TK. This suggests that its resistance resides at a level other than TK. It is also resistant to phosphonoacetic acid, suggesting that the DNA polymerase locus may be involved. A further mutant is described [Cl (101) P2C5] which induces normal levels of TK, although the nature of resistance of this virus is not yet elucidated.

Adding Resistances and Capacitances in Introductory Electricity

Science.gov (United States)

Efthimiou, C. J.; Llewellyn, R. A.

2005-09-01

All introductory physics textbooks, with or without calculus, cover the addition of both resistances and capacitances in series and in parallel as discrete summations. However, none includes problems that involve continuous versions of resistors in parallel or capacitors in series. This paper introduces a method for solving the continuous problems that is logical, straightforward, and within the mathematical preparation of students at the introductory level.

Characterization and selection of location for resistance to sugarcane brown rust disease under cuban conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joaquín Montalván Delgado

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The sugarcane brown rust disease is caused by fungus Puccinia melanocephala Sydow & P. Sydow and it is one of the more importance diseases. The environment where the sugarcane is cultivated is constituted by numerous factors and its combination contributes to the formation of different development and production conditions, what influences in the varietal disease resistance. With the objective of to characterize and to define the resistance tests location to the brown rust disease were carried out experiments in 6 location of the country. Eleven varieties and six patterns were studied. The climatic variables were analyzed during the period in each location and they were carried out evaluations in different ages of the plant and number of the leaves. The quantity of pustules, long of the most frequent pustules, size of the biggest pustules and area per - centage occupied by pustules were evaluated. The data were analyzed statistically. Differential behavior of the locations and the importance of the relative humidity and the temperatures in the manifestation of the disease symptoms were proven. All the locations were important although similarity exists between Matanzas and Villa Clara and between Camagüey and Holguín. Mayabeque and Santiago de Cuba didn’t present similarity with any other one. These 6 locations can be used for the resistance tests and to define the progenitors’ Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Villa Clara and Mayabeque

47 CFR 73.54 - Antenna resistance and reactance measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Antenna resistance and reactance measurements... measurements. (a) The resistance of an omnidirectional series fed antenna is measured at either the base of the... the point of common radiofrequency input to the directional antenna system after the antenna has been...

Mapping and characterizing the vegetation types of the Democratic Republic of Congo using SPOT VEGETATION time series

Science.gov (United States)

Vancutsem, C.; Pekel, J.-F.; Evrard, C.; Malaisse, F.; Defourny, P.

2009-02-01

The need for quantitative and accurate information to characterize the state and evolution of vegetation types at a national scale is widely recognized. This type of information is crucial for the Democratic Republic of Congo, which contains the majority of the tropical forest cover of Central Africa and a large diversity of habitats. In spite of recent progress in earth observation capabilities, vegetation mapping and seasonality analysis in equatorial areas still represent an outstanding challenge owing to high cloud coverage and the extent and limited accessibility of the territory. On one hand, the use of coarse-resolution optical data is constrained by performance in the presence of cloud screening and by noise arising from the compositing process, which limits the spatial consistency of the composite and the temporal resolution. On the other hand, the use of high-resolution data suffers from heterogeneity of acquisition dates, images and interpretation from one scene to another. The objective of the present study was to propose and demonstrate a semi-automatic processing method for vegetation mapping and seasonality characterization based on temporal and spectral information from SPOT VEGETATION time series. A land cover map with 18 vegetation classes was produced using the proposed method that was fed by ecological knowledge gathered from botanists and reference documents. The floristic composition and physiognomy of each vegetation type are described using the Land Cover Classification System developed by the FAO. Moreover, the seasonality of each class is characterized on a monthly basis and the variation in different vegetation indicators is discussed from a phenological point of view. This mapping exercise delivers the first area estimates of seven different forest types, five different savannas characterized by specific seasonality behavior and two aquatic vegetation types. Finally, the result is compared to two recent land cover maps derived from

Genetics Home Reference: type A insulin resistance syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... Conditions Type A insulin resistance syndrome Type A insulin resistance syndrome Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Type A insulin resistance syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by severe ...

Detecting nonlinear structure in time series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theiler, J.

1991-01-01

We describe an approach for evaluating the statistical significance of evidence for nonlinearity in a time series. The formal application of our method requires the careful statement of a null hypothesis which characterizes a candidate linear process, the generation of an ensemble of ''surrogate'' data sets which are similar to the original time series but consistent with the null hypothesis, and the computation of a discriminating statistic for the original and for each of the surrogate data sets. The idea is to test the original time series against the null hypothesis by checking whether the discriminating statistic computed for the original time series differs significantly from the statistics computed for each of the surrogate sets. While some data sets very cleanly exhibit low-dimensional chaos, there are many cases where the evidence is sketchy and difficult to evaluate. We hope to provide a framework within which such claims of nonlinearity can be evaluated. 5 refs., 4 figs

Structural Characterization of Highly Corrosion-resistant Steel

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lančok, Adriana; Kmječ, T.; Štefánik, M.; Sklenka, L.; Miglierini, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 88, č. 4 (2015), s. 355-361 ISSN 0011-1643 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-12449S Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Mossbauer spectroscopy * corrosion-resistant steel * LC200 * CEMS Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.732, year: 2015

A new method for the characterization of strain-specific conformational stability of protease-sensitive and protease-resistant PrPSc.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Pirisinu

Full Text Available Although proteinacious in nature, prions exist as strains with specific self-perpetuating biological properties. Prion strains are thought to be associated with different conformers of PrP(Sc, a disease-associated isoform of the host-encoded cellular protein (PrP(C. Molecular strain typing approaches have been developed which rely on the characterization of protease-resistant PrP(Sc. However, PrP(Sc is composed not only of protease-resistant but also of protease-sensitive isoforms. The aim of this work was to develop a protocol for the molecular characterization of both, protease-resistant and protease-sensitive PrP(Sc aggregates. We first set up experimental conditions which allowed the most advantageous separation of PrP(C and PrP(Sc by means of differential centrifugation. The conformational solubility and stability assay (CSSA was then developed by measuring PrP(Sc solubility as a function of increased exposure to GdnHCl. Brain homogenates from voles infected with human and sheep prion isolates were analysed by CSSA and showed strain-specific conformational stabilities, with mean [GdnHCl](1/2 values ranging from 1.6 M for MM2 sCJD to 2.1 for scrapie and to 2.8 M for MM1/MV1 sCJD and E200K gCJD. Interestingly, the rank order of [GdnHCl](1/2 values observed in the human and sheep isolates used as inocula closely matched those found following transmission in voles, being MM1 sCJD the most resistant (3.3 M, followed by sheep scrapie (2.2 M and by MM2 sCJD (1.6 M. In order to test the ability of CSSA to characterise protease-sensitive PrP(Sc, we analysed sheep isolates of Nor98 and compared them to classical scrapie isolates. In Nor98, insoluble PrP(Sc aggregates were mainly protease-sensitive and showed a conformational stability much lower than in classical scrapie. Our results show that CSSA is able to reveal strain-specified PrP(Sc conformational stabilities of protease-resistant and protease-sensitive PrP(Sc and that it is a valuable tool

Characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance and qnr diversity in Enterobacteriaceae from municipal biosolids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ella eKaplan

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Municipal biosolids produced during activated sludge treatment applied in waste water treatment plants, are significant reservoirs of antibiotic resistance, since they assemble both natural and fecal microbiota, as well as residual concentrations of antibiotic compounds. This raises major concerns regarding the environmental and epidemiological consequences of using them as fertilizers for crops. The second generation fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin is probably the most abundant antibiotic compound detected in municipal biosolids due to its widespread use and sorption properties. Although fluoroquinolone resistance was originally thought to result from mutations in bacterial gyrase and topoisomerase IV genes, it is becoming apparent that it is also attributed to plasmid-associated resistance factors, which may propagate environmental antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the activated sludge process on fluoroquinolone resistance. The scope of resistances and mobile genetic mechanisms associated with fluoroquinolone resistance were evaluated by screening large collections of ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains from sludge (n=112 and from raw sewage (n=89. Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants (qnrA, B and S were readily detected in isolates from both environments, the most dominant being qnrS. Interestingly, all qnr variants were significantly more abundant in sludge isolates than in the isolates from raw sewage. Almost all of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotic compounds. The sludge isolates were on the whole resistant to a broader range of antibiotic compounds than the raw sewage isolates; however this difference was not statistically significant. Collectively, this study indicates that the activated sludge selects for multiresistant bacterial strains, and that mobile quinolone-resistance elements may have a selective advantage in the activated

Dealing with antimicrobial resistance - the Danish experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bager, Flemming; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Wegener, Henrik Caspar

2000-01-01

(DANMAP), which monitors resistance among bacteria from food animals, food and humans. A programme to monitor all use of prescription medicine in food animals at the herd level is presently being implemented. Another initiative was the elaboration of a series of practical recommendations to veterinarians...... on the prudent use of antimicrobials in order to reduce the development of resistance without compromising therapeutic efficacy. Our experience with avoparcin shows that a restrictive policy on the use of antimicrobials can curb the development of resistance. However, the occurrence and persistence of specific...

Characterization of field-evolved resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis-derived Cry1F δ-endotoxin in Spodoptera frugiperda populations from Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasena, Desmi I; Signorini, Ana M; Abratti, Gustavo; Storer, Nicholas P; Olaciregui, Magdalena L; Alves, Analiza P; Pilcher, Clinton D

2018-03-01

Transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) event TC1507 (Herculex ® I insect protection), expressing Cry1F δ-endotoxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai, was commercialized in 2003 in the Americas. Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) susceptibility to Cry1F was monitored annually across several regions in Argentina using diagnostic concentration bioassays. Reduced performance of TC1507 maize against S. frugiperda was reported in 2013. A resistant population was established in the laboratory and the dominance of Cry1F resistance was characterized. During 2012-2015, high-survivorship of several populations was observed in the resistance monitoring program. Reciprocal crosses of a Cry1F-resistant population with a Cry1F-susceptible population were evaluated to calculate effective dominance (D ML ) based on mortality levels observed at 100 µg/ml Cry1F. Two additional dominance levels (D LC and D EC ) were calculated using lethal (LC 50 ) or effective concentration (EC 50 ) derived from concentration-response bioassays. Estimates indicated that Cry1F resistance in S. frugiperda in Argentina was either highly recessive (D ML = 0.005) or incompletely recessive (D LC frugiperda Cry1F field-evolved resistance in Argentina. The resistance to Cry1F in S. frugiperda populations collected in Argentina, is autosomal and incompletely recessive similar to the resistance reported in Brazil. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley © Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley © Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Determinants of Growth Hormone Resistance in Malnutrition

Science.gov (United States)

Fazeli, Pouneh K.; Klibanski, Anne

2014-01-01

States of under-nutrition are characterized by growth hormone resistance. Decreased total energy intake, as well as isolated protein-calorie malnutrition and isolated nutrient deficiencies result in elevated growth hormone levels and low levels of IGF-I. We review various states of malnutrition and a disease state characterized by chronic under-nutrition -- anorexia nervosa -- and discuss possible mechanisms contributing to the state of growth hormone resistance, including FGF-21 and SIRT1. We conclude by examining the hypothesis that growth hormone resistance is an adaptive response to states of under-nutrition, in order to maintain euglycemia and preserve energy. PMID:24363451

Isolation and characterization of a candidate gene for resistance to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ARC) domain, and a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain, all of which are typical characteristics of resistance genes. We proposed the resistance mechanism of CreV8 based on functional analysis and predictions from its conserved domains and ...

Computational design and performance prediction of creep-resistant ferritic superalloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liaw, Peter K. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Wang, Shao-Yu [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Dunand, David C. [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Ghosh, Gautum [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Song, Gian [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Rawlings, Michael [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Baik, Sung Il [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

2017-12-04

Ferritic superalloys containing the B2 phase with the parent L21 phase precipitates in a disordered solid-solution matrix, also known as a hierarchical-precipitate-strengthened ferritic alloy (HPSFA), had been developed for high-temperature structural applications in fossil-energy power plants. These alloys were designed by adding Ti into a previously-studied NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloy (denoted as FBB8 in this study). Following with the concept of HPSFAs, in the present research, a systematic investigation on adding other elements, such as Hf and Zr, and optimizing the Ti content within the alloy system, has been conducted, in order to further improve the creep resistance of the model alloys. Studies include advanced experimental techniques, first-principles calculations on thermodynamic and mechanical properties, and numerical simulations on precipitation hardening, have been integrated and conducted to characterize the complex microstructures and excellent creep resistance of alloys. The experimental techniques include transmission-electron microscopy (TEM), scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), neutron diffraction (ND), and atom-probe tomography (APT), which provide the detailed microstructural information of the model alloys. Systematic tension/compression creep tests have also been conducted in order to verify the creep resistance of the potential alloy compositions. The results show that when replacing Ti with Hf and Zr, it does not form the L21 phase. Instead, the hexagonal Laves phase forms and distributes majorly along the grain boundary, or large segregation within grains. Since the Laves phase does not form parent to the B2-phase precipitates, it cannot bring the strengthening effect of HPSFAs. As a result, the FBB8 + 2 wt. % Hf and FBB8 + 2 wt. % Zr alloys have similar mechanical properties to the original FBB8. The FBB8 + Ti series alloys had also been studied, from the creep tests and microstructural characterizations, the FBB8 + 3.5 wt.% Ti

characterization of drug resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract: Lizards as well as some other reptiles have been known to carry pathogenic bacteria organisms as well as drug resistant pathogens. Despite the fact that they remain asymptomatic in many cases, they nevertheless play significant roles in the epidemiology of these pathogens through their dissemination to the ...

Characterization of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci and pheno-genotypic beta lactam resistance evaluation in samples from bovine Intramammary infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.A. Melo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to identify Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS species isolated from bovine mastitis, through phenotypic and PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism-Polimerase Chain Reaction methods and to compare both techniques to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS technique. Among them, the PCR-RFLP method, using a partially conserved sequence of the groEL gene, is a promising alternative, because of its reproducibility and reliability. On the other hand, the proteomic technique MALDI-TOF MS provides an accurate and much faster diagnosis and has been increasingly employed in microbiological identification. The pheno-genotypic profiles of beta-lactam resistance were also investigated, this characterization is important, considering that the use of antimicrobials is a key element for mastitis control in dairy farms. The concordance of the phenotypic, PCR-RFLP and MALDI-TOF MS assays to identify CoNS species was 77,5% (31/40. S. chromogenes was the species most frequently isolated. Antibiotic resistance rate was relatively low, registering values of 25.5% to penicillin, 9.6% to oxacillin and 6.2% to cefoxitin. Resistance to imipenem, cephalotin and amoxicillin+clavulanate was not observed. The mecA gene and its variant were detected in 7.6% and 4,1% of the isolates respectively. The blaZ gene was found in 43.2% of the strains resistant to penicillin.

Experimental Characterization and Modeling of Thermal Contact Resistance of Electric Machine Stator-to-Cooling Jacket Interface Under Interference Fit Loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cousineau, Justine E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bennion, Kevin S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chieduko, Victor [UQM Technologies, Inc.; Lall, Rajiv [UQM Technologies, Inc.; Gilbert, Alan [UQM Technologies, Inc.

2018-05-08

Cooling of electric machines is a key to increasing power density and improving reliability. This paper focuses on the design of a machine using a cooling jacket wrapped around the stator. The thermal contact resistance (TCR) between the electric machine stator and cooling jacket is a significant factor in overall performance and is not well characterized. This interface is typically an interference fit subject to compressive pressure exceeding 5 MPa. An experimental investigation of this interface was carried out using a thermal transmittance setup using pressures between 5 and 10 MPa. The results were compared to currently available models for contact resistance, and one model was adapted for prediction of TCR in future motor designs.

Characterization of CTX-M enzymes, quinolone resistance determinants, and antimicrobial residues from hospital sewage, wastewater treatment plant, and river water.

Science.gov (United States)

Conte, Danieli; Palmeiro, Jussara Kasuko; da Silva Nogueira, Keite; de Lima, Thiago Marenda Rosa; Cardoso, Marco André; Pontarolo, Roberto; Degaut Pontes, Flávia Lada; Dalla-Costa, Libera Maria

2017-02-01

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are widespread in hospitals and have been increasingly isolated from aquatic environments. The aim of the present study was to characterize extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and quinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from a hospital effluent, sanitary effluent, inflow sewage, aeration tank, and outflow sewage within a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), as well as river water upstream and downstream (URW and DRW, respectively), of the point where the WWTP treated effluent was discharged. β-lactamase (bla) genes, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR), and quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) were assessed by amplification and sequencing in 55 ESBL-positive and/or quinolone-resistant isolates. Ciprofloxacin residue was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. ESBL-producing isolates were identified in both raw (n=29) and treated (n=26) water; they included Escherichia coli (32), Klebsiella pneumoniae (22) and Klebsiella oxytoca (1). Resistance to both cephalosporins and quinolone was observed in 34.4% of E. coli and 27.3% of K. pneumoniae. Resistance to carbapenems was found in 5.4% of K. pneumoniae and in K. oxytoca. Results indicate the presence of bla CTX-M (51/55, 92.7%) and bla SHV (8/55, 14.5%) ESBLs, and bla GES (2/55, 3.6%) carbapenemase-encoding resistance determinants. Genes conferring quinolone resistance were detected at all sites, except in the inflow sewage and aeration tanks. Quinolone resistance was primarily attributed to amino acid substitutions in the QRDR of GyrA (47%) or to the presence of PMQR (aac-(6')-Ib-cr, oqxAB, qnrS, and/or qnrB; 52.9%) determinants. Ciprofloxacin residue was absent only from URW. Our results have shown strains carrying ESBL genes, PMQR determinants, and mutations in the gyrA QRDR genes mainly in hospital effluent, URW, and DRW samples. Antimicrobial use, and the inefficient removal of MDR bacteria and antibiotic residue during sewage treatment, may

SCC mec typing and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from pigs of Northeast India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkhowa, S; Sarma, D K; Pegu, S R

2016-12-01

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens of both humans and animal. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important human pathogen that causes serious infections both in hospitals and communities due to its multidrug resistance tendency. This study was undertaken to characterize the MRSA isolates from pigs and to determine the antimicrobial resistance of these isolates. Forty nine MRSA strains (one strain per positive pig) isolated from pigs of Northeast India were characterized by SCCmec typing and antimicrobial resistance. The overall prevalence of MRSA was 7.02 % with the highest prevalence recorded in pigs aged 1-3 months (P = 0.001) and in nasal samples (P = 0.005). Two SCC mec types (type III and V) were found in Indian pigs with predominance of type V. All isolates were resistant to penicillin. Seventeen resistance groups were observed where 87.75 % isolates showed multidrug resistance (showed resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials). The most predominant resistance pattern observed was Oxytetracycline + Penicillin + Sulfadiazine + Tetracycline accounting 12.24 % of the isolates. The present study contributes to the understanding of characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of porcine MRSA isolates which in turn will help in devising strategy for the control of this pathogen. Findings of the study also throw light on multidrug resistance MRSA and emphasize the need for judicious use of antimicrobials in animal practice.

Molecular characterization of resistance to Rifampicin in an emerging hospital-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone ST228, Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liñares Josefina

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA has been endemic in Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, since 1990. During the 1990-95 period the Iberian clone (ST-247; SCCmec-I was dominant. Isolates of clonal complex 5 (ST-125; SCCmec-IV gradually replaced the Iberian clone from 1996 to 2003. A new multiresistant MRSA phenotype showing rifampicin resistance emerged in 2004 and rapidly increased from 25% in 2004 to 45% in 2006. The aims of this study were i the molecular characterisation of rifampicin resistant MRSA isolates, ii the study of the rifampicin resistance expression by disk diffusion, microdilution and E-test, and iii the analysis of the rpoB gene mutations involved in rifampicin resistance. Results A sample of representative 108 rifampicin-resistant MRSA isolates belonged to a single PFGE genotype, ST-228, SCCmec type I and spa type t041. Of 108 isolates, 104 (96% had a low-level rifampicin resistance (MICs, 2 to 4 mg/L and 4 a high-level rifampicin resistance (MICs, 128 - ≥ 256 mg/L. Disk diffusion and E-test methods failed to identify a low-level rifampicin resistance in 20 and 12 isolates, respectively. A low-level rifampicin resistance was associated with amino acid substitution 481His/Asn in the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Isolates with a high-level rifampicin resistance carried additional mutations in the rpoB gene. Conclusions The emergence of MRSA clone ST228-SCCmecI, related to the Southern Germany clone, involved a therapeutical challenge for treating serious MRSA infections. Decreased susceptibility to rifampicin in MRSA strains of ST228-SCCmecI was associated with one or two specific mutations in the rpoB gene. One fifth of isolates with low-level rifampicin-resistance were missed by the diffusion methods.

Multiple Avirulence Loci and Allele-Specific Effector Recognition Control the Pm3 Race-Specific Resistance of Wheat to Powdery Mildew[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Roffler, Stefan; Stirnweis, Daniel; Treier, Georges; Herren, Gerhard; Korol, Abraham B.; Wicker, Thomas

2015-01-01

In cereals, several mildew resistance genes occur as large allelic series; for example, in wheat (Triticum aestivum and Triticum turgidum), 17 functional Pm3 alleles confer agronomically important race-specific resistance to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis). The molecular basis of race specificity has been characterized in wheat, but little is known about the corresponding avirulence genes in powdery mildew. Here, we dissected the genetics of avirulence for six Pm3 alleles and found that three major Avr loci affect avirulence, with a common locus_1 involved in all AvrPm3-Pm3 interactions. We cloned the effector gene AvrPm3a2/f2 from locus_2, which is recognized by the Pm3a and Pm3f alleles. Induction of a Pm3 allele-dependent hypersensitive response in transient assays in Nicotiana benthamiana and in wheat demonstrated specificity. Gene expression analysis of Bcg1 (encoded by locus_1) and AvrPm3 a2/f2 revealed significant differences between isolates, indicating that in addition to protein polymorphisms, expression levels play a role in avirulence. We propose a model for race specificity involving three components: an allele-specific avirulence effector, a resistance gene allele, and a pathogen-encoded suppressor of avirulence. Thus, whereas a genetically simple allelic series controls specificity in the plant host, recognition on the pathogen side is more complex, allowing flexible evolutionary responses and adaptation to resistance genes. PMID:26452600

SensL B-Series and C-Series silicon photomultipliers for time-of-flight positron emission tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, K., E-mail: koneill@sensl.com; Jackson, C., E-mail: cjackson@sensl.com

2015-07-01

Silicon photomultipliers from SensL are designed for high performance, uniformity and low cost. They demonstrate peak photon detection efficiency of 41% at 420 nm, which is matched to the output spectrum of cerium doped lutetium orthosilicate. Coincidence resolving time of less than 220 ps is demonstrated. New process improvements have lead to the development of C-Series SiPM which reduces the dark noise by over an order of magnitude. In this paper we will show characterization test results which include photon detection efficiency, dark count rate, crosstalk probability, afterpulse probability and coincidence resolving time comparing B-Series to the newest pre-production C-Series. Additionally we will discuss the effect of silicon photomultiplier microcell size on coincidence resolving time allowing the optimal microcell size choice to be made for time of flight positron emission tomography systems.

Characterization of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from Tamil Nadu.

Science.gov (United States)

Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Subramani, Ramkumar; Maray, Suresh; Gothandam, K M; Sivamangala, Karthikeyan; Manohar, Prasanth; Bozdogan, Bülent

2016-10-01

Carbapenem resistance is disseminating worldwide among Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify carbapenem-resistance level and to determine the mechanism of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates from two centres in Tamil Nadu. In the present study, a total of 93 Gram-negative isolates, which is found to be resistant to carbapenem by disk diffusion test in two centres, were included. All isolates are identified at species level by 16S rRNA sequencing. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isolates for Meropenem were tested by agar dilution method. Presence of blaOXA, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP and blaKPC genes was tested by PCR in all isolates. Amplicons were sequenced for confirmation of the genes. Among 93 isolates, 48 (%52) were Escherichia coli, 10 (%11) Klebsiella pneumoniae, nine (%10) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimal inhibitory concentration results showed that of 93 suspected carbapenem-resistant isolates, 27 had meropenem MICs ≥ 2 μg/ml. The MIC range, MIC50 and MIC90 were 128 μg/ml, 0.12 and 16 μg/ml, respectively. Fig. 1 . Among meropenem-resistant isolates, E. coli were the most common (9/48, 22%), followed by K. pneumoniae (7/9, 77%), P. aeruginosa (6/10, 60%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2/2, 100%), Enterobacter hormaechei (2/3, 67%) and one Providencia rettgeri (1/1, 100%). PCR results showed that 16 of 93 carried blaNDM, three oxa181, and one imp4. Among blaNDM carriers, nine were E. coli, four Klebsiella pneumoniae, two E. hormaechei and one P. rettgeri. Three K. pneumoniae were OXA-181 carriers. The only imp4 carrier was P. aeruginosa. A total of seven carbapenem-resistant isolates were negatives by PCR for the genes studied. All carbapenem-resistance gene-positive isolates had meropenem MICs >2 μg/ml. Our results confirm the dissemination of NDM and emergence of OXA-181 beta-lactamase among Gram-negative bacteria in South India. This study showed the emergence of NDM producer in clinical isolates of E

Inferring the interaction structure of resistance to antimicrobials.

Science.gov (United States)

Zawack, Kelson; Love, Will; Lanzas, Cristina; Booth, James G; Gröhn, Yrjö T

2018-04-01

The growth of antimicrobial resistance presents a significant threat to human and animal health. Of particular concern is multi-drug resistance, as this increases the chances an infection will be untreatable by any antibiotic. In order to understand multi-drug resistance, it is essential to understand the association between drug resistances. Pairwise associations characterize the connectivity between resistances and are useful in making decisions about courses of treatment, or the design of drug cocktails. Higher-order associations, interactions, which tie together groups of drugs can suggest commonalities in resistance mechanism and lead to their identification. To capture interactions, we apply log-linear models of contingency tables to analyze publically available data on the resistance of Escheresia coli isolated from chicken and turkey meat by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. Standard large sample and conditional exact testing approaches for assessing significance of parameters in these models breakdown due to structured patterns inherent to antimicrobial resistance. To address this, we adopt a Bayesian approach which reveals that E. coli resistance associations can be broken into two subnetworks. The first subnetwork is characterized by a hierarchy of β-lactams which is consistent across the chicken and turkey datasets. Tier one in this hierarchy is a near equivalency between amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone and cefoxitin. Susceptibility to tier one then implies susceptibility to ceftiofur. The second subnetwork is characterized by more complex interactions between a variety of drug classes that vary between the chicken and turkey datasets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of fluorine-free PAGs for 193-nm lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sen; Glodde, Martin; Varanasi, Pushkara R.

2010-04-01

Photoacid generators (PAGs) are a key component in chemically amplified resists used in photolithography. Perfluorooctanesulfonates (PFOS) and other perfluoroalkylsulfonates (PFAS) have been well adopted as PAGs in 193 nm photoresist. Recently, concerns have been raised about their environmental impact due to their chemical persistency, bioaccumulation and toxicity. It is a general interest to find environmentally benign PAGs that are free of fluorine atoms. Here we describe the design, synthesis and characterization of a series of novel fluorine-free onium salts as PAGs for 193 nm photoresists. These PAGs demonstrated desirable physical and lithography properties when compared with PFAS-based PAGs for both dry and immersion exposures.

Novel resistance functions uncovered using functional metagenomic investigations of resistance reservoirs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erica C. Pehrsson

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Rates of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria have increased precipitously over the past several decades, with far-reaching healthcare and societal costs. Recent evidence has established a link between antibiotic resistance genes in human pathogens and those found in non-pathogenic, commensal, and environmental organisms, prompting deeper investigation of natural and human-associated reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Functional metagenomic selections, in which shotgun-cloned DNA fragments are selected for their ability to confer survival to an indicator host, have been increasingly applied to the characterization of many antibiotic resistance reservoirs. These experiments have demonstrated that antibiotic resistance genes are highly diverse and widely distributed, many times bearing little to no similarity to known sequences. Through unbiased selections for survival to antibiotic exposure, functional metagenomics can improve annotations by reducing the discovery of false-positive resistance and by allowing for the identification of previously unrecognizable resistance genes. In this review, we summarize the novel resistance functions uncovered using functional metagenomic investigations of natural and human-impacted resistance reservoirs. Examples of novel antibiotic resistance genes include those highly divergent from known sequences, those for which sequence is entirely unable to predict resistance function, bifunctional resistance genes, and those with unconventional, atypical resistance mechanisms. Overcoming antibiotic resistance in the clinic will require a better understanding of existing resistance reservoirs and the dissemination networks that govern horizontal gene exchange, informing best practices to limit the spread of resistance-conferring genes to human pathogens.

Characterizing rainfall of hot arid region by using time-series modeling and sustainability approaches: a case study from Gujarat, India

Science.gov (United States)

Machiwal, Deepesh; Kumar, Sanjay; Dayal, Devi

2016-05-01

This study aimed at characterization of rainfall dynamics in a hot arid region of Gujarat, India by employing time-series modeling techniques and sustainability approach. Five characteristics, i.e., normality, stationarity, homogeneity, presence/absence of trend, and persistence of 34-year (1980-2013) period annual rainfall time series of ten stations were identified/detected by applying multiple parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. Furthermore, the study involves novelty of proposing sustainability concept for evaluating rainfall time series and demonstrated the concept, for the first time, by identifying the most sustainable rainfall series following reliability ( R y), resilience ( R e), and vulnerability ( V y) approach. Box-whisker plots, normal probability plots, and histograms indicated that the annual rainfall of Mandvi and Dayapar stations is relatively more positively skewed and non-normal compared with that of other stations, which is due to the presence of severe outlier and extreme. Results of Shapiro-Wilk test and Lilliefors test revealed that annual rainfall series of all stations significantly deviated from normal distribution. Two parametric t tests and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test indicated significant non-stationarity in annual rainfall of Rapar station, where the rainfall was also found to be non-homogeneous based on the results of four parametric homogeneity tests. Four trend tests indicated significantly increasing rainfall trends at Rapar and Gandhidham stations. The autocorrelation analysis suggested the presence of persistence of statistically significant nature in rainfall series of Bhachau (3-year time lag), Mundra (1- and 9-year time lag), Nakhatrana (9-year time lag), and Rapar (3- and 4-year time lag). Results of sustainability approach indicated that annual rainfall of Mundra and Naliya stations ( R y = 0.50 and 0.44; R e = 0.47 and 0.47; V y = 0.49 and 0.46, respectively) are the most sustainable and dependable

Antibiotics and the resistant microbiome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Morten; Dantas, Gautam

2011-01-01

. Less appreciated are the concomitant changes in the human microbiome in response to these assaults and their contribution to clinical resistance problems. Studies have shown that pervasive changes to the human microbiota result from antibiotic treatment and that resistant strains can persist for years....... Additionally, culture-independent functional characterization of the resistance genes from the microbiome has demonstrated a close evolutionary relationship between resistance genes in the microbiome and in pathogens. Application of these techniques and novel cultivation methods are expected to significantly...... expand our understanding of the interplay between antibiotics and the microbiome....

Genetic characterization of resistance to Sclerotinia in lettuce cultivar Eruption

Science.gov (United States)

Lettuce drop caused by the fungal pathogens Sclerotinia minor and S. sclerotiorum is a serious disease of lettuce. The use of genetic resistance as part of an integrated lettuce drop management strategy should have a significant economic advantage in mitigating yield loss. Sclerotinia resistance is ...

Short communication: Characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from raw milk fresh cheese in Colombia.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Fanny C; García-López, María-Luisa; Santos, Jesús A

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was the characterization of a collection of 8 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates, obtained from samples of fresh cheese (Doble Crema) produced from raw cow milk in small dairies in Colombia. All the isolates harbored the mecA and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes, presented with SCCmec type IV, and belonged to multilocus sequence type 8 and spa type 024. Seven isolates presented 3 closely related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles. Three of them carried the staphylococcal enterotoxin B gene. The isolates were resistant to cefoxitin, oxacillin, penicillin, and ampicillin and susceptible to all non-β-lactams antibiotics tested, with minimum inhibitory concentration values for oxacillin of 4 to 8mg/L. The isolates belonged to the community-acquired MRSA group, suggesting a human source of contamination. The risk of human infection by MRSA via contaminated foods is considered low, but contaminated food commodities can contribute to the worldwide dissemination of clones of community-acquired MRSA. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Joint application of ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity measurements for characterization of subsurface stratigraphy in Southwestern Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adepelumi, A A; Fayemi, O

2012-01-01

The frequent building collapses in Nigeria have been attributed to a lack of pre-construction investigations, which assist engineers in obtaining in situ geotechnical information. Further, the structural subsurface settings are often ignored or investigation is haphazardly carried out. To address this issue and demonstrate the importance of such a survey, a combination of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and vertical electrical sounding (VES) data were acquired in a part of Southwestern Nigeria. A 200 MHz antenna was used for the data acquisition along four traverses. The data were subjected to standard GPR processing techniques, and attribute analysis such as instantaneous frequency, amplitude and phase. Also, for comparative and engineering characterization purposes, longitudinal conductance and coefficient of anisotropy were computed from the VES results and used for determining the competency of the bedrocks. From the GPR results, it was observed that the mapped subsurface is characterized as erosional truncated at a low angle, which is southerly dipping and includes tangential reflections. Further, stratified rocks dipping at an angle of 32° occur between 1.0 and 4.5 m depth in all of the GPR sections; these strata were truncated by topsoil at shallow depths. Also, some of the sections depict ancient channel structures that have a dimension of 70 m × 40 m. The resistivity data suggest that the study area is characterized by four distinct geoelectric sequences. These comprise topsoil which is composed of clay-like sand to lateritic clay whose thickness ranges between 0.25 and 8.12 m, weathered bedrock with a thickness between 3.84 and 12.61 m, stratified bedrock with a thickness between 0.33 and 7.51 m, and fresh bedrock. These results reveal a complex subsurface geology and this characterizes the study area. The area has low to moderate longitudinal conductance and coefficient of anisotropy values, which suggest that incompetent to semi-competent bedrock

Capacitors and Resistance-Capacitance Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Balabanian, Norman; Root, Augustin A.

This programed textbook was developed under a contract with the United States Office of Education as Number 5 in a series of materials for use in an electrical engineering sequence. It is divided into three parts--(1) capacitors, (2) voltage-current relationships, and (3) simple resistance-capacitance networks. (DH)

Characterization of copper resistant ciliates: Potential candidates for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-17

, bioremediation. ... on metal interactions in protist ciliates. Ciliated protozoa .... Generally, protozoan cultures grow in mineral salts me- ... utilizing these metal ions as essential requirement or by ...... Lead resistant yeast.

Gamma-ray irradiation resistance of silver doped GeS2–Ga2S3–AgI chalcohalide glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, W.; Baccaro, S.; Cemmi, A.; Ren, J.; Zhang, Z.; Zhou, Y.; Yang, Y.; Chen, G.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The γ-ray irradiation resistance of Ag doped chalcohalide glasses (GeS 2 –Ga 2 S 3 –AgI) has been investigated. • The introduction of silver ions plays a specific role in the modification of the gamma-ray irradiation resistance of glasses. • The sulfur exerts an important effect on the photo-sensitivity of chalcogenide glasses. - Abstract: In the present work, series of silver doped Ge–Ga–S–AgI chalcohalide glasses have been prepared and their optical transmission spectra are compared before and after γ-ray irradiation at different doses. The differential transmission spectra of the irradiated samples with and without Ag doping have been compared to characterize the γ-ray irradiation induced red-shift of electronic absorption and formation of color centers. Ag doping plays an important role in increasing γ-ray irradiation resistance of the chalcohalide glasses due to its specific effect on the valence band and the network structure of glasses

Adriamycin resistance and radiation response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belli, J.A.; Harris, J.R.

1979-01-01

Mammalian cells (V79) in culture developed resistance to Adriamycin during continuous exposure to low levels of drug. This resistance was accompanied by change in x-ray survival properties which, in turn, depended upon the isolation of subpopulations from resistant sub lines. These changes in x-ray survival properties were characterized by reduced D/sub Q/ values and a decrease in the D/sub O/. However, these changes were not observed together in the same cell sub line. Adriamycin-resistant cells did not appear to be radiation damage repair deficient. Other phenotypic changes (cell morphology, DNA content and chromosome number) suggested mutational events coincident with the development of Adriamycin resistance

Determination of ductile tearing resistance J-R curves in welded joints; Determination de courbes de resistance a la dechirure ductile dans les joints soudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilles, Ph.; Ould, P. [AREVA NP, Tour AREVA, 92086 Paris La Defense (France); Marie, St. [CEA Saclay, DM2S, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France)

2010-05-15

The ductile tearing resistance of steels is generally characterized in terms of resistance curves giving the increase of a resistance parameter such as the crack driving force J or a crack opening displacement as a function of the crack extension {Delta}a. Welded joints are often the weakest part of structures because of greater risk of defects, heterogeneity of the microstructure of the weld, strain concentration along mismatched interfaces. This paper recalls the transferability issues common to all integrity assessments based on tearing resistance curves and points out the difficulties of characterization specific to welds. Several recommendations are proposed for the experimental determination of tearing resistance of welded joints. (authors)

Treatment Options for Carbapenem-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infections

Science.gov (United States)

Viehman, J. Alexander; Nguyen, Minh-Hong; Doi, Yohei

2014-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Due to various intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance, most β-lactam agents are not effective against many strains, and carbapenems have played an important role in therapy. Recent trends show many infections are caused by carbapenem-resistant, or even extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains, for which effective therapy is not well established. Evidence to date suggests that colistin constitutes the backbone of therapy, but the unique pharmacokinetic properties of colistin have led many to suggest the use of combination antimicrobial therapy. However, the combination of agents and dosing regimens that delivers the best clinical efficacy while minimizing toxicity is yet to be defined. Carbapenems, sulbactam, rifampin and tigecycline have been the most studied in the context of combination therapy. Most data regarding therapy for invasive, resistant A. baumannii infections come from uncontrolled case series and retrospective analyses, though some clinical trials have been completed and others are underway. Early institution of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is shown to consistently improve survival of patients with carbapenem-resistant and XDR A. baumannii infection, but the choice of empiric therapy in these infections remains an open question. This review summarizes the most current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, mechanisms of resistance, and treatment considerations of carbapenem-resistant and XDR A. baumannii. PMID:25091170

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of pteridine reductase in wild-type and antimony-resistant Leishmania lines.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza Moreira, Douglas; Ferreira, Rafael Fernandes; Murta, Silvane M F

2016-01-01

Pteridine reductase (PTR1) is an NADPH-dependent reductase that participates in the salvage of pteridines, which are essential to maintain growth of Leishmania. In this study, we performed the molecular characterization of ptr1 gene in wild-type (WTS) and SbIII-resistant (SbR) lines from Leishmania guyanensis (Lg), Leishmania amazonensis (La), Leishmania braziliensis (Lb) and Leishmania infantum (Li), evaluating the chromosomal location, mRNA levels of the ptr1 gene and PTR1 protein expression. PFGE results showed that the ptr1 gene is located in a 797 kb chromosomal band in all Leishmania lines analyzed. Interestingly, an additional chromosomal band of 1070 kb was observed only in LbSbR line. Northern blot results showed that the levels of ptr1 mRNA are increased in the LgSbR, LaSbR and LbSbR lines. Western blot assays using the polyclonal anti-LmPTR1 antibody demonstrated that PTR1 protein is more expressed in the LgSbR, LaSbR and LbSbR lines compared to their respective WTS counterparts. Nevertheless, no difference in the level of mRNA and protein was observed between the LiWTS and LiSbR lines. Functional analysis of PTR1 enzyme was performed to determine whether the overexpression of ptr1 gene in the WTS L. braziliensis and L. infantum lines would change the SbIII-resistance phenotype of transfected parasites. Western blot results showed that the expression level of PTR1 protein was increased in the transfected parasites compared to the non-transfected ones. IC50 analysis revealed that the overexpression of ptr1 gene in the WTS L. braziliensis line increased 2-fold the SbIII-resistance phenotype compared to the non-transfected counterpart. Furthermore, the overexpression of ptr1 gene in the WTS L. infantum line did not change the SbIII-resistance phenotype. These results suggest that the PTR1 enzyme may be implicated in the SbIII-resistance phenotype in L. braziliensis line. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transformation of Sordaria macrospora to hygromycin B resistance: characterization of transformants by electrophoretic karyotyping and tetrad analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Walz, M; Kück, U

1995-12-01

The ascomycete Sordaria macrospora was transformed using different plasmid molecules containing the bacterial hygromycin B resistance gene (hph) under the control of different expression signals. The highest transformation frequency was obtained with vector pMW1. On this plasmid molecule, expression of the hph gene is directed by the upstream region of the isopenicillin N synthetase gene (pcbC) from the deuteromycete Acremonium chrysogenum. Southern analysis suggests that the vector copies are integrated as tandem repeats into the S. macrospora chromosomes and that duplicated sequences are most probably not inactivated by methylation during meiosis. Furthermore, the hygromycin B resistance (hygR) is not correlated with the number of integrated vector molecules. Electrophoretic karyotyping was used to further characterize S. macrospora transformants. Five chromosomal bands were separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) representing seven chromosomes with a total genome size of 39.5Mb. Hybridization analysis revealed ectopic integration of vector DNA into different chromosomes. In a few transformants, major rearrangements were detected. Transformants were sexually propagated to analyze the fate of the heterologous vector DNA. Although the hygR phenotype is stably maintained during mitosis, about a third of all lines tested showed loss of the resistance marker gene after meiosis. However, as was concluded from electrophoretic karyotyping, the resistant spores showed a Mendelian segregation of the integrated vector molecules in at least three consecutive generations. Our data indicate that heterologous marker genes can be used for transformation tagging, or the molecular mapping of chromosomal loci in S. macrospora.

Accurate measurement of junctional conductance between electrically coupled cells with dual whole-cell voltage-clamp under conditions of high series resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartveit, Espen; Veruki, Margaret Lin

2010-03-15

Accurate measurement of the junctional conductance (G(j)) between electrically coupled cells can provide important information about the functional properties of coupling. With the development of tight-seal, whole-cell recording, it became possible to use dual, single-electrode voltage-clamp recording from pairs of small cells to measure G(j). Experiments that require reduced perturbation of the intracellular environment can be performed with high-resistance pipettes or the perforated-patch technique, but an accompanying increase in series resistance (R(s)) compromises voltage-clamp control and reduces the accuracy of G(j) measurements. Here, we present a detailed analysis of methodologies available for accurate determination of steady-state G(j) and related parameters under conditions of high R(s), using continuous or discontinuous single-electrode voltage-clamp (CSEVC or DSEVC) amplifiers to quantify the parameters of different equivalent electrical circuit model cells. Both types of amplifiers can provide accurate measurements of G(j), with errors less than 5% for a wide range of R(s) and G(j) values. However, CSEVC amplifiers need to be combined with R(s)-compensation or mathematical correction for the effects of nonzero R(s) and finite membrane resistance (R(m)). R(s)-compensation is difficult for higher values of R(s) and leads to instability that can damage the recorded cells. Mathematical correction for R(s) and R(m) yields highly accurate results, but depends on accurate estimates of R(s) throughout an experiment. DSEVC amplifiers display very accurate measurements over a larger range of R(s) values than CSEVC amplifiers and have the advantage that knowledge of R(s) is unnecessary, suggesting that they are preferable for long-duration experiments and/or recordings with high R(s). Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of echoes: A Dyson-series representation of individual pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Miguel R.; Cardoso, Vitor

2018-04-01

The ability to detect and scrutinize gravitational waves from the merger and coalescence of compact binaries opens up the possibility to perform tests of fundamental physics. One such test concerns the dark nature of compact objects: are they really black holes? It was recently pointed out that the absence of horizons—while keeping the external geometry very close to that of General Relativity—would manifest itself in a series of echoes in gravitational wave signals. The observation of echoes by LIGO/Virgo or upcoming facilities would likely inform us on quantum gravity effects or unseen types of matter. Detection of such signals is in principle feasible with relatively simple tools but would benefit enormously from accurate templates. Here we analytically individualize each echo waveform and show that it can be written as a Dyson series, for arbitrary effective potential and boundary conditions. We further apply the formalism to explicitly determine the echoes of a simple toy model: the Dirac delta potential. Our results allow to read off a few known features of echoes and may find application in the modeling for data analysis.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis in Sindh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almani, S.A.; Memon, N.M.; Qureshi, A.F.

2002-01-01

Objective: To assess the prevalence of primary and secondary drug resistance amongst the clinical isolates of M.tuberculosis, to identify risk factors and how to overcome this problem. Design: A case series of 50 indoor patients with sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Place and duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh, (Pakistan) from January 1999 to December 2000. Patients and methods: Four first line anti-tuberculous drugs rifampicine, ethambutol and streptomycin were tested for sensitivity pattern. Results: Twelve (26.66%) were sensitive to all four drugs, 12(26.66%) were resistant to one drug, 14 (31.11%) were resistant to two drugs, 2 (4.44%) were resistant to three drugs, and 5(11.11%) were resistant to all four drugs. Resistance to isoniazid was the most common in 27 cases (60%) with primary resistance in 6(13.33%) and secondary resistance in 21(46.66%), followed by resistance to streptomycin in 17 cases (37.77%) with primary resistance in 5(11.11%) and secondary resistance in 12 (26.66%). Resistance to ethambutol in 10 cases (22.22%) and rifampicine in 11 (24.44%) and all cases were secondary. Similarly multi-drugs resistance (MRD) TB was found in 11(24.44%) isolates. Conclusion: This study showed high prevalence of drug resistance among clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis. Their is a need to establish centers at number of places with adequate facilities for susceptibility testing so that the resistant pattern could be ascertained and treatment regimens tailored accordingly. (author)

Metabolism and insulin signaling in common metabolic disorders and inherited insulin resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højlund, Kurt

2014-01-01

. These metabolic disorders are all characterized by reduced plasma adiponectin and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Quantitatively skeletal muscle is the major site of insulin resistance. Both low plasma adiponectin and insulin resistance contribute to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes...... described a novel syndrome characterized by postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. This syndrome is caused by a mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain of the insulin receptor gene (INSR). We have studied individuals with this mutation as a model of inherited insulin resistance....... Type 2 diabetes, obesity and PCOS are characterized by pronounced defects in the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, in particular glycogen synthesis and to a lesser extent glucose oxidation, and the ability of insulin to suppress lipid oxidation. In inherited insulin resistance, however, only insulin...

Transition edge sensor series array bolometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beyer, J, E-mail: joern.beyer@ptb.d [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Abbestrasse 2-12, D-10587 Berlin (Germany)

2010-10-15

A transition edge sensor series array (TES-SA) is an array of identical TESs that are connected in series by low-inductance superconducting wiring. The array elements are equally and well thermally coupled to the absorber and respond to changes in the absorber temperature in synchronization. The TES-SA total resistance increases compared to a single TES while the shape of the superconducting transition is preserved. We are developing a TES-SA with a large number, hundreds to thousands, of array elements with the goal of enabling the readout of a TES-based bolometer operated at 4.2 K with a semiconductor-based amplifier located at room temperature. The noise and dynamic performance of a TES-SA bolometer based on a niobium/aluminum bilayer is analyzed. It is shown that stable readout of the bolometer with a low-noise transimpedance amplifier is feasible.

Transition edge sensor series array bolometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyer, J

2010-01-01

A transition edge sensor series array (TES-SA) is an array of identical TESs that are connected in series by low-inductance superconducting wiring. The array elements are equally and well thermally coupled to the absorber and respond to changes in the absorber temperature in synchronization. The TES-SA total resistance increases compared to a single TES while the shape of the superconducting transition is preserved. We are developing a TES-SA with a large number, hundreds to thousands, of array elements with the goal of enabling the readout of a TES-based bolometer operated at 4.2 K with a semiconductor-based amplifier located at room temperature. The noise and dynamic performance of a TES-SA bolometer based on a niobium/aluminum bilayer is analyzed. It is shown that stable readout of the bolometer with a low-noise transimpedance amplifier is feasible.

Benzylidene/2-aminobenzylidene hydrazides: Synthesis, characterization and in vitro antimicrobial evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manav Malhotra

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this study a series of new mannich bases were synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectral (IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR studies. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity by broth dilution method against two Gram negative strains (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two Gram positive strains (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and fungal strain (Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Preliminary pharmacological evaluation revealed that the compounds (3f, 3i, 3j, and 3k showed good activity against these strains. The result demonstrates the potential and importance of developing new mannich bases which would be effective against resistant bacterial and fungal strain.

A Series Active Damper with Closed-loop Control for Stabilizing Single-phase Power-Electronics-Based Power System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Dapeng; Wang, Xiongfei; Bai, Haofeng

2016-01-01

resistance through detection and resonant controller, the series active damper can suppress the resonance with its external damping character in closed-loop damping character are carried out. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed series active damper....

Optimization study on inductive-resistive circuit for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Tan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The performance of cantilever-beam piezoelectric energy harvester is usually analyzed with pure resistive circuit. The optimal performance of such a vibration-based energy harvesting system is limited by narrow bandwidth around its modified natural frequency. For broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting, series and parallel inductive-resistive circuits are introduced. The electromechanical coupled distributed parameter models for such systems under harmonic base excitations are decoupled with modified natural frequency and electrical damping to consider the coupling effect. Analytical solutions of the harvested power and tip displacement for the electromechanical decoupled model are confirmed with numerical solutions for the coupled model. The optimal performance of piezoelectric energy harvesting with inductive-resistive circuits is revealed theoretically as constant maximal power at any excitation frequency. This is achieved by the scenarios of matching the modified natural frequency with the excitation frequency and equating the electrical damping to the mechanical damping. The inductance and load resistance should be simultaneously tuned to their optimal values, which may not be applicable for very high electromechanical coupling systems when the excitation frequency is higher than their natural frequencies. With identical optimal performance, the series inductive-resistive circuit is recommended for relatively small load resistance, while the parallel inductive-resistive circuit is suggested for relatively large load resistance. This study provides a simplified optimization method for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters with inductive-resistive circuits.

Optimization study on inductive-resistive circuit for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Ting; Yan, Zhimiao

2017-03-01

The performance of cantilever-beam piezoelectric energy harvester is usually analyzed with pure resistive circuit. The optimal performance of such a vibration-based energy harvesting system is limited by narrow bandwidth around its modified natural frequency. For broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting, series and parallel inductive-resistive circuits are introduced. The electromechanical coupled distributed parameter models for such systems under harmonic base excitations are decoupled with modified natural frequency and electrical damping to consider the coupling effect. Analytical solutions of the harvested power and tip displacement for the electromechanical decoupled model are confirmed with numerical solutions for the coupled model. The optimal performance of piezoelectric energy harvesting with inductive-resistive circuits is revealed theoretically as constant maximal power at any excitation frequency. This is achieved by the scenarios of matching the modified natural frequency with the excitation frequency and equating the electrical damping to the mechanical damping. The inductance and load resistance should be simultaneously tuned to their optimal values, which may not be applicable for very high electromechanical coupling systems when the excitation frequency is higher than their natural frequencies. With identical optimal performance, the series inductive-resistive circuit is recommended for relatively small load resistance, while the parallel inductive-resistive circuit is suggested for relatively large load resistance. This study provides a simplified optimization method for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters with inductive-resistive circuits.

2D resistivity imaging and magnetic survey for characterization of thermal springs: A case study of Gergedi thermal springs in the northwest of Wonji, Main Ethiopian Rift, Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulkadir, Yahya Ali; Eritro, Tigistu Haile

2017-09-01

Electrical resistivity imaging and magnetic surveys were carried out at Gergedi thermal springs, located in the Main Ethiopian Rift, to characterize the geothermal condition of the area. The area is geologically characterized by alluvial and lacustrine deposits, basaltic lava, ignimbrites, and rhyolites. The prominent structural feature in this part of the Main Ethiopian Rift, the SW -NE trending structures of the Wonji Fault Belt System, crosse over the study area. Three lines of imaging data and numerous magnetic data, encompassing the active thermal springs, were collected. Analysis of the geophysical data shows that the area is covered by low resistivity response regions at shallow depths which resulted from saline moisturized soil subsurface horizon. Relatively medium and high resistivity responses resulting from the weathered basalt, rhyolites, and ignimbrites are also mapped. Qualitative interpretation of the magnetic data shows the presence of structures that could act as pathways for heat and fluids manifesting as springs and also characterize the degree of thermal alteration of the area. Results from the investigations suggest that the Gergedi thermal springs area is controlled by fault systems oriented parallel and sub-parallel to the main tectonic lines of the Main Ethiopian Rift.

Methicillin-Susceptible, Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Brazil

OpenAIRE

Panesso , Diana; Planet , Paul J.; Diaz , Lorena; Hugonnet , Jean-Emannuel; Tran , Truc T.; Narechania , Apurva; Munita , José M.; Rincon , Sandra; Carvajal , Lina P.; Reyes , Jinnethe; Londono , Alejandra; Smith , Hannah; Sebra , Robert; Deikus , Gintaras; Weinstock , George M

2015-01-01

International audience; We report characterization of a methicillin-susceptible, vancomycin-resistant bloodstream isolate of Staphylococcus aureus recovered from a patient in Brazil. Emergence of vancomycin resistance in methicillin-susceptible S. aureus would indicate that this resistance trait might be poised to disseminate more rapidly among S. aureus and represents a major public health threat.

Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Lactobacillus Isolated from Traditional Dairy Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Huiling; Pan, Lin; Li, Lina; Lu, Jie; Kwok, Laiyu; Menghe, Bilige; Zhang, Heping; Zhang, Wenyi

2017-03-01

Lactobacilli are widely used as starter cultures or probiotics in yoghurt, cheese, beer, wine, pickles, preserved food, and silage. They are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). However, recent studies have shown that some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains carry antibiotic resistance genes and are resistant to antibiotics. Some of them may even transfer their intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes to other LAB or pathogens via horizontal gene transfer, thus threatening human health. A total of 33 Lactobacillus strains was isolated from fermented milk collected from different areas of China. We analyzed (1) their levels of antibiotic resistance using a standardized dilution method, (2) their antibiotic resistance gene profiles by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using gene-specific primers, and (3) the transferability of some of the detected resistance markers by a filter mating assay. All Lactobacillus strains were found to be resistant to vancomycin, but susceptible to gentamicin, linezolid, neomycin, erythromycin, and clindamycin. Their susceptibilities to tetracycline, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, trimethoprim, ampicillin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol was different. Results from our PCR analysis revealed 19 vancomycin, 10 ciprofloxacin, and 1 tetracycline-resistant bacteria that carried the van(X), van(E), gyr(A), and tet(M) genes, respectively. Finally, no transferal of the monitored antibiotic resistance genes was observed in the filter mating assay. Taken together, our study generated the antibiotic resistance profiles of some milk-originated lactobacilli isolates and preliminarily assessed their risk of transferring antibiotic gene to other bacteria. The study may provide important data concerning the safe use of LAB. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Phenological Characterization of Desert Sky Island Vegetation Communities with Remotely Sensed and Climate Time Series Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart E. Marsh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Climate change and variability are expected to impact the synchronicity and interactions between the Sonoran Desert and the forested sky islands which represent steep biological and environmental gradients. The main objectives were to examine how well satellite greenness time series data and derived phenological metrics (e.g., season start, peak greenness can characterize specific vegetation communities across an elevation gradient, and to examine the interactions between climate and phenological metrics for each vegetation community. We found that representative vegetation types (11, varying between desert scrub, mesquite, grassland, mixed oak, juniper and pine, often had unique seasonal and interannual phenological trajectories and spatial patterns. Satellite derived land surface phenometrics (11 for each of the vegetation communities along the cline showed numerous distinct significant relationships in response to temperature (4 and precipitation (7 metrics. Satellite-derived sky island vegetation phenology can help assess and monitor vegetation dynamics and provide unique indicators of climate variability and patterns of change.

Characterization of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium isolates from humans, chickens and pigs by RiboPrinting and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammerum, Anette Marie; Fussing, Vivian; Aarestrup, Frank Møller

2000-01-01

Forty-eight vancomycin-resistant and 35 vancomycin-sensitive Danish Enterococcus faecium isolates obtained from pigs, chickens and humans, as well as the human vanA reference isolate BM4147, were characterized by EcoRI RiboPrinting and Smal pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RiboPrinting of the 84...

Evaluation of a series of 2-napthamide derivatives as inhibitors of the drug efflux pump AcrB for the reversal of antimicrobial resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yinhu; Mowla, Rumana; Guo, Liwei; Ogunniyi, Abiodun D; Rahman, Taufiq; De Barros Lopes, Miguel A; Ma, Shutao; Venter, Henrietta

2017-02-15

Drug efflux pumps confer multidrug resistance to dangerous pathogens which makes these pumps important drug targets. We have synthesised a novel series of compounds based on a 2-naphthamide pharmacore aimed at inhibiting the efflux pumps from Gram-negative bacteria. The archeatypical transporter AcrB from Escherichia coli was used as model efflux pump as AcrB is widely conserved throughout Gram-negative organisms. The compounds were tested for their antibacterial action, ability to potentiate the action of antibiotics and for their ability to inhibit Nile Red efflux by AcrB. None of the compounds were antimicrobial against E. coli wild type cells. Most of the compounds were able to inhibit Nile Red efflux indicating that they are substrates of the AcrB efflux pump. Three compounds were able to synergise with antibiotics and reverse resistance in the resistant phenotype. Compound A3, 4-(isopentyloxy)-2-naphthamide, reduced the MICs of erythromycin and chloramphenicol to the MIC levels of the drug sensitive strain that lacks an efflux pump. A3 had no effect on the MIC of the non-substrate rifampicin indicating that this compound acts specifically through the AcrB efflux pump. A3 also does not act through non-specific mechanisms such as outer membrane or inner membrane permeabilisation and is not cytotoxic against mammalian cell lines. Therefore, we have designed and synthesised a novel chemical compound with great potential to further optimisation as inhibitor of drug efflux pumps. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multifractal analysis of visibility graph-based Ito-related connectivity time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Czechowski, Zbigniew; Lovallo, Michele; Telesca, Luciano

2016-02-01

In this study, we investigate multifractal properties of connectivity time series resulting from the visibility graph applied to normally distributed time series generated by the Ito equations with multiplicative power-law noise. We show that multifractality of the connectivity time series (i.e., the series of numbers of links outgoing any node) increases with the exponent of the power-law noise. The multifractality of the connectivity time series could be due to the width of connectivity degree distribution that can be related to the exit time of the associated Ito time series. Furthermore, the connectivity time series are characterized by persistence, although the original Ito time series are random; this is due to the procedure of visibility graph that, connecting the values of the time series, generates persistence but destroys most of the nonlinear correlations. Moreover, the visibility graph is sensitive for detecting wide "depressions" in input time series.

Digital front-end module (DFEM) series; Digital front end module (DFEM) series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The digital front-end module (DFEM) is a module in which the processes ranging from the reception of digitally modulated radiofrequencies to the output of digital IF (Intermediate Frequency) signals or data streams are integrated. Beginning with a module for the MCNS (Multimedia Cable Network System) cable modem which was the first module in this business field approved by the Cable Labs, U.S., Toshiba has developed a series of DFEMs for various digital media for satellites, ground waves, and CATV (Cable Television) systems. The series is characterized by (1) the serialization of DFEMs compatible with various digital modulation techniques such as 8 PSK (Phase Shift Keying), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), and 256 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), (2) easy connection with digital circuits thanks to the high shielding effect, and (3) the achievement of smaller size, higher performance, and lower power consumption. (translated by NEDO)

Anomaly effects of arrays for 3d geoelectrical resistivity imaging ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

The effectiveness of using a net of orthogonal or parallel sets of two-dimensional (2D) profiles for three- dimensional (3D) geoelectrical resistivity imaging has been evaluated. A series of 2D apparent resistivity data were generated over two synthetic models which represent geological or environmental conditions for a ...

Characterization of novel bacteriophage phiC119 capable of lysing multidrug-resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Amarillas

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC is one of the most common and widely distributed foodborne pathogens that has been frequently implicated in gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. Moreover, high rates of multiple antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains have been reported worldwide. Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, bacteriophages are considered an attractive alternative to biocontrol pathogenic bacteria. Characterization is a preliminary step towards designing a phage for biocontrol. Methods In this study, we describe the characterization of a bacteriophage designated phiC119, which can infect and lyse several multidrug-resistant STEC strains and some Salmonella strains. The phage genome was screened to detect the stx-genes using PCR, morphological analysis, host range was determined, and genome sequencing were carried out, as well as an analysis of the cohesive ends and identification of the type of genetic material through enzymatic digestion of the genome. Results Analysis of the bacteriophage particles by transmission electron microscopy showed that it had an icosahedral head and a long tail, characteristic of the family Siphoviridae. The phage exhibits broad host range against multidrug-resistant and highly virulent E. coli isolates. One-step growth experiments revealed that the phiC119 phage presented a large burst size (210 PFU/cell and a latent period of 20 min. Based on genomic analysis, the phage contains a linear double-stranded DNA genome with a size of 47,319 bp. The phage encodes 75 putative proteins, but lysogeny and virulence genes were not found in the phiC119 genome. Conclusion These results suggest that phage phiC119 may be a good biological control agent. However, further studies are required to ensure its control of STEC and to confirm the safety of phage use.

Probing genetic diversity to characterize red rot resistance in sugarcane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumtaz, A S; Dure-e-Nayab,; Iqbal, M J; Shinwari, Z.K., E-mail: asmumtaz@qau.edu.pk

2011-10-15

Genetic diversity was assessed in a set of twelve sugarcane genotypes using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). A total of thirty-two oligo-primers were employed, sixteen of them revealed amplification at 149 loci, out of which 136 were polymorphic. The genotype SPSG-26 showed the highest number of polymorphic loci, followed by CSSG-668 and HSF-242. Pairwise genetic similarity ranged from 67.2% to 83.3%. The UPGMA cluster analysis resolved most of the accessions in two groups. The clustering pattern did not place all resistant varieties in one or related group which depict diverse resistance source in the present set of sugarcane varieties. Ten primers revealed genotype specific bands among which four primers (K07, H02, K10 and F01) produced multiple genotype specific bands that aid genotype identification especially those with red rot resistance. The present study not only provided information on the genetic diversity among the genotypes but also revealed the potential of RAPD-PCR markers for genotype identification and therefore could be utilized in marker assisted selection for red rot resistance in sugarcane. (author)

Characterization of antibiotic resistant and pathogenic Escherichia coli in irrigation water and vegetables in household farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Susana; A T Silva, Isabel; Tacão, Marta; Patinha, Carla; Alves, Artur; Henriques, Isabel

2017-09-18

This study aimed to characterize Escherichia coli present in irrigation water and vegetables from 16 household farms. Isolates were obtained from 50% of water (n=210 isolates) and 38% of vegetable samples (n=239). Phylogroups B1 (56% of isolates) and A (22%) were the most prevalent both in water and vegetables. Diarrheagenic strains were detected in vegetables. Irrespective of the source (i.e. water or vegetables), the most common antibiotic resistance was against streptomycin (89% resistant isolates) and tetracycline (24%). Common acquired genes (e.g. bla TEM , tetA, tetB) were found in isolates from both sources. Class I integrons were detected in water (arrays dfrA1-aadA1 and dfr16-blaP1b-aadA2-ereA) and vegetables (unknown arrays). intI2 was detected in water (dfrA1-sat2-aadA1). Plasmids were detected in 14 isolates (IncFIC, IncFIB, IncFrep, IncI1 in both samples; IncY in vegetables). Plasmids from seven isolates were transferrable by conjugation, conferring resistance to antibiotics to the recipient strain. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were isolated from water (12% of the unique isolates) and vegetables (21%). Predominant sequence types (STs) among MDR isolates were ST10, ST297 and ST2522. In some cases, the same STs and identical clones (as showed by rep-PCR typing) were detected in water and vegetables, suggesting cross-contamination. This study identified several risk factors in E. coli isolates from vegetables and irrigation water, raising health concerns. Also, results suggest that irrigation groundwater constitutes a source of E. coli that may enter the food chain through vegetables ingestion. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance Gene Abundance and Microbiota Composition in Feces of Organic and Conventional Pigs from Four EU Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerzova, Lenka; Babak, Vladimir; Sedlar, Karel; Faldynova, Marcela; Videnska, Petra; Cejkova, Darina; Jensen, Annette Nygaard; Denis, Martine; Kerouanton, Annaelle; Ricci, Antonia; Cibin, Veronica; Österberg, Julia; Rychlik, Ivan

2015-01-01

One of the recent trends in animal production is the revival of interest in organic farming. The increased consumer interest in organic animal farming is mainly due to concerns about animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in conventional farming. On the other hand, providing animals with a more natural lifestyle implies their increased exposure to environmental sources of different microorganisms including pathogens. To address these concerns, we determined the abundance of antibiotic resistance and diversity within fecal microbiota in pigs kept under conventional and organic farming systems in Sweden, Denmark, France and Italy. The abundance of sul1, sul2, strA, tet(A), tet(B) and cat antibiotic resistance genes was determined in 468 samples by real-time PCR and the fecal microbiota diversity was characterized in 48 selected samples by pyrosequencing of V3/V4 regions of 16S rRNA. Contrary to our expectations, there were no extensive differences between the abundance of tested antibiotic resistance genes in microbiota originating from organic or conventionally housed pigs within individual countries. There were also no differences in the microbiota composition of organic and conventional pigs. The only significant difference was the difference in the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in the samples from different countries. Fecal microbiota in the samples originating from southern European countries (Italy, France) exhibited significantly higher antibiotic resistance gene abundance than those from northern parts of Europe (Denmark, Sweden). Therefore, the geographical location of the herd influenced the antibiotic resistance in the fecal microbiota more than farm's status as organic or conventional.

Identification and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus pettenkoferi from a small animal clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Sonja; Kadlec, Kristina; Fessler, Andrea T; Schwarz, Stefan

2013-12-27

The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) in a small animal clinic and to investigate their distribution and possible transmission. Swabs (n=72) were taken from hospitalized pets, the environment and employees of a small animal clinic and screened for the presence of MRS. The staphylococcal species was confirmed biochemically or by 16S rDNA sequencing. Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was tested by broth dilution. The presence of mecA and other resistance genes was confirmed by PCR. Molecular typing of the isolates followed standard procedures. In total, 34 MRS belonging to the four species Staphylococcus aureus (n=5), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=21), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n=6) or Staphylococcus pettenkoferi (n=2) were isolated. All isolates were multidrug-resistant with resistance to at least three classes of antimicrobial agents. Among the five methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates, four belonged to the clonal complex CC398; two of them were isolated from cats, the remaining two from pet cages. Overall, the MRS isolates differed in their characteristics, except for one S. epidermidis clone (n=9) isolated from hospitalized cats without clinical staphylococcal infections, pet cages, the clinic environment as well as from a healthy employee. This MRSE clone was resistant to 10 classes of antimicrobial agents, including aminocyclitols, β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, lincosamides, macrolides, phenicols, pleuromutilins, sulfonamides, tetracyclines and trimethoprim. These findings suggest a possible transmission of specific MRS isolates between animal patients, employees and the clinic environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Caracterização fenotípica e molecular de genitores de feijão tipo carioca quanto à resistência a patógenos Phenotypic and molecular characterization of genitors of carioca-type common bean regarding their resistance to pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Lasaro Pereira de Melo

2008-04-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi a caracterização fenotípica e molecular de 31 genótipos de feijão do tipo carioca, quanto à resistência aos patógenos da antracnose, ferrugem e mancha-angular. Foram realizadas inoculações com 13 patótipos de Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, dois de Uromyces appendiculatus e sete de Pseudocercospora griseola. Na caracterização molecular, foram utilizados cinco marcadores moleculares previamente identificados, ligados a diferentes alelos de resistência aos patógenos. Sete genótipos apresentaram resistência a 12 patótipos de C. lindemuthianum. Nove genótipos apresentaram resistência a cinco patótipos de P. griseola. Dez genótipos foram resistentes aos patótipos de U. appendiculatus. As linhagens VC 2, VC 3 e VC 5, além da Rudá-R (linhagem piramidada com cinco genes que conferem resistência a alguns patótipos de antracnose, ferrugem e mancha-angular, foram as que se destacaram quanto à resistência múltipla aos patógenos acima citados. Foi detectado polimorfismo molecular entre a maioria dos genótipos com a Rudá-R, o que indica a possibilidade de uso dos marcadores moleculares SCARF10, SCARY20, SCARAZ20, SCARH13 e OPX11.The present study aimed at the phenotypic and molecular characterization of 31 genotypes of the carioca-type common bean regarding the resistance to anthracnose, rust and angular leaf spot (ALS pathogens. Thirteen pathotypes of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, two of Uromyces appendiculatus and seven of Pseudocercospora griseola were inoculated. In the molecular characterization, five molecular markers, identified in advance, and linked to the different alleles of pathogens' resistance, were used. Seven genotypes showed resistance to 12 pathotypes of C. lindemuthianum. Nine genotypes presented resistance to five pathotypes of P. griseola. Ten genotypes were resistant to the pathotypes of U. appendiculatus. The lines VC 2, VC 3 and VC 5, besides Rudá-R (line pyramided with five

Inheritance of Cry1F resistance, cross-resistance and frequency of resistant alleles in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Vélez, A M; Spencer, T A; Alves, A P; Moellenbeck, D; Meagher, R L; Chirakkal, H; Siegfried, B D

2013-12-01

Transgenic maize, Zea maize L., expressing the Cry1F protein from Bacillus thuringiensis has been registered for Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) control since 2003. Unexpected damage to Cry1F maize was reported in 2006 in Puerto Rico and Cry1F resistance in S. frugiperda was documented. The inheritance of Cry1F resistance was characterized in a S. frugiperda resistant strain originating from Puerto Rico, which displayed >289-fold resistance to purified Cry1F. Concentration-response bioassays of reciprocal crosses of resistant and susceptible parental populations indicated that resistance is recessive and autosomal. Bioassays of the backcross of the F1 generation crossed with the resistant parental strain suggest that a single locus is responsible for resistance. In addition, cross-resistance to Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ba, Cry2Aa and Vip3Aa was assessed in the Cry1F-resistant strain. There was no significant cross-resistance to Cry1Aa, Cry1Ba and Cry2Aa, although only limited effects were observed in the susceptible strain. Vip3Aa was highly effective against susceptible and resistant insects indicating no cross-resistance with Cry1F. In contrast, low levels of cross-resistance were observed for both Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac. Because the resistance is recessive and conferred by a single locus, an F1 screening assay was used to measure the frequency of Cry1F-resistant alleles from populations of Florida and Texas in 2010 and 2011. A total frequency of resistant alleles of 0.13 and 0.02 was found for Florida and Texas populations, respectively, indicating resistant alleles could be found in US populations, although there have been no reports of reduced efficacy of Cry1F-expressing plants.

Experimental determination of fuel-cladding thermal contact resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maglic, K.; Zivotic, Z.

1968-01-01

Thermal resistance of the UO 2 fuel - Zr-2 cladding was measure by the same experimental apparatus which was used for measuring the thermal conductivity of ceramic fuel. Thermal resistance was measure for a series of heat flux values and the dependence of thermal resistance on the flux is given within in the range from 0.66 W/cm 2 to 13.3 W/cm 2 . The temperature drop on the contact surface was between 39 deg C and 181.7 deg C, proportional to the increase of the heat flux [sr

Molecular characterization of resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): function of a new phosphorylated form of Ku70

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, Lina

2013-01-01

We have identified a new form of phospho-S27-S33-Ku70 constitutively over expressed in a subset of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells resistant to apoptosis induced by DNA double strand breaks (DSB). Ku70 is one of the essential proteins involved in the maintenance of genomic stability through its role in DNA double strand break repair (non-homologous end-joining, NHEJ) and in telomeric protection. Laboratory previously established that resistant CLL cells disclose an up-regulated NHEJ DNA repair and an impaired structure of telomeres. The goal of this thesis was to characterize the biological function(s) of this new form of Ku70. For this purpose we have constructed specific EBV-based vectors (siRNA / cDNA) enabling a simultaneous inhibition of endogenous Ku70 and an expression of different forms (mutated, wild, phospho-mimetic at ser27-33) of Ku70 resistant to siRNA. Thus, we showed: i) a strict co-localisation of phospho-Ku70 with γ-H2AX foci; ii) that DSB induces the phosphorylation of Ku70 within minutes after genotoxic stress in heterodimer complex Ku70/Ku80. This phosphorylation necessitates both the physical interaction and the activity of pS2056-DNA-PKcs and/or ATM, linking phospho-Ku70 to NHEJ-mediated DNA DSB repair; iii) cells expressing mutated A27-A33-Ku70 exhibit a delayed G2/M cell cycle arrest, slower kinetic of DNA repair, lower level of genotoxic stress-induced chromosomal aberrations, and a higher cellular impedance correlated with translocation of transcriptional factor β-catenin from cytoplasmic membrane to the nucleus. Together, these data unveil an involvement of phospho-Ku70 in fast and inaccurate DNA repair; new paradigm for NHEJ regulation and to the control of resistance and maintenance of malignant cells.In parallel, we have initiated experimental approaches to explore other potential roles of phospho-Ku70. Especially, we were interested to determine whether it could play a role in an initiation of cell senescence induced by

Characterizing and estimating noise in InSAR and InSAR time series with MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhart, William D.; Lohman, Rowena B.

2013-01-01

InSAR time series analysis is increasingly used to image subcentimeter displacement rates of the ground surface. The precision of InSAR observations is often affected by several noise sources, including spatially correlated noise from the turbulent atmosphere. Under ideal scenarios, InSAR time series techniques can substantially mitigate these effects; however, in practice the temporal distribution of InSAR acquisitions over much of the world exhibit seasonal biases, long temporal gaps, and insufficient acquisitions to confidently obtain the precisions desired for tectonic research. Here, we introduce a technique for constraining the magnitude of errors expected from atmospheric phase delays on the ground displacement rates inferred from an InSAR time series using independent observations of precipitable water vapor from MODIS. We implement a Monte Carlo error estimation technique based on multiple (100+) MODIS-based time series that sample date ranges close to the acquisitions times of the available SAR imagery. This stochastic approach allows evaluation of the significance of signals present in the final time series product, in particular their correlation with topography and seasonality. We find that topographically correlated noise in individual interferograms is not spatially stationary, even over short-spatial scales (<10 km). Overall, MODIS-inferred displacements and velocities exhibit errors of similar magnitude to the variability within an InSAR time series. We examine the MODIS-based confidence bounds in regions with a range of inferred displacement rates, and find we are capable of resolving velocities as low as 1.5 mm/yr with uncertainties increasing to ∼6 mm/yr in regions with higher topographic relief.

Antiplasmodial activity of a series of 1,3,5-triazine-substituted polyamines

OpenAIRE

Klenke, Burkhard; Barrett, Michael P.; Brun, Reto; Gilbert, Ian H.

2017-01-01

Polyamine biosynthesis and function has been shown to be a good drug target in some parasitic protozoa and it is proposed that the pathway might also represent a target in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. A series of 1,3,5-triazine-substituted polyamine analogues were tested for activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. The series showed activity against the parasites and were generally more active against the chloroquine-resistant line K1 than the chloroquine-susceptible li...

Characterization of radiation-resistant vegetative bacteria in beef

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welch, A.B.; Maxcy, R.B.

1975-01-01

Ground beef contains numerous microorganisms of various types. The commonly recognized bacteria are associated with current problems of spoilage. Irradiation, however, contributes a new factor through selective destruction of the microflora. The residual microorganisms surviving a nonsterilizing dose are predominantly gram-negative coccobacilli. Various classifications have been given, e.g., Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Achromobacter, etc. For a more detailed study of these radiation-resistant bacteria occurring in ground beef, an enrichment procedure was used for isolation. By means of morphological and biochemical tests, most of the isolates were found to be Moraxella, based on current classifications. The range of growth temperatures was from 2 to 50 C. These bacteria were relatively heat sensitive, e.g., D 10 of 5.4 min at 70 0 C or less. The radiation resistance ranged from D 10 values of 273 to 2,039 krad. Thus, some were more resistant than any presently recognized spores. A reference culture of Moraxella osloensis was irradiated under conditions comparable to the enrichment procedure used with the ground beef. The only apparent changes were in morphology and penicillin sensitivity. However, after a few subcultures these bacteria reverted to the characteristics of the parent strain. Thus, it is apparent that these isolates are a part of the normal flora of ground beef and not aberrant forms arising from the irradiation procedure. The significance, if any, of these bacteria is not presently recognized. (auth)

Physico-chemical characterization of banana varieties resistant to black leaf streak disease for industrial purposes

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Rossana Catie Bueno de Godoy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Cultivated bananas have very low genetic diversity making them vulnerable to diseases such as black-Sigatoka leaf spot. However, the decision to adopt a new banana variety needs to be based on a robust evaluation of agronomical and physical-chemical characteristics. Here, we characterize new banana varieties resistant to black-Sigatoka leaf spot and compare them to the most widely used traditional variety (Grand Naine. Each variety was evaluated for a range of physic-chemical attributes associated with industrial processing and flavor: pH, TTA, TSS/TTA, total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars, humidity, total solids and yield. The Thap Maeo variety had the highest potential as a substitute for the Grand Naine variety, having higher levels of total soluble solids, reducing sugars, total sugars and humidity. The Caipira and FHIA 2 varieties also performed well in comparison with the Grand Naine variety. Cluster analysis indicated that the Grand Naine variety was closely associated with varieties from the Gross Michel subgroup (Bucaneiro, Ambrosia and Calipso and the Caipira variety, all of which come from the same AAA genomic group. It was concluded that several of the new resistant varieties could potentially substitute the traditional variety in areas affected by black-Sigatoka leaf spot disease.

Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Vetrayan, Jayachandran; Othman, Suhana; Victor Paulraj, Smily Jesu Priya

2017-01-01

To assess the effectiveness and feasibility of behavioral sleep intervention for medicated children with ADHD. Six medicated children (five boys, one girl; aged 6-12 years) with ADHD participated in a 4-week sleep intervention program. The main behavioral strategies used were Faded Bedtime With Response Cost (FBRC) and positive reinforcement. Within a case-series design, objective measure (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children [SDSC]) and subjective measure (sleep diaries) were used to record changes in children's sleep. For all six children, significant decrease was found in the severity of children's sleep problems (based on SDSC data). Bedtime resistance and mean sleep onset latency were reduced following the 4-week intervention program according to sleep diaries data. Gains were generally maintained at the follow-up. Parents perceived the intervention as being helpful. Based on the initial data, this intervention shows promise as an effective and feasible treatment.

Surveillance programs for detection and characterization of emergent pathogens and antimicrobial resistance: results from the Division of Infectious Diseases, UNIFESP.

Science.gov (United States)

Colombo, Arnaldo L; Janini, Mario; Salomão, Reinaldo; Medeiros, Eduardo A S; Wey, Sergio B; Pignatari, Antonio C C

2009-09-01

Several epidemiological changes have occurred in the pattern of nosocomial and community acquired infectious diseases during the past 25 years. Social and demographic changes possibly related to this phenomenon include a rapid population growth, the increase in urban migration and movement across international borders by tourists and immigrants, alterations in the habitats of animals and arthropods that transmit disease, as well as the raise of patients with impaired host defense abilities. Continuous surveillance programs of emergent pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are warranted for detecting in real time new pathogens, as well as to characterize molecular mechanisms of resistance. In order to become more effective, surveillance programs of emergent pathogens should be organized as a multicenter laboratory network connected to the main public and private infection control centers. Microbiological data should be integrated to guide therapy, adapting therapy to local ecology and resistance patterns. This paper presents an overview of data generated by the Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo, along with its participation in different surveillance programs of nosocomial and community acquired infectious diseases.

Characterization of Contaminant Transport using Naturally-Occurring U-Series Disequilibria - Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murrell, Michael T.; Ku, Teh-Lung

2001-01-01

The interactions of mixed wastes containing radionuclides with solid rock surface and the mobility of the radionuclides in aquifer systems depend not only on the chemistry of the nuclides and the physico-chemical effects of radioactive decay, but also on the site-specific hydrogeology. Thus, to characterize contaminant transport, it is best to cross-check figures derived from any small-scale laboratory experiments over limited times with that obtained from field-oriented, natural analog studies. We propose such a study using the naturally-occurring U and Th decay-series disequilibria. The work of ours and other researchers have shown that the parent/daughter disequilibrium patterns existing in groundwater systems can be modeled in terms of local nuclide mass balance to arrive at such information as the rock-water contact time (fluid flow) and rates of contaminant transport, taking into account the retardation effect due to nuclide/rock interaction contaminants at INEL by grouping them into three categories, represented by isotopes of (1) Th and Pa, (2) U and (3) Ra. Mass spectrometric measurements of these elements will be emphasized in order to minimize sample size requirements and to maximize precision. Results will form the data base for a model code for computing: (1) Fluid residence time (transport rates) in the basalt aquifers at various locations, (2) The in-situ adsorption and desorption rate constants, as well as the retardation factors, of various radionuclide wastes, and (3) Rock dissolution rate and its relation to preferential flow and contamination transport in the fractured rock

Synthesis and Characterization of Cefotaxime Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles and Their Use to Target Drug-Resistant CTX-M-Producing Bacterial Pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Sibhghatulla; Rizvi, Syed Mohd Danish; Shakil, Shazi; Hussain, Talib; Alshammari, Thamir M; Ahmad, Waseem; Tabrez, Shams; Al-Qahtani, Mohammad H; Abuzenadah, Adel M

2017-09-01

Multidrug-resistance due to "β lactamases having the expanded spectrum" (ESBLs) in members of Enterobacteriaceae is a matter of continued clinical concern. CTX-M is among the most common ESBLs in Enterobacteriaceae family. In the present study, a nanoformulation of cefotaxime was prepared using gold nanoparticles to combat drug-resistance in ESBL producing strains. Here, two CTX-M-15 positive cefotaxime resistant bacterial strains (i.e., one Escherichia coli and one Klebsiella pneumoniae strain) were used for testing the efficacy of "cefotaxime loaded gold-nanoparticles." Bromelain was used for both reduction and capping in the process of synthesis of gold-nanoparticles. Thereafter, cefotaxime was conjugated onto it with the help of activator 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide. For characterization of both unconjugated and cefotaxime conjugated gold nanoparticles; UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning, and Transmission type Electron Microscopy methods accompanied with Dynamic Light Scattering were used. We used agar diffusion method plus microbroth-dilution method for the estimation of the antibacterial-activity and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration or MIC values, respectively. MIC values of cefotaxime loaded gold nanoparticles against E. coli and K. pneumoniae were obtained as 1.009 and 2.018 mg/L, respectively. These bacterial strains were completely resistant to cefotaxime alone. These results reinforce the utility of conjugating an old unresponsive antibiotic with gold nanoparticles to restore its efficacy against otherwise resistant bacterial pathogens. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2802-2808, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic characterization of antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative staphylococci from bovine mastitis milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Yvonne; Rodriguez, Joan Peña; Thomann, Andreas; Schwendener, Sybille; Perreten, Vincent

2013-04-01

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS; n=417) were isolated from bovine milk and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Nineteen different species were identified, and Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus sciuri were the most prevalent species. Resistance to oxacillin (47.0% of the isolates), fusidic acid (33.8%), tiamulin (31.9%), penicillin (23.3%), tetracycline (15.8%), streptomycin (9.6%), erythromycin (7.0%), sulfonamides (5%), trimethoprim (4.3%), clindamycin (3.4%), kanamycin (2.4%), and gentamicin (2.4%) was detected. Resistance to oxacillin was attributed to the mecA gene in 9.7% of the oxacillin-resistant isolates. The remaining oxacillin-resistant CNS did not contain the mecC gene or mecA1 promoter mutations. The mecA gene was detected in Staphylococcus fleurettii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staph. haemolyticus, and Staph. xylosus. Resistance to tetracycline was attributed to the presence of tet(K) and tet(L), penicillin resistance to blaZ, streptomycin resistance to str and ant(6)-Ia, and erythromycin resistance to erm(C), erm(B), and msr. Resistance to tiamulin and fusidic acid could not be attributed to an acquired resistance gene. In total, 15.1% of the CNS isolates were multidrug resistant (i.e., resistant to 2 or more antimicrobials). The remaining CNS isolates were susceptible to antimicrobials commonly used in mastitis treatment. Methicillin-resistant CNS isolates were diverse, as determined by mecA gene sequence analysis, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Arginine catabolic mobile element types 1 and 3 were detected in both methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staph. epidermidis and were associated with sequence types ST59 and ST111. Because this study revealed the presence of multidrug-resistant CNS in a heterogeneous CNS population, we recommend antibiogram analysis

Characterization of microstructural strengthening in the heat-affected zone of a blast-resistant naval steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu Xinghua, E-mail: yu.345@osu.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States); Caron, Jeremy L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States)] [Welding and Joining Metallurgy Group, Welding Engineering Program, 1248 Arthur E. Adams Drive, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States); Babu, S.S., E-mail: babu.13@osu.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States) and Welding and Joining Metallurgy Group, Welding Engineering Program, 1248 Arthur E. Adams Drive, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States); Lippold, John C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States)] [Welding and Joining Metallurgy Group, Welding Engineering Program, 1248 Arthur E. Adams Drive, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States); Isheim, Dieter; Seidman, David N. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 North Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)] [Northwestern University Center for Atom-Probe Tomography, 2220 North Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)

2010-10-15

The influence of simulated heat-affected zone thermal cycles on the microstructural evolution in a blast-resistant naval steel was investigated by dilatometry, microhardness testing, optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and atom-probe tomography (APT) techniques. Coarsening of Cu precipitates were observed in the subcritical and intercritical heat-affected zones, with partial dissolution in the latter. A small number density of Cu precipitates and high Cu concentration in the matrix of the fine-grained heat-affected zone indicates the onset of Cu precipitate dissolution. Cu clustering in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone indicated the potential initiation of Cu reprecipitation during cooling. Segregation of Cu was also characterized by APT. The hardening and softening observed in the heat-affected zone regions was rationalized using available strengthening models.

Isolation And Partial Characterization Of Bacteria Activity Associated With Gorgonian Euplexaura sp. Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiana, R.; Ayuningrum, D.; Asagabaldan, M. A.; Nuryadi, H.; Sabdono, A.; Radjasa, O. K.; Trianto, A.

2017-02-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has emerged in around the world and has been resistance to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin. The aims of this study were to isolate, to investigate and to characterize bacterial symbionts gorgonian having activity against MRSA. Euplexaura sp. was collected from Panjang Island, Jepara, Indonesia by snorkling 2-5 m in depth. Bacterias were isolated by using spesific media with dilution method. Bacterias were conducted by using the streak method. Antibacterial activity was investigated by overlay method. The potent bacteria was identified by using molecular identification (DNA extraction, electrophoresis, PCR and phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA genes with actinobacteria-spesific primers) and bio-chemical test (among 5 isolated bacteria from gorgonian showed activity against MRSA). The strain PG-344 was the best candidat that has an inhibition zone against MRSA. The result of sequencing bacteria is 100% closely related with Virgibacillus salarius. This becomes a potential new bioactive compounds to against MRSA that can be a new drug discovery.

Multi length-scale characterisation inorganic materials series

CERN Document Server

Bruce, Duncan W; Walton, Richard I

2013-01-01

Whereas the first five volumes in the Inorganic Materials Series focused on particular classes of materials (synthesis, structures, chemistry, and properties), it is now very timely to provide complementary volumes that introduce and review state-of-the-art techniques for materials characterization. This is an important way of emphasizing the interplay of chemical synthesis and physical characterization. The methods reviewed include spectroscopic, diffraction, and surface techniques that examine the structure of materials on all length scales, from local atomic structure to long-range crystall

Characterization of the Brazilian endemic clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA from hospitals throughout Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geraldo A. Oliveira

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to characterize patterns of the Brazilian endemic clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA from hospitals throughout Brazil. We studied 83 MRSA strains isolated from patients hospitalized in 27 public and private hospitals in 19 cities located in 14 Brazilian states from September, 1995, to June, 1997. The MRSA strains were typed using antibiograms, bacteriophage typing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE. The analysis of genomic DNA by PFGE showed that 65 isolates presented the same PFGE pattern. This pattern was present in all of the hospitals studied indicating the presence of an endemic MRSA clone widely disseminated throughout Brazilian hospitals (BEC. All isolates belonging to the BEC proved to be resistant to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, and tetracycline. Variable susceptibility to these drugs was found only in isolates belonging to clones other than the BEC. The results show that, among MRSA, the BEC is common in Brazil. The best method for mapping changes in the frequency of this clone among MRSA is pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Use of molecular mapping is an important tool for monitoring the spread of potentially dangerous microbes.

Fundamentals of EUV resist-inorganic hardmask interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Dario L.; Glodde, Martin; De Silva, Anuja; Sheshadri, Indira; Felix, Nelson M.; Lionti, Krystelle; Magbitang, Teddie

2017-03-01

High resolution Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) patterning is currently limited by EUV resist thickness and pattern collapse, thus impacting the faithful image transfer into the underlying stack. Such limitation requires the investigation of improved hardmasks (HMs) as etch transfer layers for EUV patterning. Ultrathin (<5nm) inorganic HMs can provide higher etch selectivity, lower post-etch LWR, decreased defectivity and wet strippability compared to spin-on hybrid HMs (e.g., SiARC), however such novel layers can induce resist adhesion failure and resist residue. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of EUV resist-inorganic HM interactions is needed in order to optimize the EUV resist interfacial behavior. In this paper, novel materials and processing techniques are introduced to characterize and improve the EUV resist-inorganic HM interface. HM surface interactions with specific EUV resist components are evaluated for open-source experimental resist formulations dissected into its individual additives using EUV contrast curves as an effective characterization method to determine post-development residue formation. Separately, an alternative adhesion promoter platform specifically tailored for a selected ultrathin inorganic HM based on amorphous silicon (aSi) is presented and the mitigation of resist delamination is exemplified for the cases of positive-tone and negative-tone development (PTD, NTD). Additionally, original wafer priming hardware for the deposition of such novel adhesion promoters is unveiled. The lessons learned in this work can be directly applied to the engineering of EUV resist materials and processes specifically designed to work on such novel HMs.

Characterization of a Staphylococcus aureus surface virulence factor that promotes resistance to oxidative killing and infectious endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Malachowa, Natalia; Kohler, Petra L; Schlievert, Patrick M; Chuang, Olivia N; Dunny, Gary M; Kobayashi, Scott D; Miedzobrodzki, Jacek; Bohach, Gregory A; Seo, Keun Seok

2011-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent human pathogen and a leading cause of community- and hospital-acquired bacterial infections worldwide. Herein, we describe the identification and characterization of the S. aureus 67.6-kDa hypothetical protein, named for the surface factor promoting resistance to oxidative killing (SOK) in this study. Sequence analysis showed that the SOK gene is conserved in all sequenced S. aureus strains and homologous to the myosin cross-reactive antigen of Streptococcus pyogenes. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analysis showed that SOK was copurified with membrane fractions and was exposed on the surface of S. aureus Newman and RN4220. Comparative analysis of wild-type S. aureus and an isogenic deletion strain indicated that SOK contributes to both resistance to killing by human neutrophils and to oxidative stress. In addition, the S. aureus sok deletion strain showed dramatically reduced aortic valve vegetation and bacterial cell number in a rabbit endocarditis model. These results, plus the suspected role of the streptococcal homologue in certain diseases such as acute rheumatic fever, suggest that SOK plays an important role in cardiovascular and other staphylococcal infections.

Evaluation of resistivity meters for concrete quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

This research evaluated a series of MoDOT concrete mixtures to verify existing relationships between surface resistivity (SR), rapid : chloride permeability (RCP), chloride ion diffusion, and the AASHTO penetrability classes. The research also perfor...

Characterization of Asian Corn Borer Resistance to Bt Toxin Cry1Ie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yueqin Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A strain of the Asian corn borer (ACB, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée, has evolved >800-fold resistance to Cry1Ie (ACB-IeR after 49 generations of selection. The inheritance pattern of resistance to Cry1Ie in ACB-IeR strain and its cross-resistance to other Bt toxins were determined through bioassay by exposing neonates from genetic-crosses to toxins incorporated into the diet. The response of progenies from reciprocal F1 crosses were similar (LC50s: 76.07 vs. 74.32 μg/g, which suggested the resistance was autosomal. The effective dominance (h decreased as concentration of Cry1Ie increased. h was nearly recessive or incompletely recessive on Cry1Ie maize leaf tissue (h = 0.02, but nearly dominant or incompletely dominant (h = 0.98 on Cry1Ie maize silk. Bioassay of the backcross suggested that the resistance was controlled by more than one locus. In addition, the resistant strain did not perform cross-resistance to Cry1Ab (0.8-fold, Cry1Ac (0.8-fold, Cry1F (0.9-fold, and Cry1Ah (1.0-fold. The present study not only offers the manifestation for resistance management, but also recommends that Cry1Ie will be an appropriate candidate for expression with Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F, or Cry1Ah for the development of Bt maize.

Characterization of Asian Corn Borer Resistance to Bt Toxin Cry1Ie.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yueqin; Yang, Jing; Quan, Yudong; Wang, Zhenying; Cai, Wanzhi; He, Kanglai

2017-06-07

A strain of the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), has evolved >800-fold resistance to Cry1Ie (ACB-IeR) after 49 generations of selection. The inheritance pattern of resistance to Cry1Ie in ACB-IeR strain and its cross-resistance to other Bt toxins were determined through bioassay by exposing neonates from genetic-crosses to toxins incorporated into the diet. The response of progenies from reciprocal F₁ crosses were similar (LC 50 s: 76.07 vs. 74.32 μg/g), which suggested the resistance was autosomal. The effective dominance ( h ) decreased as concentration of Cry1Ie increased. h was nearly recessive or incompletely recessive on Cry1Ie maize leaf tissue ( h = 0.02), but nearly dominant or incompletely dominant ( h = 0.98) on Cry1Ie maize silk. Bioassay of the backcross suggested that the resistance was controlled by more than one locus. In addition, the resistant strain did not perform cross-resistance to Cry1Ab (0.8-fold), Cry1Ac (0.8-fold), Cry1F (0.9-fold), and Cry1Ah (1.0-fold). The present study not only offers the manifestation for resistance management, but also recommends that Cry1Ie will be an appropriate candidate for expression with Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F, or Cry1Ah for the development of Bt maize.

Characterization of the natural rubber from new rubber tree clones of PB 300 series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Maycon J.; Spinelli, Rafaela O.; Moreno, Rogerio M.B.; Mattoso, Luiz H.C.; Martins, Maria Alice; Scaloppi Junior, Erivaldo J.

2015-01-01

The natural rubber (NR) is present in more than 2500 species of plants, being the Hevea brasiliensis the most commercially exploited. It is a raw material of great importance to the Brazilian economy, but the country faces a production's deficit, having to import about 60% of its consumption. In this work , the latex obtained from rubber tree of new clones of PB series 300 (PB 311, PB 312, PB 314 , PB 326, PB 346 and PB 350 ) and RRIM 600 (control) were characterized by dry rubber content (DRC), total solids content, distribution of particle size, Zeta potential, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared in the spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and technological properties. The DRC values ranged from 33% to 40%, and total solids of 38% to 44%. All of the clones showed average particle diameter between 180.0 to 192.1 nm, excluding clones PB 326 and PB 346 with 150.0 nm and 157.9 nm, respectively. The NMR spectra and FTIR showed that the structure of the natural rubber from all clones studied is cis -1,4- polyisoprene. Natural rubber from the new clones showed good thermal stability up to 285 °C and glass transition temperature of -64 °C. (author)

Low-resistance gateless high electron mobility transistors using three-dimensional inverted pyramidal AlGaN/GaN surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

So, Hongyun; Senesky, Debbie G.

2016-01-01

In this letter, three-dimensional gateless AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were demonstrated with 54% reduction in electrical resistance and 73% increase in surface area compared with conventional gateless HEMTs on planar substrates. Inverted pyramidal AlGaN/GaN surfaces were microfabricated using potassium hydroxide etched silicon with exposed (111) surfaces and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of coherent AlGaN/GaN thin films. In addition, electrical characterization of the devices showed that a combination of series and parallel connections of the highly conductive two-dimensional electron gas along the pyramidal geometry resulted in a significant reduction in electrical resistance at both room and high temperatures (up to 300 °C). This three-dimensional HEMT architecture can be leveraged to realize low-power and reliable power electronics, as well as harsh environment sensors with increased surface area

Low-resistance gateless high electron mobility transistors using three-dimensional inverted pyramidal AlGaN/GaN surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

So, Hongyun, E-mail: hyso@stanford.edu [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Senesky, Debbie G. [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2016-01-04

In this letter, three-dimensional gateless AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were demonstrated with 54% reduction in electrical resistance and 73% increase in surface area compared with conventional gateless HEMTs on planar substrates. Inverted pyramidal AlGaN/GaN surfaces were microfabricated using potassium hydroxide etched silicon with exposed (111) surfaces and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of coherent AlGaN/GaN thin films. In addition, electrical characterization of the devices showed that a combination of series and parallel connections of the highly conductive two-dimensional electron gas along the pyramidal geometry resulted in a significant reduction in electrical resistance at both room and high temperatures (up to 300 °C). This three-dimensional HEMT architecture can be leveraged to realize low-power and reliable power electronics, as well as harsh environment sensors with increased surface area.

Functional characterization of the antibiotic resistance reservoir in the human microflora

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Morten; Church, George M; Dantas, Gautam

2010-01-01

The increasing levels of multi-drug resistance in human pathogenic bacteria are compromising our ability to treat infectious disease. Since antibiotic resistance determinants are readily exchanged between bacteria through lateral gene transfer, there is an increasing interest in investigating res...

Fatigue Characterization of Fire Resistant Syntactic Foam Core Material

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Mohammad Mynul

Eco-Core is a fire resistant material for sandwich structural application; it was developed at NC A&T State University. The Eco-Core is made of very small amount of phenolic resin and large volume of flyash by a syntactic process. The process development, static mechanical and fracture, fire and toxicity safety and water absorption properties and the design of sandwich structural panels with Eco-Core material was established and published in the literature. One of the important properties that is needed for application in transportation vehicles is the fatigue performance under different stress states. Fatigue data are not available even for general syntactic foams. The objective of this research is to investigate the fatigue performance of Eco-Core under three types of stress states, namely, cyclic compression, shear and flexure, then document failure modes, and develop empherical equations for predicting fatigue life of Eco-Core under three stress states. Compression-Compression fatigue was performed directly on Eco-Core cylindrical specimen, whereas shear and flexure fatigue tests were performed using sandwich beam made of E glass-Vinyl Ester face sheet and Eco-Core material. Compression-compression fatigue test study was conducted at two values of stress ratios (R=10 and 5), for the maximum compression stress (sigmamin) range of 60% to 90% of compression strength (sigmac = 19.6 +/- 0.25 MPa) for R=10 and 95% to 80% of compression strength for R=5. The failure modes were characterized by the material compliance change: On-set (2% compliance change), propagation (5%) and ultimate failure (7%). The number of load cycles correspond to each of these three damages were characterized as on-set, propagation and total lives. A similar approach was used in shear and flexure fatigue tests with stress ratio of R=0.1. The fatigue stress-number of load cycles data followed the standard power law equation for all three stress states. The constant of the equation were

Isolation and characterization of multidrug-resistant side population ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: SP cells in the prostate cancer samples constituted 2.8 %, but fell to 0.6 % after treatment with ... tumor. Keywords: Side population cells, ABC transporters, Cancer stem cells, Chemotherapy, Prostate treatment failure, Tumor recurrence, Drug resistance ..... Identification of human brain tumour initiating cells.

GAMMA-RAY CHARACTERIZATION OF THE U-SERIES INTERMEDIATE DAUGHTERS FROM SOIL SAMPLES AT THE PENA BLANCA NATURAL ANALOG, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

French, D.C.; Anthony, E.Y.; Goodell, P.C.

2005-01-01

The Pena Blanca natural analog is located in the Sierra Pena Blanca, approximately 50 miles north of Chihuahua City, Mexico. The Sierra Pena Blanca is composed mainly of ash-flow tuffs, and the uranium in the region is contained in the brecciated zones of these tuffs. The Pena Blanca site is considered a natural analog to the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository because they share similar characteristics of structure, volcanic lithology, tectonic activity, and hydrologic regime. One of the mineralized zones, the Nopal I deposit, was mined in the early 1980s and the ore was stockpiled close to the mine. This stockpile area has subsequently been cleared and is referred to as the prior high-grade stockpile (PHGS) site. Soil surrounding boulders of high-grade ore associated with the PHGS site have been sampled. The purpose of this study is to characterize the transport of uranium series radioisotopes from the boulder to the soil during the past 25 years. Transport is characterized by determining the activities of individual radionuclides and daughter to parent ratios. The daughter to parent ratios are used to establish whether the samples are in secular equilibrium. Activities are determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy. Isotopes of the uranium series decay chain detected by gamma-ray spectroscopy include 210 Pb, 234 U, 234 Th, 230 Th, 226 Ra, 214 Pb, 214 Bi, and 234 Pa. Preliminary results indicate that some daughter to parent pairs appear to be in secular disequilibrium. Thorium is in excess relative to uranium, and radium is in excess relative to thorium. A deficiency appears to exist for 210 Pb relative to 214 Bi and 214 Pb. If these results are borne out by further analysis, they would suggest transport of nuclides from the high-grade boulder into its surroundings, followed by continued leaching of uranium and lead from the environment

Isolation and Characterization of phiLLS, a Novel Phage with Potential Biocontrol Agent against Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Amarillas

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Foodborne diseases are a serious and growing problem, and the incidence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among foodborne pathogens is reported to have increased. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains demands novel strategies to counteract this epidemic. In this regard, lytic bacteriophages have reemerged as an alternative for the control of pathogenic bacteria. However, the effective use of phages relies on appropriate biological and genomic characterization. In this study, we present the isolation and characterization of a novel bacteriophage named phiLLS, which has shown strong lytic activity against generic and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains. Transmission electron microscopy of phiLLS morphology revealed that it belongs to the Siphoviridae family. Furthermore, this phage exhibited a relatively large burst size of 176 plaque-forming units per infected cell. Phage phiLLS significantly reduced the growth of E. coli under laboratory conditions. Analyses of restriction profiles showed the presence of submolar fragments, confirming that phiLLS is a pac-type phage. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequence of large terminase subunits confirmed that this phage uses a headful packaging strategy to package their genome. Genomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis showed that phiLLS is a novel bacteriophage that is most closely related to T5-like phages. In silico analysis indicated that the phiLLS genome consists of 107,263 bp (39.0 % GC content encoding 160 putative ORFs, 16 tRNAs, several potential promoters and transcriptional terminators. Genome analysis suggests that the phage phiLLS is strictly lytic without carrying genes associated with virulence factors and/or potential immunoreactive allergen proteins. The bacteriophage isolated in this study has shown promising results in the biocontrol of bacterial growth under in vitro conditions, suggesting that it may prove useful as an alternative

Development of large area resistive electrodes for ATLAS NSW Micromegas

Science.gov (United States)

Ochi, Atsuhiko

2018-02-01

Micromegas with resistive anodes will be used for the NSW upgrades of the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Resistive electrodes are used in MPGD devices to prevent sparks in high-rate operation. Large-area resistive electrodes for Micromegas have been developed using two different technologies: screen printing and carbon sputtering. The maximum resistive foil size is 45 × 220 cm with a printed pattern of 425-μm pitch strips. These technologies are also suitable for mass production. Prototypes of a production model series have been successfully produced. In this paper, we report the development, the production status, and the test results of resistive Micromegas.

F2 screen, inheritance and cross-resistance of field-derived Vip3A resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) collected from Louisiana, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Fei; Morsello, Shannon; Head, Graham P; Sansone, Chris; Huang, Fangneng; Gilreath, Ryan T; Kerns, David L

2017-11-28

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a target pest of the Vip3A protein used in pyramided Bt corn and cotton in the USA. In this study, we provide the first documentation of a resistance allele conferring Vip3A resistance in a field-derived population of S. frugiperda from the USA, and characterize its inheritance and cross-resistance. An F 2 screen with 104 two-parent families generated from a field collection of S. frugiperda in Louisiana, USA, resulted in one family carrying a Vip3A resistance allele. The Vip3A-resistant strain (RR) derived from the two-parent family showed a high level of resistance to Vip3A in both diet and whole-plant bioassays, with a resistance ratio of >632.0-fold relative to a susceptible population (SS) based on diet-overlay bioassays. The inheritance of Vip3A resistance was monogenic, autosomal and recessive. Furthermore, the Vip3A resistance conferred no cross-resistance to Cry1F, Cry2Ab2 or Cry2Ae purified proteins, with resistance ratios of 3.5, 5.0 and 1.1, respectively. These findings provide valuable information for characterizing Vip3A resistance, resistance monitoring, and developing effective resistance management strategies for the sustainable use of the Vip3A technology. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Coke fouling monitoring by electrical resistivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombardelli, Clovis; Mari, Livia Assis; Kalinowski, Hypolito Jose [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Eletrica e Informatica Industrial (CPGEI)

2008-07-01

An experimental method to simulate the growth of the coke fouling that occurs in the oil processing is proposed relating the thickness of the encrusted coke to its electrical resistivity. The authors suggest the use of the fouling electrical resistivity as a transducer element for determining its thickness. The sensor is basically two electrodes in an electrically isolated device where the inlay can happen in order to compose a purely resistive transducer. Such devices can be easily constructed in a simple and robust form with features capable to face the high temperatures and pressures found in relevant industrial processes. For validation, however, it is needed a relationship between the electrical resistivity and the fouling thickness, information not yet found in the literature. The present work experimentally simulates the growth of a layer of coke on an electrically insulating surface, equipped with electrodes at two extremities to measure the electrical resistivity during thermal cracking essays. The method is realized with a series of consecutive runs. The results correlate the mass of coke deposited and its electrical resistivity, and it can be used to validate the coke depositions monitoring employing the resistivity as a control parameter. (author)

Characterization of staphylococci in urban wastewater treatment plants in Spain, with detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Paula; Lozano, Carmen; Benito, Daniel; Estepa, Vanesa; Tenorio, Carmen; Zarazaga, Myriam; Torres, Carmen

2016-05-01

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus in urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTP) of La Rioja (Spain), and to characterize de obtained isolates. 16 wastewater samples (8 influent, 8 effluent) of six UWTPs were seeded on mannitol-salt-agar and oxacillin-resistance-screening-agar-base for staphylococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus recovery. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined for 16 antibiotics and the presence of 35 antimicrobial resistance genes and 14 virulence genes by PCR. S. aureus was typed by spa, agr, and multilocus-sequence-typing, and the presence of immune-evasion-genes cluster was analyzed. Staphylococcus spp. were detected in 13 of 16 tested wastewater samples (81%), although the number of CFU/mL decreased after treatment. 40 staphylococci were recovered (1-5/sample), and 8 of them were identified as S. aureus being typed as (number of strains): spa-t011/agr-II/ST398 (1), spa-t002/agr-II/ST5 (2), spa-t3262/agr-II/ST5 (1), spa-t605/agr-II/ST126 (3), and spa-t878/agr-III/ST2849 (1). S. aureus ST398 strain was methicillin-resistant and showed a multidrug resistance phenotype. Virulence genes tst, etd, sea, sec, seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu, were detected among S. aureus and only ST5 strains showed genes of immune evasion cluster. Thirty-two coagulase-negative Staphylococcus of 12 different species were recovered (number of strains): Staphylococcus equorum (7), Staphylococcus vitulinus (4), Staphylococcus lentus (4), Staphylococcus sciuri (4), Staphylococcus fleurettii (2), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (2), Staphylococcus hominis (2), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (2), Staphylococcus succinus (2), Staphylococcus capitis (1), Staphylococcus cohnii (1), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (1). Five presented a multidrug resistance phenotype. The following resistance and virulence genes were found: mecA, lnu(A), vga(A), tet(K), erm(C), msr(A)/(B), mph(C), tst, and sem. We found that

Characterization of structures of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism from integrated analyses of LWD log response, resistivity images and clay mineralogy of cuttings: Expedition 338 Site C0002

Science.gov (United States)

Jurado, Maria Jose; Schleicher, Anja

2014-05-01

The objective of our research is a detailed characterization of structures on the basis of LWD oriented images and logs,and clay mineralogy of cuttings from Hole C0002F of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. Our results show an integrated interpretation of structures derived from borehole images, petrophysical characterization on LWD logs and cuttings mineralogy. The geometry of the structure intersected at Hole C0002F has been characterized by the interpretation of oriented borehole resistivity images acquired during IODP Expedition 338. The characterization of structural features, faults and fracture zones is based on a detailed post-cruise interpretation of bedding and fractures on borehole images and also on the analysis of Logging While Drilling (LWD) log response (gamma radioactivity, resistivity and sonic logs). The interpretation and complete characterization of structures (fractures, fracture zones, fault zones, folds) was achieved after detailed shorebased reprocessing of resistivity images, which allowed to enhance bedding and fracture's imaging for geometry and orientation interpretation. In order to characterize distinctive petrophysical properties based on LWD log response, it could be compared with compositional changes derived from cuttings analyses. Cuttings analyses were used to calibrate and to characterize log response and to verify interpretations in terms of changes in composition and texture at fractures and fault zones defined on borehole images. Cuttings were taken routinely every 5 m during Expedition 338, indicating a clay-dominated lithology of silty claystone with interbeds of weakly consolidated, fine sandstones. The main mineralogical components are clay minerals, quartz, feldspar and calcite. Selected cuttings were taken from areas of interest as defined on LWD logs and images. The clay mineralogy was investigated on the LWD) data allowed us to characterize structural, petrophysical and mineralogical properties at fracture and

Triazole biotin: a tight-binding biotinidase-resistant conjugate.

Science.gov (United States)

Germeroth, Anne I; Hanna, Jill R; Karim, Rehana; Kundel, Franziska; Lowther, Jonathan; Neate, Peter G N; Blackburn, Elizabeth A; Wear, Martin A; Campopiano, Dominic J; Hulme, Alison N

2013-11-28

The natural amide bond found in all biotinylated proteins has been replaced with a triazole through CuAAC reaction of an alkynyl biotin derivative. The resultant triazole-linked adducts are shown to be highly resistant to the ubiquitous hydrolytic enzyme biotinidase and to bind avidin with dissociation constants in the low pM range. Application of this strategy to the production of a series of biotinidase-resistant biotin-Gd-DOTA contrast agents is demonstrated.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Proteus mirabilis isolates from dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Kazuki; Niina, Ayaka; Shimizu, Takae; Mukai, Yujiro; Kuwajima, Ken; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Kataoka, Yasushi

2014-11-01

Large-scale monitoring of resistance to 14 antimicrobial agents was performed using 103 Proteus mirabilis strains isolated from dogs in Japan. Resistant strains were analysed to identify their resistance mechanisms. Rates of resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, enrofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, cephalothin, gentamicin, cefoxitin and cefotaxime were 20.4, 15.5, 12.6, 10.7, 9.7, 8.7, 5.8, 2.9, 2.9, 1.9 and 1.9%, respectively. No resistance to ceftazidime, aztreonam or imipenem was found. Class 1 and 2 integrases were detected in 2.9 and 11.7% of isolates, respectively. Class 1 integrons contained aadB or aadB-catB-like-blaOXA10-aadA1, whereas those of class 2 contained sat-aadA1, dhfr1-sat-aadA1 or none of the anticipated resistance genes. Of five distinct plasmid-mediated quinolone-resistance (PMQR) genes, only qnrD gene was detected in 1.9% of isolates. Quinolone-resistance determining regions (QRDRs) of gyrA and parC from 13 enrofloxacin-intermediate and -resistant isolates were sequenced. Seven strains had double mutations and three had single mutations. Three of nine ampicillin-resistant isolates harboured AmpC-type β-lactamases (i.e. blaCMY-2, blaCMY-4 and blaDHA-1). These results suggest that canine Proteus mirabilis deserves continued surveillance as an important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants. This is the first report, to our knowledge, describing integrons, PMQRs and QRDR mutations in Proteus mirabilis isolates from companion animals. © 2014 The Authors.

Studies on stem and leaf rust resistance in wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knott, D.R.

1983-01-01

Stem and leaf rust resistance was successfully transferred from Agropyron to wheat by radiation-induced translocations. Mutation induction subsequently proved to be useful in separating an undesired gene for yellow pigment from the resistance. The homoeologous pairing mutant obtained by Sears was also used successfully in obtaining transfers through crossing-over between wheat and Agropyron chromosomes. Another experimental series succeeded in accumulating minor genes for rust resistance, after eliminating major genes for specific resistance. The resistance is polygenic and widely effective although not general. It is recessively inherited, and hoped to be more durable than major gene resistance used so far in the Canadian prairies. An attempt to induce mutations for leaf rust resistance in a small-scale experiment with leading Canadian wheat varieties Manitou and Neepawa using gamma rays and EMS has not been successful. (author)

Identification and Characterization of the Gene CYP340W1 from Plutella xylostella and Its Possible Involvement in Resistance to Abamectin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xue; Yang, Jiaqiang; Xu, Baoyun; Xie, Wen; Wang, Shaoli; Zhang, Youjun; Yang, Fengshan; Wu, Qingjun

2016-03-18

Abamectin has been used to control the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (P. xylostella), which is a major agricultural pest that can rapidly develop resistance against insecticides including abamectin. Although cytochrome P450 has been confirmed to play an important role in resistance in P. xylostella, the specific P450 genes associated with the resistance are unclear. The full-length cDNA of the cytochrome P450 gene CYP340W1 was cloned and characterized in the present study. The cDNA assembly yielded a sequence of 1929 bp, containing the open reading frame (ORF) 1491 bp and encodes a 496-amino acid peptide. CYP340W1 was expressed in all P. xylostella developmental stages but its expression level was highest in larvae and especially in the heads of larvae. The expression of CYP340W1 was significantly higher in an abamectin-resistant strain (ABM-R) than in its susceptible counterpart (ABM-S). In addition, expression of CYP340W1 was increased when the ABM-R strain was exposed to abamectin. When injected into third-stage ABM-R larvae, CYP340W1 dsRNA significantly reduced CYP340W1 expression at 6 h and reduced expression by 83% at 12 h. As a consequence of RNAi, the mortality of the injected abamectin-resistant larvae increased after a 48-h exposure to abamectin. The results indicate that the overexpression of CYP340W1 plays an important role in abamectin resistance in P. xylostella.

Electrical Characterization of Nanopolyaniline/Porous Silicon Heterojunction at High Temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salah E. El-Zohary

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Nanopolyaniline/p-type porous silicon (NPANI/PSi heterojunction films were chemically fabricated via in situ polymerization. The composition and morphology of the nanopolymer were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The results indicated that the polymerization took place throughout the porous layer. The I-V measurements, performed at different temperatures, enabled the calculation of ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance of those films. The obtained ideality factor showed a nonideal diode behavior. The series resistance was found to decrease with increasing temperature.

Effect of electrode shape on grounding resistances - Part 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomaskovicova, Sonia; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Christiansen, Anders V.

2016-01-01

Although electric resistivity tomography (ERT) is now regarded as a standard tool in permafrost monitoring, high grounding resistances continue to limit the acquisition of time series over complete freeze-thaw cycles. In an attempt to alleviate the grounding resistance problem, we have tested three...... electrode designs featuring increasing sizes and surface area, in the laboratory and at three different field sites in Greenland. Grounding resistance measurements showed that changing the electrode shape (using plates instead of rods) reduced the grounding resistances at all sites by 28%-69% during...... unfrozen and frozen ground conditions. Using meshes instead of plates (the same rectangular shape and a larger effective surface area) further improved the grounding resistances by 29%-37% in winter. Replacement of rod electrodes of one entire permanent permafrost monitoring array by meshes resulted...

Molecular characterization of insulin resistance and glycolytic metabolism in the rat uterus

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuehui; Sun, Xue; Sun, Xiaoyan; Meng, Fanci; Hu, Min; Li, Xin; Li, Wei; Wu, Xiao-Ke; Brännström, Mats; Shao, Ruijin; Billig, Håkan

2016-01-01

Peripheral insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism are the primary features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, how insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism affect uterine function and contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS are open questions. We treated rats with insulin alone or in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and showed that peripheral insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism alter uterine morphology, cell phenotype, and cell function, especially in glandular epithelial cells. These defects are associated with an aberration in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway that is used as an indicator for the onset of insulin resistance in classical metabolic tissues. Concomitantly, increased GSK3β (Ser-9) phosphorylation and decreased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in rats treated with insulin and hCG were also observed. We also profiled the expression of glucose transporter (Glut) isoform genes in the uterus under conditions of insulin resistance and/or hyperandrogenism. Finally, we determined the expression pattern of glycolytic enzymes and intermediates during insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism in the uterus. These findings suggest that the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways play a role in the onset of uterine insulin resistance, and they also suggest that changes in specific Glut isoform expression and alterations to glycolytic metabolism contribute to the endometrial dysfunction observed in PCOS patients. PMID:27461373

Characterizability of metabolic pathway systems from time series data.

Science.gov (United States)

Voit, Eberhard O

2013-12-01

Over the past decade, the biomathematical community has devoted substantial effort to the complicated challenge of estimating parameter values for biological systems models. An even more difficult issue is the characterization of functional forms for the processes that govern these systems. Most parameter estimation approaches tacitly assume that these forms are known or can be assumed with some validity. However, this assumption is not always true. The recently proposed method of Dynamic Flux Estimation (DFE) addresses this problem in a genuinely novel fashion for metabolic pathway systems. Specifically, DFE allows the characterization of fluxes within such systems through an analysis of metabolic time series data. Its main drawback is the fact that DFE can only directly be applied if the pathway system contains as many metabolites as unknown fluxes. This situation is unfortunately rare. To overcome this roadblock, earlier work in this field had proposed strategies for augmenting the set of unknown fluxes with independent kinetic information, which however is not always available. Employing Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse methods of linear algebra, the present article discusses an approach for characterizing fluxes from metabolic time series data that is applicable even if the pathway system is underdetermined and contains more fluxes than metabolites. Intriguingly, this approach is independent of a specific modeling framework and unaffected by noise in the experimental time series data. The results reveal whether any fluxes may be characterized and, if so, which subset is characterizable. They also help with the identification of fluxes that, if they could be determined independently, would allow the application of DFE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Race Characterization of Phytophthora root rot on Capsicum in Taiwan as a Basis for Anticipatory Resistance Breeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Barchenger, Derek W; Sheu, Zong-Ming; Kumar, Sanjeet; Lin, Shih-Wen; Burlakoti, Rishi R; Bosland, Paul W

2018-02-27

Peppers (Capsicum sp.) are an increasingly important crop because of their use as a vegetable, spice, and food colorant. The oomycete Phytophthora capsici is one of the most devastating pathogens to pepper production worldwide, causing more than $100 million in losses annually. Developing cultivars resistant to P. capsici is challenging because of the many physiological races that exist and new races that are continuously evolving. This problem is confounded by the lack of a universal system of race characterization. As a basis to develop a global anticipatory breeding program, New Mexico Recombinant Inbred Lines (NMRILs) functioned as a host differential for Phytophthora root rot to characterize the race structure of P. capsici populations in Taiwan. Using the NMRILs, 24 new races were identified, illustrating the utility and usefulness of the NMRILs for anticipatory breeding. Virulence of P. capsici was observed to be geographically specific and in two virulence clusters. Interestingly, all but two isolates collected in 2016 were the A2 mating type, which is a shift from the predominantly A1 mating type isolates collected prior to 2008. The NMRILs host differential provides an approach for scientists to work together on a global scale when breeding for resistance as well as on a local level for regional gene deployment. Additionally, we propose that the current race numbering system, which has no biological meaning, be supplemented with the virulence phenotype, based on the susceptible NMRILs to a given isolate. This work provides insights into the population dynamics of P. capsici and interactions within the highly complex Capsicum-Phytophthora pathosystem, and offers a basis for similar research in other crops.

Molecular characterization of early blight disease resistant and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Potato early blight disease caused by Alternaria solani is one of the major factors limiting potato production worldwide. Developing highly resistant cultivars is the most effective way to control the disease. In this study, 20 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 6 simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers were ...

Isolation and characterization of polyvalent bacteriophages infecting multi drug resistant Salmonella serovars isolated from broilers in Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Mayada; Askora, Ahmed; Barakat, Ahmed Barakat; Rabie, Omar El-Farouk; Hassan, Sayed Emam

2018-02-02

In this study, we isolated and characterized three phages named as Salmacey1, Salmacey2 and Salmacey3, infecting multi drug resistant Salmonella serovars isolated from broilers in Egypt. The most prevalent Salmonella serovars were S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, and S. kentucky. All these Salmonella serovars were found to be resistant to more than two of the ten antimicrobial agents tested. Only S. kentucky was found to be resistant to seven antimicrobial agents. Examination of these phage particles by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), demonstrated that two phages (Salmacey1, Salmacey2) were found to belong to family Siphoviridae, and Salmacey3 was assigned to the family Myoviridae. The results of host range assay revealed that these bacteriophages were polyvalent and thus capable of infecting four strains of Salmonella serovars and Citrobacter freundii. Moreover, the two phages (Salmacey1, Salmacey2) had a lytic effect on Enterobacter cloacae and Salmacey3 was able to infect E. coli. All phages could not infect S. para Typhi, Staphylococus aureus and Bacillus cereus. One-step growth curves of bacteriophages revealed that siphovirus phages (Salmacey1, Salmacey2) have burst size (80 and 90pfu per infected cell with latent period 35min and 40min respectively), and for the myovirus Salmacey3 had a burst size 110pfu per infected cell with latent period 60min. Molecular analyses indicated that these phages contained double-stranded DNA genomes. The lytic activity of the phages against the most multidrug resistant serovars S. kentucky as host strain was evaluated. The result showed that these bacteriophages were able to completely stop the growth of S. kentucky in vitro. These results suggest that phages have a high potential for phage application to control Salmonella serovars isolated from broilers in Egypt. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Efflux Pump-mediated Drug Resistance in Burkholderia

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Nicole L Podnecky

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Several members of the genus Burkholderia are prominent pathogens. Infections caused by these bacteria are difficult to treat because of significant antibiotic resistance. Virtually all Burkholderia species are also resistant to polymyxin, prohibiting use of drugs like colistin that are available for treatment of infections caused by most other drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Despite clinical significance and antibiotic resistance of Burkholderia species, characterization of efflux pumps lags behind other non-enteric Gram-negative pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although efflux pumps have been described in several Burkholderia species, they have been best studied in B. cenocepacia and B. pseudomallei. As in other non-enteric Gram-negatives, efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation cell division (RND family are the clinically most significant efflux systems in these two species. Several efflux pumps were described in B. cenocepacia, which when expressed confer resistance to clinically significant antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines. Three RND pumps have been characterized in B. pseudomallei, two of which confer either intrinsic or acquired resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, trimethoprim, and in some instances trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole. Several strains of the host-adapted B. mallei, a clone of B. pseudomallei, lack AmrAB-OprA and are therefore aminoglycoside and macrolide susceptible. B. thailandensis is closely related to B. pseudomallei, but non-pathogenic to humans. Its pump repertoire and ensuing drug resistance profile parallels that of B. pseudomallei. An efflux pump in B. vietnamiensis plays a significant role in acquired aminoglycoside resistance. Summarily, efflux pumps are significant players in Burkholderia drug resistance.

Characterization of a panel of somatic cell hybrids for regional mapping of the mouse X chromosome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avner, P.; Arnaud, D.; Amar, L.; Cambrou, J.; Winking, H.; Russell, L.B.

1987-01-01

A panel of five hybrid cell lines containing mouse X chromosomes with various deletions has been obtained by fusing splenocytes from male mice carrying one of a series of reciprocal X-autosome translocations with the azaguanine-resistant Chinese hamster cell line CH3g. These hybrids have been extensively characterized by using the allozymes hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (encoded by the Hprt locus) and α-galactosidase (Ags) and a series of 11 X-chromosome-specific DNA probes whose localization had been previously established by linkage studies. Such studies have established the genetic breakpoints of the T(X;12)13R1 and T(X;2)14R1 X-autosome translocations on the X chromosome and provided additional information as to the X-chromosome genetic breakpoints of the T(X;16)16H, T(X;4)7R1, and T(X;7)6R1 translocations. The data establish clearly that both the T(X;7)5RI and T(X;12)13R1 X-chromosome breakpoints are proximal to Hprt, the breakpoint of the former being more centromeric, lying as it does in the 9-centimorgan interval between the ornithine transcarbamoylase (Otc) and DXPas7 (M2C) loci. These five hybrid cell lines provide, with the previously characterized EBS4 hybrid cell line, a nested series of seven mapping intervals distributed along the length of the mouse X chromosome. Their characterization not only allows further correlation of the genetic and cytological X-chromosome maps but also should permit the rapid identification of DNA probes specific for particular regions of the mouse X chromosome

Optical Characterization of the Hole Polaron in a Series of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Polymers Used for Organic Photovoltaics

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Evan L. Williams

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A strategy that is often used for designing low band gap polymers involves the incorporation of electron-rich (donor and electron-deficient (acceptor conjugated segments within the polymer backbone. In this paper we investigate such a series of Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-based co-polymers. The co-polymers consisted of a DPP unit attached to a phenylene, naphthalene, or anthracene unit. Additionally, polymers utilizing either the thiophene-flanked DPP or the furan-flanked DPP units paired with the naphthalene comonomer were compared. As these polymers have been used as donor materials and subsequent hole transporting materials in organic solar cells, we are specifically interested in characterizing the optical absorption of the hole polaron of these DPP based copolymers. We employ chemical doping, electrochemical doping, and photoinduced absorption (PIA studies to probe the hole polaron absorption spectra. While some donor-acceptor polymers have shown an appreciable capacity to generate free charge carriers upon photoexcitation, no polaron signal was observed in the PIA spectrum of the polymers in this study. The relations between molecular structure and optical properties are discussed.

Characterization of mannitol-fermenting methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from pigs in Nigeria

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Clifford C. Ugwu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the species distribution, antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes and virulence traits of mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS isolated from pigs in Nsukka agricultural zone, Nigeria. Twenty mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal (MRCoNS strains harboring the mecA gene were detected among the 64 Staphylococcus isolates from 291 pigs. A total of 4 species were identified among the MRCoNS isolates, namely, Staphylococcus sciuri (10 strains, Staphylococcus lentus (6 strains, Staphylococcus cohnii (3 strains and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (one strain. All MRCoNS isolates were multidrug-resistant. In addition to β-lactams, the strains were resistant to fusidic acid (85%, tetracycline (75%, streptomycin (65%, ciprofloxacin (65%, and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (60%. In addition to the mecA and blaZ genes, other antimicrobial resistance genes detected were tet(K, tet(M, tet(L, erm(B, erm(C, aacA-aphD, aphA3, str, dfrK, dfrG, catpC221, and catpC223. Thirteen isolates were found to be ciprofloxacin-resistant, and all harbored a Ser84Leu mutation within the QRDR of the GyrA protein, with 3 isolates showing 2 extra substitutions, Ser98Ile and Arg100Lys (one strain and Glu88Asp and Asp96Thr (2 strains. A phylogenetic tree of the QRDR nucleotide sequences in the gyrA gene revealed a high nucleotide diversity, with several major clusters not associated with the bacterial species. Our study highlights the possibility of transfer of mecA and other antimicrobial resistance genes from MRCoNS to pathogenic bacteria, which is a serious public health and veterinary concern.

Characterization of mannitol-fermenting methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from pigs in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugwu, Clifford C; Gomez-Sanz, Elena; Agbo, Ifeoma C; Torres, Carmen; Chah, Kennedy F

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the species distribution, antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes and virulence traits of mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) isolated from pigs in Nsukka agricultural zone, Nigeria. Twenty mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal (MRCoNS) strains harboring the mecA gene were detected among the 64 Staphylococcus isolates from 291 pigs. A total of 4 species were identified among the MRCoNS isolates, namely, Staphylococcus sciuri (10 strains), Staphylococcus lentus (6 strains), Staphylococcus cohnii (3 strains) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (one strain). All MRCoNS isolates were multidrug-resistant. In addition to β-lactams, the strains were resistant to fusidic acid (85%), tetracycline (75%), streptomycin (65%), ciprofloxacin (65%), and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (60%). In addition to the mecA and blaZ genes, other antimicrobial resistance genes detected were tet(K), tet(M), tet(L), erm(B), erm(C), aacA-aphD, aphA3, str, dfrK, dfrG, cat pC221, and cat pC223. Thirteen isolates were found to be ciprofloxacin-resistant, and all harbored a Ser84Leu mutation within the QRDR of the GyrA protein, with 3 isolates showing 2 extra substitutions, Ser98Ile and Arg100Lys (one strain) and Glu88Asp and Asp96Thr (2 strains). A phylogenetic tree of the QRDR nucleotide sequences in the gyrA gene revealed a high nucleotide diversity, with several major clusters not associated with the bacterial species. Our study highlights the possibility of transfer of mecA and other antimicrobial resistance genes from MRCoNS to pathogenic bacteria, which is a serious public health and veterinary concern.

Characterization and purification of a bacteriocin from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei BMK2005, an intestinal isolate active against multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Bendjeddou, Kamel; Fons, Michel; Strocker, Pierre; Sadoun, Djamila

2012-04-01

A strain of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei BMK2005 isolated from healthy infant faeces has shown a remarkable antibacterial activity against 32 bacterial pathogenic strains of human clinical isolates. Among them, 13 strains belonging to species of Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Citrobacter diversus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to Cefotaxime (CTX) and Ceftazidime (CAZ), and 4 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to Methicillin (MRSA). This antibacterial activity was attributed to a bacteriocin designated as Paracaseicin A. It was heat-stable up to 120°C for 5 min and active within the pH range of 2-5. Its activity was lost when treated with proteases, which reveals its proteinaceous nature. This bacteriocin was successfully purified only by two steps of reversed phase chromatography. Its molecular mass, determined by mass spectrometry analysis, was 2,462.5 Da. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report on characterization and purification of a bacteriocin, produced by a L. paracasei subsp. paracasei strain exhibiting an antibacterial activity against various multidrug-resistant species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, which reveals its potential for use in prevention or treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant species especially in cases of antibiotics-associated diarrhea (AAD).

Electrical Resistance Measurements and Microstructural Characterization of the Anode/Interconnect Contact in Simulated Anode-Side SOFC Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harthøj, Anders; Alimadadi, Hossein; Holt, Tobias

2015-01-01

in phase transformation of the steel and in formation of oxides with a poor electrical conductivity in the anode. In this study, the area specific resistance (ASR) of the steel Crofer 22 APU, in contact with a Ni/YSZ anode with and without a tape casted CeO2 barrier layer was measured in simulated SOFC...... anode conditions at 800◦C. The microstructure in the contact area was characterized using scanning electron microscopy techniques. The ASR was low for the steel in direct contact with the Ni/YSZ anode. Nickel diffusion into the steel resulted in a fine grained zone, which was identified as ferrite...

Recurrence Density Enhanced Complex Networks for Nonlinear Time Series Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Diego G. De B.; Reis, Barbara M. Da F.; Zou, Yong; Quiles, Marcos G.; Macau, Elbert E. N.

We introduce a new method, which is entitled Recurrence Density Enhanced Complex Network (RDE-CN), to properly analyze nonlinear time series. Our method first transforms a recurrence plot into a figure of a reduced number of points yet preserving the main and fundamental recurrence properties of the original plot. This resulting figure is then reinterpreted as a complex network, which is further characterized by network statistical measures. We illustrate the computational power of RDE-CN approach by time series by both the logistic map and experimental fluid flows, which show that our method distinguishes different dynamics sufficiently well as the traditional recurrence analysis. Therefore, the proposed methodology characterizes the recurrence matrix adequately, while using a reduced set of points from the original recurrence plots.

Anilinopyrimidine Resistance in Botrytis cinerea Is Linked to Mitochondrial Function

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Andreas Mosbach

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Crop protection anilinopyrimidine (AP fungicides were introduced more than 20 years ago for the control of a range of diseases caused by ascomycete plant pathogens, and in particular for the control of gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Although early mode of action studies suggested an inhibition of methionine biosynthesis, the molecular target of this class of fungicides was never fully clarified. Despite AP-specific resistance having been described in B. cinerea field isolates and in multiple other targeted species, the underlying resistance mechanisms were unknown. It was therefore expected that the genetic characterization of resistance mechanisms would permit the identification of the molecular target of these fungicides. In order to explore the widest range of possible resistance mechanisms, AP-resistant B. cinerea UV laboratory mutants were generated and the mutations conferring resistance were determined by combining whole-genome sequencing and reverse genetics. Genetic mapping from a cross between a resistant field isolate and a sensitive reference isolate was used in parallel and led to the identification of an additional molecular determinant not found from the characterized UV mutant collection. Together, these two approaches enabled the characterization of an unrivaled diversity of resistance mechanisms. In total, we report the elucidation of resistance-conferring mutations within nine individual genes, two of which are responsible for almost all instances of AP resistance in the field. All identified resistance-conferring genes encode proteins that are involved in mitochondrial processes, suggesting that APs primarily target the mitochondria. The functions of these genes and their possible interactions are discussed in the context of the potential mode of action for this important class of fungicides.

Characterization of arsenic resistant bacteria from arsenic rich groundwater of West Bengal, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Angana; Kazy, Sufia K; Sar, Pinaki

2013-03-01

Sixty-four arsenic (As) resistant bacteria isolated from an arsenic rich groundwater sample of West Bengal were characterized to investigate their potential role in subsurface arsenic mobilization. Among the isolated strains predominance of genera Agrobacterium/Rhizobium, Ochrobactrum and Achromobacter which could grow chemolitrophically and utilize arsenic as electron donor were detected. Higher tolerance to As(3+) [maximum tolerable concentration (MTC): ≥10 mM], As(5+) (MTC: ≥100 mM) and other heavy metals like Cu(2+), Cr(2+), Ni(2+) etc. (MTC: ≥10 mM), presence of arsenate reductase and siderophore was frequently observed among the isolates. Ability to produce arsenite oxidase and phosphatase enzyme was detected in 50 and 34 % of the isolates, respectively. Although no direct correlation among taxonomic identity of bacterial strains and their metabolic abilities as mentioned above was apparent, several isolates affiliated to genera Ochrobactrum, Achromobacter and unclassified Rhizobiaceae members were found to be highly resistant to As(3+) and As(5+) and positive for all the test properties. Arsenate reductase activity was found to be conferred by arsC gene, which in many strains was coupled with arsenite efflux gene arsB as well. Phylogenetic incongruence between the 16S rRNA and ars genes lineages indicated possible incidence of horizontal gene transfer for ars genes. Based on the results we propose that under the prevailing low nutrient condition inhabitant bacteria capable of using inorganic electron donors play a synergistic role wherein siderophores and phosphatase activities facilitate the release of sediment bound As(5+), which is subsequently reduced by arsenate reductase resulting into the mobilization of As(3+) in groundwater.

Molecular Characterization of Copper and Cadmium Resistance Determinants in the Biomining Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus metallicus

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Alvaro Orell

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Sulfolobus metallicus is a thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon used in high-temperature bioleaching processes that is able to grow under stressing conditions such as high concentrations of heavy metals. Nevertheless, the genetic and biochemical mechanisms responsible for heavy metal resistance in S. metallicus remain uncharacterized. Proteomic analysis of S. metallicus cells exposed to 100 mM Cu revealed that 18 out of 30 upregulated proteins are related to the production and conversion of energy, amino acids biosynthesis, and stress responses. Ten of these last proteins were also up-regulated in S. metallicus treated in the presence of 1 mM Cd suggesting that at least in part, a common general response to these two heavy metals. The S. metallicus genome contained two complete cop gene clusters, each encoding a metallochaperone (CopM, a Cu-exporting ATPase (CopA, and a transcriptional regulator (CopT. Transcriptional expression analysis revealed that copM and copA from each cop gene cluster were cotranscribed and their transcript levels increased when S. metallicus was grown either in the presence of Cu or using chalcopyrite (CuFeS2 as oxidizable substrate. This study shows for the first time the presence of a duplicated version of the cop gene cluster in Archaea and characterizes some of the Cu and Cd resistance determinants in a thermophilic archaeon employed for industrial biomining.

The Internal Resistance of Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, G. G. G.; Pietronero, R. C.; Catunda, T.

2012-01-01

In this paper we study the transient behaviour of RC circuits with supercapacitors, varying R between 1 and 100 [omega]. We demonstrate that supercapacitors behave as ideal capacitors in series with an internal resistance (r [similar to] 8 [omega] for C = 0.2 F, 5.5 V). This result is important to optimize the demonstration of RC circuits using a…

Position-sensitive proportional counter with low-resistance metal-wire anode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopp, M.K.

1980-01-01

A position-sensitive proportional counter circuit is provided which uses a conventional (low-resistance, metal-wire anode) proportional counter for spatial resolution of an ionizing event along the anode of the counther. A pair of specially designed activecapacitance preamplifiers terminate the anode ends wherein the anode is treated as an RC line. The preamplifiers act as stabilized active capacitance loads and each is composed of a series-feedback, lownoise amplifier, a unity-gain, shunt-feedback amplifier whose output is connected through a feedback capacitor to the series-feedback amplifier input. The stabilized capacitance loading of the anode allows distributed RC-line position encoding and subsequent time difference decoding by sensing the difference in rise times of pulses at te anode ends where the difference is primarily in response to the distributed capacitance along the anode. This allows the use of lower resistance wire anodes for spatial radiation detection which simplifies the counter construction and handling of the anodes, and stabilizes the anode resistivity at high count rates

Development of dominant sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR marker linked with plume moth (Exelastis atomosa Walsingham 1886 resistance in pigeon-pea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramya R Mishra

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The mode of gene action governing resistance to plume moth (Exelastis atomosa Walsingham 1886 derived from pigeon-pea (Cajanus scarabaeoides (L. Thouars accession ICPW-94 has been determined and the resistance alleles have been designated as PPM1. The progenies of F2 population and F3 families derived from an interspecific cross C. cajan (L. Huth ('ICP-26' x C. scarabaeoides (accession ICPW-94 revealed monogenic gene action for resistance to plume moth, and the dominant control by single locus or cluster of tightly linked alleles. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA of 116 F2 progenies by using 143 parental polymorphic RAPD primers could identify a fragment OPA09(910 associated with plume moth resistance in coupling phase of linkage. Further single plant analysis of the 116 F2 mapping population revealed OPA09(910 was linked to PPMi locus conferring host resistance to plume moth with recombination fraction (rf value of 0.125 (12.7 cM of Kosambi function. The resistance specific fragment OPA09(910 was cloned, sequenced and converted into a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR marker, SCOPA09(942, which was also closely associated (10.3 cM with the locus PPMl with rf value 0.102. BLAST analysis with pigeon-pea genome sequence also confirmed its occurrence in CcLG02 (Scafseq.LG_V5.0fa and contig 01597 (AFSP01.fsa1. This SCAR marker showed reasonable screening efficiency in the F2, F3, and BC1F1 lines, thus it can be used as genetic handle in marker-assisted introgression of the genomic fragment conferring plume moth resistance and screening of breeding lines in pigeon-pea.

Mapping of Leaf Rust Resistance Genes and Molecular Characterization of the 2NS/2AS Translocation in the Wheat Cultivar Jagger.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Shulin; Kolmer, James A; Wang, Shuwen; Yan, Liuling

2018-04-19

Winter wheat cultivar 'Jagger' was recently found to have an alien chromosomal segment 2NS that has Lr37 , a gene conferring resistance against leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina The objective of this study was to map and characterize the gene(s) for seedling leaf rust resistance in Jagger. The recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of Jagger × '2174' was inoculated with leaf rust pathogen THBJG and BBBDB, and evaluated for infection type (IT) response. A major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for THBJG and BBBDB was coincidently mapped to chromosome arm 2AS, and the QTL accounted for 56.6% - 66.2% of total phenotypic variation in infection type (IT) response to THBJG, and 72.1% - 86.9% to BBBDB. The causal gene for resistance to these rust races was mapped to the 2NS segment in Jagger. The 2NS segment was located in a region of approximately 27.8 Mb starting from the telomere of chromosome arm 2AS, based on the sequences of the A genome in tetraploid wheat. The Lr17a gene on chromosome arm 2AS was delimited to 3.1 Mb in the genomic region, which was orthologous to the 2NS segment. Therefore, the Lr37 gene in the 2NS segment can be pyramided with other effective resistance genes, rather than Lr17a in wheat, to improve resistance to rust diseases. Copyright © 2018, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.

Long duration performance of high temperature irradiation resistant thermocouples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rempe, J.; Knudson, D.; Condie, K.; Cole, J.; Wilkins, S.C.

2007-01-01

Many advanced nuclear reactor designs require new fuel, cladding, and structural materials. Data are needed to characterize the performance of these new materials in high temperature, radiation conditions. However, traditional methods for measuring temperature in-pile degrade at temperatures above 1100 C degrees. To address this instrumentation need, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) developed and evaluated the performance of a high temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouple that contains alloys of molybdenum and niobium. To verify the performance of INL's recommended thermocouple design, a series of high temperature (from 1200 to 1800 C) long duration (up to six months) tests has been initiated. This paper summarizes results from the tests that have been completed. Data are presented from 4000 hour tests conducted at 1200 and 1400 C that demonstrate the stability of this thermocouple (less than 2% drift). In addition, post test metallographic examinations are discussed which confirm the compatibility of thermocouple materials throughout these long duration, high temperature tests. (authors)

Dominance of multidrug resistant CC271 clones in macrolide-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae in Arizona

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bowers Jolene R

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rates of resistance to macrolide antibiotics in Streptococcus pneumoniae are rising around the world due to the spread of mobile genetic elements harboring mef(E and erm(B genes and post-vaccine clonal expansion of strains that carry them. Results Characterization of 592 clinical isolates collected in Arizona over a 10 year period shows 23.6% are macrolide resistant. The largest portion of the macrolide-resistant population, 52%, is dual mef(E/erm(B-positive. All dual-positive isolates are multidrug-resistant clonal lineages of Taiwan19F-14, mostly multilocus sequence type 320, carrying the recently described transposon Tn2010. The remainder of the macrolide resistant S. pneumoniae collection includes 31% mef(E-positive, and 9% erm(B-positive strains. Conclusions The dual-positive, multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae clones have likely expanded by switching to non-vaccine serotypes after the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine release, and their success limits therapy options. This upsurge could have a considerable clinical impact in Arizona.

Experimental characterization of resistive joints for use inside ATLAS toroids

CERN Document Server

Volpini, G; Pojer, M

2001-01-01

The authors have investigated, both experimentally and theoretically, the thermo-electrical behavior of the ATLAS magnets resistive joints. These magnets exploit an Al-clad NbTi Rutherford superconducting cable, and the splices between different sections are performed by TIG-welding the Al matrices of the two cables to be connected. This technique is simple from a construction point of view, and we have shown that its performance is adequate for a safe operation of the magnets. The two main concerns during the design of these joints are the temperature rise due to Joule dissipation and the eddy currents induced under nonstationary conditions. We have devised a reliable model of these joints, that allows estimating their resistances and the induced eddy currents; later we have built and measured several sample joints to give experimental confirmation. The model requires, along with the joint geometry, the knowledge of the Rutherford-matrix interface resistance as well as the RRR of the aluminum matrix. In this...

Salt Concentration Differences Alter Membrane Resistance in Reverse Electrodialysis Stacks

KAUST Repository

Geise, Geoffrey M.

2014-01-14

Membrane ionic resistance is usually measured by immersing the membrane in a salt solution at a single, fixed concentration. While salt concentration is known to affect membrane resistance when the same concentration is used on both sides of the membrane, little is known about membrane resistance when the membrane is placed between solutions of different concentrations, such as in a reverse electrodialysis (RED) stack. Ionic resistance measurements obtained using Selemion CMV and AMV that separated sodium chloride and ammonium bicarbonate solutions of different concentrations were greater than those measured using only the high-concentration solution. Measured RED stack resistances showed good agreement with resistances calculated using an equivalent series resistance model, where the membranes accounted for 46% of the total stack resistance. The high area resistance of the membranes separating different salt concentration solutions has implications for modeling and optimizing membranes used in RED systems.

Enhanced Macrophage M1 Polarization and Resistance to Apoptosis Enable Resistance to Plague.

Science.gov (United States)

Pachulec, Emilia; Abdelwahed Bagga, Rym Ben; Chevallier, Lucie; O'Donnell, Hope; Guillas, Chloé; Jaubert, Jean; Montagutelli, Xavier; Carniel, Elisabeth; Demeure, Christian E

2017-09-15

Susceptibility to infection is in part genetically driven, and C57BL/6 mice resist various pathogens through the proinflammatory response of their M1 macrophages (MPs). However, they are susceptible to plague. It has been reported elsewhere that Mus spretus SEG mice resist plague and develop an immune response characterized by a strong recruitment of MPs. The responses of C57BL/6 and SEG MPs exposed to Yersinia pestis in vitro were examined. SEG MPs exhibit a stronger bactericidal activity with higher nitric oxide production, a more proinflammatory polarized cytokine response, and a higher resistance to Y. pestis-induced apoptosis. This response was not specific to Y. pestis and involved a reduced sensitivity to M2 polarization/signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 activation and inhibition of caspase 8. The enhanced M1 profile was inducible in C57BL/6 MPs in vitro, and when transferred to susceptible C57BL/6 mice, these MPs significantly increased survival of bubonic plague. MPs can develop an enhanced functional profile beyond the prototypic M1, characterized by an even more potent proinflammatory response coordinated with resistance to killing. This programming plays a key role in the plague-resistance phenotype and may be similarly significant in other highly lethal infections, suggesting that orienting the MP response may represent a new therapeutic approach. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An evaluation of the resistivity anisotropy of the clays at the Down Ampney fault research site